The Packs of Dusk: Book 1: Mystical Wings

Chapter Four: The First Training Session

Sleeping in the soon-to-be's den was not fun, especially considering everyone here besides me and Tweedle aren't very skilled at the art of sleeping either. The clumpy moss beds did not protect us from the hard stone floor, nor from the harsh cold at night. After getting a tour of the Sky Area and meeting the Head Hunter and Warrior, we were pretty much exhausted. I spent the entire night tossing and turning, flexing my wings and thinking about Rae and Shale -- Tweedle was the least of my worries, considering she is right beside me 365/12/52/24/7.

Fern led us to the Training Grounds -- a big cave with a high ceiling. There were already a few other mentors and soon-to-be's there.

"First lesson," Fern began, sitting down and we copied her, "the Element of Sky and its doings. We bring the night, we bring the day, all in a luminous way. We gather the storms and despise all norms in such a way. We rain down upon the packs, bringing the weather. We are Sky, but not as light as a feather.

"That poem was created by the first ever Sky wolf, Asa. She describes exactly what we do in that poem. Today, we will learn how to bring the night and day and gather the storms and despise all norms. In such a way." Fern winked and led us outside, leaping down the spiral steps to camp.

Once outside we rounded the mountains, going away from the camp.

"This should be easy for you, Naomi. Tweedle, not so much." We laughed at her comment.

"Naomi, we'll start with you, considering its the easiest. In your mind think of a starry night or a cloudy night -- you pick."

I pictured a beautifully starry night. The moon would decide itself. "Now," said Fern, "launch yourself into the skies and fly a straight line from here to the other side of the land until you reach water. Then you may fly back, but when you do, don't think of day. That will "unzip" the night, as I call it. Keep those thoughts of night with you until you return, then free your thoughts."

I nodded, the starry night in my mind, and I launched myself into the sky.

I flew swiftly above the mountains, a trail of expanding night behind me, and then I reached an expanse of yellow and green. On the green side were trees and flowers. The yellow side, plain and bare, was filled with a few cacti and a lot of dead bushes. I landed atop a stone, hollow hill and looked at my work. The hill resided by the water, a blue expanse of nothing.

I saw the outlines of two wolves -- one a sandy yellow and the other a bark brown. I stepped down and got closer, wings ready for immediate retreat. The sandy yellow one barked.

"Foolish ForestPack scum!"

The brown one bared its teeth, sharp and pointy. "Stupid SandPack! You think you can just waddle over here and take our squirrels?"

"You think we get enough rat food over here in this desolate desert?!"

"Grr..."

Before the fight got any worse, the thoughts of the night I bestowed in my mind still hanging there, I flew back to Fern and Tweedle.

The moment I landed, the sunny day returned.

"Nice, Tweedle!" I said, knowing it was her. She smiled and nodded a thanks.

"Well, you both know how to control the night and the day, so how about weather? Flying won't help on this one, Naomi," chirped Fern. We nodded eagerly, the sun high in the sky.

"Alright, picture a cloudy and rainy day in your mind." We did so.

"Now, picture yourself uncovering the clouds from the rocks, releasing them into the sky." We did so.

"Now open your eyes, look up." We did so.

It was raining harshly, our two ideas combined. Then the rain softened, and the clouds cowered beneath the rocks once more.

"You get the idea," cooed Fern, and we nodded. "Now let's learn some fighting, then you two can go rest. I have a hunting party at moon-high, so training ends early."

For the rest of the day we trained and practice our fighting -- which I must say, we excelled wonderfully at.