Allen followed the faint line of Hajin's patch while Elise flexed her newly steadied hand beneath the arena's light.
Its edge shifted whenever her circulation changed, carrying the same temporary support he remembered from tales of an archmage's apprentices. He marked where the brace began yielding, pleased that its maker promised an interval instead of some grand lasting reconstruction.
'That kind of sensitivity deserves an apprenticeship, and any sensible family would pay a fortune to keep him.'
His fingers rested above the lever as Sable stopped at the approach and lowered her sword.
'Yet he walked in with a royal letter and no named household, and that letter answers none of my questions.'
---
Hajin strolled toward Sable while her sword stayed pointed at the floor, leaving her the whole space beside the approach.
She watched the crystal spin through several turns without striking, and he stopped a careful pace outside her guard.
