Five-Minute fiction - 23:51-23:56
You will stand at attention and listen while spoken to! Do you understand? the officer called. He paced the grass in front of the recruits his hand resting easily on the hilt of his sword. He wore the uniform typical to those of the Gallows Guard, his armour polished but well-worn. I should not have to inform you of the honour that is being bestowed upon you, but not all of you will stand the tests. Some will bow out, and there is no shame in it. Greater men have failed. It is those that endure only to turn aside at the end. You are the ones who will only harm the Guard and yourselves, he paused as if waiting for one of the ten recruits to step out of line and, with tail between their legs, scurry back toward the village. No one stirred. Each met his eye in turn as he passed. Know this that if you complete the trials and reach the final test. You will receive an honour so great that even your failure at the test is so great an honour that your name will live on in
You will stand at attention and listen while spoken to! Do you understand? the officer called. He paced the grass in front of the recruits his hand resting easily on the hilt of his sword. He wore the uniform typical to those of the Gallows Guard, his armour polished but well-worn. I should not have to inform you of the honour that is being bestowed upon you, but not all of you will stand the tests. Some will bow out, and there is no shame in it. Greater men have failed. It is those that endure only to turn aside at the end. You are the ones who will only harm the Guard and yourselves, he paused as if waiting for one of the ten recruits to step out of line and, with tail between their legs, scurry back toward the village. No one stirred. Each met his eye in turn as he passed. Know this that if you complete the trials and reach the final test. You will receive an honour so great that even your failure at the test is so great an honour that your name will live on in