Liora didn't rush.
She crossed the first pace slowly enough to make me wonder whether she wanted me to retreat before she committed. Her point stayed low. My guard wanted to follow it.
I kept my eyes higher, watching the shoulder and forward foot together.
The first cut came across my left side.
I met it briefly and turned away from the weight instead of holding it. The covered blades struck with a hard wooden sound. She let the contact end without chasing me.
One exchange. No Aether spent.
My hand already knew the difference between a practice placement and a person trying to win.
The contact had ended, but my fingers still wanted to squeeze harder. I eased them before she approached again. Liora hadn't needed to force that first meeting into anything. She had learned how I let the blades separate and kept enough balance to choose the next one.
