29

You hold Dena by the shoulders and try to look her in the eyes. "You need to calm down, Dena. You know as well as I do that getting upset is the last thing you need right now." She finally meets your gaze. "We all need to toughen up and move forward logically, or everything will fall apart. You've spent enough time in Ahote's library reading history to know that."

She wipes at her sniffling nose and straightens up. "I guess you're right, Decaarr. It just hurts when he lies to my face like that. I hope his friend is okay."

You spend a few more minutes talking to Dena, trying to keep things light and cheer her up as much as possible. Eventually she heads for the door.

"I should probably get out of your hair—I'm sure you have plans for this morning. Maybe we could hang out later tonight?"

You nod noncommittally, your mind still hazy from a lack of quality sleep. Dena smiles, heading off on her own as you prepare your breakfast and make plans for the day. You're curious to see what Bly and Jolon might have to offer you now that you've met with Ahote. You also wonder just how Tiva's been holding up. You haven't seen her since your lessons the other day. Hopefully she's healed up properly since being blown off the bridge alongside you.

You return to the small gray office building, wondering what your first proper lessons as the elder's protégé will entail. Ahote answers your knock with a barked "Come in!" and you do so, closing the door and settling into a chair opposite the elder's desk.

"Excellent to see you back so soon, Decaarr. I was just preparing some new lessons. Things are changing quickly now, and I can feel it in my bones that we'll need strong new leaders sooner than later. Today's lesson concerns the Haven pack's structure and how to influence change. I hope you've arrived with an open mind and willingness to learn."

Ahote walks to the back of his office and brushes the dust off the old wooden desk you took your exam on before dragging it up to the front. "Sit."

You do as instructed, itching to get on with the lesson.

Next

"To recap the fundamentals, power in the Haven pack is roughly broken down into thirds—the elders control the education system and manage issues of discipline and punishment. Break our rules or go as far as assaulting another packmate, and the Council of Elders will be the one sitting in judgment.

"Those adults above the age of majority but below the status of elder are each allowed one vote on issues of political importance. These adults make up the remaining two thirds of our power structure and they're broken up into two factions—the Builders manage the work we do for the humans, mostly manufacturing and other…" He coughs. "…small tasks.

"All remaining responsibility, the majority really, goes to the Alpha Assembly. They handle everything from waste management to updating the rule of law. A small subset of this group is known as the Human Relations Council, or HRC. It's their job to work directly with the human military, negotiate the price of our food and water supply, and generally keep the relations machine running smoothly.

"Which group to press depends on your goal, of course. I have it on good authority that the Builders are growing dissatisfied with their lack of influence on the Assembly. The humans keep demanding more and more from the manufacturing plants, and the HRC's negotiations have been pitiful, allowing the humans to walk all over them with their demands.

"The head of our primary manufacturing plant, Razor, is at her breaking point, and she's begun openly speaking her discontent within earshot of the plant's assembly lines. There's even been concerned rumbling among the elders. Between your generation growing into adulthood and the widening gulf between the Builders and the Alpha Assembly, the power structure is shifting, and it may be in your best interest to leverage that if you get the chance.

"Presume you have a significant level of influence within the pack. Now tell me, in detail, how you might begin asserting your will over the Alpha Assembly, given the current political climate."