Page 33 of Blood of the Fallen
Ila raised an eyebrow. “Oh, now it’swe, is it?”
She ignored Ila and went on. “We should make a list of things that she needs to learn.”
Ila relented and jumped on the list-making bandwagon. “I wish I knew what the trials are all about, but the specifics are being kept secret by Mother and the elders.”
“I divined nothing from them,” Bethel mused to herself.
“Any guesses as to what they will put us through,” I asked.
“All anyone knows is that there’ll be three tests.” Rubbing her chin, Ila started pacing in front of us and talked as if thinking out loud. “My guess is that you’ll be tested in both your wolf and non-wolf forms.”
“Makes sense,” Bethel put in.
“Physical tests?” I asked.
“Of course!” Bethel said. “You don’t think they’ll give you a written exam, do you?”
I crossed my arms. “I didn’t know you were such a smartass.”
“Smart ass,” Bethel repeated slowly, placing a finger on her chin. “What do thesesmart asswords mean?”
I rolled my eyes and let out a tired sigh. I might’ve fallen for that act a week ago, but not anymore. I now knew everyone understood more about the outside world than I’d previously believed. In fact, they probably understood far more than I did since I’d been brought up on pure, unadulterated lies.
Ignoring the witch, I focused on Ila. “I only have a week to prepare, so I should focus on… wolf-related things.”
Ila nodded in agreement and started ticking things off with her fingers. “Tracking prey at night, using your sense of smell, and raising through the forest come to mind as things you could work on.”
“Don’t forget wagging your tail and panting.” Bethel stuck her tongue out and hopped around panting loudly.
Ila and I walked off, paying no attention to the witch.
“Sounds good.” I clapped my hands together. “When do we start?” It seemed I had my work cut out for me.
CHAPTER 13
Icamearoundatree, panting. My tongue was lolling and threatening to reach the floor. I shook my head at Ila who was standing in her human shape, arms crossed, hip jutting out. She really seemed to like that pose.
“You’re thinking too much,” she said. “That’s your problem.”
Bethel’s feet dangled right above Ila’s head. The witch had climbed a tree to observe me, or I should say, mock me. She seemed to find the fact that I couldn’t locate the bone Ila had buried, somewhere along the trees, hilarious.
How do younotthink?!I pushed the thought out at Ila, wishing that everything was as easy to learn as this silent communication.
“How do younotthink?” Ila echoed.
“You grow a pair of balls,” Bethel quipped.
Tell her to be helpful or I’ll findherbones.
Ila laughed, though whether at Bethel’s joke or my threat, I wasn’t sure.
Without warning, Ila shifted. It was the first time I saw her wolf, and it was like looking at my reflection in the river.
You’re beautiful.The thought escaped me before I had time to put a damper on it. That was one thing I hadn’t mastered about this way of speaking.
In fact, I was still wondering if Kall had heard myI want youthought the day I saw him naked by the river. The fear of him knowing made me want to dig a hole in the ground and burrow in it—an odd impulse that I figured had something to do with me being in my wolf form at the moment.
Ila’s wolf was slight, covered in lush, tawny fur, and graced with beautiful amber eyes.
