A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 3

After breakfast, Oak had asked East to go on a walk with him.

Blaze, much to East's pleasure, was outraged, complaining on how East gets to walk with the Chief instead of her. She even overheard the red head whisper to Canyon about how "special" she thought she was.

Honestly, it's pretty hard to believe that Blaze is older than her when she acts like a two year old instead of ten.

Despite the older girl's whines, East couldn't help but feel she was a little special. How many few warriors get to walk with the Chief?

But then she felt a sense of dread as she padded along the trail side by side with her leader. What if she was in trouble because of the toad incident? Blaze deserved it! She's a rotten scumbag!

East covered her mouth despite not saying anything. Maybe I should stop hanging around near Fabian, her foul language is getting to me.

She noticed that Oak was carrying a spear and her curiosity grew.

After a few more moments the suspense was eating her alive and she thought about speaking when she heard the deep voice of her chief.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" Oak gave East a side glance.

East bit her lip, nervously looking back at him. "Because I'm in trouble?"

Oak blinked and gave her a warm smile which told East that her assumption was incorrect.

After realizing how stiff she was, her shoulders sagged with relief. "Then why am I here?"

"I'm going to show you around the forest."

East stared at her leader in astonishment, her mouth hanging open. "B-but I'm only eight! And I'm not training to become a warrior yet!" But East couldn't contain her excitement. Wait until Meadow and Cliff hear about this!

Oak nodded, his expression hardening. "There are tough times ahead, East, we need to make sure we know where our loyalties lie."

East stared at her chief in puzzlement. What could he mean by that? Was he questioning her loyalty? "My loyalties lie with the Tribe of Blazing Forest, always has been, always will be. Why-"

"I'm preparing you for what's yet to come, now follow me."

Without another word, Oak continued ahead, East scampering behind him.

She never knew the forest could be this huge, it was like it went on forever. Tall trees stood by as they walked and East had to lift her head to the sky to see the very tops of them. She could hear the birds singing their morning songs, and the pitter patter of small creatures nearby.

It made East wonder if there was going to be a hunting lesson, but Oak made no notice of the animals, his eyes trained on the path ahead of him.

They finally stopped in front of a huge pine tree. East gasped in awe once she noticed the marked animal on the bark. "Is this-"

"The border to The Tribe of Rising Shadows? Yes." Oak sighed. "They've chosen the wolf as their guardian animal."

East nodded. She remembered apprentices describing the animal carving on their first border patrols.