▪~Four Months Later...~▪

Life as an in-training was great!

Eclipse was able to do almost anything, as long as her mentors (her parents) were with her.

It was nice to be allowed to go outside the camp, into the beautiful forest beyond.

Except for the fact that...

She couldn't.

Not now...

Of course she would soon, but at the moment, she was confined to the healer's den.

Why?

Well... wounds. A slash across her flank, a sprained paw, a torn ear, and a couple of other wounds, some minor and some severe. And it didn't matter if they were minor or severe--- they still hurt with a burning, stinging ache that went deeper than it seemed.

You might say, Wow Eclipse, you got into a big fight! Was it a coyote Pack? Surely it couldn't be a cougar...

And then, Eclipse would answer, Well, you won't believe it, but it was my own Packmates!

An in-training shouldn't have these kinds of scars... she rested her head on the side of the nest built up with moss and ferns--- comfortable. And that's what it was supposed to be like, in Quiver's den. I should be proud of these wounds I got, because this time, I actually fought back with the moves Ore showed me. But for some reason... I'm not.

That 'some reason' was when the Pack decided to hurt me for no reason.

Other than the fact that she's a half blood... but that's still not a good enough reason.

Why doesn't Riverbank do anything about it?

Well... that question was easy to answer. Even for a confused in-training who'd spent half her life in the healer's den.

He hates me. He doesn't care what the Pack does with me..

Hmm, what was that question?

Oh yes.

She had spent half of her life in the healer's den because she always needed... well, healing. She only knew how to hunt, which Opal, her mother, had taught her. And a few fighting moves, from Ore and Midnight, her best friends. But not enough... not enough to become an official Iota.

And I might never become an Iota... not with everyone hating me like this. I might as well be an Omega, the dirtiest of us all.

And how did that happen? Why did they hate her just because she was a half-blood? She is still loyal, isn't she? Maybe every in-training went through this, except that they go a bit more harshly on her because she's half rogue? Maybe the Pack truly couldn't trust in-trainings, until they were an official Iota.

Yeah... that had to be it...

Right..?

She sighed and closed her eyes... and immediatly, she was brought back to the memory of when she was a pup. The memory that had haunted her to this day.

~♡♡♡~

Opal's flanks heaved as she caught her breath for a moment, shaking her head as if to clear her gaze." I... don't know what you're talking about.."

Riverbank snarled and suddenly leaped on her, grabbing her by the scruff and tossing her into the small pond. He stood on the wet stone, watching as she landed with a splash and lay there for a few moments, stunned." Liar... That rogue came to us and asked to join our Pack. Said his mate was here, with his only daughter! And let's think for a moment... Who here has a daughter... yet doesn't have a mate? At least... not among the Pack."

Opal forced herself to her paws, water dripping from her pelt. Her legs wobbled slightly--- she was tiring quickly." And why would you think that Eclipse's father is a rogue?" She snapped." It could be some furball trying to cause trouble! I'm completely loyal to my Pack; How dare you assume otherwise..."

Eclipse was just about to force herself to her paws, coughing a bit for air.

Riverbank growled." Well, if that doesn't convince you..." He turned and once again, bowled Eclipse over, pinning her once again.

A stabbing pain went through Eclipse's hind leg, but she gritted her teeth against a whine.

Riverbank lowered his head, glaring at Opal as she tried to lunge forward, but Gear got in her way." You see your pup's eyes..? They're violet, correct? It's not the most common eye-color for most wolves..." He lifted his head again, his lips curling back in a menacing smile." What a coincidence that the rogue this patrol ran into... he had violet eyes too."

Opal seemed to freeze, her mouth opening to protest. But no words came out.

Riverbank grinned." As well as the proof that you have no mate... combined with that... I think this case is settled.." He backed off of Eclipse once again and leaped onto the Highland." Creek Pack!" He snarled." You heard that conversation, didn't you? That Opal betrayed the Pack and took a rogue as her mate? How Eclipse is apparently, a rotten half blood!"

The Pack turned their gazes on Eclipse, as the pup struggled to her paws once again. She hoped to see compassion there... uncertainty. She knew a lot of the Pack liked her... what would that change if... her father was a rogue? She was still confused by the whole thing, but she was sure that was bad. But it couldn't be that bad, right..?

She turned to look at the Pack, but her hope died away. Their gazes all held hostility and they were snarling. Except for the Omegas, who looked pitying.

Riverbank looked over at Gear." Well. We don't want that running in our bloodlines, do we now... Gear. Kill her."

This made everything pause for a moment.

Now the Pack wolves looked doubtful.

Opal looked angry and horrified." No!"

Even Gear looked slightly uneasy about this plan.

But one cry rang above the clearing." W-why would you do that, Alpha?"

Riverbank glanced over sharply." Who said that?"

It was Ore, who had ducked under all of the wolves' paws to get to the front of the crowd. He shrank under the Alpha's gaze, but continued." M-my parents were accepted into the Pack as rogues? What's so different a-about Eclipse being part rogue?"

Riverbank growled." I don't have to answer to you pup!"

Opal looked up." Yes you do! Tell us, Alpha! Why is it any different?!"

Riverbank took a deep, huffing breath, exhaling again with a snarl." The Alpha before me took in the rogues.. I would've cast them out a long time ago... but they were well-respected among the Pack.."

((Note: This is something I randomly made up. Though it is true that Ore did have rogues as parents, who joined the Pack, I don't know exactly why Riverbank didn't cast them out. Bobby will most likely create a backstory on that sooner or later. Just letting y'all know.))

Ore whimpered, his ears going back." Eclipse can be the same way, couldn't she? Don't kill her!"

Riverbank talked over him though." What are you hesitating for?!" He glared at Gear." GET ON WITH IT!"

~♡♡♡~

Eclipse's eyes flickered open as the Creek Pack's healer, Quiver, came back into the den with a mouthful of herbs. She set them down before Eclipse's nest, and began to work on her wounds." Great Silver Paw... are you sure it was a rogue that attacked you? These wounds are terrible..."

" Y-Yes, I'm sure," Eclipse gritted her teeth against the sting as the healer applied rosemary to her torn ear." H-he came out of nowhere, let me tell you!"

Quiver frowned, as she worked down to a bite-mark on her neck." But still. You shouldn't have gotten out of that fight looking this ruffled. It was only one wolf, right? Are you getting rusty with your battle moves?"

Eclipse shuffled a bit, uncomfortable with the healer's questions. She should've known Quiver would be worried. She had gotten to know the healer well, having spended a lot of time in the medic's den. They were pretty good friends, and had what they call a 'mother-daughter' relationship." You know I haven't gotten to practice my battle moves a whole lot... So yes. It was difficult fight."

Quiver narrowed her eyes as she licked a deep slash on Eclipse's flank." Fade?" She called over her shoulder." Get some rosemary!"

There was a shuffling at the back of the den, and a blue-gray in-training with red fading down onto his tail brushed passed some leaves hanging down from a tree limb. He set some herbs at Quiver's paws and glanced over at Eclipse with a growl." You know that you're not allowed to go outside the camp by yourself. And I know that you're pretty good at following those rules. So why did you not listen to them this time?"

Eclipse gave a sigh. Of course Fade could see right through her lies... " I was just going to be out for a while... Hunting and everything. I didn't need anyone with me."

" Well, apparently, you did," Fade said briskly, padding over to one of the limbs and ripping a few oak leaves off of them." Quiver, did you get any cobwebs? I need some to wrap this cut on her paw."

Fade's mentor shook her head, not looking up from her work." Nope. The cobwebs supply is low in spring--- the water washes them away. You know that as well as I do."

Fade sighed." Okay... then we can just use some vines. We have some of those in the herb store, right?"

" Outside," Quiver corrected." I'd use the grape vines. When they're dried, they're strong and won't come un-done. Get the thinner ones, though, so it isn't too hard to wrap it."

Fade nodded, and brushed his way across the lichen at the entrance of the tree-den. Yes... tree den. The medicine den was made up of an oak tree that has fallen down at the edge of the camp. It had proven to be big enough for wolves with minor and severe injuries. The sick wolves were quarantined outside, in a cave a little ways from the camp. Fortunately, there hadn't been a break-out of dry-throat just yet, even though spring was the season for it.

Dry-throat was the most annoying sickness you could get. It wasn't a dangerous sickness, like death-cough, but it was highly contagious. The symptoms were having a dry cough, a sore throat, and runny eyes, as well as making you lethargic. Eclipse knew this, because she'd once seen a break-out, just before she'd become an in-training.

" I'm going to see how our goldenrod is doing.." Quiver muttered under her breath, turning to go to the back of the den.

Fade padded back into the den with some of the vines, and sat down beside Eclipse. He first wrapped one of the large oak leaves around her paw, before continuing on with tying it down with the vines. As he did this, he would lower his head and growl." Alright. When are you going to tell us the truth?"

Eclipse looked up, startled." W-what do you mean?"

Fade shook his head." A rogue couldn't do any of the severe injuries like this. Even if you can't fight that well. Most rogues are just bags of bones, ecspiecilly after winter. The rogue that supposedly attacked you would've been weak. Besides... don't think I haven't noticed the blood on Gear's teeth today."

Eclipse gave a sigh." Trust me, Fade, I can handle this, I'm pretty sure! It's better than you, or Midnight, or anyone else helping me out. You could get your ranks dropped, remember?"

Fade growled." I'm a healer. We're considered to be above the Alpha's rank. Riverbank couldn't drop us to Omega even if he wanted to. The worst he could do is yell at us."

" Yeah, but still-"

Quiver padded back into the main area of the den, cutting Eclipse off." Fade, when you're done with that, could you go look for goldenrod? Maybe some ginger root would be helpful too."

" Already on it," Fade answered as he finished tying the vine onto the she-wolf's paw. He turned and headed toward the entrance." See you later. Eclipse."

Quiver nudged Eclipse lightly." Maybe you should get some rest. Opal will want you back on training as soon as possible."

Eclipse nodded." Thanks, Quiver." Then she rested her head on her paws and closed her eyes.

Minutes later, she drifted off into a peaceful, dark sleep.

Word Count: 2,095