Blade waited as the first two men closed. Then he lunged with his right, while his left whirled the sword over and down. The curved swords were not intended for thrusting, but they had sharp points and Blade's lunge had all the weight of the sword and his own strength behind it. He aimed at the throat of the man on the right, missed, gashed his shoulder, and forced the man to stop his own swing.

Blade's other sword flashed down in its precisely calculated arc and crashed into his other opponent's weapon. Sparks rained down and the weapon froze in midair. Blade raised both his swords and swung again, using all his strength. Against these people, delaying tactics and wounds weren't much good. Sooner rather than later he had to go for the kill.

Steel bit deeply into the hip of the man to Blade's right, cutting nearly through to the groin. The man on the left came on too fast, ducking as he came. Blade's slash took him alongside the head, cutting off an ear, biting through the leather bindings to lay open the scalp, but not killing or even crippling. The man's sword took a chunk of flesh out of Blade's side and left a long gouge across his ribs. Then the man folded forward as Blade slashed at him again, cutting off his right arm. He stayed on his feet as he folded, and drove his head forward into Blade's stomach.

The shock drove Blade backward several feet. The man lifted his severed stump so that the blood spraying from it struck Blade in the face, and clutched at Blade's left arm with his remaining hand. Blade had to give more ground to shake him loose. By the time the man finally collapsed at Blade's feet, the remaining four men on the bridge had crossed it and now held the end against Blade. Behind them the leader was beckoning the others forward.