Blood Red Road

people who clamber up to watch the fights from there. The light tower’s the cheapest seats there is.
    Essept nobody sits there when I’m fightin. Not with Nero perched on top. Everybody’s skeered of him. They all believe that crows bring death. Defeat. Destruction. They believe I git my powers from him.
    I like to look up an see him there. He always stays till I win an then he flies off. He’s done it since my first fight.
    But my power ain’t down to Nero. It’s down to the red hot. That’s what keeps me winnin.
    There’s a girl in the front row today. Tall, gold skinned, with a proud nose.
    She ain’t like most what comes to the Colosseum. Other people might not take no notice, but the moment I see her, I know her right off fer a warrior. She’s got a look about her. She takes things in with quick eyes, things that other people’d jest pass over without noticin.
    An she don’t take leaf from the chaal man when he offers it. Not like everybody else who comes to the fights. Neether do the three girls with her take any.
    In fact, they jostle him so’s his basket tips out an then they scuff all the chaal leaf unner their feet so they git all crushed an filthy. When a armed guard comes over to see what’s goin on, they pretend it warn’t nuthin to do with ’em.
    She sees me lookin at her, watchin what they’re doin. Raises one eyebrow as if to say, what’s it to you anyways?
    The cage door opens an my opponent enters to boos an jeers. She’s a tough-lookin, brown-skinned girl, name of Epona. She only arrived a couple of days ago. I ain’t never fought her before but the word is she fights dirty. The Cage allows pretty much anythin—hits, kicks, stranglin, twistin legs an arms—but not bitin or gougin. I heard she’ll try both if the cagekeepers ain’t got a clear view an she gits the chance. I’ll hafta watch her.
    I put the girl in the front row outta my mind. I put everythin outta my mind. I clear it so the red hot can take over. That’s the way it’s gotta be if I wanna survive.
    The keeper sounds the gong an we’re off.

    Epona gits me in a stranglehold on the ground. While I’m strugglin to git free, I look up an there she is, the girl in the front row, starin right at me. Our eyes meet.
    She’s tryin to tell me somethin. But what? What is it?
    My concentration slips. Epona’s got advantage. She shuffles us around, outta sight of the keeper, an bites me on the hand.
    I roar with anger. The red hot kicks in an I’m back in the fight, full strength. I throw Epona offa me. I git her on the ground in a leg an arm twist. She moans. I twist harder. Then even harder.
    Quit! she yells. Quit!
    Epona’s first loss. She glares hate at me as they take her from the Cage.
    I look at the front row. The girl an her friends is gone.
    Damn her. She nearly made me lose my fight.

    I’m in my transport cage on the back of the mulecart, bein driven back through Hopetown to the cellblock. Two armed guards sit up front an, like always, crowds surround the cart. Everyone wants to see the Angel of Death close up. The brave ones reach in through the bars an try to touch me so’s they can brag to their friends later. I snap my teeth at ’em an they shrink away, shriekin with excitement.
    The warrior girl pushes through till she’s close beside the cage. She’s about my height. She’s got golden skin with tiny freckles sprinkled all over. She’s huddled inside her cloak, but I can see she’s got curly hair the color of dark copper an eyes green as forest moss. She’s the most beautiful girl I ever seen.
    You nearly made me lose that fight, I says.
    I’m sorry you didn’t, she says. That’s my girl you beat.
    Epona? I says. Whaddya mean, yer girl? Who are you?
    I’m Maev, she says, walkin alongside. We’re the Free Hawks.
    I look closer at who’s walkin beside the cart. Three tough-lookin girls, the ones who was sittin beside her in the Colosseum.
    Look around, says Maev.
    I scan the crowd through the bars of my cage. Another girl in a robe. She moves it slightly so I can see the crossbow at her side. So they’re smart enough to smuggle weapons past the Gate guards of Hopetown. As I look over the crowd, another girl nods at me.
    So Epona’s a Free Hawk too, I says.
    She is, says Maev. An we’re gonna git her outta here.
    My heart skips a beat. How? I says.
    I’m workin on it, she says. Security’s pretty tight here. But in the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t git my fighter