this life does not end with death, there is a journey left to make;
ancestors watch over us and guide the path we take

Methodically his tongue worked over the fur, ridding every fleck of dried blood from around his toes. Stunted ears slowly swiveled at sounds from within the forest, the songs of birds he'd never heard before and the chatter of small mammals he had only begun to encounter on his travels. But his pale eyes did not roam his surroundings, trusting his ears to alert him if his attention was truly required. As he worked he became more focused on cleansing his pelt than tending to the wound, and the firm strokes of his tongue actually caused the puncture to beginning bleeding once more, though he did not realize it at first. Pulling back his head he looked over the pristine white paw that lay behind this scarred legs, satisfied with his work even as slow, seeping droplets of blood fell away from the appendage towards the ground. Rounded ears pushed forward at a faint sound from further within the trees, the steps taken by the other hushed but not silent, and pale eyes shifted to lock upon the location from which he anticipated the lupine to appear.

When her form emerged, his frosty eyes looked her over, no emotion displayed upon his features as she tested the air between them before fully emerging from the trees amongst which she had paused. Only then did she move forward, and his eyes tracked her as she came to stand closer to the rock upon which he laid. The scars she bore at first had not caught his attention, for he was scattered with many old wounds and though there were not many his age in his former home that were so littered with such markings, many elders were. It was only when she came within a closer proximity to the rock that he noticed how the wounds were new - not entirely healed but also not fresh and bleeding. Iluq's nostrils flared to sniff at the air between them, but he could not be certain of what he wished to attain from here. But for the moment he remained where he was, following the slight tilt of her head towards his paw until he caught sight of the metallic hue of blood upon the rock beneath it. Lifting the foot he glanced closer at it before realizing it had clotted once more on its own.

Remaining in silence he glanced back towards the female as he set the injured limb back down. He blinked, watching her and waiting for the right moment. In his travels there had been those whom he had encountered that had perceived his behavior to mean he was somehow inhibited. Such was not the case. Rather, he was a wolf born of instinct, and one who relied heavily upon it. When she lifted her tail slightly and allowed it to wave in a friendly gesture, he was given pardon to do as he had wished when first he realized that her wounds were not scarred yet as his were. He rose, his own banner answering her wave with one of his own so that his movement could be seen a genial rather than threatening. Iluq then stepped down from the rock, placing his weight upon the injured paw without so much as a thought of it. His peculiar ears relaxed out to the sides, conveying his assurance in himself but also his worry for her. Eyes flicked to her face, curious of her reaction to his stepping closer to her.

He was wary of her reception of him, but he took another confident step towards her. His maw parted slightly, nose twitching as he sniffed and tasted the air. Closer to her he was more satisfied with the result - he could not smell infection in the air that surrounded her. Someone must have been caring for her, to help keep such wounds clean that she would unable to tend herself. Pleased with his findings, he stood before her, ears relaxed and tail moving slowly behind him as he took a closer look at the wounds to her face. They were gruesome, much like his had been in the first few weeks after the caribou had gouged him. But her wounds were different, certainly not earned from any antlered animal he had ever encountered. No, they appeared to be the result of claw raked across flesh, and he looked upon her inquisitively - but without judgment, wondering how she had ended up with such markings.

ILUQ