Annie and Virginia waited for their turn in line. They had just arrived back to the base and were commanded to go straight to the doctors to have their wounds checked, bandages removed and replaced with clean ones, and the position of their bones fixed, after which they would pass a full body scan in order for the medics to learn just what exactly was broken within their bodies. In Annie's opinion, this was a boring and wasteful procedure. Lying in a capsule doing nothing while doctors photograph your insides. Not a single wolfkin ever died from a few broken bones, their skeletons eventually had a way to straighten themselves, pulling even bone shards away from organs if given enough rest. Thus, Virginia and Annie arrived last for the checkups, allowing the ones in need to go ahead first.

I am gonna challenge Virginia tomorrow… No wait. I must first ensure that my pack is healthy and on track with their training before calling her... Maybe a day after… Annie wondered, while the door leading to the scanning room had been opened from the inside and a nurse walked to call the next patient. Annie blinked, looking up at the nurse.

She was dressed in the uniform of a nurse, and it fit her perfectly. Gloves covered her paws, and a badge could be seen on the side of her chest, marking her as a noncombatant. Her hair was cut short, but she had grown taller since the last time Annie saw her. Her fur was combed, cleaned and scented with perfume. Svetlana looked at Annie first with tired eyes, then with disbelief in her eyes, then with confusion and finally with anger:

"You!" Both sisters screamed at once, and Virginia looked in confusion, seeing how the smaller wolfkin grabbed Annie by her ears.

"Stupid idiot! We were so worried!" Svetlana dragged Annie’s head closer to see her eyes.

"Svetka!" Annie snapped in anger, "What in the name of the Abyss are you doing here! This place is dangerous!"

"I came working here to see you, you big cusack! Why did you disappear all of a sudden!"

"Dumbass! I heard your talk with your parents! They were right, it was better for me to leave!"

"You damned moron!" Svetlana actually kicked Annie in the chest, yet the wolf hag felt nothing. Her sister was as strong as a normie, "They didn’t want to chase you away! Dads planned to take you with them to help you adjust! We all wanted you to stay!"

"Lies!" Annie snapped her jaws in front of her sister's nose, but Svetlana stood unafraid, only becoming angrier, "I heard them calling me "bad news"! You said that you were afraid of me!"

Virginia moved her eyes from Annie to Svetlana, raising a finger in the air and trying to say something. Both sisters utterly ignored her.

"Oh, for fucks sake, just fucking read the dads’ messages! I was stressed as well and made a blunder, I’m sorry, okay?"

"Read? Why? To learn how they hate me? No need for any of this shit." Annie responded dismissively, and Svetlana howled in rage. But the wolf hag stood by her decision. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, threatening to burst out. The Oaksters probably curse her for luring their daughter here. How could they not, Annie cursed herself right now! "Listen, I’m sorry for disappearing like a ghost as well, but be a good girl and fuck off to safety, please!"

"You are a stubborn, stupid, self-centered, moronic fool!" Svetlana shouted in Annie’s face.

"And you are a weak, reckless, ungrateful idiot who should know her place and live in a safe place like a normal person would!" Annie shouted back, receiving a smack on the head for her efforts, "This place is too dangerous! What if you get hurt! What will your parents think if they learn where you are right now!?"

"They helped me get into the medical school and get a job here, so try and guess what they are thinking!"

"Oh, so now you are pro nepotism all of a sudden?!"

"Enough! You are making my head hurt!" Virginia stomped her feet into the ground, crossing the distance between herself and Svetlana in an instant, looking into the stubborn eyes of the medic. Annie had to force herself not to step between them. Her paws tremble with worry, but perhaps a little scare was what it took to set Svetka right. Virginia sniffed Svetlana, cocking her head in confusion, "You smell like Annie, pretender."

"I am no pretender. I am of the Wolf Tribe, like you…" Svetlana moved her paws across Virginia’s neck and the wolf hag growled, "How long do you have these cracks?"

"From the recent battle. Ignore them, they will heal," Virginia’s eyes burrowed Svetlana. "Same as me, huh… Then you should know that the wolf hags are privy to respect from lesser kin." She slammed her paw against the wall near Svetlana’s head and frowned, "Dammit, my knuckles"

"What is with your paw?" Svetlana quickly asked, taking up paw of Virginia into her paws and looking down at the ruined bones beneath the skin.

"Do I need to call other doctors?" Annie asked in a worried voice.

"Everything is fine!" Virginia jerked back her paw, "I challenge you to a domination match, kin."

"Agreed," Svetlana said, unbothered, while Annie felt the ice shards piercing her heart from horror. This idiot has no idea! Actually, come to think about it, both of them have no idea! The one who has never fought with anyone, and the other who never knows how to hold back! The nurse nodded at the seat, "Wait here, Annie comes first, then you. Once your wounds are healed, you name the place and time."

"Agreed." Virginia said, sitting down and picking up the magazine, frowning at the pain in her paw.

Annie was too shocked to berate her sister any further. She allowed herself to be led into the room and placed into a capsule for the scan. Afterwards, she frowned from pain, while her sister skillfully changed the bandages and began to work on her broken and damaged body. More doctors came from the break, and Annie used this opportunity to slip away the moment Svetlana approved that the wolf hag was ready to leave. Annie swallowed her drool, walking outside in worry. Doctors put her on ten-day leave, but she still had at least one thing to do today. Upon walking down the corridor toward the exit, she overheard a familiar voice in the nearby room and glanced inside through the glass of the door:

"Why do you need all of this?" Ulrica asked, sitting on the hospital bed. The Ice Fang was provided by a set of clothes from the dresser of a member of the Omega team. She was supposed to leave tomorrow, but the sword saint of the Voidrunner household sent a private transport to pick her up and Ultis. The wounded wolf hag was already sent to the Core Lands via air transport.

Ultis was sitting cross-legged on a bed, furiously reading through the Code of Laws of the Reclamation Army. Lucendra was sitting nearby. Ultis moved her paws, speaking through the sign language.

"She is trying to find a legal way to avoid falling into the trap of the doctors and Ice Fangs," Lucendra translated.

"Maybe I can help?" Ulrica moved closer, and Ultis gestured again.

"She is also calling you a demon and demands you to keep a distance from her. Sorry, not my words," Lucendra scratched her back, smiling in apology, "Uh… Sorry for asking, but do all the Ice Fangs look like you? I heard that our cousins have magnificent white fur…"

"I was forcibly shaven in the arena." Ulrica responded shortly, unwilling to say more.

"Ah, similar to me then," Both wolfkins looked at the Lucendra and the warrior smiled nervously, "We never had enough food when I was a cub. And I might eat something from the garbage behind the village... My mom was so scared when all my fur fell out. It took me two weeks of stomach pain before my fur slowly started to regrow."

I am going to cook a dinner for everyone once my paws heal. And one more time when Ultis comes back. Annie decided. She was unsure why, just suddenly felt like this.

While she walked to the barracks, she noticed Kayleen and Roll, the mercenary was without the handcuffs.

"Hi there," Annie said, coming to them. She looked at Roll and said, "Nice to see that you are still alive. Are you moving up in the world or something?"

"Hardly," Roll laughed, "Me and the gang applied to join a penal unit. After the mission in the arena, I doubt anyone will hire us as mercenaries in the future, even after we become free from the prison. On the other hand, the Reclamation Army is willing to hire us, provided we pay for our sins. Spending years in prison or working in the field…" Roll lifted two hands, balancing something unseen on them, "The choice was obvious. No offence, nice to see that you are still in one piece by the way, but I asked for me and my men to be assigned as far away from Dragena as possible. No hard feelings against most of you, but the warlord is a bitch for what she has done to poor Alsyn."

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"I just pretend that I never heard that last part. Good luck with your new career, Roll. Try not to harm civilians, or I will have to gut you," She looked him in the eye, but Roll simply smiled, saluting her, "Listen, I am gonna steal Kayleen from you for a while. Don’t go blowing stuff up, ok?"

She gestured for Kayleen to follow her to a nearby bench. Annie collapsed on the bench, unconcerned about her appearance. Too many things had happened in the past few days for her liking. Kayleen, on the other hand, looked pretty well. Bruises were healed on her body, and the broken bones no longer bothered the former wolf hag. Yet some things were in order.

"Excellent job of watching over the pack, while I was away."

"All in a day's work." Kayleen nodded, accepting the praise.

"Listen, I went overboard, and I am sorry for the beating that I gave to you," Kayleen nodded in surprise, and Annie continued, "After my training, I imagined myself a hot shit and let it go into my head. But events of the past few days have shown me that I am not nearly as strong as I thought I was. I can’t protect you all with my strength alone," Annie felt bitterness at admitting this. But a harsh truth is preferable to a sweet lie, "Not yet, at least. And I am not really smart either. The position of the wolf hag is yours if you want it. We can even stage a fight, you can beat me up to your heart’s content."

"Beat it, Annie," Kayleen said, smiling. "The moment you became stronger than me, you became the wolf hag. I lost exactly in the way I always wanted to lose, by being beaten down savagely and fiercely. The strong rule, the weak follow. Such is the nature of our tribe. Stop trying to fight with your nature."

"The strong rule, the weak follow…" Annie looked at the sky, repeating the words slowly. She remembered the way Dragena led her pack. Annie did not feel that she could not fill the warlord’s boots, but maybe she could lead in her own way? She looked back at the scout, "Fine, if the Spirits desire so, then so it will be. From this day on, only I can lay a paw on the members of my pack. No challenges or dominations are allowed, unless I permit it. You are to teach me about all the duties of the wolf hag and help me as my equal. You feel that I am making a mistake, so you call me aside and grill me. No more holding back punches while we are alone. I must learn and learn proper. Is that understood, Kayleen?"

"Yes, ma’am!" Kayleen saluted to Annie, before putting both paws behind her back, "Permission to speak freely, wolf hag," Annie briefly nodded, "You look like shit, Annie. Go on and have a nap or two. We are big girls and boys, everyone will be fine… No, Lucendra, don’t drop this crate for the sake of Spirits!" Kayleen stormed away, leaping across the square, after seeing how Lucendra and other Branded nearly allowed a crate with hissing hounds to fall on the ground. For safety’s sake, the wolfkins were the ones who prepared mutated creatures to be sent into zoos of the Core Lands.

There can only be one monster among my pack. Me. And no one else. Annie looked at her paw. She was not strong enough, not yet. Had she been alone, Palatine would have killed her with ease. By some miracle, she pulled out techniques that she had always botched before, but miracles are in short supply in this world. No, she can’t take baby steps. She has to get stronger, stronger than Alpha and Crawler, stronger than Ravager herself. If she can’t, Svetka will… Sveta will…

She spotted how Virginia was moving to the barracks and stood up from the bench, moving to intercept her before she could come inside. Virginia heard Annie’s steps near the entrance and turned just in time to see how Annie slammed her paw into the wall next to Virginia’s head.

The world went red for a second, when broken bones within Annie’s paw were set aflame. She jumped on one leg, blowing on the paw.

"Annie, are you ok?" Virginia asked with worry, "Should I call the doctors…"

"Everything is fine!" Annie snarled back, cursing herself for the stupidity. She straightened herself, looking in the eyes of this idiot, "Virginia, what in the name of abyss are you doing? Why did you challenge Svetka?"

"She smells funny. Like you. Fakers need to know their place." Virginia shook her shoulders.

"She is my sister, you dumbass! She can’t even fight!"

"Everyone can fight," Virginia countered, "She's like us; all I need to do is teach her a lesson..."

"Listen…" Annie put her paws on Virginia’s shoulders, whispering in her face, "I… Virginia, please don’t hurt Sveta. If you want to, I will be your slave, I will cook food for you, allow you to beat me up, and do anything else you want for the rest of my life. Just let her off the hook," She tightened her grip, "But if you dare to even lay a finger on her, I will kill you. I don’t know how, but I will."

"Interesting. This is what kind of person you think I am," Virginia shook Annie's paws with ease and smiled warmly, "We really need to settle things between us. Find out who is the strongest."

"My pride demands the same." Annie replied, and Virginia turned around, leaving and laughing.

****

Annie put a chair in front of a large display in the section of the communication center meant for civilian use. Granted, the command still listened to all the calls, although they would never admit it, Annie wasn’t planning on doing anything illegal.

Calling all the way to the Core Lands costs some tokens, even for her. The Ravaged Lands did not have much net coverage, though both Iterna and the Reclamation Army attempted to rectify this, however, the harsh conditions in these lands made their efforts futile thus far. Equipment was getting destroyed and damaged by the sandstorms and insectoids. And sometimes by the rowing packs of skinwalkers. Until the day comes when these lands will be terraformed, personal long-range calls will be expensive. The hour was late, and Annie wanted nothing else but to fall asleep, yet duty was paramount. She had to try and help.

"The Wintersong household bids thee greetings, lady," A male wolfkin dressed in a strict black suite appeared on the display. He raised his eyebrow upon seeing who was calling him. No doubt that the majordomo was surprised, the Wolf Tribe members never call their cousins on their own volution. At least Annie never heard about that, "How may I help thee?"

"I want to speak with the sword saint, Camelia Wintersong, if this is okay." Annie licked her lips nervously, unsure how to proceed.

"Are you in need of medical assistance? If so, you can speak with m…"

"No, no!" Annie quickly stopped this pleasant man, realizing what exactly he thought upon seeing her ruined form. He meant nothing bad, probably, but she was on the clock, and she was short on tokens on hand. Almost all her tokens were invested or in the bank. She could only speak for so long, "It is about a personal matter. She knows me. Please tell her that Annie is asking for her."

The majordomo clearly wanted to ask if she had an appalment but decided against it due to the unusual situation. He asked Annie to wait for a moment, and then made a call. In a short while, the screen went black, before switching to show a wide room. The wooden walls of the room were covered with a tapestry of the Wintersong household. Four thick columns made of onyx and covered in golden patterns supported the canopy over the bed, which was visible in the screen. Lady Camelia Wintersong, dressed in a white bathrobe with crimson trim, sat in a beautiful chair before the bed, holding a glass of wine in her paw. The sword saint’s fur was slightly wet, indicating that Annie probably distracted her from the bath procedures. The sword was pressed to the side of the chair, a large worktable behind the bed was filled with numerous papers, carefully and orderly arranged.

"Annie," Camelia pleasantly smiled, "It’s been too long. Are you feeling unwell by any chance?"

"Greetings, lady Camelia," Annie said respectfully, bowing her head to the sword saint, "and I apologize for bothering you at this hour. Please listen to me, I don’t have tokens to establish a connection for long."

"I do believe that you are misguided, Annie," Camelia purred in a sweet voice, "If you check the balance, you will surely see that you have enough time to speak at your leisure. I am of the opinion that a lady should never be in a hurry."

How?! Annie wondered, upon checking the balance on her terminal. According to the information, the Winterson household was paying for the call and her tokens were refunded. Bur, this should not be possible!

"I am forever grateful to you for your generosity," Annie bowed her head again, screaming internally at herself to just shut up and take the gift, "However this time I came to you to ask for help."

"You are always welcome in our hospital, Annie." Camelia smiled, "Or maybe you finally decided to join us? If so, you are more than welcome."

"No… It’s not about me… Listen, you know Ulrica, right?" Annie tried to find the right words.

"Young scion of the Voidrunner household? Yes, but of course. During the balls, we ran into each other a few times. I heard that she left for a trip."

"Yeah… about that…" Annie scratched the back of her head, starting to tell the story to Camelia. The smile soon disappeared from the face of the sword master, she quickly tapped something on the terminal while Annie was telling her story. Once, she even asked Annie to stop calling someone. Finally, she gestured to Annie to continue, and the wolf hag told everything as she remembered it, "This is how it is… Lady Camelia, Ulrica must be kept away from the Ravaged Lands or…" She fell silent, unsure how to speak about the dangers without painting her own people as bad.

"Do not worry. She has way too much free time on her paws, it seems. Once the poor girl recovers her fur and completes a course of therapy, her father and I will find her a proper job. No point in wasting her enthusiasm," Camelia took a sip of wine and said, "The Voidrunners should have told me about her disappearance. I would have taken my own knights to find her," She looked at the glass of wine in her paw, "The Voidrunner household is not as big nowadays as it was before. They are still recovering from the last war. They have preciously few knights and should learn to call on their kin for aid during the troubling times."

"Yes, while we are on the subject of help. You see, I… wanted to ask for your aid myself. Sorry for being selfish and imposing myself…"

"Think nothing of it," The sword saint quickly said, gracefully turning to look at Annie, "Selfish from the mouth of my cousins sounds too interesting to pass. Speak on."

"The Voidrunner household offered to pay for medical expenses…" Annie pressed the index fingers of her paws together, looking down in shame, "And I commanded one of my scouts, Ultis, to visit your doctors. There is also one badly wounded wolf hag named Bel from the pack of Alpha… I thought... Maybe you could send someone to look after them while they are in the Core Lands?"

Annie raised her head upon hearing the soft purring laughter of the sword saint. Lady Camelia pressed one paw to her snout, giggling like a girl: "Oh, Annie. I was wrong. This is not merely something interesting. This is simply adorable. Put your mind at ease, we will look after them."