by Daniel Fife
"That's not funny, man," Chris said to Danny, as he grabbed Anthony's hand and pulled it away from the pommel of his sword. "And you need to calm down."
"Sorry."
"Has he left yet?" Danny asked.
Chris shook his head from side to side. Two seconds later, one of the double doors creaked open.
"Back," whispered Chris, swinging his arm wide, forcing Anthony and Danny behind him.
All three boys watched as Sir Syndil exited the building, closed the door behind him and began walking in the opposite direction.
"Alright, you know what to do," said Danny.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Chris asked.
Danny tucked his chin in approval. "Just remember, if he looks like he's coming back, one of you needs to come and warn me."
Chris nodded before stalking around the corner with Anthony in tow.
Danny waited until Sir Syndil, Chris and Anthony were out of sight before crossing the distance to the double doors. Testing the handle, he found both doors locked. Doors were seldom locked on White Rock Island. Cursing his luck, he looked both ways to make sure he wasn't being watched. The area seemed deserted as he slipped to the left of the building and entered a meager alleyway. Looking up, he noticed a series of slender windows nearly seven feet above him.
Gathering a couple choice items from the alley, an empty barrel and a sturdy wooden box, Danny piled them on top of each other and climbed to the top, his chin was level with the window sill. Finding no handhold to help him open the double-paned window, he unsheathed his sword and leveled the tip at the bottom. Wedging the point between the window and the sill, he used the sword to force it open. Finding the window unlocked, he sighed softly as it slid up. He sheathed his sword, lifted the window up the rest of the way, heaved his body up and over and slipped inside. Dangling for a moment, he released his grip and dropped the few feet to the floor. Finding a stout wooden chair and standing on it, he reached up and re-secured the window.
Looking around, he found the familiar sight and smell of the dueling room out of place without Sir Syndil. His eyes were drawn to the wall of weapons displayed before him. Refocusing, he willed his eyes from the alluring sight and rushed over to Sir Syndil's large oak desk.
The old desk was clear of clutter, well-organized, papers piled in neat stacks, complete with a black quill and ink placed within reaching distance from the chair. Danny had no doubt that Calador had told him the truth about Sir Syndil's tendency to be purpose-driven, everything he did seemed to have some sort of purpose. Searching through the papers and looking through the desk drawers, Danny found nothing incriminating. Assuming he even knew what he was looking for in the first place, which he didn't. He made sure to put everything back just as he'd found it. He didn't want Sir Syndil's compulsive tidiness to be his undoing.
Sighing, Danny looked elsewhere, his eyes lingered on the brass door that marked Sir Syndil's personal quarters. Figuring that would be the next-best place to look, he walked over to the door; he was relieved to find it unlocked. Twisting the doorknob, he forced the heavy door open, it made a subtle squeak.
The room was rather dim, lit by a single circular window. To the right, Danny noticed a small but adequate bed with a brass backing and silvery sheets. A small workstation, complete with a level desk, lined the back wall, and a large bookcase filled to the brim with tomes and manuscripts satisfied the space to the left. Overall, it was just as Danny imagined it, quaint but functional.
Beginning with the bookshelf to his left, Danny skimmed through the selections, the majority were about Shadows and the rest were about swordsmanship and weapons of old. Toward the bottom of the collection, he noticed a space, a book should have been there.
Turning, focusing his search on the workstation, he discovered the missing book, cracked open mid-way through, displayed upon the slanted desk. Inserting two fingers between the cracked pages, he closed the book and investigated the title, written in elegant gold letters on the spine. "Lore of The Mageknight," he read aloud, his voice little more than a whisper. Turning back to the open page, he read the chapter caption displayed in bold black letters; "The Gift of Ghostsight." Skimming the text, Danny discovered that the description of the Ghostsight fit his own ability without the slightest hint of doubt.
Danny's breath caught in his chest, this book was proof that Sir Syndil had known about his ability from the start. Calador’s accusation proved to be correct, for whatever reason, Sir Syndil was lying.
Unable to pull his eyes from the pages of the book, Danny read on as the words described the Ghostsight in more detail. It was written that the Ghostsight was believed to have the ability to predict the future, even see the past. It seemed that forecasting the movements of others was only the beginning. Reading further, Danny realized that the text grew vague. The book hadn't been written by the Mageknight, it was based upon outside accounts, incidents of those who'd fought by his side.
"Predict the future or even see the past," Danny whispered to the empty room. He suddenly wished for just such an ability, it would serve him well in his current situation. Then again, according to the text, he did possess the beginnings of the Ghostsight. Thus, who was to say he didn't already possess the ability to foresee events in the more distant future rather than just a few seconds ahead or even the past?
Making up his mind to try, Danny began the rhythmic in and out of the breathing technique Sir Syndil had taught him. Closing his eyes, clearing his mind, he tightened every muscle in his body, causing his knuckles to clench and turn white from exertion. Then, allowing his body to relax, he opened his eyes and jumped back as a ghostly outline of Sir Syndil appeared in front of him.
Danny took a step backward, giving the apparition plenty of room.
The wraith of Sir Syndil was sitting on the stool in front of the desk, looking down, studying the tome that Danny had just finished reading.
"What's going on?" Danny asked the specter.
Sir Syndil stirred, his head arose in response.
Thinking that the wraith had heard him, Danny's hand drifted to the sword at his side, fingering the cool metal of the hilt.
Sir Syndil stood and turned as Danny pulled the blade halfway free. However, Danny stopped as the transparent eyes of the apparition looked unknowingly past him. Stepping forward, Sir Syndil walked within striking distance of Danny's sword, but made no threatening movements.
Hesitating, Danny gasped with shock as Sir Syndil continued his advance, passed harmlessly through him, and continued out of the room. Loosening the breath he'd kept pent-up in a deep sigh, Danny turned and followed Sir Syndil back into the training room.
Sir Syndil moved with determined steps, passing by his long desk and crossing the right half of the dueling circle.
Danny followed close behind.
Sir Syndil stopped in front of the far wall, a slender, ornate dagger decorated the space in front of him. Reaching up to grasp the weapon, his fingers hovered close to the hilt. Then, with a twist of the wrist, his hand passed through the golden pommel and disappeared, along with the rest of his ghostly form, leaving Danny alone and confused.
What was that, the past, the future or something else? Danny took the few remaining steps toward the wall and investigated the small gilded dagger that hung before him. It was a beautiful weapon, made from gold with an inlaid strip of silver, but not meant for combat. Danny thumbed the edge. Gripping the hilt, mimicking Sir Syndil’s specter’s actions, Danny gave it a quick twist to the right.
The dagger turned without much resistance, stopping tip-down, making a loud click. The sound of gears working echoed through the wall and the floor. Then, the gritty sound of stone grinding against stone erupted from somewhere behind him. Spinning quickly, Danny caught the end of the movement as a slab of stone, the section that made up the center of the dueling circle, slid down and to the right, leaving a dark, rectangular hole visible.
Releasing his hold on the golden dagger, Danny crept to the m
iddle of the circle and peered into the secret opening. Kneeling, he could see only darkness. Freeing his dragon-hilted dagger, he held the blade before him, the soft glow of the brand created just enough light for him to spot a triangular wooden box glazed with a reddish finish sitting just below the surface. Faltering for a split-second, he steeled his resolve and removed the box from its secret storage compartment. It was heavy and smooth to the touch.
Placing it just to the left of the hole, Danny fiddled with the silver latch that held the box shut and it opened with a click. Prying the top open, he found a spherical object sitting there wrapped in a piece of soft black leather. Nearly the size of his head, Danny was surprised by the weight of the object. Unwrapping the leather covering, he held a large globe of black glass in his hand. Upon closer inspection, he watched as a mass of shadows swirled within, like sheets of dark fabric fluttering in the wind.
However, what truly amazed him was that the twirling shades inside seemed to extend beyond the barrier of the glass, as if something within wished desperately to reach out and touch him.
Danny was mesmerized. Against his better judgment seemingly not of his own volition, his right hand moved closer and closer toward the black globe, causing the dancing gloom within to flap with an increasing flurry. Just before he touched it, a hurried rattle echoed from the double doors behind him, breaking his concentration, causing him to spin toward the sound.
"Sir Syndil!" Danny whispered as his breath caught in his throat in sudden fear.
"Danny, are you in there?" a familiar voice asked from the opposite side of the twin doors.
Danny sighed with relief as he recognized Anthony's deep voice. "What is it?"
"Sir Syndil is on his way back. You need to get out of there."
"Okay, give me a second," said Danny, twisting back to the mysterious black orb. Regretfully, he re-wrapped the sphere in soft black leather, closed the top of the box and latched it shut. Hefting the box back into its secret compartment, he ran to the wall and rotated the golden dagger to its original position. The sounds of gears grinding and stone sliding reverberated through the floor as the slab of stone glided into place, making the dueling circle whole once again.
Rushing, he made his way to the double doors and unlocked them from the inside. Then, after opening them, he re-locked them before shutting them behind him and sprinted to the small alley across the street.
"Did you find anything?" Anthony asked.
Danny had no time to answer as he spotted Sir Syndil round the far corner, just a short way down the street. Ducking deeper into the shadowy alley, he pulled Anthony with him. They watched from their secreted spot as Sir Syndil walked up to the double doors with an even pace, unlocked them with a shiny silver key and disappeared within.
Danny allowed the breath he'd been holding to escape slowly. "That was too close."
Moments later, Chris joined them, a relieved expression on his face. He was glad that Anthony had warned Danny in time.
"Was Sir Syndil up to anything?" Danny asked.
Chris shook his head. "He simply went for a walk. …Nothing out of the ordinary that I could see. What about you?"
Danny dropped his gaze, he wasn't sure what he'd found or even how he'd found it, for that matter. Confused by the events unfolding around him, he simply said, "You could say I found something."
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Chapter 28 - Putting the Pieces Together
he next day, just after dinner, Danny met with Chris, Alonso, Anthony and Matt in a secluded corner of the common hall.
"Where is Doug and Briza?" Danny asked, looking around.
Anthony simply shrugged, denying any knowledge.
"Haven't seen them," commented Matt, pushing up his glasses.
"Last I heard, they were following Calador," Chris added.
"I told you we couldn't trust that Elf girl," chimed in Alonso.
Danny had called this meeting hoping that some helpful information had been discovered. He had news of his own and he wanted to begin a detailed search into the origin of the object he'd found within Sir Syndil's classroom. However, it wasn't like Doug to be late, especially with Briza in his company.
Danny had picked this quiet spot next to the fireplace to meet for Briza's benefit, since females weren't allowed to venture into the boys' side of the barracks and vice versa. Looking around, he noticed that few remained in the common hall. Some had already wandered off to bed, tired from the long day of training. He was sure they wouldn't be overheard.
"We will just have to continue without them," Danny said after a long pause. "One of us will fill them in later."
"You said you found something in Sir Syndil's classroom," said Chris in a questioning tone.
"I…" However, his voice cut off as he saw Calador enter the common hall with Doug and Briza in tow, pushing them forward, stern hands on their shoulders.
Matt let out a shallow gasp. "That's not good," he said, putting Danny's inner thoughts into words.
Forced forward with Calador behind them, Doug and Briza radiated utter failure. Their eyes said it all. They had been caught.
Calador stopped them just before the rounded table that Danny and his friends had claimed for their own. "Is there a reason these two have been following me around for the past couple of days? Do not get me wrong, Squire Hollinger is quite skilled in the art of stealth, as are most Elves, however, I could hear Squire Garrett's breathing from nearly a mile away."
Doug's gaze drooped even further as the details of his capture became evident.
"Well?"
"I had to be sure we could trust you," said Danny.
"You cannot trust me," said Calador, releasing Briza and Doug, allowing them to take their seats at the table.
"Sorry," Doug said glumly as he sat down.
"My apologies," added Briza with a slight bow.
"I am a stranger to you," continued Calador, crossing his arms. "I have given you no reason to trust me, nor any reason not to trust me. That is a decision you must make on your own. However, having two inexperienced squires risk themselves against a superior opponent is not the best strategy." The tall Elf paused for a moment. Then, leaning forward and placing both hands on the table, he said, "Please tell me that you have not been trying to follow Sir Syndil around as well."
All of those seated dropped their gaze, admitting their guilt.
"Foolish," scolded Calador. "Sir Syndil is as skilled as I. He could have easily discovered you, just as I have, assuming that he has not done so already. Tell me, who was it that you assigned to that detail?"
"I appointed Squire Chris and Squire Anthony," Danny said, looking at the two in question.
"Squire Greene is a capable fighter," admitted Calador, "but he is not built for stealth. And that one's footsteps are like a beating drum," he added, pointing at Anthony. "You will have to assume that Sir Syndil knew he was being followed, and I will assume then that you have already told your friends about our discussion, Squire Firoth," he said, taking his hands from the table, straightening his back, and folding his arms across his chest once again. "How much have you told them?"
"…Everything."
"Your trust in your friends is admirable, Squire Firoth, but dangerous. I once considered Sir Syndil a friend as well."
"I trust them with my life."
"Indeed you do," said Calador with a subtle smile. "Well, then, Squire Hollinger and Squire Garrett, please tell your friends about the conspicuous activities I have been involved in over the past few days."
Briza spoke up first. "He visits with Sir Bartlett Firebeard often, entering the forge for hours at a time."
"An old friend," added Calador, motioning for Briza to continue.
"He tends to frequent the library and a small cavern on the southeast end of the island," continued Briza.
"The library has a substantial collection of books written in Braille; I am unable to read texts scribed in the traditional way due to my handicap. The cave, of co
urse, is my desired place of training, as you all know, assuming Squire Firoth did, in fact, tell you everything." Pausing, Calador waited for a moment before adding, "And your conclusion is, Squire Hollinger?"
Looking rather uncomfortable, Briza met Danny's gaze as if she was seeking his permission to continue.
Danny nodded, encouraging her to do so.
"Your movements were not suspicious," said Briza. "I can find no reason to condemn you."
"That doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't guilty of something," said Matt with a squint, adjusting his glasses. "You said that you knew you were being followed. How do we know that you were simply not doing anything suspicious in order to appear trustworthy?"
"You do not know," said Calador, matter-of-factly. "However, I am aware that you and Squire Martinez have been visiting the library of late, more specifically, the archives. I am assuming this has been in response to what I discussed with Squire Firoth. If you would be so kind as to discuss what you found, it may shed some light on my trustworthiness."
"How could you know that?" Matt asked.
"I may be blind, Squire, but I am not without my senses."
Matt hesitated, he glanced at Danny with a questioning expression.
"It will do no harm for Calador to hear your findings as well," said Danny. "Especially since he already appears to know," he added with a hint of sarcasm.
With Danny's assurance, Matt reached into his robes and produced a rolled-up piece of yellow parchment. After fiddling with his glasses with one hand and spreading the paper out in front of him with the other, he skimmed the scribbled black text. After a moment, he said, "What we found in the archives matches Calador's description of what happened about seventy seven years ago. A third-year squire, Calador Varackice Con Dillion, challenged Squire Syndil Sartak Tribolari, the captain of Dragon Army. During the duel, Squire Dillion's Bonded was shattered and his eyesight lost.