He seemed at ease, like whatever disquiet warring within him had been spent in combat— And then he saw me. He went still, mouth half-open. There was blood on his bottom lip. Some near his left brow as well. The charcoal around his eyes was smeared, staining his sweat black. I’d never seen a knight so filthy—so physically degraded by his craft. He looked entirely ignoble. I couldn’t look away.
