Chapter 47 Early Bites

• Friedrich's POV
• Early winter bites with its cold crispness in the air. The grounds are spotted in uneven patches of snow, the silver glow of the crescent moon cast upon them. The training ground is alive with a low hum of excitement and anticipation. Wolves from my pack from all over, not just us living in the forest, have gathered-some faces familiar, others from the city I rarely see except during significant events like these or at meetings in the grand ancestral hall.
• The induction trials draw a crowd beyond the usual. Tonight, their numbers make the clearing feel both larger and smaller, their murmurs pressing like the weight of the snow-laden branches.