Belrigger assumed the course of events would revolve around speed. That had been Ashtons greatest advantage and perhaps his most damaging weakness against an opponent with more experience, something you simply could not teach no matter how good a student. The tactics weren't entirely obvious but the Master was a veteran of thousands of battles, wielded a hundred kinds of weapons, and bested nearly every enemy he had ever encountered.
When Ashton stepped forward, the game was on in earnest.

Lunging to his left as Ashton twitched, the very moment before he flash stepped, Belrigger stretched his arm out wide to the left and felt the satisfying thud of the prodigal child slamming himself into the appendage. Flash step was useful to get a surprise but while stepping you were vulnerable, your body could never react to the sheer force of movement and that meant few opponents could strike effectively against it. 
You had to know where they would be, if you hoped to avoid or counter the lightning quick move.

The blow was weak, more Asthons momentum dealing damage than Belriggers arm, but it had cancelled any followup they had as Belrigger brought the golden sword down in a whistling arc that would cut the lad clean in half. They could dodge it, back away, and try again, but it would be a gamble for both of them. 
Bel had been lucky the boy went left. Had he gone right, they would have had a clean hit on his unprotected flank.