He'd left Ferrous waiting long enough to get her tests to advance her to a full rank. With Rogdar deciding to go for the same rank, making the two young wolves compete simply made sense. They would work harder, better, knowing that their progress would be measured against the other. It would also give him a good measure of how they each did in the higher tension it would put on them, both as individuals and as packmates. Trotting out to the middle of the ice pack, where it would be difficult at best to be overheard and near impossible to be snuck up on, he lifted his muzzle and called out for the girl.

Ferrous was getting a bit antsy for her test. Had she believed in destiny she would have been convinced that she had been born for the rank, and she was eager to show off her skills and oh yes, she was indeed skilled. And cocky. But really, she had been doing this since she was a pup. She'd been a lone wolf almost from birth and she'd had to do a lot to simply scrape by. So when Enrico had told her he would test her, she'd been ready right then. Each passing day without a test only heightened her frustration so when Enrico's howl rose over the territory Ferrous just about came unglued in her haste to fly off the ship's deck. She covered ground quickly but to save face, once she was around the ship and the path was free of obstacles to block her from his view she slowed to a haughty walk. Reaching Enrico, she said, "Tiercel? What can I do for you?" More importantly, was it time?? "Speaking" - "Thinking" - "You"

Ferrous was quick to answer his call, though she walked up with seemingly casual swagger that he'd learned to identify as her trademark attitude. "Kes," he said gravely. He sat up straight, staring the youth in the eyes. "You have been more than patient with me. I have been quite pleased by your loyalty to a pack that you had no reason to believe in - you were the first to join Niente, and I hope to reward your belief in me and your pack by giving you the opportunity to prove your skills." He smiled, just slightly. "We have another wolf seeking the same rank as you, and the two of you will be competing against one another in your tests." He didn't tell her that they could both potentially make the cut if they did well enough - what was the point of giving them competition if there wasn't the spectre of failure.

While she wouldn't show it, Enrico's bold stare unnerved her a little bit. Even though she'd been in the pack for a while now Ferrous still found it hard to submit to someone else's authority and his gaze exuded it. Had she been a little weaker-willed she might have withered under it. Ferrous brightened visibly as Enrico confirmed her suspicions. It was hard to keep her excitement in check, to keep her usual indifferent look in place, so she was forced to settle for a faint smile that threatened at any moment to burst into a full fledged grin. "Perfect," she said with a smirk. "Name the time n' the place, n' I'll run figurative or literal circles 'round 'em." "Speaking" - "Thinking" - "You"

The wistful, affectionate smile that crossed his muzzle was unbidden but brief, his solemn mien settling over his features once more. "I look forward to seeing the results of the trials," he said smoothly. "The first trial will be a measure of your ability to retrieve information from a wolf who is on guard against you. The wolf you will be seeking information from is a young male named Rodgar who will be awaiting you in the ship. I want you to spend time with him, talking to him and getting to know him and working to get the information from him while he also works to get different information from you. Remember that anything you say will affect your working relationship with him from now on, so treat him as a potential ally that we can't alienate as we look for information on them. Putting the pack at serious risk to gain what might or might not be useful information would be amateurish at best, and certainly not the mark of a good spy." He tilted his head slightly to study her, to see if she would take the restriction to heart, then stepped forward to whisper to her the information she would need to retrieve.

Rodgar, eh? She cocked her head and tried to decide if the name was familiar or not. Should she know this guy? Probably, if they were packmates, but she didn't remember meeting anyone named Rogdar at the meeting. But she was getting distracted. Enrico was giving her instructions and, brimming with confidence or not, she needed to listen if she wanted to have a chance at winning. Ferrous forced herself to pay attention. His counsel was wise, she saw that immediately. And it was a good thing he'd said something too otherwise she would have gone at Rogdar with everything she had. Her methods, while effective, weren't exactly good for making friends. She nodded in understanding. "Got it, chief." She stiffened when Enrico leaned in, but recovered quickly and listened to his instructions with keen ears. Old habits died hard. She needed to get over her wariness of others if she was going to thrive in a pack, but it was hard. "Speaking" - "Thinking" - "You"