Cassius was lucky the blow had hit- and it surprised Red Sun as well. Rearing back, she guarded herself instinctively as her arms came forward into a crossed shield as she slid back on her sandals through a growl. But it wasn't a hard enough blow to draw blood,but she could feel the fresh whip wounds on her back beginning to break as she winced.
The damned idiot might get her on first blood if no one realized she had been whipped the night before, because f she wasn't careful, the fresh scabs were about to tear open. She also wished she had another weapon, like a staff, to keep her awy from his arm. HAd seh thought about it before the fight, she would have changed her weapon to a spear. But she always loved using her trusty blade, for she and the dark blade could move as one.
Now moving ot make some distance between them, she took the time to dance around and recover, and study his moves again, awaiting his next attack.