November 2018
Silverthorne Pack Compound, Otterdam Subdistrict
City of Zootopia
Four-days had gone by since David Mingan discharged by the Silverthorne Pack doctor. The she-wolf had told him to be careful about continuing to hydrate so that his system could adjust to the lack of alcohol that he had normally been consuming. She also warned that there may have been some damage due to his prior rate-of-consumption. The lone wolf simply shrugged that last part off. He was trying to reign the growing frustration that was building from his body's desire to have a drink.
There was also a portion of frustration that had grown from the lack of any further meetings with the Silverthorne Alphas. Doctor Danvers was the only one, aside from the Deltas, that had been flitting around the compound like a starving hummingbird. Elijah was not even seen. And, David had nothing to do but wander around the grounds of the large home with his two guards so that he could wrack his brain. He could not remember anything after he had stepped out onto the ledge: especially how he got two subdistricts further north with no personal vehicle of any sort.
Frustration was starting to tip more towards anger by the second day, when Cole and Danny made it pointedly clear that they were not to say anything. Unless, of course, it was to warn him away from certain areas of the residence. The pacing in his room turned into learning where he could pace around the house and that meant the entire main hall, organized in an interior square, and then later that afternoon the lone wolf decided to go outside. They did not stop him from doing so.
As if he did not already have enough problems with it, one of the side-effects of alcohol abuse for some mammals is insomnia. So, on top of trying to figure everything out, Dave spent the first night being petty and leading the two Deltas around the yard until it was well after midnight. After that, he went in and laid down. Getting back up only six-hours later to repeat the process. The two smaller Grays looked absolutely wrecked by the second turn of the early morning light. It was slightly discourteous, but the lone wolf could not help the ghost of a smile that graced his lips for the first time since his arrival. They had not slighted him directly and they did not deserve any further mistreatment.
And, in the due course of time, David drug himself around the yard until he found himself on the front porch with a couple of bottles of water by his side. The entirety of the compound was naturally guarded by canopies from the split overpasses that went around the island. Nobody could fly drones above to see inside. The loner suspected that there were a couple of short-range jammers keeping the tree limbs clear of rodent-emplaced surveillance equipment. The sun was the only thing that penetrated to the grounds. And, the ramp that led down to the island was guarded by a gate with several armed pack members surrounding it.
"Take a break, guys," Dave finally offered as he took a sip from a plastic bottle. "Watch more for your superiors than for me. I'm not going anywhere."
The two Grays looked between one another, standing out on the lawn in front of the larger stranger, before deciding that they could sit in two different chairs. Neither of the wolves said a thing as they sat down in wooden chairs, half-reclined in a sense, at Dave's three- and nine-o'clock. In fact, it looked as if Cole had given Danny a teeny nod because the second wolf ended up nodding off not long after. Three-hours later, the wake-up was not as discrete: with Cole standing and striding over to bump his partner with a hindpaw. It wasn't quite near four in the afternoon by the time Cole was able to catch his own nap while Danny kept an eye out for any members of the pack that were senior to them. All of the subordinates were giving the three a wide berth considering that it was no secret that a relatively unknown wolf was being given sanctuary within the pack's grounds.
A second, equally fleeting grin graced Dave's lips at the thought that one single growl would set the two off.
But, he politely withheld it.
A wafting scent came blustering through the chilly front and Dave turned just enough to notice that Noah Silverthorne was approaching from the driveway at the other side of the building. By this time, both of the guards had fallen asleep. The Alpha male was not bothered by it because, unbeknownst to Dave, he knew what had taken place the entire time that he had been gone.
"Danny, Cole." The Alpha's voice was firm.
The two Deltas shot up while Cole smacked Danny in the shoulder for having fallen asleep during his watch. Dave remembered the days of being trained by his father for watch and guard duties when he was a pup. The display held humor that danced in his eyes.
"Go get some food and some sleep. You don't have to guard Mister Mingan anymore." Noah told them. "I get the feeling that if he had wanted out of here, he would have fought everybody just to get to the freeway."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you." Cole said before the two rushed towards the other building on the property.
Both of the wolves, still remaining on the porch, ended up releasing a round of equally measured chuckles as they watched the guards go. They could not hear what was being said, but they could tell that Cole was berating his subordinate verbally, as well as physically cuffing him upside the head once.
"You glad to see that you're so much like your father, David." Noah finally said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a photograph. "I'm surprised at how much bigger you are than he was, though."
"Really?" Dave asked with intrigue.
Noah looked at the photo for a moment before passing it to his friend's son.
"It took a while to find that one. That was the last time the Congress saw the Mingan Alphas before the attack. And, that's you right there in the front." The Alpha explained, pointing everybody out with a claw. "You're about a half-head taller and far stockier."
Alexander and Cecilia Mingan stood, smiling for the camera, with younger versions of Noah and Elizabeth Silverthorne flanking each of their sides respectively. A far shorter and younger David stood in front of his parents with a look of seriousness as opposed to happiness. The loner remembered that pack business was all business for him back then.
"I'm like him?" Dave inquired further.
"Yeah…" Noah laughed with a heavy nod. "Your father had an exceptional level of restraint when it came to keeping his temper. On the other paw, there was a quote about him that went: 'I can't tell if I should describe Alex Mingan's tongue as the sharpest of medieval swords or the heaviest of warhammers.' He was both elegant and brutal when verbally ripping into someone."
"Were you ever on the receiving end of it?"
Noah shook his head this time, still grinning widely. "I was always the spectator, David. Unless, of course, you count the other day." He admitted.
Dave could not help but release an embarrassed chuff at the mention of the poorly handled issues of a few nights' prior. The memory of the event made him believe that he was his father's son considering the weight of the Alpha's comments about conduct. Noah Silverthorne, according to a little mental math, had known Dave's father for several decades. If he could correctly assume the Alpha's age roughly. David, on the other paw, had not even known his own father for a decade. All of the pieces to the puzzle, of the pack he was residing with, had illuminated the metaphorical anvil's weight that was hanging over the lone wolf. The moment before the rope was cut.
"It would be a waste of time to apologize." Dave admitted.
"I agree." Noah agreed sagely. "As long as you understand that my wife and I are here to help you. We just need to figure out how to handle this issue with the Congress."
"Do you have any ideas?"
The Alpha male shook his head. "No. The situation is so unprecedented that I've asked my father to find out when the last time it was that an incident like this had happened." The wolf explained somberly.
"The Library of the Congress is going to take time." Dave commented with a shake of his head.
"And, the issue is exacerbated by the fact that Elijah can recall quite a bit of pack politics going back to the formation of the Zootopian Territories. That was the point of this place: to bury the old ways of doing things so that predators and prey could live together in harmony. The problem was that we came after the issues in America. You seem to be a student of history. You already know that we, gray wolves, fled the persecutions in the Western States, Alaska, and Canada back then. What we went through here was a 'softer' form of persecution only because it was more unilateral form against predators as a whole." Noah went on sadly.
"He's not going to find anything." Dave muttered. He did not know that for certain.
It was just a feeling.
"So, there are two options. Either we drop a bomb by being clear on the situation or I turn up somewhere else – well out of your pack's fur." The loner finished.
"Well, it seems like there's only one solution, David." Noah said, standing from his seat on the porch.
Dave grimaced. He knew what the Alpha was getting at. "A single bullseye, on my pelt, is one thing, Noah." The loner stood up and walked over, letting his hindpaws slip into the void and to the ground as he stepped off of the porch.
The blades of grass were beginning to crisp due to the coldness of the air around them. Not enough to leave a trail if one were to walk across the lawn, but not far off from being able to tell those short stories either.
"The Silverthornes have always been the most ardent of allies for the Mingan Pack. I will not dishonor your parents by letting you be turned into what you already mentioned." Noah said with authority. "Nothing you said was a lie. You just have your father's way of telling the truth."
Dave's snout fell at declaration of loyalty that was being shown to the lone wolf. He might have been an Alpha, but his unannounced arrival to this pack's doorstep was something that was beginning to weigh heavily on him. The fact that his back was turned to the house, and to the other Alpha male, kept his turbulent facial expressions from the other wolf.
"How's your shoulder?" Noah asked, changing the subject.
"Sore." Dave chuffed again, more out of amusement this time. "But, there isn't much of my body that isn't."
"It did look like you had been in a few fights." The Alpha conceded.
Both of them had seen how bruised and scarred Dave's torso had been after his arrival.
"If that's how you want to describe me getting my drunken ass kicked for the last several weeks." He commented with a grin.
"You don't remember what happened, do you." Noah stated as opposed to asking.
"I just remember seeing a bridge." Dave whispered. "I had already decided what I was going to do out there, though. I remember that much."
A little bit of shuffling on the wooden porch frame brought his attention back to the older Alpha. But, it was the sight of a young she-wolf that caused his breath to catch in his throat. The look of fiery anger in her eyes forced his ears to pin backwards against his skull. Had he been in any other situation, Dave would have been able to admit that she was quite a beautiful she-wolf. Or so he assumed, considering the fact that he had never been in a position to possibly consider a mate for himself and on his own. That, and it did not take a genius to figure out that he was about to receive a riot act from her.
"David… I'd like to introduce you to my eldest daughter, Rory." Noah explained softly.
The Alpha male knew well of his wife's wrath, and it was clear to the loner that the Silverthorne leader felt a little uncomfortable about the conversation that was about to take place considering that it was his wife's daughter who was going to give it. And, the cumulation of whatever was about to come only made the introduction more awkward for the relatively polite lone wolf.
"David Mingan, Miss." He said wearily. "How do you do?"
"For as smart as you described him to be, he's quite the dumbass." The she-wolf told her father sharply.
Rory Silverthorne strode off the decking and right up to Dave: muzzle-to-muzzle if it were not for the fact that she was still only as tall as her parents comparatively. The fact that the move did not seem to faze the loner only seemed to infuriate her further.
"I'm the one who found you on that bridge, Mister Mingan." The she-wolf hissed as her lips pulled back to reveal her fangs.
"So, you're the do-gooder." A lineage's worth of ingenious sentence's spilled out before his mind could process it.
The she-wolf was so angry that she did not hear the seriously pained release of air which Noah expelled as his paw was raised to shield his eyes from whatever was about to happen. There was something reassuring in the Alpha's display and that, in and of itself, was not a good thing. Dave's brilliant statement ended up bringing an openly displayed and vocalized snarl from Rory; which, in turn, brought a growl to his own throat.
"I am truly apologetic for the damage that I caused to your shoulder, Mister Mingan." She released out bitterly.
"There's nothing to worry about." Dave admitted as politely as his senses would allow.
"Not in that regard, no!" Rory was snarling now. Snapping her jaws once to emphasize the point. "But, if you ever ask another mammal – what you asked of me – again… I swear…"
A line in his hindbrain had been crossed. The Alpha within had not been willing to take that kind of threat, from a lower-ranked wolf, lying down. The snarling, double clack of his jaws in the she-wolf's face reverberated with far more pronouncement, within the canopy of the yard, than Rory's did. Even her hindbrain knew that she had crossed the line; clear as day due to the fact that she inadvertently lifted her muzzle to offer her throat for the angered male. There was enough of a portion of her that believed that he was still an Alpha of his own pack. Noah lifted nothing more than an eyebrow at the display all the while: considering that his ears were already at the high-alert position.
The entire display fired off neurons in his mind and brought back all of the missing time from the bridge that he had been missing. Even though he was driven to such a display of aggression, there was a portion of Dave's heart that throbbed from the pain of the ordeal.
"There is not a single threat that you can levy against me… None that will allow you to comprehend or justify any sort of misconceived understanding of the depth of pain and loss that I have suffered!" David's muzzle was pressed into her jugular, due to how low he had ended up crouching, as the saliva ran down his bottom lips. "It was a sin to ask what I did of you. But, you better pray that you never reach a point in your life where you understand why I did. Only then will you ever understand that sins come with levels of severity."
David Mingan could see every bit of anger as it dissipated from the she-wolf. Her ears were pinned back, chin raised in full submission, as her eyes were slammed closed. Not enough to prevent the urgency of the tears that were pouring out. Her chest was heaving against her winter clothing: as if she feared that David was about to severe her jugular for the level of disrespect shown to another pack's Alpha male. Dave did not necessarily believe he held the title yet: but, Rory did. There was no helping the furious glare that he fired off at Noah for his daughter's insubordinate display, but Dave was level-headed enough to take a couple of steps away from the she-wolf. He was allowing her to leave the area free-and-clear and going so far as to offer his back to her: tail thrashing about from the anger that he was feeling within.
"So, there is a part of you that still wants to live." Rory's voice hissed from behind him.
...
It was not until the following night that every relevant member of the Silverthorne Pack returned to the grounds. At that point, it was clear that something was about to happen by the way that David had been requested to attend the regular dinner services.
The table that all of the Silverthornes were sitting at, upon his arrival to the room, was perfectly rounded and already set with the silverware utensils and dining ware. There was only one spot of availability, directly across from the Alpha pair, that the tall loner could end up finding himself in. If it was not for the fact that the room was already rather silent, his arrival probably would have quelled any idea of continued conversation until one of the more senior pack members said anything. The loner ended up sitting between the doctor and an unknown councilmember as he took a look between Rory, sitting across and to the left, Elizabeth and Noah, who sat in the middle, and then Elijah, who was sitting off to the right of the Alpha male. The Gray, a male, who was sitting on Dave's right, was suspected to be the leader of security for the Deltas.
"We're so glad that you could join us this evening, Mister Mingan." The Alpha she-wolf extended her welcome warmly.
"The pleasure's mine, Ma'am," He replied curtly. "And, I want to extend my gratitude for having me in your home."
"We have much to discuss tonight, but I want you to make sure that you eat your fill while we do so." Elizabeth stated. Her tone was tinged with an apologetic note.
"I understand. Thank you."
Dave almost missed the nod to proceed from Noah: which kicked the serving members of the pack into gear. Nobody said anything as plates of food were set out in front of the group of dining wolves. Once that was complete and the doors were closed behind the servants, the group slowly began to dig into their main course. All of them were considering the newcomer passively. The generous portion of salmon fillets had to be abandoned after a couple of bites when the Alpha male decided to resume the conversation.
"David… It has come to my attention that what you said, during our previous conversation, was exactly what turned out to be." He said passively.
The loner nodded pensively. "I suspect it is because of the smallness of the wolf community as a whole within Zootopia. And, I suspect that it is much more common to see in the U.S." He explained his thoughts further.
"It happens several times a year in our species' old stomping grounds still to this day." Elijah confirmed the suspicion. "And, the same for Canada."
"Entirely explained by the generous consideration that there's probably only a one thirty-seconds worth of wolves, across all genus, within Zootopia comparatively." Dave offered.
"Yes. That's a rough, but safe estimate considering the population differences." The elder agreed.
They were kind enough to allow a couple more bites to be taken of the provided food before continuing. The rest of the pack, who did not have any immediate statements or questions, were slowly consuming their portions while listening to the exchange of information.
"I have a sensitive question to inquire about, Mister Mingan," Elizabeth began calmly, her eyes were piercing into his from across the table. "Why exactly did your Council remove you from the pack?"
"Do you remember what I said about what some mammals called me?" He asked.
"You said you are referred to as 'Lucky Number Seven.'" Elizabeth replied.
"For being the seventh mammal to be struck by a Nighthowler pellet, yes." The lone wolf said quietly. "An alliance was formed between some of the internal factions. Oddly, no less. Considering the fact that they couldn't stand each other prior to my disappearance."
There was no startling revelation in that news. Apparently, all of the wolves of the Silverthorne Council knew that much.
So, David Mingan dropped the other hindpaw. "They refer to me by that name because I was one of only two, out of the sixteen Missing Mammals, that ended up killing an innocent during my savage rampage. And, my former pack members used that as the basis to remove me. A 'danger to society' was a 'danger to the pack.'" He finalized.
The statement was like a jerk of the metaphorical reins for nearly half of the table's occupants. There was a resolution for Noah as he continued to eat, but it was the way that his ears were pinned back that indicated where he was mentally regarding the subject at paw. The doctor, the leading Delta, and the daughter all set their utensils down while trying to respectful keep their eyes off of the largest Gray sitting amongst them.
"I'll answer the next question. I was out on that bridge to snuff out the demons that I have. The one thing that I do know about my experience, and that of the other fourteen predators, is that we all remember exactly what happened." Dave began again. "For me, the memory of being on that street… attacking other Zootopians… is probably going to be one of the most vivid things that I ever remember for the rest of my days. The particulars of the exhaust patterns from the passing vehicles. The sounds of happiness turning to blood-curdling screams and the heightening fear scent that comes with them. If I walked past the right mammal tomorrow, I would be able to tell which of them was which out of the three that ended up pissing themselves from how scared they were of me.
"I remember the feeling of primal hostility and the scraping of my claws against the concrete sidewalk. The tone of the ripping snarls and the snapping of my jaws. I can still hear the shouted words of that cougar before he realized that there was going to have to be a physical encounter. The concrete tearing at my paw-pads when I lunged for his throat. I can still hear the crack of his ribs when I slammed into him. The snap of his wrist that he used to protect himself. His screams of pain, the cussing, the wet thump of the back of his skull when it hit the ground. Right before I began to tear his throat apart."
The fish no longer looked appetizing, and it forced him to politely clean his paws off before pushing the plate away enough to lay the napkin down. Perfectly folded in a triangle. Upon looking back up at the muzzles around him, he found that nobody was eating anymore. It was obvious that they had all just watched him relive the entire event, on fast-forward, while he explained it.
"My doctor informed me that every single one of the Nighthowlers were in a 'restricted phase of consciousness' or something akin to that. We all saw what we went through individually." Dave's voice trailed off as he considered the back wall. "I was on that bridge due to the combination of those memories, the resulting lack of sleep, and the dedication to drinking to stifle them for a spell."
Noah carefully picked up a glass of his wine to drink a little, as if attempting wash away a loathsome taste from his muzzle, before setting it down on the table. He cleared his throat momentarily before leaning up onto his elbows.
"Thank you for explaining it all clearly, David." The Alpha male said. "Basically, for us Silverthornes, we are down to two options. We can either let you leave and handle the issue in whatever manner you see fit. Or, we can offer our assistance in taking the issue to the next Congressional assembly."
Dave relaxed a little in his chair and didn't giving any of them a passing glance as he fell into his thoughts. A gentle scraping of forks slowly began to return to the table as the shock of the explanation began to dissipate. That, and the slow tapping of the elder's claw on the wooden tabletop.
"What are you thinking, Mingan?" Elijah asked. "Because you look a little pissed off."
"It's a big thing for you all to back me as the true Alpha of my family's pack, Mister and Missus Silverthorne. Especially if I was to make a direct challenge in front of Congress, which is what I am assuming that you are suggesting I do." Dave admitted the half of what he was considering.
"It's as I said. The situation is unprecedented in Zootopia." Noah agreed.
"To say the least." Elizabeth added.
"And, there would be consequences." David said pointedly, looking around the table to force the understanding.
"We have weighed all of those potential scenarios already." The Alpha male informed him.
"You say that now…"
"So, what's on your mind exactly?" Elijah blurted out.
The lone wolf's lips withdrew as his eyes closed in frustration. The whole incident that had taken place simply angered him. Surprisingly, that feeling pushed past the desire to disappear or to outright die. The anger was like a flashfire within his soul and there was no true explanation of the reasoning. Or, rather, the lone Alpha male found himself at a loss when it came to the discovery of such an explanation.
"I want to jam a metaphorical spear in the faction's eye for their transgressions against my family." David Mingan explained quietly.
The statement seemed to entertain the eldest wolf immensely; despite how reserved the old wolf kept his outward demeanor and chuckling. The rest of the room filled with a tempered level of concern. There was not another soul at the table that was entertained by the answer because there would be serious consequences if the Congress did not decide in the loner's favor.
"Do you want to ally with us on this manner, Mister Mingan?" Elizabeth asked, sitting up a little straighter while she considered the outsider.
A bark of laughter left Dave's muzzle as he leaned up onto the edge of the table rudely. "That's something that I should be asking you all. Do you all want to ally with me on this issue?" He asked loudly.
"Our families were more closely allied to one another than with any other single pack in all of the GZT. If you consider the fact that you're still here, then you should understand that we understand our level of involvement as it stands, and you might as well commit to whatever you might do with help." The Alpha she-wolf clarified for him.
"The Silverthorne Pack Council has already unanimously voted to assist you with whatever objective you wish to accomplish going forward." Noah complimented his wife's statement easily.
There was the hot release of exhaled carbon dioxide through Dave's nostrils as he pursed his lips and felt his brow furrow above closed eyes. It was a completely different emotional circumstance to feel his memories being used as a fuel for anger instead of despair and self-loathing. There wasn't a single wolf that had stood up for him during the Mingan Council's decision to make him a vagabond.
Something, now, was driving him to seek revenge for the decision.
It was a moral question of involving the Silverthorne Pack.
There was less of a chance of it becoming a suicide mission if he did ally with them.
If David decided to go out on his own and attempt to do it his way, there was no doubt that he would be killed for becoming a threat to his former pack. And, that would not be an enjoyable experience overall.
And, finally, if he did decide to go it alone: he would burn the bridge that the Silverthornes had built for the two parties.
"I would be honored to have the Silverthornes as an ally going forward, Sir." David finally said. "Thank you for offering a paw to assist me with this."
The Alpha pair each gave a polite nod as they smiled towards the Mingan wolf.
Dave was feeling a little less like a loner with each passing moment.
"You are absolutely welcome, Mister Mingan. Thank you for deciding to keep to your family's values by keeping us as allies." Elizabeth commented very officially. "That said, you're going to stay here until the plan is completed and bears fruit."
The large loner scratched his chin in contemplation for a moment. "Well, I'm going to need something to do, Ma'am." He explained.
"Like what?" The she-wolf asked in confusion.
"Like a job, Missus Silverthorne." Dave chuckled. "The last of my funds, to pay for room and board, are in a billfold at the bottom of the channel."
Noah shook his head a little despite wearing a gentle grin. "We'll get you sorted out with Kody and the Deltas once the main discussion is completed. Or, tomorrow. That's not a concern that has to be rushed." The Alpha male explained.
"Yes. And, turning it back to that subject… There's still just over a month until the next assembly is held." Elijah mentioned. "Do you have a plan for that, Mingan?"
"If memory serves me right, the thing to do would be to request a speaker's slot." Dave explained.
"You're going to want us to lock that down for you." Noah offered with a curious tone.
"If it's not too much to ask, yes. I'm going to need to stay under the radar until it's time." The lone wolf nodded honestly. "They know I'm alive, somewhere, but we don't want them figuring out that I'm plotting something. And, we don't want them to know that I'm tied in with your pack."
"And, what's going to be the point of taking a slot?" Rory suddenly spoke up.
It was probably odd for the rest of the table to see just how closely matched in wavelength that Dave and Elijah were: having been raised similarly in the old ways of pack punishments. Knowing this, Noah's muzzle had pulled back into a concerned half-frown while the other two males were revealing their fangs in a pair of matching grins. Elizabeth was intimately considering the back wall over the top of the larger Gray's head in a neutral, but resolute manner. When Rory's father turned in his seat to look at her, that was when she realized just how much of the spotlight she had placed herself in.
"David is going to use that slot to argue and call for a Vote of Pack Dissolution on the grounds that the previous takeover had been a coup d'état from members of the pack that did not have the Mingan family name's best interests at heart. The argument will be that they abandoned the last of the true family bloodline on the basis of an unsubstantiated idea – that a savage mammal was a threat for life despite having been hit with an outside toxin – to execute the expulsion vote, and that they ended up playing right into the hooves of the herd supremacy groups by throwing a wolf to the Wolves of Zootopia, so to speak." The tone of Noah's voice was kept in an even temperament as he explained what was going occur to his daughter.
"And, then what?" The young she-wolf asked.
Her grandfather was the one to speak this time. "Well, no matter how the vote goes, the governing authority will likely rule in favor of David Mingan retaking possession of his family's estate."
"What if the vote doesn't go the way we want it to?" Rory looked around the table.
"Then, I will be no worse off than I am now, and I will be forced to rebuild from scratch." Dave explained curtly.
He did not feel it was necessary to mention, but a loss in the vote would result in the lone wolf having to leave the city… due to a war that his staying would have eventually led to. The older members of the pack knew that already: Dave could see it on their muzzles. It would have been the first war between wolf packs since the founding of the Greater Zootopian Territory and the other species of the city would not simply turn a blind eye to such activity. Such an event would likely end in terrible consequences for Zootopian predators across the board. Again.
"And, if Congress does vote to dissolve their pack?" Rory continued.
Dave could tell that his muzzle was morphed into a mercilessly cold form – complimented by only the slightest of emotionless smiles – by how uncomfortable it seemed to be making the young she-wolf.
"If Congress votes in favor to dissolve that pack, I will call for an immediate Vote of Expatriation for every single one of those individuals." David Mingan growled icily.