<b>Allassiel saw him watching, the expression on his face hinting at his thoughts. She held steady in her stance and waited, accustomed to this. Human males always thought in terms of their own strength, and automatically equated hers to that of their females. They seemed to forget that elves were much stronger and faster than humans, and both male and female elves were trained from youth to their chosen professions, sometimes for hundreds of years, as she had. Time and again, she'd had to prove herself to men – particularly the rohirrim males, who prided themselves on their battle savvy – and had yet to lose to one, unlike similar matches with other elves. <br/>
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She kept her own expression neutral, though she could hear Lotharn chuckling in the background. When Thorgan swung for the first hit, she was ready. She lifted her sword and parried the blow, the sound of metal on metal filling the air. And though she could tell his blow was strong, she barely felt it in her arm – almost as though the sword had absorbed the impact. She stepped aside and countered with her own swing, aiming at his better padded chest to avoid hurting him with the hit. <br/>
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Pegawen shook her head in wonder. She'd never understood swordplay, though Allassiel had tried several times to teach her. And though she could handle a dagger, she wasn't good at it. Still, as she watched her cousin spar against the human, she marveled at both of them. They seemed well-matched, something that rarely happened for Allassiel. Swinging the pot off the fire, she joined Lotharn to watch. </b>