Chapter 36: Ithra! Watch out!

ITHRA I watched in horror as Zadok took on the wolves that suddenly poured out of the bushes.  He leapt to the air and midway transformed into a gigantic wolf that scared the wolves to a still.  Within seconds, the air filled with bone-cracking sounds as the wolves transformed into their beast one after the other. What in the world?! My back found the oak tree behind me as I watched the confrontation between the wolves and Zadok's wolf.  It was clear which wolf belonged to Zadok because it was the largest and most commanding. Not to talk of its demon-red eyes that struck a chord inside me.  It's just training.  I remembered the words of Shilhi and swallowed hard. If this was indeed the test she spoke of, I had every plan of acing it.  She mentioned it would be a beastly test, but I didn't take her word to mean that.  Without further contemplation, I joined Zadok in the fight, throwing myself in harm's way as I dragged a knife into the bowels of a wolf.  Everything stilled as the wolf l