'Stop trying to match him,' Valenna continued, her voice sharpening. 'You are not him. You never will be. Use what you are.'
Marcus launched another textbook attack, blade moving through the precise sequence that had been drilled into noble sons for generations.
Soren recognized it from Kaelor's training, the Emerald Path, a Karvath specialty designed to force opponents into increasingly disadvantageous positions.
Instead of attempting to counter with equally formal technique, Soren dropped his shoulder and pivoted awkwardly, deliberately breaking form. His blade came up in a choppy, inelegant movement that no swordmaster would ever teach.
Marcus's perfect rhythm faltered for just a heartbeat as he encountered a response outside his extensive training. His blade missed its mark by inches, cutting air where Soren should have been according to proper form.
