Trelix swings for my neck as I raise my shield. My ears ring from the clash of steel on steel that sounds like a car accident, and my arm goes numb as the jolt reverberates through my shoulder and down my spine. As soon as the pressure eases, I stand in the stirrups, lower my shield, and swing my sword. I connect with his horn as he races past.

I spin Stryder around, but Trelix has stopped and is trotting back to me with a smile on his face.

"That would have more of an effect if you didn't do it every morning," I say.

"Experience spawns complacency." When he reaches me, he adds, "I have a surprise for you in my office. Do you want it now, or do you want to wait until dinner?"

"Is it a good surprise or a bad surprise?"

He grins at me in a way that would best be described as devilish. I want to see whatever it is, but I don't want to rush into anything in case it's another weapon I have to learn or something equally as awful. After a moment of deliberation, I give in to my curiosity. "Okay, let's see it."

"Why did you pretend to think about it? We both knew you would go charging in there."

"I'm allowed my delusions. Maybe one day I'll learn self-control and surprise you."

When I walk into his office, I gasp. There's a beautiful suit of black armor standing on a rack in the center of the room. My heart races. Please be mine. It has to be. It's too big for an elf and too small for Trelix. I've seen lots of armor since I've been here. All the Guards wear it, and so do most of the visitors. Trelix often makes me wear various pieces, but I've never seen armor like this.

"Baladian dragon scale," Trelix says with pride. "This is the best. Usually takes a lifetime to make a suit. They must have had teams working day and night to get this done."

I circle the armor. "I can't believe this is for me."

From a distance it's like any other suit of armor, but up close, it's like fish skin, with tiny jagged scales covering the entire thing. When I run my hand down it the armor is smooth, but when I stroke upwards it's rough, like an emery board. I hope that its lack of ornate flourishes is a nod to my taste and not because whoever made it had to rush to get it done.

"See this?" Trelix holds up a white tunic with the black squares that match my shield. "Spider web."

I go from awe-filled to grossed out in two words. Trelix is holding the tunic up, waiting for me to touch it. I do, just to make him happy. I prepare for the sticky, skeevy feeling I always get when I walk through a web, but the tunic is silky-soft and not sticky at all.

"It's so lightweight. I'll rip it just putting it on."

He pulls his dagger out and stabs the fabric. I yelp in protest, but it's too late. When he pulls the dagger back, the fabric is fine. "Don't worry. You can't cut this stuff."

I go back to studying my armor when he says, "Well, let's see how it fits."

My hands are shaking with both excitement and apprehension. I can't wait to put the suit on, but wearing the armor makes my situation very real. I own a suit of armor because I need it.

I force my brain to stop thinking when Trelix starts slapping various sections of armor on me. With each new piece, I feel more like a Knight. When he slips the tunic over my head, a power rushes through me that I can't explain. Maybe the suit has some magic in it.

He points to the mirror. "Well, take a look."

When I do, I don't recognize myself. The person in the mirror is a Knight. She looks self-reliant and sure of herself, like she knows what she's doing. How could my face change so much in minutes? I look myself in the eyes. Dark blue and wide with confidence. The fear is gone. My shoulders are back and straight, making me look taller. And my jaw is set with determination. This is what pride feels like.

Trelix hands me the sword and shield—the new shiny ones, not the ones I use every day. I confidently secure them and study myself in the mirror again.

"Well," he says, not hiding his pride and excitement.

"Wow," is all I can say. "I look like a Knight."

"You are a Knight."

"I'm a Knight." It's the first time I've ever spoken those words. They feel real. I've worked exceptionally hard to earn this armor, and wearing it is proof that I am, in fact, a Knight.

"Well, walk around, get used to it. Now that you have it, I want to do some fun stuff." He shoves me away from the mirror and out the door.

There's no need for an adjustment period. It's lightweight and comfortable, like wearing an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I mount Stryder without any issues and play around with my new sword. Trelix has me run some drills, and then he tells me to get down. "Call your pegasus."

Stryder lifts his head when I whistle for Lenox. Trelix and I have spent a good deal of time getting Stryder and Lenox used to each other. I knew that Lenox wouldn't eat Stryder, but it took a few months for Stryder to believe that.

Lenox lands in front of me and gives me a few sniffs, then sniffs Trelix and attempts to sniff Stryder, but he won't allow it.

"You ready?" Trelix asks.

"Ready for what?" I'm becoming mildly concerned. Anytime Trelix is excited about something, it usually means it's going to hurt—a lot.

"Get on."

"Get on what?" I have a feeling he means Lenox, but that can't be right. It doesn't seem like the right time.

"Lenox, you ruscla."

I'm so excited, I do a few hops. "Really? Like, really? I can ride him! We can fly and stuff?"

Trelix smiles and waves his hands. "Yeah, get on."

I put down my shield and walk over to Lenox, who lifts his wing for me. Jumping on him is more difficult than mounting Stryder because he's much taller. Once I'm seated properly, I look excitedly at Trelix.

"Well, go."

I give Lenox a squeeze with my lower leg, and he lifts his wings high. His wings press down, and his shoulders heave up in an awesome swell of force. His massive chest rises, and his power surges through me as I struggle to remain seated. He lifts his wings again, rears back on his hind legs, and presses them down with an amazing amount of strength. Then his back end springs off the ground, throwing me forward with tremendous force. A few more powerful flaps, and we're airborne.

I can't tell if I'm hearing the reverberation of his wings or if I sense their resonance coursing through my body. I experience each powerful stroke as we fly higher in the air. The wind surges in my ears, and all noise disappears. It's just me and my pegasus, alone in the world.

The castle rushes by in a blur as an excited shriek escapes my throat. Lenox flies higher, and I break out in uncontrollable laughter. We soar up to the clouds while I scream and laugh. I've never felt this alive or happy in my life.

When Lenox reaches his desired altitude, he stretches his wings and glides. All movement stops. I'm struck by a weightless calm, as if I'm communing with the heavens. I lift my arms wide above my head and stretch out as far as I can. The wind buffets my body as my soul soars. A bellow of pure joy reverberates through my soul. I never knew life could feel like this.

We float through the air for what feels like both seconds and hours. Lenox shifts his weight, and I grab his mane. As soon as he knows I'm seated again, he dives straight down. My legs slip out from under me.

We plummet through the air at an amazing speed. I hold tightly to his mane as he beats his wings, propelling us faster and faster toward the field that's rapidly approaching. The adrenaline springing through my veins keeps the fear at bay as the ground rushes toward us. Just as deftly as he dove, he levels off and catches me. We glide inches from the tops of the trees as I lie on his back, both stunned and completely relaxed.

When I sit up, Lenox climbs high again. I love the incredible power he exudes, lifting his massive body. High in the air, he glides, and I'm at peace with myself and the world around me. I reach down and hug Lenox hard. I love him more than anything in life. I am so happy he would share this experience with me. I lie on his neck and hold him while I look down upon the only place that has ever been a real home to me.

We circle all of Cromsmead several times, gradually losing altitude with each pass until Lenox touches down with a surprising amount of grace. I leap off and race around to his head and give him a big hug.

"Thank you," are the only words I can manage.

Trelix is behind me so I turn and hug him too, surprising him with my show of affection. He gives me a tight squeeze in return.

When we separate, I burst into tears. "Thank you," I say again. "I get it now. I'm sorry I was such a brat. I'm sorry I treated you so poorly and was so grumpy all the time. Thank you for being such a wonderful man and an excellent teacher. Thank you for being my friend."

He picks me up in a tight hug. "You don't need to apologize," he whispers in my ear. "You are my friend. I love you like you were one of my children. You were a fine student, and you'll be an excellent Knight."

Just as he's about to let me go I whisper, "I love you, too." It's the first time I've ever said those words to another being with the power to say them back.