It pleased her to see how quickly Kailen adapted to the situation, rushing forward to harrass her and protect his new comrade. He was always the most militant of them, reminding her in some ways of Val'taros, of the guardian's finer qualities. As always, Nory was with him at her side, working in harmony with her comrades. She reminded her of herself... Even if she wasn't a duelist on par with Kailen, she was quick to join in the fight.<br/><br/>Jekin moved to her side, forcing her to divide her attention. She didn't expect him to strike first- the woman effortlessly parried the feint, only too late recognizing it was meant to deceive her. The way he moved, the way he was thinking...<br/><br/>She knew it to be the swift and unpredictable movements of the Ataru form. Having him at her back would be a problem... She pivoted to the side, looking left and right, alternating between Jekin and her padawans.<br/><br/>The woman took a few steps back, already finding herself running out of room- her heel hit the bed and she quickly hopped up onto it. Merryn crouched low, reassessing the situation. If she raised her sword over her head, she was likely to leave a rather glaring cut in the ceiling.<br/><br/>Still.. Jekin had isolated himself from the other two. Advance to the right and she would have Kailen and Nory behind her. Advance left and she'd have to worry about Jekin... "Hmph." She said, looking at him for a moment, "That's a very cunning ploy."<br/><br/>She lunged towards him, saber flashing in a blinding assault and leaving her quite vulnerable to the two behind her. Only by being so intimately aware of her padawans could she afford to lower her guard so deliberately. She trusted them enough to know when to hold their blades. Her blade locked with his, hissing and cracking as she spoke, "The goal is to protect you. If I can land a mortal blow even at the cost of risking one myself, it's still my victory, is it not?"<br/><br/>The Knight broke their lock and continued her onslaught, abandoning all pretense of defending herself from Kailen and Nory behind her.