Chapters of a Life: Trainee (Complete)

4

As Dad opened the door I spoke "Water". Rushing over to me he helped me set up and helped me hold the glass. After emptying it I yawned so hard my jaw popped, making me wince. "Owww, moring Dad. I feel great that is some great salve my face feels fine." Dad simply stared at me.

"The healer is coming over so stay in the bed."

"No can do, gotta go find a bush", I said leaping out of the bed. I don't know what was in that salve but boy howdy we could make a mint off of it.

Dad stood there watching me as I took off out the door if I had bothered to watch him I would have noticed the concerned look on his face. Returning swiftly I asked about food, "Ya cooked or ya want me to? I grabbed some eggs and the milk while I was out. Do we have any of the bread left? Thought I would make fry bread if you don't mind." My mouth was running a mile a minute as I moved around the kitchen. Dad sat at the table and stared at me seemingly confused. "Are all early mornings this good? Looks like I might have been oversleeping." I laughed.

The Healer knocked on the door. "Thank the Goddess", Dad mumbled as he rose to answer it. "Healer thank you for coming so early."

"Of course Alpha, what's the problem", Healer Gro asked? Healer Gro is old her hands gnarled and back stooped as if she has the weight of all knowledge pushing her down. Her voice is soft but when she speaks those around her lean in to hear her wisdom. But she and her wolf are still spry and she is not left out of hunts. She is what I aspire to be.

"Healer Gro, thank you for that salve it is the most wonderful thing. I slept through the night and when I awoke this morn my wounds were healed and I feel perfect." I said speaking quickly and enthusiastically. "Would you care to join us to break your fast?" I said turning back to the stove and flipping the bread and eggs.

"Child come over here and sit. Let me take a look at ya", Healer Gro said rather forcefully. Looking at Dad.

"Dad would ya mind finishing this", I asked as I moved toward the table.

After she unwrapped my neck she poked and prodded my face and neck then moved to check my ribs. "Alpha she is healed. She is good to return to full duties." Heading out the door she stopped and stared down at me. It dawned on me that she was starting just like Astrid and Bea had done last night. "Alpha, train her hard." Before Dad could answer she was gone.

"Let's eat I'm starved."

Back at the training grounds, everyone had gathered to see the punishment of Ewan. Instead of looking repentant he strolled out behind his father as if he had won a grand prize. "Alpha I want a trial to be held." Seumas began.

"For what reason? Seumas the warriors all heard the rules and then watched as he beat her when he was called off he struck Delta Fenian and fought the warriors." Adare was steaming everyone could see he was holding on by a hair's breadth to his calm.

"He is but a boy and not of age, to lash him requires a trial." Seumas thought he had us over a barrel. He would get a grand pageant to air his grievances and make it the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and warriors look bad and make his male appear abused.

"Ah, there yer right there canna be a lashing without a trial. But as there inna gonna be a lashing we inna gonna need a trial." Uncle Sten bellowed out with a huge smile on his face and in his voice.

Dad threw Uncle Sten a hard frown, "As Sten has stated there will be no lashing. Instead, he will get three days of working in the garden and running extra patrols for every punch he threw after he was called off." Before he could finish Seumas began to bellow.

"This is not the way it is done!" Seumas screamed.

"Seumas do ya wanna see ya male lashed? I would have thought ya would have been pleased not to see him bloodied." Bea said, her words may have conveyed confusion but her tone said otherwise.

"We have traditions and they must be upheld." He blustered. Others began to drift away from him, obviously wondering why he was trying to get his male lashed. "Ya canna just change the rules." He tried again.

"Actually Seumas, I'm Alpha and I can do just that. This is a young male who needs more training to burn off that extra energy and help him focus..." again Dad was interpreted.

"Fine he can run the patrols but gardening is for females." Seumas countered. A grumble ran through the pack, missed entirely by Seumas and Ewan. "Why would you place him so low." The pack did not like that.

"Nice to hear how you think of your fellow packmates and your male, Seumas. But this is done. Now for the count, remember that these are extra items and in addition to yer regular chores. NOTA WORD, I'm not finished", Alpha Liam said starring hard at the malcontents. "This will last for three moon cycles."

"WHAT!!! That's preposterous!"

"You will join him. Starting this day. Yer all dismissed." With that, Alpha Liam left stalking away muttering under his breath.

"What are you lot still standing here for we got training to do." Yelled Beta Adare. Turning his back on the pack and leading the warriors toward the lake. I followed not knowing what else to do.

Running to catch them I slowed down as I neared Adare and Fenian. Many of the warriors had touched my shoulders or brushed my hair as I had passed, it made me move quickly to reach the leaders I trusted. "Males on the left Females on the right." Delta Fenian said. We moved rapidly to comply. "Yesterday your evaluation showed us yer base. Now we begin to build on that base. Heather, Clar, Sorley yer with Meg. Iasan and Alastar with Michael. Gorm and Knud with Niall. Bo is with Atsadi. Ewan with Bea."

Fenian had no more than finished when Ewan started in, "A female canna train me, me da says it should be the Liam barring that then Adare."

The rest of us were more than happy with our assignments, some of the warriors were suspicious of Atsadi, it was well known that felines were not one to stay in any one place long nor did they join packs. Yet when Ewan began to grip so did his mini pack, "Why are be not being trained by the Beta? Ewan is going to be Alpha, I'm going to be Beta and him Delta."

"No, yer Delta and I are gonna be Beta."

"Enough! Ya have yer trainers now get to it. If I hear any more complaints it will cost yer group 3 nights of extra patrols." Shouted Beta Fenian. I had begun to separate them into their position and then their person. Sometimes they were not my friend but my Beta just like Dad wasn't always my loving Dad but my Alpha when I put the pack in danger. I understood that boundary.

After that, we settled down for our lesson. As we all went off in different directions I wondered about what Atsadi would teach me, him being a puma shifter and all.