VER I lost track of how long we’d been sparring but we’d amassed quite the crowd. And to my irritation, Ilrune was placing bets . . . against me. Raven knocked me to the ground once more and I kicked her legs out from under her as I did before. She fell back but instead of staying down she rolled back and jumped back on her feet. I did the same. She hadn’t managed to take my sword and I hadn’t managed to knock her staff from her grasp. She was holding her own and I was surprised at just how well she could fight with a staff as opposed to a sword. She’d only been using her sword whilst given demonstrations with Drakus but had chosen to use her staff against me and I could see why. She was better with her staff than with a sword. Though I suspected her staff was actually made out of somet

