In truth I was not trying to be sly in my suddenly arrival. I had learned from watching the way my parents walk the best way to maintain a sort of balance with the earth. Mother wasn't loud but neither was she quiet at times. She was so big and sometimes when I looked at other females from a distance I note their slender forms in comparison to hers. I didn't care though because I hoped I looked just like her, except my markings. While I may aspire to be her, I am still young and don't even notice the way that Halcyon positions himself in such a respectful manner. It is ingrained in me and him both the way things are but in this moment I am so excited to share my glory I can't help it. I bat at him and his ears fall - it makes me grin so wide he can see all my pearly white teeth. He was scared of me like the gator! I growl in a menacing way that is truly NOT menacing at all.

A matching growl is met and I pause in my antics, ears pricking up and eyes widening. His was a growl and it didn't sound happy. My own joy seems to start bleeding from me and it makes me angry for his tone is scolding. I stiffen at his words, tail straight out behind me in a way I would not afford to my mother if she were here. Halcyon is still young, even I know that, and thus I see him as more of a peer than an elder. "What!?" My words are snapped in a haughty manner, daring him to tell me I shouldn't do what I wanted. And he doesn't disappoint, although I like the part about a great empress. When he gets to the part about my mother I slap a paw on the ground in a petulant manner. "Mother KILLED one! She can't say nuffin, I am just-" I yell at him, stopping my ranting when I hear the hiss and see the look of innate fear in his face.

My head whips around, breath freezing with a gasp as I spy the mother coming towards me. She is PISSED. Before I know it Halcyon has me by the scruff and throws me behind him. I am not familiar with such abrupt behavior and all grace he thought I had was lost as I trip over myself and roll away from him. I pop up at a distance to spy him facing off with the nest mother. I take a step closer to him, pausing as the alligator watches him with her jaw opening slightly, a warning to what will be if he continues to stand there. Suddenly I start barking at her, trying to draw her attention and scare her away. I growl, spitting and snarling like I think is appropriate, but freeze when I hear Halcyon bark around the egg in his mouth. "Hey," I say slowly, voice rising, but he starts darting away and the alligator follows him. I follow the alligator at a distance, growing nervous each time she snaps where he just was, but I don't realize the true danger yet. It is all a game, for the moment. Until he drops the egg.

"NO! That is mine!" I scream at him as it rolls into the murky water, my fury stopped only when I see the massive tail throw him end over end. I race towards him, darting in a wide semi-circle away from the spot the alligator had disappeared, and trail him as he hobbles away. "I'm here," I grouse behind him, tail hanging down and ears half back in my displeasure. "C'mon," I demand, racing past him and into the hanging willows away from the water, not slowing to give him time to catch up. He let my egg go! Why couldn't he have grabbed it and we race back home? No, he gave it back. After all the effort I had went through.

When I deem we are safely away (how the hell should I know just yet?) I spin around, tail raised and glare at him. "Are you okay?" I sulk, trying to be regal. If this is what regal means. My eyes scream my displeasure but I still look after him. See, I would be a good Empress, despite how disappointed I am.