Chapter 771 The Desire to Be More

“I want to do everything I can to support Sophia. But I can’t do that if I’m weak and turn out to be a liability during the war. I want to do more. I want to pull my weight.”

Laia’s voice dropped, becoming quieter.

“I don’t want to be the friend that would be used to mock Sophia. I know deep down that I’m not good enough. I may have tried during the training yesterday, but like you said, trying is not enough.”

Brynhild was quiet for a a long moment, her expression unreadable.

The cold wind swept between them, carrying with it the scent of snow and pine.

“There are already scheduled trainings,” she said finally.

Laia shook her head.

“Even that isn’t enough. Just the training yesterday showed me how weak I was. And even when I trained with Joren earlier today, he beat me. And even he was complaining that he wasn’t good enough.”

She looked up, her eyes pleading.

“If someone like Joren, who is dissatisfied with his progress, could beat me, then I doubt I would last on the battlefield. I want to wear my jewelries with pride. I want to be better.”

She bowed her head again.

“I didn’t fight alongside them in the heart of Nirvana, and I’ve always felt behind them since then. They have more experience than I have. I…” She paused, then took a deep breath. “Please help me.”

Brynhild was silent for a long moment, weighing the request.

She remembered herself at Laia’s age.

Not the warrior she was now.

Not the woman others looked at with reverence or fear.

Just a girl who had watched people stronger than herself and wondered if she would ever catch up.

The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar.

“It’ll be brutal,” Brynhild said at last.

Laia nodded without hesitation.

“I know.”

Brynhild studied her for another moment.

She sensed no hesitation nor fear.

Only determination.

Perhaps desperation too.

That was not always a bad thing.

Sometimes desperation was what pushed a person beyond what they believed they were capable of.

She released a quiet breath.

“We’ll do it in the evenings,” she said. “But even then, you shouldn’t wait for me to train. You should be training on your own too.”

Laia’s face lit up with gratitude.

“I know that. Thank you.”

Brynhild nodded.

“Do not thank me yet.”

Laia blinked.

Brynhild’s lips curved upward slightly.

“You may dislike me soon enough.”

For a moment, Laia stared.

Then she laughed.

“I already dislike you a bit especially after yesterday when I lost to you.”

Brynhild actually chuckled at that.

—

At another home in the Nightshade Pack, Daniel had only come outside for some fresh air when he saw Cat walking toward him, a determined look on her face.

He blinked.

“Cat, is something the matter?” he asked her.

“How are you able to fight like that even with just one hand?” She asked him.

Daniel blinked, clearly taken aback by the question.

It was obvious he had not expected her to ask him that.

“Um…” he said as he scratched his cheek, thinking of what he could tell her. “I… just do?” he asked finally.

“But how? And you even beat me too. I have two hands, Elder Daniel,” she said.

“And I have experience,” he told her.

“But it’s not just the experience, is it?” she asked him.

Daniel only stared at her.

A few moments stretched between them.

“I asked around,” she told him. “And my grandma told me that after what happened with the Enclave, when you lost your arm, you did not give up. You did not let grief consume you and instead helped rebuild the pack and also train others. Alpha Orion, Elder Brynhild, Ronan, even Mary herself took lessons from you. I also know it was quite difficult to use only one hand, but then you did, and you’re still revered as one of the strongest fighters in the pack.”

Daniel was quiet.

Contrary to what she thought, grief had almost consumed him.

There had been days when he had wanted nothing more than to remain in bed and let the world continue without him.

He had lost more than an arm.

He had lost certainty.

He had lost the future he thought he would have.

But there had been children around him.

Children who had lost parents.

Children who had lost homes.

Children who had looked at him and expected him to know what to do.

So he had stood.

He had thrown himself into helping Orion, into helping rebuild the pack Alaric had once built.

Into becoming a father not just to Ronan, but also to Orion, Brynhild, Lysander, Mary, and at some point even Tobias.

He had not wanted them to feel neglected while drowning in their grief.

So he stood.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Many people in the pack had done the same.

He had also refused to become a burden.

So he trained.

Again and again.

He learned how to fight with one hand.

How to kill with one hand.

How to survive with one hand.

Until eventually, the missing arm no longer mattered.

Or perhaps it mattered.

He had simply stopped caring.

“What I’m trying to say,” Cat said, interrupting his thoughts, “is that I hope you can impart that knowledge to me. Please teach me to fight.”

She swallowed.

“I’m the weakest among my friends now, and I hate it. I lost to both Laia and Joren when we trained together. And I hate it. I hate it so much.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

“I don’t want to be a burden to my friends and family. If I’m to be a part of this war, I want to be able to pull my weight. I don’t want to be weak anymore.”

Daniel just looked at her.

“So you asked those questions because you wanted me to train you?” He asked her.

She nodded.

“I’m sorry if I came across as insolent. But I was curious. And yesterday, when you beat me up…” She paused and looked away. “It hurt because I could not even place a mark on you, not with my wolf nor with my weapon. Please, sir, I’ll appreciate your guidance.”

Daniel was quiet for a while.

He looked up at the sky and noticed the stars had begun to emerge.

Then he looked back at Cat.

She was trying very hard not to look nervous.

He smiled at her and then he spoke up.

“I understand. Also, I like it when people make an effort to improve, hence why I will train you, but just so you know, it’s not going to be easy.” He told her.