Sparring.

Rayana's black eyes looked at the hand that now held the wooden blade. The grip was strong but not too tight. She took the two steps up to her and angled the blade at a 45 degrees angle.

-This is the most common angle when slashing.- She said. -This form is used for more slashing than stabbing. Unless you are coming from the back.-

She demonstrated by slowly slashing across her chest, but inches from her. She slashed at the height of her throat blocking her arm with her own.

-It is preferable that you don't block another person's blade with your own, the reverberation would made your arm shake or it would slip and cut you up.- She said stepping back.

-You either avoid them, which is best or grab their wrist while slashing them.- She said.

She got closer and she grabbed her wrist while slashing upwards in a straight line between her navel and ribs slow enough for the younger woman to see, although not touching the skin.

-Your turn.- She said backing away again knees bent and knife raised.

The vampire saw the muscles in the young woman twitch before she launched her attck, but since the goal of the exercise was to practice her, she didn't avoid the blade like she normally would have.

-Good, you learn fast.- She said, pleased. -Slashes like this can also be accompanied by kicks, tricks to try and make your oponent fall. The skill of the blade is the skill of survival not of pretty duels.-

To demonstrate her point, je jumped close, hooked her leg behind Lyra's to make her fall and slashed.

The black eyed woman avoided the kick to her legs by jumping backwards, then taking a step foreward to keep in a close distance with her opponent. She then slashed towards Lyra's arm, aiming to 'disable' that arm, although a wooden blade wouldn't do much. She then rolled to her right and slashed up aiming at Lyra's thigh.

The older woman raised the hand that didn't have the knife in and blocked her leg with her forearm. The vampire leaned an inch back the knife narrowly missing her. It was purposeful though.She then sent an upwards strike to the other fighter's stomach before rolling away a few feet and standing.