Tonka dragged Fern by the long silky black hair of her head to the town square, while her three young boys followed close behind crying out and demanding he let their mother go. The townspeople followed close as well but not too close. None of them dared to interfere. Not even for the boys' sakes. Fern, for her part, fought fiercely. She was not going to go quietly but then, Tonka hadn't expected her to. He admired her fighting spirit. It struck a similar chord in him. Still, her debt was due and she had to pay one way or another.

He tossed her, by the head of her hair, across the village square where she tumbled over and over again until she finally came to a disheveled stop. Cursing and wiping the blood from her lip, she staggered to her feet. Her boys were at her side helping her. Tonka saw they had a little spirit too but not like their mother. He knew, if she had the power, she would slice him down where he stood without a moments hesitation. She was doing it now with her eyes.

Tonka grinned malevolently at her, pleased that he finally had the upper hand. She had been undermining his death-grip on exports and imports into Seaway for several years now. She'd done it so cleverly at first that he hadn't even suspected her. But, it all came to light, as everything does, because Tonka had spies everywhere. And, now that her treachery was exposed, well, he'd come to collect. He could see and taste his imminent victory. She was going to die that day and her business and all its lucrative trappings would be his as payment!

"It's time to pay up Fern!" he shouted with sinister amusement. He cast a look her way and smiled devilishly. "What's it going to be?"

Tonka saw her grit her teeth and curse at him. It amused him how much spirit she had even when they both knew she was beat. He and she both knew what was going to happen. She was going to appeal to the crowd for a champion - an advocate warrior to fight in her place - and no one was going to come forward.

Tonka was the head of the Seaway Syndicate. He ruled this town with an iron fist. He had been Master, judge and jury for nearly 20 years. Few had the will or the power to cross him. His extensive network of business partners, spies and hired muscle had seen to that. Though Fern had plenty will and fighting spirit, she lacked power. She couldn't physically overtake him in a sword fight and she didn't have any hired muscle to draw from in an emergency like this. Tonka had nothing to fear from her now that she was exposed. But, even though they both knew her plea would go unanswered, they both knew she would still make it. She wasn't the type to give up or give in.

"Please," she said to the growing crowd in a hoarse voice. It was hoarse from all the screaming and yelling she'd been doing since the moment Tonka had broken down the door of her sea-side establishment and dragged her out of it. "I need a champion. Who will stand with me? Which one of you will come forward?" she asked in as loud a voice as she could. "I can pay well," she offered anyone listening.

The oldest boy, a child of 12 or 13, lept up on the ledge of the water fountain in the square so that he could look out over everyone. He called out to the crowd as well saying, "We need a champion! Who will champion us?"

Fern and her sons waited and looked around anxiously. No one responded. The crowd was silent and their silence was as good as a death sentence.

Tonka laughed when he heard Fern cursing again. She was amusing. Her no-quit attitude was almost inspiring against such odds.

"Fire and ash!" she shouted to no one in particular. Her frustration was beginning to show as she asked with more irritation than desperation, "Is there no champion among you? Is there not one who would come forward now and defend me?"

Tonka sneered at the cowering crowd. He knew these people. There wasn't a true advocate among them. A part of him was disgusted at the lot of them and another part just as happy he was surrounded by cowards. It meant he'd be able to collect payment from Fern without too much trouble and his monopoly on export and imports in and out of Seaway would be solidified again. 

Fern's business dealings had slowly and quietly been undercutting him for almost five years and her time was up. He was going to kill her and swallow up her business and profits whole. This entire demonstration would also set a good example for the people of Seaway. They needed a reminder that there could be no business in town without the express approval and involvement of the Syndicate - not now, not ever.

Some pushing and shoving in the crowd caught Tonka's eye and he held his breath as a woman appeared to be trying to make her way through the crowd. He saw her ruby-red hair and knew she was a foreigner. Then, when she broke through the crowd he saw that she was dressed very humbly but was clearly carrying a long slender sword at her side under her coat. He felt a rush of excitement. A champion had actually come forward!

There was a general gasp of surprise among the people. Fern and her boys were the most surprised of all. They came rushing over to the foreign woman and Tonka watched it all with keen interest.

A fight would be good too for business, he mused to himself. He could demonstrate his prowess. A show of physical strength would go a long way in cementing his psychological control over the people. He felt a smug smile tug at his lips. Yes, he would welcome this champion and he would enjoy cutting her down! 

Tonka had never met a woman who could handle a sword as well as he. And, by the look of it, he had a solid foot on her in height and a good 60 or 70 pounds on her in weight too. She was no match for him physically and it was likely her skill level with a sword paled in comparison to his own. Still, he'd be pleased to drive his sword through her all the same. He wasn't too picky about his opponents. Though, he felt confident that she was going to regret her foolishness. The thought pleased him immensely.

"We have a champion!" Fern shouted to the crowd. Her face was grim but there was a fierce spark of determination in her eyes. Tonka could see, by the look on her face, that she too was aware of the disparity in match. Still, he figured she felt any champion was better than no champion. Her three boys were grinning ear from ear. They were naively hopeful.

Tonka sauntered over to the middle of the square and met with Fern briefly. He leaned down close to her and said, "Don't get your hopes up. It's just a woman."

His words caused a fire or retribution in her eyes. He knew she wanted to kill him with her bare hands right then and there and that thought made him laugh with delight. There was something very intoxicating about having the upper hand in a truly desperate situation. Fern's situation was as desperate as they came. Tonka was going to enjoy killing her champion. 

Tonka crossed over to the foreign woman and looked her up and down lazily. She was of average height and build for a woman. Her face was plain and her eyes had no spark. In fact, her face had very little expression at all. If she was not wearing a sword strapped to her waist, he would not even know she was a warrior. There was nothing about her stance or her general look to indicate she was anything more than an unremarkable woman.

"This is a fight to the death," he told her with a cocky smile. "Please, feel free to back out now if you wish."

He smirked at her but she didn't so much as flinch at the news. Again, she had so little expression on her face that, for a moment, he wondered if she understood him. He raised a single eyebrow at her in question.

"What happens when I kill you?" she asked him.

The crowd gasped and Tonka laughed. What a ballsy question, he thought!

What interested him more than her confidence was her accent. Tonka could not place it. He wondered just how far away her homeland was that he could not recognize it. He'd lived in Seaway all his life and was well acquainted with every people and every tongue as far as the known islands. Was it possible she came from a place even beyond that? It would explain her foreign looks. He'd never encountered a people with ruby-red hair and icy-blue eyes before. It would be a pity to cut her down without ever knowing where she'd come from. But still, a debt was owed and Tonka was determined to get his payment today.

He gave the foreigner a winning smile and assured her, "Fern's debt to me will be considered paid in full and it will be back to business as usual."

She gave a slight nod of her head and then asked, "Will I be free to go as I please or will your men hunt me down?"

Another unexpected question. Tonka had the feeling that this woman had, perhaps, done this before. He took another look at her. He tried to scrutinize her face and her appearance. What could he tell about this foreigner who had so little expression and appeared to have little concern for her own welfare? He decided there was something off about her? Perhaps she was mad. 

"I promise," he said with a flourish of his arm, "that if you kill me, my men here and the entire Syndicate I run will in no way harm you."

He twirled around and looked at his men who stood among the crowd. He grinned at them good naturedly. "Is that understood men?" He asked in a loud voice.

A general shout went out affirming his word.

Tonka turned back to the woman. It seemed she had decided to fight after all. He caught her in the middle of slipping out of her long, dusty-grey, oil-skin coat, which exposed her very long and slender sword. Not a sword Tonka was very familiar with. He did have a feeling such swords came from the Isolated Islands region far to the south west but he couldn't be positive.

He watched with interest as the ruby-red haired champion handed her coat to a thin, wiry foreigner with dark skin and fair hair. He was clearly from the Winter Isles. Though he was not wearing the typical leather, furs and woolen clothes of that region, his colouring was unmistakable. What surprised Tonka about the man was that he had not noticed him before now. His interest was piqued. Just how long had he been standing there, he wondered? More importantly, he wondered if the two foreigners were traveling together and if the man had any weapons beyond the daggers on his leather belt?

Tonka watched the pair exchanged nods. Something about foreign man's posture and attitude gave Tonka the feeling that he was definitely her subordinate. This did not settle well with him. What sort of woman carried a sword and had a servant? A feeling, not unlike uneasiness, took root somewhere in his mind. It was as foreign to him as the two standing in front of him. He tried to shake it off - the feeling. Perhaps, it was only their calm and indifferent demeanour that put him off. After all, he was use to facing off with people who were either terrified of him or who, like Fern, hated him with every fiber of their being.  It was odd facing an opponent who seemed entirely unfazed by the obviously uneven match.

Tonka ignored the strange feeling and chose to focus on the woman. She had turned back to him and proceeded to take up a fighting stance. He'd seen the sort of thing before. It's what the men of the Fortified Islands did. Only, she was not from the Fortified Islands. She did not have the right colouring. Those people were olive skinned with brunette or auburn hair. Perhaps she had come across one of their fighters in her travels and he had taught her a thing or too. It was hard to say. Tonka felt more and more puzzled.

Everything about her was a mystery to him. He could only guess she must come from a land a long way off. So far off that they did not sail or travel to these parts at all it seemed. In any event, regardless of her birth and training, she was only a woman and he'd never met one who was good enough with a sword to face him. She was going to be easy pickings, especially with her unimpressive build.

Tonka took up his fighting stance and smirked at her. "Are you ready?" He asked.

She simply gave him a nod. He was a little disconcerted by her unconcerned manner. Perhaps, it was as he first thought and she really was mad. He grinned to himself. He didn't have any qualms about cutting down a lunatic. None at all.

Without delay or warning, Tonka charged her like a bull - with his head bent low, his sword at mid chest, and his body braced to run the sword through her. He planned to spring on her so fast that she could not think or move and then skewer her on his sword.

He was nearly on top of her when she suddenly moved to his left, which startled him. He had expected her to do no more than stumble back at best before he struck her through. He was too slow. The moment he thrusted forward she was already gone. His blade hit nothing but air. Before he could recover her elbow came down on his shoulder blade painfully and he was sent sprawling into the dusty cobblestones for all to see.

Tonka's surprise was masked by fury as he scrambled to his feet and faced her again. Her face was as calm and as untroubled as ever. His fury erupted into a volcano when he saw the placid look on her face.

He charged her again, thinking he would catch her this time when she side-stepped, but the result was the same. He wasn't nearly fast enough and she struck him a blow that sent him sprawling again.

When he got to his feet a second time she turned her indifferent eyes on him and asked, "Are you going to take this seriously now?"

The condescension in her question put Tonka over the edge and he let out a guttural cry as he lept at her. She quickly stepped forward, bent her knee, made a single decisive diagonal swipe of her sword and sliced his chest wide open.

Tonka saw her make a move but he didn't see it happen. He didn't see the blade sweeping toward his chest. All he knew was that suddenly and quite unexpectedly, his chest burst open and he fell to his knees as the skin and fat layers split and curled away from his breastbone and ribs.

The pain was ferocious. The slice went too deep. It cut through even his muscles and rendered him practically immobile. Blood gushed, almost like water fountain, out of the horrendous wound.

A great cry went out all around Tonka. His faithful men, who had promised not to attack the foreigner, seeing the damage she had inflicted on their boss, lept to his defense. Tonka watched in a panic as the ruby-haired foreigner sliced them all down in the same quick fashion she had him. He counted the steps she took. One step and one precise slash for each assailant.

Tonka sank to the ground, his cheek hitting the dusty stones of the town square with a dull thump. He watched in horror as his life's blood spilt out all around him. What had he done, he thought with despair. He could see, even as his eye sight began to dim, that he'd not only killed himself but his men too. With his last breath he cursed the day he met Fern. It was all that conniving merchant's doing! Fire and ash! She was his un...

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