I certainly didn’t need Dimitri to explain a mace to me. I picked it up, ignoring whatever he was prattling on about.

The mace was black with strands of something approaching gold in color, like a dark marble. It was heavy, which was to be expected, and long - easily over 3 feet, maybe 4. The shaft was thick, and the head looked like a fancy vase someone had stuck a dull arrowhead on top of. I swung it around my head a few times, and it felt right.

“…nothing really special about it, I suppose. Have you used a mace before, then? You swing that around like you have, I’d say. Well, I can’t say it’s my favorite weapon, but on the other hand…”

“Too long,” Cadoc said again. “Not as bad as the halberd, but still too long. You’d need a sidearm, for when we’re in closer quarters.”

I stopped swinging. Another fair point. But how could I not grab the mace?

Cadoc addressed Dimitri. “Don’t you have another sword?”

“Sure, I have another one, of course. Similar like the one you’re holding, I suppose. I was just showing you my best items, you understand. If you want, I’ve also got staves, knives, bows, axes…”

“How much for the three weapons?” I interrupted. “The sword, the mace, and the sword-mace.”

Dimitri stroked his raggedy beard. “Hmm. For the three? The mace is nothing special, but the other two are imports…”

Cadoc placed a hand on my shoulder. “Remember, friend. We still need other supplies.”

“Would you take 3 halfgold?” I asked, holding out our last coins.

I swear I saw a glint in Dimitri’s eyes, and his smiled widened further than I would have imagined possible. “Yes, indeed, 3 halfgold. That’s exactly the price I was about to say.”

I doubted it, but I supposed it was too late now. Maybe I should have haggled. I turned back to Cadoc.

“We’ll make more money soon,” I said. “The inn will feed us dinners as part of the room cost, right? That’s what they said. We can get water from the well outside, and we’ve got rooms, and now weapons. That’ll keep us for another night, at least, and then we’ll make more money.”

Cadoc shook his head again, but agreed. “I suppose, friend. I am not so used to having money. But you are right, I think.”

I was happy to be getting two weapons, truthfully. While the mace felt the most familiar - a rare thing in this dimension - the antisword was close, and it seemed like the kind of weapon Tom would have picked. By using both, I was at least covering my bases.

Cadoc stopped me before I handed Dimitri the money. “We must test the weapons first,” he said. “I do not want my blade flying from my sword in the heat of battle.”

“I told you both already, these are the good weapons. No such things will happen, I can guarantee it. In fact, if it does, you can come back here, and I will give you your money back, yes?”

“If that happens, we’ll be dead, and will be unable to hold you to that deal,” Cadoc replied. “We will test them first, if you want our money.”

“Fine, yes, OK, that is fine, I suppose. But if you break them, you must buy them, you understand? Be careful with the antisword, particularly. In fact, perhaps you ought not to test that one at all. And do not get blood on my floors! It will be impossible to get the stains out.”

I looked to Cadoc. “You want to spar? I’m afraid I don’t really have any experience. I’m not sure it would tell either of us much about the weapons.”

A voice came from the corner of the room. “Then I will help you test them.” It was Susanna’s voice. She hopped over the counter again, and started walking towards us.

“What?” Dimitri said, flustered. “No, absolutely not. You will do no such thing.”

“Our customer wishes to test our wares,” Susanna said. “He won’t buy them otherwise. I am only doing my job as a merchant.” She picked up the mace from the counter. She grabbed the antisword as well. It had a scabbard, which she tied to her belt. Her voice softened for a moment. “We won’t destroy the store, father. We’ll spar out back. Just a friendly competition, like old times.”

Dimitri sighed. “I am getting too old for this. Fine, whatever, just don’t hurt yourselves. Or the weapons. Don’t hurt anything, alright? I’ll be upstairs. Tell me when you’re done.”

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He left, and I actually missed him, believe it or not. Without him, I felt even more like a fifth wheel. I had no idea what was going on between Cadoc and this woman, but she clearly wasn’t interested in just helping a customer test the merchandise.

Susanna shot Cadoc a look, then hopped over the counter, opened a door, and walked out into the night. Cadoc followed, walking around the counter, and I followed him. What else could I do?

Night had fallen, but there were oil lamps that Susanna lit. They burned brightly, almost like flood lights, and I wondered what kind of oil would burn like that. They cast harsh shadows, but illuminated the space well.

It was a small courtyard, surrounded by wooden walls which must have been other residences. But no windows looked in, except from the shop. Maybe Dimitri would be watching, but I couldn’t see anything inside. It was grassy, with a few training dummies and archery targets stacked off in a corner. Other than that, it was empty. All the same, I could recognize that this must be what passed for luxury in Dross. I’m sure no one else had a courtyard.

“It’s been too long, Cadoc,” Susanna said. She stood off the one side, resting the mace against one shoulder. I’d used heavier maces, but I was still impressed she could wield it at all. She must have trained often if she expected to swing it.

“Is this really what you want?” Cadoc asked. He took his place opposite her.

“No.”

“You’re still angry, I suppose?”

Susanna sneered, but didn’t answer the question. “You want to know what I really want? Let’s make this more interesting.”

“That is unnecessary.”

“If I win,” she continued. “You will stay here. In Dross. With me.”

What?

“I don’t agree to this.”

“And if you win…” she said, but didn’t finish.

“If I win?” Cadoc asked.

“What do you want?”

“You know what I want.”

“You know I cannot agree to that.”

“Then I do not agree, either.”

They stared at each other. What the hell is going on?

After awhile, I couldn’t handle the silence. Plus, I was hungry. And tired. I interjected.

“Give us the weapons for free,” I said. “If he wins.”

Susanna shook her head. “That is impossible.”

“2 halfgold, then.” I said. “Your father overcharged us, and you know it.” I was bluffing, but it was probably true.

Susanna considered this, then turned back to Cadoc. “Did you hear your friend? Do you agree to the terms?”

“Susanna, I will never stay here. You know that. I don’t care if you beat me or not.”

“Afraid you will lose?”

It was a childish ploy, but I saw that it was working. Cadoc tightened his grip on the sword.

Susanna pressed harder. “I never would have been interested in you, had I known you were a coward.”

Cadoc raised his sword in both hands. “’Til first blood?”

“My weapons don’t draw blood, unless I stab you. Until first blood, or first grounded. Or surrender. That work for you?”

“Fine.”

“We’ll start when your friend says go.”

“My name is Miles,” I said, although I was sure she had to have heard my name in the store.

She didn’t even turn to face me. “We’ll start when Miles says go.”

My guess, at this point, was that Susanna was Cadoc’s spurned lover. And although she hated him for leaving her behind, she still loved him, and wanted him to stay. Something like that. I’d have to ask Cadoc about it later and see if my theory was correct. And what he meant when he said “you know what I want.”

I was certain Cadoc would win.

“Go!”

Cadoc stood his ground, stance wide, sword out before him. Susanna, on the other hand, immediately started sprinting.

She dashed at Cadoc, mace overhead, in the most easily predictable attack I could imagine. If Cadoc was unable to dodge or block this swing, I would do best to separate myself from him immediately.

I didn’t know what Susanna was thinking. Intimidation? She wasn’t big enough for that.

She was in front of Cadoc in a flash. Cadoc raised his sword to meet the mace’s swing, and in an instant the mace flew from Susanna’s hands, disarmed.

But she wasn’t surprised. In fact, it looked more like she had thrown the mace at the space above his head. Before Cadoc could realize what was happening, Susanna was tackling him. She had used the mace as no more than a distraction, knowing that Cadoc would block it easily, but, being taken unawares, wouldn’t be able to switch to grappling as quickly as she did. She would win by getting him on the ground.

Her arms wrapped around his midsection, and she pushed with all her force.

Wow. This could be bad.

But as impressive as the maneuver was, she was simply not strong enough. Cadoc shifted his weight, shrugging her off like a adult shrugging off an angry child. Now she was falling.

She landed in a pushup position, which I guessed didn’t count as being grounded. Cadoc could have sliced at her then, while she was still recovering, but he didn’t. He hesitated.

Susanna sprang to her feet, pulling the antisword from her belt and turning to face Cadoc again.

“That would have worked when we were kids,” she said.

“We aren’t kids any more, Susanna.”

Susanna ran at him again, antisword in hand. She swung at him, and he dodged each blow, rather than block them. Maybe he was concerned about breaking his sword.

One strike he took in the side, and I could see him wince in pain as the blow connected. It was a glancing blow. A direct hit may have broken a rib. He used his sword to block a follow-up swing.

The sword didn’t break, or even chip. There must be a secret to breaking swords with it. Or Dimitri was a liar.

Cadoc pushed back against the antisword, and Susanna backed off to avoid being disarmed a second time.

They were both breathing heavily now. The fight had hardly begun, but it seemed like it could end at any moment.

“You aren’t afraid to break your father’s sword?” Cadoc asked.

“It’s your sword now,” Susanna said. “You heard him. If you break it, you buy it. And who’s he going to believe?”

Cadoc laughed. “You’re the same as always. But an even better fighter than before. It’s a shame you won’t come with me.”

Susanna sprang at him again, but kept talking. It was like the fighting was just part of their communication, like body language. Maybe it was. She attacked, he dodged. She pressed, he parried.

“I won’t leave my father,” she yelled between blows. “Anymore than you would leave your mother. Leaving is just a dream, Cadoc. A fantasy.”

“I already left,” Cadoc said, dodging. He was quick on his feet. “Miles and I were at a dungeon the other day. We killed a monster.”

As he said this, Susanna had been relentlessly striking at him. His defense was strong, but she’d found an opening. She lunged at him again, and he said the last sentence in the middle of her attack.

“What?”

The surprise was mixed with fury, and she didn’t stop her movement. She drove the tip of the weapon at his side. It looked like she meant to only graze him, but it would definitely draw blood. And if she wasn’t careful, it would skewer him.

Suddenly, a stick appeared from nowhere, at her feet.

She tripped, and her attack went wide. The antisword fell uselessly from her hands, and she fell to the floor in a heap.

“Cadoc wins!” I yelled, even though it felt unnecessary.

He actually managed to find a use for his magic. Good for him. I doubt that trick would work twice, but hey, it didn’t need to.

Susanna wasn’t on the ground for long. Cadoc had barely sheathed his sword before she was in his face, yelling.

“You cheated!”

“There was no rule against using magic.”

“I didn’t even know you had magic! How was I supposed to know that? If I had been able to use my own magic-”

“You would have won,” Cadoc said. “You are a ferocious fighter.”

“And how is that fair, huh?”

“It wasn’t. I wanted to win, not to be fair.”

“You lousy, no-good-“

“Miles!” Cadoc called. “Pay Susanna her 2 halfgolds. I’ve worked up quite an appetite. It’s about time we got going.”