Chapter 13

Francine staggered back from her unexpectedly skilful and dangerous opponent. Her left thigh throbbed where it had just been deeply cut. Patti might have missed the main artery, but the desperate Trainee Warrior Slave knew she was losing too much blood to carry on for much longer. And later on, even if she could turn this one around, she had the fight with daggers to get through! Then she saw Frederica in the corner of her eye. The poor girl looked close to tears. It was the merest glimpse, for Francine knew she had to watch her opponent like a hawk from now on if she were to win. But that glimpse fired her up again. It was like breathing oxygen! She was going to win. It never occurred to her that defeat was possible.

She raised her rapier and made a quick pass at Patti, but the other girl's guard was too good and the blow was easily parried. Patti's blade whisked by within a tiny fraction of an inch. She might have just touched her, but the skin was unbroken. Francine tried again to get through and again Patti was too quick for her. The other girl sensed victory and Francine could smell the excitement in her opponent's sweat. Five cuts to three and Francine must get back into contention soon or start fading from blood loss.

Patti came in for the kill, obviously intending her sixth thrust to be fatal, but Francine twisted her whole body round to escape and managed to nick Patti on her right shoulder. It was the littlest of little scratches, but it bled and that was enough to make the score five to four. She could still do it!

Patti might have been cut four times, but only one wound was serious and not too serious at that. All the other cuts were trivial. But Francine had three bad wounds already, one on each thigh and one to her chest.

She came at Francine again, desperate to finish her. This time Francine managed to knock the rapier out of Patti's grasp. Her opponent was disarmed! What a Heaven sent opportunity for the bleeding Francine!

"Finish her, Francine! Kill her. Kill her!" screamed the delighted Frederica. But Francine stepped back and allowed Patti to retrieve her weapon. Whatever else, she was a true sportswoman. Francine might be proud and arrogant to a fault, but she was very definitely not one to take advantage of a helpless foe. She had to admit, though that that knee to the groin yesterday had been a wee bit naughty! Patti took guard again.

So the tally was still five to four in Patti's favour and Francine was definitely not getting stronger as her blood flowed down both legs. Patti was using her right arm again and looking dangerous. Francine's chivalrous gesture was likely to cost her dear!

Then Patti once more tried to finish her opponent and left a gap in her defence which Francine spotted with all the hawk-eyed desperation of the soon to be vanquished. She lunged at Patti's stomach and opened a deep wound. Patti was silly enough to look at the damage instead of ignoring it and carrying on. So Francine struck again and slashed at Patti's muscular thigh, making a deep cut which spurted blood.

Francine had won in a desperate struggle that she had seemed to be losing for most of the contest and had weakened her opponent even more grievously than she herself had been weakened. But it had been too close for comfort. Far too close! She went to Patti and the two kissed each other perfunctorily on the cheek. Both girl's cheeks were, in all likelihood, frozen by the icy coldness of their mutual and obligatory salutation!

"I'll get you later with the dagger!" hissed her furious foe.

"In your dreams, arsehole!" replied the energised and confident Francine.

Then Francine limped over to be kissed and hugged by a delighted Frederica.

"Come, my angel. We must do something for those cuts. The ones to your thigh and breast look bad. I really thought she had you when she got you there."

Frederica kissed the injured breast, massaging the erect nipple with lip and tongue. The rapier had cut Francine just below the thorax and in the upper part of the same breast that The Lady Fortescue had scratched all those long weeks ago at the start of Warrior Slave Francine's journey into pain and ecstasy. The faint scars from that attack could still be seen and now Francine's medium sized and once perfect breast would have a fresh mark in the years to come, for the cut was deep and would never fade completely.

Francine shook her head.

"No, my sweet. I must get no medical attention of any kind until the end of the next fight, and that fight starts whenever Warrior Slave Patti chooses!"

She pressed her hand on the deepest of her wounds, the one to her left thigh and managed to stop the bleeding. But the wound would easily open when the next fight started. She would need to finish Patti quickly.

"I was so sure she had you beaten at one stage. I'm so sorry I doubted you. You are wonderful, Francine. Really you are. I'm so glad I was brought here, because otherwise I'd not have met you."

"The same goes for me, darling. If we ever go back to Earth, it must be together. I never want us to be apart again!"

"I suppose we'll be apart after the knife fight. Except when I come to whip you tonight and every night. Last night was the last we'll spend together, not that it was that much fun - not with you unconscious after I'd beaten you. You might have easily lost today because of being so weakened. But the Great Lady Fortescue won't let up on you. She really has it in for you - poor Francine."

"I'm surviving, Frederica. The pain from last night has already gone. I'll be ready for more tonight. I'll always be ready, every night. If I manage to win ten straight victories, maybe she'll reduce my beatings. But I like to get it harder than any of the others. It's a kind of distinction. Do you understand, my darling?"

"No. It's a distinction you can do without! And she's silly to weaken you this way. She needs all the victories she can get these days. She's in deep shit financially, Francine. Self-interest will most likely make her tone down your whippings. I certainly hope so."

"I hope not. I can take them - and a lot worse - and still win next day, Frederica. I'm not saying I like being whipped. But I don't want things to get easier. I suppose it's my pride. I am a proud person, Frederica."

"And a very brave and determined one, my angel."

Frederica was called inside and Francine left alone with an attendant who had brought out her delayed breakfast. It consisted of the usual stale bread, ghastly cheese and sour apple. But this time the water was cool and pure. It tasted so good after the disgusting stuff they usually poured down her.