He began to circle her, just beyond reach. Every so often he tested her defences with a jab or a quick slash, all of which were easily countered. He noticed that Contessa’s breathing did not change, a feat considering the sweltering heat of the fire… not to mention that gown of hers…
An aspect Marc normally paid attention to was his opponent’s footwork. However her feet were entirely concealed by that gown, which impressed him. With every counter the bottom part of the dress barely moved, which implied a great deal of dexterity.
To prove his theory, he slipped into her inner-circle and performed a downward strike, using his strength and mass to drive the blade down. Once more she deflected without incident. The Contessa only needed to pivot in place to achieve this feat… A grown man would need to bend his knees to absorb the impact…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Man of War is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth.
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