Shieldwolf Dawning (12 page)

Tavani switched her tail and leaned closer for a parting shot. Her black-and-yellow eyes blinked rapidly. "Hsss…" She sniffed the air and dropped her voice to a whisper. "All you are is an unwashed savage." With that, she faced the front and said no more.

Samarra could barely contain her anger. "You're so mean. Now take that back."

Tavani was unmoved.

Samarra's heart thumped hard in her chest, but she knew if she opened her mouth she would say something she'd later regret. She counted to ten until she calmed down, then counted again for luck. Irik was about to begin his speech on centre stage, providing Samarra with a welcome distraction from her anger.

"Swains, today you begin stage one of basic training," he announced grandly. His beak glowed red and yellow against sleek black feathers. "It is time for you to leave your old way of life behind. It is time to forget the past and start anew. From this point on, you will eat, sleep, and breathe as a swain. You will do as you are told and you will do it without question."

Samarra felt instant dislike at the idea of doing anything without question and she grumbled on the inside.

Irik gripped the sides of the lectern and leaned forward to scan the front row. "The first thing you must remember is that swains are expected to abide by the laws of the Book of Living. Some of these laws are related to Shieldwolf values and being in attunement with the natural environment. Some have to do with combat, while others are specific to a typical day of labour." He took a deep breath. "Over the next three lunar cycles, you will learn about core values, species relations, ceremony, and of course, combat-related subjects such as staff fighting and first aid training. In stage two you will spend six lunar cycles on various training ranges, applying and mastering the skills you learned in stage one. You will also be introduced to spirit magic."

Excited gasps stretched from one side of Parade Square to the other at the prospect of spirit magic. Irik waited for the swains to settle down before he continued.

"The third and final stage spans three lunar cycles and consists of live training. At the end of this stage, you will partake in a formal initiation to mark your transition from swain to auxiliary Shieldwolf. In sum, basic training is designed to lay a strong foundation for the art of discipline and combat."

Irik scanned the crowd. Satisfied that the swains were still alert and focused only on him, he turned on his tablet.

"I begin with a breakdown of your daily itinerary as a youth in service." His musical voice turned dull and monotone. "Section Three, Article One: The swains' day begins at 0500 hours in summer and 0600 hours in winter. The work day begins at 0600 hours in the summer and 0700 in winter. Lights out is at 2000 hours." Irik took a deep breath. "Article Two: At the first gong the swains must rise and dress. At the second gong, they must be fully dressed and make their beds. At the third gong, the leader of each unit will inspect the sleeping quarters. Swains must line up and proceed in single file to the grove for Meditation. There is a ten minute interval between each gong."

Meditation?
Samarra grimaced at the thought. She had a whole day of speeches to look forward to hearing and was desperate for the morning to end. She adjusted her collar and stretched the muscles in her neck and back.

Cassian tapped her on the shoulder. "You got your wish."

Samarra was confused. "What wish?"

"You always wished that you could go boarding school. All these rules remind me of school. This place is perfect for you. I hope you're happy."

Samarra glared at him. Cassian held her gaze for a tense moment then faced the front in stony silence.

Binding

"Hold your staff perpendicular to your right knee. You, there… yes, you. Lift your head up higher." Shieldwolf Longmane moved around the training field with the grace and determination of a sleek wolf. His light brown hair was, as always, pulled back in a long braid. His ageless face was kind yet firm; his eyes were gentle yet blazing. "Hold your weapon forward and turn it until it is in vertical position. Now grasp the middle of your staff with both hands like so." Shieldwolf Longmane's muscular arms were slick with sweat as he demonstrated the holding position to his unit.

Samarra was tired from spending her morning learning drill formations and harvesting herbs from the greenhouses, yet she carried out the battlemaster's orders with ease. Remembering the marching commands had been much harder than this — always stepping out on her left foot unless the command was "right step, march," or keeping a full arm's length between herself and the swain in front of her, which had been close to impossible.

Today was Samarra's third day at Shieldwolf Proper and she had already been assigned to a combat unit. The majority of swains would be trained as rangers, while the remainder would be trained as custodians who were responsible for maintaining the biodome. Although she was growing to like the other eleven swains in her unit and she didn't mind doing community chores like cleaning the stables or tending the herb gardens, she couldn't shake her mixed feelings about her primary trainer.

As much as Shieldwolf Longmane was handsome, he was also impossibly strict. Powerfully built, broad shouldered, and agile in mind and body, the gaian was considered the most courageous and skilled battlemaster of them all. Even Merganser had said that Samarra was fortunate to be assigned to such a fearless and honourable hero.

"Kneel down and bow your heads," he said.

"Not more meditation," Samarra groaned. The swains kneeled down one by one and bowed their heads. When Cassian did it too, Samarra followed his lead. When Shieldwolf Longmane prayed, Samarra did not. Instead, she lost herself in the depths of his voice.

"Brilliant Reflection," he said with reverence. "We remember the day you blessed the Shieldwolves with your strength to defeat the Flux. At our moment of victory, you made yourself known to Aletheia. You gave her your Vision: 'I will be the deliverance of all who evoke me. I will serve and protect those who put faith in my words.' Timeless One, we call upon you to bless us again with your power."

The area was silent. The wind stood still. Nobody moved, not even the creatures that usually scurried around. Samarra kept her head bowed. She knew this moment was supposed to be prayerful, but she felt nothing out of the ordinary. The Sairfangs had prayed to something every night too. But prayers, to Samarra, were empty words, and the Reflection was a good story made up to keep kids from acting up. Until she could talk to this divine being for herself, Samarra would keep wondering. She had her entire life to figure it all out, anyway.

Now, the Flux was something else! Samarra had discovered that much after spending most of the night on her tablet searching for information. Flux magic was powerful but wildly chaotic. It was also outlawed by the Shieldwolves.

"Ready yourselves to begin your Staff Bind." Shieldwolf Longmane's voice boomed across the terrain. "Stand up. Hold out your staff. Repeat after me: 'This is my staff; with it, I am powerful.'" He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and waited for the swains to echo him.

"I'm not doing this," Samarra mumbled. "I swear I'm not doing this. I feel like a knobhead."

"You better do it." Cassian glanced at her. "Or he'll make you clean out the armoury."

Samarra grunted. "Whatever." Shieldwolf Longmane showed one of the swains how to hold her staff. "What's he praying for, anyway? I bet you don't even know."

"Weren't you paying attention to anything he just said?" Cassian concentrated on his staff. "He's showing us how to do a Staff Bind. Try to behave for once. Just do what he says."

"I hope you turn into a dodo." Samarra gripped her staff more tightly and slapped herself on the forehead with a dramatic flair. "Oh, I forgot… you
are
a dodo."

"Just shut up and do the bind, Sammy."

"Fine!" Samarra pretended to look offended before she focused on her staff and recited the words of binding. She said them over and over again. "Nothing's happening," she whispered after a while. "Is anything happening for you?"

"Yes. I think something's happening."

"Really?" Samarra dropped her staff in surprise. How could that be? "What?"

"I don't know." His face was crimson with exertion. "It makes me tired. I can't describe it."

"Fat lot of help you are." Samarra picked up her staff and tried again.

"Shut up and do what you're supposed to be doing," said a familiar voice from two swains down the row. "You're getting under my gills."

Samarra glowered at Tavani. "Mind your own business, spot face. You're as annoying as a toad."

Tavani croaked in disdain.

Before Samarra could say anything else, Shieldwolf Longmane marched over.

"Stop!" he ordered. "Dawning, your spirit level is low. Picture the staff as an extension of your body and you as an extension of the Reflection. Try again. This time take it seriously."

"But what do I focus on? I don't know what to do." Samarra could feel the blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Reach out for the power of the Reflection."

"What power?" She squirmed under his intense gaze. "I can't feel any power."

Shieldwolf Longmane scowled. "Stop wasting my time."

Samarra wanted to whack him with her staff, but she knew that doing so would mean some form of punishment. He had already spelled out the line between action and consequence. Instead, she held out her staff, scrunched up her face, and wished for something to happen as though her life depended on it. When Shieldwolf Longmane moved onto his next victim, Samarra opened one eye and watched Cassian. His hands were turning luminous.

"Wow." She couldn't stop staring.

"Yeah," he said with a broad grin. "Awesome, huh?"

More determined than ever, Samarra closed her eyes and concentrated on her staff. "This is my staff; with it I am powerful." She repeated the mantra and wished desperately for something to happen. Nothing did.

Samarra thought about the staff, she thought about the Reflection… and when her stomach rumbled a wake-up call, she thought about chocolate cookies. Time passed and still nothing. Samarra was barely seconds away from giving up when she felt the smallest sensation light up in her core. Her smile grew broader when the warm tingle spread slowly throughout her body until it all concentrated at once in her hands. Her arms trembled. She was so stunned at the energy moving into her fingers she could barely hear what Shieldwolf Longmane was saying.

"Arms out straight." His voice went from soft to loud then back again as he navigated the area. Samarra peeked to see what he was doing. Satisfied with everyone's progress, he moved to the next part of the ritual: the Staff Bind.

"Repeat after me: 'This is my staff; with it I am powerful. Without it, I am nothing.'"

Samarra repeated the words out of curiosity for what might happen next. It came as another shock when the energy in her fingers illuminated her staff. "Double wow!" she exclaimed in wide-eyed wonder. She had only ever read about magic and had never experienced what it felt like for herself. This was her first time, and it was amazing.

"'If I should pass through the Flux of unlife, may the Reflection appear to guide me.'" Shieldwolf Longmane waited for the swains to repeat his words of binding. He moved around the group and checked each weapon for success. "Bind complete. Now, take note of the symbol on your staff. It serves two purposes. It indicates the spirit you were born into. For the moment, however, understand the symbol as a biometric lock. Only you can summon the power of the Reflection through your weapon by activating the symbol with your hand. In anyone else's hands, your staff will never be more than a simple fighting stick. You will learn more about this function as you move forward in your training."

Samarra checked out her staff. A radiant sun was scorched into the wood.

"Cass, what's on yours?"

Cassian pointed to the image on his staff. It was a blur.

"What's that supposed to be?"

"I have no idea. I wonder if I did it properly." He examined his staff with concern and disappointment.

Shieldwolf Longmane propped his staff at his side, called out for attention, and waited for the swains to settle into position before he went on. "We will end the day in contemplation."

"Again?" Samarra groaned. "I'm so over sitting still with my eyes closed for hours and hours."

"It's better than cleaning out the stables."

Samarra nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right."

Shieldwolf Longmane pointed to the image on his staff, but Samarra was too far away to see what it was. "These symbols connect your inner spirit to your staff and your staff to the power of the Reflection. I would like you to think about the symbol. What does the image speak to you? What does it mean for your shaman spirit?" He was about to say more when a pair of archeop landed at his side. They talked with him quietly. Their faces were troubled. Shieldwolf Longmane said something and the messengers nodded. They bowed slightly, leapt into the air, and flew through a hatch in the dome that dissolved to allow them exit.

"I must attend to an urgent matter," Shieldwolf Longmane told his unit. "I will return within the hour." He bowed and headed for the main tower.

"What do we do now?" Samarra inched closer to Cassian.

"Shh." He traced his fingers over the symbol on his staff.

"Don't be boring." Samarra sat down next to him and pretended to meditate. She had one eye open and one eye shut.