It was not long before we came across my first tree marking. I had carved the N so that it pointed in the direction I had come from, which meant it was now telling us to go right. In the state I had been in when I made it I was surprised my brain had been functioning well enough to make it useful, but apparently it had.
That way, I indicated with a nudge of my head, stepping away from the tree.
Sean moved to the front and led the pack in the direction I had gestured. We came across the next marking not long after, pointing us north.
The pack slowed after a while and Phoenix declared it safe enough to hunt. I was too wired to feel genuinely hungry but I understood that I needed to keep my energy up, especially with what was coming. Wolves spread out with a flick of tails and began to move into the surrounding trees. Phoenix pressed a lick to my snout before he went with them.
