Page 50 of Eclipse Pack

Ember looks from Adaline to Luna Taria and I see the indecision in her eyes. Luna Taria puts her hands on Ember’s shoulders and raises her chin as she speaks to her. “Ember. I told you thatI would be your mentor and that I would do everything I could to help you. Drake can teach you things that no other shifter ever could. I think that the decision, although ultimately yours to make, is an opportunity you should not pass on. If it were anyone else, I would order them to do it, but I respect you more than that. You need to decide quickly, though, as I want to do some tree climbing with Adaline before we have to get back to the packhouse.”

Leaving them alone for a few moments, I step into the forest and go in search of a suitable branch to make myself a staff. I know that she will train with me now, as Luna Taria made the decision for her in a subtle and caring way. Luna Taria is very good at what she does, I must say.

Finding a suitable branch doesn’t take long and I soon have it stripped down to a training staff. Walking back, I see Ember warming up and I too do some stretches and prepare myself as I step into the training ring.

Ember steps forward, and I take my stance. As soon as I’m ready, Ember launches her first attack, which surprises me with its speed and accuracy. I was expecting more thought going into her attacks and less ferocity.

After only a few short maneuvers, I am defending more than I would expect to be from someone who has had no formal training. Taking the initiative, I begin to take the fight to her and find it difficult to find a way past her defenses.

It’s only when I begin to push her that I sense that she is holding back. Pressing home my attacks now, I see her beginning to counter some of my moves with exceptional skill. She manages to score an occasional hit, and they are not light training taps either, which is my own fault for pushing so hard.

Seeing her flinch as one of my staff strokes catches her, I foolishly drop my guard and the next thing I know, I’m on the floor and I see stars. Looking up from the ground, I see Ember grinning, and I know she played me perfectly into that move.

Holding out her hand, she helps me to my feet and asks if I am okay.

“A little embarrassed that I was so easily fooled into such a move, but you fight extraordinarily well for someone with no formal training in weapons.”

“Chief Warrior Dixon has been sparring with me and recommended some books for me to study. My love of my bat led me to study above and beyond what most would probably do. It gives me such a feeling that I can’t begin to describe when I fight with it.” Ember is bubbling with excitement as she speaks.

“I can help you for the short time I am here, if Luna Taria can spare you to join Adaline and I while we train. Is that something that can be arranged, Luna Taria?” I’m already sure of the answer before she confirms it, and I can’t help the smile as I think how much I am going to enjoy training these two warriors. It doesn’t enter my head to think of them as females.

“Right…now that you two are sorted, how about my tree climbing?” Luna Taria calls out as she heads for the tree line. “Last one to the top serves dinner to the pack!”

Chapter 26

TARIA

Laid in bed beside Bronze, my muscles ache, and not just from our mutual exercise over the last hour or two. Climbing the trees with Adaline and Ember was great fun, though I could only beat those two when I cheated. They were up and down the trees like squirrels. Drake found my attempts to win hilarious and even when he gave me a ‘Luna’s head start’ they would catch me easily.

“I know I am fit, Bronze, but compared to those two, I might as well be a hippo climbing those trees. You should see them go!”

“My darling, I’m sure that there are many others out there that can’t hold a candle to your tree climbing abilities. Hippo or otherwise.” His comment earns him an elbow in the ribs and I smirk as the air rushes from him.

“Be careful, my love, this hippo may sit on you.”

“I would certainly have no objections to that.” Grabbing me, he swings me on top of him, but I continue rolling and slip from the bed. “Hippos perform better in the water, so do you care to join me in the shower?”

An hour later and back in bed, we discuss Adaline’s appointment to the chief warrior position.

“What made you have Drake assess Adaline for the position? Surely not because she was female alone?” I had been meaning to ask since I was at the Wolfsfoot Pack, but it kept slipping my mind.

“She began her warrior training and immediately showed an amazing aptitude for it. I was impressed greatly, and so was Dixon. We knew we had something special there and when I created the training position especially for her, she made it her own from day one. Her idea for the rucksacks and toy pups was nothing short of genius.”

“Rucksacks and toy pups? That you will have to explain further.” Propping myself on one elbow, I look down at him as he explains it to me. Hearing how competitive all the females became has me laughing until I cry.

“Seriously, my darling, their attitude went from not interested to death before dishonor in seconds. You’ve never seen such brutality over a stuffed toy in your entire life. Male warriors wouldn’t go in the ring if the rucksack was in there with a female.” I’m sure there was some exaggeration in his story, but I got the message that Adaline could be creative and get the job done.

“Having Drake do the assessment was to protect Adaline from some of the jealousy and backbiting, that the promotion would surely bring. Others would see themselves as better qualified,longer serving warriors, more experienced. This way, she would have a weapon in her arsenal that no other Eclipse warrior would have.”

“The seal of approval from an outsourced trainer. That’s pure genius, Bronze.”

“Better than that, my darling. You may not know it, but Drake is a legend, as both a warrior and a trainer. He plays down his reputation, being the modest shifter that he is, but he has been involved in battles, rescues and some say, even secret operations. Even shadow warriors have been known to defer to his knowledge and experience.” Bronze speaks with a reverence that I have only ever heard him use before when he speaks of his father.

“Drake mentioned something to me in passing today about his warrior past,” Before I say more Bronze sits upright, looking shocked.

“He must think extremely highly of you, Taria. He never speaks of it to anyone. He has made council members apologize for merely mentioning his past.”

“Don’t be jealous of Drake as well as Herb, my love. I couldn’t cope with every male I speak to causing you to become a green-eyed monster.”

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