Fel stretched her large shoulders with a bored sigh. Everything in the pack seemed to be running smoothly, more or less. With the finale of the bear hunt, Teren managed to fill the remaining male ranks. She would have to seek out some of those who advanced and give them her congratulations, but she could really not be bothered to do so for that sole purpose. She, like her partner, did not believe in speaking without necessity. One day, when their paths crossed, she would congratulate them adequately. Until then, she had better things to do. Fel found her paws heading towards the general direction of the border to check for intruding scents.

The wide, raven-colored paws thudded heavily against the ground as she trotted along, nostrils flaring while she took in all the smells of her surroundings. It was then that she heard it. A sickeningly sweet howl. Her pace slowed and she retreated into the darkness of the woods, heading in the direction of the newcomer. Once close enough to see the wolf, she paused in the shadows, her black pelt engulfed in the darkness. Only her icy, nearly colorless eyes were visible as she examined the fae from afar. Fluffy, small, and sweet. It was disgusting. The peculiar wolf seemed to be yipping happily for some reason. Fel decided to crush this thing’s dreams and send her running in the other direction, where she belonged. But first, it would amuse her to know of the true purpose of her coming here and also of her measly offering of healers’ supplies to a pack so strong. Unleashing a low snarl, she strode up to the female. Fel was not usually so aggressive, but she had little tolerance for wolves who reminded her of Helidos. Her tail flew over her spine, arched in a banner of authority. In a voice deeper than most females, a cold growl rumbled, “Who are you, and why do you waste a Beta’s time with your presence here?” Walking straight up to her, she left no room for personal space. She craned her neck down to meet the fae’s eyes with a chilling gaze, adding, “You’re going to have to show more submission than that, if you wish for your tail to remain attached to your rear.” She took one step back to allow her room to move into a more submissive stance. Though secretly, Fel hoped she wouldn’t. There was something about her, about the wretched goodness that seeped from her, that made Fel wish for this fae’s blood to stain the ground below them.

The snarl across her lips faded with the pathetic display. Was this fae a pup? She had the body of a small adult, but the mannerisms of a child. A growl of annoyance rumbled in her throat, but halted upon hearing this wolf’s name and purpose. Of all wolves to come to the border to be the Beta’s first acceptance, it had to be someone named Heaven. She would have burst into laughter, but her control over her features was too strong, and she was more annoyed than amused. With the growl swallowed for now, she continued in a smooth, but still surprisingly deep voice. “Our pack has enough healers, all of which present more courage than the likes of you. I think the pack where you would fit in the best is across the neutrals. No wolf of Erenyx may reek with fear and weakness such as yourself. The measly offering showing rudimentary knowledge of herbs is nothing special.” She paused for a moment, still towering over the female as the other sat down. At least from this angle, she looked a little more like a wolf than a sniveling pup. But her squeaks ruined the progress. Fel continued scathingly, “Of what possible use could you be? What, Heaven, makes you special? Go on, humour me. Though I advise you to speak clearly now, like a wolf of your age should. Your whimpering reminds me of the runt of a newborn litter.” Growing bored with her, she added, “But actually, the best advice I can give you is to leave. If, in this pack, you act like you have here, Alpha Teren will kill you. Or if he does not, I will do so myself. Teren does not need weak links in the chain.” Never did her eyes leave Heaven’s own, staring down at her in an impatient wait.

Finally, the fae found some courage within her. But Fel’s faith in her, if there had ever been any, had almost expired. The beta watched her plead for acceptance, promising improvements later on. But why bother? Why, of all packs, had this annoying, weak, yet surprisingly stubborn wolf chosen Erenyx? Helidos would have accepted her in a heartbeat. The onyx statue stared at her as she begged for a chance, and it was then that an idea clicked in her dark, twisted mind. Heaven needed a wolf to heal in order to prove her capabilities. All of the sudden, Fel was willing to oblige. “A chance to prove yourself, you say?” She paused for a long moment, muscled tensing and relaxing rhythmically under her long pelt. She gave the fae before her time to relax and even ponder on this chain of events before she spoke again, “Very well.” Without further warning, Fel side-stepped and lunged at Heaven, teeth hitting their mark right behind the left shoulder. As soon as her jaws fastened securely onto her side, the raven fae began to thrash her head from side to side, tearing a decent wound. Satisfied, she shoved Heaven in the opposite direction and stepped back. The entire process was at most a couple of seconds, yet felt an injury suitable for the alleged healer’s purposes. She sat down calmly, her indifferent, colourless eyes still trained on the guest. Her tongue swiped over her bloody chops. “I have provided you with an injured wolf. Proceed.”

Fel watched the fae, almost impressed by the sheer fact that she was not entirely a failure. Almost. As Heaven explained her procedure, the Beta could find nothing wrong in the actual information. In fact, she seemed to actually know what she was doing. No, this wolf was not as experienced as the late Creek, but she showed some promise in her field of interest. Her snappy tone was an issue, but Fel let it slide for right now. Anything was an improvement from the whimpering she had exhibited prior to the injury. A pink tongue passed over her bloody teeth thoughtfully. The tall raven fae stood still, scrutinizing her form and the cobweb patch. It was a fairly neat and organized application. But even with adequate medical capabilities, this wolf would not survive in Erenyx if she did not change in other aspects. A plan, however, managed to work itself out in Fel’s mind. The amiable fae’s happiness and weaknesses could be replaced, or at least retrained, into something that would make her fit for the pack. Strength of body could be forced through physical training. Strength of mind and emotion could simply be beaten into her if training was insufficient. She rose, tail arching over her spine in a display of authority, paired with a glare to send the challenging eyes back to their proper place. “Show respect to your superiors, fae, if you wish to keep your head.” The Beta then slowly turned around and began to amble back into the woods. She called to Heaven before her frame was engulfed in shadows, “Healer Heaven, locate your respective den. I will check your progress on your wound tomorrow at dawn. Failure to pass the inspection will be punishable by exile or…” She chuckled sadistically, a rare sight to be seen from Fel. Not in its sadism, but rather in the laughter itself. As her tail snaked behind her, retreating into the shadows, she finished darkly, “Death.”