Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKA3YESVJQERJAFSVND5S11

<nc-section data-title="Version 1 — The Knight's Welcome" data-color="red"> Sir Roland stood between two shadowed stalls, cloak still damp from the ride, and tipped his helm with a practiced, polite motion that made the metal sing. "Welcome to Blackfen, Frederick," he said, voice even and measured, as if each word were weighed on a scale. He reached out to pat Thunder's neck with a gauntleted hand, then studied me with eyes the color of old steel. There was no arrogance in him—only the kind of authority that calmed men rather than cowed them. "You'll find the castle is both teacher and taskmaster," he added. "Keep your wits about you, learn quickly, and you will do well." I felt a swell of both pride and nerves at his gaze; Sir Roland's approval, faint as it might be, felt like a first lesson in itself. </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 2 — A Warm Handshake" data-color="green"> Sir Roland laughed before he spoke, the sound rich and warm as he eased down from his horse and unfastened his helm. "By the gods, boy, you ride like the wind," he teased, clapping me on the shoulder with a grip that surprised me with its strength. His smile was easy, the kind that invited confidence rather than suspicion. "I'm Roland of Blackfen, local nuisance and sometime knight," he announced with a wink. He ushered me toward the feed bins and pointed out a place for Thunder to drink. "Come eat with us tonight—my table isn't fit for lords, but it's honest. We'll talk training, tales, and how not to embarrass yourself at the barracks." The invitation settled any last of my unease; for a moment the castle seemed less like a fortress and more like a place I might belong. </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 3 — A Warning in the Shadows" data-color="blue"> He stood half-hidden where the stable shadows met the torchlight, silhouette broad and rigid as a wall. Sir Roland's greeting was a nod, but his eyes never left mine; they flicked to my pack, to my blade, and then back as if reading some incoming tide. "Frederick," he said, voice low and edged with caution. "This place will teach you to fight, or it will teach you to die trying. There are men in the castle who keep secrets like knives, and the road beyond these gates keeps worse." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Watch alliances more keenly than wounds. Trust earns you friends; too much trust earns you a traitor's blade." The warning landed heavier than any sword strike I had imagined, and beneath it lay the unmistakable offer of guidance—if I could prove I was worth the price. </nc-section>