Fencing Lessons

The men-at-arms pressed in close, their skepticism palpable in the thick, humid morning air. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, forming a makeshift arena of hardened muscle, worn leather, and sweat. Dirt crunched heavily beneath their boots as they shifted, murmuring among themselves. They expected Stellan’s massive, iron-forged claymore to effortlessly obliterate his younger brother's slender, frag