They ate and got dressed, throwing on the same gray tunics and pants they wore the day before. The rebellion had diminishing funds, and since they had no jobs, the outfits were patched and holey, covered in dirt. Daelyn brushed Daryn off with a wet piece of cloth, dusting the thin layer of brown off. There wasn't much they could do about the clothes, but he brushed it over her face, too. She did the same for him, and then took the community razor to his face to trim the beard. 

"Are you sure you don't want me to just shave it off? The weather is beginning to warm up." she asked, rubbing his cheeks.

"I won't be mistaken as a girl," he said, "Not again." They shared a dry laugh, and she continued to shave his face. The people who crowded the house began to empty out, leaving them alone. When she finished with his face, she checked her own reflection in the window. 

"Are you nervous?" He asked, wrapping his belt around his waist. His head cocked a little to the side, and his eyes were wide. She reminded him of a puppy. Not turnng to face him, she answered, 

"No. Are you?" Daelyn wasn't a fighter. He had dropped out of knight training some time ago, and it had been a great loss. Daelyn was an exceptional knight, but he was too gentle. Things had changed since then. He was stronger. She could see the muscles in his arms, his chest was well defined. He was capable physically, but she still worried about him. 

"A little," he replied, "I'm out of practice." He turned to face her, doing her a favor by picking the knots out of her hair. He curled each curl with his finger, calming the mess. She thanked him, squeezing his hand. When he looked at her, for a moment he wasn't so nervous. His stomach stopped trying to run away. 

They left then, hurrying up to the castle, which lay in the middle of the Village. By the time they arrived at the stone gate, there was a small crowd, some bystanders and some shaking young men with ashen faces. The gate began to open, and Daryn inspected the security. Guards surrounded each side, top and the bottom. A few guards rode horses, but most stood still, holding their sword in front of their chest. They kept their eyes forward, making her doubt their humanity. Maybe they were stone. A man on a horse told the people who were going through the trials to follow him. Daelyn led the way, Daryn trailing behind him. 

"The trials have 3 stages," the man announced, standing now in front of about ten young men and Daryn. "First, there's a test of intelligence. You must read aloud and solve a riddle. It seems easy enough, but I warn you. Do not let your guard down. Next, there is a test of endurance. You will run. We will run until only six are left standing. The last stage is the fights, where you will fight individually, until only two are left. These two are the new knights for the king." He paused to breathe. "As always, the king will be present through all trials, so you will also be informally tested on etiquette.