Wapun Meadow You can't be late until you show up.

He'd been a loner several times before. He knew the difficulties of hunting alone. There'd been more times than he could count when he'd sacrificed a meal for safety in the presence of pack wolves. One, would never be able to compete with a hungry half-dozen. There were times when survival had meant sacrifice and hunger. It was simply one of the trade-offs of the freedom of living alone. Smaller, more infrequent meals, less safety, but one hell of a big world to explore. For a wolf with wanderlust such as his own, the benefits had outweighed the risks.

Things were different for him now. Food was a frequent and collective effort. With a pack, the game they chased could be larger and more filling. They stocked their caches frequently so a quick bite was always available if needed. Likewise, the constant patrol of their own lands provided a safe place to hunt without fear of losing ones dinner to the fangs of an unpredictable outsider. The natural predation was still present, but all and all, a pack did offer its safety.

Still, Iqniq recognized the efforts of another, even if they were unintentional. Just as he did with the wolves within his own fold, he was not about to leave another wolf's endeavors unrecognized. She'd helped. He knew this now. Her share was reward enough. He'd not threaten her unless she grew too greedy. He could offer kindness, but he would not let that kindness be taken advantage of.

She looked to him with question. Was he sure? "Mm," he murmured with a nod. "Leave the liver, if you don't mind." The liver was the choice portion of his mate back home. As she was still den bound, he went out of his way to save her favorite pieces for her to devour later. To him, the liver was Tonravik's. All else was fair game. He observed the female as she stepped cautiously forward and stole a shoulder for herself. She retreated and Iqniq turned his gaze so she might eat in peace.

When the sound of her eating came to a slow, he redirected his gaze to the corpse. He contemplated it, trying to decide if he still wished to decapitate the beast when he realized its horns would make an excellent contribution to their new bone pile back home. It was lighter now that they'd both eaten. He could drag it back without too much issue.

His ears flicked as she thanked him. Saying nothing, he nodded again. If anything, she'd helped make the remains lighter for him. It was a win-win for the both of them. She spoke again, this time offering her name instead of interrogating him as she had before. He found this sufficiently more amicable and replied in turn. "Kero," he offered. It was a shorter version of his birth name and still one he wore while outside of the pack lands. Sawtooth Spire kept to themselves. The first rule of the Spire? Don't talk about the Spire. Kero it was.

"Have you been in these wilds long?"