Silvertip Mountain Children running from their school

Although Fox said nothing in between all of Jinx's talking, the one thing she did say was enough to unnerve the Beta. Paranoia found its way into her chest and dug in, and the guilt she had been feeling previously resurfaced. She was a master of faces, however, or at least had briefly become one in Horizon Ridge, and was able to keep almost all of it from showing outwardly. Part of her knew there should be no guilt and no nerves about what she planned, if only because dispersing was a very common and regular part of a wolf's life. To expect undying loyalty forever with no chance to be more was simply absurd.

But if Jinx had to wager, she would imagine Fox would not see it that way. Perhaps once, before the title of Alpha had fallen upon her, the small wolf might have agreed. She might have agreed that unsatisfactory leadership, or the chance at becoming something greater, or the constant stress and frustration with pathetic neighbours, were all good reasons to leave a pack. Now, Jinx likened her to Pied and Hawkeye, and threw her in with the lot of self-righteous creatures who would take it as a personal offence to know the truth, even though Fox had given her no reason to regard her that way.

But paranoid Jinx had been fed quite enough of that bitter bullshit when Hawkeye and Pied, both wolves she had respected and liked when Bon Dye existed, had both saw fit to lecture her about her life choices. She was not about to entertain even the possibility of living through it again with another wolf she respected and liked.

"A few," she answered vaguely, not planning to get much further than that into exactly how many. Jinx could not count past the number of packs she'd been a part of. "I have been in the company of one too many weak leaders." All complaining aside, Jinx knew Fox was not a weak leader. It was a major part of why she chose to leave rather than to challenge Fox, as she had Akhlut. Northstar Vale's proximity was insignificant in comparison, if only because if Jinx were Alpha of the Creek, she would have preemptively ended any hope Northstar Vale had of some sort of alliance or, as Jinx saw it, superiority. She respected Fox too much to challenge her, but not enough to swear everlasting fealty to her rule. It was as simple as that, in her mind.