Blacktail Deer Plateau Skip to the good bit

When Hawkeye arrived, Pied immediately sensed the Alpha's agitation. In response, she lowered her entire body, particularly her head. She glanced up through her lashes, trying to gauge whether the leader's irritation lay with her or elsewhere. She saw the mud slathering the other wolf's muzzle and tentatively guessed that Hawkeye was possibly cranky from excavating a den site for hours on end.

"Sorry if I took you away from your work," the shrunken Delta said. "I just wanted to let you know that I ran into Jinx. She's alive and well and presumably living elsewhere in the valley now." She let that information hover for a second before adding, "Evidently, the gods called her away and she's pissed at all of us for not waiting around for her." The way she spoke clearly indicated to Hawkeye just how incredulous Pied felt about this.