228 The Outlaw's Duel

Without further ado, he took a step forward and walked away with his second in command, Brad, following behind him, leaving his men to do as he had commanded.

By the time they were out of sight, Astrid turned to Jareth, "Hey you do not have to do it," she tried her best to make him quit. They could just run away and avoid him getting more injuries.

"I have to, in order to keep their prying lustful gaze away from you. Trust me, I would win. I promise not to let them lay a finger on your skin."

Astrid didn't reply him, actually, she did not know how to reply him. All she could do was to purse her lips into a thin line and blink at him.

The men got to where they were and one dropped Snow on the ground close to her. She was so engrossed in whispering to Jareth and wanting to persuade him that she forgot to notice when they went to open up the cage and brought the little beast to her.

"Snow," her voice broke upon seeing her little baby cub. At the same time, the men loosened the ropes binding her and she took that opportunity to pull Snow close, wrapping her arms around him in a tight bear hug.

"I'm so sorry, Snow. I am sorry."

"Master, you are squishing me…" Snow managed to let out, as her hug felt like she wanted to squash him to death.

"Ohh, sorry," Astrid said and loosened her grip to look at him closer and check if he was injured. Snow's big wide eyes stared into her own, he could clearly see the tears that escaped her eyelid and the ones threatening to spill further.

"Master is such a cry baby," he commented, "Snow is fine, hurt but fine."

"Hhehe, don't tell me Jareth's doting on you had rubbed off his comments on you?" She asked her beast. It was now behaving like Jareth copying his comments as well.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see that his ropes had been loosened too and was dragged up. Quickly she turned her head and caught his arm, making him and the soldiers halt in their movement.

Her eyes held her fear in them. It was not that she didn't trust he could win, but that she did not trust for the men here to play fair. She didn't know them, still, she couldn't deny this feeling in her gut telling her that all these were wrong.

Jareth gave her a small smile, twisting his hands so that her palm was in his and then slid his finger in between their palms and comfortingly rubbed at the centre of her palm.

Seconds later, he pulled his hand away and followed the three men holding him. Two of them were by each side of his hand while the other held his shirt from behind and they led him out.

Astrid watched as they pulled him away and was oblivious to the other two standing at each of her sides, waiting for her to get up.

It was not until they touched her, causing her body to jolt in response, that she was alerted that it was her turn to move.

There were several small houses at each side of the part and some adjourning paths leading to other parts of the village. Out of all the fairly big houses there, only one stood out.

It was the biggest house among the others and was located not too far from the arena which a big open ground with poles and ropes surrounding it partition it.

By the time she got to the arena, she met the other outlaws all waiting at different sides of the arena. Upon seeing her and her little beast, all eyes were fixed on her, giving her different kinds of stares.

Astrid knew that by now, the news about the duel and the reason behind it would have circulated around everybody.

I mean, the news did spread out fast like wildfire, especially when it was a small village like this. Her eyes wandered on their own, searching for Sasuke, but she didn't see him.

She also used the opportunity to see if the leader was there and noticed that not only him, but himself and his second in command weren't present as well.

'Where did these outcasts go to?' she couldn't help but think it strange and before she could get back to searching for Sasuke, she saw him emerge from one other path and came to stand not too far from where she was.

Of course, he was still surrounded by some of the men who were armed with swords, spear and the likes of them.

"Master, this is not looking good. Can't you hear the murmuring?" Snow asked Astrid as his eyes narrowed at the scene in front of them.

"True, not much but I can hear some."

"I do find it strange too. They are saying a challenge wants to hold on an outlaw's first day of being here. Apparently, that hadn't happened before," Snow informed her.

True to what Snow had overheard, normally it took within 7 days before a duel or a mission was assigned to new outcasts looking to join their small community.

At about the same time Astrid was pondering on what Snow had informed her on, the murmuring of the crowd stopped and all eyes moved to the path leading to the biggest house in the village.

Astrid and Snow stopped conversing upon noticing the eerie silence that fell on the arena and looked up, only to see everyone's gaze fixed at one direction and they followed suit too, trailing their gazes after them.

Right at the centre of the path was the leader of this village, Clive along with several other men and Brad who was at his right-hand side. He was naked from his stomach upward with his pair of trousers as the only cloth left on his body.

He had several markings on his chest and arm, with an arm ring on both arms and a black cloth tied to his forehead with nothing on his feet.

With his muscular chest and built, he looked intimidating as compared to Jareth who wore only a shirt, a pair of trousers, his shoes and nothing.

Clive walked majestically to the side of the arena, his cold and domineering eyes taking turns, landing on each and every person present.

When his eyes landed on Jareth, he snickered and he averted his gaze only to land on Astrid who was standing not too far away, holding her beast like a baby in her arms. Seeing her eyes meet with his, he smiled at her, before slowly peeling them away to address his people.

"It is pleasant to invite you all to watch another duel happening in this village. Today, we have two new people joining our small village, a girl and a boy."

As he spoke, his cold deep voice, reverberated in the full arena loud and clear for everyone to hear.

"Also, this duel is not for their being amongst us but for a different reason entirely. Knowing the rules of the village, that because of the few women we have, any man going for any of them would have to fight a duel for her hand."

Immediately the once deadpan silent arena began to echo with the murmuring of the people.

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

"A duel on the first day? This has never happened."

"It looks like it is the leader that is going to duel for her hand, but with whom."

More and more murmuring continued and Astrid and Jareth's ears were filled with them, assessing the situation quietly.

'So it seems, he is doing this because they want to claim her from me fast, huh. Let's watch and see. Clive, your people would lose.' Jareth said inwardly but masked his emotion effortlessly.

"Silence."

Everywhere became deadpan silent again as they awaited his next speech.

"You see, the new buy, an elf, had already claimed her as his, but according to our laws, he must prove that she is really his by fighting for her since they are not yet married."

Jareth turned his head to look at Astrid and found out that she had the same idea as at the same time, their eyes met and he smiled at her.

He could feel it from the look in her eyes, she was a bit still scared for him, but he winked at her, helping her ease her fear.

Astrid smiled shyly at him, putting her head down and avoiding his gaze.

"So now, he is going to duel with none other than, me, Clive for her hand."

"What?"

Astrid whipped her head to the side to look at Jareth, he was going to fight with their leader. This fearsome-looking man!