Duskfire Glacier beef brisket

Maybe she was being impatient. Make that definitely. Cyclone was discontent to once again wallow in the mid tier ranks. She did not want to be overlooked when spring came around, and she would not be. With Takiyok at the helm, and no prospective mate (thus far), Neasa did not wish to waste another moment. She had two options, as far as she could tell. She could hope beyond hope that some boy would come find her when the time was right, and Takiyok would so graciously allow her to birth her brood here... or she could take control of the situation and make it happen on her terms. With each day that passed, Cyclone became more and more eager to set her life on the track she wanted it to be on.

This pack was small, and although Neasa suspected they were loyal to Takiyok, she also suspected they were displeased with her leadership. Their numbers had dwindled, and the leader made excuses to Cyclone as to why she could not recruit others. Neasa could see a dozen reasons why the leader lacked the ability. She stayed here instead of scouting for new faces. She insisted on settling on a barren piece of land. The wolves here were unmotivated, and Neasa decided it was her job to motivate them.

She stood near the center of the territory and called for @Takiyok. Her posture was challenging, through and through, and she knew there would be one of two outcomes. Either she would be victorious, or she would try her luck elsewhere. No matter which one ended up unfolding, it was better than languishing as she had been doing for the past year of her life. She wanted children, and she was convinced she would have to be at the helm in order to make that happen.

The call seemed off--aggressive, and Taki wondered what the problem was. From what she could tell, the sound had not come from the borders, and she thought maybe Neasa had caught a trespasser. She wasted no time moving that way, swift paws carrying her easily across the ice. 

When she arrived, it was not find any intruder, but the dark female on her own, her intent clear in her posture. The snowy leader had to admire her for her gall, but mostly she was surprised by her complete idiocy. She stood tall and dominant, tail flagging high into the air. You realize this only ends badly for you? she asked, ice coating every word. Most of this pack is my own family. The rest are loyal to me. If you were to succeed, and that's a very big if, no one would follow you; you'd be left with no pack, making this completely pointless and a waste of my time. The atausiq began to circle the other woman, her murderous gaze never leaving the dark female. I'm willing to forgive this show of disrespect if you get the fuck out now. she stopped again in front of Neasa, a sardonic smile on her face. Otherwise, I can't promise you'll leave here alive. Something maybe the other wolf hadn't learned about Taki yet was that she rarely put any value in the lives of those outside her circle of trust. She had remained diplomatic with the new packmate, impressed even, but she was far from earning Taki's trust, which meant in the end, she was disposable. Taki wouldn't tolerate this kind of insolence in her pack. She was already being far kinder than she normally would by giving her the option to leave without harm, so if the woman was stupid enough to turn it down, then she would feel the leader's wrath without mercy.

Toodles!

Oh, right, there was that. Cyclone wasn't the brightest of the bunch, but she sneered anyway. Then your family will all die, because you suck at being a leader. Neasa firmly believed that. They were on their way out, and it was only Cyclone who seemed to see it. This winter will rip you apart. Thankfully, the Blackthorn would be long gone by then. Knowing she would not stand a chance against them, and now that she'd had her last words, Cyclone fled the glacier, once again on her own... but perhaps not for long. She now understood that no pack would satisfy her.

Duskfire Glacier was but a brief speck in her history, and Neasa knew her future was bright.

Her words meant nothing to Taki. The winter here was nothing compared to where she and her family had grown up, so she could handle whatever the season decided to throw at them. As for her leadership abilities, well, she wasn't sure she completely disagreed with Neasa's observation, but she was all they had. Plus, she was still here as reigning leader, not the dark female, so her opinion mattered little. 

She watched the irritation flee from their borders, her form eventually becoming a dark speck against the snow. Once the speck was gone from her sight, Taki turned and continued on with her day, quickly putting the incident out of her mind to focus on more pressing matters.