Strana Mechty, Summer Past, 2988.
As was customary for the new saKhan of Clan Wolf, Kerlin Ward made an inspection tour of all the sibkos in the enclave. After all, they would be the next batch of warriors who would be commanded by him when the time came. It was important that he knew the strengths and potential weaknesses of these sibkin so that he could plan accordingly.
So far, he had worked his way up from inspecting the youngest sibkos and now he was on his way to the batches that were nearing graduation in order to be selected for their trials of position that would determine their place in the Clan hierarchy. There were only an average of a dozen cadets left within these senior batches and they were still divided among trueborn and freeborn lines. Following Wolf Clan traditions, once they had been whittled down to these numbers, the sibkos would then be merged together by age groups so that trueborns and freeborns would learn to cooperate with each other. It was important because the Clan placed a lot of emphasis on freeborn warriors in addition to those sired in artificial wombs. Once the differing sibkos were combined, both camps would need each other to survive to the next level. To their enemies, it was considered a weakness, but the Wolves themselves considered it to be their greatest strength.
Kerlin stopped and faced the last sibko that he was inspecting that day. Loremaster Threll Radick had earlier briefed him on this particular group for it was the culmination of an experiment that Wolf Clan scientists had deemed necessary many years ago. So far the results had been spectacular; this sibko had the least attrition rate in the history of the Clan. Now those latent theories would be put to the test in a very short while.
The cadets numbered close to twenty and were standing in ranks as they waited for him to speak. As Kerlin stood in front of the podium while facing them he noticed that there seemed to have been a pecking order which determined the way they were formed up; although cliques within sibkos were not unusual, what was strange was that this particular batch seemed to be under the leadership of three teenage girls. He needed to find out more about this particular arrangement, would it be unique to this group or would future batches be like this as well?
"Wolflings, I am Kerlin Ward. You have been gathered here today because as the new saKhan of our Clan, it is my duty to make sure that our next generation of warriors would be worthy enough of being called wolves." Kerlin scanned their reactions as he addressed the group. So far there was none.
"Our founders, the great Kerenskys, considered the lupines of Strana Mechty as the epitome of the warrior spirit." Kerlin continued. "Wolves are social animals, they are cunning pack hunters who instinctively know the value of cooperation when pursuing their quarry. But do not be fooled that by their group skills you assume them to be weak individually; each wolf can track and hunt on its own. But when their enemies prove too tough to tackle alone, then the wise lupines cooperate and act as one."
"Like our namesake, we of the Wolf Clan have many enemies. They say that our liberal ways make us soft, that our near equal treatment of the lower castes makes us weak and that the large proportion of freebirth warriors in our ranks makes us incompetent. But let me tell you." Kerlin said. "The other Clans fear us now more than ever. Our warriors have vanquished all comers to our domains. The smoke jaguar may be faster, the ghost bear may be stronger, but they are nothing more than easy prey against a pack of wolves."
Three cheers erupted from the group before Kerlin waved his hand to silence them. A few individuals still continued to roar however, until one of the girls in front made a slight gesture with her hand that immediately ceased the applause. Kerlin took a mental note of it before resuming his speech.
"I have chosen to make this oration specifically to this sibko, for you are all part of a special experiment that will ensure the long-term survivability of our Clan." Kerlin said to the assembled cadets. "For yours is of a unique heritage; the first fusion of Wolf and Widowmaker bloodlines. Within your blood flows that of the great Kerenskys as well as those that once sought to rebel at our traditions of being Clans. Like our namesake the lupines of Strana Mechty, who use all the resources of the land to dominate the planet's continents to thrive and grow, we must also do the same. When we Wolves absorbed Clan Widowmaker, we did not waste the vanquished assets of our opponents; rather we use their rebellious spirit to make our Clan stronger. Is this not the way of the cunning wolf, quiaff?"
"Aff!" The combined shouts of the cadets reverberated across the camp.
"Within the next few days, this sibko will be combined with a freebirth group to bring it back to full strength. Work as team; learn the strengths and weaknesses of your new sibkin but most of all, remember that you are all part of the same Clan. Only by working together will you achieve greatness. That is all." Kerlin waved his hand to dismiss the group but the cadets did not move until the three girls in front gestured that it was time to go; within seconds, the group had dispersed to return to their quarters.
As Kerlin turned and walked towards the administration building, Loremaster Threll Radick instantly caught up to the young saKhan and began walking alongside of him.
"A very nice little speech, saKhan Ward; you have the beginnings of a great orator." Threll said.
"Perhaps." Kerlin sighed. "If I get that far."
"Ah, but you will, that I believe." The older man smiled. "Our Khan would not have chosen you to be his successor if he deemed you not worthy enough. It is important that you are blessed with these skills; for one who leads must be equally masterful in the arts of both war and politics in order for our Clan to survive and succeed."
"To have your confidence honors me, Loremaster Radick." Kerlin laughed as they strode inside the building interior. "I think that our next generation of warriors will be ready, though some thoughts annoy me from what I had observed today."
"I can see that you were somewhat rattled by the behavior of our experimental sibko, quiaff?"
"Aff. You are observant as always, Loremaster. Not a single little detail escapes your watchful eye." Kerlin said to the older man. "I was not rattled, I was merely intrigued by the unexpected behavior of this particular sibko."
"That is why I was chosen to be the keeper of the Wolf Clan Remembrance, saKhan Ward." Threll chuckled. "In addition to being a good poet, one must also be a good observer in order to record the truth. This particular sibko has a mind all of its own; I sense an inherent unpredictability within."
"You are correct. Did you notice that this sibko seemed somewhat too disciplined, too controlled?"
Threll seemed lost in thought for a moment before answering him as they continued walking. "Aff, saKhan Ward. Not only were they too controlled, they were controlled by three young females."
"Correct, One blond and two red-haired girls; a triumvirate. From what I could sense the two redheads seemed to be the focal point of the group." Kerlin said. "It was almost as if the two were co-leaders of the entire sibko."
"And that the blond seemed to be the glue that kept them from tearing each other apart." Threll added. "The two redheads' features seem so similar they might be mistaken as identical twins at first glance."
"Agreed. If not for the blond, the other two would turn on each other until only one would remain standing. That is the way it always is; there can only be one alpha wolf leading the pack." Kerlin said. "Strange that this sibko would be dominated by females."
"The Widowmakers always had the highest proportion of females in their warrior castes compared to any of the other Clans before or since." Threll recalled. "With a fusion of their bloodlines with ours, it seems to be reasserting itself."
"Interesting." Kerlin stopped in front of his office door. "Before I bid you farewell, I would like to know the names of those three young females."
"I knew you would ask that and therefore I already reviewed their files." Threll winked. "The blond one is called Katya while the two redheads are named Natasha and Anastasia, respectively."
"Can you tell me anything more about them? What are their psych profiles like?" Kerlin queried.
"Seems our developmental psychologists came to the same conclusions as we have." Threll said. "Katya is considered the quiet one though she is quite strong in body and mind; Natasha is rebellious but possesses superb warrior skills while Anastasia seems hell-bent on beating everyone else, irregardless of the cost."
"This will get interesting by the time they are selected for their trials of position in the coming years, I am sure." Kerlin said.
"Or it might even be sooner than that." The Wolf Loremaster concluded before turning to walk away.