Most of the great hall received the news that Lord Erling would fight alongside Lord Reynold with a sense of anticipation and excitement. In the farthest corners of the Great Hall, Serle Otker even told stories about the time he'd seen Lord Erling scare off an Imperial Bull Elk, protecting Lord Reynold's life without killing the beast Lord Owain had claimed for his prize.
Most, however, were simply excited to recognize that they had champions of their own. After the display Captain Rastlan had put on at the gates, many had begun to feel like they were destined to be trampled on, unable to resist the might of the nation they'd greatly underestimated all of their lives. But if Lord Reynold and Lord Erling could defeat the champions of the Southern Steppe, maybe they could truly meet as equals after all...
