Deadly Dance

Zoe has returned once again. Read and comment, please! I love every single comment I get, they are so encouraging. Thanks to you all!

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Zoe had just finished swallowing her last bite when an object flew through the air toward her. She instinctively grabbed it to keep it from whacking her in the head and saw that it was her sword.

“Prepare yourself,” Jaedon ordered, his own sword already drawn as he advanced toward her.

She sprang to her feet and tossed the scabbard aside. Her muscles were tense and she threw herself into the duel with all her skill. She managed to evade his swift-flickering sword for almost five minutes but eventually the flat of his blade slapped down on her left shoulder, directly by her neck, stopping her in her tracks. She glared, aggravated at being beaten by him…again.

“Good form, but too practiced,” Jaedon commented.

Too practiced. She had heard that before. It did not take long to recall when: in Ruma, months earlier, when she had tried to escape out the backyard with Tancred’s artifact sword. They had crossed blades for all of ten seconds before he disarmed her. Her eyes now darted to where he sat comfortably by the small, smokeless fire, wordlessly observing. Judging by the tiny laugh lines around his eyes, he remembered the incident all too well. She gritted her teeth and then took a deep breath.

“This time, improvise what you know,” Jaedon instructed, lifted his sword. “Again.”

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Don't forget the commenting part! :)