Two Rivers Isle who of you will persevere?

Masque wondered if her bite was as bad as her bark. She doubted it, though unless properly provoked, she didn’t want to get physical. She didn’t doubt that she could defeat the yearling in a fight, though the Redtail didn’t want any harm to come to either of them.

It surprised her when the young woman proposed a truce of sorts. Masquerade shifted her weight, unable to school her expression entirely as a brow arched. She was proposing a ceasefire, a compromise. But unlike their other neighbors, her claim literally bordered Masque’s.

A thought struck her. If this yearling was territorial of the little inland isle, then it would reinforce a large section of Shadewood’s borders. Supposing they were on civil terms, it would be an extra layer of defense against intruders. Of course, it would mean sharing hunting grounds, though the younger woman made a salient point about their respective territories supporting them.

She still didn’t see how this small upstart would find anyone to rule, though she certainly seemed passionate. And it was evident she took her claim seriously and intended to defend it. Masque’s head cocked as she pondered this, eyes still trailing back and forth across that swarthy face.

Finally, she broke her thoughtful silence to ask, You’re proposing an alliance, then?

It would be an uneasy one at best, she knew, taking her leave shortly after as her first act of acknowledgement.