There were wolves missing yet, but Katja could not continue to wait for them. A meeting full of nothing but children, with only one adult, and nothing happening to keep their interest, was just asking for trouble. Before the pups could get too bored she would need to get this underway.
Silver eyes gleamed down at the pups and squires, evaluating and thoughtful. "Wondering why you were called, I am sure you are," she began, waiting no longer for the missing younglings. "Know I do not how much your parents do tell you of Ebony, but in my eyes you are all old enough to know. Ebony does not have enough adults to continue to care for all the pups of the pack, with more mouths to feed on the way." Her tone was quite serious, making it clear that this was not a subject to make light of, though matter-of-fact enough to hopefully not frighten the children, for it wasn't something to be feared as much as it was simply something that needed fixing. "Old enough you all are to begin training, to begin to contribute to the pack in the manner of adults. Some already are," she acknowledged, with a nod to the squires, "but the manner is haphazard and ill-organized. Remedy that, we must. For those who have begun your training, I must know - what training are you doing, and who do you be doing your training with? For those who have not begun formal training, for the pups - what are you interested in learning? Hunting? Battle? Healing?"
Her eyes swept over the assembled ranks of younglings seriously. "All will learn the basics of hunting and defense and first aid, for all must contribute when the starving times are upon us, or when war comes to our homes, or in an emergency when a healer is not immediately available, but most of your training will focus on one or two things. What I need is for you to consider carefully your interests and tell me this, that I may find you a mentor to oversee your learning."
She stopped speaking and sat back to allow the pups time to consider. They were rather young to begin their official training by the traditions of most packs in this land, but at an age when they would have been expected to take up adult duties were they vikings she knew they were old enough to handle training regardless of the tradition.
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