Chapter 7: First Day Part 3 (written on April 23rd, 2020)
At last, the main event was here: P.E. class or physical education class. I went to the fields where I found my mom and dad. I noticed as I sat down in front of them that there were a lot of Betas here, probably half of all of them in school. It must've meant that P.E. class was longer, so they can serve more Betas at once. I figured the instructors wanted to take advantage of the open space. I also figured that since my mom was here, there was no health class at this time unless there was a second health teacher that I didn't know about. As a matter of fact, it turned out there was.
"Hello, Betas," said my mom. "I'd like all of you to give Loretta thanks when you have the chance. She substitutes for my last class when I'm here on the field."
"Mind my mate though," said Dad. "She's only here to give my daughter some personal training." I could hear some of my classmates making disapproving sounds. They probably felt it was unfair. They weren't wrong. I was ahead of most Betas when it came to running and jumping activities. These fields were the same fields where I practiced relentlessly for the Great Wolf Games. Ahh, yes, the Great Games. I almost forget about my special maneuver, the "spin-out." If there were any wolves who didn't know me then, they knew now. I was regarded as a legend. I imagined that a lot of the wolves my age were jealous.
All of a sudden, someone poked my shoulder. It was a smiling Hutch. And Can-do was behind him. I was glad that they were in this class. Perhaps I could teach them some of my moves and help them catch up. Maybe the spin-out could be useful for hunts. "Alright, Betas, line up!" my dad yelled. I remembered what my Wolfish instructor told me about submissive postures, so I got into one. My dad noticed immediately. "Good, Kate!"
"You want to split them up into two teams, honey?" said Mom.
"Sure." One half of the group went to my mom, the other to my dad. Can-do, Hutch, and I were in my dad's group. "Alright, there are about fifteen of you. That's a good-sized hunting group."
"Are there formations we have to learn?" someone asked.
"Yes, indeed. Hunting formations are very important. But all of you should know the different hunting stages first. First stage is tracking. Second stage is stalking. And the third stage is pursuing. Hunting formations are important for the second and third stages. There are many different types of formations. Which one a group uses depends on the topography of the area and the amount or type of animal being hunted. Moose, for example, are robust and dangerous. They require advanced formations that exploit their weaknesses such as the fact that there they are always alone. Caribou form herds, so they protect each other, which is why we usually pick out the weak and sick. Most of our hunting is spent tracking caribou. Caribou are the most abundant deer in the Valley, and you all will soon get the most familiar with them."
The Betas looked at each other. We felt honored. "But for now," my dad continued, "you guys need to build your strength. Caribou are fast, and you need good, bulky legs to get them. Once you guys have enough strength, each of you will be tested in different hunting positions to see which one will work best for you. Don't worry about being too weak, Betas. That is not the attitude you should have. There's a reason why we do Alpha School in the winter. Your bodies are currently going through a massive change, and we are simply taking advantage of it. You need to be built by the time your bodies mature, otherwise, you'll end up like the Omegas. Their bodies will be flimsy, but that's fine since they don't hunt. You guys do, so it's important. Soon you guys will be the ones bringing home the food for the pack. The pack will depend on you immensely. If you don't do your job, the pack dies. End of story. It will be your divine duty as an Alpha to be the provider. And to be the provider, you must have the strength to do so, so I will give all of you a number of exercises. Right now, I want you all to take ten laps around the field. Anyone who's last gets to do three more. Now go!"
We took off. As expected, I quickly got ahead of everybody. Can-do wasn't far behind. We ran around the field as the air started to get colder and colder. I started to wonder when I'd see the first snowflake fall. I had never seen snow in my life, but I heard descriptions. I heard that it was crystal-like and it resembled a small spider's web. I heard that ice was just the colder version of water and that snow was just particles of ice. I wondered how snow felt. I remembered my mom telling me that piles on the ground had a powder-like consistency. That must mean it's very soft. Although I had never experienced extreme cold, I somehow knew what I was expecting, like it was knowledge I was born with. I assumed the other Betas knew what cold was too.
After my fifth lap, when I started to pant, I looked to my mom who was in the center of the field with the other half of the class. She saw me and waved at me while grinning.
"Go, sweetie! Go!" she shouted. "Crush them!" I smiled in return.