[center][h1][i][color=Plum]Valencia Coquerdale[/color][/i][/h1][/center]

Valencia had, thankfully, managed to sleep well the previous night. It had taken a little time, as she was not used to the bed (it not being the same one that she had slept in for so long), but she found it to be at least decently accommodating once she had allowed herself to settle into it's comfort. Though she doubted it, she wondered if she would have been able to send off for her own mattress, or perhaps a new one made to it's same specifications. Even if the school didn't allow it, she refused to do so anyhow after some thought, due to the embarrassment or awkwardness she may have felt if a carriage arrived with a new bed and mattress just for her.

The silver haired woman was pleasantly surprised that the first class was hosted in the Hall of Combat, especially since combat was what she had primarily been preparing for. The primary exception to that was that Valencia knew that she was catching glances. The pretty woman from last night was now in her full equipment; Black steel armour covering her from head to toe, expertly made with it's intricate patterns and freedom of movement despite it's heavy strength, her sword, Lazarus, resting in it's place in her belt, masterfully crafted to be a top-of-the-line sword, and fully enchanted with runes to be a weapon of great utility, should she call upon it's tricks. It was a stark contrast to how she looked in her uniform.

That pleasantness slipped down a shallow slope once it was revealed that the instructor, Sir Vermont, was going to be making sure they were [i]physically ready[/i] for adventuring, which just sounded like the equivalent of physical exercise lessons. She allowed herself to believe it just for a moment, before Sir Vermont began to 'jog'. Valencia took a moment to process what was going on before she began to pursue, partially because that was what she believed she had to do, and partially because she was following the example of the others. Though she was decked out in the heavy armour, she was managing to keep up just like everyone else, clunking forward at around the same speed, though perhaps breathing a little heavier. She was determined to keep up.

Valencia was fine for the first lap, she was still doing well on the second lap, and it was on the third lap of continual running that she was just starting to feel the workout get to her. [color=Plum][i]Don't stop. Keep up. Show everyone else that you're the best, because you're the one clunking around like an anvil with legs, whilst they step like horses in a plain,[/i][/color] she thought to herself. Keeping up with the unarmoured folks was what drove her to push on.

Her confidence withered a little upon observation of the other instructor, the awesome looking one who had not came with them on the run. She was smart enough to know what was happening once he pulled out his bow. Without the use of her runes - Sir Vermont had said that no magic was allowed - she was going to have to rely on purely her armour to push her through this. Though she was able to see Dex, and roughly tell if he was aiming at her or not, she would have trouble dodging anything that came her way after running so much. So, she hoped, and was rewarded when a different student was struck by the first arrow. Sucks to be him.

However, her eyes fixed on someone she recognised from last night helping the victim of the arrow to their feet. It was a kind gesture, but whilst kindness should be paid with kindness, in this situation it was not. Valencia's eyes narrowed as Toma was pushed by the jerk, which she now recognised from the altercation at dinner the previous day. Well, it was time to get some payback. Hopefully the asshole would challenge her to a fight afterwards, and she could kick his ass without having to be sneaky about it.

The asshole, who Valencia heard was called [i]Patrick[/i] from students he was overtaken (yelling at him in frustration), began to catch up to her, clearly planning to just overtake her from the right. She allowed him to move just a bit closer, almost in line with her... And then jutted out her right arm, stopping in her tracks. Whilst a few more students were able to overtake her, she still wasn't in last, and the result was what she hoped for; He ran straight into her arm, caught on it, and was clotheslined, falling onto his back with a yell. [color=Plum]"See you next year!"[/color] Valencia called to him, as she started running once more to get back into the middle of the pack. There was a satisfied smirk on her face.

She wasn't out of it yet, however. Valencia separated her arms from her sides a little, to provide a buffer between them and her body should she get hit by the mysterious yet wondrous Dex's arrows, to take some of the impact. Combined with her armour, she figured she wouldn't get knocked down from a hit itself, though would have to watch her footing to make sure she didn't trip over herself from it. What she [i]didn't[/i] do was follow the example of Rodrick, who appeared to have started running faster. All that would do is sap at her strength and make her all the more likely to fall over if she was hit. Ducking her head down a little, she continued to pound the ground with her feet, clunking away as she continued to run.

After all, if others fell over and she didn't, she wouldn't come last.