3rd Person POV
Hutch had given up all hope that Winston and Tony the two leaders would succeed in convincing the other. He knew that the consequences of the united pack would be severe if the two split apart.
Even though he knew that the Yoho pack would never enter their territory for they were defensive minded and fought only on their territory. It would still be disastrous if the packs would split once more.
Hutch pushed the two leaders aside not quite understanding what was going on swallowing the fear that he may have overstepped his boundaries and could well lose his head for his insubordination. Well, at least it would give them something to agree on he thought.
Turning to each leader and masking his fear he calmly asked what was going on and what their plans were and to go one at a time.
Fortunately for Hutch they were both far more interested in resolving the conflict than they were at punishing Hutch for they were both flustered and not thinking too clearly. They each explained their points of view each listening to the others views.
Hutch then explained how their points had similarities and explained that as a follow-up to Tony's idea Crown City which depended upon neighbouring farms for food could be starved into submission.
The two leaders agreed somewhat with this new view as they believed that as long as they did not give in to the other they had "won" in a way.
Hutch was appointed to implement the new strategy this proving to be a monumental loss at the worst they had twelve confirmed killed in action but at least ten were missing.
This would essentially mean that at least half of the united fighting pack was gone and many more were wounded and could offer no more than a scratch force against the Yoho army.
Their enemy on the other hand had the miraculous capability to recover their wounded back to fighting strength.
Further problems had resulted as even among the alphas there were those whom wanted peace with the Yoho pack. After all we were the hostile force and the Yoho pack had conducted its affairs honourably sparing those that had surrendered and returning them safely to where their borders met.
They were some whom believed that it was not out of honour or anything of that sort in which the Yoho pack had performed these actions. Rather, they believed that it was out of contempt and that the little upstart pack had to be punished.
Hutch was a proponent of the latter whatever reasons Winston and Tony had of attacking be it selfish or otherwise was now irrelevant. What matters now was that the bruised pride of the united Eastern and Western wolves will be restored somehow.
Hence, to obtain additional troops for such an endeavour there were only two ways about it in the short-run he could stretch the manpower pool by slacking the requirement to be in active service.
In the short to mid-term omegas could be converted to be Betas but this was politically unacceptable to the ruling family. As they would go all out to stop the omegas from getting stronger or so they thought now that almost a third of the alphas were wiped out.
In the long-run he thinks the North could the battle and between the three great powers (Southern, Northern and United Eastern and Western Packs). It was a battle the Yoho pack would never be able to win but how would that ever happen divided as they are.
I think I will do the first two he thinks the third solution was far too unlikely.
As it turns out for Hutch the final solution was just going to land on his lap…
Humphrey's POV
Kate had done little but sleep since her recovery Garth on the other hand was still unconscious but the healers have stabilised his condition and expect him to wake.
It was late, and Lilly had finally fallen asleep by Garth's bedside hoping Garth would wake the following day.
As for me well the healers had thanked me for my efforts, even the alpha guards gave me a nod of acknowledgement. It felt good to be appreciated especially from an alpha, work had been really busy.
As some wolves whom were missing in action had showed up throughout the day with injuries having been relentlessly hunted down by a particularly vicious Yoho alpha called Spitz. Some weren't as fortunate and got hunted down by patrols of log-sledding alphas.
In truth I was scared even though the battles were distant and taking place far from howling rock. I just knew how close I was to losing my soul mate.
His name just sent a chill up my spine. By the end of the day the trickle of missing wolves had stopped, it no was assumed that we had taken at least five more casualties.
The b****** Candu was brought in by the Yoho medical officers and was publicly executed on top of Howling Rock for incompetence. His corpse left for wild jackals and buzzards to feed I think he deserved every last bit of it.
I was walking towards the communal den where Salty, Shakey and Mooch lived trying to take in the day's events. It would seem as though so much was happening so quickly.
Just then, I heard a rather familiar voice "Hey Humphrey" a rather gruff voice that could only be made by one wolf I knew; Hutch.
Hutch emerged out of the woods from the direction of the medical den looking a little weary from behind me.
"Well I was down visiting my old buddies from the army well they told me about you and I have told me wonderful things about you."
"What you showed there was brave and well if I may say un-omega like I salute you" he says giving me a warm smile and a half-bow to show that he considered us equals.
"Woah I just did what omegas were supposed to do you know cheering people up and helping out in the little ways that omegas normally do" I reply a little confused as to what Hutch was getting at.
"Well I lost my best aide Candu in the fighting and I would like you to be his replacement and lead special squads into battle" clearly emphasising the words as though they were something poisonous.
"I am just an omega I can't fight" I say quickly and hesitantly not wanting to get embroiled into a fight.
"Well you've got spirit and lots more than any alpha I've ever seen as for the fighting part it's a technical skill you can always learn".
"We start tomorrow there is a class of omegas a test case if you will of four we're starting to replace the alphas we've lost in the conflict."
"Hence, we are training this class for conversion into Betas I think you will make a find candidate."
"The training is at alpha school which we can use as there is no intake for alpha pups yet although we would have to clear out when the time comes".
"Class starts at five in two days and you will live with the other recruits at the alpha training centre" exclaimed Hutch.
Three months; just three months before the alpha pups go for their training and that's how long I have to finish mine oh my Humphrey what have you gotten yourself into?
I tried not to look constipated as I attempted to take in what Hutch had told me.
"Well I assume all is well then good night then class starts at five" declared Hutch before making his move back into the woods on important business.
I decided not to return to the communal den my den buddies all fast asleep already and I did not want to wake them also I wanted to be with Kate. Hence, tired as I snuggled in and tried to forget about what just happened and let sleep take me.
Kate's POV: The next morning
I lay in bed staring at the ceiling of the medical den, feeling rather bored as I had slept for much of the day. Humphrey was always there for me accompanying me through the night, entertaining me with jokes. Furthermore, he took over the duties of the other healers and attended to me personally be it a request for water food or simply to be shifted (to prevent bedsores).
He bent over rubbing in some sort of stinging plant paste that was supposed to prevent infection from setting in on the exposed wound.
The attention and intimacy he gave made me feel this indescribable feeling a really warm glow from deep inside that you could feel radiating out of your cheeks.
It almost made the pain bearable I nuzzled him and thanked him for his efforts to which he would say that there was no need.
However, all good things had to come to an end Claw whom was two beds over let out a loud groan. He apologised for his absence and went to assist with Janice in his treatments.
This surprised me and made me feel rather perturbed as I had assumed he was here for me.
While Humphrey was busy with Claw, Reba (my personal healer/ attendant allocated to me) went over to attend to personally attend to me. "Reba, why is Humphrey doing all this he is not a healer yet he still helps isn't that dangerous?" I asked.
Reba was a little taken aback by the question and replied rather nonchalantly "Kate there is one thing you should understand not everyone is fortunate enough to have a mate like him."
"What do you mean?" I asked
"While you were hurt and unconscious he could have been grieving but instead he offered strength and encouragement running little errands that saved lives" she paused for a moment voice filled with indignation.
She continued "Finally, he observed you when he should have been resting and when you were awake he entertains you, see where I'm getting at " she says now sounding hostile.
"But of course, you are too proud and arrogant to realise any of this are you not?" Reba said with a cold voice.
I was shocked by what she had said as were the emotions that coursed through me it was not one of anger at how Reba had treated me but it was more around the guilt of what I had said.
I was too stunned to reply only to hang my head low with shame as Reba proceeded to attending to other alphas whom were wounded.
When Humphrey returned I thanked him from the bottom of my heart with the a sincere look of gratitude Humphrey was a little surprised at this and simply said with a kind voice that there was simply no need. I feel so lucky to have such a mate I asked him to lean in closer as I whispered vows of love into his ears.
"Kate well there is something I have to tell you well I've been meaning to tell you I will be gone for the next three months by tomorrow it's something like alpha school but for omegas called beta school and I can't see you there" he whispered with sadness in his voice.
I was sorely disappointed and sad I thanked him again and decided that I would at least go on a walk with him and make the most of our time together. Against Reba's advice I leaned against my mate and decided to go for a long walk into the warm afternoon sun around the flat floor of the plains around the medical den. Filled with feeling and passion I hoped the day would never end…
Of course the day had to end it was filled with discussions of our plans going forward the war not even a topic on my mind now instead we talked about our relationship our future. It was a bright and glowing one.
He tucked me back into the stone bed the whole place now getting quieter as the Yoho medical personal with their mobile posts had left having done their part. I had to admit I was filled with new found respect for them and their resilience.
But that was a topic for tomorrow…
Humprey's POV:Early, very early the next morning
I found myself being shaken awake I leapt up and sprung to my feet rather surprising an alpha trainer whom was trying to wake me up.
"What are you doing you're late class starts at five!" he exclaimed loudly.
I looked out the entrance of the den still dark out and I was still groggy from heavy physical exhaustion the previous day.
"Oh so its 5 in the morning then" I say muttering curses.
The alpha training course was located in a relatively remote part of the pack and bordered with all packs with the exception of the South. It was considered neutral ground for all packs all packs had mutual agreement that the sacred training sites would never become a place of war nor should their armies pass through.
It was really quite different to what I had imagined from the picture in mind when Kate was describing it.
For a start, it seemed a lot more difficult and the obstacles there appeared much more formidable was it my imagination or were there courses whereby there were courses to ford the fast following mountain streams.
There I was guided over to the first course which was had a pair of giant logs sitting in the middle of a muddy field.
Where the omegas had been training with a pair of two omegas was trying to lift up. But time after time someone would lose their balance and the log together with the omegas would fall back into the deep pile of mud.
After this happened they repeated the same exercise all over again the whole time being yelled at by the alpha called Scar a brown-furred wolf for not putting their back into it.
It looked like an impossible task so this was Beta school?
Looking closer, I actually recognised some of them most were the most physically fit omegas in the entire pack they in the crowd I even noticed Lilly performing the back-breaking work of lifting.
The other log had just one omega whom I recognised as Lilly which were fairing even worse than the last group not even succeeding in getting the log off the ground. All had been doing the back breaking labour of log squats for at least twenty minutes before Humphrey had arrived.
Scar upon seeing me turned towards me and yelled "Well what do we have here our very own sleeping beauty everyone another three log squats"
"Humphrey wait here while they finish" he days indicating a dry spot in the field of mud for me to wait comfortably in.
The omegas let out a large groan and struggled with the task for the next fifteen minutes sploshing and splashing mud everywhere and failing miserably at the task. While I had watched the whole scenario trying to prepare myself mentally for what I was about to face.
The other two omegas with the exception of Lilly stared daggers down my throat as I waited save from the mud and back-breaking labour the log had to weigh at least 200 pounds.
Then, the omegas had finished their log squats and Scar allowed them to rest in the dry patch. They sat down in the dry patch keeping their distance from me with the exception of Lilly.
I greeted Lilly (whose white coat was soaked with mud) "Hey Lilly what's going on, why are you here and this can't be the alpha course can it?"
"Well this happens to be the advanced alpha training course as the rest of the alpha course was intended for pups and adolescents. It wouldn't work very well if we got stuck in those tiny obstacle courses" Lilly says a little exhausted.
"As for why I am here well I decided to do something useful as even if I'm not going to see combat its important life skills. Well at least I hope that's what this course is offering besides doesn't Beta sound a lot better to you than omega?" Lilly said managing to sound cheery through the exhaustion.
We sat in silence waiting for the inevitable torture to begin I was so focused on the sound of my pounding heart that I barely heard Scar yelling at me to get to log squats.
I stepped into the mud sinking knee deep getting under the first log along with Lilly. and put our backs into trying to hoist the enormous log onto our backs. The gnarled log was as smooth as a mirror from all the slick mud and slipped off repeatedly.
I then tried to push myself into the mud sinking almost up to my nose suggesting the other Beta recruits to do the same slipping underneath the giant log and hoisting it up it took me a few tries to actually manage it as every time Lilly and I did this the enormous weight would push us into the mud.
Eventually, by carefully shifting our weights we stopped ourselves from sinking and now had to do the next impossible task trying to pull this enormous log out from the thick clinging mud.
The log was unimaginably heavy and must have weighed at least 200 pounds but the clinging mud simply would not let the log go free from its muddy prison making it feel more like 400 pounds. Scar yelled at me (from the safety of the dry area).
Furthermore, Lilly whom was tired from the previous exercise was slacking leaving me to heave most of the weight.
I pushed my hind-legs against the soft mud and used my strongest muscles to push up against the log and I actually was able to lift it up just slightly but nonetheless the log broke through its muddy prison on 1 side.
However, I had caused the other end of the log to dip causing Lilly and myself to fall into the thick mud once more.
In spite of this failure it did prove that the task could be done and I repeated the technique this time asking Lilly to do the same. Lilly feeling angry and frustrated must have directed it into pushing as the log finally emerged out completely from its muddy prison completely I felt a sense of joy.
Scar looked rather stunned at this and it took a while to compose himself before calling out one out of a five required to complete the task. The remaining four once the momentum got going was simple enough. In spite of the fact that I was covered in sweat, grime, dirt and mud I was grinning from ear-to-ear.
Scar looked impressed and although he was known as a strict disciplinarian he did give out hard-won praise when he was due. "Well done Humphrey that was the first time anyone has completed that course not even your mate I may add whom I've trained last year. Truly amazing, I would let Hutch know about this" he says sounding amazed and bewildered.
It was a great day and as dawn broke and morning came we spent the rest of the day working on physical strength through further log squats to build muscles. Although, this was done on dry ground and each wolf was given a smaller log to individually do squats.
By the morning we were all aching and sore to the bone that was when we broke for a quick dip of water and breakfast. I got to know a little about the two other omegas over the meal.
Their names were Jake and Buck both omegas and brothers in the Eastern pack. Jake had a white patch of fur covering his eye over his otherwise grey coat. While on the other hand his brother was a smaller with a monotone grey on his coat.
They were actually pretty friendly after getting to know them better and having the whole morning of exercises to cool off they had largely forgotten the incident in the morning. I was still upset over not getting to be with Kate but I needed to serve my pack protect Kate and earn the respect of my new step-father; Winston.