Sparring

Just a brief side track; Shadow Knight, Reklah Kayen, sparring with his wife, Nymaya Kayen, a ranger (long before his death).

Their eyes met and held; dark blue and luminous brown. From inches away
they stared at each other while bared steel held them at bay.

They had never sparred quite like this before but it brought back to her a
sense of driving youth, the energy in her soul that had taken her so far
among the elves of Shalonesti.

He was stronger but she was agile and no stranger to battle so, when he
forced her back she moved with graceful speed. He followed of course and a
series of metallic strikes rang out and echoed through the chamber as she
parried and struck back skillfully.

The training came back to her, as it always did. It wasn't something she
could entirely forget and she used as much of it as she could to advantage.
She was certain that he surpassed her, she could see it and feel it in
the speed and strength of his sword strokes, but she had been successful so
far in keeping up with him.

Too much thinking. She growled softly to herself and abruptly took the
offensive, battling him back a few steps. There was a clear look of
concentration upon his features that only deepened as their spar slowly
became more violent. He put into it as much, if not more, then she did and
there came a point when she briefly wondered if either of them would stop
before a sword pierced something vital.

At some point, the spar had become less an exercise and more like an
explosion of built up aggression. She could feel impotent frustration and
anger like a weight on her shoulders and clearly noted the shift in his
appearance as his brow creased and his gaze intensified.

There simply came a point when there was no real grace to their movements,
just an outward passion that saw them exerting brutal force against each
other with each clash of their weapons. It didn't last though. His strength,
his skill, was simply greater then hers and with efficient mastery he sent one
of her blades clattering to the ground, let fall his own blade and abruptly
grabbed her upper arms to press her none too gently against the wall.

Holding her there, gazes inches apart again, she became aware that each
labored breath she took sounded more like a feral growl. Heat rolled off
his body, only adding to her own as she shook with exertion and abruptly their lips met in a torrid kiss that lasted only seconds before he drew back and said in a winded tone. "Calm down."

He then released her just as abruptly and turned to pace away. She let her
second blade clatter to the ground along with the first and brushed her
hands over her face and back through her hair.

"I have to work on that." She whispered apologetically, to which he
answered, "We will."