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Kayden figured his fellow students were brave, or at least brazen. He had always been a bit of a swashbuckler and cavalier when it came to battle, himself. Still, it did him well to see he wasn't a bad judge of character, and to fight alongside like minded individuals. However, he didn't really blame Lienna or any of the others that deigned to stay behind, truth be told. If one wasn't prepared to fight in a battle, one simply wasn't prepared. It was nothing to be ashamed of. In fact he knew many people in his kingdom that were vital for the survival of his people that had never used a sword in their life. And call him sexist, but he also felt it was a bit more acceptable for a lady to not volunteer than a future lord. 

He was also quite happy with his future bride to be staying behind. Unfortunately, he did have to get back in the accursed carriage. It did not do wonders for his morale, even though he knew once he stepped out of it into the sun, he'd feel far better. He had seen two battlefields in his life, though he had only really fought in one, and only very briefly. He had barely crossed swords with a brigand before his master-at-arms interfered. Sir Gregor only had his safety in mind, but damned was it infuriating. Though not as infuriating as the lecture he received later for riding forth from that very man.

Once the carriage stopped, he leaped out. He felt almost weightless for a good moment before he touched the ground nimbly. The screams and the fire and the smoke were very real, but he kept himself together. The sensation of the sword in his hand grew keener, as did his sense of sight and hearing; even his sense of smell. He couldn't already feel the matter of life and death this day truly was, and he would have it no other way. 

By the professor's orders, he didn't run into the fray, even if he knew there might be others in need of aid. Instead he awaited his classmates to get in formation and he stepped to the left flank, hawkeyed and ready to skewer any that drew near in any attempt to cut them off or surround them. Some might think that was keeping out of the main battle, but Kayden knew the most important part of any battlefield was guarding the rear in case of a flanking maneuver, and true to his concerns, just that occurred. 

A brute of a man (though evidently quick on his feet) had made his way behind one of the nearby homes of the outer village as Clarissa gave her rousing speech. So powerful was it that it even made Kayden's heart soar, and he was one who knew the importance of adding some flair to a rallying cry. A flicker of movement behind another carriage, this one overturned and burning, drew the prince's attention. The large hulking man stepped out, a broad bladed axe in his hand, wickedly notched. He grinned and scratched his nether regions with his off hand, chuckling darkly under his breath and approaching confidently.

[color=4851AA]"Give up now and I'll see if I can get you some toiletries like soap."[/color] He offered, grinning. Was that a gleam on his whitened teeth? Whatever it was, it had pissed off the bandit, who swiped at Kayden with his axe, coming in from the prince's left. Kayden couldn't block it effectively, so instead he danced back and merely slapped the passing weapon with the flat of his blade. Like a viper his blade came forward, passed the guard of the brute who thought to recover by turning his stroke into another one by swinging in an X formation. It wasn't a stupid move, but Kayden had been dueling since he was but a lad. He moved with precise and well honed muscle memory, and his blade bit into flesh before the prince spun out of the way of the next, weaker attack. 

Kayden blocked a third slash, and ran his blade across the axehead and down to run along the man's fingers, bloodying them. His axe left his grip as he cried out in protest, but a blow from the flat of Kayden's blade to his head sent him reeling and falling to the ground like a pollaxed ox.