"An' don't accidentally stick it in yourself while you're at it," he added in response to her teasing, his grin turning wry before he launched into his lesson. The first 'quiz' had a number of answers, and given Soh's relative inexperience in fights Tal had expected her to go high - either for the large target of his chest or the smaller but closer targets of his hands. Head and legs were possibilities too, but he'd guessed they were lower down the list.
When she went for his thigh Tal was surprised enough - and overconfident enough - that he was caught the next-best-thing to flat-footed and he shifted back a fraction of a second too late. It wasn't a clean strike; he was fast enough to dodge the plunge, but the butter knife ran down the outside of his trouser leg, leaving a long black score mark behind. "Hey! Not bad!" He was pleased in spite of - or because of - her success. "That's one good answer! Can y'come up with another?" His grin was challenging as he bounced back in front of her, weight up on the balls of his feet as he extended his own blade teasingly towards hers.
When she went for his thigh Tal was surprised enough - and overconfident enough - that he was caught the next-best-thing to flat-footed and he shifted back a fraction of a second too late. It wasn't a clean strike; he was fast enough to dodge the plunge, but the butter knife ran down the outside of his trouser leg, leaving a long black score mark behind. "Hey! Not bad!" He was pleased in spite of - or because of - her success. "That's one good answer! Can y'come up with another?" His grin was challenging as he bounced back in front of her, weight up on the balls of his feet as he extended his own blade teasingly towards hers.
