“For the first time in his life, he felt like he was developing his reflexes. He began to sense the rhythms and patterns of her assaults. Strength, he discovered, was not as important as balance, and balance was not as important as anticipation. He began to predict some of her attacks by the slight shifts in her stance or the tightening of her shoulders. He could sometimes anticipate the trajectory of her foot or staff, even if he couldn’t always get out of the way of the blow. Occasionally, he’d enjoy a little success, a dodge or parry, and immediately afterward would begin to analyze his success. He’d ponder how fighting had a grammar all its own, and war had its syntax.”