The training with Deimos really was paying off. His dodging might have needed more work, but his attacks were steadier and more precise and - most telling - when he did score with his first jab the only indication of satisfaction on his face was a faint narrowing of his eyes behind his goggles. The second attack didn't hit home, but he hadn't expected it to; the jabs were meant to distract and disorient rather than damage even if he had been thrusting with intent to harm and in the end it was, perhaps, an overestimation of Sah's skills that saw the third strike grazing in to nick flesh rather than cloth.
Tal's retreat was as much in startlement as defense and he was off balance when Sah attacked again. The sword struck close enough to knock one of the courier's hands off the weapon shaft in a stinging disarm, but he was already shifting his feet in a sidestep as Deimos had drilled into him over. And over. And over. And as he moved he spun the glaive one-handed until he could get his double grip on it again and swing it like a staff (or a bat) towards Sah's shoulder, careful to use the flat of the blade rather than the edge. "My bad!" he sang back, all genuine mortification at having actually drawn blood shaken loose by the stinging return the hunter had managed. "I thought you were gonna dodge!"
Tal's retreat was as much in startlement as defense and he was off balance when Sah attacked again. The sword struck close enough to knock one of the courier's hands off the weapon shaft in a stinging disarm, but he was already shifting his feet in a sidestep as Deimos had drilled into him over. And over. And over. And as he moved he spun the glaive one-handed until he could get his double grip on it again and swing it like a staff (or a bat) towards Sah's shoulder, careful to use the flat of the blade rather than the edge. "My bad!" he sang back, all genuine mortification at having actually drawn blood shaken loose by the stinging return the hunter had managed. "I thought you were gonna dodge!"
