Re the initial thought that it's Rodrigo (which I'm sure most readers would have thought): I see this as a mild foreshadowing of Ammar and Rodrigo's duel at the end of the book - a hint, maybe, of who emerges alive. (I won't say "victorious" because it wasn't.)

Further to the end: I think Kay wrote that incredibly well. I loved how he gave a perspective of the duel from one of the men fighting it, but didn't tell us whose perspective it was. That makes sense because the two men are almost the same soul in two bodies. It was a lovely reminder of that.