Instead of resisting the motion the way most inexperienced fighters might, Winter rolled with it. He tried to push her down, but instead of struggling to rise, she dropped completely, swinging her long leg with the speed and strength of a sledgehammer against his shins to throw him off-balance in turn.

"Pathetic!" she snarled, her aggravation growing. "You've become fixated on one single and specific objective."

Whether he went down with her blow or jumped back to avoid it, she was smoothly on her feet once more and lashing out with a flurry of quick, powerful strikes from her blade meant to drive him back.

"Your enemies will be able to read you like a book if you don't learn to adapt!"