WAITING BY THE SIDE YARD

Saturday 5 March Continued

The pups came out of the packhouse with Teacher Cal. He was yelling as they tumbled out like a herd of chaos, "Okay! Get in line! No running! Don't push! Boys! Get back in line!"

The rest of us drew back to our side of the yard. It was instinct. Like you wouldn't remain standing just wherever you are when a stampede of wild buffalos suddenly appear in front of you right?

The side yard was where we usually started our runs during our Thursday Training Sessions. It was also the first warrior training grounds, back when Dad first started this pack, so I guess we could mark it as a heritage site. All our oldest warriors had learned the standard fight drills here once upon a time.

Since then, it had been the training yard for everyone from pups to active warriors. It was the most commonly used start and/or end point for warrior runs and marches.

It was connected to a much larger field - or at least it used to be a field. We had the Friendly Tournament with the Snow Wolves in this connected field. I don't think the space had quite recovered from that.

The ground was broken up and most of it looked like a marsh that had had been ravaged by very angry construction vehicles. I didn't know how else to explain it. There were gaping holes, jutting pieces of broken earth, and a lot of mud.

Also, our side porch was new - so new that it was still under construction. We could walk on it, but it wasn't painted yet, and one side was missing its roof and banisters. Seeing it like this reminded me that Bell had set fire on it.

Our trainers used it as their stage while the rest of us stood in two distinct groups. Grade 1 to 6 on one side, and us on the other.

Link and his Study Group had prepared this orienteering exercise. (They were being trained to organize training activities.)

The rest of us teens would be guiding the younger ones.

"Okay!" Teacher Cal shouted while he waved clipboard from the porch, "Are we ready?"

"Can I say no?" One of the guys behind me muttered. (I think it was Jay.)

"No?" Nolan asked.

It was the first time my gang was going to be the guide for younger pups. Our last hike was just ask, without a guide. I guess we got promoted. That was exciting.

The teachers were trying to get the pups into their teams. I think they were having some trouble, I was standing on the far side not quite paying attention. Eventually, I was sure Teacher Cal would sort the pups out, or else Flynn would. Then, they'd assign us to our team.

But then there was some kind of small eruption of disagreement among the first and second graders. It was loud enough for me to turn to look.

Flynn was pulling one of the boys by the scuff out from a team. I shrugged.

"They're taking so long." Shannon said.

"Hurry up!" Tim yelled across the field, "Why are we waiting?"

"Yeah, hurry up!" Angela yelled, "The sun's getting hot."

"Just stand in the shade." Jay told her.

"I want to stand here." Angela insisted.

"You are the kind of girl who thinks the Sun should be moved for you." Jay shook his head.

Angela kicked him, "No! I mean for them to hurry so we can get into the woods."

"Ouch." Jay said, "Why do you have to be so violent?"

Meanwhile, Flynn had gone back up onto the porch. There was some discussions among the trainers. This part wasn't normal… Normally, groupings didn't require debate. Usually, our trainers just made us number off or something, but I could hear them raise their voices enough that I could heard their discussion.

"We need to decide now, how are we going to deal with this." Flynn said.

"I didn't expect all three of them to show up." Teacher Cal said.

"It'll be better to separate them." Dawn said, "Divide and conquer."

Teacher Cal was shaking his head widely, "Even individually, I don't think their guides will be able to handle it."

"Hm…" Flynn thought about it, and then he grinned and turned over to us and called out, "Alright, Sam!"

Omo!

"Yes, Sir?" I called back casually.

"Choose a partner." Flynn told me, "Someone you'll feel comfortable running with."

"Choose someone good." Flynn said, "Someone you can rely on if it get hairy out there."

He tilted his head towards the woods. I raised a brow, we were just walking around the trails in our packhouse backyard, right?

This wasn't the warlock lands or the colored mountains. There weren't any enchantments, rogues, or traps. At most, we might meet a fox, if we were lucky.

"Who'd it be Sam?" Flynn pressed.

"Ben." I answered. Of course I would pick my beta.

"Not Ben." Flynn pursed his lips at my choice, "Not Jonah either… better not any of the girls."

I narrowed my eyes at him. WTH. But there were a lot of boys in the wild buffalo herd. I think Flynn planned to put Ben and Jonah in separate teams so that all the boy teams would have at least one guy guiding them.

Fine, "Can I have Shannon then?"

"Wait, you're picking Shannon?" Tim exclaimed.

Tim couldn't possibly thing I'd pick him.

"Why Shannon?" Tim asked.

At the moment, I was remembering how he came through for me when we had to rescue Savy and the two pups from rogues in the woods.

And then Tim smirked at Dean, "Oh right, Sir said to take someone reliable so it can't be the omega."

Oh, opps. I didn't think of Dean.

As much as I hated to admit it, Tim was right though. It wasn't on purpose, but because Flynn said I had to pick something I could rely if the situation got hairy, I hadn't even considered Dean.

In the past, I would always had picked Dean first, but… I don't know. Now it felt like Dean would just be an additional burden if anything goes wrong. I wonder what changed, or even when it changed to become like this.

Flynn shrugged, "Okay. Sam and Shannon, you'll be the guide for the three musketeers."

The three musketeers was also what Flynn called the Morning Light Goons - Nix, Marlow, and Ethan.

Oh, boy. Why did it sound like we were just saddled with some troublesome people.

I looked at Shannon, and he gave me a friendly shrug. I smiled back. Oh well. Whatever happened, I felt sure I was probably worse as a pup.