The next morning, Ulrich woke early as usual.
He had gradually recovered the routine his injuries had interrupted. Rising before the household stirred, he went to the training yard beside the estate and began with the exercises his body could bear without aches. He had increased their difficulty over the past few days, adding repetitions and returning to movements he had set aside while his ribs and arm healed.
There was still some stiffness in his left side. He felt it when he raised the practice sword too quickly or held a position for longer than he should. Ulrich paid attention to those warnings, however irritating he found them. Pushing through an injury merely to prove that he could endure pain would achieve nothing if it delayed his recovery.
But caution did not mean remaining idle.
