Golden Age (The Shifting Tides, #1)(83)

‘Sire,’ Peithon said, revealing nothing of his thoughts. ‘The Shards protect our flank. Any attack from the sea must go through Phalesia to reach us here in Xanthos. Phalesia must be strong. Her navy and our army are all that will prevent our mutual destruction. We must combine our forces, sooner rather than later. The Ileans could arrive at any moment. The sun king is too powerful for either of us to face alone.’

Markos scratched his beard as he mused. Finally, he turned to Thea. ‘I am sorry, wife, but Peithon speaks sense. I’ll tell Nikolas to take the army through the Gates of Annika to Phalesia. We can always recall them if we have need.’

‘The men will need supplies.’ Peithon bowed. ‘By your leave?’

‘Of course,’ the old king said.

Leaving the terrace and walking through the arched entrance to the king’s audience chamber, Peithon glanced at the high-backed wooden chair that was the king’s throne.

Peithon had made inquiries. Even working together, Xanthos and Phalesia would never be able to hold out against the might of the Ilean Empire. Challenging the sun king was foolhardy in the extreme.

He thought about the message he would send. He had a captain in mind who would make the journey for silver.

The king would send Nikolas and the army to Phalesia. Xanthos would then be a very tempting target for the Ileans.

The secret route through the Shards would soon be secret no more.

All Peithon had to do was keep the army away from Xanthos until the sun king’s soldiers arrived.





36


The old arena was now familiar to Chloe; this was her fourth visit in as many days. She was no longer in awe of the empty seats, filled with ghosts of the past, watching savage combat and howling for blood. Instead, she now saw it as her training ground, the place where she transformed from a healer and musician into something else altogether.

‘Come,’ Tomarys said. ‘I will crouch down, and you grab hold of my hair. People often use this to cause pain and immobilize an opponent, but I will show you how to take back control.’

She walked up behind him and with her right hand took a fistful of his dark hair, tied back behind his head with a thong. She grabbed it close to the root as hard as she could.

‘Argh,’ he grunted. ‘That hurts.’ She started to relax her hold. ‘No! Do not soften. If a man takes you like this, he will not be gentle.’

She gripped hard once more.

‘I will show you the move quickly, and then I will show it slow. Here it is.’

He slapped his hand down on hers, trapping her palm to the top of his head. He then brought his other arm into play and whirled. Chloe felt a burst of pain in her wrist. If he’d used all his strength, he would have broken her arm.

‘Did you see?’

‘Not really,’ Chloe admitted.

‘Slowly this time. Take my hair again. Good. Now watch. I clasp my hand over yours. This takes away your power to yank hard, immobilizing me with pain. That is the first step. I then crouch, sinking lower. This removes still more of your power to pull my hair, while removing some of your leverage. Your arm is no longer strong in this position. It feels awkward, does it not?’ He paused. ‘We will stop here. This is the important part.’

Chloe examined their postures. Her hand still gripped his hair, but he had his right hand on top of hers. He had allowed his body to sink, meaning her arm was angled more than it had previously been.

‘Now I still have one free hand. So I stiffen my hand like a knife. I bring my left hand behind my head, up and across. I place the knife between your hand and your wrist, where there is a joint.’ He moved accordingly. ‘Your arm is now mine. I spin, using the full force of my back and shoulders. I will do it slowly.’

He turned, keeping his stiffened hand against the joint of her wrist, still holding her hand clasped against his head. Pain grew in Chloe’s wrist, even with Tomarys moving at a snail’s pace.

‘The assailant now wants only to be free of the pain. When I complete my spin, even if I haven’t broken his arm, he will be nursing his hand. That is when I attack.’

Chloe nodded as he finished the spin until he was facing her.

‘Your turn now. I am taller than you, so you do not need to crouch. I will come up behind you and grab the hair on the top of your head.’

He gripped Chloe hard, making her wince. She slapped her hand down, crouched so that she was moving into his body behind him, then brought her stiff left hand up, inserted it into the joint at his wrist, and spun into him. Tomarys had no choice but to let go as she whirled to face him. Even if Chloe couldn’t break a man’s arm, she could get herself free of such an attack.

‘Good!’ He smiled. ‘We will practice it more over the coming days. I have one more movement to teach you. An easier one this time. Face away from me again.’

Chloe complied. Tomarys came up behind her and suddenly grabbed her right wrist. He twisted her arm up behind her back. She grunted at the sudden pain.

‘Many people use this hold. It is extremely common, so it is a good one to know how to get out of. It is a matter of instinct. You want to pull away, but pulling in the direction your mind tells you to go in simply adds to the pain. Here is the key. As soon as you can – ideally surprising the man who holds you – turn in the direction of your free arm. The easiest way to remember this is to rotate and swing your free elbow at your enemy’s head. As you turn, you bring your entire body to bear against the force of one man’s hand. The hand being held moves away, reducing your opponent’s leverage. The key is to use surprise. You are a woman, and surprise is your key advantage, for they will not be expecting you to have any skill or power. Try it now.’