Hector wasn't nervous about his test, which was probably good. When Quirin came back from talking to his mom he seemed nervous enough for the both of them. Did he think that Hector would fail? Was he worried that Hector would be too harsh on Mikhail? That was probably it, and it was a fair concern. Back home if Hector had been asked to fight he would have fought for his life, giving everything he had.

Since coming to the castle Hector had learned that there was a difference between a fight and a spar. His match against Mikhail was a spar, which meant that they would be holding back. Hector still wasn't used to pulling his punches, but he didn't think he'd get hurt, so he wouldn't hurt Mikhail too badly either.

A part of him was just a little worried, because he really hadn't liked the way that Mikhail had been glaring at him before. Hector had to try to tell himself that Mikhail hadn't been mad at him, or wanting to actually hurt him. He was just acting mad because he was scared and desperate to pass the test. Hector could relate to that feeling.

Still, Hector didn't want to get hurt, and he wanted to be in the Brotherhood too. He would fight, and he would win. He just wouldn't go as hard as he was itching to.

It went against Hector's instincts, but Quirin had been working so hard to help him to fit in and feel comfortable here. Quirin didn't want him to pick fights unless he really needed to. Hector may be following that rule, because he wasn't starting the fight, but he knew that Quirin would be disappointed if he hurt Mikhail anyway. Hector didn't want to hurt Quirin or give him any reason to give up on him. If that meant fighting fair, fine.

Hector spent the next few hours in Adira's room, and it made him tense. With the way that Adira was watching her door, making sure that he didn't leave and nobody that wasn't Quirin came in, he felt trapped and antsy. It made him ready for a fight, and also hungry.

When Quirin eventually joined them he came with dinner, which cheered Hector up and made him relax. It was a lot easier to remember that this place was nothing like back home if he was among friends and had access to food.

While Hector ate he saw Quirin and Adira talking quietly to each other out of the corner of his eye. He didn't really care about what they were muttering about. As far as Hector could tell very little of what people said to each other was actually important. Most of it was harsh, meaningless, or teasing.

Maybe what was being said was actually important, because Adira looked infuriated. She stormed off, ignoring Quirin's calls for her to return. She was mad, so either what Quirin had told her was cruel, which wasn't like him, or it was important and serious enough to scare and anger her.

If he was a good friend maybe Hector would ask what was wrong. He didn't know how to deal with other people's problems though. Especially not when he had a test to worry about later that night. Hector had many times when he wanted to help people, but his own issues were completely overpowering, making it impossible to focus on anybody else. Hector had to worry about surviving, and then he would think about his friends.

When Hector was finished eating he started tapping his feet anxiously. He felt like he couldn't stand still. He needed to move. He wanted to run. Being stuck in Adira's small room had never been fun, but especially not now. Hector would even be happy trapped in his own room, because at least his new animal friends were up there waiting for him. If Hector was holding onto them he could maybe ignore his need to move around.

Hector knew how to say that he wanted to go back to his room, but right now the words felt like they were stuck in his throat before he even tried to say them. Hector just kept his mouth shut and rubbed the fur of Quirin's vest, which had been loaned to him until he could get a cloak of his own.

Hector said nothing, and Quirin was quiet as well. The two of them sat in Adira's room in silence. Eventually there was a knock on the door before it was opened by Quirin's mom. She gave her son a meaningful look before she turned her gaze to Hector.

"We're ready for you." Quirin's mom said. "Are you ready for your trial?" Hector didn't think he would ever be ready for a test, but he knew better than to say so. At least with his dad, Hector was tested whether he was ready or not. If he tried to defy his dad's will his test would be harder than before.

Hector nodded. He started to follow Quirin's mom out of her room. Suddenly his shoulder was grabbed, startling him. Hector just barely kept himself from turning and hitting Quirin, who had grabbed him.

"Wait," Quirin said desperately. Hector didn't turn to look at him, because he didn't trust his mom, and he was way too nervous to turn his back on somebody that didn't like him. "Hector, you-"

Quirin trailed off. Hector didn't see the look on his face, but he saw his mom. She was glaring coldly over hector's shoulder, sending Quirin a warning look. Hector heard his friend clear his throat before he let go of Hector's arm.

"G-good luck." Quirin said. "You'll do great." Quirin sounded nervous. Why? He knew that Hector would be able to defeat Mikhail in a fight with his hands tied behind his back. Hector wanted to ask what was wrong with Quirin, but his mom put her hand on his shoulder and began to lead him out. Hector had to follow her.

There were a lot of knights and trainees in the hallway. They weren't busy, but they looked like they were trying to act like they were. Hector recognized it because he would frequently do that kind of thing in front of his dad in the vain hope that if he looked busy then he wouldn't be asked to do anything else.

Hector didn't like the way that everybody was looking at him. He wasn't here to be their entertainment. He didn't want to be an oddity to confuse and amuse. He'd gotten that occasionally from his neighbors back home, and he wouldn't take that here. Hector wanted to shout and growl to scare people off, but the hand on his shoulder kept him in line, and the sound of Quirin's footsteps behind him kept him calm.

Hector was brought to the arena. He had been here a couple of times. Quirin had wanted to show him the sparring matches between the members of the Brotherhood. Hector thought that Quirin was trying to prove that as they got better at fighting then they would start fighting against each other for real, but Hector wasn't convinced. He'd seen the sparring matches, and among the Brotherhood they were just as fake as among the trainees. The only difference was that the Brotherhood was better at pretending.

Hector relaxed a little when he saw that they didn't have much of an audience. Mikhail was already there, talking to a man and a woman that he looked like. Maybe they were his parents. Adira was in the seats near the arena, sitting next to Edmund and his father. The captain was there as well, and that was the extent of their audience.

It was still a test, which Hector didn't like, but at least it wasn't a spectacle.

Quirin reluctantly went to join Edmund and Adira, leaving just his mom, Hector, and Mikhail in the arena itself. She brought him in front of the other boy and turned to talk to them.

"The rules here are easy." Quirin's mom said. "Mikhail, I want to see that you have learned from your past failures. Hector, I want to see exactly what you're capable of. There will be no use of weapons. I want a clean, simple fight. Understand?"

Mikhail nodded. Hector hesitated for a second before he did the same. He didn't actually understand at all. The test itself was way too easy, which meant that there was something tricky going on here. Hector hated tricky tests. He hated all of this.

Quirin's mom gave them each one more look before she nodded, satisfied. She turned and joined the audience. The captain cleared his throat.

"You begin on my mark." The captain said. "Remember, this is not a battle, it's a demonstration. No maiming or permanent damage, and when one of us tells you to stop you stop, no matter where in the fight you are."

Hector frowned. These weren't the same instructions that the captain gave at the start of the Brotherhood or training spars. Were the instructions because it was part of the test, or because Hector was the one fighting. Did the captain think that he would lose control and completely brutalize Mikhail? Hector seethed at the assumption. His instincts may be pushing him to attack a lot, but he wasn't just some mindless animal that needed to be tamed.

No maiming. No damage. Hector would just pretend that he was playing with his bearcat friends. They pulled him into play-fights all the time, and none of them got hurt. It was just a lot of snarling and swipes that barely brushed the skin.

Hector didn't like Mikhail as much as he liked his animals, but he could pretend for a little bit. After all, that was what the Brotherhood was so good at.

Hector watched Mikhail carefully. Just because he was going to hold back didn't mean that he was going to let himself be caught off guard. This was Mikhail's last chance to join the Brotherhood. He was desperate, and Hector knew that people who were desperate would go to desperate lengths.

"Get ready." The captain said. Mikhail's eyes narrowed and his body tensed. Hector didn't dare to even blink. He recognized Mikhail's stance. The other boy lunged forward suddenly, but Hector saw it coming. He ducked and rolled to the side before suddenly turning and giving Mikhail a shove while he was off balance.

Hector couldn't help but smile as he watched Mikhail stumble. It was thrilling to be able to fight back. With his dad Hector had to lower his head and take it. Hector didn't relish his joy for too long. He had to keep his guard up.

While Mikhail's balance was still thrown off Hector jumped onto the boy's back, clutching at him tightly with all of his limbs. Mikhail shouted in irritation and tried to pull him off, but Hector's grip was strong. Finally the other boy fell back, landing on Hector. He didn't know if he did it on purpose, or if all of his scrambling made him fall, but when Hector hit his head on the ground, dazing him, he was too distracted by the pain to really care.

Mikhail got up first. He didn't look like he was in pain, but he was mad. He turned and moved to kick at Hector. Despite the pain in his head, he didn't want to be hurt anymore, so Hector jolted up and grabbed Mikhail's leg, giving it a pull to throw him off balance again. He quickly let go of his leg and got to his feet while the other recovered.

The fight went on like this for some time. Mikhail would attack, Hector would dodge and counter. He could have fought back properly, but a bit of him was afraid of doing so. Hector always got in trouble for fighting back at home, and he would be punished badly for it. Here, Hector knew that he wasn't allowed to fight almost at all, and he knew he would get in trouble for hurting somebody.

Hector's instincts were to fight back with everything he had, but the part of him that was too afraid of the consequences held him back.

This fight soon became less about strength and more about endurance, and Hector was a lot tougher than Mikhail. He wasn't even a little tired when he could see the other boy getting fatigued. Hector just had to get one good hit against Mikhail and he'd be down. The fight would be his. Hector started looking for an opening when he caught a glimpse of Quirin out of the corner of his eyes.

His friend was tense and looked panicked. The sight made Hector falter slightly as his mind cleared. He remembered that this wasn't just a test for him, it was for Mikhail too. This was Mikhail's last chance, and only Hector's first.

Quirin had promised him that he wouldn't be punished for failing, and he trusted him. If Hector didn't win, he could always try again later when he better understood what they wanted from him. Mikhail couldn't do that.

Adira had hinted that if Mikhail didn't make it into the Brotherhood, then it was because he didn't deserve to join their ranks. Hector didn't know if he agreed. Tests were hard, and unfair. Mikhail could make a great knight, but if he was given unfair tests then he'd never get the chance to prove it.

Quirin was giving Hector a chance, and basically forcing other people around to do the same thing. It was incredible that he was even allowed to try to train with the Brotherhood, considering how he was and where he came from.

Hector looked at Mikhail. He still looked angry, but he also looked scared. Hector held Mikhail's fate in his hands, and they both knew it. It was an overwhelming responsibility and Hector didn't like it. Why couldn't he just be in charge of himself?

But he had decided to stay here with other people. Being around people meant dealing with them. It meant worrying about friends when they were upset. It meant that sometimes people got angry and took it out on you when it had nothing to do with you at all.

It meant that you had to think about how somebody else was feeling, and what that meant besides how you could use it.

Hector didn't like it, but he knew that Mikhail wanted and needed to pass this test more than he did. He didn't want to give up, like he did with his father. He'd tried so hard to get past that. Hector told himself it wasn't the same thing. He wasn't giving up because he was scared of what would happen if he didn't, he was giving up to let somebody else have an opportunity that he didn't need.

Hector steeled his nerves and refrained from going for the opening that he saw from Mikhail. When the other boy moved in to strike him, Hector moved as though to dodge, but he didn't go all the way. He let the strike hit. It didn't hurt too bad, not compared to other injuries he'd been dealt, but for a second Hector was thrown back home with his father.

Hector fell to the ground and wrapped his arms around his middle. He looked up at Mikhail, who's desperate gaze flashed with confusion. Hector lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"No more." Hector muttered. He hoped that Mikhail didn't hit him again, but he wasn't holding his breath about it.

He didn't get the chance to know whether Mikhail would have hit him or not, because the captain spoke up.

"That's enough." The captain said. Hector lifted his head. Mikhail still looked ready for a fight. There was a familiar conflicted look in his eyes. He glanced briefly towards the captain and Quirin's mom before he turned back to Hector. Mikhail slowly held a hand out to Hector. They stared at each other for a long moment before Hector accepted his hand and let Mikhail pull him to his feet. Neither of them looked very comfortable with this, and Hector didn't completely understand why either of them did it.

The captain approached Mikhail. Hector rubbed his stomach and turned away, pushing down the twisting feeling in his chest. He felt calmer when Quirin came running up to him, pulling him into an embrace.

"You did so good." Quirin clutched him tightly.

"But I lose." Hector leaned against his friend. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Quirin's mom walked towards them. She gave Hector a small smile, but he didn't trust it. "This wasn't about who won. I simply wanted to see how you two fought, and you did so much better than I had ever expected."

"I did?" Hector frowned. He'd barely been trying. "How?"

Instead of answering, Quirin's mom asked a question of her own. "Why did you stop? You could have beaten Mikhail, but you gave up instead."

Hector grimaced. He didn't want to admit it. This made him feel weak. Was that why Quirin's mom had been so pleased. Did she just want Hector to realize how weak he was? His dad gave him tests like that sometimes. If this was like that, then Hector knew that he would be punished even more if he didn't admit his weakness.

"I thought he wanted it more than I did." Hector said quietly. Quirin laughed triumphantly and tightened his grip on Hector. His mom looked very pleased. Were they happy with what Hector said? Why?

"You were right." Quirin's mom looked at her son. "Your friend is more than capable of sympathy. I must say, I'm impressed." She nodded at Hector. "If you still wish to join the Brotherhood, I'm sure the captain will be happy to see you join them. Quirin will show you the ropes. If you don't feel comfortable sleeping with the other initiates, you're more than welcome to continue using your room."

Hector was confused. It sounded like she was saying that he had passed. "But I didn't pass."

"I assure you, you did." Quirin's mom said.

"What?" Mikhail glanced back towards them. Hector hadn't realized that he'd been listening. "But he lost."

"It was never about who won or who lost." Quirin's mom said. She gave Mikhail a close look. He looked furious, like he was barely keeping himself from losing his temper. "Hector proved himself."

Mikhail was breathing deeply and he was looking around wildly again. He was clearly mad, but he was holding his tongue and not speaking his mind, though it seemed to take every bit of his will. Finally Mikhail let out a slow breath as he glared at Hector.

"If you believe he's worthy, then I won't question it." Mikhail said through clenched teeth. "It's not my place to question you."

Quirin's mom and the captain looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation. Eventually the captain looked at Mikhail and Hector. He looked very pleased with himself.

"Congratulations to both of you." The captain said. "I expect to see you both at training tomorrow."

Mikhail's eyes widened in disbelief before he grinned broadly. Hector let out a relieved breath. He didn't completely understand why, but they had both made it. Hector had somehow passed the test. He hadn't gotten badly hurt. He wasn't in trouble. He was okay. It didn't feel real, and only some of that was because he didn't know what had just happened.

Whatever the case, he was glad that it was over. He had felt like a toy for Quirin's mom and the captain. The only games that Hector wanted to play now were wrestling with his animal friends in his room.

While Quirin and Adira came to talk to Hector, Mikhail's parents did the same with him. Hector watched Mikhail curiously. He could see a little bit of the arrogant attitude that Adira had mentioned, but Hector could also see that he was pretending. He didn't really know just what Mikhail was pretending about, but he had a bad feeling about it.

Hector pushed the feeling down. He was just tense because of adrenalin. Nothing was wrong. It was like Adira said, Mikhail wouldn't have passed his test if he didn't deserve to be in the Brotherhood. The guards were protectors. They were safe. Quirin said they were the good guys, and Hector trusted him. He was just getting nervous about nothing. It wouldn't be the first time.