this life does not end with death, there is a journey left to make;
ancestors watch over us and guide the path we take
Comical of a sight as the mature male might be - for all intents and purposes blowing bubbles in the frigid lake water like a pup - it served its purpose. When he lifted his muzzle from the water he felt cleansed, icy water dripping from the fur lining his face. A single snort cleared his nostrils, and then he shook his head to finish the job. He huffed a short sigh, tongue lapping out over his scarred nose, wishing that could be the last of it, but knowing that as soon as he turned from the waters he would be assaulted by the flood of scents once more. Despite the chill of the shallow water, he lingered there for a spell.

Cropped ears swiveled atop his skull, pale eyes casting out across the lake to the island at its center. A thought occurred to him then, ears perking at the notion that perhaps that patch of land was not so heavily riddled with the passage of many wolves. To swim there now, with winter baring down swiftly upon the lands, would be dangerous. Growing up in the tundra of the north made him familiar with the threats of cold - even if he could not feel the painful numbness that was a telltale sign of frostbite or hypothermia setting in. He'd long since learned such lessons, and decided that investigating the island would have to wait until the lake froze over or spring warmed the waters.

As a single bead of water dripped from his chin, quietly rejoining the lake at his paws, an ear flicked to the side to catch the faint whimper of another wolf. Iluq's pale gaze shifted from the intangible sanctuary of the island, seeking the source of the sound. Whether she'd been nearby when he'd moved into the lake or not was unknown. But almost as soon as he spotted her further down the shore, her form crumpled to the ground. Iluq's head shot up, surprised, but he did not move immediately. Scanning his surroundings, and those of the girl, he waited a moment longer before reacting. Seeing no other wolves in the immediate vicinity, he extricated himself from the waters and jogged down the cold beach to her.

With tail lifted stiffly out behind him, he approached cautiously, curiously. What would cause a wolf to simply drop to the ground in such a way? These lands perplexed him, and for a fleeting moment he considered simply passing by the unconscious girl and escaping them once and for all - females be damned. But as he grew nearer he recognized the youth in her face, ears and paws alike not yet quite fully grown into. Instinct demanded that pups be looked after, for they were the future of the pack and the species. Eyes squinted slightly as he lowered his head, sniffing at her paws, seeking some explanation for her collapse. Slowly, he worked his way up her foreleg, eyes fixated upon her face for any sign that she might rouse and strike out at him. When he reached her chest, he nudged firmly with his nose into her bodice a couple of times. His intention was irenic, at once trying to wake her and also feeling for signs of life.

ILUQ