Qeya River arjuni-akt-i

"I almost don't want to," he returned, and Lane tilted her head in curiosity. Some of her own pack had also shied from these diseased creatures. Lane herself could see them as nothing more than a direct threat to the livelihood of her pack and therefore her children, and she meant to eliminate that threat, swiftly and decisively. 

His next words offered some explanation as he noted the creature's coloration. Kigipigik was also a creature who could have been carved from ice; did he feel some kinship with the hoofed beast? 

His laughter rumbled deep in his chest, and Lane felt the joy in her own heart rise in response. "The first time I saw you, I thought you were a spirit," she admitted, also laughing. She swung her gaze over her shoulder, setting her honey eyes on the Frostfire Ridge. That was where they had first met, and where, she believed, Kigipigik had saved her life.  

Turning back to Kigipigik, she noted, "The flaw in its bloodline that is responsible for its complexion, also makes it susceptible to disease." Albinism was not likely to be associated with robust, thriving creatures. If the hoofed beast was not infected with the wasting disease yet, it probably would be soon. Lane's demeanor sobered as she set her mind to what must be done.