Wolves: Dawn of a Destiny #1

Chapter 12

 "We're going to have a couple of test sessions for now with some of you who have a bit more experience in fighting," Birch said to them. His eyes hovered back and forth over them all until he spoke again. "Alder and Holly, you'll be up first."

Snowfall glanced down the line of apprentices and saw Holly and Alder come out of the line in front of them. Birch and Thunder parted ways, each on either side of a formed semicircle around the two apprentices. She inched her paws closer to herself making herself seem taller. Moth gave her a weird look sitting beside her.

Her look turned into one of mischief. She leaned over to her sister. "Oh, trying to make yourself look better for Alder?" Moth whispered slyly.

Snowfall shot her narrow eyed glare. "Moth! Not, now."

Moth just smirked as a reply and sat up. No wolf needs to know anything! I am not comfortable with any wolf knowing something like this! I should never have even told her. Snowfall just rolled her eyes after she thought that.

Snowfall had to at least give it to her that her sister was willing to spill anything about any other wolf other than Snowfall. Sibling loyalty. Then again, Moth was the one who always told her anything.

Her attention got fixed onto the two about-to-spar apprentices, readying themselves in stances preparing to fight. Birch looked between the two of them. "Do the new moves you were taught alright?"

The two wolves nodded and looked at one another, beginning to circle each other. Alder lowered his head staring down Holly. Snowfall scooted her paws closer to her body even though they were already close, and lifted her head a little higher, trying to relax her eyes. Why did him doing that make her feel so, strange.

Moth frowned at her. "Snowfall, stop making yourself look stupider than you already do!" Her sister whispered.

Snowfall slunk back down hearing her sister, burning with embarrassment. Crap! What is this wolf doing to me!

Holly, in retort bared her teeth at him in a snarl.

"There you go Holly, show him you're not afraid!" Birch called out to her.

Thunder looked to all of the other non sparring apprentices and spoke while Holly and Alder squared each other up.

"Normally if it's just a border skirmish or you are chasing wolves off the territory you'll just try to do this to show them you aren't about to give up easily, and sometimes that's all it takes to scare them off, because you want to avoid battles as much as you can, however..." Thunder nodded over to them and Holly lunged at Alders right shoulder with a fierce snap that he managed to dodge. 

"Now Holly wasn't as quick as she normally be, because this is practice and we don't need to be fighting each other and getting needless injuries for Sorrel to get mad about."

The apprentices snickered at the mention of their short tempered Healer. Snowfall could hear her now, going off about them wasting her herbs for when they actually needed them.

Alder stopped and stood staring down Holly for a brief moment. He took a step back and sprang towards Holly from about the length of an apprentice away, barely missing the left side of her neck. Holly quickly spun around and lunged back at him, extending her forepaws at him and knocking him to the ground on his side. She placed a paw on his face pressing it into the ground along with a snarl. Snowfall shrank back flicking her ears. It looked like they were actually fighting. The male apprentice thought for a half a moment and heaved himself upward to at least shake her off him. Despite Holly being the older of the two, Alder was bigger and stronger than her, only Holly had more experience and skill, having an advantage.