Vi spun gracefully, the motion sending a loose silver strand brushing across her cheek. With casual deliberation, she tucked it behind her ear, masking the move with a practiced air of innocence. Her voice carried a feigned curiosity, as though she were trying to shift attention away from herself. "What did you find?"
Kaelor's gaze lingered on her a fraction longer than necessary, steady and unreadable. "I could hear what you were saying from over there," he replied, his tone calm yet carrying the faintest trace of amusement.
His eyes flicked briefly toward the gathering of soldiers in the distance, their armor catching the sunlight in dull flashes, before returning to rest firmly on hers.
Vi crossed her arms, adopting a smug expression that tilted her chin upward. "I defeated two of your Guardsmen," she said, the boast rolling easily off her tongue.
