[center][h2][color=#008b8b]Fionn MacKerracher[/color][/h2][/center]
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Despite everything, Fionn had not really been considering participating in the tourney before. He wasn't even certain if it was a holdover from his time as a mercenary, or if it went further back than that, but outside of practicing with his friends or proper training, he didn't have much desire to participate in mock-battle. Unless there were legitimate stakes in play, he often didn't want much of it.

That was why he hadn't bothered to participate in the Valours tournament in previous years, even with Renar's getting on his case about it. Nor had he planned on it this year.

Until, of course, Ardor had gotten back to him, the smith managing to finally convince him that it was time to hang up the old sword as a family heirloom once again, and that he could make Fionn a new pair of blades. A pair! One to simply replace the old, another to fill the place of a true battlefield greatsword, should he need it. The first was presented to him with plenty of time before the tournament for him to seriously consider how he should test it out.

Little enough time to try and train with Lilia, Gerard, or Renar to really put it through its paces...and now pressing battles coming up. With the latter two both focused on tournament prep, and Fionn needing to test his new sword, that left him wtih only one real option: Join the tournament himself.

His name was drawn, most expected him to decline—and when, for once, he [i]accepted,[/i] the one preparing the roster was visibly surprised. But it was taken nonetheless, and led to him now, blade whirling as he stepped through multiple drills to acquaint himself with the balance. It was different from his old sword, no doubt about that, but it felt just as nice in his hands as before.

Candaeln's smith did good work, unsurprisingly.

He paused, wiping sweat from his brow. His clothes were unsurprisingly soaked as well, although he'd be changing out into arming wear by the time any actual competition was happening. Tyaethe was busy somewhere else, likely with the royal family—more reason to compete, when he was told the princesses would be present, as he wouldn't dare disappoint the younger of them by not showing up after the mess of the banquet—which left him alone with Fiadh for the moment.

Elsewhere, he could hear the clash of metal as some of those competing decided to practice head-to-head. [color=#008b8b]"Fiadh,"[/color] he called her over, as another thought came to him all of a sudden. A knight's life was dangerous, and even in tourneys accidents could happen that could leave a man dead on the field. After seeing how Tyaethe had handled hundreds of years of her friends being gone before he came around and started forcing her to make more...

[color=#008b8b]"You know, I'm really not expecting to live forever, whatever happens to make it end. What are you planning to do after I'm gone?"[/color]