The next day, the pup returned to the Main Base. He'd been too distraught, too sad, too harmed, and too ashamed to return.

It was a grey morning, with the clouds hanging low. The animals at the Main Base were restless. The news of the silent pangs and Brad's death had alerted them. Security around the clearing border had risen, and more animals were in their caves than in the glade.

One-eye walked past two rough-looking wolves guarding the edge as he entered the Base, his head down.

He looked around, hoping to see Silkey, but she was nowhere to be seen. The few animals that were outside and weren't guarding the clearing paced to and fro, ears twitching, nose in the air, and eyes constantly scanning for danger.

The pup sighed. I guess it's off to Lone One assassin training, then. Not like I care at all.

He crossed the Main Base, moving awkwardly with his hind legs because of the pain between them. He tried to ignore the tears that were still slowly falling down his face.

Nothing will ever be the same way again, will it? Maybe it's best if I just seek out those humans and get them to kill me. Blegh.

He then shook his head. Silkey is still here, though, and I can't do that to her. She lost her father already. Even though we can't be friends anymore, she'll surely get really upset if I were to die...right?

He walked sluggishly towards training place. He knew he was late, but he didn't care. He'd lost his two only friends and the little dignity he had left. Everything he seemed to hold dear somehow always managed to be taken from him. Dear Shinwa...please, he prayed silently. Take care of Silkey. And...if you think I'm worth it...of me.

The deformed wolf suddenly stumbled out of fear when he heard a loud call coming from behind him.

"Why, look. If that isn't Quasi!" Maud growled while approaching. Arall and Diggs were with her.

One-eye sobbed and took an aching step backwards, whimpering.

"Don't bother going to training; it's been cancelled until we're sure there're no more hunters around," Arall said meekly, but Maud instantly derided.

"So it is really true what I've heard! Arrow gave One-eye another piece of her mind. Looking nice, Two-Claws, although not all of these will be scars, sadly enough. But, oh, the ones that are, are just glorious!"

She put her paw in front of her mouth and laughed, though it sounded more like a cackle. Diggs grinned. One-eye wanted to walk away. He sobbed and turned around.

"Aww, he's sad. What is it? Oh, that's right, he's not allowed to go near his girlfriend again! He has nothing left to live for now!" Maud insulted.

"Yeah, nothing!" agreed Diggs.

One-eye stopped strolling away. He put down his lifted front paw and thought deeply.

Nothing left to live for... Nothing...left...to...live...for. I...no...

He panted.

It can't... Well...Mom, Dad, Laika, my old home, my looks that were bad already to begin with, Brad, my manliness and now Silkey... They...

He panted again.

They're right. I...Shinwa has abandoned me. Everyone has... There's nothing left. Nothing! Nothing in this entire world! Everything's gone! EVERYTHING!

The pup's hackles rose. He vaguely heard Maud and Diggs still launch insults at him, but it all seemed very far away.

Nothing...left...to...live...for. The words kept echoing in his head, until it finally sounded like there were a billion voices all shouting them at him.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the words. Stop!

Nothing...left...

Stop it!

To...live...

NO!

For... Nothing...

Get out! Get OUT!

No matter how hard One-eye tried, the voices and the echoing words they disdainfully spoke didn't stop. His attempts to get rid of them were futile.

He shook his head again, heaving. No end came to the words.

Nothing...left...to...live...for. Nothing...left...to...live...for. NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR!

"Hey, Quasi! QUASI!" Maud's voice came from behind him again, this time breaking through the endless thoughts.

Nothing...

"QUASI!"

Left...

"ARE YOU DEAF OR WHAT?"

To live...

"Stop standing there and respond, you idiot!"

For...

One-eye suddenly felt as if a volcano erupted inside of him. He'd never felt such a surge of anger, and seemed blinded by some kind of insane haze. The deformed pup ignored all the pain and turned around in a split second and lunged.

He heard a confused "Huh?" from Diggs, but instead went straight for Maud.

The black she-wolf hadn't expected this reaction at all, but One-eye grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her over.

She struggled to get up again, screaming, but One-eye dashed on the nearest tree, turned around, and rushed for her again. He managed to grab hold of her scruff. His jump had been so powerful that they rolled over one another. But One-eye managed to find footing swiftly and dug his teeth further into Maud's scruff, grabbing her neck.

She yelped. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! AAARGH!"

One-eye ignored everything, and then bit through Maud's spine. He heard a disgusting sound coming from her throat, and then she lay limp in One-eye's jaws, her orange eyes staring into the nothing.

One-eye dropped the lifeless body and looked at it. Nothing left... I have one thing left that you forgot, Maud. I made a vow. A vow to Arrow. I swore I'd only kill Lone Ones without families, and, in return, Arrow would let my family live! Well, that's what I'm going to live by! That's all I have left! You lied, Maud, you lied!

He heard a seemingly far-away response from Diggs. "What have you...?" he gasped.

One-eye spat out some hair and blood on the ground, and looked at the wolfdog.

"You...you...you killed her! Monster! You killed her!" Diggs shouted at him, surprised, angry, scared, and confused.

One-eye said nothing as he left Diggs and Arall to be alone with his thoughts, barely realizing what he'd just done.

***

It was warm. The hot mid-summer sun shone bright. There was green all around. The grass and flowers looked beautiful, and a lone wolf walked through them, carrying a grouse between her strong jaws.

A suspicious smell suddenly made her drop the bird. She turned around and growled. There was a strange wolf nearby, and in her territory!

"Show yourself!" the wolf snapped, looking in the direction from whence the scent came.

She looked up, surprised, when she saw a deformed and severely scarred greyish wolf step out from the trees. He was clearly young, two-years-old at most.

The she-wolf shook her head in repulsion at his awful appearance. His empty socket, deformed paw, and crooked hump looked all but handsome.

She then snapped out of it, growling at him. "Hey, what do you think you're doing here, punk?" she shouted. "This is Hoef's territory!"

The youngster looked at her, his pale brown eye emotionless. He then yawned.

Disrespectful brat! the she-wolf thought. She decided to give him one last warning. "Get off my territory right this instant, Frick! Or I'll have to teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

The stranger stood still, the same expression on his face as a response.

Hoef no longer waited and bolted towards him. That'll teach you to infiltrate my territory!

She had expected him to at least change his expression or pose when she started to rush towards him, but he seemed almost like a dead, taxidermied creature. He didn't move; he didn't even blink.

Hoef let out a mighty snarl as she went for his throat. Suddenly, the grey youngster lowered his head, causing her to crash into his.

"Arg!" Hoef exclaimed as she was flung aside, her forehead bleeding slightly. She wasn't easily defeated, though. This head wound was nothing. "Alright, that's it! I'll rip out your other eye!"

She ran towards the youngster again, this time ready for any movement he'd make. However, he suddenly ran away, dashed up a tree, turned around, and lunged for her.

She stopped in her tracks. Had she just seen this? Wolves didn't climb trees, let alone dash up one!

Her moment of being stunned was fatal, for the stranger crashed into her, threw her over, and went for the throat.

Hoef still tried to fight back, but when the scarred wolf reached her artery and windpipe, it was over.

***

One-eye licked the blood off of his lips. It had been a swift kill. He shook his head and looked to the west, from which Jera came. The wind has been pointing into that direction, so the dead she-wolf wouldn't have been able to smell her from where she'd been walking.

The brown wolfdog looked at him approvingly. "Very well done, One-eye. You're not even a half-year in our training program and already you have the power and moves to kill adult Lone Ones. You're the best of all of the assassin trainees! In fact, you're even better than any of the trainees we've had last year."

One-eye nodded. Good.

Jera continued. "I'll report your improvements to Arrow. She'll be pleased to find that you're making progress quickly. If you continue like this, you'll be an assassin in a few months!"

One-eye just nodded.

Jera poked the grass with her foot, apparently a bit uncomfortable. "Eh...very well. You go back to the Main Base I'll get rid of the body and mark this territory as ours now."

Without speaking, One-eye obeyed.

***

Guard. Just, stay on guard, Silkey. Stay. On. Guard.

Silkey had also changed in the past months. She was bigger and more muscled, and her spots had faded even more, becoming nearly invisible. She also wore her hair brushed backwards. Her mom had even forced her to teach herself to keep her lazy eye a bit more in check.

Silkey sighed. Guarding was one of the most boring tasks her mother could give her, but she stayed true to her job. She sat on a rock in front of their den.

Keep guarding. Do as Mom told you. Silkey had to keep telling this to herself, or else she'd get distracted.

The young catamount had a good view of the Main Base from here, and saw the many animals in it. There had been no sign of the humans with their silent Pangs since the day Brad got shot, so everyone was at ease.

Mom better be back soon. I hate this job.

Silkey looked up as she saw a young, pale grey wolf enter the glade.

One-eye.

The assassin trainee had his mouth still covered in dried blood. He looked like an utter mess. He hadn't brushed his coat in ages, which made it look dirty and battered.

Silkey had changed a lot mentally, too. After endless indoctrination from Arrow, she'd finally started to be a fraction of the daughter her mother wanted her to be. She focused only on becoming a second-in-command. No distractions of any kind. Arrow had also managed to change her opinion on One-eye. Now that Silkey saw him there, moving to the Prey-stock, she saw him through her mother's eyes.

He indeed was hideous. And not only that, but his behavior was also peculiar. He hardly spoke anymore with that high-pitched voice of his. He always seemed emotionless or bored, except when he got to kill Lone Ones. He truly was a monster.

***