Training
The next day was bittersweet for me. I would be training all day, actually training now that the last of assessments and groupings had been done. That would leave no room to focus on social problems and that was good. I needed a break from trying to think through things. Unfortunately Alpha Grant Adams decided he was to be trained as well. Normally it would not be too bad but he insisted on being in the group I was training.
Jason had reluctantly allowed this because he deemed me of all people the only one who could handle it professionally. It seems that my pack mates were aggressive in being protective of me. Lisa had actually decked someone who'd said some offensive comment about me just yesterday. Jason told her to take the day and cool off which is how I got stuck with her shifts as well as my own. Thanks Lisa.
"They're late," Damon said looking at his watch. "Everyone was supposed to be here a five minutes ago."
I glanced down at the list of people in this group. "Seven have yet to show up. I really detest the lack of punctuality."
Damon nodded in agreement. We waited for another ten minutes, during which all but two arrived. I recognized most in the group, a few surprising me for this was not what I imagined them doing when I knew them. I took a step forward. I didn't clear my voice or call out. Instead I unsheathed my power. Wolves of a pack can instantly tell when they are near a person of high rank. We are meant to be in a sort of caste system and high ranked wolves ooze power that other wolves can sense.
It's like a biological meter that tells you your position in relation to theirs. When Alphas unsheathe their full power it usually comes in the form of an Alpha order. The wolf, or wolves, are forced to comply due to the power.
I merely wanted their attention. And I received it. All eyes turned on me the instant my power was out. Once I was satisfied that they were all paying attention I put it away again. "Most of you were late," I said, not yelled, to the group. Yelling comes later. "This will be the last time that happens. I do not tolerate tardiness. It is disrespectful."
"Why should we respect you?" a voice called out snidely. "You nothing more than a piece of reject trash."
The woman stepped forward. I knew her. We went to high school together. Patine something. I hated her then and I had a feeling I would not be fond of her now. Oh joy. I stared at her with a leveled gaze. "I was brought here because your pack asked for help. Meaning you were inept to handle this Rogue problem on your own so you needed our expertise. We are here to train you because our combat skills outweigh your own. But if you disagree, if you think you don't need our help then I will offer you a chance to..." I search briefly for the proper word, "...test out of training."
"What would we have to do?" a male voice asked skeptically.
I almost smiled. "It's simple really. If you want to test out you will have to beat me in a one on one fight. If you win then you are no longer obligated to be here, and by all means take over training the rest." I paused for a moment to allow my words to sink if. "However, if you lose it will be the last word of noncompliance I hear from you whilst training again, and further more you will follow the orders of your trainers without complaint or resistance.
"And before you get to thinking that you can pull something with another trainer when Trainor Holt or I are not around allow me to assure you that we do talk to each other and we do compare notes." Damon chuckled. I ignored him.
"How many have won this challenge?" a soft feminine voice asked from the back.
I answered honestly, "No one." I didn't start training until I was exceptional, and I didn't start offering the out until I was one of the best. "I will give you thirty seconds to think things over. At the end of this time if any among you still wish to take me up on my offer the fight will commence."
Thirty seconds in silence always felt longer than when one spoke or did something. I could see the eyes on me of those who knew me or of me. They we assessing me, trying to gauge their options of success. By the time Damon called time it seemed as if most had decided to not risk the uncertainty. I could see a few still wavered, they were waiting for someone else to go first.
I was about to start the session with someone finally spoke. "I challenge you."
Patine. I nodded. "Then will shall start. To win you must make your opponent submit or," I glanced at Damon, "I believe 'tap out' is the term they use in wrestling." He nodded.
"How do I know you won't use your weapons on me," Patine asked rudely with a pointed look at the holster belt wrapped around my waist.
I unbuckled it and handed it to Damon. "Now it is not a worked. Damon do you mind?"
He called the start of the fight and Patine launched herself at me. Bold. She probably hoped to get me down swiftly. Naïve. I easily stepped out of the way of her path. She lunged again and I dodged again. The cycle repeated three times before she bit out, "Attack already instead of just running away."
She was trying to goad me. She would have to try much harder. Already she was panting and breathing sloppily. My breath and heartbeat never spiked. It was about control. She held little control of her body. I did not. But the game of cat and mouse grew tiresome. On her next lung I side stepped but held my hand out, smacking her hard in the chest. She collapse to the ground and struggled to breath for a moment.
Then she exploded. Clothing was torn to shreds and replaced by fur the color of mud. She wanted to fight with real claws. Good for her. It affected the outcome of the match about as much as a lone ant affects a glacier on the other of the world. I spun in a swift circle to gain momentum and sent a hard kick to her side the sent her sprawling across the lawn. "Your form is sloppy," I informed her in an even, clinical voice. "You flail about like a new born pup taking its first steps. You have speed but you do not know how to use it. And most importantly you seem to have no aptitude for assess your enemy's skills, techniques, or weaknesses."
She struggled to her paws but I grabbed a fistful of her scruff and forced her back down. She whimpered and then, seconds later she submitted. I stood and tried to hide my disgust at her weakness. Yes she was physically weak but you can gain physically strength from hard work. She was merely weak-willed and weak minded, the worst kind of weak, when you fight for nothing. When a simple blow can knock you down and you won't pull yourself back up even if it's only so you are standing for the next blow.
"You have lost," I told her calmly. "You know the terms. Returned to the others." I looked at the rest of the group. "Does anyone else wish to accept my offer and try to succeed where your pack mate has failed?" Silence. "I will take that as a no. Now we may begin."
Damon handed me back my belt and I strapped it back on. I gave the group a hard look. "Because those among you thought that arriving late would be acceptable we will be starting with a ten mile run."
"Ten miles?" a few wolves complained.
I raised an eyebrow. "In human form." The groans increased. "This is nonnegotiable. Perhaps in the future you will reframe yourself from being late. Let's go."
I led the run while Damon rounded up the back. I wasn't forcing them to run to punish them or be cruel. While a ten mile run is discouraging to punctuality impaired individuals it was also helpful. Running would increase their stamina. We would also teach them the proper way to breath and most importantly it would improve their speed.
The run took up most of our time for this session. The group was fairly slow. Maybe it was just that I have trained people in a while but they just seemed so slow while running. I wanted to yell at Grant for the poor training but I had to mentally remind myself that I was just too used to Fire Light. We were well known for our skilled warriors and trainers. Other packs would seem to be poorly trained in comparison.
We had a fifteen minute break between sessions so we grabbed a quick bite to eat. Next session was focused on fighting in wolf form or against someone else who is in wolf form. I would teach techniques on the human aspect and Damon would teach the wolf aspect. While Damon wasn't really a specialist in any particular method of fighting if he was it would be wolf fighting.
I took a moment to mentally prepare myself. It would be a really long day. It seemed that many of Silver Moon hated me for returning. While I had known this tidbit actually experiencing it was a little different. After eight years I thought I'd gotten over what had happened here. Instead I was caught off guard by the spark of hurt betrayal that swirled in my stomach with each snide remark or rude comment.
It was made worse by the fact that Grant was in our next session. He got there early as well. If nothing else I could respect that, even if I still wasn't sure I respected him. "Hello Beta Greyson," Grant said when I finally left the back porch and walk towards the designated front of the imaginary classroom.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. I had told him to address me by my title but he adamantly refused to. So why would he start know? He flickered his eyes to a group of wolves standing a few feet away. I wasn't subtle when I turned to head to look at them. They looked back at me with poorly disguised contempt. Ah, I see now. By addressing me as he did he showed that he respected me and sent a message that his pack ought to do the same. I didn't bother to tell him it was a lost cause.
"Ready to start the clock?" Damon called from the back porch.
I looked at my watch and nodded. "Yeah, start it." From this point on anyone who didn't show was late and in ten minutes we would start the session. After that no one else would be admitted into the session. After this session if anyone wasn't here on time they shouldn't even bother trying to be late.
Only five more joined. I gave the same introduction as the last time only no one challenged me. I raised an eyebrow. I always got at least one, it's possible that news of Patine had spread quickly but even then someone should have thought maybe that was just an exaggeration. I scanned the group and rest my eyes and Grant. He had a hard look on his face. "You will not face any repercussions from your Alpha if you accept the offer," I said and his eyes jerked up to mine with surprise.
I gave him a leveled glare. Ever since Holden I'd hated when Alphas used their power to coerce or intimidate their packs. I won't put up with in my sessions. Seconds ticked by with a loud silence. I scowled. Damon shook his head at me and I let out a steady breath to calm my anger and frustration. "Then we shall continue."
The run didn't take as long as the last group. These fighters were more advance. When we got back we went straight into work. Damon and I eyed our group and paired everyone off. "Today we will be practice how to fight a wolf when you are in human form," Damon said loudly.
"Why? If we are in a fight with a wolf why don't we shift?"
I didn't see where the question came from but mumbled agreements followed it. It was a fair question and I was glad someone thought to ask. "There may not be enough room," I answered. "Or there may not be time. When you shift your expose yourself to attack. There are a number of reasons. When you're in human form you can carry weapons, you're more flexible, and you're a smaller target."
Damon picked up where I left off. "We've split you into pairs, remember your partner because you'll be with them next session. One person will shift into wolf form and the other will remain in human form and next class they will be the one to shift."
We gave everyone a few moments to choose who would shift and then go undress and shift. The ever annoying downside of shifting was that your clothes shredded with you. It made me ever so grateful for the gypsy's gift. Damon went into the tree line and came back as a large butterscotch colored wolf with a bundle of clothes in his mouth. I took them and set them on the porch and came back to stand beside him. His head was leveled with my stomach in this form.
Pretty soon the group was sprinkled with a dozen wolves of different shades and sizes standing beside humans. "The first thing we are going to work on is dodging an attacking wolf." I turned to Damon and took a few steps back. "Attack me."
The group instantly became fully alert. In my peripheral vison I saw Grant, in human form, tense and ready to put an end to the madness. I shook my head at him before focusing of Damon. He reared back and prepared to lunge at me. He bared his pointed teeth and leaped.
The group seemed to hold their breath for a few split seconds before looking at us in confusion. Damon, in their eyes, had somehow transported so he was behind me. I was unresisting to the smile that wormed its way on to my lips. "Again Damon."
Once again he lunged and once again he found himself having missed me, much like Patine had earlier. "Now slower," I said.
He dipped his head to nod and lunged again. This time we moved slowly enough that the group really saw. Every time Damon was lift from the ground I would swiftly step out of his path and as he'd passed me I'd step back into place. He attacked again and again and I would dodge each swiping claw and snapping teeth. We almost dance as we moved. I thought of Tristan's favorite thing to remind me. Fighting is just a violent dance.
Eventually he lunged and I dodge but this time as he pasted I wrapped my arms around his neck and did my own lunge, pushing my feet against the ground to propel us forward. Damon skidded on his side along the grass for three second before he got his footing and halting his movement. The group looked at us in awe.
"When can we learn that?" an eager voice asked.
"Later," I answered. "For now we are focusing on dodging a wolf's attack in human form. Once you know how to fight a wolf as a human we'll show you how to fight as a wolf."
Damon flicked his tail at my leg playfully and I rolled my eyes. "Okay guys, you're turn. Try to avoid the attack." Then I added as an afterthought, "You will dodge their nonlethal attack. Is that clear?"
I got a chorus of barks from the wolves as they agreed. The session went fairly smoothly. They were only slightly better at the end than when we started but this concept would take another couple of sessions.
Grant stayed behind at the end of the session. "Are you going to be in wolf form next time?" he asked quickly.
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
His face redden and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really like seeing people attack you," he confessed and I almost smiled. Almost. He couldn't help his reaction, it goes against a male wolf's every instinct to stand aside when his mate in being attack. It's be like a mother allowing her pup to be hurt by someone else. It just isn't in our programing.
I shook my head, "I train people in any kind of human form fighting but I never train in wolf form."
He gave me a teasing smile. "Why? Let me guess, fighting in wolf the one form of fighting you aren't good at?"
I shook my head again feeling none of his humor. "Just the opposite." I left without explaining my answer. I knew he was only joking but I wasn't. I took my job seriously. When it comes to training people you could be deciding their fate. Most of the times the most a Lupá¾°tor, a fighter class wolf, will face is dealing with a few stray Rogue but every once and a while they find themselves in a life or death situation. It's those situations that I used to train people for, situations where what I've taught them could save them.
"You won't tell mean what you mean by that, will you?" Grant asked after me.
"No," I replied honestly. "In case you haven't notice I'm not the most forthcoming person."
He laughed. "Let's be honest Katrina, you have never been forthcoming."
I glanced over my shoulder at him. "I was, just not with you."
I thought after the fact that my words may be rude or mean but he merely grinned. He opened his mouth to give a comeback but just as he was starting to speak I heard a familiar voice scream in pain and my heart froze. Trina!