"We're finally here!" Leila sang cheerfully, looking out of the porthole of their flying transport as the outer borders of Chokepoint A appeared on the horizon.

Aranea and her pack had been assigned to join Warlord Martyshkina and travel to Chokepoint A to reinforce the defense of this crucial location. The journey took nearly eight hours, and they had to take a detour, evading a curious sand reaper, but five transports arrived at their destination.

Most Wolfkins had spent this trip in utter silence. Members of the Wolf Tribe disliked being torn from solid ground for extended periods. Olesya had briefly contacted Aranea and shared the embarrassing information that the warlord had been drinking excessively to cope with the ongoing situation. Aranea had never expected Martyshkina to be afraid or concerned about anything; Martyshkina's combat prowess had been the stuff of legends, but there was a first time for everything. It fell to the younger scouts to keep morale up.

The wolf hag herself had found the sky quite relaxing; the passing clouds were beautiful, and the occasional shifting of vast volumes of sand below marked the passing of the underground titans. The hardest thing to handle was sheer boredom. It was cramped here, with no space to exercise, and Aranea summoned a video of their destination on the helmet's display.

Chokepoint A consisted of defensive installations wedged into the long, kilometer-wide road streaking between two natural mountain ranges. The western mountains had a smoother surface with several plateaus, so engineers erected a full shield station there. The force shield it projected stretched through the state's positions on the mountains, also keeping the army forces at the canyon entrances safe. Firing arcs from the pillboxes and bunkers overlapped, forming a kill zone for anyone daring enough to try to bypass the pass uninvited.

Temporary command centers, barracks, warehouses, and field hospitals stood to the south of the entrance. An entire small city grew behind the defensive lines, created with the sole goal of supporting the defenders. Such nightmarish logistical feats were achieved in no small part thanks to the revered the Inevitable, a crawler and one of the largest mobile bases of the Reclamation Army. Once a proud landship of the Blessed Mother, it hadn't lost an ounce of its industrial capability, and its factories were churning out endless materials for the workers and providing ready-to-deploy defensive installations.

Sonya's assessment was correct. No expense was spared for this operation. Though ancient, the Inevitable remained the top-of-the-line landship of the Third, second only to the Great Wyrm Lord crawler.

When the transports gently touched the landing pads and their ramps opened, unleashing the Wolfkins outside, and Aranea inhaled a lungful of the harsh, hot air of the Ravaged Lands. At her command, the pack fell in line, obedient to Sonya and Aranea. Leila and the shaman accompanied Warlord Martyshkina and Olesya to the command center, a three-story slab of gray. With all signs of uncertainty and alcohol washed from the warlord, she spread her shoulders wide; the cloak flapped in the wind. Olesya noticed Aranea's glance and winced, frowning her snout.

Martyshkina had to stay in the hospital for two days, enduring the gruesome and bloody process of body cleaning as the doctors had sawed her back, extracting parasites clinging to her organs. Olesya revealed to Aranea that the entire surgical wing had been covered in a layer of gore upon completion, a near-perfect imitation of a slaughterhouse, and janitors struggled to clean it. Martyshkina had removed the last of the bandages shortly before boarding the transport, and Aranea was worried that the injuries could still bother her. Additionally, no one could tell for sure if the woman was actually taking any of the host of medications prescribed to her by the medics.

Warlord Janine met them outside the command center, embracing her fellow warlord in a bear hug. Aranea noticed the swiftness with which her warlord let go of Martyshkina and a strained expression on her snout. Perhaps she wasn't drinking to calm down fears of heights.

"How are you?" Janine addressed Aranea, releasing a welcoming scent.

"Excellent, my warlord." Aranea bowed, feeling at ease. Ironjaw had been with her since her arrival in the Wolf Tribe, an eternal pillar ready to support and shield.

Janine grunted, sniffing her over, and looked at the shaman with a wide grin. "How long has it been?" Ignoring her attempts to resist, Janine scooped up the woman and hugged her. "Aranea, Marty, Olesya, let me introduce you to my…"

"I'm just a shaman under the command of Wolf Hag Aranea," the shaman interrupted, regaining her balance. Janine scowled, not out of anger but out of hurt. "If you plan to address me otherwise, use my given moniker. Scarred One."

"As you wish. My thanks for your introduction, and may you have the best health," Janine answered slowly, looked at Leila, and then turned to Aranea. "Your orders are to guard the shield station."

"But I expected to serve alongside you," Aranea said.

"We all expected it. However, the order came from the blue wyrm: you and your pack are to be stationed there in Warlord Valerye's absence. The warlord and her troops will arrive shortly, and maybe then you'll rejoin us. Until then, enjoy the company of the regulars. Do nothing I wouldn't do. No biting, no clawing, no defecating, no pulling out spine columns." She stared at Scarred One.

"Yes, ma'am! A question." Janine nodded, and Aranea continued. "Brave Frontier. Is it safe?"

"I left Roch in charge. The weasel wanted to join us, but it isn't appropriate for a civilian to be here. He has a level head on his shoulders, aside…" Janine clicked her fingers. "When we left, the bastard approved a request from the locals to have statues erected in our honor."

"Smart kid. He knew it would irritate you and provide them with additional troops to guard cultural heritage," Martyshkina chuckled, opening her mouth wide to breathe.

A heavy paw landed on her shoulder. "Marty, we're going to walk to my room. Let's see what bothers you so much." Martyshkina attempted to claim that she was fine, but her claims rang phony to everyone, and Janine dragged her friend inside, not releasing her grip.

"Guess I'm on my own. Sorry, Ari, gotta hurry to our position. We'll chat later," Olesya said, shaking paws with her. "Form up, troops, we're heading up! Lemme hear your howls of joy! Louder!"

Aranea and her pack found themselves seats in a six-wheeled, armored truck often carrying supplies up the winding path to the station. Today, the pack played the role of these goods. The smell of old oil and sweet scents of rotten vegetables and meat still lingered in the cargo hall, calming the nerves. Sonya stabbed a finger into the wall, scratching off rust to her disappointment. At least there was enough space for twenty Wolfkins and the half-wyrm to sit comfortably.

Tiny took off her helmet and sat down near the huge, black-furred Wolfkin with the scarred snout. Aranea barely recognized Gin from her youth in him. His faint stripes had disappeared, and he had gained gorgeous, lush fur of the darkest color. Scarred One kept fuming about the preferential treatment given to the male, obviously disappointed about Tiny's loss to him. To her, a situation where a female could lose to a male must've been inconceivable. Obeying Aranea's command not to stir up trouble, she said nothing, merely shoving Leila aside and slamming her bulk next to the two.

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Gin and Tiny didn't pay her any attention. They took apart their shardguns, checking every part, and whispered about the changes in recent models as they compared their weapons. Several soldiers joined them, dispelling Aranea's fears of Tiny being at risk of being dominated without Yuki around to rein in her pack. According to Sonya, the smaller woman often conversed with warriors and scouts, took photos and painted for them, and even stopped occasional brawls. Whatever her secret was, no one raised a paw at her.

Sonya stretched her legs, relaxed at the sight of the pack not fooling around too much, reached into her sack, took out a book, and used her lenses for reading. She had returned the materials given to her, stating that she had no need of assistance to control her rage, and had picked up fantasy novels from the store in the fortress, finding them to her liking. When Aranea asked her what she had found in them, the scout answered that she found the idea of a more peaceful world enthralling.

Leila took off her helmet and placed it on her knees, joining Aranea. To her knowledge, the half-wyrm wasn't messing with anyone's mind anymore. Instead, she kept pestering every warrior and male, trying to get to know them, trade secrets, and befriend them. Sonya had reported that she was growing tired of the avalanche of questions and that, thanks to Tiny, the half-wyrm, and the pack members frequently visited the bar, drinking and bonding. Aranea was about to ask the half-wyrm if she knew anything about the suspicious involvement in their assignment when Kaleb called.

"Am I not interrupting you, wolf hag?" Kaleb's image appeared on her display. He used his cane to stand and placed a terminal on Kate's bedside table to record himself.

"Cut off the ranks until you are back in the military. You can call me anytime. Are you fine? How's Kate?" She knew it to be stupid, but she was worried sick about abandoning them. Leila's ears perked up at the mention of the last name.

"I'm feeling fantastic. The phantom pains disappeared; a nurse taught us how to play chess; the doctors involved me in assisting with the wounded; and I even got paid for it. All in all, I'm set." Kaleb sounded pleased. Then he hushed. "Kate had a nervous breakdown on the eighth day, as the doc suspected…"

"I can speak for myself," an upset voice butted in, and the image shifted to the side, showing Kate. Her stumps no longer bleed and are closed fully, with strands of hair covering them. Not a single stitch marred her skin, and she had gained meat on her ribs. "Hi there, Aranea. I hope you are doing well," Kate forced out the niceties, shocking Aranea with a casual greeting. "Is that bitch near you?"

"Kate, she can hear you," Aranea murmured, taking enjoyment in Leila's guilty expression.

"Hook her in; I want to talk to her." Aranea gestured, and Leila put on her helmet, joining the communication channel. "Listen here, wyrm-spawn. Two days ago, I had the worst set of nightmares ever. As if I had a sledgehammer to the nose and then a drill going through my brain. Surprisingly, they came after the expiration of your seven-day therapy course. I could barely breathe for nearly an hour, scared Kaleb to death, soiled and dirtied myself, and cried away all my tears…"

"I'm sorry," Leila said. "If you want to, I can ask Wyrm Lord to…"

"Listen to me for once, shit for brains." Kate fumed with anger, adding hisses to words. "All my previous breakdowns lasted from ten to fifteen minutes, often less after the doctors applied medication. And they were getting shorter. Yesterday, my episode lasted an hour, and I couldn't be sedated." Kate took a deep breath, calming herself. "I've no idea what's splashing in your cranium. Maybe you're a nice gal. But you screwed me up big time."

"I never wanted it to happen…"

"Not finished, listen!" Kate cut off the apologies, stopping her in mid-sentence. "I asked around about you and know it is pointless to scream at you. But please, the next time you try to use your power to smoothen a brain, consider the potential consequences. What you did to me only placed my memories 'on hold,' so to speak. And then they were released all at once. It hurt me badly and affected Kaleb."

Aranea blinked, listening to the discussion. Since when did Kate converse so calmly? Had Leila's actions left a lasting impact on her?

"You didn't banish the source of my troubles; and caused it to return at a later date, stronger than before. Not going to mince words, I'm pissed off at you. Enraged. But you are one of us now. I can't really forgive you for what you've done to me right now, but I must learn how to work with you. I'm also not without sin; I hurt my packmates with my self-loathing, caused pain to my beloved by ignoring him. Stuff happened. I'm getting better because my friends cared and refused to give up on me. Now I extend the same to you. I'm not your friend, but do call me later. We need to talk and resolve our differences."

"Who are you, and what did you do to the real Kate? I'll pay the ransom; just give her back, doppelgänger," Aranea laughed.

"Screw you, I love my current self. It's… hard to admit I was such an irritating piece of self-absorbed shit." Kate snarled. "Sorry for distrusting you, Aranea. I was afraid you'd stab me in the back if you found out about my... condition."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing, and I'm sorry!" Aranea raised her voice, drawing several heads to look at them. Leila raised a fist, and the pack pretended to do something else. The shaman rolled her natural eye, Tiny smirked, and Sonya kept reading. "I was the one who scarred and hurt you, not the other way around. What are you even sorry for, you idiot?!"

"Ok, then let's forgive each other's transgressions and live on. Anyway, I'm worn out and need a nap." Kate yawned, trying to hide the fear in her eyes and voice. "But I don't just stay here and do nothing. The intelligence reports came, and I almost…" She dropped on the pillows, snoring.

Kaleb returned the image to himself.

"Is she truly alright? Why is she being so… nice to everyone all of a sudden?" Aranea hushed, worried as Kaleb took syringes from another table. "And what are you doing?"

"Preparing stuff for the doctors if her nightmares come again. I told you, they taught me a thing or two here. In case…" Kaleb glanced at Kate over his shoulder. "Who am I kidding? It's just a matter of time. When she goes to sleep, the nightmares get closer, and there's not much I can do." He resumed the preparations, pressing a button to summon the medics. "As for your first question, she asked me to help her become more sociable." Kaleb chuckled. "No idea why she asked me to achieve it, because I am…. Well, me."

"Show some pride in yourself, Kaleb!" Aranea almost growled at him. "You survived combat. You sought Kate's trust? Wanted her to loosen up? Now she's trying to do it and trust you. You are helping her the most, not I." She smiled. "Best of luck to you both…" She stopped, hearing a loud mouth and thrashing on the bed. Kaleb ended the communication.

Aranea's paw clenched her knees in a surge of impotent anger. She wanted to face Blaguna and rip out her throat so she could drink deep from the gap. And do the same to that blasted Yasen. They caused it. Killed Kostya, took Yuki… They were dead men walking, both Blaguna and Yasen. The Reclamation Army took any torture of their own troops very seriously. Even during peace, accidents occurred in the foreign countries, committed by hired aides.

No need to play hero; someone will get them. What Aranea needed was to lead her pack. One scout wasn't enough; she'll soon lose command over Scarred One and gain fresh volunteers. Her eyes focused on the lack of safety modes on the shardguns of two males, and she patiently explained to the greenhorns the correct way of handling the weapons, nodded to Sonya to watch over them, and assigned them cleaning duties for a week as punishment. These two were from Kate's and Yuki's packs and had arrived just before the tragedy.

No matter how much she relied on Sonya, her mentor could not be everywhere, and Aranea could be busy with other matters. She must promote a new scout—or better yet, two—even if that meant coming to terms with Yuki's passing. She owed her friend this much.

Then it struck her, harder than even the tin can's blows. She was alone again. Tiny, Scarred One, Leila… All relatively fresh faces, competent in their areas, but not even close to those she had considered her family. Her original pack, the people with whom she drank, trained, fought side-by-side… Not a single one of them was here, and almost half of them were gone forever. Ripped out of her life.

Aranea examined her troops' equipment and spent the rest of the journey in thoughtful silence, trying to comprehend what had happened to her life.

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