Heron Lake Plateau take me as i come, 'cause i can't stay long

Present-dated.
I'm sorry she's such a mean butt. :(

The longer she had to digest the @Niamh's outburst and the advice that Tuathal had given her the more aggressive and irate she became.  Whatever crush she'd held onto had faded and now when the golden yearling came to mind her hackles raised instinctively.  Actually, she wasn't sure she had any crushes anymore — Siarut's company was welcome but he was far away and so incredibly tight-lipped, Niamh was a bitch, and Screech was more or less an invalid for the forseeable future.

It stung in a way she couldn't or didn't want to comprehend.  Ceara tended to her duties with perhaps even more fervor than before if it were possible, and took it upon herself to act the same way an angry coworker might conduct themselves.  Whatever the wolf equivalent of slamming drawers and typing too hard is, she was doing it — and she was ignoring everyone else in the process.  She had the idea to start a garden for Raven, so she found an area that looked good enough and began to work it in frustration.

With Screech becoming dependant on her, Niamh had had to buckle down and work harder to keep the two of them alive, fed and watered. For someone whose kills had previously consisted of small things like rabbits, ducks and pheasants, it was incredibly taxing for her to have to double those duties. Hunts were never 100% successful, but now that she had to do two times as much, it meant that she spent a lot more energy trying just to keep Screech fed. She knew she couldn't starve herself in the process, or she too would be unable to hunt- but there was no avoiding the weight loss that came with having to care for another wolf. She was beginning to understand what single parenthood would be like- and she didn't care for it. Especially when she was trying to feed another adult wolf, not a puppy. 

Her last hunt had been unsuccessful- both of the birds she'd tracked down had gotten away on her, causing her to wonder if she might be slipping a bit. She was overtired and hungry, and had already dug up all the spare caches she'd filled before Screech had been injured, and was drawing a bit thin on resources and the energy to find them. She'd munched on some wild strawberries earlier, but those hadn't done much, and they were a bit sour to boot. Deciding to try her luck looking for fish in the creek that led toward the falls, she left the wooded areas of the plateau at a leisurely walk, determined not to waste any more energy until she'd had something to eat. 

She wasn't sure how to feel when she caught sight of Ceara's brilliant coat in the distance- she was digging away, or so it looked, and her stomach clenched, wondering if she was digging up a cache, and might be willing to share some food...But then again, not likely, given the way she'd lashed out at her. She still remembered some of the anger she felt, and was still a bit bristly about talking to Ceara- but she also felt slightly sorry for snapping at her so angrily. But, being a stubborn creature, she justified her actions selfishly, and assumed that Ceara would have simply accepted the fact that she'd done something wrong, and that Niamh had had every right to chase her out of her den. 

With that assumption, she continued her approach, as she didn't want to waste energy or time avoiding Ceara on her direct path toward the creek. She cast a glance to the wolf, who no longer appeared to be digging in one particular place, but just...Digging in general, which puzzled Niamh, who came to a stop, lifted her head and with a weary, confused look, she sniffed the air and regarded her packmate with one ear turned back skeptically. "You...Looking for something?" She queried, still keeping her distance, but somewhat intrigued in the pretty female's actions.

She had been keeping the caches full near Screech and Niamh's... unconventional shared living space ...prior to the explosion, and some petty and self-important part of her grasped onto the idea that her help had been missed.  She had other wolves to tend to — mainly it was Raven who came to mind — and the flame-kissed young girl wasn't going to waste her time bringing food to such a temperamental and unthankful girl.

Lost in these thoughts as Niamh made her silent approach, she was taken by surprise when her garden-digging was intruded.  She raised her head quickly to assess the situation before her demeanor darkened, shifting upon recognition.  Her lips tightened as her brows over her narrowed eyes.  No.  She didn't care to explain what she was doing; they had other matters to take care of first.

Ceara took one dirty paw and swiped it over her muzzle as she regarded Niamh with a cold glare.  So, are you just going to pretend nothing happened?

As soon as she was recognized, emotion spread through Ceara, igniting her features the way a flame would light up a dark room. Niamh stiffened, nose wrinkling slightly at the show of disdain she was greeted with, and she heaved a small, tired sigh and rolled her eyes as Ceara swept a dirty paw across her own muzzle and thrust a question to her. Niamh's eyes narrowed as Ceara glared at her, and though Niamh had never been in a rank quite as high as she was now, she naturally took offense to being stared at by a subordinate in such a fashion; but she didn't act quite yet. 

"Seriously?" She asked, staring right back at Ceara, tail lifting and curling over her own back indignantly. "You're angry because I kicked you out of my own den, which you barged into?" She asked. Of course- she had made it known that visitors were alright to stop by- but that welcome had been worn out by the time Screech had begun to waste away. In Ceara's offense, word that visitors weren't welcome hadn't been broadcast- but Niamh had assumed that others would know that it was impolite to visit a wolf that was dying. "Stand down." She said, a low growl of warning accompanying her words like a low wind breezing across a field.

No, she asserted, having the nerve to sound offended and also a little bit amused.  Seriously?  She was going to pull rank over some words?  The fur along her spine sparked to life in an instincive response although her posture remained neutral but firm.  

If Niamh didn't want others intruding on her den, she could have moved Screech to somewhere communal.  But she wouldn't touch on that.  She'd try to dig where it hurt.  Listen, you don't get to play gatekeeper here.  You're not the only one who cares about Screech.  It was obvious by the number of visitors he had gotten, but interestingly enough Ceara had been the only one met with such hositility.

Her tail flicked behind her in an agitated fashion as she leveled herself.  She brought the back of her neck up as she lowered her chin towards her throat, and the cast shadows that lined her angled face took an ominous edge.  You do not get to take my kindness and throw it in my face.

As soon as the Epsilon refused to pipe down and back off, Niamh's hackles raised, and her tiredness was forgotten. Her tail, previously curled lightly at the tip, now arched over her back and her ears pricked atop her butterscotch head. Tall as she was, it was easy for Niamh to tower, and with her fur bristled and canines unsheathed, she cut an intimidating feature, despite her delicate build and the softness of her colour. She didn't particularly care what Ceara said now- she simply wanted her to apologize, stand down and submit. 

"Kindness?" She asked, but checked herself. "Yes- you brought a duck; thanks." She said, and paused. She wanted to mean it- and she did mean it, as Screech had needed the food- her tone was misplaced, but she paused, hoping that the gratitude would show in the amount of silence she gave after saying so. She was forcing herself to temper her feelings, but was finding it very difficult. She lowered her voice, and forced herself to breathe, but did not allow her posture to falter. Ceara needed to pike down first, before Niamh would stop asserting herself, as presently, she felt as though she was being challenged.

"That day- I didn't want you there. I didn't want anyone there. Screech was dying and I didn't want you- or anyone else- staring at him." She said. She was quiet for a moment, and tried to stop herself, but she couldn't. She couldn't completely keep herself in check. "And for the record, yeh, this isn't my turf- so I'm not playing gatekeeper. I'm being Gamma. Remember your rank," She said, eyes glinting with warning. She didn't want to have to launch into action, and simply hoped Ceara would listen to reason and remember her place in the pack.

Maybe her parents hadn't dubbed her Fire for the intensity of her pelt, but rather for the way she indiscriminately seared everything she touched.

Niamh's posture continued to escalate while Ceara remained dangerously level.  She couldn't help the way Niamh's first reaction stung, but it only showed in the glint in her metallic glare.  If that is all you have seen me do, you are sorely mistaken.  Who d'you think has stepped up since you've been taking care of Screech?  It wasn't the whole truth — in reality, Ceara had been working her ass off since she'd gotten here — but it was enough of the truth to matter.  I've kept the caches pretty full despite there being one hungry mama and one dying boy, and I've made sure the borders are marked.  I've mapped out most of our surrounding territories.  I went on a scouting trip.  But no, you're right, all I've contributed is one duck.

She did not allow Niamh the silence or space she wanted and instead took to asserting herself.  Don't you understand how undeinably selfish that is?  Dude's dying, and you want yourself to be the only one there.  He has family here, real family, bigger than you and me.  And I guess you let them in.  So is your problem with me?  It was the only reasonable conclusion she could draw given the circumstances and although she did not want that to be the case... with the way things were going down, Ceara was going to have a problem with Niamh if she kept this tough act up.

Remember yours.  The duty of Gamma isn't to shut down everyone who disagrees with you.  I haven't done anything other than stand up for myself.  Look at me, you've got your teeth out and all I'm doing is standing here and makin' words.  And if that is overstepping to you, maybe you need to re-evaluate yourself.

Ceara went off on a tangent that was quite tiresome for Niamh to listen to. She came up with a long-winded accusation, implying that Niamh had dropped all her responsibilities to take care of Screech. Sure, it took up a lot of her time- but she had still managed to squeeze in her patrol and kept hunting. "What?" She asked, when Ceara finally finished. "You think I been just lazin' around while Screech's been out? Did you not notice that I have been marking the borders and hunting too? Plus keeping a member of our pack alive?" She asked, and snorted. "Ask anyone. I'm still filling my role as Gamma- and then some." She asserted. "Raven and Quixote would've demoted my ass if I wasn't doing what they expected of me. You got a problem with their judgement? I'll call them up right now." Her gaze was steely and cold- and she had half a mind to call out for either of them or better yet, Towhee, just to prove to Ceara that her doubts were completely unfounded. 

"And yeh- I'd let his family in, 'cause they're his family. You met Screech like, once, and got him 'dunk' or whatever it was off apples, so what am I supposed to do? Just let strangers into my den to see someone who's dying? Sounds kinda negligent to me." She said. 

Ceara continued to assert herself, and Niamh huffed. "Pull your foolish head out of your pretty little ass." She hissed. "I asked you if you were looking for something and you blew your lid at me. Yeh, I snapped at you in my den- because you're more or less a stranger to me and you barged into my den where I was taking care of my dying friend. I'm not going to apologize for protecting him against someone I don't really know, who- last I heard- got him eating stupid things to make him act weird. I tell you to stand down 'cause you were looking for a fight. I'll ask again- you want me to bother Raven and Quixote, who damn well have better things to do right now- or will you pipe down and chill out?"

Wow!  Niamh was doing it again, the thing where she was being really fucking unreasonable for no reason other than she wanted to be — correction, felt entitled to be..

I never said you were busy doing nothing, I said you been busy taking care of Screech.  But if you want to blow my words out of proportion and take them personally... that's on you, chick.  She was getting fed up with this conversation; she wasn't going to sit here and be accused of shit that she didn't say or have her words twisted into something she didn't mean.  What I said was, are we going to pretend nothing happened.  Is that fucking unreasonable, now?  So what, Niamh got to completely lose her shit but the second Ceara piped up it was 'oh no, you'd better watch yourself'?

Listen, you're the one who approached me.  I reacted defensively because, if you'd take the time to backtrack five seconds and use your brain, last time I saw you meant to hurt me.  With your teeth..  Ceara had not once personally insulted Niamh, but she wouldn't back down from being publicly humiliated.

That's what I mean, by playing gatekeeper, only now you're admitting to it.  You don't need to protect him from shit.  Do you not trust your alphas?  Seems like they don't think I'm a threat.  She gave Niamh a mocking, come-at-me shrug of her shoulders.

If you want a fight, she snapped her teeth into the air to punctuate her point, you've got one.  Otherwise, I was busy.

Ceara was still wound up, but by this point, Ceara's defiance was actually becoming somewhat amusing. Niamh stared her Epsilon down, and had already decided, then, to report to Raven and inform her of the insubordination and offensive way she'd been treated. Was Ceara really criticizing her for taking care of Screech? She raised one eyebrow and flicked her tail, which was still curled above her back. She'd remember that, for her report. Ceara had tried to convince Niamh that it would been better to simply leave Screech to the mercy of the elements rather than take care of him...Or, at least, that was what Niamh took away from it all. 

Ceara challenged her, and she rolled her eyes and took a few steps forward, halting just a length away from her packmate, and continued to stare her down, neck arched and chin tilted down to protect her throat, ears perked. She'd had enough, by that point. "Apparently I do need to protect him from unpredictable bitches like you." She said. "I was right to kick you the fuck out- you're batshit crazy." She seethed. She eyed Ceara with scrutiny, and made her mind up then to seek Quixote or Raven out immediately, rather than going fishing. They needed to hear that Ceara was a wildcard, and she knew they'd trust the words if they came from her. Both of them had seen Niamh reason when under a good deal of stress. Would they trust some newcomer? Not likely.

Ceara's thought process was much the same.  She had established herself well enough she thought, but she hadn't done her time here and she wasn't about to get her ass kicked out on the grass when she had no clue what she had even done wrong.  While Niamh sought out one of the Alphas, Ceara sought out the other — preferably @Raven, because she didn't feel like she knew Quixote as well.

It seemed that Ceara was finally through- and she didn't attack, which was what Niamh had thought she might do. Finally ruffling her feathers, Niamh abandoned her search for lunch- probably not the best idea, given the fact that she was still quite hangry- and began her search for the closest alpha, which she discerned to be Quixote...Bothering Raven who was god knows how pregnant by now wouldn't be terribly polite, she figured. Plus, she already knew that Raven had a soft spot for her, and if Ceara went crying to Raven, she'd be better off going to Quixote.