The Sunspire snake eater

Germanicus corrected him. Veteran was always being corrected. Ensio never got corrected. 

"I don't have an opponent," Veteran said, brow wrinkling. "Is that why I'm not making progress?"

Germanicus agreed with Veteran's mother, which deepened the boy's brow-wrinkle. Who would have thought his mom could teach him anything about fighting? 

Germanicus offered to teach him. "Wh- like right now?" Veteran stopped in his tracks. 

"Whenever my sister hurt me," Veteran began, recalling the fight that earned him his prominent facial scar, "She attacked first, and I was never able to recover. It was like I was a step behind from the beginning." He had analyzed that fight from every angle. "I don't want that to happen again." Could Germanicus help him?