He fell hard against the crates behind him and sent some of them spinning. Even in the darkness, he caught the gleam of edged metal in the elf’s other hand. The knife came streaking for his face. Lifting his free arm, Skater parried the knife strike, then rammed his forehead into the elf’s face. The crunch of breaking teeth echoed inside his skull, stepping up the pounding headache that was left over from the mind probe spell.