Sometime after Tinkclaw had fled the scene, leaving nothing more than a warning of her return, Void's training with his new weapon begins. Beowl starts by adjusting the boy's grip to match what he remembers witnessing against the great bat. Alongside Fangor, the two position Void in striking distance of the practice tree. Part of Beowl expects the boy to lunge forth on his own, but he remains still. The two wolves carefully guide Void through a striking motion, then they back off. Void readies himself before thrusting. His strike travels slowly, producing nothing more than a small thud.
"Looks like we got lotsa work ahead of us, youngling!" Fangor attempts to stifle his laughter but fails the moment another small thud goes off.
Beowl couldn't help but chuckle before responding, "Training Void always starts like this. Give him a few days, and he'll surprise you." With the start of waning light, Fangor prepares to leave. He encourages Beowl to rest up before promising to return tomorrow.
Three days have passed since Void's weapon training commenced. Fangor begins getting bored with the simplicity of Beowl's method. He decides to take matters into his own hands and improve his junior's abysmal training ground. Instead of sneaking into the sanctuary, he visits Tinkclaw's abode.
Seeing the muscle-headed Fangor enter without an invitation, Tinkclaw cannot help but sigh and ask, "Why are you here?"
"Beowl's training methods are boring. Every day it's just Void stab, stab, stabbing the same tree." Fangor pauses for a moment to gauge her reaction. "You agree don'tcha, that's why I've come to you for support."
"Want my help? Fine, then fetch as much wood as you can." Tinkclaw turns around, her snout pulled taut with annoyance, but her eyes glimmer with inventive joy. Eager for her solution and afraid of being sent tumbling on his way out, Fangor bolts into the exit tunnel. His next stop is the wilderness to collect what Tinkclaw ordered.
Several trees crash into the ground and scare nearby wildlife into running away at top speed.
Knocking down another tree while panting heavily, Fangor exclaims, "How wonderful it feels to move around!" The three long days he spent lying around and watching Void left his body yearning for action. He starts coughing on the dust stirred up by his zealous actions. How was he going to drag all this back to Tinkclaw? Scanning his surroundings, he spots some vines clinging to a nearby great oak. Clawing his way up, he retrieves the vines with his mouth. With great effort, he manages to tie together a couple of felled trees. With less effort, he begins dragging them back to the cove. He wonders what these logs will turn into and how fun it'll be training with them. For now, Fangor can only hope that Tinkclaw's creative urges distract her from beating him up.
When Fangor returns with the logs, he manages to avoid Tinkclaw's attention. She passes by him as if he were non-existent and begins inspecting the materials. Some rapid mumblings and forceful collection later, Tinkclaw enters her workshop. From the room over, Fangor is capable of only describing the scene one way. Overwhelming. The rampant clambering in his ears, the foul smell infesting his nose, the occasional splinter sent flying toward him. Eventually, Tinkclaw emerges with an assortment of shaped wood, some of which feature vines. Tinkclaw's inventive bliss begins to fade. Despite this, she spends time carefully explaining to Fangor what each piece of training equipment does and how to set it up. However, the instant she finishes explaining, her eyes fill with irritation. If Fangor is to leave unscathed, it's now or never.
Under the waning light, Fangor's every breath is swift and shallow, his body recoiling from the rushed escape. He has managed to escape Tinkclaw without leaving even a single piece of training equipment behind. Eager to begin setting up a training ground, he starts for the sanctuary but quickly stops. Night will soon fall. Shaking the idea away, he decides to head home for now instead. For his trained muscles, traversing the distance with the added weight wasn't an issue. Fangor's home isn't anything special. Like most warriors, it's a dug-out cave featuring areas for storage and a sleeping area. Leaving the training equipment just inside the cave's mouth, he settles down into his leafy patch. He can hardly contain his excitement for tomorrow as he slowly drifts into a light slumber.
Beowl's eyes flutter lightly, an inconsistent clacking loosening him from a dream. He sluggishly scans his home for the source of the disturbance. His eyes snap open after realising Void was missing. The persistent sound begins again, travelling to Beowl's ears from outside. Before properly considering potential danger, his paws reach the cave's mouth. The dim light reveals the figure of Fangor in the distance, who hadn't come by yesterday. Besides him was Void, striking numerous targets, some held up by taut vines in quick succession.
"Finally woke up, youngling? Behold, your new and improved training grounds!" The proud voice of his senior invites Beowl closer, and he begins looking over everything.
"How did you…"
Before getting the chance to finish, Fangor interrupts. "Got Tinkclaw to help make it all yesterday and set it all up whilst you slept." While Beowl's expression shifts to amazement, Fangor's gaze focuses on Void, who continues training. "No point wasting time," Fangor turns to Beowl before declaring, "'Bout time we start training the boy for real."
One after another loud yet sharp bangs consume the training grounds. The blunt of the spear collides with a hanging target, bouncing it back. Before the target swings back, Void spins the spear and pierces the target. Fangor takes a hesitant step back, and Beowl howls cheerfully.
Rushing over, he begins, "Void! You finally brok…" before falling dead silent. It's almost imperceptible, but Beowl notices something. Void's lips form a slight smile.
Joining his side, Fangor questions, "Youngling, why'd ya stop all of a sud…" Fangor cannot help but join in on Beowl's surprise. The two are only broken from their stupor when a fresh bang settles in their ears. The smile they had never seen before fades away, and Void continues training even more earnestly than before.
Over the next few days, Void rapidly improves, yet there is no sign of his smile. Beowl's recovery has gone smoothly thanks to Fangor. Today, they've decided to put Void's skills to the test and upped the difficulty of the course. Beowl looks on as Void begins, stringing together everything he's been taught as if it were natural. Unlike the time when the boy could only move simply, today his strikes flow and he seamlessly switches between his fists, feet and weapon. Beowl cannot help but feel immense pride, a sentiment which he shares with his senior Fangor. Nearing the end of today's course, Void stands before the worn tree where his training started. His spear thrusts past the tree's durable bark, and then, with a heavy twist, the tree cracks.
"Oh, the boy is more impressive than I expected." The deep voice surprises both Fangor and Beowl, who turn to the source. Descending the hill is one of the commanders, Steel Fur Talf. "Beowl, it seems like your injuries have also healed." As the commander approaches, his gaze shifts to Fangor, who takes a step back nervously.
Noticing the shift, Beowl quietly asks, "Fangor, is something wrong?" but all present still manage to hear.
"Member of War Wolf Rawl's hunting squad, Fangor. Correct me if I'm incorrect, but you do not hold permission to enter Scrowl's Sanctuary." Beowl realises what Tinkclaw said a few days ago was true. They really had snuck in.
The heavy atmosphere lingers, and Fangor stammers, "Y-you are correct. But… I snuck in to…" before he could finish, Talf moves closer.
"No need to fret, you simply wished to aid Beowl, correct?" he returns his attention to all three and concludes, "I hereby invite all three of you to join tomorrow's expedition."
The following day starts not with training but preparation. Fangor arrives early to teach Beowl about hunting expeditions. Tinkclaw, who appears out of nowhere, begins checking Void's gear.
"Nothing's broken, as expected of my handiwork." Tinkclaw's wagging tail falls still for a moment while her ears perk up. She looks to the cave's mouth and sheepishly says, "Don't feel like getting dragged into this," and disappears. Shortly after Talf enters the cave, accompanied by three others.
"Beowl, meet those who've volunteered for today's expedition." He pauses briefly before starting introductions, "These three are Clour," Clour slams a paw in response, "Frowl," signalling himself with a low howl, "and Faurg." Faurg just stands there, his gaze wandering.
"I am Fangor of Rawl's hunting squad. I look forward to working together."
"My name is Beowl. I'm still in training," he looks back, "and this is Void. We look forward to learning from you today." Instructions having finished, the group set off for the wilderness.
Darting to keep up, Beowl begins to understand how intense group hunting is. They weren't hunting just anything, but instead were exclusively targeting bigger prey. The leading wolves begin to slow down, signalling that they've encountered a big one.
Talf quickly loops back and tells Beowl, "Berserker moose, you've heard of them, right?" His expression carries a twinge of worry. Beowl responds with a nod, recalling them as incredibly powerful herbivores. "Truth is, Scrowl has ordered that the boy be tested. My squad will act as support, so show me Void's best." The sudden request throws Beowl for a loop, but he doesn't have a choice. He whips his tail, a cue they developed during training to signal Void to start. The boy sprints fearlessly with Beowl following closely behind. Noticing an opening created by the other wolves, Void launches into his first combat.
Void pounces in from the rear and thrusts his spear into the berserker moose's thick hind muscles. Unable to twist his spear, he wrenches it out before retreating to Beowl's side. The pair continue circling, waiting for another opening as the other wolves draw the behemoth's attention. Clour slams hard into the moose's side, creating a clear opening. Beowl whips his tail into the dirt, and Void sharply pivots towards the moose. The moment his strike starts to fall, the moose's eyes flick back. The rear hooves start rising. Beowl's mind slows, his body throws itself, sending Void tumbling to the side. The hooved kick warps Beowl's body, and a series of wet cracks break out. He crashes to the ground, leaving a thin trail of blood behind. Void staggers to his feet, eyes fixed on the gruesome sight. With each wavering step, his grip weakens. The dark-wood spear clatters to the ground, falling alongside its master by Beowl's side.
The mighty moose collapses with a final, thunderous crash, brought down in a single strike by Steel Fur Talf. Silence descends upon the clearing; the commander hadn't anticipated this outcome. He, Fangor, and the other wolves rush to Beowl's side, where he lies motionless in a pool of blood. Talf's expression turns grim, all too familiar with the sight of dying comrades. Beside him, Fangor falls into despair, memories flashing through his mind as the light fades from his junior's eyes. From the corner of Void's trembling eyes, a faint golden mist escapes. The experienced warriors notice, their eyes watching as it drifts towards the dark wood spear. In an instant, the mist swells in size, rushing outward and enveloping both the boy and Beowl. The others instinctively retreat before it overtakes them as well. The golden mist swirls intensely, beginning to converge upon the faint silhouette of the dying wolf as his comrades watch helplessly.
The golden mist begins to recede, revealing a figure standing tall in the centre. The wolves study his appearance, unsure of what to do next. His pearl white hair flickers in the wind, complemented by the slender rod of dark wood, emanating a radiant glow. The last puffs of golden mist absorb into the figure's hair before it collapses, its radiant presence fading away. In its place falls Void, the black streaks in his grey hair accompanied by fresh strands of white. The soft thud jolts Talf from his indecision, and he rushes to check on both Beowl and Void. His gaze immediately locks onto Beowl, noticing the absence of his once gruesome injuries. Just moments ago, he was on the verge of death; now his white fur sways peacefully. Talf's eyes shift to Void, sprawled on the ground and taking only shallow breaths. With an uneasy glance at his squad, Talf signals the wolves to aid their fallen comrades and retreat without delay.