“Hey!" He got up from where he'd been leaning against a weapon rack and walked up to his friends.

“Right, can someone please tell me what the fuck just happened? And if anyone's thinking about replying to that by hitting me in the face then please know it's going to result in a very serious challenge."

He glowered at Ulla, but it was ULf who responded.

“A Grand Proving has been called."

“Right, I got that part." Gregory turned to the former alpha.

“What the hell is a Grand Proving?"

This seemed to get him quite a few puzzled looks from his friends before they each fell into understanding. Well, all except Nullik who remained perpetually puzzled.

“Iam sorry, alpha." Ulf shifted into soldier mode and set back his shoulders. "We have fought beside you these past months, and we have the bond of pack mates. It is sometimes difficult to remember that you are not familiar with our ways."

“He doesn't know?" Nullik interjected with all the subtlety of a steamroller. "How can he not know?" At this point, he turned to Gregory with a note of apology in his eyes.

“Sorry, boss. I mean, it's just... what did you think we were doing all this training for?"

Gregory shrugged. "No idea. Just been trying to stay alive long enough to get through it. Figured it was like boot camp and one day you just graduated."

“No, Gregory." Ulf shook his head.

“If that was true then we would have graduated several times over by now. The Grand Proving is what decides which packs are to be made into proven orcs. In the past we have never..."

ULf trailed off, lowering his head with a frown of self-doubt. Ulla stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder before she turned to her alpha and continued the explanation.

“The Grand Proving consists of three fights. Only the packs most likely to be proven are chosen, because these fights are usually more brutal than the proving matches. A pack must show that it is capable of defending itself in such a way, and we have never been chosen to compete in one,” she said.

“Until now." ULf Lifted his head to Look Gregory in the eye.

“Uh, ok then. So, what? We have to win three fights and we're proven? That's not so bad."

Upon hearing Gregory's summation of the event, it seemed Like The Runts each had trouble meeting his gaze for a Little while.

“What? What is it?" he pressed.

“Well, we don't actually have to win the fights. We just have to fight well enough that Ulag and a few other elder warriors think we're ready," Nullik explained.

“Great! Well I'm pretty sure we'll nail it then." Silence and more shifty Looks followed this statement. Gregory frowned.

“Come on guys, what am I missing here?"

“We're matched up against The Berserkers." Ulf finally stated in the same manner someone would tear off a band-aid.

“What!? After what those shitheads did last time? I am going to kill Ulag." Gregory snatched up the biggest club he could find from the nearby weapon rack and stepped forth with bloody murder in his eyes

He was quickly tackled back by ULf; except it seemed that Ulf wasn't quite enough to restrain the human just then and Ulla had to step in to help. She was soon followed by Wrut and Frun until they all just about managed to wrestle their fearless leader to the ground and pile on top of him.