augur's nape bristled.
he had found the white wolf dead in the snow with the marks of tall man all around him. and though he had kept his distance yet from the one who vied to be alpha male, he was disturbed by the death.
it was their natural order. it was the right way of things.
augur sniffed at the frozen blood and began to travel past, in the direction of other tracks. he paused once to look back over his shoulder.
The smell of viscera had drawn her close enough. Seeing it from afar holds her stare.
The death did not unnerve Kanuk; it was natural to see men fight and destroy one-another. She held herself back because the scent of sivullik had led her here.
And there beyond the mess, a man.
She chuffs. Paces. Keeps her posture low.
another wolf approached beyond the carcass at the borders.
augur turned, head lowering beneath heavy shoulders. this land belonged to red woman. and he did not recognize this female. the man let out a harsh breath, trotting through the drifts that parted before his legs.
he held his tail higher as he approached, bristling with the demand for respect.
Once spotted by the wolf, Kanuk waits.
She watches as he draws closer and is surprised by how large he becomes. The flagging of his tail is met with another breath hastily expelled and the flattening of her ears. Her tail sways once at the tip before resting by her legs, lightly curled.
Her eyes are averted for a moment. When she begins to look him over again it is with careful, specific glances: anywhere but the eyes. She has known many men to be of the silent, predatory type, like this one.
If given a chance to, Kanuk cautiously reaches towards him with her muzzle to gather the scents from him.
he took ground. she gave deference. her respect arrested what would have become an attack. augur stood towering over the woman. as her nostrils explored his scent he took her own.
she smelled of a glacier and the long snowy places where she had traveled.
the great grey wolf stepped back. he would guard her until another of their number arrived.
Criminals oft returned to the scene of their crimes. In this case Tulimaq hoped to pick apart the carcass of the fool and keep something for himself, or as a reminder for the others that he was not easily bested.
As he approached where the dead man and his entrails sprawled along a corridor of land, he saw two shapes. One was the burly youth who never spoke. The other, foreign to a point.
Tulimaq was on his way over already and did not slow his pace as he came upon them. The nearer he was the more recognizable the woman became. His tail rose with dominance and then shifted to-and-fro when he saw the warrior of Tartok.
Kanuk. You are late.
His tone was inviting enough to indicate a jest, the rest of him stern as he sidled up to the pair.
As the man took her scent she settled to the ground, laying against the snow. Before long a darker shape than the white guardian came along. She knew him from his stride alone.
You've been busy,
she remarks, sitting up, wrapping her tail around her paws. And we have been looking for you.
What did sivullik hope to accomplish here?
The woman's words do not change the expression upon his face.
He did not care how she felt, nor how far she'd travelled. Only if the others followed. Tulimaq wondered where the anneriwok were - had she left them with his second? He drew breaths, tasting her scent. Striding around her, half expectant and half predatory, and spared a small look at the white giant who lingered near.
He motioned dismissively to the boy and focused once more upon Kanuk.
There is an issumatar here. A girl who could become one, anyway. She is much like our people and she entertains me.
He spoke of Avicus openly.
She needs those who can shed blood on command.
He need not tell her outright to stay, as Kanuk had always been a good dog. He only needed to tug on the leash.
Rather than sending her back to the savaktuk to consolidate numbers, Tulimaq went on to issue an order.
Kanuk knew they could not refuse. She had more leniency in the grand scheme of things but not enough.
An annoyed look crosses her features.
I will... patrol where I find your scent.
Rising with this statement to her full height, she waits to be dismissed as any good soldier must.
This was a fool's errand, she thought. All for the sake of some tail. Men were more of a problem during this season than they would admit.
The man watches as Kanuk's features shift through emotions, those she's known for, which he enjoys bringing out of her.
She is like an annoyed babysitter and Tulimaq is often pointing out how good she is with the anneriwok, thus those looks. He knows her.
And he knows too, when she accepts the situation and speaks, she cannot go against his order. As she turns to leave Tulimaq huffs with some approval and watches until she has migrated some distance.
He looks to Augur after and gives him a chuff too, draws towards him to gather some scents, and then begins to stalk away.
augur had stood back during this time. his eyes had remained upon the stranger. tall man had spoken in those same sounds.
he did not comprehend what had been discussed.
but when tall man called him forward, this augur did understand.
he would think of the woman as ice eyes.