Agatha's POV
When I arrived at the grounds after dawn, I realized that Iwasn't even that early.
The place was filled with men, and would you look at them?
Well, I had never seen so much young men gathered in oneplace before. They all looked masculine, ragged, and brutal. I had theconsciousness to turn around and flee from the sight of some of the young menwho had arrived to contend because I wasn't really sure how I was going to getpast those. But something else told me that someone might just eliminate thefearful ones for me. If I was lucky when the draws were made.
I had already assumed a new appearance. I cut my hair andmade it short, made it rough as well, wrapped my chest tight with a piece ofclothing so that no one would notice my breasts, then I kept my head and myvoice low. Also, I tried not to let anyone notice that I was limping a littlebit.
I walked past some men and took up position at a pillar thatoffered support, my left hand never leaving the hilt of my sword.
My eyes scanned some of the men. Some I recognized. Therewas Pete. He was from Crystal Pack. I knew this because I had left there somedays back and his ragged face was all over the place. Reason for leaving? I hadto escape being caught for stealing roasted pork.
Son of Alpha Aaron, Pete wanted everybody to know that hewas the strongest of the bunch. In fact, he always told his men that CrystalPack was the strongest, and that he would prove it some day. I guessed he hadfinally found that day. He was someone I never wanted to fight with. I mean,the man was fierce looking and twice my size.
Then there was Roman, crown prince of Red Pack. I wonderedwhat he was there for. His pack had almost everything. So if he was there, thenthat meant it was because of greed.
My eyes wandered, and suddenly met with someone. I had afeeling he had been staring at me for some time because he still held my gaze.I had never seen him in my life, but he was dressed so much like me. Tatteredclothes as dark as his eyes were. I wondered if he was also there for revengetoo.
The chatter among the men suddenly died down and myattention was drawn to the someone I had never seen before. He looked like agladiator and I was pretty sure that he was going to be our guide.
He was bare chested, like most of the men around, but he hadgold bracelets around his arms and wrists. His head was bald too, and he seemedto look at each one of us with obvious impunity.
I could relate to that. Until he was sure that we wereworthy to be called warriors, that expression wouldn't leave his face.
"Assemble!" his voice thundered.
The men looked at each other and moved slowly towards theembarkment. I didn't move an inch.
And neither did the other one dressed in black.
"Welcome! I don't know you by names or by faces or byreputation, but I know you all are warriors. And that is what we all have incommon, which we shall see to its fullest!
"Alpha Logan, our benign ruler of Silver Pack has seenit fit to organize the Alpha Trials, and whoever is left standing at the end ofit all, will take the grand prize..."
He paused and looked at the men. It was as if he was waitingfor something, waiting for the curiosity to grow.
Eventually, he said, "The throne of the AlphaKing."
There was silence, then the young men around me startedmurmuring in unison.
"Let the trials begin. First, hand to hand combat.Whoever knocks his opponent out, moves on the the next round!"
The guards came out to push us in line. We followed themthrough the garden and to the back of the castle. There was a combat ring thatI hadn't seen before. Must have been built when I ran away.
The elite warriors of Silver Pack were already there andthey turned at looked at us as if we had all lost our way.
"Bunch of amateurs!" one of them cupped his palmsover his mouth and hollered.
They were all wearing their vestiges. Red and black. Iwatched as one pointed his finger and me and made a slicing motion with histhumb across his neck. "Come here to die, baby!" he said to me.
I averted my eyes immediately. I had never been among suchnumber of young men before. The smell was something new. Their bodies smelledof stale clothes and leather. Some smelled of wood and some just smelled as badas rotten apples.
I counted our numbers. Twelve men. That many? Well, I feltthat way. And there was the elite squad of Silver Pack. I watched their faces,knowing that two of them had dragged my mother to her death.
I prayed that they paired me with any of them. I was surelygoing to kill whoever it was, no doubt about that.
We all stood facing the combat ring. My weapon was collectedfrom me by one of the guards, and he said, "Not yet time for this."
"Then make sure you keep it safe for me," I said.
"Name?"
"Bernard," I told him.
"Hope you don't die too early, skinny Bernard."
He wrote that down, grinned at me and collected weapons from two others. I flexed my fingersas the pairing was conducted and prayed within that one of the elite warriorswas going to end up as my opponent.
The draws were done. I heard my name being called out to thecombat ring. Then my opponent's. The name was Pete.
Pete? Was it the Pete of Crystal Pack?
I stepped into the ring and came face to face with the veryone.