LUNALYMPICS

Chapter 8

Theodore walked silently along the travel path.

To his right, a tamed horse carried a red slicked robed elder of the council and to his left, on all fours, walked what he aften felt was his only ally.

Giant, a 5 foot 7 silver furred dire wolf. It was his mother's bound beast, and when she died, it became his best friend.

On the path towards the finish line, the atmosphere between officials was somber. At least , to the newly appointed chief, burdened by a mountain of worries. The silence only pulled him deeper into the abysse of his thoughts.

After all, at the end of the day, one of 86 women would be his luna.

Theodore sighed.

"You seemed worried alpha. May I ask what about?" The eldest council member, a woman five times his age spoke in a cheerful tone. Her wrinkled face was covered with deep smile lines.

Theodore forced a smile. He never felt right talking to her, but as the eldest, her words were often law amongst the councilmen.

If he wanted to have a stabbled hold on his heritage as chief, he needed to have her approval.

But the old woman was the type to smile while slitting throats. No matter how many gifts, time or money Theodore spent on her, she only ever responded with that same stiff smile. Even after over a month of effort she hadn't aided him once in any way.

Still, even today he discarded his comfortable seat in the chariote with the rest of the council to walk beside her.

His return? After being ignored for more than 30 minutes. She faced him with a condescending smile and false concern.

"These tests, stages." Theodore paused. Carefully choosing his words. "How are they supposed to determine a good Luna ?" He questioned.

The young alpha knew almost nothing about the different stages of the selection.

The layout for the first stage was explained to him a mare 30 minutes before the start of the race.

But no matter how he turned it, he couldn't make sense of it.

Crystal water was not in any way backwards.

Their women could be hunters, warriors have high standing positions and of course join the council.

However, just because they do not hinder, does not mean they encourage their women to partake in heavy labor and dangerous activities.

Teacher, cooks, foragers, shoes and clothes makers. Scholars, map makers. These were the kind of jobs that were usually encouraged to women.

As for protection? Strong wolves were bred and offered to all women from adolescence specifically for protection. The moment they could make a bound, they would have a protecteur who would never harm them.

That being the case.

What was the need in having a Luna that could crawl under a sea of vines, climb the side of a cliff, cross a canyon on a rope or race down a hill?

How could completing such trivial tasks in a short span of time determine one's ability to serve a tribe as Luna?

"You question our decision?" The elder named Gemma continued to smile as she asked this.

Theodore also maintained his smile as he shook his head.

"Not at all." He began. "I am just curious about the thoughts behind them?" It was a 'no' which was actually a 'yes'. A political response he recently learned to put into practice.