Wolf Camp (Bear Naked 2)

Chapter 8 part 1

The actual Midsummer day fell on a Wednesday that year. The big feast was the weekend before and the weekend after they all trucked up to the elder's camp for a smaller feast held just for wolves. This festival was much smaller and not just because it was wolves only.

The envoy and talk of a new treaty had spiked interest in the second council. The upcoming challenge between Arthur and Aaron created even more interest. That would occur at the end of summer council in another month. It would most likely be as well, or better, attended than the spring council had been. But there were human obligations, such as work, and individual territories to defend. Most adults packs had to make hard choices and it appeared that this year many were choosing to skip midsummer in order to do what they needed to make it to the fall council.

This midsummer was put on largely by, and for, wolf camp. The entertainment was mostly competitions between the younger packs. The morning was taken up with sparring matches, both human martial arts and wolf fighting. The afternoon included races and a long obstacle course done partly in human and partly in wolf form.

Amanda surprised herself by winning her first sparring match. She made a respectable show in her next match. From there it went downhill quickly. She fought a match with Olivia that felt more like a street fight than a sparring match. In a matter of minutes, Amanda was eliminated from the rankings. She shuffled off to the sidelines to nurse her wounds and cheer her pack mates.

Erica did the best of any of them in human form combat, finishing third in the woman's division. She even managed to knock Olivia off her feet twice in what was the closet match of the day.

The men did well, too. In wolf form, it was Connor's day to shine. He managed a respectable third place. The afternoon belonged to Jonathan, who won or placed in every race, both in human form and wolf. The whole pack was showing signs of turning their fortune around.

It was mostly too little, too late. When the afternoon ended and scores were tallied, the pack's small gains of that day did little to bridge the distance. They were still dead last. Connor kept feeding them encouragement as they made their way back to camp, sweaty and exhausted.

"We are closing the gap," Connor said over and over. "By the end of the summer-"

"We will still be last," Jonathan grumbled, "but by less."

"So?" Connor said. "Don't forget, we are the youngest pack, too. Next year it will completely different."

"Because when we are getting our ass handed to us by a younger pack, we won't be able to use that excuse," Brianna muttered darkly. She had a wicked-looking black eye, put there by Brooke.

"Let's not dwell on it," Tanner said. "Let's just cleaned up as quick as we can, remember we're omega tonight."

The pack that placed the lowest was the omega pack and had to do grill and kitchen duty for the others at the feast. With that cheery thought in mind, Amanda grabbed her towel and set off for the shower.