The results of the sparring matches came in the next morning. No one was surprised to hear that the Wolf Tribe had a sweeping success with all three Lang siblings accepted for early admittance into the training exchange. Apart from them, only one other young man from the Lion Tribe was granted early admittance, though he had no intentions of actually joining the exchange.

The long trek home was a merry one, and once they got there, it took all of a few seconds before the news of their success was spilled. Zhongyan and Haowan regaled the family by recounting Huo Lohse's sparring match with Philige in blow-by-blow detail and with dramatized demonstrations. By bedtime, Lolo's head was full to the brim with happy thoughts, so much so that she fell asleep nearly the instant her head hit the pillow.

***

The first Monday of June arrived, and the exchange trainees started coming for the annual ten week summer program. As it was the Wolf Tribe’s turn to host the exchange, the Alpha, some of the wolf elders, and a few military personnel had been preparing for months to put together a strong curriculum with a good balance of spiritual training, military tactics, martial arts, sword skills, philosophy, and culture all unique to the Wolf Tribe. The general goal was to capture the essence of the Wolf Tribe in ten weeks to promote understanding and harmony between the tribes.

The youths that attended the training exchange were typically the best and the brightest, hand-picked by the leaders of each tribe. All of them were animal spirit hosts, and most, if not all of them were from the social elite. Each of the five main tribes generally sent between two and four trainees each year, and between the Owl Tribe nomads and some of the other smaller tribes, an additional two to five trainees would attend. For any given year, you could expect around fifteen to twenty-five students total. This year twenty-three trainees were registered.

Huo Lohse and her brothers were instructed to wait for the arrival of their classmates in a large council room outfitted for the summer to be the mess hall for the exchange, much to the chagrin of the displaced agriculture council with the misfortune of their room being the most accessible. Heavy, long wooden tables were set in rows with equally long benches situated on either side. For the purposes of the evening orientation, the tables were divided into five sections so the trainees could assemble by year. While Lolo, Zhongyan, and Haowan played games near the designated first year table, their older brothers joined them temporarily, prepared to divide up to play hosts to the rest of the tables as people trickled in.

The game of choice was a simple one. Everyone stood in a circle taking it in turns to try and land an attack against their neighbor’s hands by slapping them in a single, fluid motion. Once a hand was successfully hit, the player would put their hand behind their back. Once both of their hands were hit, they were out and the circle was condensed to account for their absence. As Lolo was the smallest person in the circle, she had an advantage defending her hands from attacks but had the hardest time landing them with her smaller wingspan.

While Lolo had already achieved her full adult height at five and a half feet, her brothers were all taller than her and still growing-- the oldest twins had just passed six feet. The boys had narrow shoulders and hips, rich black hair, and sharp facial features softened by broad smiles that reached their warm brown eyes; on the rare occasion when they all wore serious expressions, the pack of them were quite intimidating. Huo Lohse, though lean, was curvy with a more feminine version of the sharp facial features characteristic of the Lang siblings. Her hair was long, black, and usually pulled into a high ponytail, and her eyes were mostly brown like her brothers' eyes, except for the slightest hint of green around her pupils.

The first interruption to their game came when the Tragen brothers arrived from the Bear Tribe. Lolo looked up to the sound of the doors opening and was almost giddy to see them again. She'd been looking forward to tormenting Standig with her company for nearly a month.

Smack!

“Ha! Gotcha!” came Zizai’s triumphant jubilation as he finally landed an attack on his sister’s hand.

“Psh!” Lolo rolled her eyes. “‘Cheap shot, waiting until I was distracted.”

“It still counts,” Zizai countered with a grin.

“Well, no matter. I forfeit anyway.”

“What?! Why?! I finally got you!”

“We have company,” Lolo nodded in the direction of the double doors to the back of the room.

“Oh, hey, guys,” Qingchi broke from the game to greet the guests. “It’s good to see you again. Welcome to Pack Hall!”

“Qingchi, how have you been?” Philige greeted his sparring partner by clasping his right forearm and clapping his correlating shoulder with his free hand. Qingchi reciprocated this greeting and set about to make the appropriate introductions.

“I understand that you already met the rest of my siblings during their admittance applications…. This is Zhongyan and Haowan, and you’ll remember Huo Lohse.”

Philige chuckled. “Who could forget? How are you, Huo Lohse?”

“It’s Lolo to just about everybody,” she corrected him, “and I am quite well, thanks.” Lolo turned to the more silent of the Bear Tribe pair to ask, “how was your trip? … Standig?”

Hitherto quite intentionally oblivious to the conversation, Standig was unpleasantly startled to realize that everyone was looking at him expectantly. “Sorry?”

Lolo laughed warmly. “I asked if you had a good trip.”

“Mn,” he nodded awkwardly, hoping his grunt of confirmation would satisfy her.

It didn’t.

Lolo took Standig by the arm to drag him forward, enveloping him into the group regardless of his overt signals that his personal will was contrary to this involvement. Whether she was oblivious or intentionally ignoring these signals, Standig wasn’t certain, but before he could process or protest, he found himself a participant in a new round of the hand-slapping game he and his brother had interrupted with their arrival.

He lost. On purpose.

But he was unhappy that his solitude, earned by his choreographed demise, was quickly interrupted by an annoyingly chipper princess who had similarly lost a little too quickly to be convincing.

“So! Tell me about yourself.”

“There’s not much to tell,” he grumbled almost inaudibly.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Lolo responded smoothly. “What sorts of things do you like to do?”

Standig sighed. Of course she wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “I don’t know.”

Lolo snorted. “What kind of an answer is that?! If you don’t know what you like to do, who does know?”

She had a point. Standig averted his eyes, hoping she’d get the message and leave him alone. But this only seemed to encourage her.

“Come on,” she cajoled, tugging slightly at his sleeve, “what sorts of things do you like to do?”

Standig searched his brain for the single most miserably boring activity he could think of. “Meditate.”

“Really?! You like to meditate? That’s cool! I’m a terrible meditator… can’t stay focused. You should teach me sometime! It could be fun. Meditating is supposed to have incredible spiritual benefits, right? It helps you connect with your animal spirit?”

“Yeah.” Standing groaned internally. This girl would not take a hint. He was saved by the arrival of the trainees from the Lion Tribe, and for the first time in his life, Standig bothered to make an introduction. “Huo Lohse Lang, this is Fortus Arum. Fortus, Huo Lohse.”

“Hi!” Lolo chirped at the newcomer with a quick bow. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Princess,” Fortus bowed. Initial impressions didn't tell Lolo too much about Fortus. He had sandy blonde hair, golden-brown eyes and an aloof, formal demeanor reinforced by his preference to use her title when addressing her rather than her name.

“Call me Lolo.”

“Lolo?”

“It’s what everybody calls me.”

“OK, Lolo, I take it that you are a first year?”

“Yup! What year are you?”

“I am a second year like Standig.” Fortus gestured to where Standig had been standing only to find that Standig had silently slipped away while he and Huo Lohse chatted.

“Standig!” Lolo called out to the retreating bear. “Where do you think you are going? Come here!”

Fortus stifled a laugh as Standig’s shoulders slumped. It didn’t take a genius to gather what was going on. Standig had clearly hoped to ditch the princess on him… which told Fortus a lot about the kind of girl Huo Lohse was. Standig, the classic loner, was in for a long summer. It would be interesting to see which of the pair of them would win this social battle. Fortus didn’t quite manage to rein in his smirk when Lolo grabbed Standig’s arm and tugged him back into the conversation, eliciting what could only be described as a grimace from Standig, which Lolo seemed quite content to disregard. Standig’s distress only heightened when Lolo failed to release his arm again.

“So, Fortus, you’re from the Lion Tribe….”

“That’s right. I am General Torvus Arum’s son.”

“Ah! The Lion General! I look forward to sparring with you sometime then. General Arum has a reputation for being an incredible military leader with a focus on the precise technique of his soldiers. I’m guessing that you’ve benefited from his training methods.”

“You are well-informed, princ- Lolo. My father’s men are second to none, and, yes, I have benefited from my father’s personal instruction. Though, I understand that you are also an interesting person to spar with.”

“What do you mean?”

Fortus granted Lolo a comfortable smile. “I’ve heard the rumors about your entrance exam.”

“Oh.” She blushed. For whatever reason, Lolo was embarrassed by this recognition. “Erm. So, you are from the Lion Tribe… who else came with you?”

“Insaltus Felis,” Fortus said, inclining his head toward another young man currently talking with Rensui. “He’s the Lion King’s nephew and a fourth year.”

“... And Rensui’s usual sparring partner,” Lolo connected. Lolo’s gaze rested on Insaltus, trying to get a read on him from across the room. He had a pointed nose that angled slightly up at the end giving him a snobbish air, sandy blonde hair, dull brown eyes, and a permanently bored expression that rubbed Lolo the wrong way for absolutely no discernible or rational reason. “What’s Insaltus like?”

Fortus’s eyebrows raised in surprise at her bold inquiry. “Well, uh, he’s nice enough-- usually pretty quiet. Why?”

“Just curious,” Lolo shrugged. “I don’t know much about him, and first impressions aren’t telling me much.” Again, Fortus was surprised by her boldness. “Do you have anything to add, Standig?”

Annoyed, Standig gave Lolo a look that was close to a glare while Lolo returned his gaze with one of placid innocence. “Add about what?”

“Insaltus Felis. I don’t know much about him.”

“Why don’t you just go talk to him?”

“Good idea!” Lolo grinned a little too cheerfully. “Let’s go! Fortus, it was great to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Fortus sniggered as he watched Lolo drag an increasingly frustrated Standig across the room. This summer was shaping up to be quite entertaining.

The rest of the summer’s trainees arrived in rapid succession, and Lolo finally had to release Standig to send him to the second years’ table where Zhongyan was jabbering animatedly with a petite young woman that Lolo learned later was from the Sphinx Tribe. Wolf Leader Lang joined the hall of chattering youths to give a brief welcome speech.

“Welcome to the Wolf Tribe! I am looking forward to getting to know you all. I’ve heard a bit about many of you from my sons-- all good things, I assure you. It is gratifying for me to put your faces together with your names. If you will indulge me, I’d like to wander the room and meet each of you briefly. I know that most of you have had a long journey, so after I come around to your group, a servant will take you to your rooms. Please let us know if you need any adjustments made to your accommodations.” With that, the Alpha began wandering from table to table, and Zhongyan finally joined the first years.

At their table, Haowan was chatting with a young woman from the Phoenix Tribe named Ulana, and Lolo was working her charms on the extremely grumpy tribe leader’s son from the small Badger Tribe named Durfein. Coming to the training exchange, clearly, as indicated by the scowl on his portly face, was not his idea.

“‘Don’t really want to be here, huh?” Lolo stated the obvious.

“What gave it away?” Durfein shot back sarcastically.

“‘Want to talk about it?” Lolo continued to prod.

Tuning in, Zhongyan and Haowan exchanged a look that said, “she’s not going to let this go.”

Durfein looked Lolo up and down. “No.”

“Really?”

Durfein’s frown grew a little. “It’s none of your business.”

“Except that I now have to put up with your attitude," she smirked.

“You really wanna know? Fine. I have zero interest in the training exchange. I don’t like weapons, I don’t like fighting, I don’t like studying philosophy and ethics. These exchanges are just a way for the bigger clans to show off how awesome they think they are and indoctrinate the supposedly impressionable youth with their ideas. It’s a waste of my time!”

“Ok. So what is worth your time?”

Durfein opened his mouth to argue, registered Huo Lohse’s question, and promptly shut his mouth again.

“Well?”

“I like art, “ Durfein muttered.

“Ooo! What kind of art?!” Lolo squealed.

Durfein’s face registered cautiously optimistic surprise. “Why do you care?”

“I like art too! I’m not talented at creating art like I'm guessing that you are, but I can appreciate good art when I see it!”

“Oh. Well, I like painting and making pottery the best.” Durfein studied a crack in the rock floor.

“What kinds of paintings?”

“All kinds. Usually nature-inspired.”

“Like landscapes? Botanicals? Animals?”

“All of them, and sometimes portraits.” Durfein looked up, his frown replaced by a bashful expression.

“Like, of people?!” Lolo was impressed.

“What other types of portraits are there?” Durfein betrayed himself with a small smile and snort.

Lolo grinned. “You’ll have to show me some of your work. And I’ll have to introduce you to Mr. Tuliao…. Maybe after class tomorrow?”

“Mr. Tuli…?”

“Tuliao. He’s a farmer here in the Wolf Tribe that likes to dabble in the arts. Some of his work is truly marvelous, though he's not one to admit it. I think you will find that we have a thriving community of artists and artisans here in the Wolf Tribe! Isn’t that right, Haowan? Back me up, here.”

The first years talked art until the Alpha came to their corner to meet the new faces. By then, Durfein’s mood had turned completely upside down.

“My, isn’t this a great group!” the Alpha exclaimed. “How is everyone doing this evening?” He was met with happy chatter. Ulana and Durfein were invited to introduce themselves and were then escorted to their rooms near the main front courtyard of Pack Hall.

“See you guys tomorrow!” Lolo called after them before heading for her own room.

On the way there, she spotted a tall figure with dark hair and broad shoulders standing with his hands clasped behind his back and looking up at the stars. From the back and in the dark, she couldn’t tell which Tragen brother she was approaching, so instead of disturbing the star-gazing, she simply joined him.

Standig suddenly felt a presence to his right. Turning to face the intruder, he was irked to see the wolf princess (again!) just standing there, looking up at the sky. He had no idea how long she had been there. He also had no desire to talk to her, so he returned to his star-gazing without comment.

Huo Lohse knew she had been discovered, but she let the silence continue between them a little longer. After a period, she cocked her head slightly in Standig's direction and said simply, "beautiful night."

Standig glanced sideways at her and managed a forced nod of polite acknowledgement.

Lolo turned to look at him and smiled. "Good night, Standig." And off she skipped.

Standig was flustered. He replayed the conversation, if you could call it that, in his head a few times. "What is up with that girl?!"