Role

Chapter 4

The years went by without much incident. Grezoosh and Mreza trained hard with
the warriors as all mewlings did and they had not given much thought to the words
shared by their father and the shaman.
After a very hard training session the mewlings went off into the woods to rest and
play a little by the lake. Competition in training was always fierce but generally all
of the young mewlings knew that it was just competitive on the sands. That is all
but three of the last years mewling who did not pass through the trials and so had
to train with this years litters. They were brutal in training and never lightened up
even afterwards. They went by the names Kenti, Zabiesh and Doth.

As Grezoosh was foretold to be a great warrior of the village where the magi
fear to tread, he was often pitted against the older and stronger fighters to
challenge him suitably. This meant that he often beat the three in training and
got their hackles up against him. In the village this was never an issue but this
was not in the village anymore.

As they all lay in the sun listening to the waters lap up against the rocks a large
and threatening roar rang out around them. Grezoosh sprung to his paws as
quick as he could but he already had to retreat back from the incoming blows
from Kenti and Zabiesh who had gotten hold of bladed spears. He spun away
from a strong thrust and lashed his claws against the face of Kenti and saw a
satisfying gout of blood release from his blow as fur and flesh hung onto his claws.

Pain then seared through his own face as Doth leapt onto his back and grabbed
him by the muzzle and tore his claws back over his face up to his eyes. Grezoosh
acted just quickly enough to save his sight and flung Doth to the ground where
Kenti still writhed, clutching what remained of his jowl.

Grezoosh stole a quick breath before Doth and Zabiesh began to circle him, their
pack sense rising. Grezoosh looked about him for aid but all had fled from the
scene, even Mreza had left him to his fate. He had just clenched his jaw in anger
at his sisters actions when they pounced at him. He moved like molten gold from
a smelting pot as he wove between the spear thrusts and slashing claws of the
first assault and in the second he grabbed Doth by the ears and sunk his teeth into
his neck, tearing out a chunk that he spat into Doth's face. Blood gushed but not
quickly enough as Doth's claws tightened onto the arms of Grezoosh just long
enough to prevent his moving out of the way of Zabiesh's thrust that pushed his
barbed spear into the back of Grezoosh's right thigh.