Tal nodded, his face slipping into a scowl as he concentrated on his opponent and all the directions and angles that the General could take in his attack.
Which very nearly paralyzed the courier with indecision a second time; not between two immediate actions of his own but between trying to plan for a hundred of his opponent's.
But this time when his body reacted, Tal's brain didn't try to fight it. He stepped away from the strike, back and to the side at an angle as he swung the shield between himself and the sword, deflecting the incoming angle and weakening the point of impact by moving way from ti. And, obedient to an earlier tenet of the lesson, he kept moving, circling wide around the General with quick steps as he shifted to keep his shield between himself and his foe at all times. Pale eyes peered over the shield's rim, wary and waiting to see what would come next.
Which very nearly paralyzed the courier with indecision a second time; not between two immediate actions of his own but between trying to plan for a hundred of his opponent's.
But this time when his body reacted, Tal's brain didn't try to fight it. He stepped away from the strike, back and to the side at an angle as he swung the shield between himself and the sword, deflecting the incoming angle and weakening the point of impact by moving way from ti. And, obedient to an earlier tenet of the lesson, he kept moving, circling wide around the General with quick steps as he shifted to keep his shield between himself and his foe at all times. Pale eyes peered over the shield's rim, wary and waiting to see what would come next.
