His sudden ascendion had been unexpected, something she had never predicted and so, it bothered her slightly. In fact, it bothered her quite a lot if she had to be honest about it - not his ascension per se but rather, the risk such a thing would surely bring. Had he even thought about it? Roman had done decently to retain his position due to his victory over the former alpha and yet, Tithe had succeded by taking a more diplomatic pathway. To the rest of the world, he hadn't proved himself as a physically capable leader and, much to Pandora's dismay and confusion, much of the world preferred leaders with brawn rather than brain. That bothered her and yet, it also sought to drive her forward in a sudden trajectory she had not expected either. It felt strange to want to compete with her own father for once.

That meant, of course, that she had to quickly gather more information and more knowledge. She had to gain a firmer grasp on hunting, diplomacy and - dare she admit - fighting. She had the body for it, that much she knew, thanks to her father's blood and yet, she had never considered the prospect all that much. She had to now though and so, she had taken to the widest, vastest region of Moladion in order to begin training herself. In her mind, it seemed best to take it upon herself rather than burden a teacher with a complete lack of ability.

The snow had begun only days ago, powdery and light, and she quietly revelled in the additional challenge it presented as she marched through the fields. The grass her begun to be weighed down, her toes tangled in it from time to time as she alternated between loping and sprinting. It almost felt good to use her muscles in such a way, their natural potential seemingly allowing her to take to it swiftly enough. She had become fascinated, ignorant to the world around her and even her own body as her stomach rumbled and turned in annoyance. Even when the snow had begun to truly fall, she persisted; she had faith in her thick fur and robust body perhaps to a fault, she would soon learn.

Above her, the sky had begun to turn a fierce grey. The clouds had thickened, covering the peaks of Spirane with an ominous darkness as daylight faded faster than it ought to have. The snow had begun to pummel her, her eyes squinting to keep focus as she pressed onwards. The snow had fast reached her knees as it began to press down with a white haze; stubborn, she had always been stubborn.

Eventually, she had to admit defeat. Her fur had become clumped with snow, her nose chilled and eyes fast following suit. In the haze, she had barely been able to see as she stumbled towards where she thought the forest might have been; only by luck had she felt the sudden decline of a den's mouth. Snow had piled on top of the tangled grass that concealed the den's mouth; a series of boulders atop it, too, had done their best to keep the way clear. Without hesitation, she tumbled down into the darkness. It stunk of stale fox, its floor coated with dregs of faded brown and orange fur. She sneezed and quivered, growling beneath her breath in frustration as she pulled ice and sleet from her fur. Everything had suddenly begun to ache. Even her lungs ached with the cold.

Above her, the storm continued. Her prints had vanished everywhere but the last few feet to the den, guarded by the towering stone and weeds above. Below, she had been left alone to the cold and darkness; her stomach rumbled and her body shook. She stared up into the darkness above, her ears flattened and for once, she felt almost afraid. Like a child, she had become lost and alone. She had even been tempted to just repeat his name over and over again for some semblance of comfort. What was the point though? Would he even care if she had found herself in such a predicament?