He had to admit that having left the pack had made him feel important; it made him feel strong, or at least, stronger. Despite the aches and the struggles, it had been rewarding to find Innana's scent. For some time, he had worried that he would not be able to find her. What if she had been taken somewhere else? Or if she had left for a reason that they did not know? He felt strong but he hadn't felt entirely right since he had left. It was an odd thing to feel so many emotions at once; it made his stomach knot up sporadically, his paws anxious at times to return to somewhere more familiar. He didn't want to make mistakes. He didn't want his name to equate to weakness and failure.

And that is why he hadn't told anybody just where he had been heading. Eden had called for the pack to keep their eyes and ears peeled in search of her and yet he had not commanded Abel to go. In fact, Abel had the belief that he might have been the last wolf they would have sent. Not only was he young but he was damaged goods, too; his leg had never gotten better despite his efforts. The muscles had grown strong and yet, it had never been the muscles' fault. The very bone had a weakness that could simply be ran or walked away; it had grown more twisted and gnarled, it seemed, with each day. His ankle had begun to bend in uncomfortably so as his growth accelerated. He did his best to hide it or to act strong despite it and yet, he had begun to realize that he ought to find strength in some other way. Maybe his idea of strength had been warped all along.

Finding Innana would make him strong. It'd make him good.

Yet, where had she gone? He had been so sure that it had been her scent, and that it had not been all that stale. Something in it told him she had to be close by but silence continued on; it made his ears twist and sink back, his lips taight with uncertainty as he quivered and swayed on the spot. He had been half temted to turn away when a figure had suddenly dashed towards him; the shock had made him step back suddenly, jarring his ankle awkwardly with a momentary hiss of pain. Luckily, she had been so invested in her excitement - he hoped she didn't notice.

"Inanna," he practically sighed her name in relief as she settled in front of him; he pushed through her excitement, his neck wrapping around her own in a kindly embrace. Beneath the thick fur and skin of his own, he could feel how frail she had become; it felt as if she might break, and that broke his very heart. "Have you been here this whole time?"

He pulled back, issuing a hesitant lick atop her crown. He was afraid of hurting her. She had become so very small; what if he moved wrong and somehow hurt her? All her excitement could not quell that fear. It showed in his face as his lips pulled back in concern, his eyes locked onto hers and wide with concern. "I should have found you earlier." He berated himself quietly as he swallowed a ball of nerves that had formed in his throat; heartbreak, it seemed, had a distinct feel. It he had made it earlier, it would not have been like this.