Una could not figure out why she was so nervous. The sword had been the only friend she had that has stayed by her side. It never faltered once. It never betrayed. It was loyal to Una's strength. Now, she holds a blade in her hand. It felt heavier than she remembers her own blade being. Had she grown weak of the body? Or was it her mind?

"This is a strange sight." Gareth laughed.

Una looked around for Wilona. She was nowhere to be found again.

"It looks pretty normal for me." Laurel laughed, walking up to Una.

Laurel was of CornWealas, a region of the Celts. He had seen many female warriors before, but they never handled swords. They used spears and were usually archers since they were smaller and nimbler than the men. Even though many women from Snowdon looked like Una. The girls from the south of Bryttania were often short and petite. They lacked the brawn and brains that the northerners had, which is why they feared them so much.

"Don't listen to them." Laurel put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper.

"Show these Saxons what us Celts are made of!" He laughed.

"Um, good day to you all." She hesitated.

Una was confident in her strikes, but she was also bashful sometimes with her words, especially in crowds when she spoke. When her heart called out higher than her head, that is when Una became profound with her words and could unite miles of men with her speech. This day she felt foreign, and because of this, she felt small and weak. She knew everyone was scratching their heads at her. How was she a queen? Una didn't look prepared. Her dress was still dirty, and her hair disheveled. She wore no armor, no long tunic, no boots to help her grip the soil beneath her feet. She looked like a peasant standing there barefooted and dirty.

"Who are ye?" One of the men laughed.

There were at least ten men there, no more than thirty.

"I already told you. Despite her appearance, she is a terrifying woman."

Una felt her eyes squint in embarrassment, and she looked up at Laurel for help.

"It's okay. They'll love you. Show them what you can do!" Laurel insisted.

Una looked around for any familiar face for comfort. She could see Alaric and Ingrid in the crowd, but their faces were as confused as all the other men. Una turned back to look at Laurel.

"What do you want me to do?" Una said, hunched over with the longsword in her hands.

"I don't know. That's why I brought you here. I want to see your techniques. I've seen them on the battlefield, so now I can see them up close. How do you train? How long do you do it, intervals, random spurts? I don't know, you tell me!" He laughed.

Una felt her ears turn red. All eyes were on her.

"Oh my. Well, do you have anything that is not sharp and silver?" Una laughed hesitantly.

"You don't want to try the sword?" Laurel asked.

"I usually train with wooden swords, slightly heavier than the real thing so that you'll be swifter with a silver blade."

"Ahh! I see. We have wooden poles if that would suffice?" Laurel said.

Una looked down at her shaking hands. She was so nervous standing there in front of everyone. How could they look up to her?

"I'll go get them." Laurel patted Una on the back and took the sword from Una's hands.

He could feel her jittery hands.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Una hid behind a smile.

Laurel could tell that she was not.

"Alright, men and lady." Laurel laughed and winked at Ingrid.

He walked away from Una and out of the courtyard.

"We're getting training poles," Laurel said, leading everyone out of the courtyard and into a little thatched shed nestled in the corner.

Instead of swords, he started throwing out thick wooden poles.

"How in God's name can we use these?" One man scoffed, picking it up and walking out of the shed.

It was long as a longsword and heavier, but it was not like what Una trained with. The ones Una used were carved out like a sword, complete with a pommel, hilt, and guard. Una picked one up and could barely wrap her hands around it. Una wanted desperately to say that she had never used such a primitive tool. However, she already felt that everyone thought she was inferior to them. She did not want to perpetuate their thoughts. Una walked out of the shed last with Laurel close behind her.

"Una quick!" Laurel shouted as he ran closer to her and tried to cut Una down with his pole.

Una twisted around as quickly as a rabbit with her pole in hand. She tried to deflect him but ended up holding the stick up in both of her hands. Laurel's bar was coming down fast and hard.

When they collided, both poles nearly splintered and burst from Laurel's and Una's equal strength. Laurel was not holding back. He knew Una's force was mighty.

After Una and Laurel's poles came together, they both collapsed from the sting's strength vibrating through their hands. The burst of the reverberations rung out through the kingdom like a crack of thunder.

"Good lord!" Laurel laughed, crouching down and pressing his hands against his gut.

Una did the same as his hands seared in pain from the vibrations of the wood colliding.

"That's how you do it, boys and girls." He laughed.

Everyone stared down at them wide-eyed.

"Sorry, Una," Laurel said, standing up and offering her a hand.

"Thank you," Una said, taking it.

Everyone clapped. They were stunned that Una had covered herself from Laurel's impending blow. Now he sees what he was dealing with. Una was no ordinary female warrior. Hardly any man has ever shielded themselves from Laurel. He could pierce through armor and chain like a knife through butter. Laurel did Una a favor, though. He knew that surprising her with an attack would put Una out of her nervousness and back into her real state of mind.

"Are your hands okay? Got any splinters?" He said, looking at her hand he took.

"I'm fine," Una said breathlessly.

Laurel succeeded. Una was no longer nervous. She looked over and saw Gareth's nod of approval. Ingrid and Alaric had never seen such a demonstration of power and momentum. Una appeared to be a regular woman, but now she emerged as a living legend like the Valkyries Alaric heard growing up. Gareth was immensely impressed. The old Una had come back, the one he feared and his father loved on the battlefield. He can see why she was called a dragon. She fought like one. Una was quiet and hard to provoke. Once agitated enough, she will strike with enough force to kill ten times over with one blow. Una felt this too. A spike of adrenaline consumed her, and she began to smile. Laurel smiled back and patted her hand.

"Good. Now let us get training. Can you and Ingrid maneuver in your dresses? It's easy for us since we wear long tunics, but I've observed you tripping a bit on the hem of your dress. Anything below the calf is dangerous to fight in."

"You seem to know your clothing well." Una laughed.

"My mother liked to put them on me to mend her dresses when I was younger."

Una blinked at him.

"Don't look at me like that. She had no daughters! It was a worthy sacrifice. Looking back, I got to learn patience as well as a few new terms." He laughed.

"Humph." Una laughed, remembering how her patience used to be thin.

"Now, Una," Laurel said, picking up her pole and resting it in her hands.

"let's turn these hares into wolves." He laughed.

"That's a far cry from where we aim to be." Una grinned.

"And what would that be, Una?" Laurel laughed, picking up his pole and knocking gently across his collarbones.

"If we are fighting these lizards who claim to be dragons, I suggest we become something that likes to prey upon them. I suggest birds of prey. Let's train them to become stealth-like eagles, a lizard's worst enemy." Una laughed.

"Hmm, there's different tactical approaches needed for training hares to eagles." Laurel chuckled and looked around him.

"You see, these are all the knights who have volunteered so far. I have noticed a few who are not ordained, knights or squires. However, since we are fighting the pendragons, we will need anyone we can get. My men should be on their way in a few weeks. That should be ample time to train these men and your one lady friend." Laurel turned around and smiled.

"Oh, Ingrid." Una sighed as the man from earlier began walking up to them.

"Hello, Una." The man said.

Laurel pursed his lips and turned.

"Laurel!" Una beckoned him.

She didn't want to talk to this man again. She would be his friend but nothing more.

"I'm going to go show Ingrid how to use a bow." Laurel grinned and gave Una a wink.

"Ugg!" Una hesitated and turned around, facing the man.

"Hello again. I didn't quite get your name before?" Una hesitated.

"Frederick, my lady." He smiled and grabbed Una's hand, kissing the top of it.

Una blushed, but she felt so awkward, looking around for help. Like a psychic, Gareth came rushing over.

"Oh, my King!" Frederick said, bowing to him.

As he bowed, Gareth glanced over at Una and gave her a cheeky smile.

"Thank you!" Una mouthed to Gareth.

Una never much cared for very blatant signs of interest from men. It made her quite uncomfortable. She would rather be friends first.

"Frederick, fight me," Gareth uttered.

"But my liege, you are the greatest warrior here!" Frederick insisted.

"Nay, Una is. It's better to work your way up to her." Gareth laughed.

"As you wish." Frederick bowed again to him.

"I'll see you soon, Frederick," Una said and trotted over to Alaric.

He was watching Laurel try to help Ingrid with a longbow.

"He must know she is too weak to lift even these wooden poles," Alaric said, watching the cheeks of Ingrid flush as crimson as a rose.

"She would do good with a bow. They are light but just as deadly. I just worry because she will have to be in close proximity to the enemy. Arrows lose their force from far away. Knowing the Pendragons, their armor will be designed to deflect any weak penetrations. Their mercenaries are ruthless in their endeavors to make their country poor, all so that the king and his army can be rich. Their armor will be a reflection of this." Una scoffed.

"Gareth is going to have to do that soon, but instead of strong armor, he needs strong men. I guess that's where you and Laurel come in." Alaric suggested.

"If you put it that way, I believe that you are right. That includes you, Alaric. Why aren't you fighting now? Didn't you say it was some sort of destiny of yours?" Una laughed, standing close to him.

"Humph, I did say that, didn't I? Well then, perhaps this is part of my penance." Alaric said, picking up his pole and pointing it toward Una.

"Are you sure you want to aim that at my chest?" Una laughed, pointing back with her pole.

Before Alaric could respond, Una ducked down and ran to his side, striking the inside of his leg. He fell back on his rear and stared up at Una, confused at what just happened. Una smiled and offered him a hand.

"You were staring in my eyes. It's instinct to assert dominance by maintaining unbroken eye contact; however, that will be your undoing on the battlefield. An eye feint is the best tool to fool someone with. Watch my feet, where they point. That will direct my next move. We will be wearing helmets anyway and most likely the Pendragons. Also, don't point at the heart. You must strike areas where they'll bleed out that are easily accessible, like legs."

"Like how you just knocked me off my feet." Alaric smiled.

"Precisely, only when a sword hits you, you won't be able to stand up again." Una smiled.

"Alright, again then!" Alaric declared.

Una was shocked he was so eager to try again.

"Alright, that's the spirit, Alaric. I like your determination."

"I won't falter again," Alaric said, watching her feet.

Before he could move an inch, Una knocked the pole out of his hands. Everyone stopped and looked at them. The sound of the wood colliding was deafening.

"Ahh!" He gasped, holding his hand.

The vibrations of the wood clash stung his hands.

"Always watch the person's sword hand, that is the hand that is furthest up the hilt," Una said.

"Why don't you tell me these things before we start!?" Alaric hissed, still clutching his hand.

Una walked over to his pole that flew many feet over and picked it up. She handed it back again, knowing that Alaric appears now that he is the type that won't give up.

"Experience is the best teacher. You should know this being a court physician." Una smiled.

"Humph. Alright, you have my attention." Alaric scoffed.

"Again!" He cried out and lunged forward.

At the same time, he watched her right hand, the highest on her hilt. He looked down at her feet, pointed out as if she were going to dart. Una pulled her pole back, and Alaric took this opportunity to aim for her arm. Before he lands the blow, Una catches it in her hand. She dropped her pole and grabbed the collar of Alaric's tunic, pulling him to her face.

"You were watching my sword. Never, I mean, do that! That's the easiest way to die. Do you understand me?" Una said in a deep and profound tone.

She had pulled his face down so close that he could see the green and gold rings in the irises of Una's eyes. Her pupils were constricted, her breath quick. Una released his tunic collar and pushed him back.

"Watch my shoulders first, then my feet, and then finally my sword hand. Do not forget or mix these. You are smart, you should not, but it may very well cost you your life if you do. Swords are not just mechanisms to cut your enemy down. It is a dance of death. Like a game of chess, you must strategize yourself and your men. If you make a wrong move, it will be a quick decline until you realize your mistake. By that time, it would be already too late." Una said, still in a harsh voice.

"Again!" Alaric said, irritated.

"I really admire your persistence. That is good." Una said, positioning herself again.

"Damn right you are, Una!" Alaric sneered.

"My, already perfecting the slanders of the tongue. You must come up with something better to provoke the enemy." Una laughed, gripping her pole.

She made sure Alaric had time to watch her before Una made the first move. Suddenly Alaric lunged forward. Una grabbed his sword arm and tried to knock him out under his feet again, but Alaric diverted her strike and swept around from behind her.

"What!?" Una gasped as Alaric knocked her forward and held her neck in the crook of his arm.

She could hear him gasping for breath.

"You know how to break necks, don't you?" Una said, peering around.

Everyone was staring at them.

"Way to go, Alaric!" Ingrid laughed as she accidentally shot an arrow across the courtyard.

"Ingrid! Never move. It will weaken what little sustained strength you have!" Laurel laughed.

"Sorry!" Ingrid laughed.

Alaric let Una go, and she fell on all fours.

"Damn is a fitting word after all." Una laughed, astonished at Alaric's swiftness and strength.

"Please regale me on how you managed to learn that move!" Una laughed.

Alaric walked in front of her and offered her a hand.

"Perhaps at one time in my life, I dreamed of becoming a knight while I was a simple page. It is much like how handmaids dream of becoming a princess." He smiled.

"Well, then I can see it has benefited you. The fruit is not harvested the day the seed is sown, so perhaps your dream has ripened to full."

"I don't believe so, Una. It was so long ago. I wonder about you more. You know you could have whacked my arm with your sword to release me?" He laughed, helping her up.

"Indeed, but what is the fun of revealing all my strengths now? It's an insult to me and you." Una smiled.

"I guess I'll have to pry you than for them." Alaric laughed.

"We shall see, but for now, you must train until you can defeat me fully." Una laughed.

They both lunged at each other this time.

"Again!" They shouted in unison.