He had a lot to prove, out here with the young men who all towered over him. He had to prove he deserved a spot in an éored, that his success did not depend on being the sister-daughter-son of the King.
He picked up his practice sword and faced his oppenent. It was Hroðmund, the tallest of the recruits and one who did not believe that someone with hobbit blood deserved to be a Rider of the Mark. He glanced around at the faces that watched them. Ari vowed to prove to each of them that he was worthy.