The Anvil (8 page)

They
reached
the
cabin
at
nightfall
.
As
they
approached
the
cabin
John
came
out
and
said
“
Hello
Alex
and
Tom
.
How
where
your
trips
?”
They
talked
while
they
ate
dinner
.
Alex
was
vague
on
details
but
it
was
a
mission
to
check
on
reports
of
a
large
group
of
bandits
,
the
bandits
were
there
and
they
tried
to
fight
him
.
One
of
the
stupidest
things
to
do
,
as
almost
every
Arstanian
knew
,
was
to
fight
a
Dragon
Guardian
.
Tom
listened
hard
to
learn
of
fighting
techniques
.
Tom
told
them
of
his
trip
,
then
went
to
bed
.

The
same
schedule
resumed
for
two
months
with
brief
interruptions
for
Alex
to
go
on
missions
,
most
Tom
joined
him
but
not
for
really
dangerous
ones
.
Those
missions
he
stayed
with
John
and
trained
.
One
day
Alex
said
to
Tom
“
We
are
going
to
the
Guardian
Dragon
semiannual
meeting
.
Because
the
meeting
grounds
are
so
far
away
I
will
carry
you
as
I
fly
.
Get
packed
we
leave
tomorrow
.”
Then
Alex
walked
away
and
Tom
went
to
pack
.
The
next
day
they
left
John
on
the
island
and
Alex
started
flying
east
.

The
meeting
ground
was
in
the
middle
of
the
country
and
they
were
in
a
western
fief
.
It
took
three
days
to
get
to
the
meeting
grounds
.
When
they
got
there
Tom
saw
about
a
half
-
dozen
Guardian
Dragons
training
with
bows
.
Ten
others
were
sparring
with
various
weapons
,
axes
,
swords
and
some
without
a
weapon
.
He
looked
up
and
saw
some
flying
around
,
some
practicing
aerial
combat
.
There
was
a
pavilion
set
up
in
the
middle
of
the
clearing
.
Alex
told
Tom
to
set
up
camp
then
wait
for
more
instructions
.
Tom
set
up
camp
then
sat
on
a
log
,
he
looked
up
as
Alex
and
another
Guardian
approached
.

He
stood
up
and
Alex
said
“
Tom
this
is
Jake
he
will
be
testing
you
to
see
how
your
training
is
doing
.”
Jake
nodded
then
said
to
Tom
“
Follow
me
,
boy
”.
His
first
test
was
of
his
close
combat
skills
.
Jake
got
some
wooden
weapons
and
they
sparred
.
By
the
end
Tom
had
bruises
and
welts
all
over
.
Jake
looked
fine
as
he
wrote
on
a
paper
.
He
finished
writing
and
said
“
Now
for
your
archery
test
.”
Tom
grabbed
his
crossbow
and
followed
Jake
to
the
archery
range
.
Jake
had
him
shoot
from
different
stances
and
distances
.

Jake
wrote
on
his
paper
,
again
.
Then
told
him
“
Now
we
test
your
magic
skills
.
What
elements
have
you
learned
?”
Tom
replied
“
I
have
learned
much
of
water
and
started
on
earth
magic
.”
Jake
then
took
him
to
a
stream
and
had
him
do
various
things
with
the
water
.
Then
Jake
looked
at
Tom
after
writing
on
his
paper
and
said
“
That
is
it
for
today
,
tomorrow
we
test
you
on
all
the
rest
of
the
stuff
like
map
reading
,
history
and
tracking
.”
Two
days
later
the
meeting
ended
and
each
Guardian
went
their
separate
ways
.

Chapter
5

Tom
and
Alex
went
Alex
'
s
fief
,
Ironwood
,
and
had
to
deal
with
a
group
of
bandits
so
large
they
sometimes
attacked
small
towns
and
villages
.
Alex
flew
with
Tom
on
his
back
for
two
days
to
about
where
the
bandits
were
.
Alex
landed
and
Tom
jumped
down
as
Alex
said
“
I
am
going
to
scout
out
the
bandits
'
camp
.
You
set
up
the
tents
and
get
dinner
ready
.
No
fires
,
though
.”
Alex
walked
into
the
trees
and
Tom
spent
the
next
hour
and
a
half
setting
up
the
tents
,
getting
dinner
ready
and
sitting
around
.

Alex
finally
came
back
and
ate
.
Alex
then
explained
the
battle
plan
.
They
would
attack
just
after
the
bandits
had
lunch
.
Tom
would
stay
in
the
trees
shooting
with
his
crossbow
until
he
ran
out
of
bolts
then
he
would
join
Alex
.
Then
Alex
added
“
That
is
if
they
are
dumb
and
don
'
t
surrender
.”
they
laughed
and
Alex
set
some
spells
to
protect
their
camp
and
they
went
to
sleep
.
The
next
day
they
cleaned
their
gear
,
sharpened
their
weapons
and
made
sure
everything
was
ready
.