In reality, this first exchange of blows is only a warm-up and a way to assess the strength of the opposition. An unspoken rule in these encounters states that it is altogether improper to slaughter your adversary right away, for it is a question of fighting with style, not brawling in the street. Hence the opening round should not be shorter than ten minutes, and ideally the whole fight should last between twenty minutes and half an hour. If the fight continues beyond the half hour, this can only mean that both combatants are incompetent. It is a well-known truth that Orlando and Agricane fought each other for two solid days, but that was Orlando against Agricane, the finest Christian warrior against the champion of the Moors, no less.
Another implicit rule insists on the right of the combatants to suspend the fight, if anything happens to compromise it, from twisting an ankle to a simple fit of coughing. In other words, one has to win in a clean fight between equals, with no sort of unfair advantage. So when the left shoulder-guard of Knight A is knocked off by a blow from Knight B, the fight is interrupted. “Truce!” exclaims A, and hearing the exclamation, B lowers his sword, letting its point droop toward the ground. Then as A bends down to pick up the lost shoulder-guard, B uses the moment to go for his flask and swallow a mouthful of water.