The boy returned to his position, facing off against Oliver, preparing to begin the second round of sparring. Kolan intervened once more.
"This is better for him than you," he said to Oliver. "More experience. You are better spent working on your thrust. Do you like sparring?"
The quiet man had a jarring way of speaking at times, completely eliminating any connection from one statement to the next.
"If you advise that I work on my thrust, then I shall follow your wisdom, Professor," Oliver said.
The man grunted, and gave a sharp nod. "You, new partner," he tapped the other boy on the shoulder, and pointed to a student that hadn't yet found anyone to spar with him. "You, over there, space is free," he said, pointing at Oliver.
