The leaf and the wind

Trollball

She led a small group of children into the forest, next to a small lake—not too far, as the parents had made clear. She turned and took attendance. Posy and Nathan were there, never missing a chance to learn from her. The Alpha twin boys, John and James, were present too, picking on Jody's blonde hair. Kali, Philip and finally, Gary, the timid boy who always had the right answer but couldn't muster the courage to say it.

Annie: All right, kids, today we'll delve into the world of venomous creatures and learn how to save ourselves or someone else from them. Who can tell me what "venomous" means? You two, stop pulling Jody's hair!

James, Nathan and Posy lifted their hands in unison, while John blushed for being scolded. Annie picked James, who gave the right answer. She continued with the rest of her class. Teaching about animals during their spare time was her voluntary contribution, and the kids were always eager to attend. With limited access to TV in this territory, Annie became a source of both fun and learning for the children. She had been doing it since she was 15 and loved every moment of teaching them.

After the class, she led them to a plain where other kids joined, and Annie explained the rules of a game she had heard about during a trip to another town with her parents. There was a ball in the middle, and two baskets on each edge of the field. Two teams with four foam swords and one "healer" each. The goal was to take the ball and bring it to the other team's basket. Only the number of swords available was allowed to play; the others waited in line outside the zone. If a player was touched by an enemy sword, they had to put a knee down and lift their sword. The healers stood on each side of the field. Outside, they couldn't be touched by the swords, but inside the game zone, they could be killed by the enemy, and there would be no more healer until the ball was in a basket. Their job was to take the sword of a dead player on their side and bring it to the ones waiting in line outside the zone. When a team succeeded three times, it was game over, they won.

She heard that this game was called "Trollball."

They played until exhaustion set in. As fun as the game was, it was also an excellent training method. The children improved their agility, technical combat skills, endurance, and teamwork. As the kids lay flat on the ground, catching their breath, Jimena joined Annie, who was ruffling Nathan's damp hair.

Jimena: You've exhausted him again. Thank you, Red. I bet he's going to sleep tonight without too much of a fuss.

Annie: Tell me about it. Everyone is on edge these days.

Jimena watched her calmly with a tender spark in her eyes. She caressed her son's cheek with two fingers and sighed.

Jimena: I know you must be tired of hearing about it, but we are all a bit scared of what's going to happen when the king comes... He's a big deal. If he says you have to go, there's so little we can do about it. You know, as much as it pains me to say it, Nathan looks up to you. They all do. And we love you so much; it's hard for us to imagine what would happen if you had to leave...

Annie was well aware that Jimena meant "kill you" when she said "you had to leave." From what they all heard, the King was not the kind to think twice before ruthlessly killing someone and apparently the presence of children were not stopping him. She thought about it. The king was coming in search of his fated mate. He was stubborn and insisted on not choosing a mate. If the rumors were right, he deemed anyone else than his fated mate unworthy of becoming the queen. Annie lifted her eyes to the sky. A Lycan king could very well rule without a queen. It has been proven. Lycans did not find a mate that easily, and sometimes, kings used a chosen mate to breed and have a successor. She sighed loudly.

Annie: He's not going to find her here. Why come here? There are mostly just mated wolves, males, children, and adolescents here. The other pack on the other side of the lake is much more flourishing than ours; why not skip us and go there instead?

Jimena: It could be Penny... or Yazmine. You never know. Anyway, he's coming. Whether we like it or not, Red. I don't make the rules.

Annie's face contorted in disdain.

Annie: Imagine Penny as your queen.

Jimena: Oh, she's not that bad.

They laughed a bit. Jimena put her hand on Annie's before kissing her temple. She then grabbed her son like a potato sack and left with him.

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King side

Forty unmated wolves trembled in fear before him. He roared impatiently, making them jump. Even only half-shifted, he remained no less intimidating. Only one of the girls lifted her head to meet his gaze. He approached her dangerously, and she fought to control her body from shaking, staring into his eyes, hoping he might choose her. Perhaps she was pretty and strong enough to stand by his side. Between his fangs, a threatening voice elevated. "You dare to look me in the eye." She kept looking, but her parents behind her felt their hearts drop six feet under.

Girl: I could be a perfect queen for you. Give up your search for a fated mate. Choose m...

Before she finished, she heard a scream. Her throat and arm were excruciatingly painful. She realized that the one screaming was none other than herself. She looked down at her arm, but it was at least 10 meters away from where she was. She cried, crawled, and desperately tried to grab her arm to put it back where it was. It was a futile attempt that obviously did not work. After that, the king turned around, heading at full speed to his next location. While he ran, his right hand and trusted friend, Thion, caught up to him.

Thion: My king, that was harsh. Don't let your Lycan take over.

King: She had to learn her place. I AM THE KING!

Thion: Yes. Of course, I am not denying it, but I'm not sure this temper of yours will delight your fated mate, sir. Keep your bloody urges to yourself. Respectfully, your friend, Thion.

He wanted to behead him, but he knew he was right. He pushed him down to punish him and kept running. It went faster than anticipated, and they arrived at a large cottage next to the Moonclaw pack a day early. They stopped in the middle of the field to rest a bit.

Thion: This pack has a young population, as I heard, my King. Mostly kids, teens, and parents. This is just an extension of what we saw on the other side of that lake earlier.

King: Let's go.

Thion: Whoa, My king, just please. Keep in mind that there are kids there, lots of them. Please. As your right hand and trusted advisor, me, Thion Kendall Dawn, is asking you to try not to terrorize them like you did there. You might lose their trust. I know they are "just wolves" to you, but they also are your loyal subjects, and if you traumatize them all, you might be confronted with a revolution.

The Lycan king felt insulted. He could not kill him, though. He was unable to kill Thion. He was actually the only person he listened to. He growled, making his other soldiers grimace while looking at Thion but the adviser was not fazed by his king's temper. After the king breathed a bit, he gave up.

King: Fine.