She enjoyed her solitude. Even if pack life had its advantages, the constant company certainly was a downside, at least to Nalda. Generally Oak Tree Bend was a good fit for her: reasonably small, but not so much that they couldn’t hunt or protect their borders; With strong leadership who valued action and where contend with leaving her to do her part in peace. While a quiet life was not exactly what she’d always dreamed of, it was certainly better to be fed and warm, than not. Then of course, there where the pups; Eugh..! Children, however sweet and innocent they might be, could be a horrible pain. Terms like privacy and personal space meant little to them, and they often seemed to go out of the way to bother their cousin when she was trying to get away from it all. That, and Aponi and Serach’s cubs didn’t exactly fit the bill of naive child - when they weren’t causing ruckus within the borders, they were looking to sneak off, keeping their guardians on their toes at all times. The bane of her quiet existence.

So the young she-wolf eagerly seized every opportunity to slip away herself, just a few hours to breathe. With the days growing shorter and colder, that grew increasingly difficult though. Every night they had to be back together, sleeping close to keep the puppies warm - and ourselves - as much as she disliked the closeness, she did appreciate not freezing her toes of at night. It was all a balance, pros and cons, that was her life. It did mean that she was even more keen to get out, as soon as the worst of the cold ebbed. She’d slip away early, doing her business along the border before moving out into the Wood, spending her day trailing herds or hunting smaller game, to have something to show for it when she returned.

She’d assumed today would be no different, getting up with the sun, which had managed to burn through the usual cloud cover. Picking her way through the forest she glared up at the light, peeking through the naked branches, a cruel taunt this time of year, holding no real warmth. The last thing she had expected was to hear her aunts beckoning call, making her freeze mid-stride and fold back her ears. There was no note of anger or displeasure in the voice, nor even real urgency. Still, Nalda figured she better answer like a good subordinate, after all, it wasn’t that often that Aponi called upon her, and never without good reason.

Turning on the spot, she made her way back quickly, the tip of her tail swishing with mild curiosity. Once within sight, she bowed her head lightly to the silver-grey woman - about the only wolf she would ever show that kind of respect - greeting matter-of-factly: “Y’called?”

This sensible attitude was one of the key reasons for Nalda’s reverence to her aunt, that, and the resolute way she struck down any actual disobedience. After growing up in Broken Timber Pines, it was a welcome change to see leaders actually lead their pack, and caring about how their members acted. It might put her attitude to a test, now and again, but it was a lot better than the alternative, and so far she had managed to avoid Aponi’s wrath. That might all be about to change, or at least a new sort of challenge was arising, as the alphess wasted little time in getting to her point, issuing a clear challenge to her niece. For a moment Nalda was taken aback, her brows wrinkling at the silver woman, taking a defensive stance across from her. The two had always been blunt when addressing each other, but this was a whole new level of brosque.

Oh so Aponi thought she wasn’t capable of defending herself, did she? Should have seen the work I did on @Ember..! Of course the pale girl had run off before anybody got a chance to admire that handiwork. Very well then… Her dark lips set, with the slightest of curls at each corner, eyes glinting; I’ll show her! And she pounced, legs outstretched and teeth baring as she leapt at the older wolf. But perhaps she was too eager, so keen to show her ability that she overshot the jump, landing awkwardly and slipping in the snow, snapping almost desperately for the protected hairs of her opponents scruff. Not exactly the skillful move she had wanted to show her aunt, but she moved quickly to regain her balance, turning to face the next attack with a steadying breath. She would prove herself.

Despite her considerable brawn, Aponi moved like a snake. Nalda had only just wheeled around when the silver woman struck, teeth closing around her leg before she had time to dodge. She winced, grimacing as teeth pressed pointedly against the vulnerable tendons. What an incompetent mess she must look like, neither able to land a hit or evade a simple attack; Pathetic!

When Aponi let go to move away, the younger wolf remained where she was, head lowered and ears folded back. But it seemed the alphess did not consider her defeated yet, her taunt drawing golden eyes back up, brow lightly quirked above one of them in surprise. So, she was given another chance. A slight nod was all she gave in answer, jaw once more set, stubbornly.

She wouldn’t let herself be baited, ignoring the satisfied grin on her aunts face as she surveyed her renewed, defensive stance. This time around, she took her time, weighing her options before she struck. And when she did, she went for a leg too, aiming her lunge smartly at the exposed lower part of one front leg. Coming from the side, this would keep her own vitals well protected, and make it hard for Aponi to get a grip on her in return.