Samus had been upset enough to know that Daenerys had been injured significantly in the hunt, and the taste in her mouth grew ever the more sour when she learned that her aunt had stepped down from the throne. Her mother, out of all of them she thought, had been the most concerned- perhaps worried that her children might experience the same upheaval that she had all those years ago. But Kalseru had risen her voice, a proclamation and a promise, that she would continue to lead Spirane in the vision of her mother and their collective ancestors. All misgivings about the nature of the change aside, Samus was happy for her cousin- though a part of her wondered why it hadn't been Nymeria, instead.

She snorted softly, mahogany eyes narrowed out of confusion and uncertainty. Daenerys had not died and yet her presence had already become like a ghost, with Kalseru's similar but certainly distinct scent replacing the markers along the borders. The young woman had always taken it upon herself to roll with the punches, to take life as it came, but there was a sense of finality- mortality, even- about the whole situation that made her stomach churn. Nothing had been lost, not really, so why exactly was the experience so wholly unsettling? Samus could not quite put her paw on why she felt the way that she did, but when Kalseru called a meeting she resigned to putting her emotions away for the moment to congratulate her cousin with the rest of the pack.

Her long, lithe form carried her swiftly up the mountain, dark paws having been made and molded for this terrain exactly. It seemed as though she could predict each rock, root, and creek, bounding forward and hardly looking towards the ground. The scents of her packmates reached her nose and she could tell that she was growing close to the meeting- for a moment she felt guilt, almost shame, that she had been a part of the hunt where her aunt had been so injured. She hadn't done anything- none of them had, not in the moment, at least. But as she brushed through the undergrowth and emerged into the clearing there were no harsh eyes upon her or accusations thrown her way. Samus breathed a sigh of relief.

"Moony." She greeted, brushing up against her sister, eyes of deep brown full of fondness, saying silently that they would have to catch up soon. From what she knew, her littermate had been off the mountain for some time, training. Her pelt smelt of herbs and wilderness. She circled around, eyes catching sight of Sila- who she had not seen since that night of fireflies and philosophizing. Samus aimed to catch her eye, to throw a grin in her direction, eyes twinkling- someone else that she would have to catch up with. But she gave her attention, fully now, to Kalseru, stepping forward with her head at an almost comical tilt.

Seriousness had never been her forte, after all. "Heya, 'cuz, congratulations." She said, giving the new queen a very toothy and very genuine grin. "If you need anythin' from me, jus' ask. We're fam'ly, after all." Perhaps she would seek out Kalseru personally, one of these days- Samus had never been too close with her older cousins, not like Nym and Visenya. But they were family all the same, and if nothing else, the young woman was happy to see that mountain lineage still reigned upon the throne. But she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt, that she could have done more during the hunt. Seeing someone else aside from her aunt addressing them as leader was an entirely strange feeling that Samus didn't quite get.