Chapitre 11

"Let the fighting begin!"

My stomach clenched. At Delta Ivan's command, we lined up, me between Ulf and Luke.

"The rules are simple," Astor began. "The first two start and fight until one is down. The winner stands and fights the next in line, got it?"

"Yes, General Astor!" we shouted, just as we had learned.

Lying on the floor is easy. This should be quick and painless. I was a flyweight compared to most of the guys here. Two wolves stepped out from the front of the line and faced each other. The three of us were the last ones, which didn't help my nervousness.

"Begins!"

Immediately someone swung and I winced when the fist made a cracking sound. The other wolf didn't let that sit for long. I wish I could have closed my eyes, unlike most of the others here who continued to cheer the fight on.

Which of the two did you want to encourage?

Not a minute later there was a loud rumble and one of the two kicked up the dust with his back. Loud applause went through the crowd as the winner raised his arms in the air in triumph.

"Next!" ordered Astor as the loser retreated into the line, head ducked.

It went on, but instead of following the fighting, I looked down the line at the soldiers ahead of us. My heart froze when I saw familiar faces.

The brute and the redhead. Mael.

Pure adrenaline flooded my veins. One of them would make it to us and although it was bigger I was hoping for the brute. His apologetic look in the night flew past my inner eye. He helped me yesterday. If it weren't for him, half my face would probably be burned out.

As if hearing my thoughts, the brute strode forward into the ring.

His opponent swallowed audibly, but still raised his fists. He wouldn't give up without a fight. However, the brute's excessive size made it easy to break through defenses and land punches to the head.

Not a second later, the wolf staggered back and landed on the ground. The soldiers cheered loudly, while my panic only increased.

Mael stepped forward and I could almost see the hatred in his eyes for his true friend. The brute showed nothing.

"Come on!"

Mael didn't hesitate for a second. His fist went for the liver and hit him before he could defend himself that low. The crowd flinched, including me. The brute buckled, but had no chance to recover. A blow to the neck interrupted the rattle.

Fear rose around me as I clutched my own neck. He would crush me with no regrets, quite the contrary, he would still enjoy it.

The ground rumbled as the brute went under and my adrenaline spiked. His throat turned an angry red. I swallowed the lump in mine.

We all could only shrug in trance as Mael stomped one by one into the ground in fury. The jubilation had long since died down to pure aggression. I narrowed my eyes.

His were no longer their normal green, but kept flickering to his wolf. Was he still in control?

I looked at Astor for help, but his gaze was fixed on Mael, an unreadable expression. He wouldn't just let that get away with him, would he? This was no longer a training fight, it was barbaric.

The next opponent landed in the dirt.

"See that?" Ulf whispered to us. "He always starts with a punch to the liver. When his opponent leans over, he aims for the neck."

Luke and I nodded, not taking our eyes off the fighting. The line next to us kept getting shorter and shorter until Ulf was next.

"If you dodge that, you get your own move," Luke said, and a small spark of hope eased my muscles.

"Good luck," I whispered to Ulf, who stepped forward.

He nodded imperceptibly. The wind ruffled his black-gray hair as he positioned himself across from Mael. Although you could smell his excitement, his drawn face remained immobile.

As he had predicted, Mael began his savage attack. Ulf dodged elegantly and landed a few punches to the head himself. This seemed to throw his opponent into a confused rage.

He flailed. There was a loud crack as a fist hit the chest. A groan of pain escaped Ulf's lips as he dropped to his knees. Without so much as a blink of an eye, Mael punched him in the temple.

He fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Ulf!"

I immediately ran to him and felt for the wound. At least he blinked and I could feel his wolf healing the broken ribs. I helped him up.

"Good luck, kid," Ulf gasped. He hobbled back into line, leaving me on the battlefield.

I looked up at the monster.

His red hair was tousled and there was blood on his fists. The air hissed past his teeth. The fights must have cost him strength, but his wolf eyes shone brighter than those of a poisonous snake.

"I CAN SMELL YOUR FEAR," he ground out between his teeth. My wolf growled inwardly as she watched the monster get out of control. He wasn't a warrior, just a tyrant.

Even though I was scared, I rose from the dust and remembered Ulf's words. He aims first for the liver, then for the neck. I clenched my fists, almost not feeling the sting of the verbena. They were ridiculously small compared to the others, but the best I've had at the moment. My senses felt intoxicated with the will to survive, to win.

"Come on!"

Mael immediately began his attack, but I was prepared. I sidestepped and my fists hissed against his neck, which was dripping with sour sweat. For a moment I was surprised myself. I had never hit anyone until today. His back arched.

A growl emanated from him as he straightened up and panicked, I blindly followed my instincts. I jumped onto his back just as he was about to turn around. The air escaped from his lungs as my fists slammed down on his head. He staggered under me, but that wasn't enough.

I began to scratch with my fingernails and an angry growl rumbled under my legs. Now he was really angry.

A force grabbed me and threw me inelegantly in the dirt. Pure fear gripped my body as Mael looked down at me. Blood trickled down his temple, spreading a metallic scent into the air.

"YOU WANT TO DIE," he growled as he walked closer to me. My heart was racing and I continued to crawl backwards, unable to get up. I had awakened the sleeping monster.

"ENOUGH!" Astor roared, immediately commanding the attention of everyone in the square. Mael's green, sparkling eyes stared with hatred at the general who had interrupted him. I lay on the floor, completely forgotten.

Astor didn't seem to like the look at all and approached him. I crawled back to the line and to safety as unobtrusively as possible. Luke and Ulf helped me back to my feet. I couldn't take my eyes off the wolves who were fighting a power duel for a second.

"Submit," Astor commanded in a powerful voice, and my wolf wanted to obey, even though she wasn't meant to. Did he have alpha blood?

A loud growl came from Mael. I clapped my hands over my mouth as the inevitable happened. Orange fur burned through the uniform like fire, tearing it to shreds. White fangs flashed as the wolf bared his teeth. Hate for Astor danced in the green eyes. He had his gaze fixed on Mael, ready for the fight the young wolf had demanded.

I had to cover my mouth not to let a Muchs out.

In a rage, the wolf jumped at Astor. The teeth aimed at his carotid artery. I took a step forward, but everything happened too fast.

In a flash he sidestepped and as he twisted grabbed the wolf's neck. He slammed it into the ground with full force, so the monster could only let out a surprised whine. For the first time since the fighting began, fear flashed in the wolf's eyes. He could tell the General wasn't playing games, he was deadly serious. Still, he didn't stop struggling.

That's how I felt yesterday too.

The satisfaction was stifled by the cruel sight. Astor knelt over him, his arm pinning his neck mercilessly to the ground. It seemed easy for him, like he'd done it hundreds of times before.

"Submit," he growled.

Mael finished his struggle and lay calmly on the ground. The hatred completely subsided as he accepted his fate.

Suddenly, Astor's eyes lifted up and he stared straight at me. My stomach clenched. He lifted his weight off the wolf and stood up.

"Disobedience and aggression will not be tolerated here, understand?"

His gaze left me, fell on Mael, and then swept the entire troupe. Under the rolled up sleeves I could see the strong arms that had held me this morning. My stomach clenched.

It was dead quiet around us. The air was saturated with shock. Not even Edgar could scribble on his scroll.

"Ivan," Astor growled, turning his back on us while Delta Ivan took over.

"As you just witnessed, General Astor is our best fighter. His specialty is fighting in human form against wolves," he said, eyeing Mael with distaste. "I'll train you into your wolf form. For that, you transform and we'll gather in the clearing in the forest. Anyone who wants to rip their uniform should be aware be that you only have two and don't get a new one."

The tension in the group slowly eased as everyone started talking. What should I do now? Officially, I didn't own a wolf. Edgar walked towards me through the crowd as if he had read my mind.

"Hey Eschwald. You have the honor of training with General Astor. private lesson."

His voice was almost gleeful as my stomach sank one floor down.

Nah wonderful...

***

"Bye, Dan. You can do it."

Somewhat reluctantly, Luke and Ulf said goodbye, like all the other soldiers. The place kept emptying until only Astor and I were left. I walked towards him and stopped a few steps in front of him.

"You did well for your first fight," he said, and a warm feeling spread through my chest.

"I must have looked like a fury jumping on his back," I replied. Suddenly, his fingers slipped under my chin and lifted my gaze.

"Better a living fury than a dead rabbit. Fighting isn't about beauty or elegance."

"No? But it looked like that for you," I answered and an unusually gentle smile tugged at the corners of Astor's mouth.

"No, fighting is about using your advantages correctly and not letting the opponent take advantage of your disadvantages."

"What's your disadvantage in fighting?" I asked. Astor kept a straight face.

"That, which is also my advantage," he said, and yet his words meant nothing to me. How could strength and speed be a weakness. He had brought down a wolf with no problem. "Enough dreaming, we better get started."

I nodded, steeling myself for more pain, but to my surprise, Astor turned and stalked out of camp.

"Are you coming?" he asked, gesturing for me to follow. My legs broke from their rigid state and I ran after him. Hundreds of wolf smells lay on the path to the forest and I wrinkled my nose.

"What do we do?"

"We'll see how the others fight," whispered Astor. "After all, your wolf should also learn something here."

She inwardly raised her head at the mention of it. Secretly she eyed him from the side, his severe features, his lips, the broad shoulders and strong arms that could not be overlooked under the rolled-up uniform. His hands must have been twice the size of mine.

I quickly looked away as I felt the heat in my cheeks. Either Astor didn't notice anything or he skilfully ignored it.

We stepped between the tree trunks into the realm of the birds. Dark footprints from a wolf army marked the ground beneath us and showed us the way. But the smell would have been enough: a mass from which one could hardly make sense. No individual could be smelled, only the troops.

Growls and teeth snarled in the distance, sending shivers down my spine. My first instinct was to flee if Astor wasn't right next to me.

"Here," he said, pointing to a large tree far from the actual clearing. I looked at him questioningly. "Climb up."

My reaction was probably too slow for him, because without wasting another breath, his hands came to my waist. A squeak escaped my lips and I instinctively cupped my hands over his. A tingle ran through my body as Astor lifted me into the air with no problem. I immediately grabbed the thick branch and pulled myself up.

My body felt like it was a hot summer day and I tried to ignore the awkward feeling. I was good at climbing trees. Thanks to father, I could even do it blindfolded. He had shown me.

A pang went through my stomach.

I swallowed the memories and grabbed the nearest branch above me. It was surprisingly easy to climb in the uniform. I followed the branches up into the crown. I just glanced down at Astor and was startled at the ease with which he followed me.

"That's enough," he said, sitting down next to me on the thicker branch I was sitting on. It was close enough that I could feel its warmth. My legs dangled freely toward the ground. "See them?"

He pointed through the trees to the clearing where the spectacle was taking place. Thick fur glistened in the sun. The only human figures were Edgar and Delta Ivan, who oversaw everything. Everything looked surreal from up here.

"Pay attention. What do you notice?"

"You fight each other?" I replied, a little confused by the question.

"I should be more specific with my question," Astor said, brushing the strands of gold from his face. "What are you aiming at?"

I followed the various duels, each of which seemed to last only five seconds, before the wolves switched partners.

"On your ass," I finally replied.

"Right, a werewolf's weakest point while standing upright. And also the most dangerous, so close to the fangs."

My wolf listened attentively. She knew everything about normal forest animals, but she had never had to fight other wolves. Suddenly, a strong wind hissed at us and a surprised scream escaped my lips as my back leaned dangerously backwards.

Suddenly, warmth enveloped me in the form of Astor's trained arm wrapped around my shoulder, giving me stability. At the same time he pressed me to his side. After a second of shock, I relaxed at the warmth and smell he was enveloping me in.

His touch completely threw me off. I was glad he kept talking.

“We will have quite a bit of time in the next few weeks. You have incredible control over your wolf," he said, and my eyes instinctively ran to Mael's orange wolf, who wasn't allowed to fight, just watch.

"I've never met a wolf that was this aggressive," I replied thoughtfully. Astor tensed up next to me.

“There are some like him among the fighters, and more in the dungeon. When they can't control themselves, they are unreliable. When they are unreliable, they are dangerous and when they are dangerous, they cause harm, for which they are punished. If they don't learn to channel their aggression in the right ways at the right time, they'll be relegated to savages."

"Don't you have to be aggressive for the army?" I asked.

"In the right amount. Aggression is in the nature of all humans and wolves."

I lowered my eyebrows.

"I'm not aggressive," I replied, getting a dry laugh in response. The sound sent a shiver down my spine.

"All you think about is physical aggression, aside from the scratches and slaps you gave the mutt."

There was so much hatred in his voice at the mention of Mael that I was afraid he would go down there and let his aggression run free.

"What do you mean?" I asked, crossing my arms. Astor released his arm and sat straight in front of me.

"I mean, there's a little monster in you, and I don't just mean your wolf," he said. Her mention made her perk up. "We all have something evil inside us that can keep us alive."

"But also something good," I replied and a soft smile spread on Astor's lips.

“Something good too, and its job is to bring evil under control: a controlled monster, one that can fight when it needs to. One that defends and protects. That's what makes a true warrior."

A shiver ran down my spine. Astor's eyes searched my face sharply. He was right. I almost said he was a true warrior.

We all had an instinct to survive that was ingrained deep within us.

"You said physical aggression. Why?" I asked.

"Oh, haven't you ever been alone among aggressive wolves? They fight a bitter war with only words. It can be almost as ugly as a fistfight," he said.

I nodded. I had met some of these women at the market. They twisted reality with their sentences to get what they wanted.

"I stay away from wolves like that," I replied, looking down. I haven't been to the market for a long time. Were my mother and father worried? A pang went through my stomach. I had left them alone. It was the only thing what I could do. I had nothing to blame myself for.

"Are you coming?" Astor asked and to my astonishment he was already on his way down. I nodded hastily and began the descent. The golden sun shone through the trees and announced the afternoon. When I reached the last branch before hitting the ground I suddenly felt hands on my hips.

He picked me up with ease and set me down on the ground.

"Thanks," I said, slightly embarrassed. Why would he do something like that if he wasn't-

"Same in classes," Astor said, interrupting my train of thought. "Delta Ivan will take care of the elite, Edgar the average, and I'll take care of the puppies."

A sarcastic laugh escaped my lips.

"Puppies? Let me guess which class I belong to..."

"That's right, and be thankful for that," Astor said as we backed our way to camp. "Puppies aren't used on the front lines. They get other jobs like cleaning, cooking, or running errands."

That didn't sound so bad, at least better than fighting. We came to the camp, which lay before us as if swept empty. Before I could think about it any longer, I grabbed Astor by the sleeve of his uniform. His attention immediately turned to me.

I stared him straight in the eyes, a sign of aggression unless...

"Astor, why are you helping me?"