"What I meant is that the captain's actions placed nobody in an unnecessary risk not of their own making. Sir Marianne is fortunate that she escaped punishment after that spell. Had Knight's Doom avoided the spell, then the positioning would have lead it to strike our own men, even the [I]captain[/I]. Sir Eadwig's decision to proceed mounted after the order was given to dismount put others at risk because of the simple footing. The captain's orders lent themselves to no unnecessary risk." Tyaethe countered, willing to explain to the other knight what she meant. Though he did remind her of Marianne's stupid choice, someone would have to teach her appropriate time to use that sort of magic...

Then Julianna had to saunter over and give an intentionally biased report. This could [I]not[/I] stand; she would gladly die a second time before allowing that sort of self-absorbed thought any influence over the knights. "All the training in the world doesn't seem to have taught you the basic purpose of the Knights of the Iron Rose. We protect Thaln, its people, and the High Priestess. We do [I]not[/I] leave those we were sent to protect to die to protect our own hides."

The white-haired paladin turned to the princess for a second, "Fortunately, the farmer in question has made a recovery with no cost to ourselves, nor did the enemy receive word of our coming before we began our attack."

"There was no second ambush. There was a threat to the captain's flank and the Three Hundred-Man Slayer used her protecting the knights under her command as an opportunity. An ambush does not consist of then challenging someone to single combat because you want to prove a point. However, whilst you would simply have betrayed our purpose in the first instance, in the second you suggest allowing the enemy to attack us unmolested because there is an unlikely risk of retribution.

"Training is insufficient. Training without experience, put in charge of the knights, is worse. We are superior to any other unit in existence. We have fought [I]dragons[/I] with our numbers and no support. Normal tactics and the precaution exercised for such small groups get more of us killed than they save, whilst failing in our basic duties to shield others wherever we can. An inexperienced captain is [I]good[/I], as she comes untainted with such ideas.

"You are a child with no experience calling on the wisdom of books and tutors that do not [I]know[/I] what the knights can do. Your report is born from arrogance and guesswork. Until you have served in a full campaign and understand what your teachers tried to impart and how we differ, [b]hold your tongue.[/b]"

Though she seemed quite calm, especially with the growing hush from her rebuttal, the disturbingly crumpled flagon in her hand spoke of something completely different. It was only compounded by not being able to ask the princess the question that she had [I]wanted[/I] to ask, nor explain the height difference... not that it was too important at this moment to explain that.