The next couple of days weren’t particularly glamorous for Len and the Stooges. It was a simple routine of get up early, head into the forest, have two of the trio out gathering wood and stones for Kila while Len trained the third in some very basic martial arts. Then it was back to town, collecting a meager stipend from the forgemistress, and off to the inn to crash for the night.

  She wasn’t the best teacher, but they were actually decent students when they were forced to knuckle down and learn. Oddly, all three of them (even pacifistic Curly) were pretty interested in what she had to offer. Most of the Demon Army’s combat relied on blunt force with minimal tactics and was better suited for wasting lives than a calculated dismantling of an opponent.

  She’d gotten them through fall training by the end of the second day. It didn’t hurt that, as goblins, they didn’t have a whole lot of mass to fight against. A regular fall tended not to cause much damage to them and it was only when far more severe force was applied that they really suffered. Learning how to minimize that damage had them bouncing back to their feet almost instantly. From there she’d moved on to simple wrist locks and concepts of positioning yourself and your opponent. Actual takedowns were still a ways off, but she figured she might be able to have them up to snuff by the end of the month with a little luck.

  All in all, it still felt like they were kidding themselves. Their opponents were going to be better trained, better equipped, and just plain better than they’d ever be with this little time. Len wasn’t clear on the conditions of victory in this new Proving, but she doubted it’d be another grand melee. This seemed like a higher class event that was likely to involve proper tournament competition. There was little chance that her team would be able to do much in the ‘fair’ fights against teams that were more prepared. Still, that was a problem for later. Right now the problem was just getting through to the next day.

  Well, that was the problem until a six-foot-tall human clad in leather armor and wielding a greatsword crossed their path.

  “Surrender, wench, or perish.”

  “Excuse me,” she gaped at the newcomer who’d interrupted her training session with Larry.

  “I said surrender or die.”

  “One more time, pal. You seem to be out of your mind, and I want to confirm that.”

  “What is there to understand?” he looked genuinely confused. “I’m taking you prisoner.

  “Well, boss,” said Larry backing away. “I’m sure you’ve got this. Think I’ll go check in on Moe and let him know it’s his turn for practice.”

  Len shot him a glare, but let him go. Frankly, she preferred her chances without having to worry about keeping his ass safe. She put herself in the warrior’s path in case he decided to give chase.

  “Yeah… you making me a ‘prisoner’ ain’t gonna happen, tall stuff.” She noted the tanned skin and the Brakken insignia on his armor. “What the hell are you doing this far north, anyway? I thought you lot preferred warmer climes.”

  “Never mind that,” he snapped. “You’re going to help me get out of here and then I’ll think about letting you go.”

  “Wait a minute, get out of here? Dude, you’re days away from the nearest human settlement and they’re not even directly allied with the mighty Kingdoms of Light or whatever you lot go by these days. Seriously, pick a brand and stick to it.”

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  “Woman, I’m not interested in listening to you babble anymore. If I have to beat some humility into you, I’ll do it.”

  “Okay, yeah, I’d say we’re at that point, jackass. By all means, come and try your luck.”

  It was a bit funny having an opponent who was just normal human-sized. One of the problems she’d been facing lately was the size disparity. With Vrek and Krel, the problem had been how much bigger they were than she was, she’d managed to survive mostly by a combination of luck, their own overconfidence, and years of training. When practicing with the goblins, meanwhile, she was the one with the overwhelming size. It felt something like going all-out on a child, it was unsatisfying and made her feel like a bit of a bully.

  Here, though? It was just a modestly tall human with a greatsword. She was kind of looking forward to it, truth be told.

  For his part, the newcomer looked more confused than anything. Apparently he really had thought that he’d just be able to bluff his way through this without difficulty. It might also have been the fact that she didn’t really fit the stereotype of a dark elf. Maybe he’d been prepared for a spellcaster and didn’t know what to make of her willingness, hell, downright eagerness to brawl.

  She held him in her gaze and waited and let him know that the first move was his. It took a while but his patience broke before hers and he charged forward, greatsword held overhead. It was an intimidating sight, but far less intimidating than what she’d already faced in this world. To her elven senses his every movement was plain as day. There was no subtlety (though how much of that one could manage with a greatsword was debatable), and she could tell the exact moment he tensed to bring the blade down. She sprang forward, practically teleporting from his perspective. She grabbed his right arm and, with its balance disrupted, pulled the swing forward, driving the blade into the dirt. She spun around him before he could grab for her and kicked him backwards, away from the blade.

  “What the-?” he blurted in confusion.

  “Gonna have to do better than that, big boy, or else this ‘wench’ is gonna break your face.”

  “Fine,” me growled. “You want better? Have it.”

  He brought his left hand forward in a sweeping arc and began drawing a pattern in the air. As he traced the symbols, his fingers began leaving ethereal blue lines to give the symbols shape. Drawing the final symbol, he barked a word that Len couldn’t understand and stepped through the light. The whole thing flared to life then disappeared within him and he took on the same glow that the symbols had borne.

  “You have no idea what you’re messing with, woman. I am to be a Crusader and I will help rid the land of your kind.”

  “To be? As in you’re not one yet? Well come on, then, ‘Crusader' show me something worthwhile. I don’t have all day. Got a fair bit of training left in the day for my lovely goblin minions and daylight’s burning.”

  The man snarled at her refusal to be impressed by him and leapt into the air, only to come crashing down on top of her. She barely managed to roll to the side and avoid him. Okay, this fight might take some work.