Disclaimer: not mine

Confessions

"I think I'm finally getting the hang of this senses thing, Chief," Jim said as he looked out over the city from the balcony of the loft.

"I do too, Jim...and because of that, there's something that I need to tell you," Blair responded from beside him, taking a deep breath to gather his confidence.
"I have a confession to make, when I first told you about Sentinels and their Guides, I left a few things out. Guides can't be just anybody..."

"I already know that, Chief," Jim interrupted, smiling.

"I don't think you do," Blair sighed, "See, Guides have to be Sentinels who have already been trained in how to use their senses..."

Jim turned to him, puzzled, "I don't understand, I mean your not a...your not are you?"

"I got my senses early on when I was on expedition. Luckily, there was a Sentinel in a nearby tribe who helped me out, " he told him quietly.

Jim looked at him with disbelief and not a little bit of anger, "Is this some kind of a joke! Because, if it is it's not funny and if it isn't then, why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. If I had told you that I was a Sentinel beforehand, it would have frustrated you while you were trying to gain your senses and you would have felt pressured to become a Sentinel. Every Sentinel must choose whether they want to be one or not...", he paused, "It was a challenge for me too, because I couldn't use my sense while I was training you," Blair added.

"But, why didn't I know—why didn't I react to you like I did to Alex?"

"Alex was a threat to your territory, man. You could sense that her intentions threatened the safety of your 'tribe'. On the other hand, you could tell that I wasn't a threat to you."

"But, what about the Guide thing, Chief—I'm confused."

"Every Sentinel has a Guide, to teach him how to control his senses, that Guide is a more experienced Sentinel who already knows how to control his own senses. Now, there are two types of Sentinels: Warriors and Shamans. Frequently, these two pair up together to watch each other's backs and to combine their skills in order to better protect the 'tribe'. You're a Warrior Sentinel and I'm a Shaman Sentinel, which is why we work so well together and another reason why you and Alex didn't get along—she was another Warrior Sentinel. There is only one Warrior and one Shaman per tribe—the presence of an additional Sentinel is usually perceived as a threat."

"But, what about that Sentinel who helped you?"

"It was a little bit shaky for a while—until they realized that I wasn't a threat. You see, the Shaman had a vision that I was to be a Guide to another. So, he taught me what I needed to know to control my senses. The Warrior supervised the whole thing, and if he had perceived me as a threat then believe me, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"And here I thought you were playing it all by ear."

"I was—what works for one Sentinel doesn't necessarily work for another. Plus, we're two totally different types of Sentinels. A lot of stuff that works with me doesn't seem to work with you and vise versa. Not to mention, that we have totally different skills. Believe me man, it was a learning experience for the both of us."

"I could have done without all the tests."

"I sympathize, man, I really do--but the tests are an unfortunate necessity. You should have seen some of the tests that I had to go through..."

"Like what?"

"Another night, man, another night," Blair patted him on the back then turned and headed inside.

Jim turned around, "then tell me about..."

"Nope," Blair answered from inside the loft.

"You can't tell me all that then not tell me any details!" Jim called, following him inside.
"At least tell me..."

His voice faded from the balcony, leaving only the silence of the night and the sparkling lights of the city. The inhabitants of which went about their regular routines—not realizing the significance of the day. For they no longer had a Sentinel and Guide watching over them, but now had a Warrior and a Shaman doing what they do best—protecting the tribe.