"Get off that horse lad" the knightly armor bearer said.  Theadric complied.<br/><br/>"Look; she's not going to ride with you if you don't respect or trust her; and your jousting abilities.  You can't even manage to get a few rings on your lance and that's because your using the wrong lance to joust with.  Not this year, my boy."<br/><br/>Theadric wasn't going to give up without a fight.  "Look sir, I know that my jousting and horse riding abilities may be slightly off.  But once on the battle field, I can best any person with sword dueling and win!"<br/><br/>But the armor bearer, who apparently was in charge of "auditioning" possible jousting competitors, was not convinced.  "Look, people don't come here just to see sword fighting.  They want to see all of it; the jousting, the horse tricks, the pomp and circumstance, and then maybe a bloody duel.  You don't even have ye a halfway decent armor piece.  Practice lad, you might get a shot next year.  Oh, don't forget your bow and arrow; ye should have it checked.  It glows unceasingly.  Next!"<br/><br/>And with that, his audition was over.  He walked away sullen, realizing he had failed at least in this aspect of his journey.  He also could not help but think of four women in his life:  his mother; the woman at the inn that perhaps he embarrassed; dream weaver who he had not seen; and ...<br/><br/>"Look lad!"  The armor bearer had caught up to Theadric; he was pointing to a fair lady riding on a horse with an entourage of guests.  It was Lady Averlee and company.  "See!  Her men, and her lady, have confidence.  The horse respects the rider, the rider respects the horse.  The arena is their playground, not their death trap.  If ye want to be a knight, I'd study with them."  Theadric seemed a little disgusted, but he did believe the woman on the horse was quite gifted in her work.  Theadric looked over to the sign lining the arena; he would have to wait for some passerbys who might read the sign for him and mention it in their conversations if he wanted to know exactly what it said.