Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #18 September 2015 | Page 62

a killer for longer, it’s in the way he moves.
I run at him, not what he anticipated, I duck
and roll beneath his sword and lash out with the club
which catches the back of his knee. But he is faster
than I assume and manages to reverse his sword which
slashes at my collarbone, parting the leather of my
coat and the jerkin beneath it easily. I feel a sudden
warmth spread down my chest and along my arm.
We both clamber to our feet. He was favouring his leg already but it looks like I have caused it
more damage. However I feel the blood pulsing in my
shoulder and glance down, it drips from my mitten
onto the ice. I approach cautiously, he takes a fighting
stance.
I whip my club out, directly at the sword—he’s
not expecting it—the blow knocks it from his hand,
but the club folds in half with a loud crack. I stupidly
look down, and he leaps upon me, his
arms around my middle in a bear hug.
The ice meets my head, bending my ear
painfully, with a thunk, striking bells
and crossing my eyes.

possibly move past this point. There is twilight again,
the sudden appearance of the sun but a momentary
miracle.
The second time I thrust the knife at him he
fails to block it and it sinks to the handle in his chest,
he coughs, there is foamy blood on his lips, he is still.
I collapse on top of him, and just have the strength to
roll over. I am dizzy, I am worried about blood loss.
There is a lot of blood on the ice. Another sudden shaft
of light bathes our tableaux. The blood glistens. The
ice glitters, the knife glints.
It feels good to have the sun on my face again.
I close my eyes, and there is a rose coloured glow. I’m
glad the sun is back. I had forgotten just how beautiful
it was. I’ll just rest here for a few minutes I think, in
the sunlight.

I elbow the man where his neck
meets his shoulder and he grunts, his
arms loosen fractionally and I raise my
arm and elbow him again. He shifts and
his hands are on my throat. His face
covering has gone adrift and I stare into
his hate filled eyes, his snarling bearded face, and wonder at the fact that he
is younger than me. I wo