He was covered in mud, it was caked on and cooked into each hair follicle. He smelt like a decaying maggot-infested rodent. The hot sun was doing him no favours. It was heating up all the bacteria on his body and letting off a putrid stench. He acted like he was in pain, grimacing with each lick. His sensitive nose stung from his own musk. If he was smart, he’d find somewhere to swim. Sadly, Vaken was only smart about some things.
He stayed close to the pack border, hoping the scent would drive off coyotes. He was too focused on cleaning himself to run away from them. He didn’t want any trouble, he just wanted peace of mind. @Sahalie and @Kino had been extremely nice to him, and with their help he was getting a little more comfortable with staying close to the pack territory. Not too close, since he was still a little paranoid, but close enough to ease some tension in his small muscles. If they called for him, for whatever reason, Vaken would race to their aid.
He hated to admit it, but he was concerned with the safety of @Arcus more than he was a lot of other wolves. For some reason he wanted to be close to the territory so that he could make sure she was okay. It wasn’t a familiar feeling. Vaken had happily left his own mother and brother to travel, but now he was waiting on the pack sidelines for a pup he wasn’t related to. It felt idiotic, but Vaken was no stranger to impulsive decisions.
The small wolf whimpered loudly, holding a small burr between his teeth. He had yanked it out from his tail, where there seemed to be a handful.