Valerie cut in to add in a more thorough explanation. "We go to some of the most dangerous parts of the territory, the borders, and even have to deal with unexpected circumstances in travel to various places. The captain wants to make sure that all of us can handle ourselves, in case we get split off from the others." She smirked, smiling wryly. "You don't have to beat us, as long as we're satisfied with your skills, you'll get a passing mark.

"How generous." Mina drolled as she smirked, hand resting on the hilt of her sword as she eyed the other woman. Gaze drifting to Kincade practically dancing from foot to foot, and glancing to Sir Princeton as the grizzled man stepped out of the inn and approached behind the pair. "So.....who's ass do I kick first?"

What followed was a brief bout of rock-paper-scissors as they decided who should go first against her. The first round seeing Kincade eliminated with a double-paper versus his rock. Only for Valerie to get eliminated in the second round to the same formation! Sir Princeton chuckling, as he held up the winning hand(flattened to form the "paper" of the game), giving a small wave before gripping the hilt of his greatsword. Unslinging it from his back one-handed and settling it into a comfortable two-handed grip with the pommel being held---a hand-and-a-half style, so far as Mina could tell. His gentle voice rumbling quietly through her senses. "Ho ho~ It seems I've still got it in these kinds of games at least. Shall we begin then, miss Mina?"

Drawing her own sword from the sheath on her hip, Mina nodded. Gripping the hilt with both hands as she eyed the big blade.....It wasn't as slow as media made it out to be, from what she'd learned seeing a few others wielding such weapons. She'd seen how fast and fluid it could be, when in experienced hands---and Sir Princeton practically radiated a sense of experience. Radiating quiet confidence as he tightened his guard a little, before she lunged in. Taking the first step in the clash between them and striking from the side with an arcing swing that she'd used against the axe Wielders.

She wasn't surprised when he blocked it. Blade pivoting to deflect hers away, before surging upwards to try to pierce her through. Forcing her to leap backwards and give ground, paying for it immediately as his blade came rushing for her in a stepped into overhead swing. Pulling her guard tight at the last moment, she caught the strike as the large man pressed it home with his bodyweight, and almost immediately regretted doing so. His blows were so heavy! It felt like her arms might shatter just from the impact of that forceful strike, and Sir Princeton was still pressing. Driving her down into the soil, her feet sinking as Mina grimaced and braced against the heavy blow......raking her mind for how to counter this.

He was bigger than her, so a battle of weight wasn't an option. He was stronger, too, so she couldn't try to batter him down. That greatsword of his had a longer reach than her smaller longsword, and by what she could feel so far in this brief exchange he was vastly more skilled with his weapon than she with hers. What could she do that would give her the edge to overcome this wall ahead of her? Sir Princeton didn't exactly give her time to think, drawing his blade away and repositioning for a horizontal slash! Forcing her to duck under the blade and tuck into a roll, popping up as he chortled. "Oh my! Rather spry on your feet there, miss Mina. Not going to keep running away though, I hope? You certainly won't pass me if you do."

She hated to admit it, but Mina knew he was right. She couldn't dodge forever, and he certainly wouldn't approve of her joining their group at this rate if she couldn't give at least -something- beyond evading his attacks. He had her outmatched......in everything but speed. An idea catching hold as golden eyes sharpened, watching Sir Princeton's movements carefully. He was a bit close to the inn despite the size of his weapon, and he didn't seem to check behind him to make sure he was still clear. Was he used to not being moved from position? If that was the case, then she wouldn't need to outmatch him, she just had to out-think him, and create the opening to take the win! "No need to run when I have your measure now, good sir."

Seeing his brows lift in curiosity, she wasted no time, rushing in close with a swift striding step. Using her smaller size to pick up more speed as she struck towards his left. Blade arcing in a wide slash, only for him to deflect it. Feeling the ringing in her arms as her strike was parried by his guard, but she pressed the attack. Continuing to use slashing strikes as she pressed him backwards with the momentum of her attacks. Keeping track of his footing as they moved across the space beside the inn. Mina had just about gotten him into the position she wanted when she was caught off guard by a booted foot kicking her in the stomach. Sending her skidding backwards as she coughed, bile rising in her throat from the blow.

Sir Princeton chortling as he raised his greatsword onto his shoulder. "You've got a bold streak, miss Mina, but you're too fixated on the blade, it seems. It's an extension of your body, not the sole tool of it. Use it when you need, and when you can use others, do that too." His mustache crinkled as he gave a small smile, making the smile lines around his eyes crinkle and scrunch the weathered man's leathery features. "Do that, and you'll have no trouble catching your enemies off guard. Like just now!"

Spitting a mouthful of bile to the side, Mina wiped her mouth with the back of a hand. Holding the blade in a cautious position, guarding her center as she nodded. "Thanks for the advice. I'm still new, so it's all fresh for me. But that said, I don't think you need to worry, good sir."

At his bushy brows lifting, she lunged forward. Surging into range and counting down the timing in her mind's eye. One beat, and he collected himself from the surprise of her rush as she took another running step closer. Two beats, and his sword moved, the grip weaker without the second hand to support the blade as it came down to punish her with a powerful blow while her own ducked low to the side. A third beat, and she gauged the timing as the blade fell towards her shoulder, her own rising across the line of her body, before she tried something she'd noticed in her previous fight. When her foot had twisted, it had changed the momentum of her body, and now.....

The ringing of steel clashing broke the air as it sang through the space, Mina's lips pulling into a wide smile as she heard a softer sound. That distinct wet thunk, that came from a blade biting into wood, something she knew from accidentally nicking trees and branches during her training. Relishing in the surprise on Sir Princeton's face as he realized his blade was stuck. Her parry having deflected it up and away from the heavy blow that would've struck her, off-balancing his swing, and now his whole body was open to her attack!

"Now I've got you!" Tensing her muscles, she adjusted the alignment of the blade's edge, and struck! Slashing across his chest from shoulder to hip, the blade cutting through the clothe tabard and finding flesh. Resulting in a spray of blood across her arms and front as the big man coughed. Valerie gasping as Kincade shouted. "She really got him!"

Before she could celebrate though, a fist came rushing towards her. Forcing Mina to block it with the flat of her blade, the sheer strength of the blow sending her flying across the alley to smash into a stack of crates. Coughing as she picked herself up and saw Sir Princeton's bulging bicep popping his shirt sleeve clean off. Veins throbbing along the muscle, as he harumphed and straightened up. "Young miss.....don't ever assume you've won on the battlefield, until you see the enemy's head rolling at your feet. A little kitten scratch like this isn't enough to take down me, or my name isn't Iron Princeton!"

Huffing, he relaxed, reaching up and tugging his greatsword out of the wall as he checked the edge. Before sheathing it across his back once more. Spitting a bit of blood to the side and grumbling good-naturedly. "But I must admit, you *did* catch me off guard there, miss Mina. And as such....I think you've earned my pass. Well done...."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mina relaxed. Flicking the blood off her blade and wiping a hand across her face to clear it from her skin and eyes too. Watching as the bulky man stepped to the side, clapping Kincade on the shoulder as the outgoing younger man laughed. "Man.....I thought for a second there we were going to have to wait for you to wake back up, Princeton! She got you good!" 

Valerie stepped in, shaking her head as she gave a wry laugh. "Don't count it out just yet. That was some wicked deadly intent I felt off her, when she landed that blow. Our Mina sure has a lust for blood, it seems." Grinning wide, she gripped the hilt of her blade, and pulled it with a rasping screech from the sheath. The double curve of the sweeping shamshir glistening like a crescent moon of violence and killing intent. Wicked sharp, too, if the gleam of the edge was anything to go by. "Guess that means I don't need to hold back as much. You may have tricked up Princeton with some fancy footwork, but I've got your number Mina. The same tricks won't work against me."

Taking that warning to heart, Mina gripped her blade in both hands again. Pulling it back into the ready position as she centered herself, and gave a sly smile to the other, taller, woman. Golden eyes gleaming as they locked gazes across the field. "I'd be disappointed if it did, Valerie. Let's see if you can keep up."