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Despite what had just happened, Amora was still hesitant about fighting with a real sword - not so much because she was scared anymore, but because, now that she knew what she was capable of, she was more afraid of hurting him.

"You're sure this is what you want me to do?" she asked softly, her voice reflecting her worry.

Lord Elwin nodded. "I promised your father that I would train you for two hours today," he told her, "no matter how much you argued ... you have no trouble at all with a wooden sword. I need to see what you can do with a real one."

Still, Amora was hesitant. "Shouldn't we be wearing some sort of protection?" she asked softly. "In light of ... everything? I mean ... these are real weapons ..."

Lord Elwin shook his head. "Armor allows us to be lazy," he told her. "This way we fight harder to protect ourselves."

Amora took a deep breath and gripped her sword in both hands, nodding slowly. "All right," she murmured, her fingers tightening slightly. "I'm ready."

Lord Elwin nodded. "Good." He raised his own sword, and without warning he took a quick slash at Amora. She blocked it and reacted instinctively with a thrust of her own, stopping short just before she would have hit his chest - but his sword was there, blocking anyways.

He frowned at her. "Princess," he said sternly, "I want for you to do your best. Don't hesitate."

Amora however had seen now what she was able to do, and now she knew that her accident had been her own fault - because of her own strength - and she couldn't bring herself to attack, not with cold steel.

"I can't," she whispered, looking up at her trainer, her eyes filled with desperation. "Please don't make me."

Instead of replying, Elwin lunged forward, forcing Amora to deflect a blow that would have left a hole in her shoulder. She stood, blade raised in defense, but still seemed to be forcing herself not to do anything more. Elwin didn't give her a moment to rest - he continued to attack her, pressing her harder and harder, faster, more strongly than he had attacked her with the wooden sword.

At one point, Amora gave a sharp cry and a few drops of blood spattered on the ground. She had a cut across the knuckles of her sword hand - but far from stopping her, as the first accident had, it seemed to once more be her snapping point. She squealed in anger and began to fight back, and once again the two of them fought as they had before: their hands and weapons little more than blurs as Amora pressed the offensive, steadily gaining ground. This time the room was not silent, however: aside from the clanging of swords, both of the fighters were grunting with the effort, and from time to time Lord Elwin would call out a taunt to infuriate Amora once more.

Amora continued to press forward, taking advantage of her shorter stature to shield herself as she continued to attack. Elwin was hard pressed to defend himself, and the fight ended abruptly when suddenly Amora's sword pierced his arm, and he dropped his sword with a clatter to the ground.

Amora was horrified. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, dropping her own sword and dashing forward to make sure the young lord was all fine. "Are you all right?"

Elwin smiled and put one hand over his wound. "It will be fine in just a moment," he assured her. "Really ..."

Elwin smiled at Lin and shook his head. "No, nothing," he assured her. "Look, it's already stopped bleeding." He lifted his hand to show them a long gash. There was blood around it and below it, sticky already, but there was no new blood flowing from it. As they watched, the skin slowly grew together, healing before their very eyes.

Amora sighed with relief. "I'm so glad," she murmured, clasping her hands together. Blood smeared over her hands, but she didn't seem to notice.

Elwin couldn't help but chuckle at Lin's reaction. "And believe me, it is quite handy. This is the first training session I have had with Princess Amora, but I was warned that this would likely happen."

He glanced at Amora, then motioned for her to follow him to a small cupboard in the corner near the door. "Some people think that the gifts we have are results of our parentage ... I personally believe that they are at least in part from necessity, or how we live during our childhoods."