You both prepared yourself, removing your coats and belts, putting on your plastrons, gloves, and masks before each taking a foil out of the weapon racks. When you took your places, facing each other, the salle-d’armes turned quiet, the students interrupting their training again. This time Cocardasse did not reprimand them. There was always something to learn by watching Nevers fight. Passepoil stood between you, ready to signal the start of the bout. “En garde!” You positioned your feet, knees bent, pointing your foil at your opponent whose face you could not see behind the leather mask. You suspected Nevers’s smile was still firmly in place, however. “Allez!” Passepoil shouted while stepping back. The word made your blood rush and you lunged at Nevers, fully intent on making this a challenge for him.
