The corridor was quiet. Ty could feel her pupils narrowing into the panther's predatory stare, but she held it back. First, the pack had to be introduced to the rules. Once that was done, they hunt would take place. And in the hunt, the predator prevailed. As the predator, she was going to shed the blood on the walls.
It had been a full week since the original meeting. Studies were loaded and the punishments becoming thicker as Ty kept pushing her luck. Though Kehel kept trying to make her behave, he seemed to have learned that might, as yet, never come to pass. So he had given up and simply tried to figure out how to follow her. Well, she would explain tonight.
"Cubs, be united in the circle that is the Hunt," she called to them. They emerged, one by one, from the sides of Kehel's room. Standing at the door, Ty thought it right that they all be inside while she blocked the exit. Drawing from her left shoe sole, she took hold of her flat-knife and pricked a single dot on her wrist. It bled freely. The boys seemed fleetingly stunned, then realized this was for real. They came forward, Mel first.
"My blonde cub, do you promise to abide to the leader of the pack, to obey and serve, as all the pack must as one, upon the blood that be drawn into your veins willingly?" she asked knowledgably. He nodded. Making a shallow slash on his palm, she took her wrist into her mouth and bit down lightly. Blood poured from her wound onto his. A single word and his wound has gathered it within itself and sealed shut. Mel gasped. Ty calmly motioned for him to step aside.
Otian came next. He gave her a mischievous grin and pronounced, with exaggerated chivalry, "I pledge to be the redhead nutcase of the pack, to abide its laws and follow its leader, to obey and serve, as all the pack must as one, upon the blood that be drawn into my veins willingly." Ty smiled, the proud parent, pleased to see her cubs were learning so fast. Just as she summoned forward his hand, he came forward and whispered in her ear, "as long as I'm not required to acquire a tail. I don't know how we'd explain that to the Weed."
Ty laughed. Kehel raised an eyebrow, then Ty proclaimed, "no tails required!" and the rest of the pack laughed with her. Kehel still looked wary, but said nothing. Ignoring him, Ty slashed the necessary place and raised her wrist once again to her teeth, speaking the word for the healing of Otian's palm.
The ritual was repeated with the rest of the pack, though Kehel leaned forward as Otian had done and whispered in her ear, "That really was only about tails, wasn't it?"
Ty moved not an inch as she drew her wrist up to her teeth, but whispered, "the leader of her pack cannot fancy her children," only loud enough for him to hear. For some reason, this reassured him only as much as it worried. Males, she thought, bored. They'll look for any excuse to worry and fuss, especially over females.
Ty spoke the word of healing to her wrist, then closed the door behind her and motioned the newly formed pack to sit on the floor. They sat around her, Mel straight ahead, Otian on her left, Kehel on her right, Leej next to Kehel and Terry next to Otian.
"The rules, now, my cubs," she said dutifully. "The rules of the pack are simple, few, and easy to obey. Should you fail to abide to them, punishment will be issued on the behalf of the leader of the pack, as well as restriction or further rules. Nod once in understanding, lads. This is an ancient practice, it must be taken seriously."
"That is why the word of healing worked?" asked Leej. "Because the ritual has magic within it? If you had magic yourself, surely Numair would have sensed it."
"There is magic in the ritual, yes," she said. "Now, my cubs, the rules stand thus: the first law is to honor, to protect, to hold the pack. All are equal within even as the leader leads, lads."
They all nodded. Ty continued.
"The second law is to serve. You serve the leader of the pack because he is chosen by the pack as the trust lies in him. Who shall we choose as pack leader?"
"You," they boomed, pointing at her. Ty flushed. They laughed. Slightly red, she shushed them into silence.
"Right, then, we continue. Thus the third law is to obey. You obey the leader without doubt or fear of consequence."
Another nod.
"The fourth law is to follow. This is the most important rule. All the pack follows the pack leader, their confidence placed in his hands without regret. When the path twists and turns, trust the leader."
The boys before her gave a final nod.
"What happens if, for any reason, the leader went astray?" Terry asked quietly. "I mean, Ty, old boy, I'm not saying you will, but if something happens—"
"When the leader of the pack is vulnerable, the pack chooses. Remember, the first law is to protect. Protect the pack with all it takes, with all you have to give. And—" she said, seeing the question linger in his eyes, "If obedience messes with the first two laws, what do you do?"
The boys looked at one another, considering the question. First all looked to Mel, then to Kehel. When the pair nodded, they turned to her.
"Toss it out the window," they replied in unison. Ty smiled, containing laughter in her lungs.
"Right," said Otian, rubbing his hands together. "It's about four minutes to Second Bell before supper. What do we do, Tehea?"
"Tehea?" asked Kehel, looking at Otian with dismay.
"Mother tongue for 'pack mother'," he mumbled. "I realize that our poor Ty is not female, but he does lead the pack. The title gives him authority."
Ty could see a rile coming, though couldn't see why. Raising a finger to her lips, she said, "the pack must wash. Now, cubs. Mel, round up all the boys before Third Bell and head together to the Mess. They're nearest you anyway. Do not leave unless everyone is with you. Kehel, come gather me when I'm done. I'll tell Sabi of the plans. And everyone," she added as they readied to stand, "the utmost secrecy. We may be predators to the bullies, but they will sense the change in the winds. They will pounce given the chance. None of this gets to the Weed or I will skin you all alive myself and you know damn well I can do it."
Nodding, they went off in their separate directions. Upon leaving her in her rooms, Kehel asked, "when do you think they will attack?"
Ty smiled her evil smile. "Tonight, fourth bell, about three blocks from the Right Wing. Those boys are too predictable. Fifteen minutes, Kehel."
Then she opened the door and closed it. Sabi demanded information of her almost immediately. Kehel stamped on the floor on his way back to his room, shed his clothes, and washed.