And now, enter cranky Zia.xD
For once in her life, the silver woman had decided to take the day off. As a guardian, she was dedicated to her obligations to keep the outermost reaches of the territory secure and safe. But even a hard working girl like herself needed a break every now and then. Their numbers may not have increased dramatically, but she knew there were enough of them that at least someone would pick up the slack today. Deep inside the cool recesses of the den, she sighed, blue eyes fixated on a blank earthen wall. Upon her side she laid, lost in thought. Her mind drifted back to Inkheart...her partner. Her friend. She was getting over his loss, but she still couldn't help but wonder what life would be like if he hadn't been lost to the mountain on that terrible day. Would she have succumbed to her instincts and betrayed Phineas and Borlla by carrying pups of her own? Or would she have stayed loyal, yet forever envious? It was too late to turn back time now, so all she could do was look to the future. Soon new life would once again flourish.
With a grunt, she rolled to her paws, arching her spine in a stretch. She had slept in long enough, and it would be prudent to stretch her legs and maybe even catch a snack or two to eat or store in the caches. Exiting the tight opening of the den, she blinked as the bright daylight struck her face, taking a moment to let her eyes adjust. Giving her body a shake, she loosened any dirt that had gathered in her fur overnight, and then took a look around. No one was nearby, but life was all around her. The trees were ready to sprout new leaves, the brown grass was turning green and the chatter of songbirds had replaced the silence of winter. Normally, the turning of the seasons would've lifted her spirits. But she was still troubled and restless for some reason she couldn't quite place yet. Deciding it best not to dwell on it, she sought to roam about, perhaps to check up on Borlla should she bump into her.
She hadn't been seeing much of anyone lately and that made her lips quiver in irritation. Just what were they all doing? Were they so detached from pack life that they couldn't bother to show their faces? Shaking her head, she made a note to venture out sometime soon in search of potential new recruits. The silence that she was so used to had been broken abruptly by the sound of snarling. And from what she could tell, the commotion was close by. Her ears pricked up. There was an argument, but what was it about? Frankly, the woman didn't care. So long as every wolf resided within these lands, they were expected to be civil to one another. And Zia, as she had shown on several prior occasions, wouldn't put up with petty squabbling. Breaking out into a run, she headed for the source of the disturbance. It didn't take her long to spot the pale, familiar figure of Albiero, who was charging aggressively at silver and white male she didn't recognize. Ears flattening, her eyes narrowed into slits as she barreled forth. Hackles bristling, her lips to flash her teeth while she snarled. Albiero was her target, to whom she lunged at him in an attempt to grab him firmly by the muzzle. True, he may have shared her rank, but she had resided in the Glen much longer than he. As far as she was concerned, whenever Phineas and Borlla weren't present, it was
she who called the shots around here.
"What the hell do you think your doing?! Stop this right now before I kick your hide to the borders." Her jaws snapped, once, twice in repetitive clicks.
"Is this how you treat our newest member, by demanding answers to which he knows nothing about?" She growled, stepping defensively between Ace and his offender.