Regarding threats and martial readiness, whilst it's true that there are people who could be planning to attack us without warning, the fact is that they currently have no opportunity to do so.
Currently, our scheduled has us bouncing between the Colleges, Laurelorn, and Karak Eight Peaks by air. There is no opportunity for people to ambush us unless they have infiltrated some of the most secure locations on the continent—and even if they do get a shot at us, we can just run away on a shadowhorse.
You can not assassinate a target if you don't know where they are, and that's our best defence right now. If we decide to pick a fight with someone by ourselves, such as the chaos orcs, or the beastlord who controls the Blood Fane, then yeah, lets make martial a priority. But right now we are in an incredibly safe position simply because no one can catch us.
I'm not arguing that we neglect it—we should certainly finish our sword style soon. But it doesn't have to be done immediately because there are no immediate threats against us.
Seriously, work it out: how is a chaos cult or an Eshin assassin going to attack us? If you were a Tzeentchian sorcerer, and your Unholy Master had commanded you to eliminate this one specific wizard, how would you do it? When and where would you do it? How would you get close enough to learn her schedule, and place yourself in her path?
In essence, what is your plan to kill Mathilde Weber?
And the answer is that there isn't one, because she's too well defended. You can't put agents into any of the locations she visits, and even if you do, they'd have to be on standby waiting for an opportunity to present itself, and they'd have to improvise from there depending on the circumstances.
And in fact, that fifth aspect is double tap. Double, as in two, as in two daughters. Concidence? Perhaps. But recall that the name Branulhune originated in one of Ranald's strictures, and suddenly the connection doesn't feel that far-fetched. Look a little deeper: guard-bypass is likely a connection to the protector, as that is what a guard is. Hand-switching is a very obvious reference to Two-Gifts Day. What about momentum dump and quickdraw? Does Branulhune go into a liminal space when it disappears, and is that space the Hedge? How does The Great Maw fit in all of this? In this essay I will
Quickdraw is the Deceiver—surprise I have a knife (it's actually a greatsword). Momentum Dump is the Night Prowler, because those who prowl the night need to be able to slip into and out of crowds and buildings without drawing attention.
