line and headed toward the door before Uriel stopped him.
“You are a team,” Uriel announced. “And as a team, you should work together. Besides, breakfast is simple today. Grab your gourmet ration bars and go join your fellow trainee.”
Now there was a chorus of groans.
He grabbed a couple more for himself, along with his instruction tool for the day, and headed outside, walking down one of the trails into the woods. After they finished their morning exercise, the trainees jogged up alongside him.
“Today’s lesson is about being aware of your surroundings.” Without further warning he reached up and tapped a tree branch with his tool, a long, spiked metal pole.
Three of the four trainees saw it coming and dodged out of the way. Justin did not. A fresh dumping of snow cascaded over him as it fell from several vibrating branches.
“Stay aware!” he shouted.
Justin shook himself vigorously and rejoined the others moments later, none the worse for the wear.
They marched on, though Uriel had no other lessons for them until they came to a clearing. The snow wasn’t as deep here, and they crunched out onto it until they stood in the center.
“Line up,” he said and they quickly formed a line in front of him. “No, like this,” he instructed, having them face front to back, instead of side to side. He pushed them in close to each other as well.
“Today’s other lesson,” he said, stepping close to Jared, who anchored one end of the line, “is about teamwork.” He punctuated his last word with a sharp crack of his pole against the ground in front of them.
“Teammates.” Crack . This time in front of Justin, who was next in line.
“Work together.” Crack. Moving down the line to Josh.
“They look out for the whole before themselves.” Crack.
He circled around the back of Connor, who he had just been in front of.
“We are a team.” Crack.
“That’s right, I said we .” Crack, his spike drove deep into the ground again. This time he saw the trainees sway as the ground trembled under them.
“But for today, I mean you.” Crack. “Any questions?”
There was silence. The trainees were looking around more fervently as they felt the ground begin to shiver more.
“That’s too bad. There should have been.”
Crack.
With one last hard motion, he completed the rough outline around the group of trainees and the thick ice behind them shattered completely, dropping them into the pond that spanned the majority of the clearing they were in.
Shouting and curses came his way as they struggled to get out. But there wasn’t enough room for them all to try and get out at once. The line they had been in had ensured not enough ice broke to give the four big men the opportunity to do so.
Finally Jared took control, pulling two of the shifters closer to him. He ducked under the ice, freeing up enough space for Josh to climb out. The other shifter quickly pulled out his squad, until the shifters were lying on the snow, cursing and trying to recover their warmth.
“What was today’s lesson?” he asked, not giving them any time to recover.
“Teamwork,” Connor said.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” Jared said, remembering the first lesson Uriel had given them.
“Exactly! So why did you stay on the ice and let me dump you like a bunch of buffoons?”
“You told us to line up,” Jared protested.
“I didn’t tell you to stay there once the ice started buckling under you though!” he yelled. “If you sense danger, you act, or at least bring it up to me. I even gave you leave to ask questions. You could have asked about the ice. But you didn’t!”
He shook his head. He really had hoped Jared or someone would have said something. They were smart, but they still needed help thinking for themselves from time to time.
“Justin, at what temperature does a bear shifter began to become susceptible to the cold the way humans do?”
“There is no hard data on an exact temperature, but
“You are a team,” Uriel announced. “And as a team, you should work together. Besides, breakfast is simple today. Grab your gourmet ration bars and go join your fellow trainee.”
Now there was a chorus of groans.
He grabbed a couple more for himself, along with his instruction tool for the day, and headed outside, walking down one of the trails into the woods. After they finished their morning exercise, the trainees jogged up alongside him.
“Today’s lesson is about being aware of your surroundings.” Without further warning he reached up and tapped a tree branch with his tool, a long, spiked metal pole.
Three of the four trainees saw it coming and dodged out of the way. Justin did not. A fresh dumping of snow cascaded over him as it fell from several vibrating branches.
“Stay aware!” he shouted.
Justin shook himself vigorously and rejoined the others moments later, none the worse for the wear.
They marched on, though Uriel had no other lessons for them until they came to a clearing. The snow wasn’t as deep here, and they crunched out onto it until they stood in the center.
“Line up,” he said and they quickly formed a line in front of him. “No, like this,” he instructed, having them face front to back, instead of side to side. He pushed them in close to each other as well.
“Today’s other lesson,” he said, stepping close to Jared, who anchored one end of the line, “is about teamwork.” He punctuated his last word with a sharp crack of his pole against the ground in front of them.
“Teammates.” Crack . This time in front of Justin, who was next in line.
“Work together.” Crack. Moving down the line to Josh.
“They look out for the whole before themselves.” Crack.
He circled around the back of Connor, who he had just been in front of.
“We are a team.” Crack.
“That’s right, I said we .” Crack, his spike drove deep into the ground again. This time he saw the trainees sway as the ground trembled under them.
“But for today, I mean you.” Crack. “Any questions?”
There was silence. The trainees were looking around more fervently as they felt the ground begin to shiver more.
“That’s too bad. There should have been.”
Crack.
With one last hard motion, he completed the rough outline around the group of trainees and the thick ice behind them shattered completely, dropping them into the pond that spanned the majority of the clearing they were in.
Shouting and curses came his way as they struggled to get out. But there wasn’t enough room for them all to try and get out at once. The line they had been in had ensured not enough ice broke to give the four big men the opportunity to do so.
Finally Jared took control, pulling two of the shifters closer to him. He ducked under the ice, freeing up enough space for Josh to climb out. The other shifter quickly pulled out his squad, until the shifters were lying on the snow, cursing and trying to recover their warmth.
“What was today’s lesson?” he asked, not giving them any time to recover.
“Teamwork,” Connor said.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” Jared said, remembering the first lesson Uriel had given them.
“Exactly! So why did you stay on the ice and let me dump you like a bunch of buffoons?”
“You told us to line up,” Jared protested.
“I didn’t tell you to stay there once the ice started buckling under you though!” he yelled. “If you sense danger, you act, or at least bring it up to me. I even gave you leave to ask questions. You could have asked about the ice. But you didn’t!”
He shook his head. He really had hoped Jared or someone would have said something. They were smart, but they still needed help thinking for themselves from time to time.
“Justin, at what temperature does a bear shifter began to become susceptible to the cold the way humans do?”
“There is no hard data on an exact temperature, but
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