“Five breaths only,” Seyun called toward the mounting block before Mina could veto the pass. “If we hit a multi-surface jam at the third socket, I need to know today whether two channels can bridge all three contacts without a reset pause.”
Mina’s jaw tightened, her fingers closing around her leather needle roll. “Five breaths,” she said flatly. “If your left elbow drops by a fingerbreadth, Daro stops the ring.”
Seyun stepped back to the red chalk triangles in the center of the ring for the unbroken five-breath combined test. Then, he could feel the damp wool of his shirt sticking to his shoulder blades in the freezing air. Ten paces away on the western mounting block, Mina didn’t sit down. She stood with her leather needle bag already unbuckled in her left hand and her eyes locked on the lateral curve of his left ribs.
“Keep your chin untucked on the right-to-left shift, Seyun!” Ilyra warned as she, Kes. Bel stepped two paces closer to tighten the triangle around him. “When we come in without the three reset breaths, the cord and the staff will hit while my spear wake is still on your upper shaft.”
“Ready,” Seyun said, settling his rear boot into the two-finger widened stance.
