The pointman easily blocked my strike, but it pushed her back past the other two Nemel. Chensina had a clear shot at Dingo, from a distance where she could reach him but he couldn’t reach her. I heard one of Indri’s rapiers knock a throwing knife out of the air. Hopefully he’d get the next one, too.

The pointwoman swung her broadsword down at my shoulder. I blocked it with the shaft of my polearm. 

That left my lower body open. She flipped her sword and went for my stomach. I knocked it away, but that left me awkwardly holding my polearm out on one side of my body. 

She struck again from the other side. I had to jump back to get out of range. The back of my knee collided with a stool.

I didn’t fall, and I had breathing space. I pulled my polearm back to a guard position. The pointman dropped back and reset her own stance. The deck around us was already mostly empty. The Nemel wouldn’t tell anybody to stay if they couldn’t make them do it.

The guard on the pointman’s sword was gold and covered in curved fins. Her wrists were wrapped in leather bands. Her short hair stuck up around her mask strap.

“You got a haircut.”

“You noticed.”

“It looks cute.”

“Thanks.”

I picked up the stool behind me and threw it at her head. While she ducked, I kicked a table across the floor at her. The corner clipped her in the shoulder. She swore.

Behind me, Indri’s rapier hit another throwing knife. I needed to keep him between me and Knives. Or I could put the pointman between me and her.