[centre][b][h1][color=C0C0C0]Aelar Starseeker[/color] [color=darkred]James Blackwall[/color][/h1][/b][/centre]

[color=silver]"I was hoping you would say that,"[/color] Aelar said as he caught the longsword quickly clipping the sheath to his belt and then drawing it. He took a minute to adjust to the weight of the weapon before moving into position across from James. He simultaneously cast Nature Sense to make sure his posture was the same as the one he had observed quickly canceling the spell once he was satisfied he was in the correct posture. He then concentrated on James and holding the blade in a piercing posture quickly dashed towards him.

James's instant reaction was a parry so casual it was almost insulting before he countered with a high slash aimed roughly at his opponent's shoulders. How Aelar would react to the attack would give him a better basis for his fighting style.

Aelar seeing his initial attack failed and the counter quickly following bent his knees while shifting his left shoulder towards James's chest. Knowing he wouldn't be able to block properly if he took the blade strike head on Aelar put his blade at an angle intending to redirect some of the force away.

The blade of James's sword slid a short ways down Aelar's as the pair locked blades for a second. [color=darkred][i]'A defensive type? or at least, an analysist.'[/i][/color] Holding it for another moment, he suddenly broke the lock and rammed the pommel of his sword into the appoaching shoulder before using the broken momentum to make an upward slash that would force Aelar to retreat or take the blow full-force.

Aelar grunted as his shoulder got hit forcing him to lose his forward momentum. Seeing James attack he finally utilized his bent knees to leap up while putting his own blade in position to take the blow which would add to his upward momentum.

James, capitalising on his vulnerable postion in the air, took a half-step forward and manipulated the momentum of his own blade to swipe back across the half-elf's lower ribs, turning the blade slightly to lessen the potential wound without losing the effectiveness of the strike.

Seeing James switch his attack direction Aelar tucked his knees into his chest, protecting his ribs. He simultaneously changed his grip on the sword to a backhanded form and slashed towards where James arm would have to be to hit him in his ribs.

[color=darkred][i]'A reverse grip? What's he trying to do?'[/i][/color] Nonetheless, the two blades met in between the fighters, but James's stronger grip allowed him to push the other sword away slightly. His original oppertunity lost, he tried to follow up with a second strike, a little higher and with a deeper angle of attack, starting higher and ending lower. He would have tried for a stab, but Aelar was too close for him to draw his sword back far enough.

Aelar using the momentum from the clash to rotate slightly kicking out towards James's sword hand while also switching his grip back and moving his blade to parry the incoming strike. He also twisted at his waist to add power to his kick.

The kick connected with his knuckles and he hissed at the pain, grip on the sword loosening before he grabbed Aelar's ankle and threw his weight backwards, a small smirk forming on his face as he did so. [color=darkred][i]'Analyst indeed. Didn't expect someone to use my own trick against me, although he forgot to counteract the balance properly... still, credit to him.[/i][/color]. He took a step back to allow his partner to regain his balance as he entered his stance again.

Aelar was falling backwards after James's counter, he quickly reacted by stabbing his sword into the ground and using it as leverage to bring himself into a crouching position on the ground. Aelar stood up and quickly moved into lunge thrusting his blade towards James's midsection.

James was quick to meet his strike with another parry, but his own body seemed to turn on him at that moment. The pain in his shoulder flared and his arm siezed up, his sword just falling short of its intended effect. His and Aelar's blades met, but rather than parry the strike, it instead redirected the strike to bite into his side and he grit his teeth. It was a minor wound in the long run, but it was still a painful one. With a grunt of effort, he pushed the blade away as he lunged forward himself, his blade coming to rest a bare minimum distance from Aelar's neck. He looked to his left, at the half-elf, and smirked despite the pain. [color=darkred] "It's my win. That was a good hit though."[/color]

He slipped out of his stance and rolled his shoulder, frowning at the offending sensation he got from the injection wound on his neck. [color=darkred] "Damn thing..."[/color]

[color=silver]"Thanks, you aren't half bad yourself"[/color] Aelar jokingly responds. [color=silver]"Let me heal that wound for you my spell should also help with that injection wound."[/color] He quickly casts Rejuvenation on them both as he hands James his sword back and they return to the rest of the group.

[@Ashevelendar][@Caits][@Wick][@Gareth][@dabombjk]