"This isn't permitted," Atwyl shouted.

"It is," Parella yelled back. "The council can sanction anyone's challenge."

"Only if the majority agree," Atwyl shot back.

Fancher slammed her fist in the table. "I call the vote."

"The council head must call for all votes," Carmody objected. His voice was bleak, as if he expected to be overridden. Fancher obliged him.

"Personal interest disqualifies the council head," Fancher smiled coldly at Carmody. "As Outreach commander, you must call the role at any member's request. And I so request."

Carmody cast an imploring look at the Colonel, but he got no support. The Wolf seemed turned inward on himself, uncaring. Reluctantly, Carmody asked each of the council members whether they would allow the challenge. Even though both Jaime Wolf and Elson were ineligible to vote, their presence meant that the council had enough members to enforce the ruling. Challenge was a part of Clan life, and I suspected that several council members felt that they had to allow it even though they might prefer a less martial solution. Too many votes favored the challenge.

With no one left to poll, Carmody quietly said, "My vote means nothing to the count, but let the record show I find the challenge inappropriate. The council allows the challenge by a margin of six to four."

"It is settled," Elson said. "We shall fight, Jaime Wolf."

At last, the Colonel looked up. "That does seem to be the way of it."

Elson grinned. "It must be. If you refuse the Trial, you lose. Your position is forfeited."

"I've lost that already," Jaime Wolf said in a barely audible voice.

"But even if you win the fight, Elson, you can't take over the Dragoons," Stan said. "You should have studied better. If you win, the council cannot sanction you as the leader of the Dragoons. You don't have enough time in uniform."

"I am aware of that, Colonel Blake. But, have no fear, for I have studied well. The challenger need not take the position for which he challenges, if he has a sponsor. That is, I believe, one of the improvements your freeborn council has made to the Clan way." Elson swept the table with his eyes. "I perform this challenge in the name of Alpin Wolf. He is of the leader's bloodline and therefore qualified to replace him, by your rules. Alpin shall lead the Dragoons when I win."

"You're a fool," Colonel Wolf said quietly.

His grandson Alpin rewarded his comment with a glare of naked hatred. Elson shrugged off the remark.

"I am a survivor, Jaime Wolf. Soon your opinions will no longer matter. You have a decision to make which you cannot ignore: how the Trial shall be fought. You will of course choose to fight augmented."

"No, I think not."

"Jaime!" Those who had stood by Colonel Wolf were shocked and incredulous. Fighting Elson unaugmented would be suicide. I suddenly feared that death was exactly what the Colonel was seeking. Since he had learned of MacKenzie's death, the fire had left him. Among the Clans, old warriors gladly accepted any chance to die in combat. Did Jaime Wolf see this as his opportunity?

The Colonel slowly pushed his chair away from the table, then stood. "But I reserve the right to have a champion."

Elson smiled confidently. "Then name him, for mine is the right to choose the time and place of the Trial. I select now for the time, and this chamber for the place. Draw the Circle of Equals."

37

"I will be the Wolf's champion!"

Elson turned his head to see the challenger. It was Pietr Shadd. Face full of grim determination, the young pup stepped away from the wall and strode up beside Wolf. He glared at Elson over Wolf's head. "If he will have me."

Wolf turned his head and looked up at Shadd. "This is not a sibko trial, Pietr."

Blake joined them. "Since you've accepted, you'd better let the boy fight, Jaime. He's got a better chance of beating that monster than you do."

"It will be better if I do this myself."

"Unity! Maybe you are going senile. Elson's a trained Elemental. Clan-trained. He'll tear you apart!"

"Let Shadd fight," Cameron advised. Other oldsters joined in, arguing that Wolf could not best Elson. Carmody suggested delaying the Trial to let Wolf find an even better champion, but Fancher quashed that proposal by pointing out that a delay would be a significant loss of honor. At which point, Shadd said, "You must let me fight for you, Colonel. I have the best chance of defeating him."

"This isn't what I wanted," Wolf objected.

"He's your best chance, Jaime," Carmody insisted.

Wolf folded his arms and hung his head, considering his options. He looked at Shadd. "I'm sure you can fight well, Pietr, but I don't want you to die here."

"I won't, sir. I will win for you."

"Listen to me, boy. This isn't worth your life."

"I will beat him."

Wolf gave Shadd a smile, but it was a sad, weak thing.

"You have already lost," Elson told him.

Elson's men moved forward to clear the center of the room of tables and chairs. He stripped off his weapons belt and his uniform jacket. Shadd did the same, while Carmody whispered urgently in the boy's ear. Elson almost smiled. If the old man thought he knew some tricks that would help Shadd, he was mistaken. This was not the time for learning; the Circle was where you proved what you already knew. There was no time for anything else.

The Dragoons formed a ring around the open space. Elson stepped into the Circle but stayed near the edge. Shadd stepped into the open space on the opposite side. There was no need for announcements or a rehashing of the rules.

They began.

For almost a minute, there was no combat. The two men circled, each watching the other for the slip that would offer an opening. Impatient, Shadd charged. He and the Elemental traded blows and battered at each other's guard. There would be bruises, but nothing significant was achieved in the first flurry. Or the next.

Elson moved in with a standard pattern designed to lift his opponent's ward into the high line, preparatory to an attack along the low line. Shadd flowed with the assault. He was well-trained, and his response to the shift in the pattern was fast. But it was also textbook-standard.

Elson let him take the next attack and shifted pattern again as a test. Shadd responded as before. Elson closed in to test his strength against the boy's. He broke away, having learned what he needed to know. Shadd was a little faster than Elson, but was unable to use his bulk to its maximum effectiveness. The boy was good, and showed the potential for developing into a truly formidable hand-to-hand fighter in time.

He would not have that time.

Elson closed, shifting for a high-line roundhouse kick. Shadd moved his right hand out to catch Elson's ankle and brought his left up in a move that would shatter Elson's leg if he resisted or tumble him if he did not. Elson didn't resist. Instead he continued shifting his weight into the kick, going with the throw. His hand snapped out and grabbed Shadd's ankle. Caught off guard, Shadd was pulled off balance. Prepared, Elson flowed with the throw. Tucking tighter, he spun faster and pulled Shadd down. The boy lost his grip on Elson and the Elemental took advantage by rolling away and to his feet. He spun and charged back.

Abruptly halting his charge, Elson lifted his foot for a downward stomp. Shadd threw himself to one side, taking his head out of line. Elson slammed his foot down on his intended target. Three of Shadd's fingers snapped as Elson's hardened heel came down on his hand. The boy screamed with the sudden pain.