With his strike aiming true, her left arm was rendered useless. His father was shouting instructions, but considering how he’d allowed himself to nearly be struck down prematurely, Ratonhnhaké:ton decided to trust his own instincts. There was no time to swing his tomahawk over to block the dagger, in a hasty and potentially perilous decision he raised his left arm, bent his hand out of the way and allowed his hidden blade to slide from it’s sheath.

The blades met, in a deafening clang. Not having met her knife squarely, Elissa’s weapon slid nearly effortlessly down his own. When it reached the gauntlet, Ratonhnhaké:ton gave it a shove to force it away from his body. He’d at least taken the warning about the poison into consideration.

“This is not like you... come to your senses!”

He didn’t claim to know everything about Elissa, but he knew enough that she would not normally strive to take the lives of her crewmates. As soon as he was able he placed some distance between himself and the mad woman.

Then he answered Haytham,” When you told me not to hesitate...... was I to take that to mean it was time to carry out what we discussed before?” ... Because he couldn’t leave this up to Haytham, obviously. Drawing back might have seemed like a missed opportunity, but it was all a part of his plan.