Sky's POV

Sky yawned as he was rustled from his sleep, his blue eyes squinting against the blurry form of another wolf. With a sigh he rolled over onto his feet and shook his fluffy grey pelt out, scattering dried needles and leaves and earning him a grumble from the wolf who had woken him. "Not my fault you stood there," he muttered, brushing past him as he left the den.

The wolf squeezed out behind him, and after a few moments he was at Sky's side again, despite the grey wolf's unwelcoming growl. "Hey bro, why don't you like getting up in the mornings? I've been thinking, because-"

"Because you're a Wind Wolf?" Sky interrupted. "Because that's all you ever do, Fleet?"

Fleet frowned, but he pressed on. "Because the rest of us are always up early. Why don't you like getting up?"

Sky shrugged. "I dunno, maybe because  I actually like the concept of sleep? Here, I'll leave you to ponder that. I'm hungry." He said, padding away to find the pile of prey that marked the center of camp. Fleet frowned after him, but Sky merely shook off his brother's annoyance and settled down to a nice pigeon.

A few other wolves were clustered near the pile, their voices relaxed and carrying the usual hint of curiosity that all Wind Wolves seemed to have. Sky couldn't understand why they were all so busy worrying about everything, or staring off into the clouds as if everything would be made clear any moment now. Every day it was the same daydreaming routine, with nobody doing much except for walking, talking, hunting, and of course, thinking. He kept waiting for someone to die of boredom, but sadly, no one ever did. It was only a matter of time before he did, though.

Sky's thoughts were interrupted by his father, who was waving a paw in front of him. "Earth to Sky! Are you even a little bit excited for the most important day of your life?" Flint said, grinning.

Today? That was... it was the First Training day, wasn't it? "Sure I am. Can't you see in positively beaming?" His words were punctured with a huge yawn, and Flint's smile faded a little. 

"Sky, you should know how important this is. Today, you and all other pups of eight months will embark on a journey between youth and adulthood, and find your way as a true Wind Wolf. You will learn many things, and grow many ways, but most of all you will be able to see the path ahead. You will find judgment in some, respect in others, and lasting friendships in all who may see you for you-"

When will this wolf ever shut up?! Sky thought, exasperated. He nodded his head whenever his father seemed to pause, but other than that he just blocked out the sound of his voice. Jeez, what a bore. It's like he has nothing but words. Another pause. Another nod. Some more talking, some more nodding. It seemed like Flint would never stop blabbering about the wonderful mysteries of life, and Sky was half-tempted to just get up and walk away. Of course, Flint would follow him, and that would earn him yet another long-winded lecture.

Sky was just summoning up the will to interrupt when Flint tapered off, his demeanor changing. Sky tuned in once again and started to actually listen to his words.

"-the time is coming for you Sky. Ah, I see Fleet is excited at least!" Sky stiffened as his brother bounded up beside him, his jaws already open to start spewing irrelevant questions. "Definitely dad! What's it gonna be like during the ceremony? How long does it last? Are they going to explain why the forest is the Green Forest? What about the Moonstone? Are all the tribes gonna be there? Who will I meet? How am I gonna train? What if-"

"Fleet! Shut up already, will you?!" Sky growled, glaring at his brother with burning blue eyes. "I swear by the moon, you're more annoying than a Cloud Wolf!"

Fleet gaped at him, and Flint flicked his paw over Sky's ear, though it was a dull gesture, one that had been repeated many times before. "Apologize at once! That was completely uncalled for!" He scolded, trying to sound gruff. Underneath, though, Sky could tell that his dad was tired of reprimanding him, and it was just becoming a routine and boring thing to constantly deal with him.

Boring, boring, boring. Everyone here was boring. Sky huffed and whirled around to stalk away, but his mother was right in front of him, sporting his other brother and sister. He stumbled back in surprise, but then felt his stomach flop over. Great, now the whole squad was here. Five wolves meant five voices, and judging by the excitement shooting between all of them, those voices would be blabbering away the whole time they were walking.

"Sky! Where are you going, love?" his mother asked as he went to move out of camp.

"Hmm, I dunno, maybe the most important day of my life?" he said with a smirk, noting the way Flint's shoulders sagged a little bit. He absolutely loved the fact that he could change his dad's mood with a few words. He knew just how to pick at him till Flint stopped bothering him. His mother, on the other hand, wouldn't let him get away with it.

"Well, come back and travel with us like a family! You're not going to be alone here. Besides, we have so much to talk about!" Crystal said with a flick of her snout, beckoning him back. Sky sighed and trudged a few steps in their direction, tail swishing mutinously. His mother seemed satisfied enough, and she ushered his siblings forward as the big family left the Wind Tribe Camp and made their way into the surroundings woods.

Sky tried to keep to either the front or back of the group, always edging away as best as he could to avoid them. For the first half or so of the journey he succeeded, splashing ahead of his family on the Crystal River as they discussed his mother's name. Then he hung back in the beginnings of Cloud Territory, zoning out while his brothers droned on about the history of geography. But of course, being a pup, his stealth skills weren't quite up there, and eventually his mother dragged him into the conversation.

"So, Sky, what are you feeling right now? Pretty exciting, isn't it, your first time ever out of camp?"

With a dramatic roll of his eyes, he mumbled something about it being just fine.

"Well I," his sister Horizon proclaimed, "am super hyped! I can't wait to talk to all of the other tribes, and see what they think and stuff. Then I'm gonna find Winter and Sunny, and we can talk about everything too, and-"

"Those two? You just saw them earlier!" Sky interrupted.

"Well, we can talk about how the trip was!" she retorted hotly.

"And how was the trip so far?" Flint intervened, weaving in between the two pale grey pups.

Fleet jumped in front of him and yipped, "it's been exciting! I have so many questions about what the ceremony will be like though. How big is it going to be?"

"Oh, it'll seem to be the biggest thing you've ever laid eyes on, Fleet. All the wolves, all the tribes, all united for one purpose. I wonder what will be running through their heads?" Crystal observed wistfully.

She might as well be a pup again, for all she's goggling about it, Sky thought irritably. It was like she wanted to go through her First Training all over again! Personally, Sky wasn't quite that interested in the whole thing. There was probably going to be tons of older wolves all telling him what to do, and tons of younger pups all talking his ears off. All he wanted to do was tell them to buzz off, but of course, that would most likely earn him another lecture from his dad.

Finally, his other brother Ripple steered the conversation away to another subject, giving Sky his cue to settle in at the back of the pack again. He was just drifting off into his own mind when the tails in front of him came to a halt. With a slight growl, he edged around them all to see what the holdup was.

Nothing could prepare him for the vast expanse of bodies that he saw before him, all moving and talking and just being there, like a huge monster made up of little pieces. It was... overwhelming, to say the least. Sky didn't know what to do, besides shrink back behind his family, wordlessly begging them to step in first. All of this was just too much for him to process in one moment. How in the Moon's name would he ever survive a day in this mass of wolves, let alone his entire training?