Shy hadn’t acknowledged the comment on Marius’ horse, because she didn’t like the idea of discussing the gift. Hadn’t her new knight captain insinuated favoritism in the dark hours just before? Shy was aware she’d have to have more to show than the others. It was only right when she looked more like a small pet than anyone worth handing a blade. It had been easier to keep pace with appearances when she’d been running with teenaged boys. It would be near on impossible to pretend she was a man in a few more years. That was, in part, why it had felt rather critical to be accepted now. She sat up straight and flashed him a smile. How silly that she should make faces like his presence required some bravery.<br/><br/>The ride was not a hard one, as they followed a large road toward the northernmost borderlands. Where it seemed like the path should have become less forgiving, the evidence of their kingdom’s recent efforts had turned the ways forward into easily passed ground. Shy wondered how many horses had walked this wide dirt path, and how many had returned. The last she’d heard, they were making progress in the wild lands, but it was slow and costly. Esfelt Silverum would not have been called to a simple victory, after all.<br/><br/>Shy was quiet when Esfelt inquired about her past. This was a subject she generally attempted to avoid, given her circumstance. “My hometown is… was… west of here.” She said. “Close to the border. I lost my sister to the Coldmen. My town, my family.” Shy shrugged. “I didn’t like feeling helpless, so I decided to train. To defend myself.” Shy didn’t know what else to tell him. She didn’t know what he’d care to hear and she didn’t know what she’d care to share. “This is just… proactive defense. I guess.” She looked the picture of a sullen young man then, slouched a little in her saddle and a grim sort of expression on her softer features. Quests for vengeance always looked pretty on bright-eyed youths.<br/><br/>“And you, Ser? How did you and the Namer find glory?” She asked. “Was it an inevitability of your noble birth?” She had it in her to be cheeky, even now.<br/><br/>When they reached camp, their forward scouts had already set up some red fires and cleared the brush from the places they’d place their tents. It was a large company. Larger than the full rank and file of the town guard. Shy thought she’d miss all the other trainees. Only four others had been brought along to join Esfelt’s men.<br/><br/>In truth, she was surprised that Silverum would make any effort to help her down from her mount. If Elmir was an observant man, he might have even seen the distrust of someone who’d already been bitten once strung out in the taut posture of Shy’s limbs. The green-eyed girl sighed. “Yes, Ser.” She said, before accepting his offer and making her decent. He’d feel it in the way she applied her weight, that she’d not been counting on his help. She wasn’t dull, at least. When he stepped out from being her safety, she used him as a light spring board to twist and catch herself on her feet. Little alley cat. But, nimble did very little when one’s legs were kicked out from beneath. If he could see her expression, she was scowling, as she toppled forward.<br/><br/>Shy hit the ground and rolled quickly, displacing herself from the path of her horse. She wasn’t sure how quick the beast would be to startle, and she wasn’t about to risk her skull to his hooves. Shy ended up on one knee, staring incredulously over her shoulder at Esfelt. “Please excuse my clumsiness, Ser.” She said, and it was a prickly sort of apology. She pushed herself back up onto her feet, the armor making her more sluggish than she’d been in his tent, last night. Still, “sluggish” for Shy was fluid for most of the larger, bulkier men.<br/><br/>“Where will you be setting up your tent, Ser?” Shy asked with a short smile. He’d told her to set up near him, and she was intending to hold to the order. If it had been meant to tease her, she figured she’d show him she was worth taking seriously. Shy had no plans to be made into a joke. “I’d like to set up before I spend some time training. Perhaps you’d like to spar with me? Or are we recruits too fresh to ask that kind of thing?” She rolled her shoulders, like she was thinking to draw a blade on him right then, but then grabbed for the reins of her patient gelding. She needed to take care of her horse and her tent before she started asking for new bruises. On the plus side, Shy seemed to heal fast. Though a lovely spider web of green and blue still mottled her face where Namer had met her, the swelling had already gone down to near nothing.