Chapter 2: Building Tension
Alanna stood, her sword pointing at Gwen, having just challenged her to a duel to the death. Gwen was terrified. This heavily armed and armoured knight would easily defeat her, all she had was a simple spear. She had to think fast.
Gwen did not feel confident, her fear started to rise. She tried to use her voice to calm Alanna down.
"Knight, please listen to me," Gwen said, her voice shaking slightly. "I don't want to fight you. I swear on my life, I pose no threat to you. Can we talk this out?"
"Talk what out? I'll defeat you, take you back to the kingdom and you'll either rot in the castle dungeon or burn at the stake, what is there to talk about?" Alanna replies.
"Uh, ok" Gwen stammers, thinking fast "but um, what about... what about the rules? Yes what are the rules of the duel?"
"Rules?" Alanna replied "What are you suggesting?"
Gwen thought for a moment, trying to come up with a solution that would appease the knight and keep her alive.
"Well uh," Gwen started "I see you have a sword at your hip Miss Knight and all I have is this knife. Surely it is dishonourable for you to fight me either such an advantage?"
"I can think of nothing more dishonourable."
"Then how can we make this fair? How can we ensure that my life remains safe from harm?"
The sorceress thought for a moment, her mind racing. She had to come up with a plan that would keep both of them safe, yet still satisfy the knight's desire for a fair fight.
"I have an idea," she said, her voice tinged with excitement. "We can fight without weapons."
Alanna raised an eyebrow.
"No weapons? What kind of fight is that?"
Gwen smiled. "A fair one. One in which neither of us has an advantage over the other."
Alanna hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I can defeat you without weaponry." She sheathed her sword and unclipped the scabbard on her belt dropping it in grass. She put her fists up in a combat position "Well? Shall we begin"
Gwen still didn't fancy her chances here. The knight was still heavily armoured and much stronger. She had to think of a way to further even the odds.
"Wait a moment" she said
"By the gods, what now?" Replied Alanna.
"Are you really fighting in all that armour? Surely it'll just slow you down?"
Gwen said.
"My armour?" Alanna thought for a moment. "Well I suppose it would hinder me somewhat..."
"If you want to remove it, give yourself a bit more speed, I can wait" Gwen said helpfully.
She stood with her arms crossed, watching as Alanna began to unbuckle her armor. It was a laborious task, requiring a lot of flexibility and agility. Gwen couldn't help but admire the knight's strength and athleticism as she slowly peeled off each piece of armor.
As the last plate came off, Alanna stood before Gwen, stripped down to her leather armor. Her muscles rippled underneath, and Gwen couldn't help admiring her toned physique.
"Perhaps the boots top?" Offered Gwen "They look pretty heavy."
Alanna's boots were made of thick leather, designed to protect her feet during long marches. She hesitated for a moment before unlacing them and removing them from her feet, revealing her ankles and calves. Gwen couldn't resist the urge to glance down at them, marveling at the suppleness of the knight's muscles.
As Alanna prepared for the duel, Gwen couldn't help feeling a sense of unease.