Her chest felt tight and she desperately just needed some fresh air away from the stifling air that surrounded the cedar trees for her right now. It wasn't like she was planning to leave forever either, by sneaking away in the brightness of the dawn. It was a thought she couldn't even begin to fathom, even right now when there was such responsibility on her shoulders. A few hours by herself, away from the others was all she needed...  

She'd be back in a few hours, once she had cleared her head.

Unconsciously, her paws drew her towards where she had first meet Yvly. The creek looked the same as it did a year ago. And didn't that baffle Amaryllis, that after a quick calculation in her head, that she had been in this land, and part of Grizzly Hollow for over a year. A year and now she was its leader, due to various reasons that were through no fault of her own. While she had the drive to be a leader in her own right (and didn't most wolves? she pondered), it was contentment she had felt simply being a subordinate within the pack. Veho and Oula had a good grasp of leadership when Amaryllis first joined so it was with ease that she settled into learning to be a healer. Then when Yvly stepped up, when Oula left, she was simply been happy for her friend.

Now she was in the same position and as she settled under a bare leaf yet snow covered tree, Amaryllis wondered how she would handle the role. Veho appeared to have faith in and part of her believed him. That she could do this. And with him as her co leader, nothing bad could happen could it?

Then why did she still feel so nervous?