Half of You

Glad You're Here - Chapter Five

Turns out, the training grounds are just a few minutes walk past the lake, where the road runs into a big open area. The sky has just barely began it's rise into the sky, glinting off of the large metal buildings placed left, right, and center of the space.

The smell of so many other wolves is not too much for the wolf now, she can breathe in without feeling on edge, and even distinguish between the wolves from back home and the ones that had lived here all their lives.

The air buzzes with the sounds of many different conversations taking place; everyone stands so there is ample space between them and the next person.

As I take my place towards the back of the crowd, a voice comes from behind me to the left. "Are you new here too?" It's a female wolf with auburn locks that blaze against her pale skin, and subtle blue eyes that look caught somewhere between a thunderstorm and an ocean. She looks familiar.

"Uh.. yes." I think my hesitancy is obvious, as she shifts in place for a second or two, then moves to stand next to me. She looks forward, unrolling a dark blue mat that she was carrying under her arm, then laying it on the ground. Following her stare, I can see that the Luna has gathered in front of the center building.

A few seconds later, a male joins her, and I can tell right away who he is, even without the black locks of hair peppered with grey or his powerful stature. The Alpha. His power is not subtle like the Luna's. It ripples out through the crowd, bringing all eyes to him. I don't think that he's trying, either.

"Do you want to be training partners? I don't really know anyone here yet.." Her voice shakes me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, that would be great." The only people I've spoken to since being here are the Luna and Payne.

This wolf seems nice enough, and she has the faint scent of our home on her. That and a female I don't know. "I'm Thea. This pack seems like a really nice place to be." I try to make conversation with her while waiting for training to begin. More of my father's words hit me. Find the beauty in every moment that you can, even when things seem bleak. There is plenty of beauty here.

I see from where I'm standing that the Alpha leans into Payne, saying something. Then Payne nods and walks off behind one of the buildings. "I'm Kassidy. It's beautiful, and there's so much more land to explore than back home." So my assumption was correct. This territory is much larger than the one I knew growing up.

I wonder how much she's had a chance to see. "I thought so. Have you been to the lake yet?" She's about to respond when the Alpha speaks, and the sound of his voice carries silence across the crowd. "Goodmorning everyone. I'm glad you're here."

No interruptions. "Today will be a little unusual. We will perform our normal stretches and then celebrate the growth of our pack with a run." Whistles and a bit of hollering follow, but die off moments later. Even the wolf grows excited hearing this.

"Remember that new wolves run with us today. Keep the roughhousing to a minimum." His voice doesn't seem like a threat, but it is a command, like the way the Luna told me that I was to attend dinner.

He claps his hands once, then moves his legs apart. He brings his left arm over his head, reaching as far as he can towards the right and holding it there. Everyone starts to mimick his movements, so I do the same. After a few seconds of holding this position, I can feel my side begin to burn.

A few more seconds, and we switch, repeating this process over and over. The burn is stronger each time, and then we move on to another stretching exercise, then another. We do this for thirty minutes or better, a few of the wolves looking more tired as we go, but the Alpha and Luna move through this with ease. Payne hasn't returned.