Yesterday's aimless wandering had led Renato to notice some clear irregularities.
There were noticeably fewer soldiers of the Nightwind Family throughout the West Wall district. The Drow warriors once stationed at the street-corner strongholds had been transferred somewhere unknown.
Renato had not been in the city long and knew little about the Nightwind Family Army's routine troop deployments, so he could not tell whether this was a normal rotation or whether Quelyn was planning something.
But with the Holy Day Celebration approaching, what could the Nightwind Matron be planning that required her to muster soldiers?
And where had those troops been sent...
The shore of Lake Tonnigat was deserted.
In a deliberately chosen spot where outsiders would not disturb them, two swordsmen sparred amid the ringing clash of metal.
"Focus, Renato."
A bright silver blade slashed toward him from a treacherous angle, so cunning that an ordinary swordsman might not even have had time to react.
Renato instinctively turned his wrist, deflecting the blow while rotating the Black Blade to block any follow-up attack.
Tiny sparks flared between the scraping blades, then vanished in the gloom.
Still, the dull sensation in his shoulder where the spine of the sword struck told Renato that his response had not been precise enough.
Still a little short.
Aknath withdrew his sword and stepped back instead of pressing the attack. He looked at Renato with a questioning gaze.
Renato patted the shoulder that had been struck, indicating that he was fine and they could start again.
After spending so much time sparring with Aknath, a Legendary Warrior, Renato seemed to be getting a feel for it.
Don't think.
It sounded counterintuitive. Facing a master swordsman was like playing chess against a national champion. How could he not think?
Yet that was how it worked.