Blacktail Deer Plateau Walk the line

Already off balance, when Koda's weight slammed him down Dante fell heavily.  The pain that lanced through his torn side made the world darken a moment, though he could listen to Koda's words.  He'd fully expected Koda to turn his words on himself, forcing the Alpha to depart instead while claiming his spot as his own.  That was not to be the case, though.  Somehow he didn't feel much like celebrating regardless.

Hot shame burned through him as Koda spat his parting words, then turned to leave.  Dante watched without a sound from his position in the dirt, too stunned and exhausted to move.  His mind was having a hard time processing, be it the rattling it had recieved or the pure out-of-the-blue nature the entire skirmish had held.

It would be some time before he would be able to pick up and haul himself a short distance away, and in that time his mind raced, trying to make sense of what the hell had just happened and what it meant for him as well as the future of the plateau.  No answers were forthcoming.