"Now time for defensive drills." Flendreir informed me.

All the confidence I had built with my sword was slowly crushed. She gave me maneuvers to try and block her attacks, but even with her holding back, I was painfully slow compared to my elven instructor. She carefully slapped me with the flat of her blade, but each time she did, I knew I would have been cut in a real fight. Then we went to drills where I attempted my attacks on her, and she defended. My swings were diverted, misdirected and cut nothing but air as her curved blades intercepted and easily manipulated the length of my blade.

I...