Aponi waited impatiently on the border for her Uncle to do his rounds, she knew this is when he did them in the afternon. In fact, she knew when each round happened and who would be doing them, when they had first arrived the princess had taken it upon herself to learn border patrol schedule. Not because she was interested in doing the border, she was more interested in avoiding the guardians so she could sneak off. Chuylin didn't know his niece would be waiting, or what she wanted and so the girl didn't really have any reason to be impatient, but she was. The pup paced anxiously along the line she knew marked the edge of their territory, not so long ago she had only been concerned with crossing it and getting away, but now she knew the battle was much closer to home.

The princess had come to the realization that her title was just that; a title, it would do nothing in helping her become Queen when her mother was ready to step down. In order to do that she would need to fight her way to the top, and she would be prepared. The days of temper tantrums and outbursts had been replaced by quiet calculations, plans and sheer determination. Nothing and she meant nothing would stand between her and her role as leader, she would dedicate her life to becoming preened and trained into the perfect Queen. Aponi had spent the last few weeks surveying the territory, learning every nook and cranny until she could walk the whole area with her eyes closed without stumbling. When she wasn't surveying she had been quietly observing her Ma and Pa, watching their movements, their gestures, the way they interacted with the pack storing it all in memory.

This is why she waited not for her Uncle Chuylin, last time they interacted one-on-one she had been trying to trick him into allowing her to sneak away, now she wanted him to teach her. As a Guardian she knew he had to have some skill in fighting, and she wanted a sparring lesson. Sure, sparring wasn't the typical princess sport, it was usually reserved for the boys but Aponi would never let herself be caught in a situation where she was defenceless. The girl's will was strong, but now she needed her body to match her mind.

The sight of her dark pelted friend was a pleasant surprise to the princess, who couldn't help the smile that instantly lit her features. Silvery tail wagged behind her as he approached, "Karpos!" she called, taking a step forward and then hesitating for a moment. It had been so long since the two had talked about anything that wasn't a polite exchange before bed, Aponi had been making herself so busy. Awkward moment shoved aside she approached him and nudged her muzzle gently against his in greeting. Opening her maw about to answer her second question she stopped short at her Uncle's greeting, turning from her friend to the adult she nodded in respect to him. Smiling broadly she began to explain, "I was actually waiting for you! I was hoping that......" The sentence was never finished and the girl's nose rose into the air, twitching furiously at the scent that reached her.

Her stomach grumbled angrily at the smell, reminding her of the ache in her gut that had settled there with the onset of winter and refused to let up. Aponi was off like a bullet from where she stood, driven by pure instinct and hunger towards the source of the smell, crossing the border without a second thought. Snow flung behind her creating a blizzard in her wake, until her icy gaze settled upon the carcass of a moose. In less than a second the princess had her teeth gripping the carcass, tearing a large chunk from the bone. Settling down a few feet away Aponi made quick work of eating her share of the find, leaving equal amounts left for her uncle and Karpos. Soon her stomach was filled and settled, the ache no longer present, at least not for now.

The princess licked her chops before smacking her lips together, eyeing the carcass warily as her stomach rebelled for more food. Watching her uncle take his fill the girl couldn't help the resentment she felt though she kept silent about it now, something that never would have happened just a few months ago. Blue eyes followed his movements coolly while a grumble emitted once more from her belly, something she was learning to ignore. Aponi had grown thin over the last few months, prematurely losing all of her puppy fat and revealing the muscles that rippled beneath her pelt. The girl was built more like her birth father than her mother, legs thin and figure lithe for speed and not strength. This was part of her problem, she knew that even the other pups could easily beat her in brute strength, which is why she needed to be able to out skill them.

Standing from her position the girl pulled herself to her full height, head held high and stared hard for a moment at her uncle. Without hesitation she spoke clearly, "Teach me to fight, I won't be a princess forever and I need to be able to defend myself and fight for my position." The tone was one Aponi had heard many times in her life, from her mother, it left no room for questions. Gaze held steady onto the dark form of the older male but muzzle raised slightly higher, as if daring him to deny her request. Oh the princess was a force of nature all right, no was never an option in her mind.