Mystical Wolves: Enchanted Wonders Series #1 Book #3 [EDITS COMING LATER]

Chapter 9

            Katie watched as Timber lay with her head on her front paws, shaking slightly every time she took a breath. She felt a massive pang of sympathy. I don't know if I should mention that she's going to have to start training as a healer wolf... the white she-wolf padded over to the small black she-wolf.

"Hungry?" Katie questioned.

"No, I'm fine..." Timber whimpered.

"You should eat, you got training." Katie nosed over a small mountain goat. It was almost a carcass- prey was small and scarce.

"You're not my mentor." Timber snapped, lifting her head up. "Frostcrow will come get me when he wants."

Katie felt a blow to her nerves, she flattened her ears and sighed. "Um, about that, Timber.. Frostcrow has decided it'd be best to not train you anymore."

"What?!" the black she-wolf was now on her feet. "So who's my mentor?!"

"Me.. you're going to start healer wolf training."

"NO!" Timber snarled, raising her tail. "I was born and destined to be a legend and fight for SkullPack. Just because I have a few disabilities doesn't make me less than any other wolf!"

"It doesn't make you less, you're right." Katie started, choosing her words carefully. "However, legends can't fight and hunt with breathing issues and a pretty damaged leg." She watched as Timber's eyes clouded with misery and frustration.

"Great, first Blackfrost's death now this! HeavenPack has cursed me! Probably because I was born the runt." Timber wailed, curling her tail tightly over her paws.

"Timber, Blackfrost's death isn't just affecting you." Katie's voice was now sharp. "The whole pack is grieving together. I understand it's hitting you and your immediate kin the hardest."

"Well, now I have to say goodbye to my future so young. Healer wolves can't have pups or a mate.. they have to serve every wolf in their pack equally. The only reason Goldenglow got lucky is because he was a legend before a healer! You're lucky too Katie, you're just a current substitute for Goldenglow!" Timber could go on and on complaining about her new position in the pack...

Katie didn't know how to respond. "Healer wolves are highly respected and valued in their packs. You have special relationships with HeavenPack wolves that betas and alphas don't have, and any legend wolf in general. You'll get gifted with healing power, learn how to use it.. and also learn about your resources out here in the wild." She had hoped she could comfort Timber, the black she-wolf twitched an ear in acknowledgment. However, she was still in anguish.

"Just get today's training over with." Timber growled. Katie waved her tail and lead her outside of the den arena, to a nearby river that ran along the group of sycamore trees.

"This is golden rod," Katie woofed. "It's a special herb used for reducing inflammation, putting a stop to muscle spasms, and helping to fight any infection a wolf may have." She gripped a clump of the golden herb off of its patch.

"This is so boring." Timber huffed, licking her chest fur instead.

"You might like it when you're in a better mood." Katie addressed, picking through the golden rod. "We need a restock in the healer den, come help me pick golden rod and other herbs, and sort them
when we get back."

Timber bit back the urge to snarl, and helped the white she-wolf grab out clumps of golden rod.

                                           ***

Luke stirred from his nap on the sun rock. He yawned and peered around the SkullPack den arena. The prey pile looked even more meager compared to a few sunrises ago. Dawn hunting patrols didn't come back with much, either. I better go out and hunt, and spend my last day free before I get assigned a new trainee meanwhile Arrow's on the journey. Luke leapt from the sun rock, the only wolves in the den arena were Featherbreeze and Twinkle in the pups' den, preparing the young wolves for their training tomorrow. Winston and Fenix were just leaving the den arena together. Luke decided it'd be best to go to the FrostFire river on the rocky path.

The brown and gray he-wolf pounded the ground, running across the cliff-bridge and enjoying the wind blow through his pelt. He lowered his head, sniffing and listening for prey. He heard a rustling noise, and perked his ears. The sound was coming from across the FrostFire river, on FirePack's territory. It'd be against wolf pack laws to hunt on another pack's territory.

Suddenly, a small gray she-wolf appeared from an elder bush. Luke's eyes lit up, and his heart jumped. It was Rose! The she-wolf he had befriended a bit ago.

"Rose!" Luke woofed, wagging his tail. He was right, the scent was accurate and the red rose on Rose's ear also confirmed.

"Luke!" Rose let out a yip of excitement. She waded through the stream and bounded up to the he-wolf, touching noses with him. "It's so good to see you again, and thank you for last time.. FirePack will forever thank a SkullPack wolf."

"Wait.. you told FirePack I gave that rabbit to you?" Luke felt anxiety pelt through his paws. "I may be in trouble then.. wolves from different packs aren't allowed to give prey to one another."

"No no." Rose reassured, touching his shoulder with her tail. "Wolfystorm is the alpha female and my mother, she'd be mad I accepted it! I didn't tell anyone, only Fawni, she's my sister."

"Will Fawni tell?" Luke asked, trying to make sure he wouldn't be in trouble.

"No, we've been inseparable since we were pups. She's amazing." Rose pressed her nose into Luke's shoulder for comfort, Luke was taken aback by the gesture.

I've never been this close with a she-wolf before... "Hey Rose, are you sure we should be this close? We're from different packs, I don't know if us meeting like this is even a good idea.. even when unplanned." The he-wolf felt a stab even saying that to the beautiful FirePack she-wolf.

"Luke, we're friends. Only friends.. what could be so bad about that?" she murmured gently.

"I suppose nothing," he told himself, but it came out out loud instead. He looked down at the beautiful she-wolf brushing pelts with him. She sure is pretty...

***
*denlivers/humans are now called upwalkers!! updated this part in the book and from onward.

Blackfrost writhed, he banged his head on a tree stump as he woke up from his vivid dreams. The HeavenPack wolves had touched noses with him, telling him this prophecy about the crystal valley and the great sickness coming to the packs. How his packmates think he's with the star wolves, and watching over them, and how they'd sit in vigil at the MemorialPool at moonhigh tonight. DarkPack had taken him, and he was now in a random part of the woods near an upwalker barn. All of the sudden his sickness had disappeared.

Great, thanks HeavenPack for absolutely no useful information at all. The black and white he-wolf stretched, his tail flicking. Blackfrost trotted over to the upwalker barn, peering through the fence. There were a few sheep dotted across the grass, chowing down.

The young he-wolf felt a huge weight crush him.

He growled, shoving the weight off. It was a light blue-grayish fur ball that had rolled off of him. Blackfrost sniffed the air, learning the scent.

"Hi there," the new wolf barked, waving his tail.

"Who do you think you are?!" Blackfrost snarled, his fur bristling and ruffling up. "Jumping on me like that."

"Not my fault you weren't prepared." the light blue-grayish he-wolf snickered. "The name's Daze."

"Okay, Daze, tell me how to get the dung out of here."

"Woah, I don't even know your name you ant brain." Daze laughed, his tail waving in banter. His light gray eyes showed good humor.

"Blackfrost." the black and white he-wolf answered briskly. "Are you a rogue or a loner? Or do you have some unknown pack?"

"I'm a rogue with the other barn wolves," Daze woofed. "You don't smell native to this area."

"That's because I'm not. I randomly woke up here." Blackfrost sighed, twitching his tail. "I don't usually talk this much either."

"Well, do you want to meet my rogue friends?" Daze offered. Blackfrost nodded, and the blue-gray he-wolf lead him to a small abandoned barn near the lively upwalker one.

"This is Spiderfoot, Honeypelt, Kona, and Opal." Daze introduced, addressing each wolf with their name. Blackfrost nodded and sat down, facing the four other wolves who were in Daze's rogue group.