The forest was silent except for the sound of steel meeting steel.
Clang.
Sparks showered down like falling stars in the darkness.
Marcus didn't blink. His eyes were wide and dry.
He watched the blade of Elowen's longsword slide against his rusty dagger.
He saw the friction. He saw the tiny chips of metal flying off.
He felt the vibration travel down his arm. It rattled his bones.
But it felt distant.
It was information. Just data to be processed.
Elowen pushed him back. Her strength was overwhelming.
Marcus skid backward. His boots dug trenches in the dirt.
He didn't stumble. He kept his center of gravity low.
He looked at her.
The world seemed to move through a thick, clear gel.
He could see Elowen's pupil dilate. He could see the sweat on her upper lip.
He could see the muscles in her shoulder bunching up.
'Right shoulder,' Marcus analyzed. 'Raising two inches.'
His mind calculated the trajectory instantly.
