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uddenly, Alanna turned her back on Ranko urgently. Kishi had seen enough. The big cat was fairly certain the Warrior of the River was not supposed to be attacking her friends like this, and he had crept close enough to the battle to interfere. Alanna wasn’t used to being on the defensive, and she also wasn’t fully prepared for a second opponent. The big cat lunged and Alanna darted back. Kishi roared and inhaled a growl, batting at the Quarterseeker with an enormous paw. He backed away to avoid Alanna’s threatening weapon.

Kishi hissed, and his whiskers bristled as he bared his fangs. He slunk sideways and growled, whipping his tail back and forth. He didn’t want to hurt Alanna, but at the same time Shannon’s pet knew instinctively that Ranko had reached her limit, and a standoff, especially here, would be more dangerous than the fight itself.

The Warrior of the River anticipated Ranko’s next action so flawlessly that against a lesser opponent, Alanna’s choice of defensive moves would have been both devastating and decisive. She dropped and turned, and Ranko’s hammer thrust missed her completely.

Had the Crimson Champion failed to set her feet correctly, Alanna’s attack would have torn her feet out from under her. As it was, the Warrior of the River’s sweeping leg slammed into the solid metal greaves hard enough to make Ranko wince, but her balance was not broken. The Winterdancer recklessly turned opposite and swung wildly at Ranko’s head with her fighting staff once again, but the Warrior of the Storms ducked and solidly gained the initiative. A strong thrust of Thundercaller crashed against Alanna’s shoulder and knocked her back. Kishi moved away, since his only attack options against an off-balance opponent would likely have injured Alanna.

The Winterdancer dove to one side as the Warrior of the Night suddenly appeared behind her. Alanna only had time to take one step in retreat before Shannon’s snare snagged her sandaled foot. The Warrior of the River pitched forward, landing on her arms with a grunt. The Huntress pulled the snare tight as the Quarterseeker rolled just out of Alanna’s reach.

“Alanna, listen…” Ranko said with some effort through the pain in her side. The Winterdancer hid her face in her hands and suddenly her entire body was encased in bluish solid ice! Both of the other girls jumped back as the ice shattered along with Shannon’s snare.

Alanna flipped feet-first over her staff and cartwheeled back into a defensive position facing all three of her opponents. Ranko grinned. Somehow, she thought, The Boss got all the cool moves in this Ajan Warrior deal.

“You stay back!” Alanna snapped, her eyes darting back and forth among the two girls and the huge cat. “I’m through playing with you. The next one of you that tries anything is going to get hurt!”

Ranko coughed again. The pain in her side was getting worse. She started to wonder if the Quarterseeker had done more damage than she thought.

“Alanna, we’re not going to hurt you,” Ranko said in a strained voice. “It’s us! Shannon, Cici and Ranko!”

Alanna hesitated for a moment. Their voices sounded so sincere, but that’s what she thought the first time too.

“Whatever you say, minion,” Alanna replied in a hostile tone. Ranko’s eyebrows rose. That was it!

Alanna thinks we’re illusions! She thinks we’re Jarthius’ minions disguised as her friends! Ranko thought for a moment. But how do we prove we’re who we say we are?

Then her mind clicked.

“I’ll prove it. Ask us a question about band,” Ranko said.

Alanna’s expression blanched. How could our enemies know we’re in marching band together?

“How many bass drums in a field percussion formation?” Alanna asked, still maintaining her defensive stance.

“Five,” Ranko smiled.

Alanna blinked. Sai Jarthius might be able to use dark magic to make fiendish creatures look like Alanna’s friends, but he certainly didn’t know how to march percussion in a halftime show.

“You better not be messing with me,” Alanna said as she relaxed her defenses.

“Believe me,” Ranko coughed as she hunched over holding her side. She moved towards a spot near where Cici was sound asleep next to her Lantern. “I’ve had enough Snow Girl fighting for one day.”

Continue to Chapter Ten