The column now crossed onto the road that led to the gate. Their leader, whom I took to be a small man in scale armour, raised a commanding hand and t...e column halted at the gate. A familiar female voice now hailed me from below.“Greetings uncle Kha !”“Anath !”I ordered the captain to open the gate and the column rode in. I descended the stairs hurridly to be greeted by the sight of my neice, sitting proudly in her saddle in full battle armour. I struggled to regain my composure.“Anath, by all. ’ I’ll never forget how he said it in that droll dry manner of his.”“That’s is funny, but if I may ask ... who is the Sergeant Major?”“Excuse me, I meant Teacher Washington.”“Ah! Knowing Teacher Washington, I can just imagine how he said it, too. He is a master of understatement at times.”“Yes, he is.”Sada, as did all of the other cadets who had gone through year six of training, had spent long hours every day learning how to aim a rifle or a pistol without assuming any specific firing. Or was it looking at me? Its coloring almost exactly matched the color of the sandstone wall that was behind it. If it hadn't been for the movement I probably wouldn't have seen it at all."Dallan, why is it looking at you so intently? It seems to follow your every move."As I started to answer her, we heard a squawk from nearly behind us and I quickly turned to see a young boy staring at the Griffin as he covered his mouth. I turned to look back at the Griffin but it was gone.How did it. I'm the one who did it. This is just an explanation. I feel I owe you that much.How it happened was I was sitting cross-legged on my bed, fumbling through my cardboard box of restraints. Joel, my roommate at the time, was standing by the doorway, digital camera in hand, watching me with an enthusiasm he wasn't very good at hiding.He'd known about my sexuality since a few months beforehand. That I enjoyed being tied up, I mean. He also knew I was bisexual, but that never seemed to matter by.