Since it was the middle of winter in Greenland there was only four hours of sun so when I woke up to footsteps it was still dark.
"Get up Raven met me outside in ten."
I groaned I did not want to get up but I knew I had to.
Talieus turned around as I exited the den.
"Come on we have a ways to go."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Where are we going?"
Without looking back he answered.
"Somewhere safe from prying eyes."
I followed him as he headed back into the mountain through the caves. As I followed Talieus I studied him the way he moved the way he dressed. I could tell he had a slight limp in his left leg and I tightness in his right arm.
He remained silent the whole time through the tunnels. We seemed to be headed in a different direction to the way we came in. About half hour later we approached the outside world again.
As I looked around we were on a huge flattened summit about halfway up the mountain the wind had a chill to it but wasn't strong.
Talieus turned to face me.
"From now on we train here. Under no circumstances do you reveal this place to anyone and everything that is said or done here is between us and no one else. Trust no one with the information I tell you not even Zeld. If you do not agree to these terms your on your own."
I didn't understand what he was so afraid of. why all the secrecy?
"Do you understand?"
I nodded.
"Good. Now as I said last night I sent Drake partially to test you and partially to show the pack what your capable of and you didn't disappoint me. I know your skills in fighting are excellent however Drake should not have been able to sneak up on you. So over the next week I will have different wolves in the pack attack you it could be any where at any time. This will teach you to be on your guard at all times. It should come as second nature. you should be able to smell them hear them sense them."
I stared at him dumbfounded since I was still processing everything from yesterday.
"I had just been on a seven day journey cross country in human form anyone would have been easy to sneak up on."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Not an alpha. You have to stop thinking like a lone wolf or just a pack member you are a true alpha therefore you must act like a true alpha. That was the main reason for Drakes attack last night. I needed to see if you had that alpha fire and in doing so you showed the whole pack that, that fire is within you. Now what we must do is free that fire."
"And you'll do that by attacking me every day for the next week?"
"That's part of it."
I shook my head this was insane.
"I don't understand why your helping to train me?"
He smiled.
"Fair question. One which I'm happy to answer first I will tell you what the trails represent. You see alphas in the forest lakes pack are not passed down from parent to child. We choose our alpha with a series of trials. If a wolf passes these trials they are made alpha. Every member of the pack has a chance to be alpha.
It is said the moon goddess herself chooses the alpha through these trails. So when a wolf reaches shifting age they are eligible to partake. They are given one week to train with one of the elders who will teach them what they need to know."
"But what if no one passes the trails?"
"Then the elders are given temporary custody of the pack in all choices. Which is what has happened since Lyieta was killed. She was the last alpha of the pack since then everyone who has been through the trials has failed."
I couldn't believe it not one alpha in fifteen years.
"You see now why the others are so afraid of you becoming the new alpha? While we have not had an alpha we have been at peace for fifteen years. Even with this vision of the future hanging over our heads we thought maybe it would never come to pass, however your arrival tells us that we have not escaped it."
He stared out into the abyss.
"Most believe that you are the reason we will all die. While the rest of us believe that you will save all our kind not just the forest lakes pack."
"Is that why they want Zeld to attempt the trails too?"
He turned back to face me.
"Yes his grandfather wants Zeld to be alpha he believes that he can control Zeld and therefore be alpha by using Zeld as a puppet. He has wanted to be alpha since the day he failed his trials so many years ago."
I leaned against the side of the mountain taking everything he had said in.
"What are these trials?"
"It's different for everyone there is a chamber within the mountain where you will find a lake. The waters are enchanted you must submerge yourself in those waters where you will be transported. There you will be faced with many challenges each one harder then the one before."
"How do I know if I've passed?"
"The moon goddess will bestow her mark upon your brow so that all will know that your are a true alpha."
I sighed for every question he answered I was only met with more questions.
"So if it changes for everyone how will you train me?"
"By preparing you for everything. I have told you how we will improve on your skills as a fighter now I must help you with your wind."
I stood up straighter.
"Very well where do we start?"
He lips spread as he smiled.
"You start by catching me."
Before I could stop him he threw himself backwards off the summit without thinking I called upon my wind as I ran to the edge, my wind caught him and lifted him back onto the ledge.
I let out the breath i was holding.
"What the hell was that you could have died!"
He chuckled.
"Only if you were too slow."
I scowled.
"And what if I was too slow."
He shrugged.
"Then I would have lifted myself up with my own wind."
He circled his hand as a gust of wind circled around me just strong enough to be felt as it touched my clothes.
"So that told me you have the ability to summon your wind at will but merely lack the control when summoned on command."
"Is that good?"
"It's very good if a wolf has no instinct to survive then they won't. Sure that instinct can develop in time but since we only have a week it's a very good start. It will make this a lot easier."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth that he threw a dagger at my heart. Instantly my wind form an impenetrable wall much like that day in the forest with Zeld. The dagger was thrown off course imbedding itself in the side of the mountain.
I was about to yell at him when he threw another. My wind wall went back up the next one flew off the edge.
I glared at him as his hands disappeared under his coat only to come out with more throwing knives. Without warning he threw them one after the other my wind moved with me as i skidded flipped and dodged each knife. I barely had time to breath when all the knives he had thrown were pulled back to his hand by his own wind.
"The wall will only get you so far Raven especially against another wind user."
He twirled his hand the other way this time as his wind met mine it unraveled my wind wall reducing it to nothing.
"You see wind is unpredictable at times but another stronger wind will always prevail."
He started throwing knives again and every time my instinct kicked in when I couldnt physically dodge it his own wind nullified my own resulting in small cuts being torn threw my clothes and piercing my skin.
"Stop thinking too much use your senses let them tell you what to do. Your wind is like an extension of your arm, the force behind your kicks. Your wind moves with you it's all around you."
I slid across the ground as a dagger flew were my head had been only seconds earlier. I gritted my teeth in frustration as he continued. Every time he threw his knives he pulled them back with his wind. Over and over again he never let up. Every time I tried to use my wind to block he would cancel it with his own. I growled my anger rising as yet another volley of knives sliced through my arm.
I was getting tired we had been at it for hours I was slowing my movements sluggish. Til a knife aiming straight for my heart was thrown I was too slow suddenly it stopped a centimetre from penetrating my skin.
His wind stopped instantly.
"That's enough for today."
I let out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding as I dropped to my knees panting. Everything hurt from my muscles to the various cuts and bruises from his daggers.
"Well not bad but we still have a ways to go."
I stared up at him.
"Are you insane?!"
He chuckled.
"Did you loose control?"
I started to answer back when I stopped. He was right I didn't loose control once. Well it's not like I had time to. I stared up at him my eyes wide that's what he was doing. He was distracting me making me keep moving. When I've tried to connect to my power before I've been thinking too much concentrating too hard. Yet this time there was no time to think no time to worry that I was loosing control.
He sat down in front of me smiling.
"You get it now don't you?"
I nod.
"Yes your teaching me to rely on my instinct because when I try too hard it's like holding on to a Grenade for too long it explodes in your face."
"That's right our element is wind, it is ever changing forever moving try to control it and it will turn against you. You don't control the wind you use it you allow it to flow through you. If you work with it you can do anything. Tell me what happens when you cut the air from a living breathing life form?"
"Well they suffocate of corse."
"Exactly I know your sister can nullify other powers correct?"
I nodded.
"Yes it's why she is so dangerous."
"Well tell me this how can she cancel out wind?"
I stared at him silent since I had no answer, I realised then that she couldn't.
"She has no power over the wind therefore I can still use it against her."
His smiled widened.
"There's hope for you yet kiddo."
His use of the word kiddo reminded me of Loki. I felt bad for how I had left it with him.
'I told you you would not stay angry at him.'
I sighed.
'Your right next time I see him I'll tell him I forgive him.'
"Something wrong?"
Pulled out of my reverie I apologised.
"Sorry it's just Loki used to call me kiddo."
A haunted look darkened his eyes.
"What?"
"it's just I hadn't realised you had been in contact with him."
"Oh well when I was banished he took me in. I didn't know he was my father at the time but in a way he saved my life. If he hadn't given me a home and a new life I probably wouldn't be here today. We had a fight last time we spoke I told him I didn't want to see him again now I regret my words."
"I'm sure he knows you didn't mean what you said he's not one to hold it against you."
"So you know him?"
Talieus nodded.
"More then anyone considering he's my son."
My eyes widened in surprise.
"What? Why didn't you tell me your were my grandfather?"
He shrugged.
"Would it change anything?"
I started to say something when I realised no I suppose it didn't. We were still strangers the fact that he was blood related didn't change anything.
"No I guess it doesn't."
"Good you have a great mind Raven that you get from your mother you compartmentalise with ease. That will serve you well."
Now I guess I understand why he was so invested in my becoming alpha.
"Well I guess we're done unless your have more questions before we leave?"
I took a second to think I did have many questions but I was sore, tired and really just wanted to rest.
"No perhaps tomorrow I'll have more."
He chuckled.
"I'm sure you will come on kiddo I'll walk you back."
He got up first then stretched his hand out to help me up. I took it without hesitation. I noticed the second he started to twist my wrist, quickly I countered by spinning my hand to grab his own wrist as I used the same technique that I used on Drake, I pushed against his elbow. Only this time I didnt break his arm but I did pull him down to the ground using gravity to work against him as I pressed a knee to the small of his back.
He smiled up at me.
"Excellent reflexes your improving already."
I let him go. we both stood and started back towards the ravine.
He left me at my den saying he had things to take care of leaving me alone. Going inside I change out of my clothes as I inspected all the cuts I had gained. None of them were too deep thank god as I grabbed some clean cloths throwing the sliced up ones in the corner. If we were going to do this every day I was going to run out of cloths pretty soon. I'll have to ask if someone had a sewing kit so I could mend the sliced up ones.
'With your sewing skills you would be better off asking someone to sew them as well."
Caryi's laughter sounded in my head making me scowl at her words.
'I'm not that bad!'
'Could have fooled me.'
I growled at my counterpart who only laughed louder.
'Ok fine i am that bad.'
I sighed.
'I'm beat.'
'Then sleep small one it will only get more tiring as the week continues.'
I yawned as always she was right. I curled up with my eyes towards the only entrance remembering Talieus's words that he would send wolves to attack me at various times. I refused to be caught unaware again. I will take these trails seriously and I will do all that I can to pass them. My mother was the last alpha and I will be the next one no matter what. I closed my eyes wishing I could remember her face or even what she looked like. Yet another thing I regretted not asking Talieus about as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.