[color=0054a6]"Hh!"[/color] Leith's eyes widened and ve drew ver hands close into ver chest when Gwynn vanished. That wasn't-- that couldn't-- How had that happened? [i]Why[/i] had that happened? Ve wracked ver brain for some record of things like this. [i]It has to be the dragons,[/i] Leith concluded, and took a breath to calm venself. If it was the dragons, then it was intentional, which meant that Gwyn was probably okay--after all, it would be counterproductive to get rid of everyone when they passed the test. 

And it was time for the next test. Leith watched intently as the man, who introduced himself as Trevor, made his way to the table, then made his challenge. [color=0054a6]"Careful,"[/color] ve whispered quietly as the two of them picked up weapons and the elf, Cova, slung an insult in Trevor's direction. [color=0054a6]"Sharp."[/color] Though that was probably a stupid observation--wasn't that the point of weapons, to be sharp? 

[i]Very[/i] sharp. Sharp enough to take a life. Leith's eyes widened in horror and ver stomach rose into ver throat as the pair fought, and Trevor brought his spear down on the elf's throat, killing her and sending blood all over the ground. Ve stepped back, horrified, eyes fixed on the slick patch spreading out from the elf's still body, dark and wet and filling the air with a sharp metalling tang. 

The certainty that ve was going to die here settled even more firmly around Leith--of the two tests, both had involved [i]some[/i] sort of fighting, be it single combat or a sneaking monk, and being raised as a scholar did absolutely nothing to help Leith handle those sorts of situations. What good would written words do against something as physical and threatening as a blade?