She'd almost had him, and it gave Elise a momentary burst of hope. But her blade was forced away by his defenses, and almost proved in the end to be nothing. Worse, her efforts had convinced him to increase his attack, and Elise soon found herself entirely on the defensive.

	A brief moment she spent recovering her footing was a moment too long, and there were sword blows raining upon her before she could move. The first was deflected entirely by her wards, but she felt them significantly weaken in the process, given the strength of his attack. She had to defend against them herself. The second clashed loudly off her sword, driving her a step back and rattling her arms painfully all the way up to the shoulder.

	He feinted, and she fell for it entirely, the next strike coming at her unguarded side, and she would've been split open were it not for the wards, still barely holding. Some of the force was coming through now, and the blow felt like a brutal punch to her ribs, knocking her breath from her and leaving her reeling. Elise stumbled back, her features contorted in pain.

	Her back hit an icy wall, radiating cold, and she shuddered. No sooner had she hit it than a lightning bolt shot forward from Valence, on target to hit her in the chest, but her ward saved her from it. Her defenses shattered with a loud ringing, and the amulet upon her chest immediately darkened. The force of the lightning bolt still carried mostly through, smacking Elise back against the icy wall, the burst of energy in front of her kicking up another cloud of snow.

	Only her fall to her side saved her from the next lightning bolt, which blasted apart a chunk of the wall behind her, sending icy pieces raining down around her. More than anything, Elise felt the cold, now that her amulet was spent, leaving her exposed to the elements. It was a stark reminder of her vulnerability, the air cutting like knives through her clothes and armor. She couldn't hide the fear from her eyes. Who wouldn't feel fear, when assaulted with terrifying force like this?

	But Elise wouldn't give up, not until she could go no longer, and she forced herself back to her feet as quickly as she could, beating down her uncertainty with anger. "I am a daughter of the Vale," she said, as she charged forward again. "And I will have justice!" That was unlikely at this point, but saying the words gave her the courage she needed for another attack.

	She was slowed somewhat now, making her movement easy to read, as she rushed forward and made an aggressive lunge now that Valence was shieldless. It would leave her entirely exposed if she missed, however, and the protection of her warding amulet was now gone.