CHAPTER 3

I rushed at him holding nothing back, but as usual he glided past my strikes as though they were so easy to miss.

I hit thin air, my patience was running out, I felt even more beads of sweat trickle down my face, and I could just feel him about to smirk again.

" Are you sure you don't need some water ? I have some if you would..." but I didn't let him finish, I was at him again, this time even more determined to break his stance, but he dodged and blocked, and of course, I missed, again.

" You seem exhausted Maple, why don't we sit down for a... " even now I didn't let him finish, I swung my sword at him and shockingly he didn't pull back, instead he just blocked my strike by holding his sword up and looked at me with purposeful eyes.

I could tell he was being serious now, or if not, he was on the verge of it, without saying a word, he pushed me back and I staggered, but regained my stance.

" That's enough, for now " he finally said, and proceeded to slide his sword back into the sheath, but that only made me angrier, I looked at him enraged by the fact that he hadn't broken a sweat all the while we trained, whereas I on the other hand perspired, his face still looked as fresh as before we started training, not one of his hairs fell out of place, Theo was good at that, he hardly looked overwhelmed in a fight, that was just another one of his talents.

" Theo bring out your sword and stop being a chicken " I shouted at him just as he turned his back to me.

" You think I'm being a chicken ? " he asked, and turned to face me, with one of his eyebrows arched.

" Aren't you ? " I asked him, intent on making him carry on with the fight.

He took a minute to observe me and then sighed, before he finally reached for his sword, drawing it out of the sheath .

" Why must I prove everything to you Maple, it tires me to my very core " he said, and in a flash he was at me with his sword, normally he waited for me to strike, but this time he didn't, he didn't even give me a chance at a proper stance, I thought I had been struggling to get a strike at him before, but now I was struggling to keep myself from falling, he didn't hesitate this time, I could only block, not once did he grant me the opportunity to strike back.

" You should have taken that rest when I offered it " he taunted me, and then pushed my body against a tree, I wanted to strike again, but then I saw his blade pointed at my face, I struck it down with my sword, but he only put it back and when I struck it again, he slashed back and my sword fell from my hands.

He brought his blade even closer to me, and I in turn backed away from it, till I felt my back touch the tree.

" Surrender ? " he asked.

I glanced down at the ground and caught sight of a big stone just an inch away from my feet, just then an idea popped into my head, I looked back at Theo who didn't even shake, and then I kicked the stone up, catching it in mid air, I used it to hit his sword away from my face, and it dropped on the ground.

He looked at me surprised for a bit and then chuckled lightly.

" You have disarmed me Maple, but even you don't have a weapon, so how do you suppose we continue this fight ? " he questioned.

I tucked the hair that had fallen across my face behind my ears, and strengthened my pose, before I answered.

" Hand to hand combat "