Apparently he was wrong about the 'lady' part, but she was definitely a Fae, from her haughty pride to her shimmering wings. She was also, very clearly, a fighter, and one who lacked both hesitation and mercy. Her entrance to the ring solved the height problem that Kel had been worried about, and he was glad he had his hands up as he ducked his head behind them, her blow glancing off his forearm with enough force to leave a bruise behind. His eyes widened in surprise; she hadn't been kidding about not being an instructor, that strike had been meant to hurt!
Luckily, Kel had grown up surrounded by women, many of whom were tough as nails and perfectly capable of holding their own in a fight or a hunt. Many of his dryad cousins could both throw a punch and take one, and he'd learned early on not to hold back or he'd end up on his backside in the mud.
Something that usually happened anyways; he was an archer, not a brawler. Still, he lashed out with a wild swing, hoping to get lucky and connect with the acrobatic Alina as she hovered and darted around him.
Luckily, Kel had grown up surrounded by women, many of whom were tough as nails and perfectly capable of holding their own in a fight or a hunt. Many of his dryad cousins could both throw a punch and take one, and he'd learned early on not to hold back or he'd end up on his backside in the mud.
Something that usually happened anyways; he was an archer, not a brawler. Still, he lashed out with a wild swing, hoping to get lucky and connect with the acrobatic Alina as she hovered and darted around him.
