Diana hunched forwards to put her head on the same level as Vero’s. It was a clever stance to adopt. It took advantage of her superior height to keep Vero at a distance, where it was difficult for her to shoot in and take the giantess down by the legs.

Vero intended to take advantage of her ability to out-strike her opponent on a technical level at first, but she believed her best chance at ultimate victory was to grapple and compromise a limb. She also assumed a low wrestler’s stance.

Her foewoman was easily considered the favorite to win purely by her obvious advantages in height, weight, reach, and strength. Vero’s lungs had finally adapted to the thinner air so high in the mountains, and she hoped to surprise them with her stamina. She believed her own advantage lay in the hundreds of hours of training her master put her under in wrestling and pugilism, and in the force multiplier shock could give them.

Diana was advancing forwards with slow and deliberate movements, but Vero held her ground and kept her guard low, inviting her opponent to strike for the head.

Vero evaded a jabbing left palm strike. Then returned a counter hook with her strong right hand, which she stepped into a heterodox fighting stance with her right leg forward to deliver.

Diana was stunned into halting by the blow, then uncertainly shifted between retreat and advance. Vero followed her foe with a swinging kick to the leading leg, using as much torque as she could manage.

Then they were standing in front of one another and trading blows- an exchange which Vero was able to take the better of by timing her combinations, and just ducking her head away from reprisals.

Diana backed away, and both of them reset themselves.

Vero put her orthodox leg forward once again. She stood up straighter and crossed her hands over one another right in front of herself, for a long defensive guard.

She could tell Diana had passing skill at pugilism, but it was not a match for her own proficiency. That in no way guaranteed victory, but it would give her time to find the weakness she could press.

When Diana came forward again, she moved purposefully into a medium range for throwing hand strikes. She did not seem confident enough to try a kick. Vero presumed her opponent was worried that she would try to catch the kick, and use it for a single-legged takedown.

Which was Vero’s intention, if she did try.

Vero rolled the hand strikes that did come off her shoulders, then threw back uppercuts and hard elbows when she could. She took the better of the exchange, and Diana tried to back away a moment.

Vero followed and caught her with a calf kick, just before another similar pattern of hand strikes was exchanged. This repeated twice more, before her opponent decided that she must reassess her strategy; the crowd was goading her.

Diana stopped moving backwards and straightened up her stance.

The surprise of Vero’s early successes kept her timid, and Vero would not let the opportunity pass her. She put out pawing palm strikes and feints at her opponent, while kicking Diana’s leading leg from a comfortable range. She kept her movements chaotic, shifting back and forth with the natural rhythm she felt in her mind, often changing from orthodox to heterodox and then back again.

Vero’s opponent tried her own strikes – and when they did land, they felt like hammers – but they were slow, and Vero’s own head movement felt effortless in the moment. Each strike seemed to just slip off her in the flow of combat.

Finally, Diana chose to simply advance without stopping to force Vero back. She put out a relentless pace of palm strikes and Vero kept her guard up. Diana was pushing her towards the edge of the ring, but Vero evaded laterally. Being sure to move to her left, so that she would not be caught moving into an attack on her open side.

With space behind her again, Vero worked to keep Diana away with kicks. Oblique kicks to the leg, which threatened to hyperextend her knee if she attempted to advance in a straight line, and front kicks to the body physically pushing her opponent back.

The crowd was becoming more restless in their jeering; and Vero also heard Conner calling for her. Diana tried to rush in frustration, and Vero saw an opening she could use. Two wild haymakers were ducked by footwork and head weaving. Vero countered with two closed fist strikes to the solar plexus. The hits were solid, but Diana only grunted and paid them no mind.

She was ignoring pain to close the distance, Vero realized, then the giantess had her.

Her opponent wrapped both hands around Vero’s head, and kept her held in a clinch she could not retreat from in time. Vero struggled to put her own arms between Diana’s to push her off, but her foewoman’s grip was tightly clasped.

Vero felt her head drawn down; she saw the rising knee only briefly before it reached her.

She raised her hand just in time to cushion the blow, but dark stars spread across her vision.

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Her legs had collapsed under her.

When her senses came back to her, she was lying on her back and Diana was pressing down towards her. Vero’s body was already kicking upwards in instinct, and one blow crossed her enemy across the temple. It had not been a solid hit, but it disinclined her to follow Vero onto the ground.

Diana backed away and allowed Vero to rise.

Vero staggered up to feet when Pentarch called on her to do so. Blood was pouring from her nose after the knee strike, and she could only breathe through her mouth.

Diana kept her orthodox stance, but Vero put her right leg forwards to switch back into a heterodox position. Attempting to control the distance, Vero went back on offensive at once with pawing jabs using her leading right hand. Many of the strikes landed, and Diana’s lip was split.

The giantess was momentarily winded, but Vero simply did not possess the strength in her arms to physically stop her. Diana pressed forwards again, and Vero was sent circling desperately to give herself space.

She stopped.

They were each moving towards their open sides, and Vero kicked quickly enough to catch Diana under the ribs with all the force of her rear leg before her opponent noticed the opening. There was a grunt of pain and an arm lashed out to catch her foot, but it was just a moment too late.

Vero was already moving back the other direction, but Diana put herself off balance by grabbing at the foot. Vero hammered the side of her head with a palm strike.

Her opponent was dazed and stumbled. She put a hand on the ground to steady herself.

Vero saw weakness and moved to deliver a rising kick to her opponent’s head. Diana sensed the attack and intercepted it with her free hand, then made a desperate attempt to wrestle Vero to the ground with the single leg she held.

Vero kept her balance on one leg while she could, but the giantess was rising again and would inevitably topple her over backwards. She leapt into the air and threw all her momentum into a rolling kick aimed roughly at her opponent’s head.

If it had hit cleanly, the battle may have been over at that moment. But it only rolled over the top of Diana’s brow.

Vero was on her front and scrambled to her feet. When she saw her opponent again, she was shooting forward to try and wrap up Vero’s lower half. Vero sprawled her legs outwards to remain in control, and tried to get her arm around Diana’s neck.

Her foe now attempted to disengage, but Vero remained clinched with her as they both rose to their feet. Vero changed her hold to secure one hook under Diana’s arm. Then, after several moments of hand fighting, she gained a second underhook and could clasp her hands into a waist lock behind her opponent’s back.

Diana tried to bear down with her greater weight, and put a leg behind Vero to trip her. Vero was ready, kept control, and used the momentum to throw her foewoman over with a hip toss as she was off balance.

Vero came down on top, while Diana fell flat on her back and lost her wind. She was horizontal over her opponent, and they were pressed chest to chest. Vero kneed her in the body several times with as much force as she could generate.

Diana struggled animalistically, and Vero was able to trap her opponent’s left arm between her legs. Vero then crawled forward, and held down Diana’s right arm with the press of her whole-body weight.

Her opponent no longer had a means to defend herself. Vero struck across her enemy’s forehead with downward elbows again and again, while her lungs began to burn from the exertion. Her foe was bucking her hips to throw Vero off, but she held the crucifix position with desperate tenacity.

Vero knew that she would not have the wind to maintain such crisp fighting for much longer. If she lost her speed, it would only be a matter of time until the giantess’ greater strength beat her down. She had a chance for victory now, and would not release it willingly.

Diana’s brow was sliced open and Vero could see blood, though it did not stop her attacks.

Then there was a tremendous buck and Vero was briefly airborne. Diana had thrown her off, but Vero still held an arm.

If her opponent had a chance to recover, Vero would not have the strength to bring her down again. Diana struggled to scramble away, but Vero would not release her grip. She turned the arm inwards, so that it went behind Diana’s own back with a reverse arm winding hold.

Diana felt the pressure on her joint and attempted to roll away to relieve the pain, but Vero anticipated the escape attempt and pressed the trapped arm down. Then she began to crank with leverage.

Vero held the superior position. Diana was stronger, but the vulnerable limb was totally isolated now. A break was moments away.

It was her opponent’s responsibility to yield. Vero would rather break the arm than lose.

“Yield! I yield,” Diana called out, with sullen disappointment.

Vero released her hold and allowed the satisfaction of triumph wash over her.

Diana was rubbing feeling back into her arm. The crowd noise was confused. Vero tenderly felt the contours of her nose, which still dripped blood.

It was broken. A small enough price to pay for the sensation of victory, in her own opinion.

Pain was a physical sensation from without and could be removed from her mind with discipline. The thrill of success – and the agony of defeat – came from within, and Vero found those feelings much more difficult to resist.

“I shouldn’t have underestimated you because you were so small,” said Diana. “I didn’t expect you to fight like such a wild cat.”

Vero was used to hearing such claims to chivalry when she bested men. It seemed that even women felt the need to salve their own egos after losing a contest in which they expected an easy victory.

Then she chastised herself for taking such an uncharitable attitude. There was every chance that she could have been the vanquished in Diana’s place. The subject of her ire was also probably her closest friend in this place.

“It was an excellent contest. Thank-you.” Vero pulled herself to her feet and offered Diana her hand.

The giantess appraised the hand. “Magnanimous in victory? Ah!” She struggled to her feet on her own. “I thank you for teaching me. It’s better to have my pride shattered in the training ring then on a hunt.”

Vero withdrew her hand. “You taught me some things as well. Maybe I can teach you some more wrestling techniques later?”

Diana forced a smile. “I’d like that.”

She noticed that Richard and his companions were equally put out by the result. They whispered, none too quietly, that they believed the entire contest had been set up as they left. Vero did not allow it to bother her, she simply enjoyed her victory while she still held it.

Conner brought some cotton to stop up the bleeding in her nose. He, at least, seemed happy that she won. When she thanked him for cheering her on, he turned a bright crimson.

At last, she turned to Pentarch. “I believe I may need a moment in the infirmary. We can discuss the matter of my sword after the bleeding has stopped. If that would be convenient for you?”

Pentarch sniffed and did not rise to her bait. “I always honor my bargains, journeyman.”