The Anvil (78 page)

Suddenly
Caleb
smile
and
said
“
I
got
it
!
The
Master
is
even
thinking
of
adding
the
barb
lasso
to
the
Guardian
and
Rider
basic
equipment
.”
Tom
smiles
also
and
congratulates
his
brother
.
At
dinner
,
about
a
dozen
of
Caleb
’
s
good
friends
came
and
they
all
celebrated
long
into
the
night
.
Caleb
would
leave
the
following
week
and
be
an
apprentice
for
about
five
years
.

The
rest
of
the
days
passed
uneventful
aside
from
Zack
and
Dejoni
coming
the
last
three
days
,
and
in
what
seemed
like
no
time
Tom
was
flying
with
Alex
back
to
Blangto
.
They
landed
and
Tom
checked
his
leg
again
,
it
was
almost
completely
better
.
He
expected
it
would
be
better
in
two
days
.
He
walked
into
the
kitchen
to
make
dinner
and
found
Alex
leaning
against
the
counter
,
Tom
had
a
quick
moment
of
panic
that
he
had
done
something
wrong
which
quickly
passed
at
what
Alex
said
. “
As
you
know
,
the
Dragon
Guardians
hold
a
gathering
twice
a
year
,
the
last
one
was
canceled
because
of
the
war
.
The
next
one
is
next
week
,
so
get
ready
.
You
will
be
trained
in
everything
you
have
learned
,
all
the
‘
boring
’
subjects
,
axe
,
spear
,
crossbow
,
throwing
axe
and
all
the
magic
.”
Alex
told
him
,
and
Tom
started
making
dinner
.

The
week
passed
quickly
and
before
Tom
knew
it
he
was
flying
with
Alex
to
the
meeting
spot
.
No
one
except
the
Guardians
knew
about
the
spot
,
as
many
of
the
best
fighters
gathered
there
,
if
an
enemy
set
a
trap
or
ambush
they
could
kill
or
capture
some
of
the
most
important
leaders
and
fighters
.
As
before
Tom
was
amazed
at
the
skill
of
the
training
fighters
,
in
the
air
and
on
the
ground
.

Alex
showed
Tom
the
spot
they
would
camp
and
went
to
the
command
tent
,
leaving
Tom
instructions
to
set
up
camp
.
A
young
Guardian
walked
over
to
where
Tom
was
setting
up
a
tent
. “
You
are
lucky
to
get
Alex
as
a
master
.
I
’
m
Ronald
,
I
was
Alex
’
s
first
apprentice
,
you
must
be
his
second
.”
the
young
man
told
Tom
who
smiled
“
Ya
,
I
just
hope
I
learn
what
he
tries
to
teach
me
.
I
’
m
Tom
,
nice
to
meet
you
.”
Tom
replied
and
started
to
extend
his
hand
to
shake
Ronald
’
s
,
but
was
stopped
by
the
tent
posts
in
his
hand
. “
Want
some
help
with
that
?”
Ronald
asked
,
and
Tom
nodded
.

He
wanted
to
finish
as
soon
as
possible
.
Soon
both
tents
were
set
up
and
they
went
to
gather
wood
.
After
a
while
,
the
two
sat
around
a
fire
as
the
sun
began
to
sink
below
the
horizon
,
Ronald
drinking
coffee
,
Tom
had
never
liked
the
bitter
drink
.
Alex
walked
back
“
Good
to
see
you
Ronald
,
I
see
you
’
ve
met
Tom
.”
Alex
said
,
and
after
a
few
hours
of
talking
Ronald
went
to
his
campsite
and
the
other
two
went
into
their
tents
.

The
next
day
Tom
and
another
apprentice
,
Jim
who
was
starting
his
second
year
of
training
but
had
not
been
able
to
come
to
the
last
gathering
the
Guardians
had
held
,
went
with
a
Guardian
,
who
introduced
herself
as
Emily
.
Emily
tested
the
two
boys
in
both
close
range
weapons
,
both
long
range
weapons
,
combat
magic
,
flying
,
aerial
combat
,
ground
combat
and
all
around
combat
.
Tom
walked
back
to
Alex
’
s
and
his
campsite
sore
from
all
the
tests
.

Tom
’
s
wings
now
weren
’
t
only
a
spell
,
they
were
part
of
him
just
as
his
arms
and
legs
were
.
Alex
told
him
that
was
normal
,
it
would
help
him
use
them
better
.
He
still
could
make
them
disappear
,
but
it
was
like
putting
an
arm
in
your
shirt
.
Unable
to
use
or
see
them
,
but
still
felt
.
He
sat
on
a
log
and
warmed
up
some
water
for
hot
chocolate
.
The
day
after
Emily
tested
the
two
boys
on
battle
tactics
,
map
making
and
reading
,
terrain
advantages
along
with
the
more
‘
boring
’
subjects
,
such
as
math
.