Surely, if they were both less aggravative wolves to begin with, they might have been able to handle the solution calmer… instead, offense flew around between them. There was a snapping and Rhae responded in kind, her tail curving and curling as she bared her fangs in turn. She let the woman get her piece out and Rhae snapped her jaws towards her, irritation coursing through her veins.

“I don’t want you to treat her like a princess. I want you to treat her like she’s a fucking kid. When she does something wrong, correct her but don’t snap at her like she’s the devil incarnate when she doesn’t yet know any better.” She defended, still very clearly fed up from the first interaction she had witnessed between her daughter and the guardian. “And don’t fucking insinuate that I don’t pull my weight around here, like I’ve never taught her to pull her own either. She’s growing up and she’s taking on more responsibilities. I help keep you fed and protected as well just like every other fucking wolf here does. We’re a pack. We work together. We all pull our own weight and we help each other survive. That was what your brother founded this place as.” She loathed the implication she did not pull her weight.

“She is not oblivious. She’s a child, still learning, still curious. I’d rather her be curious and ask questions and get her paws into trouble that we can pull her out of than be send out into a world unprepared.” Rhaegara had seen her own parents torn apart in front of her eyes, and she had never truly recovered. Every reaction was visceral and the nightmares still haunted her. The fur bristled along her spine. She had been holding it in for so long and it was just good to let it out.

There was a part of her that was projecting. Not all of her anger was reflective of this Macieo’s actions and somewhere deep down she knew that. It was just unfortunate that she was the only Macieo there to take her anger at the moment, and she had done something worthy of Rhaegara’s initial anger to begin with. She wanted to speak, Rhae could tell, but she hadn’t let her until she had let it all off her chest… and something had struck a nerve with her as she went back at her. The prey that might have been in the area had surely all scattered and it would be something of a miracle if the rest of the pack could not hear them from where they are standing.

She didn’t trust other wolves. Even Saga and Adelard who she trusted the most she still kept to a light distance because it had been friends who had betrayed her parents, who had orphaned her and she would not wait to have the same or worse happen to her daughter. Perhaps she did coddle her a little bit, but it was for her best interest, to keep her safe. Words could truly not explain why she felt the way she did… at least, not words she was willing to share.

A year meant very little. Still, something about her outrage reached out to Rhae, her gaze and determination to put Woya in her place faltering slightly as she turned around to storm away, her voice softening with a sigh and perhaps even the slightest hint of regret. “Wait, I’m sorry.” Whether or not she was apologizing because she realized the amount she was projecting onto the other woman was unclear. Was she fond of her and her abrasive attitude? Not particularly. Did she like the way that Woya spoke to her daughter? Definitely not… but it also didn’t mean that the woman was going to tear her or Enera limb from limb for simply existing…

Begrudgingly.

“I’m sorry… some of that was uncalled for.” She would not say all of it, but some of it certainly was and she would recognize that if only for a moment. “I know it’s a part of your personality… and I know you have helped her grow… and I didn’t mean to imply you didn’t know I just…” She sighed softly, not finding the words as frustration hinted on her features and she herself turned to walk away, likely to find her daughter and have a chat with her.