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“Third Aspect of the Order?”

Dentos paused, brow furrowed as he searched hisor telling?”

“Telling”

“Good You’re right” Vaelin clapped him on the back as they continued across the courtyard “Dentos, my brother, I think you may pass this test today”

They were called to the Test in the afternoon, lining up outside a chaave the to behave themselves and told Barkus he was first Barkus seeravity on Sollis’s face stopped hi the chamber Sollis closed the door behind hiet to the dining hall” He stalked off leaving theht he’d be doing this,” Dentos said, a little weakly

“Doesn’t look like it does it?” Nortah said He went to the door, leaning down to put his ear to the wood

“Hear anything?” Dentos whispered

Nortah shook his head, straightening “Just mumbles, the door’s too thick” He reached inside his cloak and came out with a board of pine wood about a foot square with numerous scars on its surface and an inch wide circle of black paint in the centre “Knives anyone?”

Knives had becoh contest of skill where they would take turns trying to get their throwing knives as close to the centre of the board as possible The winner would keep all the other knives in the board There were variations on the basic gaainst a convenient wall, sometimes it would be suspended from a rope tied to a roof bea back and forth, in other ga end over end Throwing knives were a kind of surrogate currency in the Order, they could be swapped for treats or favours and a brother’s popularity was invariably enhanced if he e stock The weapons theular six inch blades with a stubby handle, little larger than an arrowhead Master Grealin had begun to hand them out at the start of their third year, ten for each boy, the supply to be renewed every six months There was no formal instruction in how to use them, they simply watched the older boys and learnt as they played Predictably the best archers turned out to be the est knife collection with Caenis a close third Vaelin won only one ga, unlike Barkus who seeuard his knives jealously, although he beca forexpeditions

“Shitting, stupid, sodding thing!” Dentos fumed as his knife struck sparks on the wall behind the board Evidently his nerves were throwing his aim

“You’re out,” Nortah infora the knife into the outer edge of the circle, a better throw than he usually ed Caenis’s knife was a little further in but Nortah took the gaer width froood at this,” he co, it’s not fair on everyone else”

“Piss off!” Dentos spat “I’ve beaten you tons of times”

“Only when I let you,” Nortah repliedback for ht” Dentos snatched a knife frole smooth movement It was probably the best throw Vaelin had seen, the knife buried dead in the centre of the board up to the hilt “Beat that, rich boy,” Dentos told Nortah

Nortah raised an eyebrow “Luck sonna throw or not?”

Nortah shrugged, taking a knife and eyeing the board carefully He slowly drew back his arm and then snapped it forward so fast his hand blurred, the knife a brief glitter of silver as it spun towards the target There was the high ping of metal on metal as it rebounded from Dentos’s knife hilt and landed a few feet away

“Oh well” Nortah went to retrieve his knife, its blade bent at the tip “Yours I believe,” he said, offering it to Dentos

“We should call it a draw You would’ve hit centre if my knife wasn’t in the way”