Frayne touched every sword in the armory, lingering over a few before returning to the first he'd touched. He picked it up to test its weight and balance and how it felt in his hands.

He knew his new lord was watching, curious but not impatient.

Some things could not be rushed.

And if Frayne was to serve properly, he needed a good replacement for the sword he'd lost defending his new lord's daughter.

"This one," he said firmly.

"Then it's yours."

Frayne had wielded many blades and he'd served many lords.

Perhaps these would be his last.