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“Take a deep breath, Alex,” the Meyarin said. “Let go andfeelthe air around you.”

“I don’t know what you’re—” Before she could finish her sentence she heard a rushing noise and rolled out of the way again, this time using the momentum to lift herself back to her feet. She reached her hands up to untie her blindfold but it wouldn’t budge. When she tried to pull it over her head, she realised it was stuck in place.

“Get this thing off me!”

“Calm down and pay attention,” the Meyarin said, his voice gentle but firm. “You need to breathe andlisten.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to—”

“Listen, Alex,” he interrupted. “Justlisten.”

The tone of his voice stopped her protests. Whatever he was trying to prove seemed to be important, and he’d been nothing but kind to her. The least she could do wastryto do as he asked.

“Okay,” she said. “Just give me a moment. I can’t hear anything over my convulsing heartbeat.”

She took a few deep breaths and tried to focus outwardly. She was blind, that much was true, but she still had her other senses. So when she felt the mat underneath her feet tilt slightly, she knew the Meyarin had decided her reprieve was over.

But this time she was ready.

The movement of the mat told her which direction he was attacking from, and the whisper of air she could inexplicably feel rushing outward from his position told her that he was swinging his arm towards her face. Instead of ducking, she threw her own hand out, meeting and deflecting his blow with her forearm. It wasn’t her smartest idea, since she’d forgotten to take into account his Meyarin strength, so all she managed to do was earn herself one mother of a bruise.

From then on, every time she ‘felt’ the Meyarin come at her, she ducked, jumped, lunged and rolled out of his way. Sometimes he managed to land a hit, but more often than not her instincts moved her out of his path in time.

Alex wasn’t sure how long they were going to keep ‘experimenting’ when her opponent said, “You’re doing great, Alex. Let’s try something more challenging and see how you go.”

She had no idea what he meant; not until she heard the distinct sound of rasping metal as he unsheathed a weapon.

“You can’t be serious!” she cried.

The sharp whistle of steel through the air told her that he was indeed serious.

Her instincts compelled her to duck out of the path of the blade. “You’re going to kill me!”

“Just concentrate,” he told her. “Open your mind and listen.”

“Stop telling me to listen.” She jumped back when she felt him lunge towards her. “And let me fight you fairly, with a weapon and no blindfold. You’re Meyarin—you’ll still win.”

“If you have a weapon, you’re more than welcome to use it,” he said. “And if it makes you feel better, I’m just as blind as you.”

“What!” Alex shrieked, dropping to the ground and rolling away from another attack.

Was he honestly fighting her blindfolded as well? Oh, she wassogoing to end up skewered.

“Can’t you feel it, Alex?” he asked, and she sensed his weapon stab towards her again. This time she was too distracted by her fear, and the blade nicked her arm, causing her to hiss as it grazed her flesh.

“I certainly felt that,” she said. “Too close, buddy.”

His voice was amused when he said, “Buddy? Really?”

“You haven’t given me any other name,” she said, jumping backwards when his blade swiped at her again. “And what exactly am I supposed to be feeling?”

“Everything,” he told her reverently. “Let your instincts guide you.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” she huffed. “Building a submarine?”

“You’re not letting go completely, Alex,” he said. “Listen. Feel. Experience.”

Alex stopped moving, ducking only when she felt the blade swing at her again, and tried to centre herself. A few times during their ‘experiment’ she felt what she thought he was talking about. It was a natural instinct that took over and guided her to move in ways she didn’t understand but still made sense. The feeling had so far been sporadic, and the rest of the time she’d just been plain lucky. Now that the Meyarin had a blade, their game had changed, and she was more than ready to even the score. It was time for her to take an offensive position and test the limits of her senses.