Phoenix Maplewood Hidden in the Shadows (Joining)

Saena had hoped by now that her injuries would've begun to cooperate, but she couldn't have been further from the truth. She desperately wanted to be able to run again, but every attempt only made her scabs pull and tug painfully. She'd already ripped the edge of her leg wound open that morning and she wasn't keen on repeating the experience with her nonexistent tail, so she took it slow. Painfully slow, especially for a patrol. And she cursed her inability to heal more quickly. Citali had done all she could for the wound, though, and now it was up to the alpha's system.

At least the itching had stopped. A long day of drowning herself in the muddy remains of Feller's Pond had been a sufficient cure for her fleas. That was a plus. The taiga outside the forest was predictably quiet—it always was—but before she could consider abandoning her post for a while, the alpha's sharp ears twitched toward the faint sound of voices. Her heart surged with panic, as if oft did when she discovered others lurking near her territory, and she hobbled as quickly as she could in that direction, determined to face whoever it was head-on.

Thankfully, it was no one threatening. An auburn female and Fire Wolf, the newest member of the pack. Saena could hardly relax because of that. The new subordinate had done nothing to lose the alpha female's trust, but she'd done nothing yet to earn it, either. Stopping a potential trespasser on the border was a good way to start, and she made a mental note of it, but she wasn't ready to trust the pack's protection to Fire just yet, so she drew up alongside the female and lifted her ears. Her snout canted slightly upward, as though to make up for having no tail to curl skyward.

"Hello," she greeted smoothly, her eyes sliding sidelong to Fire Wolf. She assumed the woman had been busy conducting an interview, and she didn't want to intrude. She would make the final judgment call, of course, but she was curious to see how an alleged warrior handled the situation.