Run: 2026-09-03-01M1KRCZ95YTRAFXHM3F5WQGP9

<nc-section data-title="Version 1 - The Test at the Stables" data-color="red"> Thunder's hooves slowed to a tired trot as the castle stables came into view, their great doors open to the evening air. Frederick dismounted, still in travel-stained clothes, and was reaching for the reins when a shadow fell across him. Sir Roland stood there, armor half-stripped for the night, a scar cutting through his eyebrow. He did not smile. "You are the new squire they sent," he said, voice flat. "You rode in like a lord. Put the horse away properly, boy. If you cannot care for a beast, you will never care for a man." Frederick swallowed and nodded, the weight of training settling on his shoulders before it had even begun. </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 2 - A Warm Welcome" data-color="green"> The stableyard smelled of hay and warm horses. Frederick had just led Thunder to a stall when a deep, kind voice called his name. "Well now, you must be Frederick." Sir Roland leaned on a pitchfork, his polished breastplate catching the last light. A soft smile softened the lines of his face. "I watched you ride in. Good seat. The stables are yours for the night. Leave your gear with me and I'll see you're fed." Frederick blinked, surprised by the gentleness. Sir Roland clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Training starts at dawn, squire. Tonight, you rest. Welcome home." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 3 - The Quiet Warning" data-color="blue"> Mist curled around the stable walls as Frederick tied Thunder to the hitching post. A figure stepped from the shadows between the stalls, unhurried. Sir Roland's eyes were tired, and he did not offer a hand. "You're early," he murmured, looking past Frederick to the castle towers. "The master is... not pleased with new blood. Keep your head down near the stables, boy. The horses hear more than the men do, and the dragon's old roost is closer than the maps say." Frederick felt a chill that had nothing to do with the night. Sir Roland's greeting was a warning, and it left him more alone than when he had arrived. </nc-section>