swing left, shift right, lean into it. The axe blade whirs just past her head, cleaving a few blue hairs as it goes. Jump. I push into the air as one of her legs sweeps just below me. Barge. Landing, I aim my shoulder at her chest, forcing forward, hitting nothing. My instinct goes silent, like it's as surprised as I am. Every time it wakes it's speaking a little clearer now, or I understand it better, I can't tell. What was at first just the urge to fight now offers something approaching advice, an intuition of what I could be doing next. Duck! I move moments too late, feeling a single finger touch my temple. I exhale loudly, letting my body relax for a few moments. After the flight from the Dragoons earlier, this release feels like what I need, every movement replacing a bundle of nervous energy with clarity, dispelling it.
"I'm not sure if this counts as hitting me." She says, picking up some of the hair I cut and furrowing her brow. "Again?" She asks. I nod happily. It's only been an hour, I can go for some time yet. I hop backwards, readying my axe, putting a little distance between us. Unlike yesterday, she hits back now, my rib twanging on cue as if to remind me.
Look for an opening. We circle each other ? with every session she becomes more cautious, less willing, or less able, to push in close, almost taunting me with how near she could get whilst still utterly avoiding me. Make an opening. I step inside, advancing on her. Almost automatically, she switches direction herself, moving backwards and away from me, keeping her distance. Keep going. She can't retreat forever. Confidently, I push on, trying to angle her into the corner where the wall and window meet, my instinct approving at how it limits her own ability to move. She feints out, but I ignore it, pressing her back. Now. Jabbing with the edge of the axe, she hops away, her back colliding against the wall with a thump. Again! Gripping it tightly, I aim an overhead swing at her, bringing it down at her head. There's the crunching of splintering wood, the axe burying itself in the wall. I tug at it, but it won't budge. Oops. Syllaf re-appears at my side, looking almost disappointed at my attack. I let go of the haft, aiming a left handed backhand at her head, missing narrowly as she ducks it. Sweep. Coiled legs simply bounce away as I try to trip her. Try as I might, I can't match her speed. She reacts to everything I do almost before I start. I'm lasting longer each time though. I think, trying not to be frustrated. Sparing a quick glance behind me, I rip the axe from the wall with a tug of my will, hearing it thrum through the air and back into my hand. Do that again. The thought takes a second to process, the idea of hurling the weighty, two-handed axe like one of the smaller axes having an appeal, especially if I can simply recover it. Even if she's faster, I can at least have the better reach. I channel my will into the axe, feeling it shudder with barely contained force. Giving it direction, I release it, and it tears itself from my hands, shooting towards her like an oversized arrow. She has just enough time to give a surprised look before blurring a few feet to the right.
"Moving that fast is cheating!" I call out to her, pulling the axe back to me. She doesn't respond, save for her insufferable look of easy superiority. Frustrated, I barrel towards her, closing the distance in two long strides. Cheat back. Growling, I leap at her, but, this time instead of the axe, I pull on her instead. Stop her moving! My instinct howls, pulling with everything I have on her body. She doesn't move. Instead, I feel her doing the same to me, irresistibly strong, pushing my leap off course without effort. I land awkwardly, hunched over, but before I can turn to face her, she strikes me in the back with both feet, flying through the air. I splay my hands out to break my fall, finding myself flat on the floor.
"Hmm." She says lightly, sitting down cross-legged on my back. "We're supposed to be the other way round at this point, yes?"
"That was the plan." I grunt, my ribs complaining loudly about the additional weight.
"Why do you think it failed?" Is she taunting me? I say nothing, until her swaying back and forth irritates an answer out of me.
"You are stronger, faster, better trained, and more experienced than I am. The only advantage I have is reach. I don't have any way of winning." I don't see what she gets by forcing me to concede the obvious, but I try and appease her anyway.
"If I were truly your foe, in the circumstances, what would you do?"
"Flee."
"You need longer to think about it." She notes simply, standing up. "I'm hungry."
