She hadn't been sure that it was Amy that had attacked the flax-haired woman, but she wouldn't have been surprised if it turned out that way. The dog had a way of spreading her cruelty, it seemed. Yet, Alma soon came to learn that it wasn't her that had attacked Emmanuelle, it was something far more perplexing. A flare of anger pulsed through with the news that a pair of wolves had set out to attack a coyote on Inferni soil. She hadn't heard of any wolf stupid enough to try such, in all her months in Inferni. Admittedly, she had buried herself in her woodwork and hadn't paid much attention to what happened in the clan. Still, Inferni had a reputation. A frown appeared on her lips as she considered the idea that the two wolves had chosen one of the younger, less experienced members on purpose.
Her mind turning from her internal speculation to the woman before her, she noted that her voice was distant and cold. Normally Alma was quite oblivious to others' feelings, but now she recognized the tone as a mask intended to hide vulnerability and regrets. She had acted that way when Vesper found on the borders, which accounted for why she was able to recognize it now. "We'll hunt them down and get them too," she said automatically, without taking time to consider how hard it would be to find someone they didn't know. Revenge was what soothed the rust-woman, and so she had assumed the same would be true of her companion.
She gave the cuts a glance as the coyote gestured to them, but focused most of her attention on the story and the canine herself. She suspected that, like her, the tan coyote had blamed herself for the attack and that suspicion was confirmed with the words 'I should have'. She opened her mouth to reply, then decided against it; she'd wait until the girl finished her story.
"I'm glad Myrika found you." Ironically, though she was trying to assuage the guilt the other felt, she herself felt guilty that she never patrolled the borders herself so there wasn't even a vague chance that she'd stumble on her or anyone else that was wounded by an attack like this. "They shouldn't have been on Inferni land. You aren't at fault for wanting to defend your clan." She paused. Some maternal instinct told her she should make some sort of comforting gesture, although she wasn't sure what. The orange coyote wondered if this was a point where normal, less hermetical people hugged each other - she settled with placing a paw on her shoulder instead.
"I made the same mistake with Amy; I'm nothing without my bow. But they-" She gestured vaguely with one paw, "Amy and those wolves, they just got us at a weak point. They were lucky. They'll not be next time. In fact, they may wish they'd never met us at all." The coyote grinned toothily, a strange combination of malice and protectiveness in her eyes.
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