"Cheers!"
The sound of tankards clashing together filled the barracks, followed by laughter and the hum of conversation. The knights were gathered around long wooden tables, the air thick with the scent of roasted meat and freshly baked bread. Their armor was finally off, replaced by simple tunics and trousers, but the scars and bruises from the trials remained.
For the first time in what felt like forever, they could relax.
"You should have seen your face when that last dummy swung at you, Darian!" one knight joked, laughing loudly.
Darian scoffed, downing a gulp of ale before slamming the tankard onto the table. "That thing came outta nowhere! But I handled it, didn't I?"
"Sure, if by 'handled it' you mean nearly tripping over your own feet," Laris teased, smirking over the rim of his drink.
"Hey, I was setting up for a counterattack!" Darian shot back, grinning.
"You mean you just got lucky," Esten said with a chuckle.