The Silver badge did not help me reach the third marker.
I reached it anyway, one step outside the allowed time, and listened to the assessor scratch a number onto his board.
"Again?" I asked.
"After the rest interval."
"I wasn't asking to skip it."
He looked at me until I sat down.
The evening assessment used the smaller hall. Three lanes divided the floor. A student carrying weighted rods worked in the first. The second held a row of shielded lamps. Mine had six markers, a padded barrier and enough space to demonstrate that walking could become humiliating under the right conditions.
Veylan had approved the restricted set. No active technique. No blade work. My task was to read the examiner's cue, move clear and finish balanced within the marked area.
The first round had gone well. I watched the shoulder before the signal rod moved and avoided committing to the wrong side. On the next sequence, I noticed that the assessor shifted his rear foot before changing the angle.
