Bel took a deep breath, feeling the cold morning air fill her lungs.
The instructor she would face was an experienced knight, Sir Armand, known for his refined technique with the sword. He had a noble bearing and cold, piercing blue eyes like steel. His neatly trimmed gray beard gave him an even more imposing appearance.
"Are you ready?" asked Sir Armand.
"Yes, sir," replied Bel.
"Begin!" declared Sir Reinhart, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Bel's tactic for passing this test was to be cautious and use the reactivity techniques he had learned from Victor Shieldman. So he didn't move forward and, coincidentally, neither did Sir Armand, so they began to circle each other.
