Dawnlark Plains What does this mean?

dawn was quite sharp, which didn't really surprise him; sunny's departure had rattled her greatly, not to mention left a physical mark as well, and he had always sensed some underlying tension between her and pema. with grayday gone, there was somewhat of a power vacuum, and pema seemed eager to close it as soon as possible.

the delicate balance between mourning and duty was hard to find, but they were doing their best.

"then i suppose it's settled," aditya said, once the two had said their parts. "pema will look after the pack's members, dawn will lead the hunts and speak with our allies, and i will watch the borders. and if either of you two need help from me. . .just ask." though he looked at both, his eyes focused more on pema; dawn was a proud creature, and offering help could be seen as a slight. pema was much more likely to accept charity.

then again, there was a risk that dawn could feel he was shutting her out. no interaction was perfect, and he pressed his shoulder against hers, wanting to reassure her he still had her back, no matter what.