A week came and went in a flash.
Henry was surprised his body held out for that long, but the knights had been making sure he was eating well before they went to train.
On the seventh day, Henry showed up on the field as usual, but as he walked towards the field, he saw three knights instead of the usual two.
As Henry got closer, he realized Alix seemed to have joined them for some unknown reason. He also noticed the knights wearing their armor which had been absent since the very first time he saw them.
The insecure aspect of himself jumped to the conclusion that Sir Alix was there to tell him he hadn't improved enough to keep moving forward with his training.
He swallowed hard as he stepped off the path and onto the dry grass.
"Good morning," Henry said hesitantly, his head lowered. "Sir Alix, it's a pleasure to see you."
Trenton rolled his eyes at the formal greeting to the blonde knight. He and Maximus had nearly broken Henry's habit of speaking so formally to them, assuring him that knights didn't speak that way.
Alix only nodded at Henry before turning to the other knights.
"Are you sure he's ready for this?" Alix asked, his tone revealing his doubt.
Trenton only nodded and placed his helmet over his head.
"Henry," Trenton said. "After you eat, you're going to try and attack each of us."
Maximus carried the pot containing Henry's breakfast and handed it over.
"Eat quickly. In the meantime, we'll be warming up," Maximus said as he approached his own helmet, which was propped up on a post.
Henry, as usual, could only do as he was told and ate quickly, only stopping to admire the swordsmanship of the knights. He took a moment to observe each of their individual styles to see if he could learn anything.
Trenton was large enough that brute force was enough for him to overtake someone else, but he could be seen as sloppy. Maximus was smaller and more agile, and it seemed the other knights had trouble keeping up with his speed. Alix, on the other hand, was flawless in his ability and clearly had been trained from a young age to break any habits he could have developed.
The younger man realized he was taking too long and hurried to finish his food, always so grateful to be able to eat first thing in the morning.
"You need to stretch and warm up your muscles," Trenton said, watching Henry approach them. "Ten overhead strikes before we begin for the day."
He was nervous to perform with a new set of eyes on him, but he felt there was no other choice. As he began his movements, Trenton and Maximus nodded at his movements, pleased to see his progress in comparison to the first time they had trained with him.
Alix only raised his eyebrows, interested in how such scrawny arms could move a sword of that size.
The last time his arms came down in front of him, guiding the sword in a precise arc over his head, he exhaled deeply as he let his body relax.
The two knights who had been training him knew of his confidence issues already, so they took great efforts to react as minimally as possible in order for Henry not to overthink it. Alix, on the other hand, seemed to always have the same expression on his face anyway.
Maximus recalled questioning Trenton about his decision to train Henry. Trenton said he knew natural talent when he saw it, and Maximus had never doubted the fellow knight's judgment. He would return to train the peasant each day, as long as it wasn't a waste of anyone's time.
"Are you ready then?" Trenton approached Henry and put a gloved hand on the younger man's shoulder.
Henry admired the knights for different reasons, but he began to see Trenton as somewhat of an older brother. Despite the overbearing appearance he had with his height and wild red hair, there was something gentle about him.
"I don't believe so," Henry admitted.
Trenton only chuckled and shook his head.
"Well, there's no other choice," Trenton said. "We each have different strengths in sword fighting. I want you to learn how to get past someone's defenses, regardless of their strengths."
Henry only nodded, and he put his hand over the sheathed sword on his right hip.
"We won't fight back," Maximus reassured him. "We're only here to block and evade. So try your best."
Henry wasn't completely in the dark about how to have a swordfight with another person; throughout the week, the knights had shown him the proper ways to start and what each match entailed. However, the experience level of the knights made him nervous, and he hoped they wouldn't judge him too harshly.
Alix stood to the side of each match, his helmet in his arms, as he observed. Occasionally he would call out something he wanted Henry to correct.
The first match started with Henry trying to land a blow on Maximus. He decided the direct approach was best and went right in, swinging his sword somewhat clumsily. However, he had more control than he did at the beginning of the week.
Unfortunately for him, Maximus was too fast for him and kept maneuvering away from Henry's onyx blade. If it got close at all, he would simply push it away with a metal glove or his sword.
Through the match, Alix told Henry to steady his blade a few times. Overall, he didn't have much to say. Maximus's speed was hard for most to keep up with.
Henry was most nervous to face Trenton. However, he had no choice but to face him in the second round.
They started with their swords pointed toward each other. Henry's nervousness could be read easily on his face. With Trenton's helmet on, all he could see were his piercing green eyes, and it made for an intimidating appearance.
At first, Henry went for a few sideswipes, but Trenton didn't even bother blocking those with his sword, only lifting his arms to hit them out of the way.
Something overcame Henry as he watched the large knight dismiss his attacks as if they were nothing more than a gentle breeze hitting him. For some reason, it made him angry and ignited something inside of him. He was desperate to impress the knight for whom he was supposed to be an apprentice.
As he gathered his thoughts, he walked backward a few steps. His sword was still held high, but his shoulder was burning from use.
Henry decided he would have to rely a little bit more on gravity in order to deliver an attack that could stand up against Trenton.
Suddenly, he rushed forward two steps in preparation to deliver a full-force attack from above. Trenton parried the attack with the strongest part of his sword, having to rest his hand on the upper end of the blade in order for his sword not to fly back upon impact.
"At least you're using your sword now," Henry mumbled.
Trenton chuckled.
"Speed, Henry!" Alix yelled from the side.
Henry had to act quickly and seemed to be lining up the same attack, so Trenton tried to block it in the same way. However, Henry moved the blade faster, despite the burning sensation in his shoulder, and rounded the arc of his sword more so that he could drop an attack on Trenton's leg.
The impact between the sword and the metal armor on the knight's thigh made a loud clanking noise.
"You gave him that one!" Alix exclaimed. "That was a basic move."
Trenton ignored Alix and tossed his sword and helmet to the side. He took a step forward and wrapped one of his arms around Henry's shoulders.
"I knew you could do it within a week!" Trenton shouted.
Henry accepted the compliment silently, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He couldn't remember the last time he was praised for something he had done.