With the tournament now behind them, Rodrigo and the four other knights began the months-long process of assimilation into Count Raymond’s army. The long days were filled with weapons and combat training along with cavalry and horsemanship skills. Skills in personal combat were no longer considered a priority. The knights had to learn to fight and maneuver as a cohesive cavalry unit. Although all the Knights of the Crucem Auream were skilled horsemen, Rodrigo was the only one who had experienced real combat as a mounted cavalryman. He had witnessed firsthand the devastating power of an armored cavalry charge against the Saracen Almoravids in battle with his uncle. The havoc it had wreaked upon the enemy lines was unlike anything he had ever seen and had created an immeasurable advantage.
