knight was allowing the boy to attack freely and would merely defend himself. Einar sensed, however, that the moment he let his guard down and stopped trying with all his might, Ceet would strike. And it would be a painful lesson.
He stared at the knight once more, trying to spot even the shadow of a chance that his attack might succeed. Seeing not even the slightest opening, Einar realised he would have to rely on his wits and come up with a clever ruse. Circling around Tahon, he finally hit upon a risky, even very risky, plan. Having made up his mind, Einar set about carrying it out immediately, not wanting to give himself time to think it over.
Toinen paused when Ceet was positioned sideways to him. He braced himself and lunged forward, this time aiming for the knight’s leg. As he struck, Tahon’s sword sliced through the air in a flash, deflecting Einar’s weapon. The boy leapt back as far as his skills and the confined space would allow. After a moment’s wait and a few circles around the beastman, he attacked again, this time aiming for Ceet’s dominant hand. This attack, too, was easily parried, and the boy leapt backwards.
Following the same pattern, he began attacking various parts of the beastman’s body, pretending to search for a weak spot. After a dozen or so such attempts, his attacks became less precise. He slowed down, landed his blows inaccurately, began to run out of breath, and shortened the distance he was jumping back to. With each successive exchange of blows, the smile that had previously graced Tahon’s face began to fade, and it vanished entirely when Einar leapt back a mere few paces and, with irritation, lowered his shield and sword, as if they were a burden to him.
The beastsman hissed through clenched teeth and attacked like a bolt of lightning. And at that moment, Einar spotted the opportunity he’d planned for. He braced himself and lunged forward, somersaulting almost beneath the blade of the two-handed sword. He sprang back to his feet as quickly
