Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Baffin Island: Day 14

Word Count: 99,008

Summary of Events:
Yukon and Ben got into an argument before JT separated them and talked with Yukon about why the two of them weren't getting along. JT then tried to talk to Ben about the same thing, but he wouldn't listen. Wolves howling the next morning woke Yukon up; he was grateful to see, however, that they hadn't taken any rabbits from the snares, although he did see one approaching and threateningly ordered it to leave . . .

Excerpt of the Day:
"The wolf came to a halt, almost as if startled, and rather hesitant. It lifted its gaze to him, its pale blue eyes looking confused and sad.
Wolves didn't have blue eyes.
Yukon's heart rate accelerated, causing his day-old wound to throb due to its proximity to the vital organ. He felt suddenly horrible, and yet elated at the same time.
He dropped to his knees and stared. He could hardly dare to think it, much less say it, but he had to.
"Ulloriaq?" he whispered.
The head lifted and a light came into the pale blue eyes while the tail wagged, just at the tip, suggesting there was still a fear and hesitancy.
"Is it really you Ulloriaq?" Yukon whispered, his voice coming out hoarse as tears threatened his eyes.
The wagging of the tail increased. Its soft thumping on the ground reached his ears.
"Come here," Yukon whispered.
Instantly she shot to her feet and quickly closed the distance between them. Yukon clutched her to his chest and sobbed. He would never have believed that she would find her way back to them after all this time. He couldn't begin to imagine where she'd been, and he could hardly believe that she was back. She was actually back. She was alive, and she'd come back to him.
With a puppy's enthusiasm her tail, as well as her whole body, wiggled as she tried to almost cram herself further onto his lap than she was, her big, soft, tongue leaving stripes of warm, wet saliva on his chest, arms, hands, neck, and face as she greeted him.
"It's really you," Yukon whispered, his throat still closed with emotion as he looked at her.
She sat back, her tongue hovering on the edge of her teeth in a wide canine smile that showed she was, without question, just as happy to see him as he was to see her.
"Where have you been?" he asked, sliding his hands into the thick, tangled fur about her neck.
She uttered a somewhat howl-like yip.
"Were you with the wolves?" Yukon asked.
Her tail wagged with enthusiasm.
"Why did you leave me Ulloriaq?" Yukon asked. "I was so worried about you. I thought you'd died Ulloriaq."
The happy expression on her face fell and her tail stopped wagging. She took on a contrite expression and lowered herself to her belly, her eyes seeming to brim with apology.
Yukon rubbed her head gently and watched as she barely moved the tip of her tail.
"At least you're here and okay, though, which is more than I could've asked for," Yukon said. "As much as I wish I knew where you'd been. Come, let's go tell everybody you're back."
Instantly the happiness was back on Ulloriaq's face and she hopped to her feet, following alongside him at an enthusiastic trot despite her limp."

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