Then Urgo nodded. «I fight.» He picked up a rectangular shield and a straight short sword like a Roman soldier's. If Urgo knew how to use the short sword for thrusting, he could always keep it out in front of himself and always ready to strike. Meanwhile the shield would cover most of his body that was not behind the point of the sword.

Urgo moved out toward Blade, and Blade dropped into a fighting stance and waited. Seen close up, Urgo looked enormous-as tall as Blade, broader, and layered with muscle under the filthy and battle-scarred skin. If this man had half a brain in his shaggy head, he would be a formidable opponent.

Urgo's first attack was a straight-in rush, sword stabbing out in front of him. Blade was able to side-step it, but not easily. Before he had turned completely around, Urgo was coming in again. The man was fast on his feet, and too large and strong for the armor to slow him down at all. Blade swung aside from this rush, too, but heard disapproving murmurs from the other warriors. Obviously he would have to stand up to Urgo and fight him at close range. Otherwise he would lose much of the reputation he had gained among these warriors with his bold challenge and Urgo's reluctance to fight.

So the next time Urgo came in, Blade stood his ground. One hand clamped down on Urgo's sword-arm while the other tried to hook around the shield for a chop at the shield arm. Simultaneously Blade drove his knee up at Urgo's groin.

But there was too much of the shield and Urgo knew how to use it. He smashed it downward into Blade's knee, sending an agonizing shock up and down Blade's leg. Before Blade could recover, Urgo swung the shield sideways against the arm reaching around it. Blade thought his arm was going to break off at the elbow. Then Urgo jerked his sword-arm out of Blade's grip, nearly slashing Blade's other arm in the process. Blade took one tremendous leap backward to open the distance. The two fighters faced each other, more warily than before.

Urgo was fast, he was smart, and he was much too strong for Blade to overpower him by sheer muscle. This was not going to be easy, Blade realized. It might even be fatal for him, rather than Urgo.

Several more close grapples confirmed Blade's judgment of his opponent. He picked up nothing worse than scrapes and aches and bruises, not even enough to slow him down. But he did no harm at all to Urgo. The barbarian warrior was now dripping with sweat and stank even worse than before. But he was barely breathing hard, and his shield and sword moved as fast as ever.

Obviously that shield-sword combination gave Urgo a nearly solid defense. Blade would have to get around it or break it down. He wasn't fast enough to do the first. He knew that by now. But what about the second?

Blade closed in, then pivoted on one foot and whipped the other foot around in a full-power wheel kick. A size-twelve foot with all of Blade's solid two hundred and ten pounds behind it smashed into the center of Urgo's shield. There was a crash as if it had been hit by a heavy rock; and Urgo staggered back several feet before he could fully recover his balance. Before he could advance again, Blade backed away until he was just out of range, then came in again.

Crash! Another direct hit on the center of the shield. This time Urgo was braced for the blow, but it still jarred him from head to foot. Again; he could not strike back in time.

The third time Blade came in, he aimed his kick low. Urgo flinched as he saw Blade's foot coming like a guided missile straight for his groin. The shield snapped downward. Blade's timing was perfect. His foot crashed into the lower edge of the shield, driving the metal-sheathed edge back hard against Urgo's bare thigh and twisting the shield straps around the man's arm. Urgo winced, then stared wide-eyed as Blade once more backed away.

The fourth time Blade came in, Urgo did just exactly what he was supposed to do. Urgo crouched down behind his shield, resting the lower edge on the ground. He thought he'd be completely protected that way. He held his sword ready to thrust up at Blade, but it was a position where he could not easily move out to attack. Blade had won himself the chance to get close in and live, if he moved fast enough.

He was even more of a blur than before as he moved in, foot shooting forward. It crashed into the upper edge of the shield and drove it back with a thud against Urgo's forehead. It struck below the rim of the helmet, and for a moment Urgo was half-dazed.

That moment was all Blade needed. He swung down out of the wheel kick and came in low, striking under the shield as Urgo raised it by reflex. Again he clamped down with his left hand on Urgo's sword arm, this time precisely squeezing the wrist nerves. With his right hand he grasped the bottom edge of the shield and heaved upward. Urgo's half-numb arm rose with the shield and he tottered back, nearly losing his balance.

Blade struck again. He hooked his right foot around Urgo's left leg, pulling the man forward below and pushing him backward above. Urgo lost his balance completely and went over backward with a crash. His head smashed into the rocky ground so hard that not even his helmet saved him. Half-stunned, he stared blankly upward at Blade as the Englishman stamped down with one foot on his sword-arm. Bone cracked, the hand opened limply, and the sword clattered to the ground. Then Blade's foot came in one final time, smashing full-force into Urgo's chin. The blow sent the man sliding several feet along the ground. Larynx shattered, spine snapped, he was dead before he stopped sliding.

Blade stood up and stared around the circle of warriors. They stared back. Several looked too stunned to show any emotion at all. One or two were frowning. But at least half had open smiles or grins on their bearded faces.

Blade decided it was time for a small speech. He pointed down at the body. «Urgo is dead. His name will go into my war-song as a mighty and worthy opponent, for as you all saw he fought strongly and well. Let no one say anything against his courage in my hearing, or I shall send him to join Urgo. Had he been taught the fighting ways of my people, I could not have beaten him, for he would have learned them well. Let him be remembered with honor.»

This diplomacy straightened out the frowns and woke the stunned out of their trances. One of the warriors who had been smiling stepped forward, both hands held out with fingers spread.

«Blade, I think you are too kind to Urgo. He was indeed a strong fighter, but he thought he was even stronger than he was. With such warriors, long life is often just good fortune. His good fortune ran out when he met you.»

He knelt and began unfastening Urgo's armor. «Blade, I am Chudo. I now lead this band of the Scadori. But it is my right to give the leadership and the leader's sword to you if you consent, for you have slain Urgo. Do you wish it?»

«You do not think that I might perhaps be of the Karani?»

«If you are of the Karani, Blade, then I, Chudo, am a little hopping mouse hiding among the rocks. Do I look like one?» Blade shook his head. «Then you are not of the Karani. But you may lead among the Scadori, if you wish.»

«I do so wish.» Blade took Urgo's sword and waved it three times around his head. The other warriors began to shout and cheer raucously.