Today I have one of the famous characters from Orphan of the Shadows with me. Cäellamar Digery Garanger, better known as Cäel. He is a sixteen-year-old boy that happens to be a member of a powerful gang known as the Dragons. As a spy for the gang, he knows his way around the city, but Cäel is also a talented guitar player and fantastic cook! I should know; he made me cookies! I wish you could just smell them; they make my head dizzy with delight… But, I won’t rub it in that you don’t get to eat these scrumptious-looking, right-out-of-the-oven, chocolate chip cookies… Instead I’ll say: Cäel, I am so glad you were able to join us today!
Cäel: (Laughs at me as I whip chocolate from my mouth) Any chance I get to share the joy of food with a friend, I’m on it.
Abby: Glad to know, but next time, maybe you should make crab Rangoon. You know, cuz that’s one of the things you told Elon you can cook. You said in Orphan of the Shadows that your mom taught you.
Cäel: (Shrugs) Perhaps, I haven’t actually made them since my mom died.
Abby: O, gosh, well scratch that idea. Sorry to bring it up.
Cäel: (Solemn expression that makes me want to hug him!) It’s okay. My mom was cool, and I miss her, but I have my big bro, Braerr, and my little sister, Glynnii. I even have the rest of the Dragons. We are a big family.
Abby: I’m glad you feel that way. I wouldn’t want you sad, Cäel. You sure make Elon happy. You know, it’s odd that everyone thinks of her as the only orphan in Orphan of the Shadows, but in reality, you, Braerr, and Glynnii are orphans, too.
Cäel: (Shrugs) But Elon’s story is different. She doesn’t have a family like the Dragons. It was her and the streets and the friends she could make out there. Life is hard when you’re on the run. I’m so glad Braerr found her. She really is my best bud now.
Abby: Yeah, that is cool how it all happened. But enough about Elon, this interview is for us to get to know you better. So the first official question of mine is: what made you pick the ax as your weapon? You obvious have little interest in the sword.
Cäel: (Blushing, probably in memory of his awful sword duel with Elon in of OotS) I’m just an ax kind of guy. You know, you can chop down trees! Killing ghoulish beasts like the Niesin is just a plus…
Abby: (giggles) Oh, Cäel, what strange philosophies you have… Anyway, I want to know something. In Orphan of the Shadows, you told Elon that you weren’t good at speaking her native language, Classic Máhûlèn. Yet it seemed to me that you were so much better than you lead on. Were you just trying to con her into learning your Aluens language?
Cäel: (Clears throat) Um, if I said yes, Elon would probably hunt me down… so I’m just not going to answer that.
Abby: Perhaps that’s wise… well it looks like we only have time for a final question. I hear rumors going around that you have left your beloved Dragon gang? Is this true?
Cäel: That’s a secret to be revealed in Orphan of the Shadows sequel, The Black Trinity. I don’t think I’m aloud to say.
Abby: … What!? You know secrets don’t make friends!
Cäel: But secrets lead into great stories. So, all I’m going to say is that with my current plans, I’ve been forced to perfect my Classic Máhûlèn.
Abby: All right, all right. On all terms, it was great talking to you. Any final words?
Cäel: Yeah, you need to update my profile picture. Everyone else is getting pictures in color. It’s like you’ve forgotten me. And what ever happened to that drawing you were doing of my dragon tattoo? And—
Abby: And that’s enough of that. See you later Cäel!
Cäel: (Laughs at me again… No, I didn’t just nock the cookies over!!!)
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My friend the reader, what are your thoughts? Did Cäel tell you everything you wanted to know? Leave your thoughts in the comments! Maybe we can probe more answers out of him if we bug him enough. 
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Abby Ryan is the author of the fantasy book series titled Light and Dark Chronicles. She’s been writing since she was eight-years-old and finally wrote Orphan of the Shadows, the first installment of the chronicles, as a sophomore in high school. Other than writing, she enjoys helping other authors, drawing pictures of her characters, and spending her free time lost in the world of her books. Orphan of the Shadows is available through all book stores and its sequel, The Black Trinity, will be out later this year (2012).
