“Watch,” he said.
He felt their eyes on him as he squared up to the younger man, raised his blade to guard, and spoke while he moved.
“See the weight. See the eyes. He is telling ye what is coming.”
He swerved right with a small shoulder turn, then cut left and stopped his edge a thumb from the boy’s ribs.
“Ye bit,” he said. “Why?”
The boy swallowed. “Ye showed me. I thought?—”
“Daenae think with hope,” Alex cut him off. “Think withproof.”
He gave the blade back, stepped out, and looked at the half circle.
“Put yerselves in pairs. We are doing this again.”
The men nodded and began to train again.
The yard took on a rhythm Alex knew all too well. Yet, it did very little to keep his rhythm steady. He would not show it, though.
“Again,” he called. “Shorten the arc. Ye are wasting travel.”
A clumsy clash in the rear rank drew his attention, and he crossed to it in three strides. The guards watched him with part fear and part anticipation as he caught a wrist and pressed it down until the blade pointed safely.
“Ye are fighting the sword,” he said. “Fight theman.Hisshoulders.Hiships. If his feet lie, his cut will fail.”
“Aye, me Laird.”
“Reset.”
He walked back through the center, counting heartbeats, counting breaths that were not his.
Calum lingered near the rope coil at the edge, arms folded.
“Perhaps a few hours of rest are in order, me Laird,” he said, voice low.
Alex did not look over. “A man shoved a note into Erica’s hand the other day,” he said. “I willnae take chances. The men can rest when I am done with them.”
“The rest isnae for them.”
Alex shot him a look, sweat running down his forehead. “I am nae tired.”
Calum nodded once and moved off to correct a guard’s stance at the rear.
At that moment, one of the men in the middle lost his focus and let his gaze slide past Alex’s shoulder. The blade that should have met his training partner’s cut went late and soft.
“Eyes forward,” Alex snapped.
The guard froze for half a second before recovering. “Me apologies, me Laird. ‘Tis just… the lady.”
Alex narrowed his eye. “What?”
The guard pointed behind him, and Alex turned despite himself.
Erica stood at the far edge of the path where the garden sloped toward the yard, with Leah at her side. Her hand had already caught the maid’s sleeve, a small grip that spoke of retreat before the step began.
Her gaze met his, and for a brief second, everything around them seemed to fall away. Then she broke it and turned the corner.
