Chapter 6

----A Letter my Mother Gave me for my Journey----

My Only Daughter,

I know you are reluctant, but I am positive deep in my heart that you are destined to be the next Luna and that the spirits of the moon are with you and will favor you. All that aside here are is some advice from your mother that I want you to remember while you are facing challenges.

A Luna is always polite.

A Luna will practice humility.

A Luna has unlimited patience.

A Luna will never give up.

A Luna is unfalteringly loyal.

And A Luna will do whatever it takes.

I am sure you will heed my words and hold them close to your heart as you did every day when I was with you. You are on your own now, but don't forget that your family is all depending on you and without your success will likely perish. Prove that I have raised you right. Be good and return when you are Luna. 

Always,

Your Mother.

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I folded her letter and slipped it into my pocket. I wore simple black pants that hugged my figure and a modest blouse with puffy sleeves that I felt like I could move in. No fancy ballgowns for today, a Luna must practice humility and I needed to be prepared for anything that could be our first challenge. After a hearty mutton breakfast burrito I successfully convinced Dandilion to train in combat with me. I quickly discovered that she was right to be worried. I might be untrained and my techniques in refined, but she was downright clumsy and with bad instincts to boot. 

Her paw tapped the training mat signaling she was surrendering for the fifth time. I released her neck from my fanged jaws. Out of breath she shifted back into her human form and I followed suit and put my clothes back on. 

"I'd give you some pointers during the match if only we could use mind speech with each other, Dani" I lamented that we weren't from the same pack. What would a humble Luna do in this situation? The least I could do was try not to show off.

"I um think we are both improving. Let's call it a day." I said and we headed towards the meeting place for our first challenge. I wish I had time to stop by the kitchens for a bite to eat before this, but I'll just have to push through. Maybe it will be a lunch eating challenge? 

"Welcome all to our first challenge!" the Luna mother announced to the waiting group of anxoius wolves dressed in their finest. 

"There are many duties and responsibilities that a Luna has to take accountability for, but I know one of the most important ones for me was raising strong pups that will one day grow up to be the Alpha. This should not be taken lightly and can make or break the future of an entire pack. That is why today we will see how you handle the preassures and nuances of pup care. Open the doors!"

To servants opened the big wooden double doors of the mansion and all the pups of the entire pack burst forth onto the lawn yipping and yapping. 

"It's one of their birthdays!" the Luna mother shouted over the ruckus, "Find out who and facilitate the cake and a game of pin the tail on the wolf! We'll be watching!"

I had never realized how much using pack speech to talk into each others minds until I was faces with thirty wolf pups who would not shift into human for to speak to me and acted as though they couldn't listen either. Rayven seemed to have a way with them and was making an attempt to pass out slices of cake while Oakly was far for involved in tripping over her own dress and trying to pull pups away from grabbing on to her jewelry. I thought I had finally explained the game of pin the tail on the wolf until the second pup got blindfolded and decided to book it across the yard with the paper tail in his mouth. 

"I'll watch the pups over here if you go get that tail back," rushed a wolf I recently met to be Jules. She hitched up her own dress that was preventing her from moving efficiently and ran over to scold a pup who bit his friend. Being the only suitor wearing anything close to activewear besides Dani, I took off after the mischeivous little guy. 

"Come back, Eli! You're supposed to pin it on the picture!" I shouted after him uselessly. 

I ran as fast as my pants would let me, but I soon realized that I would have to shift if I ever wanted a chance at catching him. Barking as if this was some silly game we were both playing he began heading towards the woods, discarding the paper tail from the other game in disinterest. 

"Stop!" I yelled before shifting finally into my calico wolf and bounding after him at twice the speed leaving my clothes in shreds on the grass. I was so close now inches from catching his scruff in my mouth and bringing him back when Eli took a sharp turn and SMACK. I ran staight into a person I hadn't seen standing off away from everyone else. Eli laugh barked as he scurried through his legs and headed back towards the party leaving me to handle this awkwardness alone. I regained my footing and looked up to meet a pair of cold dark eyes staring back down at me in amusement.