"Never underestimate anyone, because the one you think is a silent spark can instead be a fierce fire in disguise." ~ Shivam Oswal.

"Attention, everyone!" Tipuka mounted a tree stump and threw his paws up in the air for everybeast to see. "May I have your attention, please?"

Once all talk had ceased, and eyes and ears in the room had turned to him, he lowered his arms and rubbed his paws together.

"First of all, I want to sincerely thank everybeast who has participated in our Wungkan classes both today and over the last several days. You've all been highly receptive and deeply dedicated students. Every single one of you. I thank you Guosim and Guoraf alike from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to the deeply honored art of the Unity Path."

He pressed his palms softly to his heart. "Your knowledge and applications of Wungkan and its various arts is nothing short of remarkable and worthy of adulation. It warms my heart to see that you've all learned a lot, and applied your experiences with the utmost diligence and resolve. Give yourselves and each other a hearty round of applause!"

Together, the Guosim and Guoraf broke into acclamatory applause. The Sandeyes, Jacob, and Larina joined in as well, exchanging glances and smiles with the bright-faced, infectiously enthusiastic woodland shrews.

"Secondly, a bighearted thanks to Log-a-Log Tiraqoo of the Guoraf for his demonstration of Kuanzai, the drunken style!"

The Guoraf cheered louder and clapped harder than anybeast in the main hall for their leader. Tiraqoo gestured humbly, holding what was perhaps his fifth mug of shrewbeer that day.

"Of course, Samson, Fritz, Tillie, and Remy as well, for their fearless involvement and totally not needless sacrifices for the art!"

A bandaged-up but high-spirited Samson, Fritz, and Tillie waved and smiled from their seats at the far end of the hall. Remy put his paws together, fingers interlaced, and shook them in a modest but thankful salute.

When the applause had died down, Tipuka moved on. "Thirdly, I want to express my wholehearted appreciation for our invited guests for joining us at the perfect time. Jared and Madeline Sandeye, from Maraul of the Eastern Islands!"

Jared, one paw holding Madeline's, waved with his free paw, smiling confidently. Madeline followed suit, throwing in a little flutter of her fingers, her smile exuberant.

"Jacob Atherson of the quiet, hard-weathered Northlands!"

Jacob looked up from his cup of Strawberry Cordial and lifted a casual paw.

"Last but certainly not least, Larina Skyleaf of Redwall Abbey and Mossflower Woods!"

Larina blushed and put her paws behind her bushy tail, rocking back and forth on the balls of her footpaws bashfully. Jared Sandeye sighed and gazed at the coy squirrelmaid adoringly.

"These four have generously taken time out of their undoubtedly busy lives to travel quite the distance from Redwall. They came to join us in our exploration of Wungkan. I hope you can make them all feel welcome and included amongst our numbers. Now then! On to the real news…"

An eager grin spread across Tipuka's face. "Now that the demonstrations are over, it's time to move on to the next phase! My friends and family! Guosim, Guoraf, and honored guests! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! The exhibition fights!"

The main hall exploded in a cacophony of full-lunged cheers and impassioned roars of unfettered enthusiasm and passion. Larina and Jacob both folded their ears over their heads. The Sandeyes joined in with the cheering, pumping their fists.

"This will be an excellent opportunity for all of us to demonstrate our skills and the things we've learned over the course of this curriculum!" Tipuka explained after the near-deafening din had ceased. "Just have fun and let off some steam. Even get some exercise! You can use any Wungkan styles you wish, but nothing too dangerous or extreme, please! These are meant to be friendly fights, so be respectful and courteous to your opponents, and especially to yourselves!"

As the main hall began to empty of shrews, Gavlin bobbed and weaved his way through the moving crowds to the Sandeyes. "You guys joining in the fights, too?"

"Why, you want a rematch, Gav?" Jared teased, grinning cheekily. He moved just in time to avoid a playful punch to his stomach.

"Nah, I think I've taken enough beatings from you for one day." Gavlin ruffled Jared's headfur, snickering. "Time for you to get one for a change!"

"May I join in as well?" Jacob asked, waving his empty cup. "I've been itching for some action. It's been a good few days since I've had an intense wrestling fight. My paws and feet are getting restless!"

"Absolutely, Jacob!" Gavlin nodded, patting the tall wolf on the nearest part of his lower back he could reach. "You don't have to be a shrew or a squirrel to participate! Anybeast is welcome!"

"Count me in, too!" Madeline hopped up and down on her footpaws. "I wouldn't miss this competition for the world, Gavlin!"

"You?!" Larina spun around to Madeline incredulously. "You can't fight! You're so small and thin!"

To her surprise, Madeline scoffed, an unnatural confident gleam suddenly appearing in her cocoa-brown eyes. "With all due respect, Rina. I may be small and thin. But that doesn't mean I'm not strong."

She lifted her spare arm and flexed the bicep. "I'm not like those delicate flowers that Sister Fanistra and I cultivate in the greenhouses at Redwall. I'm tough, too."

"She's right, Rina," Jared nodded in agreement. They turned around to follow the Guosim down the hall towards the study. "Madeline may look unassuming. Taking her for a defenseless creature can be the last mistake you'll ever make."

"How do you know?" Larina asked, giving the siblings a scrutinizing stare.

Jared shrugged, staring back in disbelief. "Personal experience? What else? Don't forget: we come from a family of fighters."

"I'm not content being a defenseless damsel in distress who watches from the sidelines," Madeline explained, falling cleanly into step behind Gavlin. "I learned the way of Wungkan the same as everybeast else back home in Maraul. As did my mother and her siblings. I did it I could fight alongside my brothers."

"But…wait." Larina furrowed her brow, confused, joining Jacob and the squirrels down the hall. "Why? I never took you for a fighter, Madeline. What reason could you possibly have to learn Wungkan?"

Madeline shrugged nonchalantly. "Appearances can be deceiving. There's still a lot you don't know about my family, Larina. I learned Wungkan so I could protect them."

She furrowed her brow, concerned and worried. "Isn't that reason enough?"

"I think the Sandeyes have a point, Larina," Jacob added. He stood aside to let a gaggle of Guosim shrews enter the Brockhall study before following himself. He passed off his empty cordial to a shrew chef passing by. "Anybeast can practice Wungkan if they commit themselves to it. I mean, didn't you see Tillie against Tiraqoo earlier? Don't you remember Ruth teaching you Halichit?"

"I do remember Tillie and Ruth, but…" Larina fell silent, unable to properly find an answer.

In the study, she watched wordlessly as the Guosim picked out white belted tunics and baggy trousers from built-in shelves and cubbies in the wooden walls. Gavlin donned a pitch-black, longsleeved shirt. Around it he wore a thick blue belt.

Jacob hung his lederhosen hat on a hat stand near the study door. He shed his leather jacket and placed it on a hook rack.

"Hmm…" Remy looked the wolf up and down, examining him. "I don't know if we have an outfit made to fit a wolf." The shrew tapped his chin with a claw thoughtfully. "Would you be comfortable fighting in your regular clothes, Jacob?"

Jacob looked up from inspecting loose-leaf Wungkan manuals sitting on a lectern desk beneath the study's single open window. He shook off his sandals and placed them at the foot of the hat stand. "If nothing else, I'll try my best. I don't want to burden you guys with trying to find me something that probably might not fit me anyway."

Remy exhaled and wiped his arm across his brow in relief. "Thank the seasons. You're a lifesaver, Jacob." He swiped a longsleeved, high-collared cotton robe from a shelf. Folding it over one arm, he went into one of the changing stalls in the spare room just adjacent to the study.

Near a large, adult-sized bed, Jared stripped off his shirt and grabbed a tunic. He also took a thin black headband to tie around his head. Madeline exchanged her simple travel dress for a sea-blue V-neck shirt and bright red knee-length shorts.

"It doesn't make any sense," Larina finally thought out loud. She watched Madeline meticulously wrap her paws in thick tan cloth.

"What doesn't make sense, Rina?" Madeline asked, looking up from her wrapping but not stopping.

"First you tell us that you two are royalty from the Eastern Islands," Larina stepped up to the Sandeyes boldly, counting off on her fingers. She kept her voice calm, but confrontational, raised slightly to be heard over the noise of chattering shrews. "A crown prince and princess in line for Maraul's throne."

A second finger. "Then you say you're the subjects of this ancient prophecy, the origins of which you don't even know. You know you're part of it by virtue of your birthright."

Then a third finger. "Now, you're saying that you practice this art of combat from your homeland? This thing called Wungkan, the Unity Path? That your parents and your ancestors practiced?" She shook her head, unable to grasp the full depth of the truth now bombarding her mind.

"Now you, Madeline?" She threw out her paws towards the female Sandeye sibling. "You're a fighter, too? I mean, I'm trying my darndest not to sound accusatory. But…"

Larina looked between Jared, then Madeline, then Jared again. Her brow furrowed once more, her face an expression of utter confused suspicion.

"Who are you creatures?"

For a full minute, neither sibling spoke as they stared concerned at each other. Jacob had wandered off to chat with the shrews waiting outside for their turns in the changing stalls.

"Rina…" Jared placed his folded shirt on the adult bed and walked carefully up to Larina. He held his paws low to show her he meant no harm. "Listen to me. We never told you or anything to Redwall Abbey that wasn't the truth. The Eastern Islands, the Prophecy, Wungkan. All of it is real." He slipped into the tunic in front of Larina, pulling the bottom half over his trousers.

"How do you know it's all real?" Larina demanded, now trying her hardest not to sharpen her voice. "You said yourselves that you don't know the full version of the Prophecy. That pieces of it have been lost overtime. If you don't know the Prophecy in its fullest form, then who does?"

She jabbed an emphasizing finger into Jared's stomach. "How can you prove that it's your Prophecy? That you're a part of it? If you don't know if it's true?"

Jared didn't answer. Larina's jabbing finger hardly made him flinch. He averted his gaze from Larina, mulling over words in his mind. Madeline watched but said nothing, only continuing to wrap her paws in the protective cloth.

"You're right, Rina," Jared finally spoke up, turning his eyes to meet Larina's again. A fervent flame burned in his eyes, and there was a new hardness to his voice. "Maybe we don't really know if the Prophecy is true. But I believe it either way. I believe it's mine and Madeline's birthright. It was also our parents, and it would've been our brother Edoran's as well had he not fallen by vermin paws. I'll believe it now and until the day I die. Nothing can turn me away from that."

Larina opened her mouth to argue. But an outstretched palm and a discouraging shake of the head from Madeline stopped her short. Jared turned his back on Larina and donned the top half of his tunic.

"What about you, Maddie?" Larina rounded on her. "You practice Wungkan, too? What style?"

"Tuah Mann," Madeline held up her wrapped paws, clenching them into tight fists. "'The Art of the Eight Tails', they call it in Tutha. Striking and clinching Tuthan boxing. You'll see what I mean when I fight with it." She bent down to wrap her shins neatly in the thick cloth.

"Why couldn't you have just told all of us at Redwall everything from the beginning?" Larina now asked both siblings. Jared, surprised, turned around from tying a purple belt around his tunic. "What other secrets are you hiding from us?"

Jared bit his lip, obviously pained by her words. "Larina…I promise you we're not hiding any more secrets."

"Why?" Larina's voice dropped to an audible whisper. "Why can't you just tell me, Jared?"

"Because—," Jared lifted a paw as if to touch her on the cheek. But it hovered there, frozen in space. "Because…" His eyes gazed into hers. But they were unsure, almost empty. Hesitant.

"Because what, Jared?" Larina whispered. Her eyes locked on his, trying to discern the feelings behind the expression. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Jared stopped himself, dropping his paw down by his side. "N-never mind." He hurriedly walked past Larina out of the room, tying the black band around his forehead.

Jacob turned over his shoulder briefly to see Jared hurrying out of the study. The wolf quickly turned back around to see Remy give him a nod before entering an open changing stall. He nodded back at the shrew, then gave the squirrelmaids a momentary glance of concern before rushing out after Jared.

"Hey!" He grabbed the squirrel by the shoulder and pressed him up against the wall. "Hey, what was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" Jared snapped back, trying to seem oblivious.

"That," Jacob pointed back at the study. He leaned back against the wall opposite the squirrel, folding his arms in disapproval over his chest. "You and Larina a moment ago."

"Knock it off, Jake," Jared brushed off the wolf with a wave of his paw. "It's none of your business. You wouldn't understand."

"Yes, I would understand!" Jacob raised his voice, pushing off the wall and uncrossing his arms. He put his paws on his hips. "Now you listen here, Jared Sandeye!" he demanded pointedly, assertively. "I don't care who you think you are! Or who you think I am! But there is a lot I do understand! All right? You don't have the right to be rude to Larina just because you can't spit it out that you've got feelings for her!"

"I don't have—! I'm not being—!" Jared cut off his own sentences. He growled in frustration and clenched his fists, not looking the wolf in the eyes. "How would you know? You've never had feelings for anybeast before."

"You know, I once thought the same way, too." Jacob admitted. His voice had taken on a rare firm and disciplinary tone. "I know you've got feelings for her. I don't even need to ask if you do, if that's the reason for your stupid, selfish behavior."

The wolf crossed his arms again and stared down the squirrel. He leaned back with a footpaw perched up on the wall. "I've seen this before. I saw it with Dallas, Bradley, and especially Oliver. I've watched them go head over heels for fair, beautiful, pretty maidens who captivated their hearts. I've seen them do the dumbest things to impress those cute maids. Things so out of character they wouldn't dream of doing in their rational minds. Heck, Dallas even went on a daring heist on a pirate ship with some ottermaid named Cowrey!"

Jacob waved his paw through the air down the length of the hallway to emphasize his point. "Granted, that one was for a noble cause. Bradley and Oliver, though, they did do some real stupid, immature things! All to win the affections of some pretty mouse or squirrelmaid!"

He towered over the shorter squirrel and pointed a claw down at him. "You, on the other paw, don't have the right to hide your affections from Larina. Sooner or later, you're going to have to fess up and confess to her! Being rude and leading her on will just make it worse!"

"I'm not making it worse!" Jared shouted at the top of his voice. "I'm trying to protect her!"

"Protect her, huh?" Jacob leaned down to look Jared in the eyes. "What if, when she does finally find out that you're in love with her, you break her heart instead of uplifting it? All the leading on, the hiding, the misleading. What if that breaks her trust in you instead of making her fall for you, too?"

"I'm not in—I'm not falling for her," Jared gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tighter. He narrowed his eyes and gazed deeper into the wolf's golden pupils.

"You keep telling yourself that, mate," Jacob resumed leaning against the wall, folding his arms once more. "Eventually, the only person you'll be fooling is yourself. You know your own feelings. I'm sure Madeline knows them. One day, Larina's gonna know them, too. And she might not like it."

"Well, what about you?" Jared now pointed a claw at the wolf. "Haven't you ever been smitten by somebeast?"

Jacob heaved a deep sigh. Now it was his turn to avert his eyes. "Once."

He stared down at the floor, lost in his thoughts. "A wolfess named Ivy. She was a healer at this spa treatment place called the Pampered Pearl, in the faraway land that Dallas and I visited. Herself and her sisters, Theresa and Clementine, all worked there. We…talked a bit, but…"

He scratched the back of his head bashfully, biting his lip and grimacing. "We almost hit it off."

"But you felt something for her, at least?" Jared asked, his curiosity suddenly genuine.

Jacob gulped, but nodded. "Yeah, I…I don't know if it was real. But I felt something for her. I really did."

"What…" Jared asked, perching one footpaw on the wall. "…were you and Ivy to each other?"

Jacob let out a despondent sigh and put his paws in his pockets, looking away from the squirrel down the hall. "We never quite figured that out. I left to come to Mossflower before we ever had the chance to talk about it one-on-one."

Jared took a minute to let the words sink into him. "I'm sorry," was all he could bring himself to say.

"Listen, Jared," Jacob turned assertive, pulling his paws out of his pockets and standing up straight. "Deep down, I think you know you can't hide your feelings from Larina forever. Sooner or later, you must tell her the truth. The only thing holding you back is yourself. Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel."

When the squirrel did not answer, Jacob stepped up to him, his tall, massive canine form practically towering over the shorter woodlander. "Jared, I regret never telling Ivy how I felt about her." He pressed his fingers to his heart, remorse and regret creasing his face. "I'll regret that until my dying day. I don't want you to end up being sorry about not confessing your feelings like I do now. Believe me."

He tucked a finger underneath Jared's chin and gently pulled the squirrel's face up to his. "You never want that on your conscience. It'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

"I'm not ready, Jake." Jared admitted, his voice soft, anxious. Unsure.

"I know you're not, Tinarandel," Jacob pulled away, releasing Jared's chin. He pronounced Jared's Eastern name with the utmost reverence. "Nobeast ever is ready wear their heart on their sleeve. I cannot tell you when you're ready. Only you can know."

Jared said nothing in response. He stared down at his feet for a long moment, contemplating over his and Jacob's words.

Back in the study, the changed Guosim shrews all filed out in uneven groups, chattering excitedly and amusedly amongst themselves. When they were left alone, Madeline approached Larina.

"Larina. Please…try to understand. In the Eastern Islands, we don't know about Redwall Abbey like you do. We don't know the legends of Martin the Warrior. We don't have your histories like Lord Brocktree, the Corim, or the Battle of Kotir. We had no Brockhall or Loamhedge or Saint Ninian's Church. Nothing about Matthias or Mattimeo. No Rakkety Tam MacBurl or Deyna the Taggerung."

She drew close to the older squirrelmaid, reaching out to softly touch her on the shoulder. "My point is, I promise you we're not ungrateful. Jared and I have been nothing else except grateful for Redwall Abbey and Mossflower."

Larina closed her eyes and took a long deep breath, then released a long exhale. "I know Jared wasn't trying to be rude," she explained at length, reopening her eyes. "I know he wasn't trying to hurt my feelings, either. Yet, I can't shake the thought—and the feeling—that he's hiding something, Maddie."

She looked up at Madeline, as if for the answers. The female Sandeye sibling wrung her wrists, trying her hardest to find the right words to say.

"He wasn't trying to be rude or hurt your feelings, Rina. But in case he was, I apologize for his behavior, sincerely."

Larina bit her lip thoughtfully. Her brow furrowed in anxiety. "Do you think he knows, Maddie? About my feelings for him?"

Madeline shook her head, also biting her bottom lip. "I don't know for sure, Rina. I can't speak for my brother. Nor can I speak for you. I mean, I know how Jared feels, but—"

"But what, Madeline?" The confrontational tone in Larina's voice returned, making Madeline flinch in genuine surprise. "You told me yourself that you and Jared never keep secrets from each other. I know he's told you. What is he hiding? What can he tell you that he can't tell me?"

"Larina, I don't want to hurt you." Madeline abruptly snapped into a stance. She spread her feet shoulder-width apart, elbows tucked in, paws up. She placed her dominant paw and foot back behind her, facing Larina square on. Larina backed away, taken aback by the sudden fighting pose.

"Please understand. Jared's just not ready to share how he feels yet. That's why he's being so secretive. The best course of action would be to ask him yourself. Only he can tell you how he feels. As I said, I can't speak for him. I can, however, speak for myself."

She dropped out of her stance, then took Larina's paws in her own, rubbing her thumbs over the backs of Larina's palms. "Larina, I'm truly sorry Jared and I have kept these secrets from Redwall. But we did it all to protect you; to protect them."

She gazed outside the study down the hall. In the flickering torchlight, she could scarcely make out the silhouettes of her brother and Jacob disappearing down the hall.

"I know nothing I say will ever convince you to change your perceptions of us. Maybe it's better that Jared and I show you instead. Right now, uncovering the truth shouldn't be our top priority."

She took Larina's fingers in her own and looked back at her. "Rina, Redwall Abbey is in serious danger. We must learn how to fight, all of us, if we ever hope to stand a chance against Nagrig Deathblade. Jared and I have seen for ourselves the kind of devastation Deathblade can wreak. I don't need you to trust us on this, or believe or understand us. We just need you to listen."

Interlacing her fingers in Larina's, Madeline added, "We need you on our side."

Larina's hazel eyes stared deeply into Madeline's cocoa-brown. "I am on your side, Isidith." She spoke Madeline's Eastern name gracefully, respectfully. "All I'm asking for is the truth."

"We will tell you the truth, Larina." Madeline gave Larina's paws a gentle, comforting squeeze. "That's a promise. I can't promise any more secrets. But I can guarantee you the truth."

A bated, pregnant silence fell between them. At length, Larina sighed in resignation, but squeezed Madeline's paws to show that she understood.

"Fine. I'm trusting your judgment, Isidith. After this, no more lies. No more secrets."

"I promise, Larina," Madeline pressed their palms together gently. "When this is over, Jared and I will work our hardest to make everything right."

Brrrooonnnggg!

The resonant, echoing sound of a massive bronze gong reverberated off the walls of Brockhall. Everyone instinctively folded their ears over their heads at the cacophonous sound rattling in their skulls. The young Guoraf shrewmaid who had rung the gong hopped up and down on her feet as if on a sugar rush, laughing hysterically.

"Thank you, Saffron!" Tiraqoo laughed heartily as the gong's sound died down. He mounted the tree stump once more. "Welcome, everyone, to the exhibition fight phase of our Wungkan curriculum!"

Once more, Brockhall's walls rang with energized cheers and vigorous applause.

"Before we begin, Tiraqoo and I would like to set some basic rules." Tipuka climbed onto the stump beside his fellow Log-a-Log.

"Anybeast can be challenged!" Tiraqoo held up his half-empty shrewbeer mug in salute. "Even myself and Tipuka! Be aware, though, that we reserve the right to challenge you at any time as well! But know that not everybeast here is a Wungkan practitioner. If somebeast declines to fight you, it is your moral responsibility to respect their decision. Consent is earned, not given. Not unlike how the privilege to learn Wunkgan is earned."

"These exhibition fights are for fun and entertainment only," Tipuka chimed in as Tiraqoo began chugging back shrewbeer. "Don't use them to settle personal grudges you may have against your fellow beasts. Any grievances should be settled outside of the fighting ring. Furthermore, in the event you get knocked out of the ring for whatever reason, simply jump back in! There'll be no penalty for either yourself or your opponent! You get knocked down and you get right back up again!"

Tiraqoo gulped back his last mouthful and hung his mug lazily on his index finger. "Each fight will consist of a single round lasting three minutes." He held up three fingers using his spare paw. "So everybeast will have time and a chance to fight. Also, Tipuka and I won't be judging. Again, fun, entertainment, and exercise!"

Tipuka snorted and likewise drained his shrewbeer before continuing. "On that note, we shall not choose a winner or loser for the matches. Why spoil the fun, right?" He snickered at the murmurs of assent from the crowd. "Nobody likes to lose, yes? Fixing a winner takes away the whole point of it. Don't you agree? In these fights, everybeast is a winner!"

Tiraqoo reached out a drunken paw towards the throng. "So! With the necessary housekeeping out of the way, who'd like to fight who first?"

Antonius broke away from the Guoraf and hurried up to Madeline. "Mad'lin' Sandeye! May I figh' ya in an ex'ibition match?" The teenage Guoraf shrew rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

"Of course, Antonius!" Madeline nodded up and down eagerly, hopping on the balls of her feet. "I'd be honored to fight you!"

"Oh, what a relief!" Antonius relaxed his arm by his side and sighed in relief. "Erm…" Then he gave a sidelong glance to Jared. The male Sandeye sibling leaned to one side and put a paw on his hip. "I don't need ta ask yer brother's permission t' figh' ya, do I?"

"No, not at all," Jared made a dismissive but encouraging gesture with his spare paw. "You two go right ahead."

Antonius' lips pulled into a playful smirk. "Ye're gonna tell me t' be nice t' yer sister, ain'tcha?"

Jared snorted and patted the shorter shrew on the shoulder, smirking. "Nah, more like I need to tell her to be nice to you!" He gave Madeline an encouraging pat on the back as she went to meet with the Log-a-Logs.

"Hey, bunso. Don't rough him up too much, okay?"

Madeline cracked her knuckles, a confident twinkle in her eyes. "Relax, kuya. I won't. Worry about yourself, manong." She playfully punched him in the side with her wrapped paws. Jared snickered and watched her join Antonius, smiling pridefully from ear to ear.

"Excuse me!" Madeline stepped up to the two Log-a-Logs still standing on the tree stump. "Antonius and I would like to fight!"

"Fantastic!" Tipuka pumped his fists in excitement. "I can't wait to watch you two!"

"Which Wungkan styles are you using?" Tiraqoo asked, bending down to survey the two combatants.

"Halichit, sir," Antonius replied.

"Tuah Mann, myself," added Madeline.

"Wonderful! That'll be quite the interesting first match, then." Tiraqoo straightened up and clapped his paws repeatedly to draw attention.

"Good news, everyone!" Tiraqoo gestured down to the squirrelmaid and shrew, who turned around to face the crowd. "We have our very first fight! Madeline Sandeye of Maraul, and Antonius of the Guoraf!"

Nobeast cheered louder than Jared Sandeye and all the Guoraf together. Jacob unleashed a drawn-out, dramatic howl. Larina, although reluctant, couldn't stop the small smile of pride tugging at her lips. She clapped all the same.

"Tuah Mann versus Halichit!" Tipuka announced. "This shall be most captivating to watch, no doubt! Fighters, please take your places in the ring!"

All watched as the two combatants took their places in an enormous circle drawn on the Brockhall floor.

Larina turned to Jared, whispering in his ear. "Delicate flower Madeline fighting tough muscled Antonius? She's crazy!"

"No," Jared whispered back, smirking. "She's brilliant!"

"Let the first exhibition fight begin!" Tiraqoo bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Saffron, if you please!"

Brrrooonnnggg!

Madeline struck the same stance she'd used in the study. Feet spread apart at shoulder width. Elbows and chin tucked in towards the collarbone. Dominant paw and footpaw behind, body set square on facing her opponent. She tensed up her abdominal muscles slightly.

Antonius placed his left leg forward, toes planted on the floor. He leaned on his back leg. His front foot lifted off the ground, the leg bending at the knee.

"Sparra Stance, huh?" Madeline joked, nodding at the shrew's pose. "Color me impressed, Toni."

Antonius responded with a playful smirk. "Show me whatcha got, Mad'lin'. Don't 'old back!"

Madeline moved right in. She rotated sideways to swing her front fist straight towards Antonius. He drew his arms in over his chest and pushed his paws outward, deflecting the punch.

Madeline straightened out to throw in a quick jab with her other paw. Antonius pushed his arms outward. The backs of his paws intercepted the hard jab.

Madeline pulled her fists back in and started pacing around Antonius. She hopped on the balls of her feet in a circle. Fists raised and eyes locked on the shrew.

Antonius remained still, loose and limber. Arms folded over each other to protect his chest.

With a cry, Madeline launched into a barrage of straight punches and hooks. Antonius eluded and blocked each one. He pushed his forearms outwards to penetrate through Madeline's limbs and strike her abdomen.

Madeline stopped and drew in her stomach at the last second to avoid the shrew's tight pinching fingers. Antonius sprang into action. He turned his body to one side and launched at Madeline at a wide angle with light paws.

Madeline swept her footpaws through the dirt and evaded the shrew's attempt to push her down. Using the momentum of her dodge, she spun round and swung the backs of her fists around and outwards behind her.

The punches connected with Antonius' shoulders and knocked him to the floor flat on his side.

Cheers and whoops rang out from the audience. Tipuka and Tiraqoo laughed and applauded.

"That's my girl!" Jared shouted over the noise and pumped his fist in the air.

Madeline smirked as she watched Antonius, chuckling, climb to his feet. He resumed his first Sparra stance.

"Had enough yet?"

"'Ah!" Antonius replied with a sharp bark of laughter. "Ya got an easy pick on me! I'm only gettin' started!"

Antonius eased into the "Sparra spreads wings" pose. His front paw hung limp in front of him. His back paw formed into the shape of a Sparra beak.

In an instant, he whipped his back paw forward. His front paw switched around to the rear. Then he brought his right paw up front again, the left paw circling to take its place. Madeline bobbed and weaved as the shrew's arms lashed in and out. He stepped closer with every whip of his paws. Madeline sidestepped to try to dodge each swift blow—

Too slow! Antonius' "beaks" struck her shoulders one after the other. She winced and groaned from the sudden pain and stumbled backward a couple steps, her footwork disrupted.

She threw in a quick hard lunge. But Antonius caught her arm in his and threw his opposite arm across her neck. Madeline threw her head and throat back to avoid being choked.

"That's it, Antonius!" Ruth clapped in approval from the sidelines. "Part the Horsetails! I taught him everything he knows," she told Remy aside.

"'Course you did, sis," Remy replied in a deadpan tone, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Maddie!" Jacob called out to Madeline.

"Naku po'!" The color drained from Jared's face as he watched his sister bend back.

"Madeline!" Larina clapped her paws to her mouth. "Oh, seasons, is she okay?" She moved to help Madeline. But Jared held her back.

"It's okay, Rina. Maddie's tougher than she looks."

"Are you sure?" Larina asked, staring desperately at the male squirrel.

Jared turned to give her a decisive wink. "Just watch!"

"Well, she'd better figure something out quick!" Tipuka called out. "Fighters, you are at two minutes!"

With a loud grunt of effort, Madeline pushed her torso into Antonius's arm. He lurched forward, stumbling a bit and releasing her.

Catching his footing, he nodded to show that he was safe. Madeline nodded in return, then he returned to his spread-wings pose. Madeline straightened and brought up her fists. Without warning, the shrew's weightless leg snapped out towards her gut.

She stepped forward, closing the distance. Antonius' foot grazed her torso. She jumped off one leg into the air.

Whoosh! She switched in midair and delivered a strike from her other leg to Antonius' vulnerable knee.

Antonius reeled back; his knee knocked out from underneath him. He dug his free footpaw into the dirt to correct his posture in the nick of time. Claps and cheers rang out once more from the crowd. Antonius smiled from ear to ear, no doubt awed by the performance.

"Yeah!" Jared exclaimed, clapping for his sister. "Tuthan's flying knee kick! Classic move!"

Madeline advanced again to attempt another flurry of straight punches. Antonius flowed water-like into his single whip stance. He brushed aside Madeline's assault by flowing one paw sideways through the air.

Once more closing the gap, she kicked at his head. He dropped into the low creeping adder stance, pulling his head safely out of reach.

She aimed her kicks lower at his knees. Her foot aimed straight and upward. Antonius swung one foot in a small arc to catch her foot and lock it to the ground. He let out a low, soft hiss, showing his teeth like a hungry snake's fangs.

"Balisss the Ssslayerrr…"

Then his paws whipped out the same as before. This time, they were sharp and snappy, fluttering like a serpent's forked tongue. On instinct, Madeline shielded her face with her arms. She stood for half a minute dodging and deflecting blows. She wracked her brains for ideas.

Her opposite knee jerked out and struck Antonius' upper thigh. Crying out in surprise and pain, he pulled his leg back, unlocking her pinned foot.

Correcting her posture, Madeline threw herself forward. Her fists clinched on either side of the unbalanced Antonius' head. Now she had him locked. She thrusted her knees into his ribs and thighs.

"Baliss the Blind!"

But Antonius had a trick up his sleeves.

Crying out through the pain building in his body, he brought his paws around in a wide circle. One paw clamped around Madeline's right fist. The other paw arced underneath her left fist to push against her budding chest.

Madeline yelped at the sudden appearance of the shrew's arm across her chest. Antonius perched up on one knee and used his upper body and arm strength to push the squirrelmaid away.

Madeline staggered back, her fists flying out on either side of her. Antonius, rubbing his ribs and thighs, climbed to his feet.

"Antonius!" Now it was Madeline's turn to clap her paws to her mouth. Her face went white in shock. "Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry! I got carried away! Are you okay?"

"Aye," Antonius held up a palm to reassure her, taking a solid minute to catch his breath. "'M all righ'. Ya didn't do nut'in wron' t' me. Ya're all righ', Mad'lin'."

"No, you're not all right," Madeline shuddered, now frantic and concerned. "I nearly broke your ribs—Miss Therese!" she called out to the shrew nurse in the crowd.

"Antonius!" Therese materialized from behind her fellow Guosim. "Are ya 'kay? D'ya need medical 'ttention?"

"No, no, Miz Therese!" Antonius stood up straight and brushed dust from his clothes. "I wanna keep foightin'! I wanna continue th' match!"

"One-and-a-half minutes!" announced Tiraqoo. He tossed his beer mug idly from paw to paw.

To everyone's surprise, Antonius swept his front footpaw through the dirt in a circle behind him. His now-front footpaw he planted into the dirt. Paws came up in front of him at shoulder height with the palms out.

Madeline, bringing up her paws, took a deep breath. She visualized herself performing the Halichit pouring maneuver. Her feelings of guilt and shame fell from her body like water, disappearing deep into the earth below her feet. She pulled herself out of her reverie and let out a long exhale.

She hurled herself at the shrew with wild haymakers. Antonius, barely flinching, sidestepped and ducked under her attacks. He then grabbed Madeline's arm and spun her around him. Their spinning created a thin cyclone of dust and dirt around them.

Madeline locked eyes with Antonius as they continued to spin. She flashed him a friendly smile, a resolute smirk mixed in.

She sprung her grappled arm outward. Her right paw curled into a hook punch towards Antonius' nose. Antonius lifted Madeline's arm over his head to move her fist out of his reach.

"Gotcha!"

Harnessing the counter-clockwise momentum of her punch, Madeline swung out her opposite elbow into a spinning back strike.

Antonius gasped as the elbow narrowly missed his neck and tapped below his collarbone. Her hook punch had been a fake-out! A ruse to distract him!

"Whoa!" Antonius staggered back a few feet, kicking up dirt to try to regain his posture. He dug his feet deep to stop himself. Then he took a moment to catch his breath and gather his wits. "Genius move, Mad'lin'! Wasn't expectin' that!"

"You know me," Madeline only responded with a playful shrug and smirk. "I aim to please!"

"Hahah!" Jared leaped into the air and pumped his fist. "The Tuthan painter's spinning back elbow strike! Spin to slap paint on the canvas! That's how it's done!"

Now Antonius returned to his creeping adder stance. He spun around in a wide circle, his legs shooting out like a serpent's tail to attack Madeline's legs. Madeline held out her wrapped shins to block his kicks. She too moved in a circle to watch and follow her opponent's movements. Squirrelmaid and shrew stepped together in an elaborate dance of combat, kicking and blocking each other.

At this point, Larina started giggling. "Are they fighting or dancing?"

"Looks more like flirting to me!" Jared snorted, folding his arms over his chest. "Hey, ballet dancers, get on with it!" he cupped his paws between his mouth and called out to the two "dancing" competitors. "Time's running out!"

"C'mon, wrap it up already!" Jacob added, unable to control his chuckling. "Chop, chop! None of us are getting any younger here!"

Fifteen more seconds of this evenly-matched bout of legs and footpaws passed. Antonius finished with an angled "serpent's tongue" stab to Madeline's forehead. She blocked it with an arm raised to head level. Leaning in, she bolted to arc her elbow at his collarbone.

"One minute!" rang out Matilda, the Guosim head chef.

Time to wrap this up! Madeline thought to herself.

Antonius sprang back to his feet, settling into the Bevid frame. His movements became almost microscopic. Madeline narrowed her eyes, watching the shrew close.

He moved to "stab" her shoulders with clenched beak-shaped paws. She pulled back and brought her knee up at a lateral angle. It collided with his cushioned ribs. Antonius crumpled, his body folding from the blow to his ribcage.

Now!

She dealt a defensive foot thrust to keep him off-balance. Antonius tripped, his heels now at the edge of the fighting ring. Madeline shifted her weight to her foot planted on the ground, stepping out at a 45-degree angle. Body turned towards her target, angling her outward shoulder.

She inhaled and exhaled to focus her mind. Now she had Antonius right where and how she wanted him.

"Thirty secon's!" Therese announced.

Madeline hid her confident smile behind her fists. Thirty seconds? This shouldn't take more than five.

Stepping her planted foot out, she exploded onto the ball and turned her hip, thrusting it forward and whipping her paw out in the same motion. Antonius moved to push his open paws and horizontal arms to deflect.

But Madeline came too quick. Her sudden rhythm of backfist punches knocked his arms away into his chest. With a rising cry, the rhythm blended seamless into her leaping roundhouse kick.

Her footpaw caught him clean by the neck and threw him flat onto the ground outside of the ring.

"All righ'!" Antonius laughed. He held up his paws in surrender. "I yield, Mad'lin'! I yield!"

"Are you sure you want to yield now, Toni?" Madeline asked, putting her paws down and bending down sympathetically over her fallen "foe". "We've still got twenty-five seconds on our clock."

"No than's, miss," Antonius's laugh devolved into a low chuckle. He held one paw to his neck and the other to his chest. "If it's all th' same t'ya, I thin' I've had enough."

"Well, per our exhibition rules," Tipuka stepped into the ring, Tiraqoo at his heels. The Guoraf Log-a-Log helped Antonius to his feet. "There is technically no victor or loser. You're both winners! Congratulations on a most thrilling fight, Madeline and Antonius!"

The main hall erupted into deafening cheers and raucous applause. Madeline and Antonius shook paws. She pulled him into a bear hug, which he gladly returned. As they pulled away from each other, Jared, Larina, and Jacob sprinted into the ring.

"That's my sister!" Jared high-fived his sister and hugged her tightly. "That's my girl! I'm so proud of you, Maddie!"

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Jacob's large paw ruffled Madeline's headfur. She hugged the large wolf around the waist. He put his arm around her delicate shoulders. "I never doubted you for a second, Madeline! You were really wild out there!"

Larina, holding her paws daintily over her body, gave Madeline a soft, small smile. Her eyes expressed a silent yet deeply sincere apology.

Madeline pulled away from Jacob and took Larina's paws in her own, same as she had before in the study. "I accept your apology, Larina."

Larina exhaled in relief. "I underestimated and misjudged you, Maddie. I understand if you can't forgive me for it."

Madeline scoffed, waving a paw dismissively. "Please, Larina, this is Wungkan! Watching me and Antonius was your forgiveness. Speaking of whom…Toni!"

She stopped the Guoraf shrew, whom Tiraqoo passed off to Therese for medical attention. "You blew me away with your Halichit technique! You seemed to know every maneuver in the book!"

"Heh, than' Ruth, not me!" Antonius jerked his thumb humbly over his shoulder at Ruth, who was busy talking to her brother. "She taught me everythin' I know! But thankee, Mad'lin'; really. I had a lotta fun fightin' ya! Your Tuah Mann technique is almost downright feral! It was an honor t' spar wit' ya!"

Madeline's expression turned demure, and she rubbed the back of her head, blushing a bit. "Eh, I almost got carried away and snapped your ribs, Toni! I need to work more on my discipline. I still feel like I have a lot to learn! I had a lot of fun fighting you, too! Let's hope we can do this again together someday!"

Jared ran his claws over Antonius' body where Madeline had struck him. "Hay nako, bunso!" he pretended to scold Madeline. "I told you not to rough him up too badly!"

Madeline creased her brow and bit her claws nervously. "I know, I know, kuya. I didn't mean to get carried away. I feel so bad; I hope he'll be okay."

"C'mon, dears." Therese beckoned the two in the direction of the Infirmary. "I'll getcha bot' patched up."

Larina and Ruth both accompanied the fighters down the hall. Jared, Jacob, and the shrews scarcely had a moment to think before the bronze gong rang out again to turn their attention to the Log-a-Logs.

"They really need to put a damper on that darn thing," Jared muttered as the sound reverberated off the wooden walls. Jacob sniggered and nodded in agreement.

"Okay!" Tipuka announced, spreading his arms over the audience. "While our first fighters are getting treated, let's start organizing our next fight! Make your proposals now!"

Jared turned to Jacob. "Have you decided who you're going to challenge yet, Jake?"

A strange knowing smile spread across the wolf's lips. "Aye, Jared, I have."

Jared stared at the wolf askance. "You did? When?"

Jacob shrugged innocently. "About the last quarter of Madeline and Antonius' fight."

"Which took you, like, what, fifteen seconds?" Jared jibed, sneering blithely.

"It really wasn't that hard at all," Jacob admitted, folding his arms and drumming his claws on his elbows. "Watching Madeline made me think exactly who I wanted to challenge in the arts of Wungkan."

"You're not seriously thinking of going up against Remy, are you?" Jared's blithe expression turned to shock. "He's a Domnal adept! He'll snap you in half!"

At this, Jacob reached down and ruffled Jared's headfur the same he had Madeline. "'Course not, mate. I'm challenging you."