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 begin bleeding once more, though he did not realize it at first. Pulling back his head he looked over the pristine white paw that lay beyond his scarred legs, satisfied with his work even as slow, seeping droplets of blood fell away from the appendage towards the ground. Rounded ears pulled back at the faint sound of footfalls approaching from behind him, within the trees to the east, before they fell silent once more. Whoever they belonged to had come to a stop. Iluq waited, choosing not to react just yet.

The bark that announced the other wolf’s presence caused Iluq to turn his head over his shoulder, frosty eyes looking to the shewolf who peered at him from behind a nearby tree. No emotion displayed upon his features as he simply studied her for a moment, noting the earnest expression on her face and the self-assured, though friendly demeanor she displayed. He remained silent but gave a single thump of his tail against the rock he laid upon to show he was receptive to her arrival. 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. But her curiosity and amicable approach were enough of a pardon for him to rise to his paws and step down from the rock, placing his weight upon the injured paw without so much as a thought of it. As he stepped towards the tree which she had tucked herself behind, he left a trace of blood in the snowmelt.

He stopped with three wolf lengths between himself and the tree, pale eyes trained upon the shewolf to reassess her reactions to his approach. His peculiar ears remained pressed forward, conveying his assurance in himself and his interest in her. His maw parted slightly, nose twitching as he sniffed and tasted the air. At this closer proximity he could catch the unique accents to her scent. From that alone he learned that she had not been in the forest long – her aroma smelled more of open plains and tall grasses than pine needles and tree bark. His head tilted a fraction to the side as he noticed the tinge of saltiness to her perfume; perhaps an indication that she lived near to big water? His own curiosity began to pique the longer he stood before her, and his tail began to move slowly behind him as his interest built. Still, he remained as he was, cool eyes fixated upon her, allowing her to make the next move in their tacit interaction.

ILUQ