So, he kind of left home.

After weeks of eyeing the lands beyond the claim of his pack—after weeks of being left alone, the attention of his mother and the others never once on him—Aningan finally set off on a journey. He wanted to see what all the world had to offer him, and he wanted to see what those outside of the pack were like even more. Were they nice? Would they acknowledge him? Perhaps they were like the being that watched over him, who seemed incredibly excited by his decision to finally leave, as what existed previously as only a shadow finally took on a different form: an owl, she claimed to be. The name was something he’d tilted his head at, uncertain of the significance, yet he didn’t verbally question her; she knew better about what she was than he did, so what grounds did he have to call her out? Besides, that had been the extent of the conversation as she then distanced herself from him, keeping to the skies overhead instead of the ground below.

Every now and again, the  uppik called to him from above, insisting he go one way instead of another—of course, having a stubborn streak and thinking he knew better, Aningan often went the opposite way; perhaps she’d observed him enough to understand that he’d act so foolishly, as never did his choice in paths lead him anywhere exceptionally dangerous.

After several days worth of travel, the boy finally reached an area worth exploring. There were a few trees that still held tight to their brightly coloured leaves, the colours unlike anything he’d ever seen before. It was as beautiful as it was alluring, for with the vivid sight came also the scent of food; based on the strength of the scents and the marks on some of the trees, he figured that a herd of deer must’ve recently passed through. Still learning to hunt with ease, and knowing that an entire herd was not something he could take on alone, the young Inuk refrained from following after the trails—a decision that was supported by his tired companion from a nearby branch.

Noting the change in her tone, Aningan insisted she rest while he looked around the area; he wasn’t too familiar with owls but, from what little he’d heard in the past, he knew it was not common for them to be out and about during the day (little did he know that the same could not be said for snowy owls, and that she was tired only due to having flown for an incredibly long period of time). Thankfully, she agreed to his idea and settled off where even the boy could not see her, whilst he continued to trek through the bright forest.

He could’ve kept walking for hours still, his body full of youthful energy and the joy of an adventurer finally beginning his very first journey. It was amazing in his mind, wondrous and exciting—well, was being the keyword.

Not long had passed after his companion flew off and he was given a new one—except, this creature was a wolf like himself and, rather than flying overhead, had attached herself to his tail; he did not move, not at first, as his brain processed what had happened. But once he realised, Aningan was rushing forward, yanking his tail free, and immediately turning to confront her.

“What...?!” he tried to yell at her but, still confused by what had happened, found it difficult to string words together into something that would make sense. “What did... why did... what’d you do that for?!” He was finally able to huff out a full sentence, his ears back and every ounce of irritation that he could muster (it wasn’t much) was squished together into a long, steady glare.

The language with which she spoke was unlike those he’d familiarised himself with; she spoke with her body, and she did so in a way that left him grasping for straws in regards to how he should react. Was she trying to pick a fight with him? Surely not, she seemed to lack any ill intentions, and yet... perhaps that was merely him misinterpreting that which she was attempting to do.

Another exchange was made as she lunged for his flank, her actions best viewed as a shout in this foreign tongue of hers. Not wanting to experience her teeth meeting his flesh once more, the Inuk evaded her jaws and spun to maintain eye contact with her. “Stop that!” he shouted, a growl lingering on the edge of his voice. Couldn’t she see that he didn’t want to partake in whatever she was trying to do!