A Song of Ice & Shadow

Part 18

Azriel immediately hesitated. He'd never hit a female before, and he sure as hell hadn't meant to strike her that hard. His eyes flickered with worry and fear, a rare flash of uncertainty breaking through his usal control. And she caught it. Saw it.

She rolled her shoulder, masking the ache with a smirk. "Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that. I'm not convinced yet." The words weren't just a taunt. They were meant for him. A silent reassurance. A reminder that she could take it. That she wasn't fragile. That she was alright.

She lunged at him, landing a few hits that barely fazed him. But she was beginning to tire; the constant barrage of blocks and counterattacks were wearing her down. Azriel, on the other hand, seemed to have a boundless well of stamina. She could feel the exhaustion creeping into her muscles, slowing her movements.

She tried to go for his rib, but he was faster and dodged every strike with ease. Then, in one swift maneuver, he landed a punch that sent her sprawling to the ground. Y/n hit the mat hard, the force knocking the breath from her lungs.

For a moment, she lay there, blinking up at the night sky, her chest rising and falling as she fought to gather her strength.

Azriel flinched as soon as his punch hit its mark. Regret flashed across his face. He was at her side in an instant, about to extend his hand, but before he could, she pushed herself up quickly, shaking off the pain. Determination burned in her eyes, outshining the exhaustion laced in her voice. "Is that all you've got?"

His jaw tightened. He knew he'd hurt her, and he hated himself for it. But the way she got back up, the fire in her gaze, it made it easier to swallow down the self-loathing. He forced himself to stay composed. "Not even close."

After an hour, they were circling each other again, both showing signs of the intense fight, her more than him, given that she lacked his years of practice, his raw strength. But she was still standing, still fighting.

Azriel moved in with a flurry of punches, each one landing solidly, forcing her further anf further back. She tried to block and counter, but his strength and speed overwhelmed her. Then, one particularly hard, unintended punch sent her reeling. She dropped to one knee, a sharp gasp escaping her lips.

Azriel stilled, his expression shifting. "You've had enough yet?" His voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable thread of concern beneath it.

He extended his hand to her, which she gladly took, gripping hard, using his strength to pull herself up.

Teeth gritted, she exhaled through the burn in her limbs. "Never," she rasped, though her voice was hoarse, her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps.

They resumed circling each other, but Azriel could see it, the way her limbs trembled slightly, the faint hitch in her breath, the way she forced herself to keep going despite her body screaming at her to stop. She was pushing herself too far.

So he eased up again, letting her block the weak strikes he threw her way, knowing she wouldn't stop otherwise. But she wasn't blind.

After some time, he knew she wouldn't stop, so he made a decision. If she wanted to keep going, he wasn't going to let her land a single blow. She was already exhausted, her movements slowing, her breath coming in sharp bursts, She wouldn't last much longer.

"Want to stop?" he asked, stepping back to give her a moment to recover.

She shook her head, unable to speak, swatting at the air in front of her, a feeble attempt to show she wasn't done. But her punches were losing strength, her swings clumsy with fatigue. Azriel barely had to move to dodge them now.