Stealing the Storm by Aaron Rosenberg

Author:Aaron Rosenberg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Eldros Legacy, Eldros, Epic Fantasy, Epic, Fantasy, pirates, magic, sailing, mystery
Publisher: Eldros Legacy
Published: 2023-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-two

Ruhi

Ruhi was on edge from the meeting. Having Koliya threaten them had driven home the fact that, in her current guise, a man like that wouldn’t hesitate to attack and injure her. It was a circumstance she really hadn’t considered when she’d set out from home.

She was worrying over the repercussions when six men suddenly emerged from behind a cart and charged straight at her and Sundra.

The sextet looked like any other pirates she’d seen. They were tanned and weathered from so much sun and sea air, with hard muscles from crewing a ship and hard eyes from preying on others. They wore vests and trousers, boots and either turbans or headbands, and nothing else. But their weapons caught her eye. Because these men didn’t have talwars or even teghas. Instead, they each hefted short, solid-looking wooden clubs. Which was still plenty, since neither she nor Sundra were armed.

“Look out!” she shouted. Sundra reacted instantly, shoving her away and himself back at the same time. The club aimed at his head whooshed through the space he’d just been. The one targeting her did the same.

Then Ruhi stumbled into the man who’d just tried to knock her out.

“Oof!” He fell back as well, grunting as her shoulder slammed into his chest. Then again when her elbow struck his stomach.

Remembering the self-defense lessons Ganath and a few of the others had impressed upon her, Ruhi followed through with a swift kick—right between her attacker’s legs.

He doubled over, squealing, then fell to the ground, clutching his injured groin. The club dropped from his hand, clattering onto the cobblestones. Ruhi quickly scooped that up, just in time to block a strike from one of the others.

She caught a quick glimpse of Sundra sidestepping a blow and punching his assailant full in the nose. That was all she had time to notice before the pirate facing her lunged.

Ruhi had no weapons training—but she had grown up working the warehouse, which included wielding a broom. And, more than once, she’d had to use that implement to fend off workers, passing laborers, messengers, and even the occasional client, playfully or otherwise. This club was both shorter and thicker than a broom handle, but she found it easier to use than a sword. There was no worrying about cutting herself or having the blade turned the wrong way round.

The man attacking her was clearly stronger than she was, but she was taller. That meant she could swing at him and he couldn’t reach her. At least, not right away. She wasn’t sure how long she could keep this up.

Meanwhile, the other men were circling, biding their time. That wasn’t good.

Sundra had defeated his first opponent as well, and armed himself with the man’s club. He laid about with a flurry of swings and strikes, all of which showed he had been trained in such things. That was good, anyway. Ruhi put her back up against him, which also helped.

But at least one of the remaining pirates was as tall as she was and broader across the shoulders, with thick arms.

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