The early morning sun filtered through the leaves, dappling the floor as Darian made his way through the forest. A light breeze ruffled his tunic and brought about earthy scents of the woods. Darian took a deep breath in, savouring the crisp air. It was a perfect day for hunting.

Reaching the first snare, Darian found it empty. He reset the wire carefully and moved on. The next two snares held a rabbit each, both plump and ready for the stew pot. Pleased with the catches, Darian reset the snares and continued checking the line he had set the previous day.

As he walked, Darian focused on scanning the forest around him for any signs of wildlife. It would not do to be snuck up on by a hungry wolf or surprised by a protective mother bear.

Or that panther…

Up ahead, Darian spotted wolf tracks crossing the path. His heart beat faster. These had to belong to the small pack that lived in this region, the pack that the little pup he had rescued was from. Crouching, Darian examined the prints. They were fresh, no more than a few hours old.

I wonder... Darian thought. Maybe if he tracked the wolves, he would get to see the pup again.

Straightening slowly, Darian chewed his lip in indecision, he wasn't sure what to do. It was smart to leave them alone, but he was curious to see where the tracks led. His mother wanted him home soon to study for the City Exam. But a short detour couldn’t hurt.

Decision made, Darian slung his catch over one shoulder and set off along the wolf tracks. They weaved through dense thickets and across small streams, but the trail remained easy enough to follow. After about half a mile, Darian started catching whiffs of a musky, animal smell up ahead. He figured he must be getting close to the pack's den.

Proceeding cautiously, Darian drew his hunting knife with one hand, his bow with the other. The wolf pack had cornered him last time, it was best to be on guard.

Darian slowed as the smell grew stronger. Through the brush he could make out a rocky overhang nestled against a hillock. The area in front showed signs of activity—trampled grass, bones scattered about, muddy pawprints.

This must be the wolf den!

Darian hesitated, unsure whether to proceed. Then a twig snapped behind him. Whirling around, he found himself face-to-face with a large grey wolf, its lips curled back in a snarl.

I underestimated them! Heart pounding, Darian threw his knife at the wolf as he jumped towards the nearest tree. As he scrambled up the trunk, he kept hold of the bow, slinging it over one shoulder. The rough bark scraped his palms, but he didn't pause until he was a good fifteen feet off the ground, standing on a sturdy branch.

Panting, Darian nocked an arrow and aimed at the wolf below. But the animal merely circled the base of the tree, joined now by three more of its pack. They sniffed the air and paced but seemed unwilling to try climb on after him. Darian kept the arrow ready, nonetheless.

One of the wolves threw back its head and let out a howl. In the distance, yips and barks could be heard approaching his location. Darian's mouth went dry as more dark shapes slunk out of the underbrush to surround his tree. The entire pack must be gathering.

Darian counted nearly a dozen wolves now, some posted by the tree, others prowling restlessly as they eyed him. A few snapped and bickered among themselves. Darian's palms grew sweaty, but he held his bow steady. He had enough arrows to injure or kill at least a few of the beasts if they rushed him. But he didn't really want to harm them - he was only hoping to spot the little wolf pup again.

As if on cue, a small yip came from the back of the pack. The wolves parted as a russet-coloured pup tumbled out from the den, nipping playfully at its elders' heels.

Darian nearly shouted in delight. It was the same friendly pup he had rescued, now recovered from its injured paw.

"Hey there...it’s me again.”

The pup's ears pricked up at Darian's voice. It stopped romping and stared at him curiously. Darian lowered the bow and beckoned the pup closer. After a moment's hesitation, it came padding over, tail wagging.

Seeing this, the pack leader chuffed in what seemed like irritation, but held its ground. Darian smiled down at the pup. "I'm glad to see you well, little friend."

The pup circled his tree, yipping excitedly. Darian wished he could climb down to play with it, but the pack watching him closely made him too wary to risk it. Still, the pup's happy reaction pleased him.

An idea came to Darian. Still keeping half an eye on the pack, he spoke again to the pup. "Say, I don't suppose you've seen any panthers around lately? Big black cats, probably around the size of your friends here?"

The pup sat back on its haunches and shook its head, tongue lolling out. Darian bit back a laugh. He hadn't thought the creature could actually understand his question. But its response suggested a rudimentary level of comprehension.

For the next few minutes Darian watched the pup as it gambolled playfully around the clearing when not pestering the older wolves. He found its antics delightful, but judging by the pack's growing restlessness, it was time he moved on.

"I need to get going now, before your family decides I'm fair game after all," Darian called down to the pup. It whimpered and bounced by the tree roots.

Darian hesitated, then said, "Tell you what—come back tomorrow and I'll play with you properly. We can wrestle and everything. But for now, stay here where it's safe."

The pup clearly wasn't pleased, but it stopped whining and slunk off to the den entrance. Darian watched until it disappeared inside, then sighed. He looked forward to seeing it again.

For now, Darian carefully returned his bow to his shoulder and climbed down the tree. None of the wolves made any move to stop him. A few trailed him nearly to the edge of their territory, but kept a respectful distance.

Darian let out a shaky breath once the pack was well behind him. His little detour had been more eventful than expected. But the encounter had been worth it to see the little pup again—and discover it seemed to understand at least simple speech.

Darian mulled this over as he walked the long loop back to check the remainder of his trapline. Could he teach the pup more complex tricks over time? The idea fascinated him. Imagine having a semi-tame wolf as a companion! It was a ridiculous idea, but one that stuck in Darian's mind.

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The rest of the trapline held another two rabbits. Pleased with the day's bounty, Darian reset the snares and hurried home with his catch. His mother shook her head when Darian finally appeared.

"I was about to send people to look for you," she scolded. "What kept you so long? You have studying to do for the City Exam."

Darian quickly told her about finding the wolf tracks and following them to watch the pack. Mara made a tsk noise. "A den of wolves is no place for a boy to go exploring alone. You need to be more careful Darian, one day you’ll get into trouble that even you can’t get out of…but I suppose nothing bad happened this time." She stroked his hair fondly. "Now help me get these rabbits ready for the soup pot. Then hit the books - that examination won't pass itself!"

Over the next week, Darian made a point of visiting the wolf pack every day after checking his traps and snares. Though initially wary, the pack came to tolerate his presence thanks to the pup's enthusiastic greetings. Darian decided to name his new friend Rusty which he seemed to approve of if its cheerful yipping was anything to go by.

Darian began trying simple commands with Rusty, the smart pup quickly learned to sit, stay, roll over, and perform other tricks in return for treats. Even the rest of the pack looked on with interest, perhaps hoping for their own snacks. Darian was happy to oblige, wanting to maintain their goodwill. After all, the last thing he wanted was to become their snack…

In the evenings, Darian told tales of his adventures with 'the wolf clan' over dinner, much to little Talia's delight. Mara just shook her head and reminded him not to let down his guard. But Darian could tell his mother was fighting amusement at his unlikely friendship.

The day before the exam, Darian was on his way back home from a successful hunt when he spotted his little sister playing with her friends near the well. She waved excitedly when she saw him.

"Darian! You're back!" Talia ran over, her braids bouncing. "Did you see the wolf pup again? Did you bring me anything?"

Darian laughed and ruffled her hair. "Yes, I saw Rusty. He's doing well. And no, nothing this time, unless you want a rabbit foot for luck on your next math test."

Talia made a face. "Ew, no thanks! Hey, aren't you supposed to be studying for your big test tomorrow? Mama said it's super important!"

"I know, I know. I'm heading home to hit the books now. Speaking of, shouldn't you be practicing your writing?"

"I already did!" Talia said proudly, her small hand suddenly holding a piece of paper that Darian could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago. "I wrote a whole story about a brave princess who goes on adventures. Teacher Anna even said I used really good describing words."

"Impressive!" Darian high-fived his sister. "Sounds like you're on your way to being a master wordsmith. But I better get going before Mama comes looking for me. See you at dinner, okay?"

Darian hurried the rest of the way home, rabbits in hand. He found his mother at her room, her hands weaving a colourful blanket. She looked up, frowning. "Darian, there you are! I expected you back an hour ago. You know how important it is to prepare well for tomorrow. The City Exam is your chance to make something of yourself!"

"I know, Ma, I'm sorry," Darian said, ducking his head. "I got a little distracted in the woods. But I'm back now and I promise I'll study hard all evening."

Mara sighed and stood up to take the rabbits. "See that you do. Your father and I never had opportunities like this. I just want you to have a better life than hunting and trapping in the woods forever."

"I understand." Darian kissed his mother on the cheek. "Don't worry, I won't let you down."

Mara's face softened. "I know you won't, son. You're a smart boy. Now, get cleaned up and have something to eat. Then it's nothing but books until bedtime, you hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Darian gave a silly salute that made his mother chuckle and shake her head. He grabbed a hunk of bread and cheese, then settled down at the kitchen table to study.

Today, he decided to focus on the history material that would be tested on the exam. As he spread out his books and notes, Talia wandered over.

"What are you studying now?" she asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"History," Darian replied. "I'm reviewing the section on the Great Unification War and the different races of our land."

Talia's eyes lit up. "Ooh, like the fierce orcs and goblins? And the mysterious elves in the deep woods? I want to learn about them too!"

Darian chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Alright, little bird, pull up a chair."

As Talia settled beside him, Darian began explaining what he had learned. "After the Great Unification War, the humans fought against the other races. Though the war ended long ago, there's still a lot of mistrust and prejudice."

"Pre-joo-what?” Talia wrinkled her nose. “What's that mean?"

Darian chuckled. "Prejudice. It's a big word, I know. It means judging someone before you really know them, usually in a bad way."

He pointed to a passage in the book. "See, it says here that humans tend to look down on non-humans. They think they're better than elves, dwarves, and orcs just because they're different. That's prejudice."

Talia frowned. "But why? That seems silly. People are people, even if they look a little different."

"I agree," Darian said. "The history books make it sound like humans are good and the other races are bad. But I bet the dwarves and elves have their own sides to the story."

He flipped a few pages. "It also talks about how dwarves are known for their loyalty and craftsmanship. And elves are said to be wise and skilled in magic. Even the orcs have a rich culture, for all their fearsome reputation."

"Wow..." Talia breathed, eyes wide. "I wish I could meet an elf or dwarf someday. I bet they'd have the best stories!"

Darian nodded. "I've been thinking the same thing. The world might be a better place if the races could get along and learn from each other."

He sighed. "But those are dangerous thoughts, especially for someone who wants to work in the royal court someday. The human nobles wouldn't like it if I seemed too nice to non-humans."

Talia's face fell. "Oh. So, you have to pretend to hate them, even if you don't?"

"Maybe not hate them but I shouldn’t be making friends with them, that’s for sure," Darian said grimly. "I have to play their game if I want to have any chance of changing things in the future. It's not fair, but that's how it is."

Talia was quiet for a moment, then brightened. "Well, when you're a big important person in the capital, then you can help make it better for everyone! Like, you could make a law that says elves and dwarves and humans all have to be friends."

Darian laughed and ruffled her hair. "From your lips to the gods' ears, little sister. I hope I can make some changes for the better, if I'm ever in a position to do so."

"You will be," Talia said with the total confidence of a child. "You're the smartest person I know. Well, except maybe Mama."

"That’s some high praise coming from you," Darian said, tickling her until she giggled and squirmed away.

"Alright, alright, that's enough distractions," he said, turning back to his books with renewed determination. "I need to focus if I'm going to have any shot at impressing those examiners tomorrow."

"You better come first place!” Talia said as she hopped off the chair.

"Of course," Darian laughed, shaking his head at her confidence in him.

He watched as his sister scampered off, no doubt to play act grand adventures with wizards and warrior maidens. With a sigh, he turned back to his studies. He needed to ace this exam if he was to have any hope of changing their fortunes...and maybe, just maybe, changing the world a little too.

Late into the night, Darian read and took notes, committing all he could to memory. He reviewed maps of the kingdom, tracing trade routes and major roads between cities. He noted the defensive fortifications along the new Pyrendor border. Then he moved on to mathematics, practicing the complex calculations merchants used to tally their wares and profits. Laws and governance structures were next—the powers of the king, the noble houses, the churches.

Only once his head began nodding over the books did Mara finally order him to bed.

"You've done all you can. Now you need rest. Morning will come early."

"Alright, alright, I'm going." Darian yawned and stretched. "Goodnight, Ma. And...thanks."

"I'm so proud of you, Darian,” Mara hugged him tightly. “No matter what happens tomorrow, know that."

Darian hugged her back just as fiercely. He wanted to do well as much for his family as for himself. With a last goodnight, he shuffled off to his bedroom.

His sister was already sleeping, one arm flung across her face. Darian smoothed her wild hair and pulled the quilt up over her shoulders. Then he collapsed into his own bed, asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

Tomorrow, I'll show them what I can do, was his last thought before drifting off. I'll make something of myself, for all of us. This is only the beginning.