<blockquote>Trisden had not been paying attention, deep in thought as she watched the clouds go by. She was safe here, in the thick of Grizzly Hollow, and though she planned on setting out on patrol soon, she had allowed herself to just sit and be distracted. Every now and then she would hear her packmates walk by, usually out of sight, but thought little of it.
She usually ignored their chatter too, not wanting to eavesdrop, but when she sensed another wolf nearby, even in her distracted state she recognised that they were alone. <i>...and death. Come out, come out wherever you are...</i>
Disconcerted by the call, which she found rather creepy, she brought her gaze down from the sky to stare at the dark forest with narrowed eyes. Was that the voice of their lowest member? What was she doing calling out for anyone? A prick of arrogant irritation ran down her spine as Trisden pushed herself to her feet, drawn in by curiosity and concern. She had not met Shadowstorm, though her presence around the pack meant that she knew everyone by scent and, in some cases, by voice. She disliked that her mother would allow in a wolf to the pack and then relegate her to the bottom ranks, as though she barely deserved a place in the pack at all. Rather than piggyback on assumptions, though, this seemed like a good opportunity to meet the female for herself.
<b>"Hello?"</b> she called back, moving slowly in the direction she had heard, tail raising in anticipation of their rank differences. Her authority was not great, but it certainly superseded their bottom feeder. Trisden caught sight of the black female just in time to see the demise of the vole, which raised her brows. At least she wasn't just a leech, then.
Her head twitched upwards, and she waited for the female to notice her and acknowledge her superiority. Having been such a proactive recluse, Trisden had not often had to participate in the dance of rank displays, but it tickled the old ego inside her, pleased the strong-headed, demanding pup she had been. Who was their current female second? Maybe she should make a point of finding out...</blockquote>