As they set out the next morning, it was a glorious day, so sunny yet a breeze to cool it down, they walked for a while and at around lunch stopped at a nearby inn for some food. The innkeeper seemed to know the teacher and insisted that he take the best seats and have some of his finest food, but the teacher insisted that he would have what everyone else ate.

After lunch they continued for the best part of the day and at night they settled down in a small copse off the road. They all slept soundly and with the rising sun once again set off again. They travelled many miles and days all the scenery blurring into one, eventually they came to a stop near a monastery like building.

'This is your new home till we cannot teach you any more. I choose you boys because you all have a hint of raw magic in you, you cannot sense it yourself and may not be able to even use it but it is what you need to help protect yourselves and those under you.'

'You will learn more here than I can teach you, when you leave, you will be better than any one champion of any lord or king, you will be able to protect the people of the lands with ease. This is your last chance, if you wish to leave you may do so now, but never to speak a word of what happened to you.'

None spoke but all waited as the teacher made his way to the door of the monastery.

'I bring to you more for your teachings.' He shouted at the door, then the door opened,

'This is your last chance, turn your backs if you wish to go no further.'

Once again none turned but they all strode forward in the dark hall of the monastery, when they entered the door drew shut.

'Welcome to the Protectors Haven, men.'

He called them men, they were shocked, he had never called them men before, gentlemen or even boys but never men, but what shocked them even more was that they were going to become protectors. The best in all the lands, a few men who could take on half an army and still win.

'From this day onwards you are well and truly going to be known as Protectors. A, C and M go with S and he will show you where you will sleep, train, eat and wash. He will also be the one who you direct any questions at from now on, if you ever see me, you can always call me by my real name D, for we are all the same here.'

'I suggest that you go and get some sleep now, you thought that I trained you hard, but that was nothing compared to what will happen from now on, you will not be punished for any misdemeanours unless they are in the extreme, but please be careful as to what you do say or even hear. I hope that you do well and that my faith in you was well placed.'

As he turned to walk away, he said to B

'Now is the chance to say anything you wish to your friends, for you may not see them for a while if not at all.'

B turned to the others and just looked up at the sky from a small window then at the ground and said;

'Lads I hope that when we see each other again we will remember all the good times and wherever we go we all raise a beer for each other.' As he finished the sentence he gripped each of them by the hand and shook them till it hurt.

'I will see you then lads, take care.'

The others could say nothing but only nod as he was led away, who knew what would happen to him.