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Daniel awoke suddenly. He had been dreaming about... something or someone. Yes, that was it, someone who needed help. Daniel had wanted to help in his dream but he didn't know who needed assistance and kept running from room to room in a large mansion looking for someone to aid. But all the rooms in this manor were devoid of people.

He scratched his head and let the urgency of his dream fade like a shadow in dim light. It was a dream, nothing more.

The town clock struck 10 and in the darkness of the sleeping quarters Daniel saw very little. He heard James, the bard, snoring but that was all. Daniel stretched a little, rolled over on his straw mat, and tried to go back to sleep. He'd be on guard duty in two hours and he needed his rest.

But Daniel couldn't sleep. Finally he decided to do his daily exercises; that should help him center himself and relax enough to drift off again. He sat up and looked about. A low fire crackled in the hearth on the other side of his sleeping quarters. In the dim light it gave off, he saw Iriel was also asleep. Vaguely, he made out the walls of the long rectangular room and the three empty straw mats that lay on the cold wooden floor empty.

Daniel wondered what his old elven master was doing back in Oldarmare. "Probably preparing tomorrow's lesson for his students," Daniel mused. Daniel wasn't elven; however, he was human and had been found as an infant and raised by the elves in Oldarmare for the past 15 years. At the age of seven, Daniel began to study the martial art of Qua'ril.

Then, a few months ago, Daniel completed his studies and earned the white uniform of a master. Among elves such an achievement meant the start of training to become an elven ranger. But Daniel was different and the day after he received his uniform he decided it was time to leave Oldarmare.

Daniel found it hard to explain why he had to leave but for some years he presumed he had relatives among the humans. He wanted to find them and learn more about his parents and his past.

Elendil, his former master, understood and wished him well.

And so Daniel packed his few belongings and accompanied a passing caravan back to human civilization.

After several weeks of travel, they reached the town of Clearbrook, a small seaport. Upon arriving, Daniel decided to look around. He walked for hours following one street and then another. Late in the afternoon, he came to the Grey Horse Inn. He was tired by then and wanted to get a room. Going inside, Daniel found the innkeeper, a man with brown hair flecked with gray, brown eyes, and a stomach that protruded slightly. He wore a white shirt and a white apron covered his waist and thighs.

The innkeeper, a middle-aged man named Frank Jones, saw Daniel, barefoot and wearing his white Qua'ril uniform, now dust-covered from his long journey. Immediately Frank thought Daniel was a poor street urchin who wanted money.

"Is there a room here I could use for sleeping?" said the lad.

Frank's eyes widened with surprise. The lad had not asked for money but a place to stay like any other paying customer.