The third contact quieted more than the second combat lane.
Across the hall, students who had been following the duel between their own preparations stopped pretending otherwise. A practice sword lowered near the central markings. Someone at the spear lanes lost an instructor's question halfway through.
"He feinted the block."
The voice came from somewhere behind Varen.
"No, he changed halfway through."
"He couldn't have. His weight was already set."
Most of them had enough experience to recognize a feint, which only made what they had seen harder to place. Lucavion's foot, shoulder and mana had all supported the intercept. By every ordinary measure, he had committed.
Varen's brow tightened. "He made her guard the wrong side."
"She chose that side," Rowen said.
"Because he put a sword there."
"He didn't."
Varen looked at him. "We all saw it."
Rowen did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the black-ashen traces fading from the lane.
"That is the problem."
