Chương 66: Chapter 51: Rika

Snow still covered the forest, but winter continued to loosen its grip on the land. The hard crust that had carried wolves and goblins for weeks softened under the lengthening sun. The makeshift boots Grub had introduced to the tribe sometimes punched through where the snow had thinned, revealing the dark earth beneath. Along the rock face above the cave mouth, thin lines of meltwater slipped through the ice and ran down the stone in quiet threads.

The wind still bit when it blew, but it no longer howled as it once had. Light lingered a little longer each day, stretching the hours between sunrise and dusk. The forest smelled faintly different now too, damp and living beneath the cold. It had been a little over two months since the wall across the cave mouth had been finished. Winter had pressed hard since then, but the Ironfang tribe had endured it. Outside the cave, the snow had been beaten flat by constant training and patrols.

Wolves and goblins moved across it now in wide arcs, their dark shapes cutting across the pale ground. Grub stood just beyond the wall and watched the riders work. The wolves had continued growing through the winter. Most now stood close to five feet at the shoulder, their heavy frames and thick coats making the goblins upon their backs seem smaller than ever.

Months of steady feeding, hunting, and constant movement had added muscle beneath their fur, until even the lesser members of the pack towered over the tribe. Ashpaw remained larger than all of them, running at the head of the formation with his gray paws cutting through the snow in long, powerful strides. Nearly six feet at the shoulder, the great black wolf set the pace almost without effort, and the others responded instinctively, shifting around him whenever he changed direction or speed.

The girl rode upon his back as easily as ever. She looked slight against the mass of black fur beneath her, but there was nothing uncertain in the way she held herself. Her body moved with Ashpaw's stride, leaning when he turned and settling smoothly when he surged forward, their coordination refined by the months of training together.

"Wider on the turn!" she called.

"Give the wolves room to move!" The riders corrected immediately, their wolves sweeping across the clearing with paws digging into the snow. One drifted too close to another's flank, but a shift of his rider's weight brought him smoothly back into line. The formation stretched slightly, then tightened again. They weren't perfect yet, but they were no longer clumsy about it. Grub watched the pattern their movement traced through the snow, noting where spacing held and where it broke.

Nearly two months of drills had begun to show in the way the riders moved with their wolves instead of fighting them. Nearby, Throk stood with his broad arms folded across his chest, tracking them with open skepticism.

"Too tight," he barked as two wolves nearly clipped shoulders again.

"You ride like that in a real fight and the first spear takes both of you." The riders widened their spacing, adjusting to his shout. Kesh stood a few steps away, arms crossed, eyes following the formation as it curved across the clearing.

"They're improving quickly," she said. Throk grunted.

"They've been chasing deer and boar all winter," he said.

"Forest animals don't stab back." He paused, watching one rider nearly lose his balance before recovering.

"Not the way a real enemy does." Kesh allowed herself a faint smile while Grub remained quiet beside them. When the winter training had first begun, the young riders had depended heavily on the older goblins for direction, with Throk constantly barking corrections, Kesh adjusting their formations, and even Grub stepping in when the wolves grew restless or a rider lost control. Back then, the girl had simply guided the drills while the others watched. Over time, that had changed.

The riders still listened when Throk or Kesh spoke, but once the older goblins fell silent, their attention returned to her. She never needed to shout or demand obedience. A raised hand or a called turn was enough to send the others moving.

"Turn!" she called. The wolves pivoted sharply, snow spraying beneath their paws as the riders followed the arc she set, and this time the spacing was noticeably cleaner. Throk's mouth twitched.

"Better," he muttered. Kesh nodded faintly, while Grub simply watched the riders complete another pass across the clearing, the wolves moving faster and more confidently with every run. They had spent the winter learning to ride, hunt, and move together, but as Throk had pointed out, none of that had been tested in a real battle yet. Grub's gaze drifted across the riders as they slowed their wolves and began circling back toward the cave mouth.

Snow kicked up in soft bursts beneath heavy paws as the animals settled from their run. Almost without thinking, he reached for the familiar thread of System awareness that triggered Identify. One of the riders passed closest to him. A young goblin male, taller now than Grub, his posture far steadier in the saddle. A faint pane of information flickered into place. [Goblin Warrior – Level 2] Health: 30/30 | Stamina: 20/20 | Mana: 10/10 Grub watched him ride past, then shifted his focus to another pair.

[Goblin Warrior – Level 3] Health: 40/40 | Stamina: 30/30 | Mana: 10/10 [Goblin Warrior – Level 3] Health: 40/40 | Stamina: 30/30 | Mana: 10/10 Grub studied the numbers briefly. The riders spent nearly every day outside the cave, running patrols or hunting through the trees, and wolves made brutally effective partners when blades and teeth found their mark. Experience came quickly when they were using those skills constantly. His attention shifted to the female rider still circling the clearing on Ashpaw's back.

She leaned forward to murmur something near the great wolf's ear, and Ashpaw turned toward him, gray paws crushing through the snow as he approached. A light shift of her hips guided him into a smooth arc before Grub. As they came closer, Grub focused on her and used Identify, squinting against the pale winter sun as he looked up. Name: Rika Race: Goblin Level: 5 Class: Wolf Commander Health: 50/50 | Stamina: 30/30 | Mana: 20/20 Grub blinked once. She was System-blessed, like him. His gaze returned to her Class.

Wolf Commander. Ashpaw came to a stop nearby, and Rika slid easily from his back, landing in the snow before walking toward Grub.

"Grub," she said quietly.

"Yes?" She glanced toward Throk and Kesh, then back at him.

"You see more than the others, don't you?" Grub held her gaze for a moment before nodding.

"Sometimes," he replied carefully. She exhaled softly.

"Walk with me. Ashpaw, stay." Ashpaw huffed and settled into the snow. Rika headed toward the tree line without waiting, and after a brief hesitation, Grub followed. By the time they reached the trees, the sounds of training had faded behind them into a distant rhythm of movement and shouted corrections. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Rika folded her arms loosely, then looked up at him.

For a moment she said nothing, as if sorting through thoughts she didn't have words for.

"When Ashpaw and I killed the stag this morning," she said finally, "I leveled again. Level five." She hesitated.

"And something changed." Grub waited.

"It felt like… something shifted in my head. Then the System showed me things I couldn't see before."

"Like what?"

"Stats. Skills. Spells." Her voice lowered.

"A Class." Grub nodded.

"Wolf Commander." Rika's eyes widened.

"You already saw it?"

"When I Identified you." She absorbed that for a moment before looking away.

"There was something else." Grub waited again.

"A name."

"Rika." Her eyes flicked back to him.

"That was there too," he said.

"Did you choose it?" She shook her head.

"No. When everything changed, it was just… there." Grub considered that.

"Do you like it?" Rika's fingers curled against her palms and she looked at the snowy ground.

"I don't know."

"I do." She looked at him.

"It suits you." Some of the tension left her shoulders.

"Rika," Grub repeated. She flinched and glanced toward the clearing.

"Not out there." He followed her gaze toward the other riders.

"Not yet," she added.

"All right." Rika nodded, visibly relieved. For a few moments she watched the riders circling through the snow.

"I don't know why it happened," she said.

"Why me." Grub glanced toward Ashpaw.

"I think you have an idea." Rika was quiet for a moment.

"The wolves listen to me. Not only Ashpaw. The others too."

"They do."

"More than they should." Grub shook his head.

"Why shouldn't they?" She frowned at him.

"You were already beginning to lead them before the System called you anything," he said.

"Maybe now it's just recognizing what you were already becoming." Rika looked toward Ashpaw again.

"Wolf Commander," she murmured. Grub smiled.

"Could be worse." That earned the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth, but it vanished quickly.

"If the others find out, things will change," she said quietly. Grub shrugged.

"They probably will."

"They'll expect things from me." She rubbed one thumb across the opposite palm.

"Things I might not know how to do." Grub glanced toward the clearing, where another rider leaned too far through a turn before recovering.

"You didn't know how to do any of this when winter started." Rika followed his gaze.

"Then you learned. And if you get something wrong, you learn from that too." A small breath escaped her, almost a laugh.

"You make it sound so simple." He grinned and scratched the back of his head.

"It usually isn't." That brought the hint of a smile back. Rika looked toward the older goblins near the clearing.

"I still don't want them whispering about it. Not yet."

"You want to keep it quiet?"

"For a while." Grub considered that.

"Dravak, Throk, and Kesh don't use Identify without a reason, so you probably have some time." Her shoulders loosened slightly.

"But they'll notice eventually," he continued.

"The riders already look to you, and Ashpaw isn't exactly easy to overlook." Rika glanced toward the enormous black wolf and gave a reluctant nod.

"Dravak should hear it from you before the spring raids," Grub said.

"Not because you need to tell him tomorrow, but because this could matter once the tribe starts fighting again." She was silent for several breaths.

"So I have until then."

"You have some time to understand what changed," Grub said with a nod.

"And to decide how you want to tell him." Rika nodded slowly.

"I'll tell you first when I'm ready."

"All right. They won't hear it from me." Behind them, Throk's voice rolled across the clearing.

"Turn tighter! You ride like that in a fight and you'll tangle yourselves before the enemy even touches you!" Rika huffed a quiet laugh and shook her head.

"Come on. If they break formation again, Throk will start throwing things." Grub scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"He does have good aim."

"That's what I'm worried about." Grub grinned and followed her back toward the clearing. Ashpaw rose as soon as Rika approached. Before she had even reached him, the nearest riders shifted aside to make room, and by the time she climbed onto his back, the loose formation had already begun straightening around her. Rika raised one hand.

"We go again!" she called. The riders moved. Grub stepped back beside Throk and Kesh as the formation swept across the clearing once more, wolves driving through the snow in long, powerful strides. Kesh watched them for another moment before turning toward the cave.

"I should gather the Scouts." Throk glanced at her.

"Already?"

"The thaw is coming. If we wait until the snow melts completely, the other tribes will be moving too." She nodded toward the cave.

"Come. We should speak with Dravak." Throk grunted his agreement, and the three of them headed inside. Warm air and wood smoke met them as they entered, the smoke drifting toward the vents in slow gray streams. Dravak stood near the central fire with two Hunters, speaking quietly. Kesh approached and inclined her head.

"Chief." Dravak looked up and dismissed the two Hunters with a gesture. They moved off without a word.

"The Scouts are ready if you want eyes in the forest before the thaw."

"Good." Dravak nodded.

"It's time. Go east and west. See which tribes survived the winter." A faint twitch touched Kesh's mouth.

"And which ones didn't." He looked toward Throk and Grub.

"Anything to add?" Throk grinned, showing his sharp teeth.

"I'm just looking forward to a fight." Dravak snorted before turning to Grub. Grub considered it for a moment.

"If possible, we should look for a tribe our own size, or smaller. Something we can beat cleanly." Throk rolled his eyes but kept quiet. Dravak gave a short nod and looked back to Kesh.

"Find me prey worth taking." She dipped her head once, then turned to gather her Scouts. Grub headed outside again, with Throk following close behind. The riders were still training when Grub and Throk returned. Ashpaw surged across the clearing at the head of the formation, the other wolves matching his pace as they swept through a broad turn and snapped back into line, snow kicking up behind them. This time, the formation held. Rika guided Ashpaw through one final arc before slowing near the edge of the clearing.

She slid from his back and walked over to Grub and Throk, breathing a little harder from the cold.

"Better?" Grub nodded.

"Much." Throk grunted.

"Less sloppy." Rika gave him a flat look.

"High praise."

"It is." She folded her arms and turned back toward the clearing. The riders were already circling for another pass.

"We've been doing the same drills for weeks," she said after a moment.

"Turns. Spacing. Hunting together. Keeping the wolves under control." Her eyes followed one rider as he corrected too late and drifted toward the wolf beside him.

"They're getting good at it."

"But?" Grub asked. Rika glanced at him.

"But I don't know what comes after good." For a few moments, none of them spoke. Then Grub pointed toward one of the younger riders.

"What happens if he falls?" Rika frowned.

"He gets back on."

"When?" She looked at him.

"His wolf keeps running," Grub said.

"Does he chase it until it stops? Does the wolf circle back? Does everyone else slow down for him?" Rika's expression tightened slightly. Throk gave a low grunt.

"All bad."

"Exactly," Grub agreed. Throk nodded toward the riders.

"He hits the ground in a fight and that wolf keeps going, he's alone."

"And probably surrounded," Grub added.

"Then he's dead before the beast comes back." Rika looked between them.

"So we teach them to stop the wolves faster?" Grub shook his head.

"I was thinking the opposite." Throk's grin appeared almost immediately.

"Get back on while they're moving." Rika stared at him.

"Run beside the wolf. Grab the harness. Haul yourself up and keep going."

"That sounds like a good way to break an arm."

"Probably is at first." Grub glanced at him.

"Maybe we start slower than full speed." Throk shrugged.

"Fine. Start slow." Rika snorted quietly, but her attention had already returned to the riders.

"That would help if someone gets thrown," she admitted. Grub kept watching them. Something else bothered him.

"They slow down when they attack." Throk's eyes narrowed as he followed the next pass. A rider leaned from the saddle and drove his practice spear toward a hanging bundle of hide. His wolf lost speed beneath him almost immediately.

"There," Grub said. Throk nodded.

"Too much." Rika looked from one to the other.

"They have to get close enough to use the spear."

"That's the problem," Throk said. She frowned. He pointed toward Ashpaw.

"If you're close enough to stick someone, Ashpaw's close enough to rip them apart." Grub nodded.

"And whoever you're attacking is close enough to reach you too." Throk glanced at him, then continued.

"So the wolf's already where it wants to be, and you're hanging off its back trying to stab something that can stab you right back."

"Which gives the enemy two targets instead of one," Grub said.

"And you're the easier one to drag off." Rika grimaced.

"When you put it like that…" Throk barked a laugh.

"It's stupid."

"I was going to say dangerous."

"Same thing." Grub suppressed a smile. Rika looked back toward the riders.

"Then what do they do while the wolves are fighting?"

"Don't wait until the wolves are fighting," Grub said. She turned toward him.

"Attack before you reach them." Throk caught on.

"Javelins."

"Or bows," Grub added. Rika sighed.

"If they can hit anything from a moving wolf."

"That's why you practice." Throk nodded slowly.

"Ride past. Throw before you reach them. Hurt one, slow it down, break the line."

"Then the wolves hit," Grub said.

"And you keep moving." Rika's gaze followed the riders as they completed another circuit.

"Instead of riding into the fight and staying there." Throk nodded.

"Exactly." Grub pointed toward the far side of the clearing.

"And no stopping before they throw. If they have to slow down every time they attack, anyone watching will know exactly when they're vulnerable." Throk grunted.

"Slow down and you make yourself a target. Stop, and you're asking to get hit." Rika looked at him.

"What?"

"You really do make everything sound encouraging."

"I'm not trying to encourage them." Grub glanced toward her.

"He has a point." She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"I know. That's the annoying part." Throk grinned. Rika watched another pass in silence, then drew in a breath and raised both hands to her mouth. A sharp whistle cut across the clearing.

"Everyone down! Off your wolves!" The riders slowed, exchanging uncertain looks as they dismounted.

"Pair up!" Rika called.

"We're trying something different." Throk folded his arms, already smiling.

"Run the wolves past each other. Start slow. Run beside them, grab the harness, and mount without making them stop." Several riders stared at her. Rika pointed toward Throk.

"If you break something, blame him." Throk barked a laugh.

"If you break something, you did it wrong!"

"And once we stop falling on our faces," Rika continued over him, "we start doing it faster." The first pair moved into position. Grub stepped back beside Throk.

"This'll be fun," Throk said. Grub gave him a look.

"You could help, you know."

"I am."

"How?" He grinned.

"Watching." The first rider jumped too early, struck his wolf's side, and bounced into the snow. Throk immediately roared with laughter. Grub sighed.

"Very helpful." The rider scrambled upright and sprinted after his wolf, catching the harness on his second attempt and dragging himself awkwardly into the saddle.

"Again!" Rika shouted as she chased after Ashpaw. At first, nearly every attempt went wrong in a different way. One rider missed the harness entirely. Another caught it but couldn't swing his leg high enough and was dragged several steps through the snow before letting go. A third climbed halfway up before slipping backward and landing on his rear. But they kept trying. The wolves adjusted too, gradually learning how close to pass and how much speed their riders could manage.

Wild leaps became better timed, hands found the harness more reliably, and the riders stopped fighting the wolves' movement long enough to begin using it. Rika paced beside them, calling corrections whenever she saw something go wrong. Grub watched another rider catch the harness and swing smoothly onto his wolf without either of them breaking stride. Throk gave an approving grunt.

"Now give them javelins." Rika turned toward him. Grub looked at the riders still struggling through the mounting drill.

"Maybe let them survive this part first." Throk watched one rider tumble sideways into the snow.

"Boring." Rika shook her head, but she was smiling as she called for another pass. Three days later, as the sun dipped behind the forest ridge, the cold began creeping back into the air. Training broke apart for the day, and the children led their wolves toward the cave mouth. Inside, the cavern hummed with the familiar activity of evening.

Warriors gathered near the fire to sharpen blades and spearheads, Builders finished their work along the walls before drifting toward the warmth, and the Medics sorted herbs and folded strips of cloth beside the hearth. Dravak's voice cut through it all.

"Enough." Conversations died. Whetstones stopped moving, and heads turned toward the central hearth. Dravak stood beside his stone seat, broad shoulders outlined by the shifting flames.

"I'm tired of sitting in this cave. Tired of rotting in comfort while the world waits outside." Anticipation stirred through the tribe.

"Spring is coming," he continued.

"When the snow breaks, the Ironfang will raid again." Warriors straightened. Hunters exchanged eager glances, and near the entrance, several wolves lifted their heads at the sudden change in the cavern. Dravak raised a hand, and silence returned.

"Gather. We'll hold Council and decide where the Ironfang strike first." The tribe began closing in around the central fire. Grub moved with them toward his place on the raised platform. He had spent much of the winter thinking about what would happen once the thaw came and what the Ironfang would need when it did. Now they were about to decide. Across the cavern, Rika caught his eye. She held his gaze for a moment before giving a slight nod. Grub returned it. Tonight, Dravak would learn what she had become.

Around them, the circle tightened as the Council gathered.