Tuktu Weir woke up on the wrong side of reality

All are welcome but please let @Burke post first !!

It had been a cold, lonely winter.

When Nathaniel first came upon the territory, he had been exhausted, too weak to do much but find a den and flop in it. Even that did not provide much warmth-- when he finally awoke, he was stiff and cold in a way that sent a small rush of panic through him. He stumbled to his feet, sluggish, and realized he needed to move. Even in the dim head-fog that came with being half-starved and far colder than wolves were meant to be, he was able to summon the strength to keep walking, shaking his thick coat out and feeling himself slowly beginning to warm. The wolf blinked rapidly, eyes blurry, and it was as if he was truly seeing for the first time in days.

I wonder if I'm dead. He croaked, then snorted in response to his own statement. A sharp pain shot through his throat when he spoke, confirming that he was definitely unfortunately alive.

The haze had consumed him for days now, and truthfully he barely remembered entering the Teekon Wilds. It was so wildly unfamiliar, and he wasn't even sure which direction home was-- but then, it didn't matter anymore, did it?

He didn't have a home anymore.

The thought brought back what seemed like a mountain of crushing grief, his mind dancing around the memories of what he had lost-- but he was not brave enough to face it directly yet, so he swallowed back the bile in his throat and pushed on.

There was a small, frozen lake ahead of him, it seemed-- as he got closer, he noticed the sizable dam. Nathaniel sat at the edge of the water, eyes drawn to the forest bordering the opposite edge of the lake. He still felt weak, hungry, broken-- but there was something peaceful about the cold, still picture before him. It was a small reprieve, but he was happy to soak it up.