She's like "oh my god"

She forced herself to turn away from the wet slash on the bark, just in time to see a mottled golden male picking his way down the slope. This one was unfamiliar and, as he drew near and raised himself into dominance, clearly unschooled in the ways of the wild. Ptarmigan had killed the Alpha and bested the Alpha's champion, and so it went without saying that she thought her claim legitimate, whether or not that was true in the eyes of her would-be followers.

Though her sides smarted and she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and whimper, Ptarmigan had let go of the easy summer days of a loner when she made the conscious decision to seize an opportunity and commit treason against her species. Now, she would at least make certain it was for something. She lifted her head defiantly, meeting his gaze boldly and pulling her tail and ears up into sharp angles.

“Down,” she commanded, but given her injuries, made no move to enforce this command. It felt awkward on her tongue, of course, and for a moment she scrambled internally to hold herself together. Being in charge wasn't her forte, clearly, for the look of indecision over this command and its effectiveness wavered in her eyes despite her efforts to hide it.