Nootau had set his teeth against one of the quills again when his nose twitched at the scent of another wolf. He released his grip in alarm and raised his head, his ears as attention. He wasn’t very concerned about being attacked, but he did feel that small bit of panic that came to any loner when they were injured. Injury meant weakness, and there were lots of other predators that would take advantage of it. Plus, Nootau knew after investigating the wound that he was bleeding slightly, which meant that smell was probably a beacon for others looking for an easy meal. His fears were quelled, however at the sight of the friendly female would cautiously presented herself. Still, he watched her with a suspicious eye for a moment, wondering how she’d gotten her so quickly. Had she been stalking him?

At her words he tilted his head, clearly not entirely convince, but upon a second sniff he realized her scent was of Spirane. And he claim made him all the more enthusiastic she had come along. What were the chances of this?! He’d gotten himself into trouble twice and both times healers were there to come to his aid! Hooray for healers! Nootau would forever be grateful for the wolves. They were certainly a nice benefit of pack life. He was excited to meet her especially! This was Meryl’s teacher, and any friend of his was good enough for Nootau to trust them entirely. His features brighten with friendliness and he attempted to wave his tail in greeting, only to flinch in the process. He squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment.

“Oo.” He gasped in pain, and quickly corrected himself as he opened his eyes again, I mean yes. Yes, you may.” Nootau gave her the only grin he could manage before he introduced himself, “Nootau is my name. I’m glad to meet you, Niviaq. Meryl told me about you when I was in Diveen.”

At the thought of Diveen, Nootau felt sort of sad. He missed the place, as one would miss vacation. However, he had been having a nice time in Spirane. They weren’t constantly watching him like the wolves in Diveen did (it was like he was constantly being chaperoned), and since he had arrived, he’d been adventuring on his own and attempting to learn the paths of Spirane. While fun to explore the maze of the highlands, it was a very long process. Mountains were complicated places, and often the paths he explored ended in sheer walls or on dangerous edges. It would go a lot faster with a guide, and Nootau had wished when he had arrived he would have asked for one!

When Niviaq had come closer, Nootau moved his tail to her so that she might inspect the injure he had gotten. Stupid porcupines. They were dangerous prey and Nootau had forgotten that after having been on a diet of rabbit for more than a year. Apparently his mountain-wolf skills were a bit rusty from disuse. Judging from how quickly Niviaq was able to get to him, he guessed that she must be exceptionally agile and at home in the rocky terrain. Nootau wanted to wag his tail at the thought of having met such a skilled wolf, but he forced his tail to remain still. These next few minutes were going to be torturous. He wagged his tail a lot, so this wound was made far more hindering that one would guess.