Dinah du Blanc technically wasn't a Templar Soldier just yet. While it was true that she had made it past the initial recruitment tests and the gruelling weeks of hardship designed to weed out less dedicated trainees....she was falling behind in combat training.

"Keep your shield UP, Blanc!" yelled the Sargent-at-Arms. "If your enemy can see your face and shoulders, they can see your attacks before you even make them!"

Dinah nodded hurridly and struggled to position her shield high enough. Her attacks were awkward compared to most of the other trainees, and her small stature gave her a distinct reach disadvantage. Just as she re-engaged her sparring partner, she spied Knight-Commander Wilder walking onto the practice field.

She couldn't help but make hurried glances at the woman who had inspired her to join the Templars, which caused her to forget about the Sargent's admonition. Then suddenly, she heard his thundering voice right behind her. "Quit waving your arm around like that, Blanc!" he roared. "It's a shield, not a wing!" In her surprise, she hopped forward and dropped her guard just enough so that the huge half-orc trainee she was sparring against knocked her flat with a wide swing of his practice sword.

Dinah lay sprawled on the sawdust for a few moments before the stenatorian voice of the Sargent-at-Arms brought her around again. "Gerchak!" he yelled....bringing Dinah the sudden realization that she'd never heard Sargent Patros not yelling. "Since you're skilled enough to knock down du Blanc here, I want you to spar with Becker!" He raised his voice even louder towards the end, eliciting a smile from the aforementioned trainee Becker, and a groan from Gerchak. Becker was a monster of a man....over six and a half feet of solid muscle. And to make matters worse, he was what they called a 'natural'. He took to fighting as if he'd been born to do nothing else, and his strength was unmatched among this year's trainees.

"As for you, du Blanc," Sargent Patros yelled with only a slight reduction in volume. "Get on your feet already! You'll be sparring with Hays." He looked around the practice field, startling slightly when he spotted Commander Wilder clearly approaching. "Hays!" he barked out, spotting the trainee. "Get over here!"

Dinah struggled to her feet and saw that just as Hays broke off from sparring with his current partner and was about to run over, he was waved off by the Commander. "Belay thet, trainee." she said, walking the last few steps to Patros and Dinah. Karen then switched to speaking Latin, knowing that few of the trainees would understand more than a few words of what was said.

"Sargent Patros," she began, speaking in a conversational manner. "You trained under Division Commander Fredricks; am I correct?"

Patros was a little taken aback by the question....and by Karen's flawless Latin. Her heavy accent was well known, as was her commoner's background. That she spoke Latin so well was very surprising. "That be correct, Commander." he stammered back....his own Latin not quite as polished as hers.

"It shows," replied Karen, keeping her voice level so the disdain she was feeling would not carry into her words. "It is quite obvious that this trainee is left-handed. Why is she holding her sword in her right hand?"

Patros' face began to redden....not out of embarrasment, but out of anger. He was not used to being questioned....especially by a woman, no matter what her rank! "Commander Fredrick's orders clearly state that all soldiers are trained the exact same way; no matter race, sex, size or other....'differences'." He stressed the last word, knowing Karen herself was left-handed, and Commander Fredrick's general dislike of the 'upstart commoner', as he referred to her in private. "This forges cohesion in the unit and ensures each soldier knows what to expect from his fellow soldiers."

(tbc)