Erani

Erani padded toward the end of the ravine that led to her den, tail swaying, and as she reached the end of the ravine, she tossed her head back and sent a commanding call out across the territory. It was a call for her fellow healers in the pack, for all of them to attend. She listed off the names she knew in her mind as she lowered her head, ears pricking. Rayne, Soleil, Friction, and Imena. So few, herself included, to care for so many wolves, and all of the others needed training still. From what Cormalin had said of Imena, the young dark female needed training in the more advanced healing techniques, and he had told her that Imena would be coming to her den to begin that training, but the female hadn?t even come. When she had encountered the fem, she?d heard Imena announcing herself as the Denmother of Valhalla. Erani knew Cormalin hadn?t given that rank out, nor had any of the other higher ranked members. She would have been told. Friction. She?d heard that he had some knowledge of healing, but she?d not had the chance to assess him. She sympathized with the male. His mate had been Aislyn, who had died in the flood earlier that spring. Her tail flicked slightly. She hadn?t been bosom friends with the late Beta female, but she mourned the death. She?d been a good Beta, if a bit grouchy. She turned, tail flicking again, before settling back onto her haunches, deep blues watching the path. She hoped the newest addition, her own nephew Cael, would come to this call as well. From what Claire had said about him, his foster mother had taught him very well. She hoped to find in him the next Lead Healer for Valhalla, and hopefully enough training to help with the advanced problems the pack could encounter. She hoped he would work well with the others. Rayne. Erani had been training her before Collision had demoted her in a fit of pride hurt anger. And recently, the female had been attacked by a rogue male. Erani and Cormalin, as well as Obsidian, had arrived in time to stop the male from doing damage. One of the things she wanted to speak with the healers about today would be self protection, and a passing of a rule among them that those who refused to train in fighting tactics take escorts. She knew Soleil wouldn?t be one who would want to learn to fight. The memory of hearing about Asheni?s death from Crusade had cemented this decision. The story hadn?t been completely given, but Erani could deduce a great deal. Asheni?s demise hadn?t been peaceful. She wondered how the wolves that used to be Glaciem were. Mercianne and Ocena were pregnant. Thanks to Syrinx and Eos, Erani doubted Gargoyle would ever want to bring his wolves to Valhalla to rest. She shook her head sadly. So much ruined by those two. The Alliance had been ruined. And the trust that had been forged between those wolves had been damaged. If she met Crusade again, would she be cold, or as warm as she had been at their first encounter? What would Valhalla have been like, had things been different. If she had known? She shook her head sharply, ears folding back, before she gazed back at the path. No use pondering on things that lay in the past. If things had been different, she wouldn?t have had her children. Or? at least not these children. She sighed, curling her tail around her haunches. At times, she missed Cairo, longed to just sit, and talk, and her heart ached, until she felt that peace of knowing that he was still there, unseen. He had been Valhalla. And now Valhalla was him. His echo was in Chrysanthe, and in Epiphron. But, to business. She could hear the sounds of approach. So she waited, to see who would come.

How many times had she sat there and rang off the list of herbs she knew and their uses? Too many that?s for sure. She was starting to think only Demonio was the only wolf here that liked her. Things would not go well if this was to continue. She had tried to seek out Erani, but turned tail and walked away. A wolf like Erani would be able to read right through her. She didn't want to tell her story. It was not time, and it might never ever be. She was afraid, something that Imena did not experience often. Sure there was the natural fears ever wolf had, but nothing stood out to haunt her. The only thing that hung around her like a black cloud ready to shed it's acid rain, was her depression. She just couldn't shake it off. Paws led her down a ravine, a place she had yet to look at. Erani's scent laid thick in the air, no doubt she was close. Pausing Imena flicked her ears uneasily. Last time she saw the older female she had been embarrass rebuked in front of a stranger. Part of her disliked Erani for that. There was no reason for the female to do that. She could have pulled her aside to speak privately. Imena would never embarrass a pack mate if she had any control over it. White paws shuffled on the ground, did she continue forwards? A call, a commanding call to the healers echoed loudly. Erani must have her den right around the corner. And it seemed she had no choice but to go now. Head low, and tail tucked in, she slowly made the rest of the way to the Lead Healer. So, if Imena had been rebuked for saying she was a den mother and healer, did that Imena, she was nothing in this pack? A new wave of sadness washed over her. Did that mean she could no longer be who she thought she always was? Was she not allowed to be such But forced to sit there and take whatever title they wished to give her? She didn't want that. She couldn't go on, being an empty, rankless, untitled wolf. What would that make her? A failure in her eyes, an unwanted burden. A heavy sigh drawled out of her muzzle, sides heaving. Blue eyes looked up just as she came into view of Erani. At once Imena looked away, head dropping more if was possible by not putting her nose to the ground. She sat down silently, shoulders hunched. Would Erani punish her for not coming sooner? She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry now. She glanced up once more, "Greeting Erani, Lead Healer." She said softly. Her blue eyes rested down on her paws awaiting what would happen next. Speech Thought Others

Erani

First to arrive was Imena, who immediately dropped into a submissive walk, eyes averted fully. A mental sigh whisked through Erani?s thoughts. She waited until the dark female had arrived fully, before she spoke in reply to the greeting. ?Enough of that. I am Erani, plain and simple. I wanted to speak to you alone, before anyone else arrives, in any case. First, I apologize if I in any way embarrassed you in front of Mercianne, but you must know that until I know your skills and what you can give, you should only introduce yourself as a healer of Valhalla. We don?t really have a specific rank for wolves most attuned to birthing knowledge. And I also was told that you need further training. ?Second, I want you to stop cowering like this. You are not an Omega, Imena. You are a Healer. Be proud of this. And you are a Valhallan. I saw that strength you hide when Banshee menaced. I?d like to see it more, I like it. Alright?? The smile she gave the dark healer was warm and gently, with no ice in the midnight blue pools.. She held nothing against the little female. She wanted to see what she could do, before Imena started announcing herself as den mother as though it were a singular rank. Once she knew if Imena truly knew enough for it, she would ask Chrysanthe if there was a possibility to create a rank for wolves who knew more about birthing than regular healing. She offered the young female an encouraging smile, before she glanced up to see who would come next. ?So far, I believe that Valhalla has? Let?s see. Myself, You, Rayne, Friction, and Cael. It?ll be nice to see what my Nephew can do. Anyways. I believe we have five wolves who know some of the Healing Craft, and Rayne has trained under me before. I was demoted by a previous Alpha when I stood up for Chrysanthe, when he made the decision to marry her off to someone she didn?t love. Thankfully, that all got untangled. Chrysanthe?s sister Epiphron gave over the status of Alpha after the one who started things stepped down after making a fool of himself in front of the whole pack. Chrysanthe reinstated my rank, but I did rather enjoy the time being a low ranked wolf gave me. I could focus on my own birthing, and raise my pups in that time. I?m hoping one of them takes interest in the Craft and maybe someday take my place, or at least continue my line.? Her ears pricked. Another approached.

Cael Amestades

In the days that had followed the family reunion at the border of Valhalla, the druid had yet to have been able to have a real talk with his aunt, the lead healer. He had so many things to ask her, so many things she could show him... And, speak of the devil, his ears pricked as the sound of her howl reached his ears. It was a summoning call, pulling him to his paws. His ivory form moved quickly in the direction of the sound, his paws trotting along swiftly through the Valhalla territory. He was still learning his way around the lands so every new sight he saw along the way caught his attention, every interesting tree or flower or herb slowing him down. The call didn't sound urgent or like the healer was in any trouble, so he didn't mind stopping to smell the roses, so to speak. When he finally arrived he saw his lovely aunt and the little healer he had met the other day, Imena. He smiled gently at the sight of them, graceful paws carrying him down to sit at Imena's side. He dipped his head to the both of them and turned his two-toned gaze to Erani as he said, "Hello again, Aunt Erani. It's so nice to see you again." He neatly curled his tail around him over his forepaws as he usually did, his curious gaze flicking between the two of them, waiting to see who else would join them and what this meeting would bring. Thought Speech Others Companion

How much time had passed? She wasn't sure. She had spent sometime in Erani's den, resting, trying to put things back together. Her physical wounds had healed, but the emotional ones had not. She could still see it. The brute lunging at her. Desiring nothing more than to bring harm to her. It kept her up at night, left her restless during the day. She rarely ventured very far, sticking as close to the heart of Vahalla as possible. Today however she was dragged from the safety of her den by the call of Erani. Paws carried her slowly to the source. Walls went up, a pleasant look plastered on her face but she rarely noticed that the other wolves around Erani looked a like Cormalin. "Hello." Gentle words left pale lips as she took a seat. She assumed that this meeting was about being able to defend yourself and learning to fight. She didn't mind, she would learn and continue on. Eyes settled on some distant nonexistent object , audits flicking, waiting for Erani to address them all. She didn't even know if this was all the wolves. She didn't care. She let her mind go blank, numbing her body, drowning the pain. It helped. It brought a little light to her blue and gray eyes, softened her blank features. It made her appear to be happy. But in reality she still wasn't over what had happened. And she was constantly reminded of it. She was used as a spectacle for all to learn from. She inhaled through her nose and out through slightly parted jaws, listening to the idle conversation going on around her. "speech" thought

9

Erani

Next to arrive was her own Nephew, Cael. He came to sit beside Imena, greeting them with a nod to each before he addressed her. She smiled warmly. It was good to have family, and ever better to have a healer among them. ?And you, Cael. How are you finding Valhalla?? Her eyes swept over him, taking in his slender figure and graceful movements. It was almost like seeing a male version of her mother, except for his eyes being Cormalin?s Mirror. Her head turned as a third set of paws padded along the path to her ravine. Rayne?s tread. Deep blue pools studied the white female. While the physical wounds had healed, Erani knew Rayne?s mental pain had not. Erani knew mental pain. Nightmares had made Rayne?s sleeping rough during the time she had spent in one of the den?s Alcoves, and Erani knew better than to think that they had left after Rayne had moved back to her own den. That wasn?t the way of emotional trauma. ?Rayne.? The greeting was also an introduction for Cael and Imena. Erani watched Rayne, and could see the walls snap up, blank look turning to a pleasant look that felt false. The grey and blue gaze focused on some point only Rayne could see. Going blank as Rayne was doing wasn?t good. That male would pay. And pay dearly. So she made to draw Rayne back to attention. ?Rayne. This is my Nephew, Cael. And this is Imena. They are both new to Valhalla.? Deep blues studied the white female with gentle concern, before movement caught her attention and her ears flicked toward the path.

She was surprised Erani mentioned their last meeting rather than her depression. She blinked a few times before looking up at the white female. Blue eyes trained on the other as she listened. Head tilted to the side as she stared. "I...but...I apologize for not coming to you sooner Erani, I have no true excuse for it. I'm sorry I assumed the title. It was...all I knew and all have ever been. In my last pack, I was only a mere rank above an Omega. We did not have the rights healers do here. It is a habit hard to break. I am proud to be a healer, I would be nothing else but that. I strive to help others, I?m no fighter and i can only hunt enough to keep myself fit." She replied and straightened up. She that back to the day she had met Erani and Cormalin. Strength? She had simply been void of any feelings that day. She would not see that as a strength, but a lack of strength. She respectfully listened to Erani explain a bit about herself. Shortly after Cael joined them, coming to her side. Tail wagged in greeting and she smiled at the white male warmly. She believed she was going to be fond of Cael, specially since he was a healer and it looked like they might be working together. She rather liked the idea of working with the white male. Another wolf joined them. At once Imena knew something was wrong. Blue eyes focused on the other female intently with worry. Was this the one who had been attacked? The poor thing, her wounds seemed all healed but there was some other kind of pain. She looked back to Erani concerned but said nothing as Erani introduced them all to each other. Man, she was the black sheep out of the group, literally. All three of them what white fur while she was shades of gray and black. She looked down at her paws and wiggled her white toes. She totally felt like she stood out. Imena was not one to easily feel out of place, but she sure did then. She leaned towards Cael slightly, trying to take comfort of at least knowing him and his kind nature. Speech Thought Others

The howl echoed through his skull like a gunshot but he did not move from his den, curled tightly back to back with his daughter. He had been leaving the den to hunt for them but since burying his mate the male had no desire to walk the boarders as he once had almost daily. His desire to arise from sleep was gone and often he found himself remaining in his den for days at a time. He knew Liberty left, he could often feel her slipping away from him and going out to do her own thing. He couldn't blame her... If he had the mental strength then he would have not wanted to stay in the den either but he just couldn't leave, couldn't summon the will power to drag himself outside. What was the point anyways? He knew no one in this pack, he had no reason to be here other then Liberty, and didn't even had a job to do. In a past life it felt he had been a healer so after a moment at least he moved his head to look towards the sunlight that filtered through the mouth of the den. But since coming to Valhalla it seemed that they were overflowing with healers and a few much more skilled then himself. Why even bother? He curled into himself tighter, closing his eyes and groaning softly. He felt Liberty stir and heard a soft sigh. What was it like for her to have a father who couldn't barely take care of himself? Was she embarrassed about him? Was she ashamed? He didn't want her to feel that way... Slowly the male lifted himself, nudging his daughters shoulder tenderly before he slid out of the den's rather small entrance. He stood for a moment, blinking as his eyes attempted to get used to the suddenly over powering light. it took longer then he remembered but he resisted the urge to slide back into his den and he managed to adjust after a few minutes. He couldn't even remember how long ago he had heard the call but he set off towards the direction of the sound anyways. His head hung low enough that his nose almost touched the ground and his tail hung limply at his heels. He moved at a pace that could only be described as a trudge, paws dragging slightly and eyes only half open. He didn't want to be seen, didn't want to be around others, didn't want to bring everyone else down with his mood. As he drew closer he would lift his head slightly, attempt to look more alert but as he realized that he knew no one there his heart sank more. Why had he come? A nod was given to Erani who he only had seen at pack meetings. He had been there for her demotion, and for a few other times that she had spoken out. But the others were unfamiliar. He would sit slightly away from the others, speaking nothing to them and waiting to either be addressed or dismissed. It had been a general call for healers and he was pretty sure only Aislyn had known of his knowledge of herbs, maybe they would simply assume he had wandered here and then tell him to go? It was mostly females here, they seemed fairly familiar with each other. Were they the official healers of Valhalla and he was just that one random guy who happened to know a bit about herbs? They were speaking to each other, one female was speaking to Erani and he didn't interrupt or introduce himself. Unless Aislyn or maybe Cairo had spoken to them about him then no one here would know him. He had just been Aislyn's mate who had sat in the background at pack meetings. Now he was mentally scolding himself for bothering to come at all and after a moment he was casting his gaze over his shoulder, wondering if they would notice at all if he just slipped off. He wasn't in the mood to learn or be spoken to, but Aislyn would have wanted him to be a bigger part of this pack. He had been working on that before she had passed, trying to insert himself a bit more. Though he had been more focused on paying attention to his family. So he would stay, if for nothing else then for Aislyn.

Rayne

Gaze snapped to Erani upon hearing her name. She was introduced to some of the new healers to the pack, Imena and Cael. She had heard that Erani had some nieces and nephews recently join the pack but she had yet to meet them. She knew the Healer would be thrilled be able to teach her nephew. A gentle smile was offered, "It's a pleasure to meet you both." She could feel Eranis concerned gaze upon her, assessing her. Nothing slipped past the Healer. It didn't take long before another wolf approached them. His name slipped her mind but she thought he had been Aislyns mate. She wondered how he was coping with the loss. Her death had hit the entire pack hard. She sat quietly. Audits stood at attention, listening carefully to the idle conversation. Idly, she wondered who else they were waiting for. If they were knew to Valhalla then she would not be familiar with any new healers. She didn't even know Aislyns mate had been a healer. Jaws tightened, trying to force away the tire yawn that threatened to expose itself. What a wonderful thing it must be to have a restful nights sleep. She attempted to blink the weariness from her eyes, not knowing whether or not she was successful. OOC- awesome bri table ^^

Erani

Erani had nodded to Imena?s words before the other healers had arrived. ?Quite alright, Lass. Here, things are different. Good healers are cherished. However, healers must know how to fight. How can they serve their pack, if they are unable to protect themselves from an attack on their life, or mind?? And then Cael had arrived, and soon after, he had been followed by Rayne. The fact that Imena was the darkest among them wasn?t lost on the Snowy Lead Healer, and she stifled a grin. At last, Friction arrived, and her ears pressed forward, deep blue pools settling on his dejected form. ?Ah. Friction. I am glad you made it.? She wanted to say more, to console the grey fellow who had passed a great deal of his resemblance to his daughter. But she felt that he didn?t need the loss brought up in front of wolves he likely didn?t know well. She knew of him because of her observant nature over her pack. ?I am aware that you have some knowledge of herbs, and I would love to see what you know.? Gentle gaze rested on him for a moment longer, before turning to the gathered healers. Soleil hadn?t come out, but Erani knew her knowledge level well enough that the absence was allowed. And in any case, Soleil was busy with her newborns. Erani cleared her throat, a soft rumble, then lifted her voice in a gentle addressing tone to the gathered healers. ?I am glad you have come today. Soleil is also one of our healers, but she has recently given birth, and is effectively on leave until they are of an age where she can leave them alone to attend to her own duties.? She paused to smile at them, then went on. ?Now, today we welcome two new Healers who I hope will lend their knowledge and skills to Valhalla into our home. Cael, my nephew, and Imena. I also ask you, Friction, to become a part of our groups. We are few, and so far as I know, I?m the only one with the most knowledge. Soleil is second in the levels, and the rest of you are untested, except for Rayne, who has trained under me before.? Earnest deep blue eyes gazed at the male. Aislyn is not truly gone. She is within your heart. Don?t let her go. She willed him to hear the thought, to see it in her eyes. ?Can you tell me, all of you, what you know, and what you feel you need to learn??

Cael Amestades

Aunt Erani's den was a flurry of activity. First a pale fea with one silver and one blue eye joined the slowly growing party, his aunt introducing her as Rayne. His observant gaze could clearly see something was bothering her. He had always had a knack for seeing through the walls that some wolves put up and knowing more about others than they did themselves at times and this was no exception. He wondered if maybe being able to read others was a trait of a healer. Of course, he knew little more about the fea other than the fact that she was a member of Valhalla and clearly she was a healer if she was at this meeting, so he had no previous knowledge on anything in her past. He watched her with curious concern, wondering what might have happened to make the fea so guarded clearly troubled. Soon another approached them, this time a brute with a mix of black and gray fur with spots of white lightening it. Once again, he saw some sort of loss and pain in the wolf's expression. He wondered if perhaps he had lost some sort of loved one recently; that expression was very similar to the ones that he and his siblings had worn for so long after their adoptive parents had died. Erani addressed the newcomer as Friction and Cael added the name to the slowly growing list of names in his mind. Cael's attention was drawn back to Erani as she asked them to tell her what they knew. When no one spoke he cleared his throat and began, "I'll go first I suppose. I have knowledge of many of the different herbs and their uses. I'm sure there are some of the herbs that I have yet to come across or maybe even some uses for some that I've yet to know, but I feel confident in my knowledge. However, I'm not as confident in my abilities in other parts of healing. Ways to apply herbs or set broken bones or seal wounds... I would like to learn more of those." He hoped his answer would suffice and glanced to his fellow healers, wondering who would be the one to go next. Thought Speech Others Companion

It was strange to be around the group once more, to be surrounded by a sea of unknown faces. Not that it was especially large gathering but it was still the largest he had encountered since the pack meetings. The normally solitary male shifted uncomfortably, remaining slightly detached from the group of wolves who at least seemed to know of each other. And so he waited and allowed the conversation to ebb and flow around him, after a short time his name was spoken, slipping easily from the white female's lips who had called them together. The smallest of smiles slipped across his lips as he dipped his head in greeting to the lead healer of Valhalla. He and Aislyn had argued about her a few times, especially after Friction had secluded himself and refused to be around anyone. He had chosen rather to keep the sickness contained and handle it himself. It had worked fair enough once he had realized what was wrong with him. Blood poisoning was never fun. But the rest of the faces here were foreign and unknown to the male. When Aislyn had still been here he had wanted to start to get to know his pack, to become a bigger part of it but since her passing he wanted to do little other then sleep his days away. He knew that eventually he would have to rouse himself and continue with Liberty's training or else Aislyn would never forgive him in the afterlife but for now he needed some time to heal. "Of course ma'am" he murmured softly, voice barely above a whisper and more out of politeness then a desire to actually show he what he could do. His mother had been the Erani of Taiyae pretty much, her knowledge of herbs had stretched so much further and wider then Friction could ever hope to know. She had spent three and a half years teaching him what she knew and he had soaked it in the best he could but after the flood he had once again withdrawn, his mate had passed in that flood as well as many of their other pack mates who hadn't been so lucky. Some of his family may have passed as well but he didn't know the extent of the damage. His mothers wish was that one day he would have taken the position of either medic or commander to replace her as she continued to grow older. But everything had vanished in the blink of an eye just as it had here. Since then the older male had practiced his art a few times and still remembered the majority of what he had been taught but knew there was much he had left to learn. Maybe he would learn it from these other healers or maybe he would just fine tune what he already knew. It would probably be left up to this white female to choose his fate. What did they know? Not wanted to be the first to answer he waited for someone else to start them off. A young boy that Aislyn and he had also spoken about spoke up, outlining the basics of his knowledge and speaking what he wished to learn. Friction allowed a bit of silence to stretch on to see if anyone would reply before he finally cleared his throat to make note that he would share next. "I haven't considered myself a medic or a healer since I left my old home but at one point I knew most herbs, their locations, climates and how to properly dry them if needed. I have dealt with births, diseases both of mind and body, wounds both above and blow the skin. But as I said it has been some time since I have practiced on a more consistent basis and I don't know these lands well enough to know where all the herbs are." he said, voice slow and soft as he spoke, gaze cast towards the ground. Aislyn had called him pretentious when he had spoken of his abilities before and it made him a bit nervous speaking of them now. In Taiyae he had felt confidant of his abilities, now they drifted somewhere in the back of his mind and thus far he found no issues drawing them to the fore front when needed in emergencies but to be asked of them he could no longer recite like he once could.

Rayne

She listened to the gentle words of the Healers. Followed by the mingling voices of those telling of their abilities and what they wanted to learn. Did this include her? Erani knew of her abilities. She waited for a pause in the chatter to speak up. "You know most of my skills, but I've given it some thought, and I think I'd like to focus my skills mostly on being a den mother, helping with birthing's, caring for ill pups and such. But I won't limit myself so I'd like to learn a bit of everything else." There was a faint spark of interest as she spoke, as though for a moment all her troubles were forgotten for a moment. Gems settled on Erani, hoping for her approval in the direction she wanted to take her training, there was no doubt that the Healer could get her there. Perhaps it would bring a distraction that would settle her mind and soothe her wounds. It was painful doing nothing. She was desperate to do something, anything. She had fallen silent, giving Imena a chance to talk and explain her abilities. Once again her gaze focused on nothing and everything. Audits twitched, listening, aware of her surroundings even though she appeared to be lost in her own world. Idly, she wondered what would become of the male, would he found? She would rather not have to see him again. She suppressed a shiver, flexing her toes beneath her tail.

She listened silently as the others spoke, studying each one carefully. It would seem half of Valhalla's healers carried some sort of grief or pain.She could sense it rolling off Friction and Rayne, and s was the other to add to the group. In a way she was glade to not be the only one to be suffering ver something, and yet she did not like others to have tobe in the same situation as her. he sat there wondering if there was some way she could help them. But how could she when she could not help herself? As Erani asked about their skills, Imena racked her brain for what she did know while listening to Cael, Friction and Rayne. Rayne's request to learn more about being a den mother had her ears fully perked up and tail swaying for a few mintues. She realized then he was the last one to speak up. Eyes looked at the others slightly nervously before glancingat Cael and Erani. She smiled softly.I was trained very much to be a den mother. I know the sics to heal wounds and colds. It wa required to learn such in my old pack when caring for pups.I would like to learn more advanced healing and the herbs around here. She replied and ducked her head slightly. Speech Thought Others

Erani

As Erani listened to the healers? replies and listing of what they knew and wanted to add to their knowledge, she made notes, ticking them off. Imena was as Cormalin had said, needing to learn more advanced things in Healing, and she would need to learn things that were outside the Denmother?s Craft. She nodded at Rayne?s reply, smiling gently. She could see Rayne caring for pups, better than she could see her rushing into a battle on the field to care for a wounded warrior. The attack on her had wounded something inside, and courage would find its way back eventually, but a Denmother?s duties would bring some of that courage back. After all, what fool would attack a healer who guarded pups? No one intelligent. She nodded to Rayne, eyes twinkling softly in approval. Friction seemed to be more skilled, just rusty. Perhaps he could take a place at her side as Male Lead Healer? Once the dust was brushed from his skills and she knew what he could do. ?I can teach you where things are, and there was a game my mother taught me to help my memory. A previous student, Preston, even turned the game about a little to suit him better.? A fleeting frown flickered across her face as she thought of the boy she had considered a son. Soon after her demotion and his rise to her place, Preston, adopted son of Cairo, had vanished, leaving her with only Rayne and Soleil, and unable to continue Rayne?s teaching, and Soleil had been ill, though recovering slowly at the time. There had been her very own pups as well, so the demotion had been somewhat of a chance to take a break and enjoy her children and mate for a while. But Preston had been gone when Ookami, Thane?s mate, had gone into labor, and could possibly have died due to the heavy bleeding that had come with the birthing, if Erani hadn?t kicked sand in her demotion?s face and done her duty as a healer at heart. Her eyes turned to Cael. He had gone first of the three, and she had thought over his words. He wanted to learn very useful things, and out of them all, he was most specific in what he wanted to learn. She smiled. ?Who taught you? From what your father said, Amber was a skilled healer. Was it her?? She wished she could have met the female. Straightening, she addressed them all. ?Now that I have a slight view on what you all know, I want to address combat skills. In my birth pack, Redwood Pack, Healers were trained in combat just as rigorously as warriors. This was essential, because we were at war with a neighboring pack. Healers needed to be able to protect themselves when accompanying a war party to a border skirmish. We were a large enough pack, but even a large pack can be weakened. I hadn?t thought of this until recently, when Rayne was attacked by a stranger while out gathering. That drove home where my training had been lacking. Cormalin and I spoke it over with Chrysanthe, and she agreed that the healers will undergo the same training. I imagine that the next Meeting, partners may be chosen for each of you to spar with. We?ll see. If they are not, Cormalin will assign partners to you. Do you agree to this?? Deep blue pools swept over the healers, waiting for an answer from them.

Rayne

She received a nod, and noted the look of approval that shone in the Healers eyes. It brought a gentle smile to her face. It always pleased her when she pleased Erani. Settling down, she listened to Imena, who's training prepared her to be a denmother. Audits swilved towards Erani when she started to speak again. She addressed Friction and Cael, wanting to know a little more about them and their training. It seemed like an easy enough meeting, they would all begin their training, she would fall back into the routine of things, picking up her skills again. Things would be normal. Rayne was attacked. It caught her attention. Audits flipped back, but other than that she wiped her face clean of emotion, steeling herself against it and the looks she was bound to receive. They would being training, each would have a partner. It was a good idea, she couldn't argue with that, but was she ready for it? There was no choice, her Alpha demanded it, so she would do as commanded, the pallid woman would begin training as a warrior. A simple nod of acknowledgement was given and that was it. "I agree." She forced the words out, yet they fell easily from pale lips, her steady gaze meeting her teachers. She didn't want to disappoint.

She sat there pressed against Cael, enjoying the warmth and comfort her new found friend. Ears listened carefully but talk of training like warriors as well sent her back to her old days.She thought of the wars, the blood, the sickness. A shiver raced down her spine and for a moment her breath quickened at the memories. She could remember all to well what was needed from a Healer during those times. She had been very young, just learning her new rank within the pack. She remembered the screams and howls of pain, the metal tang of blood soaking the air and the ground. As Rayne spoke she snapp out of her daze and blinked at Erani.I've trained a few times with Demonio. Will we be partnered with each other or warriors? And should we have certain days and time to spar so as to also have time to train with you? She asked in a more serious manner than she had been before. She thought of her older sister who had always been here for her, always protecting her. It would be nice not have to rely on someone else to keep you alive. Not that she didnt mind but she felt helpless. Perhaps thats how warriors felt when someone got wounded?Erani..what if we also have a plan should something befall on the pack? Like a plan of action. Where to report, who goes where and what not. She added. Speech Thought Others