Run: 2026-06-01-01KT1H5DRQ9XTPR2ZT2ZCPJT41

I'll create three alternate continuations for this moment. <nc-section data-title="Version 1: A Warm Welcome" data-color="red"> As I dismounted near the stables, a broad-shouldered man strode toward me, his armor catching the last rays of sunlight. His beard was streaked with gray, and a long scar traced down his left cheek, yet his eyes were kind. "You must be Frederick," he said, clasping my forearm in a firm grip. "I am Sir Roland. We've been expecting you." He glanced at Thunder with an appraising eye. "A fine animal. A squire is only as good as how he treats his horse—remember that." He gestured toward the stable doors. "Come, let us see him settled before the evening meal." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 2: A Cold Reception" data-color="green"> I had barely swung down from the saddle when a shadow fell across me. A knight stood there, arms crossed over his battered breastplate, watching me with narrowed eyes. "So you're the new squire," he said, his voice gruff as gravel. "Sir Roland. And I'll tell you now, boy—I've buried better recruits than you who thought training was a game." He spat into the dirt. "The castle has no use for soft hands or softer hearts. Prove me wrong, or pack your bags before sunrise." He turned on his heel. "Stable your horse. Then find me. We begin tonight." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 3: A Mysterious Encounter" data-color="blue"> As I led Thunder toward the stables, a figure emerged from the shadows between the wooden beams. He moved without a sound, despite the weight of his armor, and when he stepped into the torchlight I saw a face that seemed far older than his years. "Frederick," he said—though I had told no one my name. "I am Sir Roland." His gaze drifted past me, toward the darkening sky, as if searching for something hidden among the stars. "You arrive at a strange hour, on a stranger night. There are things stirring in these lands that the maesters do not speak of." Then his eyes met mine, sharp and certain. "But that is a tale for another time. Come. The horse needs rest, and so do you." </nc-section>