The first, last and only time they’ve had an Honor Duel before is long ago. It was between Dagwood and Miner.
Miner had challenged Dagwood to a fight shortly after he arrived at the camp, because he was finding it hard to accept that Dagwood had taken leadership of the clan. He was a large, strong boy himself who thought that he would be just as good a leader as Dagwood. Miner had been defiant and uncooperative from the start, and in the end Dagwood had told him off and put him in his place in front of the rest of the clan. Furious, Miner had challenged him, and before long they stood face-to-face, man-to-man. They fought each other on the top of a low cliff with one stick each. The one who fell from the low cliff first had lost.
The duel went on for a long time and no one could tell who was going to win. Miner was almost as strong as Dagwood, even though he wasn’t nearly as tall, but he was broad and robust like a barrel. In the end, Dagwood won the fight as Miner’s strength wore out and his concentration disappeared. He took a wrong step and lost his balance, and Dagwood was able to push him off the cliff. Miner landed on the ground a man’s height down, without breaking any legs or arms.
They were both exhausted and bruised long afterwards, but the mood in the camp took a turn for the better. Dagwood won the right to go on as clan leader. Miner lost the right to challenge or question his orders ever again. If he did, he would become an Outcast forever. It was a graceful punishment that Dagwood had given Miner, and he had no trouble living by it afterwards.
Skye, scared, looks at Puk.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you coming …”
She sounds sad and Puk can hardly get the words he’s about to say out of his mouth.
“It’s time … for …”
He nods in the direction of the camp, and Skye knows that it’s time to fight Flo.
Puk goes on: “You’ll see … the duel is quickly over. Then we can all relax again. And be good friends.”
“It’s not so much the fight I’m worried about. I dread what kind of punishment Flo will give me if I lose. I’m sure she’ll humiliate me as much as possible. I have to win!”
They return to the camp much too soon, and Skye sees that the others have already gathered in a group a short distance from the campfire. Flo stands there too. Skye slowly walks closer to the flock of staring eyes and feels small and vulnerable. She doesn’t dare meet any of the others’ eyes out of fear that they’ll see just how frightened she is. She clenches her hands and tries to keep the fear at bay as she moves forward, one step at a time. Closer to Flo, closer to her opponent.
The fight arena is on high ground, where the earth isn’t flooded by rain and the sun has dried the top layer so it’s no longer muddy or wet. On the ground there’s a large circle outlined, and next to it there are two semi-long sticks. She shivers inside at the thought that she’s about to start a vicious battle soon against a physically superior opponent. She finally lifts her head and looks around. Everybody’s looking at her. Some with anticipation, others with concerned looks.
She stops by Salomon. There’s no anticipation or concern in his eyes but the same tenderness she saw by the river that night when he took her hand. He looks at her for a long time and sends her a small smile as he nods at her encouragingly. She slowly nods back at him and clenches her fists even harder. The feeling of knowing that he believes in her takes away all fear and discouragement, and a voice inside her head whispers: “You’re stronger than you think.”
The voice in her head gradually sounds louder and louder as the silence around her grows deeper. Suddenly Dagwood starts talking, and the words in her head crumble.
“Skye. Flo. Are you ready for the duel?”
They both nod at him, and he continues: “Flo, you’ve decided that the duel is to be fought within this circle. You’ve also decided that both of you shall be given a stick, which you can use in the fight and as protection. The first one to exit the circle with the entire body has lost. There are no breaks during the fight or any form of help from others. You can stop the fight and surrender at any time, but by doing so you’ll hand over the victory and the honor to the opponent.”
He turns to Skye.
“Will you accept these terms? You have the possibility of changing one thing.”
Skye starts thinking, but she’s finding it hard to concentrate. Is there something she can change that will make it harder for Flo to win the fight? She desperately looks around to find Salomon. Maybe he can signal to her what she should do, but she can’t see him anywhere. Flo’s already standing in the circle with her legs slightly apart and her arms crossed. She looks huge and stronger than ever. There’s no way she can possibly win a physical fight against her. Had it only been a duel of climbing a cliff side the fastest or crawling to the top of a tree then Skye would have had a chance, but not like this.
She looks with resignation towards the ground and sees Twice, who’s standing next to Puk. His legs are still tied in bandages and leg supports and he has trouble moving. Clumsily, he steps toward to a small turf of grass and falls inelegantly on his side.
Dagwood clears his throat and repeats his question: “Skye? Is there something you’d like to add or change about the nature of the duel?”
She slowly starts speaking, without taking her eyes off Twice.
“Yes, there’s something I’d like to change. We’re going to fight with our hands tied behind our backs.”
A small wave of shock hits Flo’s body, and her arms slowly drop from their firm grip. Skye can tell she’s surprised, and she smiles inside. If they both have their hands tied behind their backs, it will be impossible for Flo to strike and grab her. Skye’s faster than Flo and she can easily outmaneuver her and push her out of the circle. Maybe the fight has even turned to her advantage. Salomon catches her eyes through the wall of spectators who have moved closer to the arena. He gives her a crooked smile, and she knows she’s made a good decision.
Knox runs eagerly among the group, pushing them all a bit further away from the circle.
“Make room, make room!”
He’s clearly excited and tries to whip up the mood among the others. Dagwood gets hold of him and stops him. He doesn’t say anything, but he sends him a serious look, and Knox stops running around in excitement. Subdued, he finds somewhere to stand outside the arena, but he still can’t hide the anticipation in his eyes.
Dagwood lifts his hand in the air, catching everyone’s attention.
“The rules of the duel have been decided. By the challenger, and the person challenged.”
He steps forward and looks back at Flo and Skye and asks: “Are the rules acceptable and understood?”
They both nod in silence, and Carrick walks over to them, getting ready to tie their hands. The next few moments disappear so quickly, as if they never existed; and soon they stand in the circle, face to face, with their hands tied behind their backs. It’s time for them to fight, so that they can erase all the bad experiences and rivalry at once, and start over again. Skye knows that the price is some physical pain and bruises, but she’s willing to pay the price in order to get a fresh start with Flo. As friends.
She looks at her and their eyes meet. Shortly afterwards, Dagwood signals with his hand, and in the next second Flo storms towards her, screaming like a wild beast. The fight’s begun!
Skye has no time to think and instinctively jumps to the side so Flo doesn’t hit her. Quickly she turns around to face her again, and sees that she’s fallen clumsily to her knees. But before she has the chance to attack her, Flo’s back on her feet.
For a long time they circle around each other, back and forth, but each time Flo charges towards Skye, she manages to dodge and avoid her. Skye sees that Flo’s beginning to breathe heavily, and she pauses more. She’s getting tired, and Skye’s contemplating whether to attack her before she regains her strength.
But before she thinks out a plan
, Flo suddenly changes her tactics. In small steps she starts jumping from side to side, slowly pressing Skye towards the edge of the circle. At the last moment before she reaches the edge she jumps away, but Flo manages to kick Skye and hits her in the middle of the thigh. An explosive pain makes her buckle to the ground and it feels like her leg’s paralyzed.
Flo comes running towards her again and she quickly turns around on her back and kicks up with her other leg. She hits her straight in the stomach and Flo steps back and bends over. Dazed and shaky, Skye gets back on her feet again. The pain in her leg is still burning, but she withstands it and quickly runs towards Flo, hitting her hard with her shoulder. Flo drops to the ground in an awkward move, but she’s far away from the edge of the circle and it’s impossible for Skye to push her over the edge from where she’s fallen. In obvious pain, Flo gets up from the ground slowly and catches her breath, and they start circling each other again.
They’re both hit and bruised, and the fight is far from over. Hunting each other, they run around the arena, towards each other and away from each other, as they try to hit with a kick.
Unnoticed, Salomon leaves the fight arena. He can’t stand seeing Skye fighting a stronger and physically superior opponent. Old feelings overpower his heart and he feels physically sick.
He feels like running into the circle, getting between them stopping the fight before Skye’s seriously hurt. He wishes he could take her place. But the others will never allow it. He feels helpless and incapable of moving. Memories he’s so desperately tried to forget find their way to his head.
He squats and covers his ears so he can’t hear the cheers from the others watching the fight.
Meanwhile the fight goes on between the two rivals. Their active feet have turned the dry ground under them into a muddy puddle, and it’s harder and harder for them to stand without slipping. Skye’s hit Flo more times than the other way around, but her kicks are not inflicting the same damage as Flo’s kicks. It pains her each time Flo hits her fragile body, and she realizes that the fight has to end soon if she’s to stand a chance of winning. The kicks are making it hard for her to stand up straight, and she’s afraid her legs will buckle or she’ll get seriously hurt. If she loses her speed and mobility, the fight is lost.
Flo’s obviously getting tired too, and seeing that gives Skye renewed energy. She notices that Flo’s losing her breath, and that she’s gradually getting slower in her attacks. She starts moving closer to the edge of the circle and Flo follows her with dancing moves.
Skye stops for a moment and bends over. Her breathing sounds strained as she pretends to be exhausted and tired and ready to be overpowered. Flo looks at her, assessing the situation, and then gives a crooked smile. Skye knows that she’s tricked her. As expected, Flo storms aggressively towards her, and Skye quickly throws herself on her knees, arching her back towards the sky. Flo doesn’t react to Skye’s sudden movement before it’s too late, and she falls across Skye’s body and crashes to the ground. She falls heavily on the hard and cold ground, and her entire body lands outside the edge of the circle. Or almost. The tip of Flo’s foot is just inside the circle but it’s only obvious if you take a good look. And Skye doesn’t.
She bends her head backwards and sighs a sigh of relief. Her body is shaking and hurting, and she’s exhausted and thirsty. She looks around at the others wondering why no one is saying anything. Why doesn’t Dagwood step forward declaring her the winner? She’s won the duel, and Flo lies flat on the ground outside the circle, beaten and outplayed.
All of a sudden she notices that they all look silently at Flo, and her eyes are automatically drawn in the same direction. Flo lies unnaturally still. Her eyes are closed, and blood’s running from her nose. Skye squats and looks worried. She’s about to say something when Flo starts moving, clearly in pain, and making loud noises. Slowly she rolls over on the side, bending her leg. Unnoticed, she starts digging her foot into the ground as she carefully keeps her other leg straight – keeping it within the edge of the circle.
Skye’s relieved when she sees that Flo is all right and is about to get up when she suddenly notices her foot. It’s just within the line and she feels a panic rising in her. Before she has time to react, Flo kicks her foot in the air and an explosion of mud and pebbles fly through the air hitting her in the face. Blinded by dirt and filth, she frantically tries to get up.
She tries to rip her hands from the ropes so she can wipe the dirt from her eyes, but they’re tied behind her back and she can’t get free. Her eyes are burning and hurting and start watering. Large tears run down her cheeks leaving long tracks in her dirty face. She shouts desperately into the air as she tries to see. But it’s too late.
The next moment she’s hit hard in the back by an overwhelming force, and she’s thrown forward. Not able to judge the distance to the ground, she lands brutally on the ground just outside the circle, hitting her head on the cold and muddy ground. She loses consciousness for a moment, and when she comes to, she knows it’s over. She’s lost the fight.
Puk desperately tries to untie her hands from the rope, but they’re tied so tightly that he needs to use a knife.
“Are you okay, Skye?”
He sounds worried, but she has no answer for him. Of course she’s not all right. She’s just lost the fight to Flo. She’s bruised, and humiliated, and she’ll now be punished by a scornful and unmerciful winner.
He helps her up on her feet, and she looks despairingly down her body. Her pants and shirt are covered in wet mud, and her long, filthy hair hangs down by her shoulders. Evi passes her a bowl of water and she rinses the dirt and mud from her eyes. They’re swollen and red and she must look horrible. Disheartened, she looks at Flo, who stands next to Dagwood. She looks annoyingly self-content, and even though the blood runs from her nose and her face is covered in filth, she can’t hide her mocking smile.
An anger inside her feels like shouting and screaming, calling her a cowardly cheat, but she can’t. She tried to trick Flo herself into thinking she was tired and exhausted, and she almost succeeded. If only she’d seen that her foot was still inside the circle she could have easily pushed it out, which would have meant an entirely different end to the fight. No, she could only blame herself for standing here as the loser of the duel, and she’d have to take her punishment without whining. If she started crying, begging for mercy, then she’d really come off as a pathetic and weak loser without honor or pride.
Skye takes a deep breath and walks slowly towards Flo with her hand stretched out.
“You win and I acknowledge my defeat. Give me my punishment …”
The others around them are surprisingly quiet. Not even Knox is saying anything. Flo accepts Skye’s hand and squeezes it. She squeezes it harder than she has to, and Skye quickly pulls her hand back. The hard squeeze foreshadows an ungraceful punishment and she dreads what Flo will come up with.
“I’ve rightfully won my honor back and I’m happy that justice has won. I hope you’ve learned something today, Skye.”
Flo looks at her condescendingly as she speak. Skye is about to answer when Flo cuts her off and continues: “I’ve decided on your punishment, and I’ve chosen not to be merciful … You deserve a hard punishment.”
The silence surrounding them is broken by surprised and shocked outcries, but Flo ignores them and takes a step towards Skye.
“As I’ve said before, things were much better before you came to our camp … that’s why I’ve decided that you shall be cast out of the clan forever!”
Puk jumps up and shouts loudly: “But, you can’t do that, Flo!”
He turns quickly towards Dagwood and grabs the sleeve of his shirt.
“Dagwood, say something!”
The astonishment of the harshness in Flo’s cruel punishment is obvious in his eyes. Skye is just as shocked as Dagwood and the others, and her face shows her despair and desperation
. She sees Salomon, who’s standing among the other spectators. The turquoise blue eyes light up in his suntanned face, even though his face seems to have lost all color and glow.
He steps into the arena and says seriously: “Dagwood?”
Finally, Dagwood starts reacting. He takes his eyes off Skye and looks at Flo. With a clear and strong voice, he starts speaking.
“Flo, that’s not going to happen! You’re the winner of the Honor Duel and you’ve regained your honor, but your punishment is much too harsh in comparison to Skye’s offences towards you. The punishment can’t be approved.”
He looks around at the others who all follow the dramatic development of the situation. Puk and Finch nod in agreement with him.
“Why not? I’m the one who won, and the rules state that the winner can punish the loser. And I want Skye to be evicted forever!”
Flo’s voice is loud and shrill, and she’s obviously upset. Dagwood hurries to answer her.
“Your punishment is too harsh, Flo! It doesn’t fit the violation. And you won’t gain any justice by punishing her this hard. Be graceful and generous …”
“So you’re still choosing her side even though I’m the one who won. Where’s the justice in that?”
He looks her in the eyes, and says: “Flo … you have won. What more do you need to prove? Look at Skye. Losing to you is punishment enough in itself.”
He sends her a disarming, crooked smile, but Flo doesn’t return it.
Quietly, she says: “If I’m the one who won, why does it feel like I’ve lost …”
She turns around, and quickly walks away from the arena and the others. Evi runs after her, and they disappear into the hut together. Dagwood starts speaking again.
“Let’s gather and vote about a suitable punishment for Skye based on Flo’s original punishment. Naturally, the newly arrived clan members and Skye can’t take part in the voting.”
Dagwood nods at Skye, and she breathes a sigh of relief over the development of the situation. The feeling of hopelessness seems to have disappeared and she knows that Dagwood will make sure that she’ll soon feel safe again.
The Dawn of Skye (The Someday Children Book 1) Page 26