The guard's stagger comes nearer to dislodging Lexa than it usually would, unbalanced up on her toes until he's half-crumpled toward the floor. She tugs the chain tighter, links clattering and scraping against each other as she twists them around his throat and looks at Jamie expectantly, her face beginning to go red, though less quickly and severely than the guard's.

When Jamie comes up with the barrel-lid she tries to lean back while still bracing the guard still, which requires a bit of contortion, locking her leg around the knee she's injured to pin him, and ducking her head against the back of his shoulder to avoid being clipped by the blow.