"There was no luck in that battle," said Briza in a forceful manner. "Your movements were purposeful, as if you knew when and where every attack was coming from."

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"We only want the truth," Sabrina said in Briza's stead.

Danny found himself wondering if Sir Syndil had been right about others reacting badly once they found out about his ability. He decided to err on the side of caution; he really didn't want Sabrina to think poorly of him. "It was pure luck that I had the dagger Sir Tyramear had given me," said Danny, holding the dragon-hilted blade up for everyone to see. "Remind me to thank your father again," he added, faking a smile.

Everyone, except for Sabrina and Briza, seemed to accept the explanation as they gathered around him and praised his victory. Danny didn't like lying to Sabrina. However, it was better than the alternative, Sabrina despising him for his ability.

Chapter 24 - A Night with Calador.

wo months passed quicker than Danny could've imagined, so caught up was he in the structured schedule of daily training. After winning the duel against Squire Rigil, he found that others treated him quite differently; even venerable squires from other armies showed him respect. No longer greeted as only a first-year, he was treated like a member of the eight armies, Danny felt accepted; Squire Rigil still called him a 'newb'. However, Danny came to accept the nickname, a small price to pay for the larger squire's friendship. Just as promised, Squire Rigil never failed to greet Danny as a friend during his visits to the Dragon Army barracks every Sunday since their dual. On a couple of occasions, the one-time foe even offered to train with Danny and Sabrina.

In the weeks since the now legendary duel, Danny spent almost every day, training with Sir Syndil, honing his ability. Danny's concentration improved, allowing him to perceive the actions of others for longer periods of time. His goal, the goal Sir Syndil had given him, was to try to extend the duration of his ability to a full day. Currently, he could only sustain the foresight for about a couple of hours prior to one's actions.

However, he wasn't the only one who'd progressed, Chris had become a force of nature with his hand and a half-sword, besting most of the first-year class, save for Briza and Danny himself. In most cases, Danny found that duels with Chris often resulted in a draw, so flawless was his technique.

Anthony maintained his brawn-over-brain method, which often resulted in his victory against those less gifted. However, at times, his sheer strength even overcame those who showed superior skill.

Alonso, often quick, still hot-tempered, turned out to be an exceptional duelist. His speed, combined with his unpredictability, often turned the tide against many of his opponents. Then again, these same attributes sometimes turned the tide against him as well.

Doug improved with the help of Briza's coaching. Matt continued to struggle with the basics, but showed small advancement nonetheless.

The current day found Danny back at the tailor for refitting, greeted by the head tailor, Mathis Deandrow, who looked every part the nobleman in his elegant light blue robes.

"Greetings, Squires," said the slender man as he dipped low in a graceful bow, addressing Danny and the entire first-year class. "It has been two months since I saw you all last," he continued, wading into the crowd, "and I can see that many of you are already in serious need of alterations." He made his point clear as he stopped before Doug, pinched two fingers worth of fabric from his shoulders, and pulled the cloth taut, showing a significant amount of extra material. "Your training has a way of loosening clothes. Come, I shall see you all properly refitted."

An army of tailors assailed Danny, armed with quill and ink, parchment and a measuring tape. When they were finished, he found out that he'd lost two inches around the waist and gained three inches of muscle in the thighs, two inches around the biceps, four inches in his chest and three inches from shoulder to shoulder.

Matt and Doug had lost a substantial amount of weight and replaced it with lean muscle, their oversized robes drooped from the excess fabric.

Chris and Alonso had stayed relatively the same; they'd both been in good shape when they began their training. However, Anthony seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, his body stacked on pound after pound of muscle, his robes were starting to rip at the seams.

By the time Danny and the others returned to the barracks, the soft glow of the sun began to descend behind the whirling dark clouds of the surrounding storm, sending the last beams of amber light over the eye above. Upon entering, Danny found the table set with a feast of foodstuffs, the aroma was both welcoming and beckoning. After eating his fill with his friends, Danny had every intention of finding his way back to his bunk, tomorrow would be another day of hard training and he would need the proper rest. However, he only made it as far as the stairs.

"Squire Firoth," Calador beckoned.

Danny turned to face the blind Elf. I wonder what he wants?

"I was wondering, might I have a word?"

Danny looked to Chris, who shrugged in bewilderment. "Of course," said Danny, returning the shrug before making his way over to Calador as he stood at the head of the long dining table.

"Teacher's pet," Alonso whispered behind Danny's back.

"Let us take a walk, far away from prying ears," said Calador, turning toward the double doors.

Stepping into the cool night air, complete with a brisk breeze, Calador turned right at a slow, purposeful pace.

Danny fell into step beside the Elf, his interest rising. He decided to keep to himself until Calador explained the reason for this one-on-one attention. Thus far, Calador had remained aloof, overseeing the needs of the first-year squires from a silent distance. However, Calador seemed to carry an air of kindness about him. He wasn't known for saying much, yet his words were often well-received and to the point. Danny found this new behavior somewhat alarming.

"You have been spending a substantial amount of time under the tutelage of Sir Syndil."

"Yes," offered Danny, hesitating, unsure if the Elf's words were a statement or a question.

"May I inquire why?"

"Sir Syndil has been assisting me with my swordsmanship."

"Was it his tutelage that helped you to defeat Squire Rigil in a duel?"

"You know about that?"

A small smile cracked the stern lips of Calador, an expression not often seen on the Elf. Stopping, he turned to stare down at Danny. Although the Elf sported his usual binding of a white blindfold, Danny could feel the intensity of Calador's focus. "Most of the island has heard of your victory, Squire Firoth. You must remember that my ears are more keen than most."

"Of course," said Danny, stopping before the Elf, meeting his blunted stare squarely. Calador's gaze seemed to go right through him. Feeling uncomfortable, Danny dropped his head.

"Come," said Calador, resuming his walk, his attention forward as if sensing Danny's distress.

Again, Danny followed behind, rushing to catch up, falling into step.

"So, it was Sir Syndil's extra training that allowed you to accomplish something that no other squire has been able to do since the inception of the Order of the Light?" Calador asked after a few silent seconds of walking.

"I... I believe so, yes."

"You do not wish to tell me the whole truth?" Calador asked in a tempered tone.

Caught off-guard, Danny slowed his step, falling behind the Elf. He had indeed kept the whole of the truth from the Elf, but Danny wondered how Calador could've known.

"I can hear the subtle differences in your voice as you tense up in a lie," explained Calador, slowing his pace to match Danny's. "If you were a better liar, I might not have caught it."

"You can tell when people are lying just by the tone of their voice?"

"I see, so you were lying?"

Danny stopped. "You tricked me!"

Calador took two last steps before turning, a smirk growing across his face. "Did I?"

"So, can you tell if someone is lying or not?"

"It seems we both have our own little secrets, Squire Firoth."

"Why'd you bring me out here?"

Calador's expression resumed to his familiar mask of emotionless composure. "I simply wish to tell you a story, Squire," said the Elf, his blindfolded stare sending chills down Danny's spine.

"I'm listening," said Danny, not knowing what to expect.

"Then come with me, this is not the proper setting," said Calador, turning as two Knights of the Light passed on a routine patrol, their heavy armor clanging as they walked.

Danny followed, his curiosity piqued.

Turning down a slim corridor, between two white brick buildings, Calador emerged onto a dual-lane road that ran along the edge of the island. Before him stretched a highly arched bridge that provided passage across a deep break in the earth. The bridge was bricked with the usual white stone of the island and ornate in its construction, with four towering pillars.

Following behind but at a distance, Danny watched as Calador stopped near the edge of the cliff face. The pointed ears of the Elf perked up, as if listening for possible intruders, just before he turned and dropped over the side. Danny's heart stopped in his chest as he ran to the edge, expecting to see the Elf's lifeless body strewn across a set of jagged rocks below. "Calador!" he yelled, before peering over the edge. Instead of the gruesome sight he expected, Danny found the Elf standing safely on a large stone outcropping, the rhythmic sound of the crashing waves echoing from nearly fifty feet below him.

"Come, Squire," said Calador with a smile, just before hopping to a lower set of protruding stones.

Danny's knees became rubbery as he glanced down at the sheer cliff wall and the razor-sharp rocks that appeared and then disappeared in the colliding waves of the sea.

"This is crazy," said Danny, more for his own benefit than the Elf's ears. However, Danny carried no false hope that the Elf had failed to hear him.

"I found this path during my first year here as a squire," said Calador, hopping to a third set of stones further down the cliff face. "You could say I was quite cocky in my youth."

"You were a squire?"

"Once," said Calador, a faint hint of regret in his tone. "But that is no secret."

Danny pondered the comment only momentarily.

"Come! There is something I wish you to see." Danny hesitated a bit longer, prompting the Elf to add, "Do not be so reserved, Squire, you have eyes to see where you are jumping; I have only my memory."

"I'd rather have your memories than my sight, I think," Danny conceded. "Not only can I see where to jump, I can also see where I'll end up if I fall."

"Then close your eyes if you wish," said Calador with a soft chuckle.

Despite the task before him, Danny found the Elf's light-hearted mood comforting. This was a side of Calador that he had never seen before. Taking a deep breath, steadying his resolve, Danny made the four-foot drop, landing solidly on the stone below. To his relief, the rock was firm under his feet. However, the cadenced crash of the ocean beneath him was a constant reminder of the risk.

"Good," encouraged Calador, "now follow me."

Slowly, but surely, Danny followed the Elf down a descending set of naturally-occurring steps, some were an easy jump and others required a jog just shy of a running start. Together, they worked their way beneath the bridge to a wet rock landing, the lapping waves cresting just below the lip.

"Here, you will need this." Calador presented Danny with a short stick wrapped in a soft grey cloth.

Un-wrapping the package, Danny nearly dropped it into the water as the tip burst into a bright yellow flame. However, after running his left hand through it, he realized that the blaze didn't burn, nor did it produce any heat. Upon closer inspection, the wood appeared to be black, as if charred.

"The flame is eternal, but it will not keep you warm at night, nor will it assist in the creation of a real fire. Its purpose is to provide light only. Obviously, I have no use for it, so you may keep it if you wish."

"Thank you," said Danny, continuing to test the licking flames on the palm of his left hand.

"This way," said Calador, ducking beneath an overhanging ledge, entering the threshold of a jagged cave.

Danny followed, leaving the sound of the crashing waves behind him, muffled by the corridors of the cave. Delving deeper, the rocky path descended in a series of steep steps before expanding into a spacious chamber with a vaulted ceiling, filled with hanging stalactites. The heatless flame bathed the massive room in soft yellow light. Danny found Calador in the middle of the room, the Elf's hands folded behind him and his face an emotionless wall. Around the Elf, upon the smoothed stone of the floor, ran a crudely carved ring inscribed with ancient text. Danny recognized it as a dueling circle.

"What is this place?"

"This is where I prefer to train, Squire Firoth," said Calador with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I don't understand. You said you were a squire once, right?"

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you a Knight of the Light?"

"You were chosen to become a squire due to the Gift of Sight, yes?"

"Yes."

"Well, I have no sight at all. That gift was taken from me."

"...How?"

"It happened during my third year as a squire. Another squire, one year my senior, accidentally extinguished my sight forever during a duel over rank, or so he said. He was the captain of Dragon Army at the time; I was his lieutenant. I thought myself to be better and challenged him to a duel in order to assure my place as captain. I lost my eyesight as a result. As I said previously, I was quite the cocky squire." Calador allowed himself a slight chuckle.

"But you're still able to see so much despite the loss," said Danny in a comforting tone. He felt unsure of Calador's intentions, the Elf had never been this forthcoming with him. "Surely, losing your sight wouldn't have stopped you from pursuing knighthood."

"No, it would not have," said the Elf as he dropped his gaze, his tone thick with pent-up emotion. Forcing the sorrow down, resuming his cold facade, he added, "I lost something far more precious than my sight that day. My Bonded was shattered, destroyed during the same attack that took my eyes. It was the last thing I ever saw."

"Couldn't you just choose another?"

Calador's hardened disguise broke momentarily. "If only it was as easy as that."

"Isn't it?"

"No," said Calador, his gaze turning in Danny's direction. "A Knight of the Light does not simply choose a Bonded on his or her own. The Bonded must choose the wielder as well. Once the relationship between a Knight of the Light and a Bonded is made, it is carried until death. The name given to the blade, Bonded, is not in name only, the wielder and blade become one. Thus, losing a Bonded is like losing a part of yourself, once lost, neither is able to choose another."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," said Danny in a tone filled with sincere empathy.

"You are a first-year squire and not Lightborn; there is no way you could have known at this point," said Calador coldly.

"I just meant..."

"Your pity is well received, Squire Firoth, but unnecessary," interrupted Calador. "I made peace with my lot many years ago."

"Why are you telling me this?" Danny asked, feeling rather annoyed by the Elf's interruption.

"Because, Danny," said Calador, his voice refilled with purpose, "the squire who took my eyes is now a Knight of the Light as well as an instructor at this school."