<nc-section data-title="A Gruff Welcome" data-color="red"> As I dismounted, my legs unsteady from the long ride, a figure emerged from the shadows of the stables. He was a giant of a man, his face a roadmap of old battles, with a scar cleaving one eyebrow in two. "You must be the new whelp," he grunted, his voice like stones grinding together. This was Sir Roland, the Master of Arms. He looked me up and down, his Gaze lingering on my less-than-pristine travelling clothes. "The Lord said you had potential. I see only a boy who's late for his first lesson. Get your horse settled. The real work begins at dawn." He clapped a hand on my shoulder, the force nearly sending me to my knees, and then turned back into the pungent darkness of the stables without another word. </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="A Kindly Knight" data-color="green"> I led Thunder toward the stables, the scent of fresh hay and warm animals a comforting welcome. A man with a kind face and a neatly-trimmed grey beard stepped out from a stall, wiping his hands on a cloth. "A fine beast," he said with a warm smile that reached his eyes. "And you must be Frederick. I am Sir Roland. Welcome to Castle Arden." He extended a calloused but gentle hand, his grip firm and reassuring. "Come, let's find a place for your companion. You look weary from the road. We can speak of your training on the morrow, after a hot meal and a proper night's rest." His friendly demeanor instantly eased the knot of nerves in my stomach. </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="The Legend of Sir Roland" data-color="blue"> Near the grand arches of the stables, a man stood as still as a statue, observing my approach. He was leaner than I'd imagined, with a mane of silver hair that caught the last light of the sun. It was Sir Roland, the Dragon-Slayer, the hero of the Whispering Plains. As I dismounted and bowed my head, I felt his piercing blue eyes examining me, not just my posture or my equipment, but something deeper. "They say you have a dragon's fire in your blood, boy," his voice was quiet, yet it carried an authority that resonated in the very stones of the courtyard. "We shall see if it is the fire of a true dragon, or merely the smoke of a frightened lizard. See to your horse. Your first test is to listen." </nc-section>