The strength of the pack

The meeting was, to Peggy's surprise and delight, to promote the apprentices to full ranks. She sat up straighter when Shaye spoke her name, and sent a delighted glance over to where her friends were as their names were also called - though she was abruptly reminded of why she had sat away from them when her gaze struck her cousin's face and so quickly returned it it to her paws. She chewed her lip uncertainly when she realized then, that Shaye had made no effort to introduce the news of her pups to the pack. Shouldn't that have been the first thing she had mentioned? Instead she was already moving on to ask for anyone who wished to challenge for the Firethorn rank to step forward, which would surely disrupt the meeting and make any further announcements go unnoticed. Was that the point? To make everyone so distracted that they didn't think to wonder that she hadn't said anything.

Arpeggio raised her head slowly, and her expression hardened into determination as no one else stepped forward to seek the rank. She remembered the conversation she and Corvus had where they had sworn to never again allow their training to be neglected because of someone else, and glanced around at all the other wolves, young wolves like her who's training had been neglected through two alphas, and barely touched with a third. She thought of the two litters of pups in the pack who would need training, and her determination turned to steel.

She marched forward, head and tail high and jaw set. "I would like to challenge for Firethorn. I am young, I know, and I just got my full warrior rank, but maybe a young wolf's energy is what the pack needs right now."