Dromaeus snarled as he took the painful blow on the wrist. In the very first moments of the fight, he could tell that his opponent was unnaturally fast. He decided on a different tactic. Returning to his original defensive stance, he advanced forward, a step at a time, the shield protecting him from thigh to neck, his sword tip passing the side of the shield, ready to strike. Getting close, he began to crowd Eragon, pushing and thrusting the shield, until he felt that the human was off balance. Jabbing the rim of the shield forward, he tried to drive his swordpoint into Eragon's ribs.