Crimson Paladin

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred looked down at the decapitated head that had moments before had been lunging at him. If he learned anything here, it was not to take advice from Sir Elias. Not that he'd expect to ever run into Reinhardt again, rest his soul, but clearly no more of this talk about crippling an opponent's limbs to send them into a panic. Maybe it worked for a great hero like Sigurd, but from now on, Ethelred was going to stick to what he was good at- freezing things until they couldn't move, and stabbing them in the vitals until they ceased struggling.

At least Elnith had been here to get him out of this particular mess. He was grateful for both her help and being lent her magic sword, although he harbored doubts that he was capable of using it to his full potential.

He didn't have time to worry about it, however, because the most immediate concern was the two wyverns left. One had just finished making quick work of a group of Harzel soldiers. The other was in the process of attacking Grainne and the remaining ballista. It was a bit of a dilemma- if he attacked the closer one on the ground, he might be able to obtain one victory, one worthwhile kill under his belt in this disaster of a mission. He had already failed to land a fatal blow on the arcane archer, the cyclops, and both wyverns that he had previously faced, and there was no prestige or glory to be had in killing the few pitiful bandits and lesser Fomorians along the way. And now, that abrasive little brat that called him "icicle" and "frosty" and confidently told him that she could best him in a fight was up there and in need of help. She deserved to be left to her own devices, after all, if she fought half as good as she talked, she'd surely be fine. Furthermore, the destruction of the ballista and the deaths of the soldiers manning it would make it easier for him and Elnith to make their escape if the surviving Harzel forces' displeasure at her escape eclipsed their gratitude for the help fighting the wyverns.

But like Elnith had said, Ethelred was too kind. His body may be cold and icy, but his heart was the one thing that wasn't frozen. A gust of icy fog emanated from his helmet as he cursed under his breath at what he was about to do.

I am going to hate myself for this...

With his lance in his main hand and Elnith's sword held in his shield-hand, he rushed up the nearest staircase and made his way to the ballista. He looked down at the second wyvern- there was still the opportunity to forget about that nasty, foul-mouthed squire and instead plunge his lance into the monster's skull from above.

Ethelred looked away, trying his best to banish those thoughts as he approached the wyvern. As much as he wanted to chill the stone masonry beneath his feet, he felt that with what he was about to do, it might be better not to. To avoid its tail, and get a better angle, he climbed atop the battlements and took a flying leap at the wyvern, intent on embedding his lance into the beast's back while it focused on dealing with Grainne. Assuming it landed, he'd cling to the wyvern's back and invoke his powers to freeze the lance to the wound, and freeze his armor to the wyvern's flesh. This one would not be allowed get away.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri watched as Morianne cast a spell of charming on the bandit. Any resistance the prisoner had seemed to disappear as he explained the fortification that lay ahead. Fleuri was impressed at this feat of magic, but found himself a little unsettled at the notion of playing with someone's mind. Would he be able to resist the effects of magics, if they were cast upon him? A few years ago he would probably would've been easy to put under such a spell. In the present day, by contrast, he hoped that his rediscovered piety would serve him well enough.

Fleuri wouldn't be standing around to think about it- Tyaethe ordered Fleuri, among other knights, to dispose of the corpses. As he began to look around for a body to move, however, Morianne asked the knights for help moving the now-unconscious prisoner.

"I'll help you out, Dame Morianne," Fleuri answered as he picked up the bandit and threw him over his shoulder. He'd much rather handle the living than the dead, and Tyaethe had already gathered plenty of corpse-movers from among the Iron Roses.

"Speaking of him, that was a rather impressive trick, getting him to talk like that," he complimented her.

Morianne was an oddity among the knights. She was a wood elf and troubadour, neither of which were particularly common in the order. She wasn't known for having a particularly pleasant personality, as evidenced by her subduing of the bandit as soon as she had gotten what she needed out of him. Still, Fleuri never made a point of antagonizing her- as an ageless elf and a bard, it was quite likely that if she didn't die in battle, she may very well live to write songs, romances, and poems of the Iron Roses, and to become her enemy would be to risk being portrayed in a less-than flattering light to future generations.

As Fleuri carried the unconscious prisoner to their rear rank to be bound, he noticed the corpses being piled up. As the pile was built up, Fleuri thought back on his past. During the War of the Red Flag, he and his mentor visited the aftermath of a few battles. During this time, the duo witnessed firsthand what could happen when the dead of a battle were left unattended. He learned the importance of cleaning up the fallen, even those not judged worthy of a proper burial. There were many reasons to do so- to prevent the spread of disease, to give the most basic dignity to their enemies, to keep potentially dangerous scavengers from amassing in the area- but the most important one was to ensure they didn't get back up as undead. The Iron Roses were more than capable of handling a few shambling corpses if the need arose, but was much better to prevent the raising of the dead than to undo it after the fact.

@Psychic Loser

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

As the wyvern lunched towards him, the Frozen Knight dodged to the wyvern's blinded side. This foe might not be as strong as that large black wyvern, but it'd still require some strategy. It had already proven quite dangerous and quite resilient, and there were still two more of these beast to worry about.

Ethelred recalled the words of Elias back when they were traveling.

Sigurd the Dragonslayer; my great, great, great, great Grandfather– discovered and employed a great many methods on his hunts. He’d use anything from siege weapons, to traps, even poison… But what he found to be the most effective strategy; particularly on wyverns, was breaking their wings.

A Dragon suddenly deprived of something it’s instinctually used its entire life; no matter how wise, or cruel, or crafty it may be…quickly loses sight of this, and becomes little more than just another beast to be slain.

There was no time like the present to put this to the test, and what better way to pay respects to Elias than by trusting in his ancestor's wisdom? The next moment the wyvern's wings would beat downward, he'd aim his lance and thrust it squarely at its elbow. Ethelred was placing considerable trust in Elias' words by performing this attack, but it was the least he could do to honor his fallen companion.

"Elnith!" Ethelred shouted. "Go find your armor! I'll keep this one occupied!" Seeing the black veins appear on her, and hearing her ask him to stop her were both grim reminder that Elnith's curse was much more dire than his own. Ethelred's curse merely affected his physical form, but Elnith's curse assailed her mind. In her weakened condition, she might struggle to hold back whatever dark impulses her malediction brought down upon her, and Ethelred didn't want to risk Elnith's sanity in the fight.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

With the skirmish concluded and all of the bandits captured or killed, Fleuri turned to the corpses to carry out the captain's orders to "ease the suffering of the dying." In other words, they needed to deliver a coup de grace to any bandits too wounded to save. Fleuri looked about at the others. Some knights were going about it differently than others. Sir Gerard Segremors, a former mercenary from the same band as Lucas, was simply stabbing every corpse to make sure it was dead, and Lucas was following his lead. It was a rather crude method, but also quite thorough. Perhaps stabbing at every fallen bandit without looking closely at the faces of the fallen made the grim task easier to bear, the knight speculated.

Fleuri surveyed the bodies of the bandits that he had felled in the battle. Neither of them stood any risk of getting back up- one was decapitated, the other had been stabbed in the heart. Fleuri hadn't killed many people, but he understood the importance of ensuring that a killing blow did its job the first time. Compared to the undead that he had fought as a squire, living humans were downright fragile, even. This went both ways- he too was a mere mortal man, and could die just as quickly as these bandits.

This wasn't the first time he had gazed upon the aftermath of a battle. Long ago, he and his mentor had visited the immediate aftermath of some battles and skirmishes of the the War of the Red Flag. Compared to that, this particular scene was a far less grisly sight since the dead hadn't had any time to decay or be picked apart by scavengers. Still, it'd be wise for this mess to be cleaned up after this mission was over and the captives were rescued. This road needed to be safe, and unattended corpses could not only attract beasts, but also potentially accustom them to consuming human flesh.

With the bodies in his part of the woods taken care of, Fleuri opted to check on the other knights. Several of them were already questioning wounded bandits. Fleuri made his way to where Sir Gerard Segremors was currently questioning one of the brigands. Comapred to some of the others, he appeared to be taking a more heavy-handed approach to interrogation. Fleuri said nothing, simply silently watching. Interrogation was not a skill that he had learned in his career, so it might be worth observing what sort of questioning skills that the young mercenary-turned-knight could demonstrate. Given the great difference in their backgrounds, he suspected that there were quite a few things that he could learn from former mercenaries like Gerard.

@HereComesTheSnow

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred watched in horror as the Harzel knight was attacked and thrown against a wall. His ally did not get up. The Frozen Knight tightened his grip on his lance, intent on making that wyvern pay. It was no doubt greatly fortuitous that this crisis gave him an opportunity to free Elnith, but he couldn't feel good about watching this knight die as a result.

In the short time I knew you, you seemed to be a reasonable and noble person. You will be avenged. Ethelred briefly wondered if the knight had been pained at seeing Elnith freed, or hurt at the realization that the Frozen Knight had betrayed his trust to break Harzelslack's prisoner out.

From the look of it, there were three wyverns, one at their level and two others targeting the ballistae. Pretty clever of them to attack the siege engines, more clever than he'd expect from a wyvern. The elf had already engaged them, striking one of them in the head, but the winged beast managed to send the warrior flying out of the castle. The elf was probably fine, given what Ethelred had seen of his acrobatic abilities, but it did mean that their ally was out of the fight. At least he managed to reunite Elnith with her sword on his way out.

"I'm afraid I cannot, a consequence of my own curse," Ethelred replied to Elnith. "But that just means more for you, I suppose." Ethelred saw it in her eye- the pitiable prisoner was gone, and in her place, the berserker knight was back. Seeing her reinvigorated lifted the Frozen Knight's spirits and filled him with confidence. Finally, something had gone right in this mess of a quest.

Ethelred charged at the wyvern, aiming his lance at the eye that the Harzelslack knight had stabbed. Assuming it struck true, Ethelred would then freeze it to the beast's flesh to prevent it from freeing itself. If the wyvern wasn't able to pull away from Ethelred's lance in time, the freezing would reach its brain and kill it, but the Frozen Knight didn't intend on waiting that long. Using his lance as a lever, he would attempt to yank the winged fiend's head to the side, exposing its neck to Elnith and giving her a clear shot with her sword.

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Amnesiac

Photo

Armored appearance

Name: Novak
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance: Novak appears to be a young blue-eyed man of unclear origin. The clothing he was found with suggests a martial background, but he had no scars or identifying marks. After a year of traveling with Mie and training with her warriors, however, he now bears his share of scars beneath his clothing.
Bio:
Novak is an amnesiac; he knows nothing about his past, or how he found himself waking up waking up in a small roadside ruin, devoid of memory but fortunately also devoid of injuries. All he could remember was his name- Novak. At least he thinks that's what it was.

Unsure of where to go or what to do, he was quite fortunate that a traveling trading caravan was passing by and willing to take him with them. Initially, without any evident skills aside from being reasonably able-bodied, he served as a porter and worker, moving cargo and setting up tents. However, Lady Mie saw potential in him and had her guards train him in swordsmanship. Novak proved to be a reasonably quick learner, although not unnaturally so, and over time became skilled enough with a sword to take a position as one of Mie's caravan guards. During his time with the caravan, he hoped that he'd run into someone that'd know who he was or recognize him, but he never found any results. He never became involved in the politics of her homeland- not that he ever really had much of a chance- and for the most part was content to serve the caravan without any concern for his boss's political entanglements in Chagawa.

Approximately a year after joining Mie, the caravan was attacked by the Krysa and Yaga and besieged at the end of a valley. When Haruno and her small entourage attempted to break out, Novak stayed behind, continuing to guard the caravan with his life along Mie's remaining warriors. Now trapped and cut off, he awaits either relief or death to come for them.

Goals:
Perhaps due to his own lack of memories, Novak is a curious person who desires to learn. There are many mysteries out there that it seems nobody can answer, and while such the acquisition of such hidden knowledge may lead to obtaining wealth, the allure of learning the answers to such mysteries appeals greatly to Novak. Currently, he has a particular interest in finding out exactly why the Yaga and Krysa have attacked them and killed several of his friends.

Skills:
[Adaptability]

_{Humans, while they bear no special natural born talents, their limit for growth and power is near infinite should they choose to cultivate said power. They, in their finite lives will find it easier to learn new skills and adapt to new situations if they put their mind to it.}

[Swordsman]

_{Over the last year, Novak has been trained in the ways of the sword by Lady Mie's Oni guards. He's still a long way away from being a master swordsman, but he's become a decent enough swordfighter in that time, one that is quite used to sparring with foes much stronger than himself.}

[Trader]

_{Traveling with Lady Mie has allowed Novak the opportunity to pick up on mercantile skills such as appraising the quality of goods, talking up the quality of one's merchandise, and haggling for a better price. He also has some rudimentary understanding of the effects of supply and demand on prices, and which regions along Mie's trade route will pay more for which goods.}

Inventory:

• A set of Chagawa [url=http://]clothing and armor[/url]. Worn when on duty as a guard for Lady Mie.
• An uchigatana and wakizashi. Both are better quality than most of Mie's merchandise.
• The set of clothing he awoke with. Holds sentimental value, and is worn when off-duty.
• An arming sword found in the ruin he awoke in. Not particularly high-quality or valuable, but it holds sentimental value and is only wielded as a last resort- Novak doesn't want to break it.

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Here's my CS submission:

Novak

Photo

Armored appearance

Name: Novak
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance: Novak appears to be a young blue-eyed man of unclear origin. The clothing he was found with suggests a martial background, but he had no scars or identifying marks. After a year of traveling with Mie and training with her warriors, however, he now bears his share of scars beneath his clothing.
Bio:
Novak is an amnesiac; he knows nothing about his past, or how he found himself waking up waking up in a small roadside ruin, devoid of memory but fortunately also devoid of injuries. All he could remember was his name- Novak. At least he thinks that's what it was.

Unsure of where to go or what to do, he was quite fortunate that a traveling trading caravan was passing by and willing to take him with them. Initially, without any evident skills aside from being reasonably able-bodied, he served as a porter and worker, moving cargo and setting up tents. However, Lady Mie saw potential in him and had her guards train him in swordsmanship. Novak proved to be a reasonably quick learner, although not unnaturally so, and over time became skilled enough with a sword to take a position as one of Mie's caravan guards. During his time with the caravan, he hoped that he'd run into someone that'd know who he was or recognize him, but he never found any results. He never became involved in the politics of her homeland- not that he ever really had much of a chance- and for the most part was content to serve the caravan without any concern for his boss's political entanglements in Chagawa.

Approximately a year after joining Mie, the caravan was attacked by the Krysa and Yaga and besieged at the end of a valley. When Haruno and her small entourage attempted to break out, Novak stayed behind, continuing to guard the caravan with his life along Mie's remaining warriors. Now trapped and cut off, he awaits either relief or death to come for them.

Goals:
Perhaps due to his own lack of memories, Novak is a curious person who desires to learn. There are many mysteries out there that it seems nobody can answer, and while such the acquisition of such hidden knowledge may lead to obtaining wealth, the allure of learning the answers to such mysteries appeals greatly to Novak. Currently, he has a particular interest in finding out exactly why the Yaga and Krysa have attacked them and killed several of his friends.

Skills:
[Adaptability]

_{Humans, while they bear no special natural born talents, their limit for growth and power is near infinite should they choose to cultivate said power. They, in their finite lives will find it easier to learn new skills and adapt to new situations if they put their mind to it.}

[Swordsman]

_{Over the last year, Novak has been trained in the ways of the sword by Lady Mie's Oni guards. He's still a long way away from being a master swordsman, but he's become a decent enough swordfighter in that time, one that is quite used to sparring with foes much stronger than himself.}

[Trader]

_{Traveling with Lady Mie has allowed Novak the opportunity to pick up on mercantile skills such as appraising the quality of goods, talking up the quality of one's merchandise, and haggling for a better price. He also has some rudimentary understanding of the effects of supply and demand on prices, and which regions along Mie's trade route will pay more for which goods.}

Inventory:

• A set of Chagawa [url=http://]clothing and armor[/url]. Worn when on duty as a guard for Lady Mie.
• An uchigatana and wakizashi. Both are better quality than most of Mie's merchandise.
• The set of clothing he awoke with. Holds sentimental value, and is worn when off-duty.
• An arming sword found in the ruin he awoke in. Not particularly high-quality or valuable, but it holds sentimental value and is only wielded as a last resort- Novak doesn't want to break it.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

The overturned cart was indeed a trap. As soon as the captain got close, several ambushers leapt down from a tree, and others emerged from their hiding spots all around the knights. They were either overconfident or stupid, Fleuri surmised. They had the advantage of concealment yet chose to emerge and fight up close. Such a shock tactic might work well on unsuspecting travelers or unprepared soldiers, but the Iron Roses would not be so easily shaken. Against a strong, resolute, and prepared opponent, such a tactic would just make them easier to kill.

Fleuri readied his weapon, taking a moment to gauge his opponents that were closing in on his position. He wanted to take the brief moment before they closed the distance to gauge their armor, weapons, and anything else of note so that he'd be able to better combat them. Unfortunately, Sir Lucas had other ideas than waiting for the bandits to come to them, and dashed towards them.

"Lucas, wait, no!" Fleuri shouted, exasperated at the junior knight's reckless zeal. Such aggression devoid of any iota of forethought was something he was familiar with, and even guilty of back when he was a squire. All the more reason that he needed to do what his mentor once did for him, all those years ago- get in there and help.

Fleuri attempted to run after Lucas, but a burly man with a battleaxe stood before him, blocking the way. The junior knight had, in his impulsiveness, brushed a foe aside without incapacitating him, and was already at risk of getting surrounded, so it looked like Fleuri would have to deal with the axeman. Fleuri came to a halt and stepped back just as the bandit swung his axe, narrowly missing the knight. Before he could ready another swing, the knight thrust his greatsword, skewering the bandit right through the heart.

I do not have time for this, he thought to himself as he drove the sword deeper into the man's chest. Once the man crumpled to the ground, Fleuri pulled his sword out and resumed his pursuit of the younger knight, who had gotten himself into trouble. Lucas had lost his balance and fallen to the ground, and a bandit was standing over him, readying a blow.

"For Reon! For the Roses!" Fleuri shouted as he charged. The bandit had just enough time to look in Fleuri's direction before being cleanly beheaded by the knight's greatsword. The man's head went flying through the air, and the body fell down, lifeless. Lucas appeared to be unharmed, and hopefully wiser for the experience.

"I trust you'll be more careful in the future, Sir Lucas," Fleuri remarked as he glanced around looking for any other bandits that might be nearby. "Are you wounded?"

@Saiyan

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri heard the captain's orders to split and encircle. This told Fleuri two things- first, Fanilly believed they were close to the bandits, second, she had received some instruction in battlefield tactics. Still, they've have to wait and see how well she could command in the heat of battle. During the war, Fleuri had once been told that even a brilliantly laid battle plan could falter once combat actually began. This would be a pretty big deal for her, because as far as he knew it'd be her first time actually leading a battle, and how they performed during this battle would reflect on how the nobility of Thaln would judge her worthiness to be the captain of the Iron Roses, and her ability to hold onto the position.

Not being one for defensive fighting, Fleuri took up a position at the front of the knights' left flank. His two-handed sword and Reonite mindset favoring aggressive combat would suit him here much more than the center with the captain. It would be difficult to outmaneuver these bandits in the woods, but he figured Fanilly's goal was to catch them when they were all in their base. Thus once the base was found, it'd be imperative to move quickly to prevent them from being able to flee or regroup outside of the encirclement.

As they advanced, the knights spotted something in the middle of the road. Fleuri didn't get a good look because of the trees and brush in the way, but he saw an overturned cart. His first assumption was that this was a bandit trap for travelers and caravans- an overturned cart would force them to come to a halt and maneuver around it, and when they did, the bandits struck. The captain rushed ahead of her center group towards it, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Ordinarily, a group as heavily armed as the Iron Roses wouldn't be in any danger- any intelligent bandit would simply withdraw and opt not to spring the trap. However, they weren't dealing with ordinary brigands- they were up against fanatics and war veterans that might have ample tactical experience.

As several of the knights in the center followed Fanilly, Fleuri glanced around the woods surrounding him, looking for any signs of movement that might suggest an ambush or counter-encirclement. There wasn't much he could do for the captain at this point, the knights at the center would need to keep her safe. It'd truly be a tragedy if she were to perish in her very first battle, so soon after having been appointed to the position.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Despite being neither at the very front or at the flanks, Fleuri was not difficult to discern among the procession of knights. He rode a few paces behind Lucas upon a caparisoned stallion, holding his lance upward. Both the caparison on his horse and the pennant upon his lance bore the colors and symbol of the Jodeau family- a black fleur-de-lis on a white background. This was not a mission where mounted combat would likely come into play, but he always preferred to be prepared. Perhaps it was also due to his diminished but lingering desire to stand out.

From what he knew about this mission, it was a worthwhile cause to put these bandits and their "king" down. They were more than just brigands, they were remnants of a traitor's army who refused to lay down their weapons when their cause was crushed. Now they prowled the woods, preying upon innocent people. Whether it was retribution against the people of Thaln for not supporting their traitorous cause, or simply ruthless acquisition of wealth and provisions, their predation upon the good people Thaln was evidence that their cause was just as unjust and twisted as it was five years ago.

"It won't be much longer that we will need to proceed on-foot," the Knight-Captain ordered.

Fleuri didn't envy Captain Fanilly and the burden of command she bore. To accept command at such a young age, especially after the impression left by her heroic predecessor, was a daunting task. Sixteen years seemed like quite a young age for someone to win their spurs commanding knights in a battle, but it wasn't Fleuri's place to question the Iron Roses' customs even if he didn't understand them. There were already many nobles that wanted the Iron Roses' traditions to be done away with, and in the face of such political opposition, the captain would to be supported by her knights.

As the brush got thicker, Fleuri did as the others did and dismounted, then drove his lance into the ground as a makeshift stake that could be used for tying his horse. He drew his greatsword and hefted it over his shoulder. It was a bit ironic, that only after he had let go of his lingering resentment and anger at not being able to participate in the war, after he made amends and set himself on the straight and narrow, that it'd all lead to him fighting the traitorous Cazt forces. This would be a mere mop-up compared to the decisive battles of the War of the Red Flag, but it was nonetheless important that these holdouts be stamped out.

The sorceress-knight Katerina wasted no time speaking up to Fanilly, offering suggestions on how to proceed. Fleuri hoped that the captain wouldn't be too overwhelmed with all the people telling her what to do and how to do it. For his part, he kept back, not wanting to make a scene or make things more difficult for Fanilly. Still, her boisterous talking was downright subtle compared to what came next- another one of the order's magic specialists, a feminine man named Hope, cast a spell and summoned a radiant, winged being.

If the bandits were nearby, they'd definitely notice that. At the same time, a 200-plus procession of knights wouldn't exactly be stealthy in any way. More concerning to Fleuri was whether the captain had ordered that- the notion of the mages using flashy magic without any input or go-ahead from the captain didn't sit well with him. It was their duty to follow Fanilly's orders, the last thing she needed at the precipice of a battle was for her own knights to undermine her authority. Still, he saw the logic of that summon. These woods were a prime spot for an ambush, and the bandits were probably familiar with the terrain, meaning it'd be imperative that the knights not go into this blind.

Fleuri walked up besides, Lucas, a young mercenary-turned knight. He and Gerard, another knight nearby, had originally been part of a mercenary band whose deeds of heroism earned them the opportunity to become Reonite knights. It was good, he thought, to see people of humble origin rise to become knights through valorous deeds. The nobility, diminished as it was and often grappling with the vices of entitlement and decadence, needed some fresh blood from time to time.

Lucas wasn't the only knight here of age similar to Fanilly. Serenity, another knight of an old noble bloodline, was also only 17. In fact, from what Fleuri had heard in the circles of high society, Serenity had been born under a full moon, which means she may have been a candidate for knight-captain. She was certainly far more confident in herself that Fanilly, and if Fleuri had to guess, her confidence and skill at her age suggested that she may have been raised to be a potential candidate. It wasn't unheard of for noble girls born under a full moon to be raised in hopes of becoming captain of the Iron Roses.

As curious as the other knights were, and as engaging as conversation might be, Fleuri kept silent and focused on the situation at hand. He did not want to be caught off-guard, and besides, actions spoke louder than words, thus it would be during battle that the knights would truly get to know each other. And that time was rapidly approaching.