and was certain that if Tahon so wished, he could break free very easily. When the enraged soldier drew his sword, Einar gently pushed Ceet aside, hoping his friend would understand what he meant. And he apparently did, for he took a step back.
The young Toinen spread his arms, showing that he was unarmed. He did this not with his new opponent in mind, but for the benefit of all those watching. The legionnaire swung his sword furiously, but Einar dodged it with ease, taking a step back.
The man roared in anger and lunged forward, swinging his sword once more. At that very moment, Einar raised his shield and, with his other hand, drew a knife from its sheath. Without haste, he parried two blows with his shield, trying to assess his opponent. It seemed that either the legionnaire was completely blinded by fury, or his experience with the sword was on a par with that of the young Ytren. There was no comparison between him and Einar’s brothers, his combat instructors, or the other warriors from Stairon.
The boy grew afraid that he had overlooked something obvious and, in an instant, resolved to end it all as quickly as possible. He parried another blow and braced himself for the next, waiting for his opponent to strike down from above. He didn’t have to wait long at all, for the man grabbed his sword with both hands and raised it for a powerful overhead strike.
It was far more than Einar had anticipated. The blow came down with great force, and Toinen blocked it with his shield so that the blade slid off and flew past him. The momentum carried the soldier along; he lost his balance and flew forwards. Einar stepped slightly to the side and struck the man’s wrist with the hilt of his knife. There was a crunch, and the weapon clattered to the stones. The boy delivered a powerful kick to the soldier’s shins, causing him to tumble and crash face-first onto the quay. The combined force of the previous attack and the fall
