Walk the plank!

When a call came again, this time specifically for certain wolves, Aris once more left the pups behind to go answer it. Doing the math, though, she thought that she was pretty sure they were all the wolves who had done poorly in the raid without a single win to them, which couldn't mean anything good. There wasn't anything in particular else that linked all of their names together - she couldn't remember even having more than passing contact with some. Having pups following along at her heels for what was likely to be public humiliation would likely not endear her to anyone, even Mortis, and would definitely do her authority over the pups no good either. So before she left she carefully quelled even a hint of rebellion from the pups to ensure they'd stay put - or at least, stay away from where she was to be meeting.

It was in the faint heat of temper that she stalked up to the small group, and her tight smile to Gossamer did little to hide the sparks in her blue eyes as she slid her gaze around them. She felt her spiked hackles rising in irritation and smoothed them with an effort. If this had been just another fight training or something, she'd not have been so irritated, but the idea that they'd probably been called together for something that had happened months ago grated on her. Was this them being chewed out? or was this remedial training for the bad fighters? Had attending the warrior meeting - as so many had not - despite not being ranked as a fighter not earned her some measure of reprieve from being chewed out? "Did you get recalled from Valta just to tell us off for not being good enough?" she asked her older brother silkily, her voice a teasing purr right on the careful edge of anger, eyes narrowed as she seated herself amongst those who had been called with an assumed air of nonchalance. "Seems like a waste of resources for you to come so far when the rest of us have been here all along, perfectly accessible for anyone to yell at. Shall we get this over with? I have pups to teach." That was no lie. Three of the four pups were shaping up to be fighters, and both Ansem and the sickly Zeejay had both shown some interest in healing as well - it took a great deal of her time to begin early training for both subjects for them all.

She noted idly that many of those called hadn't appeared yet, including Azure's own heir. You'd think they'd have all hurried to reduce the shame of being chewed out for failure... or were they hiding? She felt a spurt of wicked amusement as she realized that she actually hadn't heard Azure, who had also lost his first fight, be called at all. It seemed that being an assistant alpha protected you from being considered one of the failures. From being a disappointment. Aris clamped down on her temper again and deliberately yawned instead as though bored already.