The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

New Tricks

"Focus."

"I am focusing." I growled.

A few strands of my deep brown hair came loose from the high plait running down the back of my head. They were beginning to stick to my face and I panted heavily. She did not bother to offer me a hand up from the grassy meadow. She'd dumped me on my back for the tenth time in the last half sun slither. John and Kaden were watching from the trees with irritating grins.

"Perhaps you are just predictable then." She said walking away with her back to me.

Instead of throwing an insult at her, I silently got to my feet and pulled out a dagger at her unguarded back. I think I did it because I knew she would catch me, but would be irritated by the cheap shot none the less.

She spun around, her golden hair tangling in the air for a moment before she clashed my blade with a dagger of her own.

"Truly, Tayah." She snarled over the blades. "That was pathetic." She released the parry and flung her blade into the dirt. Then those silver irises flicked up to my own anger filled green eyes.

"Stop letting emotion hinder your skill."

"Hard not to be emotional when you are fighting an invincible adversary." I said dryly.

She snorted raising her head to the sky. "I am not using my power. It has no impact on this fight."

It was my turn to scoff. "Every sense you have is impossibly heightened! You could likely hear my very heart and sense me coming!"

"Actually I merely saw those two idiots giggling like tavern wenches and concluded that you were about to do something foolish." She said cooly.

"Naturally." I muttered.

"You must spend more time perfecting hand-to-hand combat. You rely too heavily on weapons." She said factually.

I rolled my eyes. "You hardly run into a fight unarmed."

"Be prepared for any possibility and you will win the outcome." She retorted simply.

"I drive swords through the possibility." I snapped back.

She sighed and shook her head at me. "Much to learn..."

I groaned and sank into a crouch. Then a thought occurred to me and I smirked at the ground.

"Why not... give me all of it. Only for a moment." I said slowly.

"Give you what—" Then her eyes blazed in realisation. "—absolutely not." She snapped.

"Afraid that I will put you in the dirt with your own power?" I teased.

"I am afraid you would burn down half the forest in the process." She stated with a glare. "I only gave you my energy to keep you alive. In your current state the power would be overwhelming. You would not be able to control it as a mortal." She said with finality.

"Then at least make it a fair fight!" I groaned.

"It would not be a fair fight even if you bound my hands behind my back and blindfolded me."

I paused, looking up at her curiously.

"That was not a serious statement." She growled down at me.

But that only made me smirk devilishly. I drew my dagger and tore the arm off one of my white tunic sleeves. I held it out to her with a brow raised.

"Not. A. Chance. Mortal." She said each word slowly, eyes burning.

I rolled onto my feet and stepped closer to her.