She had been aware, acutely so, of the changes within Asteraia and yet, she had done her best to remain absent during the turbulent times. As it were, she had little in regards to absolute loyalty to the prior alpha and as such, she had felt wholly wrong about forming any opinion regarding the change of leadership. In fact, she had been content to take an idle wrong while she investigated the new pecking order; food had still been plentiful, as had shelter, and so, she had continued to remain loyal to the land that had provided both. In time, she had made her presence known and yet, she had not yet met their new leader, though she had a vague idea of the male that had taken the dominant lead. From her observations, he seemed... unusual, and so she had done her best to maintain distance from him. However, things had begun to settle and even he seemed to take a more domestic role in the pack affairs. It was that subtle change in the atmosphere that had instigated a more active role for herself.

Firstly, however, she knew she would need to meet with their new reigning alpha. After all, it seemed necessary that Starshade earn herself some kind of position on the hierarchy ladder. Eating last and being given the worst provisions was no way to survive another long winter, and the mere thought of such a thing agitated her at an instinctual level. Rather, she needed to make her presence known and make it known that she would not be content for long living off of scraps, or not being presented more suitable den sites. Already, she had been pushed to the outskirts of the territory's mainland. It was unusual for her to have much motivation at a community level and yet, she had felt the discomfort of a lone life for so long that the idea of something more cozy could not be turned down. Besides, who knew? Perhaps a leader would some day gain her fondness enough for her to truly want to belong. A loner's blood did not always need to remain alone, after all.

Tracking the alpha might have proved difficult, however. It seemed she maintained a natural elusiveness, one that might had eluded Starshade had she not been raised in such a wild environment. Still, it posed a challenge to pinpoint her exact location and yet, the moment a fresh trail had been found, Starshade moved at a steady, brisk lope. The sun had only just risen some time ago, staring out from beyond the horizon as it cast long shadows across the fields. One of these shadows seemed to home their leader, for her scent intensified as Starshade approached the area. Nearby, a river ran through the fields, trickling its way down to the free lands beyond. Starshade paused but for a moment to investigate it before casting her attention back to the shadowed side of the hill; there, vaguely, she could see the outline of a den emerging. Or at least, a structure that surely made for a good home. It was the exact kind of location she often chose during her travels - near a source of food and water, higher ground, good coverage. It made her ear flicker in acknowledgement. At least, it seemed, their leader had an innate understanding of survival. Perhaps they would be able to relate more than initially believed.

Slowly, Starshade approached, though she paused a respectful distance from the den's mouth. Her posture spoke of submission and yet, she would never lower herself beyond the appropriate measures. Nobody had seen her belly, and she would have rather braved the beyond then accept the role of an omega. Still, her ears shrunk back and her tail drooped as she let out a hoarse bark of alert, hoping to call out their leader and begin her inevitable trial.