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struck Duril's eyes, but now he saw through the
glamour
that had bespelled him before. The very air around the
knight shimmered with light and sparkle and color. The
image of the knight blurred, then transformed.
Longshanks's eyes widened
in amazement at the sight before him as a braid of
gold-colored hair tumbled out to drop limply across
one of the knight's shoulders. A tall woman stood
before him, no longer encased in black mail. She wore
a gleaming silver corselet over a blackened chain
byrnie, and a winged silvern helm. Her legs were
bare, for the byrnie reached but to mid-thigh, and
her black boots merely to the knee. The dull
battle-sword had changed as well, now flashing steel
in her ebon-gauntleted hand. There was a patch over
one eye, but the other, pale blue in hue, met his as
the she moved forward and knelt, to stare into his
face. Her features were strong, yet finely chiseled,
and would have been pleasing to his eye had the
situation been different, but her expression was
fierce, and her jaw was firmly set. A
Valkyr!
His stomach
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sank at the implication she represented.
"Hear me, Diebin am Nacht, thieves in the
night," she said quietly, "'Tho you have stolen
that which was of value to my lord, you have shown
yourselves to be valiant and worthy opponents. I
would pray ask a boon of you. Lay aside your arms.
Honorable men such, should not die thus. You have my
oath for your lives. Yield, that you might keep them.
Refuse, and you shall die. Of this, I have no doubt."
Once again, Longshanks's jaw lowered in amazement. If
she was what she appeared to be, then he had no hope
for survival. Of that he was sure. Yet her words had
the ring of truth to them.
Sieghard rushed forward to the wall. "Thora!!" he
shrieked aghast, "What treachery is this? Obey me, or
your head will dance upon a pike beside theirs!!" He
shook
a fist up at his vassal, her
glamour
still before his and all others' eyes.
She gazed calmly down at the Teuton, then lowered her
eyes, thinking back to their earlier
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