With only four weeks of the Wolf Tribe exchange left, Durfein was ready to conceptualize his final project for the Alpha. After painting with Tuliao, some lessons in ceramics from a local potter, and an interesting dive into blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, textiles, and basket weaving, Durfein had already learned way more than he had ever hoped from his time in the exchange. He wanted to create a unique piece of art that combined all the techniques and mediums he had studied, or at least as many of them as he could manage cohesively.

After thinking it over, Durfein decided to make a decorative screen. First, he would create ornaments using the skills he learned from the potter, blacksmith, and mason. This would take up the first week. He would then finish weaving a cloth he had started and build a simple wooden frame with basket-making inspired edging to stretch the cloth out in. That would take the second week. He would then inlay the ornaments into the wooden frame and paint the screen. This would take up a third week. The fourth week was planned for any spillover tasks from the project, and, he hoped, for some time with his friends before returning home. Motivated to have some time left over and excited to apply his new knowledge, Durfein got started.

He found himself thinking, “I can’t wait to show this to Lolo!”

***

“We could visit the city?” Zhongyan suggested. “You said you like learning about other cultures. ‘Want to experience the Wolf Tribe culture first-hand?”

Et’zana’s demure personality resulted in a “that could be interesting,” response accompanied by her usual tinkling laugh, but internally, Et’zana was positively giddy. She’d been a little wary of Zhongyan’s explicit attention initially, especially because it had been so instantaneous, very much a love at first sight situation, but he’d won her over when she finally recognized his overtures as sincere. What’s more, she’d started to develop feelings for him in return. “Is there anything specific that you want to show me in town?”

“Uh,” Zhongyan hadn’t thought that far ahead. He cared more about spending time with Et’zana than what they did together. “I figured we’d get there and then see what piques your interest.”

“Oh,” Et’zana smiled bashfully. “Well, should we get going then?”

Zhongyan nodded and led the way. The distance between Pack Hall and the city was only a thirty minute walk away at a brisk pace along the main road, and the journey was pleasant, filled by Zhongyan’s chatter and Et’zana’s occasional comment or observation.

The city itself was crowded with narrow, cobbled roads providing just enough space for two carts to pass each other without crushing the pedestrians walking beneath covered walkways supported by tall pillars on either side of the streets-- the narrowness being a consequence of the forested landscape that had to be hewn down to make space for the necessary infrastructure. As such, the buildings were also built narrow and vertically, but they were cleverly designed with lots of paper windows and warm-colored materials that provided an illusion of openness and felt rather inviting. Et’zana was struck by the artistic details of the architecture. The roofs were curved and shingled with clay tiles in patterns of varying colors that ran down the slopes in evenly spaced lines to shunt rainwater away from the front doors, over the walkways and into the streets with their gutters below. The paper windows were set in intricately carved wooden frame shutters detailing flora, fauna, or intricate geometric patterns and providing a touch of individual whimsy to each structure. The doors were built wide, almost beckoning people to pass through them for their size, and many of the doors were outfitted with their own windows to maximize the natural light within each building.

“Et’zana, look out!”

Distracted analyzing the architecture, Et’zana failed to notice the busy street intersection in front of her. Zhongyan snatched her wrist to pull her back and spin her around, preventing disaster at the last second. Flustered to find herself wrapped in Zhongyan’s protective embrace, Et'zana looked up, wide-eyed and blushing from embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" Et'zana nodded. "You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?” She shook her head and Zhongyan released a small sigh of relief. Delighted to have an excuse to do so, Zhongyan then took Et’zana’s hand. “From now on, I’ll guide you through the streets so you can look around.”

As Zhongyan turned to lead her across the street, Et’zana smiled and bit her lip in a futile effort to subdue the butterflies in her stomach.

***

Every year of the exchange, Tamkhee's father, General Yudha, gave him the same homework: research tactical information about the hosting tribe. Tamkhee complained his first year that the Bear Tribe was their ally, so any tactical information would be shared. His father had just laughed. "Alliances change," he'd said. The Dragon General had always taught his son that there were no second chances on the battlefield, "so even in practice, you should fight with intention". General Yudha also believed that espionage should be used to collect information about everyone, including, and perhaps especially, allies. "It's always safest to know more than you are supposed to, Tamkhee," he said before sending his son off every year.

Tamkhee had been dutifully scouring the Wolf Tribe library for weeks. Unexpectedly, of all people, Standig had given him a hint of what to look for when he asked the wolf elder a few weeks back about any magical abilities wolf spirit hosts might have. Details about the Alpha Call were hazy at best in the records, but one thing was clear, the Alpha Call was a force to be reckoned with. Historical accounts of the Wolf Tribe battles revealed that the Alpha Call could turn the tides of war by revealing the hearts of all those who hear it. He didn’t know exactly what this meant, but it sounded impressive. It was also clear that without identifying the Alpha Call in the next generation of wolves, there would be no clear way to select the new Wolf Tribe leader, so their greatest weapon also had the potential to be their greatest weakness.

There was one more detail about the Wolf Tribe that gave him pause. It was stated in multiple places and in different types of documents that the quickest way to a wolf is through the pack. Of course, this too was cryptic, but it seemed important and widely accepted as fact. Tamkhee found it strange that the Wolf Tribe literature and lectures were filled with this assertion, yet no one ever bothered to explain it, even in the exchange classroom. With less than a month left to study the wolves, Tamkhee was getting frustrated that he could only find two vague statements to work with. "My father might know what to make of this," Tamkhee comforted himself.

In all other aspects, the Wolf Tribe was strong-- stronger than all the other tribes he had studied during his five years in the training exchange. The emphasis placed on teamwork, camaraderie, and protecting the pack meant that it would be hard for enemies to pick off the wolves one-by-one or even in small groups, and the wolves themselves would fight ferociously to protect each other. Indeed, his personal experience with the wolves confirmed this theory.

The other challenge was the Wolf Tribe numbers as the pack mentality encouraged strong families and a prolific posterity. Specifically, the Wolf Tribe leader traditionally produced many children. Lots of princes and princesses means lots of heirs and potential leaders. However, even with so many heirs, there was not a single account in Wolf Tribe history of a coup between siblings. The Wolf Tribe culture prioritized people over possessions and positions of power, and siblings were taught to cherish each other’s individual strengths, achievements, and contributions as a collective win. Tamkhee gagged at the sentimentality of it all, but he couldn’t deny the fact that a strong tribe leader’s family made for an equally strong tribe. “Yes, the Wolf Tribe is the strongest among all the tribes, except, of course, the Dragon Tribe,” he brooded.

***

Now that Standig had accepted Lolo as his friend, the pair were almost always found together. Huo Lohse fully adopted Standig as another brother, complete with light-hearted teasing and banter, and excessive probing and encouragement. Standig was surprised by her social intuition-- a skill as foreign to him as the dark side of the moon-- which enabled her to read and understand Standig on a level comparable to Philige. But, somehow, Standig didn't mind talking with Lolo about things. Where he looked up to Philige almost as a father-figure as much as a brother, Lolo was more his equal.

As the end of the summer's exchange grew closer, Standig found he actually enjoyed spending time with Lolo. They sparred with each other after classes nearly every day, taking advantage of the weeks they had left to practice with someone of commensurable ability. Philige had been right, they were an excellent match. Lolo was quick and creative; Standig was strong and technical. They were both unusually intuitive. Their practice together was not only enjoyable, but it quickly paid off. Captain Jianshu noticed their rapid improvement and petitioned the Alpha for permission to provide more advanced training to them after regular classes a couple times a week. Lolo and Standig eagerly took advantage of the extra training, giving them the opportunity to learn advanced partner maneuvers and test their skills and teamwork against experienced soldiers.

“What should we name that move?” Lolo asked with a cheeky grin as she and Standig walked back to the mess hall for dinner.

“You mean your variation on the launch attack?”

“It’s as much your move as mine; you knew to give me the extra boost. We should name it together!”

“All your Wolf Tribe partner maneuvers have very practical names: jump attack, switch attack, spinning blades, Yin and Yang defense, stack attack, oscillating defense…. The variation you- we came up with has the effect of flanking the enemy when you get cornered. Maybe we name it something like ‘flanking launch attack’?”

“That’s a very practical name indeed,” Lolo pondered. “Or we could name it something ridiculous just for kicks!”

Standig snorted. “Did you have anything specific in mind?”

“Nothing specific, no. But we ought to name it something at least a little more interesting. How often do you get to name an entire maneuver?!”

“What do you think of ‘leapfrog attack’?”

“Oo! I like it! Leapfrog attack,” Lolo tried the name out. “It’s both practical and interesting, and it conjures up imagery of a little kids’ game. That appeals to me.”

“I’m glad you approve,” Standig shook his head with amusement.

“So, Standig, what do you want to do tomorrow afternoon?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, we don’t have training with the captain tomorrow. We could spar again, just the two of us, or we could mix things up, go on an adventure of some sort….”

“Or I could teach you how to meditate.” Standig laughed as Lolo provided the expected reaction, scrunching her nose up as though she’d smelled something unpleasant.

“You know, only now do I realize that back when you told me that you liked meditating, you were just trying to get me to go away and stop asking questions…. Jerk.”

“You were so persistent! What else was I supposed to do?” Standig teased and nudged his friend in the shoulder a little too hard, upsetting Lolo’s balance and causing her to stumble. Not one to take such provocation quietly, Lolo took a flying leap at Standig, who, expecting her retaliation, had already braced himself for the impact. Standig laughed as Lolo bounced off of his hunched shoulder and caught her arm to help steady her resultantly awkward landing.

Lolo continued the nudging battle the rest of the way to the mess hall. She knew that she didn’t have a chance at beating a much bigger Standig in this sort of fight, but she enjoyed squawking at him and playing the game to make him laugh nonetheless.