The second man, heavier and meaner looking was shocked by how quickly everything had happened and he yelled as he charged over to me.
"You think I'm gonna let you kill my friend and get away with it? Die!!"
I barely had time to shift my stance before he lunged like an angry bull. I ducked under his first punch, slicing across his ribs but he grabbed my wrist mid-strike and yanked me forward throwing me off balance.
My knees hit the hard ground with a thud as my breath went whooshing out of me in surprise. He raised his fist for a knockout blow.
"Get away from her!" Ayesha yelled, he small voice desperate as she watched me struggling.
The attacking man glanced over for a moment at the sound.
That split-second distraction was all I needed, I twisted and pulled back my trapped wrist, the blade edge slicing across his palm in the process. He roared as he was forced to let go.
I rolled sideways, using the momentum to rise to my feet. The heavier Jerk came again but he was slower now and more cautious. I feinted left, then moved to the right, slashing his thigh. He stumbled, and I pressed in, two quick cuts across his arm and chest.
I was now only moving on instinct, adrenaline and my attackers lack of skill assisting me.
He swung wide in desperation, but I ducked under again and stepped inside his guard, and placed the sword's blade against his neck.
He twitched and froze, eyes becoming wild as he looked down at me. My hands trembled but I held the blade in place.
I knew I had to kill him or he would hunt me after he healed up, after all I was a lone woman with two children.
Easy pickings especially if he had more friend that were likeminded.
It was best to pull things up by the roots to prevent future trouble but knowing that if I applied just a bit of pressure to my arms, another person would take their last breath at my hands had me hesitating.
Swish…thud…the heavyset man fell to his face in the next moment.
I stuck to my decision though it was difficult, almost impossible.
I stood there, panting, sword trembling in my grip. My arms felt heavy and my breath ragged, but I was still standing.
"Let's go," I said to the twins.
I had in six minutes killed two men. I had taken two lives. I was defending myself and trying to survive but… I have just taken two lives.
They were someone's sons, probably someone's brother, someone's lover. I had taken them away for good.
I glanced again at the blood pooling beneath the two, the source of thier lives staining the ground.
I hustled away with the twins making my way to another route to the other town. I was hurry before I was discovered. Before the bodies were found sprawled in their blood on the cold hard ground.
The twins were silent and Ayesha pointed the way forward without using words. I wondered if they were now afraid of me, if I was now a monster in their eyes.
While my emotions were spinning out of control. Abu reached out his little hand and lightly held mine. It was warm.
I looked down where our hands touched, my vision getting blurry and my throat stopping up. I blinked to clear my eyes and felt streams of tears run down and into the shawl that was around my chin.
I fought to hold back a sob, trying hard to hold myself together, especially in front of the twins.
Taking a life is easy, yes, but it was also impossible. Impossible to live with, impossible to forget, and impossible to ignore.