THE ALPHA IS IN MY FRESHMAN YEAR

Chapter 4

TANSY'S POV

Cindy and I walk toward SLU. The sun is warm. The fields stretch out on either side. And a ridiculous grin spread across my face. I cannot stop smiling.

The gates rise ahead of us. Tall and wrought iron, twisted into a crescent moon and a silver leaf. Beyond them, the campus spreads out like something from a painting.

I stop walking. Cindy stops beside me. We stand there, staring. Old stone buildings with ivy climbing their walls. Tall arched windows catching the morning light. Wide green lawns, students walking in small groups in different coloured uniforms. A big statue of a leaf in the center of the courtyard, sorrounded by a fountain of water shimmering in the sun.

I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.

We pass through the gates. The cobblestone path is smooth beneath my feet. Students move around us carrying books. A few sit on the grass, laughing.

While trying to figure out where to go, a girl approaches us. She has light brown skin, and her hair is pulled back and tied in a neat bun. She wears a dark green skirt with a white coat. A small badge on her collar reads: "Orientation Guide."

"Welcome to SLU," she says, her voice high-pitched and cheerful. "I am Elara. I will be showing you around."

"Thank you," I say.

She leads us toward the main building. "We will start with orientation in the Great Hall. After that, I will take you on a campus tour. Then you will collect your uniforms and course handbooks."

The Great Hall is at the center of the campus. The doors are tall and wooden, dark with age. When they open, the hall stretches out before us. High ceilings with wooden beams crossing overhead. Rows of benches, dark and worn smooth by generations of students.

A raised stage at the front, simple and unadorned. Light falls through tall windows along the walls, casting rectangles of sunlight across the stone floor.

The room smells of old wood and dust and wax. We find our seats and I run my hand along the bench. The wood is cool and smooth, polished by years of use.

A woman walks towards the stage. People's eyes turn as she walks. Its Hyacinth Salvus. She is the best healer in the Union and oversees the entire university.

"Welcome to Silver Leaf University," she says, her voice calm but carrying across the hall. "Your names were chosen from a pool of many." She pauses, her eyes sweeping across the room.

"This place does not care who you were before you arrived. What we care about is who you will become after and what it takes to get there. Healing is not a gift. It is a discipline. It needs constant practice and discipline. It is hours of learning to read what the body does not say out loud."

She leans forward slightly. "Every patient who comes to you will be afraid. They will be in pain, and they will place their life in your hands because they have no other choice. Do not let them regret that choice."

She looks at the students, and for a moment, I feel like she is looking directly at me.

"Study. Ask questions. Be curious. Do not ever think you know enough, because you will never know enough. That is the nature of healing. It is a path without an end."

"This university exists to prepare you for that path. We will teach you everything we can. The rest, you will learn from the wolves you heal, and from the wounds that teach you what no book can."

She pauses, letting her words settle. Then she steps aside.

"I will now introduce Professor Hartley, the head of Medical Sciences."

Professor Hartley steps forward and gives a short welcome. A few other professors speak, each introducing their department, psychology, medicine, and research.

The orientation ends, and Elara appears at the front of the podium. She raises her hand to capture the students' attention.

"Now for the tour," she says. "Follow me." she gestures with her hand.

She leads us out of the Great Hall and across the courtyard. We stop in front of a large stone building with tall windows.

"This is the main lecture hall," she says. "Most of your classes will be held here. The benches are old, but the rooms have been updated with the latest teaching tools."

She points to a building on the left. "The building in the front is the library. It is open at all hours. You will receive your access cards later today, and once you have them, you can use the library anytime you need."

She leads us further in. "This is the dining hall. Meals are served three times a day. The food comes from the Granary."

We pass by the administration building. "All offices are here. If you need anything, registration, transcripts, or housing you come here."

Then she leads us through a glass door. Warm air hits my face. The smell of wet soil and plants fills my lungs.

"This is the greenlab," Elara says. "It is where you will have some of your practical classes. The plants here are used for medicine. You will learn how to identify each plant and its use, how to grow them, and the required dose"

I look around. Rows of medicinal plants stretch out on either side. I know a few from the farm some yarrow flowers, wild marigold, and a neem tree. Lab might not be hard as it seems who knew my life at the Granary was a huge preparation for medicine. The light filters through the glass ceiling, casting soft shadows across the leaves.

"This is incredible," I say quietly.

Cindy nods. "We know most of these plants already," she whispers.

After the tour, Elara leads us to the uniform office. It is a small room at the end of a hallway. A woman with round glasses wearing a light green dress with a white cardigan sits behind the desk.

"Name?" she asks.

"Tansy Meadow."

She hands me a neatly folded package. "Here is your uniform."

Inside is a dark brown skirt and a mustard yellow coat with the SLU university symbol embroidered on its breast pocket.

Cindy collects hers next. Her uniform is a maroon skirt with a grey coat.

We pack our things and head back. The walk home is quiet. The sun is beginning to set. The clouds have now turned orange, and everything ahead looks dreamy. I keep thinking about the campus and hold my uniform tight to my chest. I leave Cindy at her place, shift smoothly into my wolf, and start running back home.