For years now he'd been following this little herd here in the north of Boreas, alone except for the reindeer. They'd become relatively docile around him since a large number of them had been born under his guardianship, but they were still wild creatures and he was still a predator, so it was a distant sort of relationship. He'd always been content in whatever situation he'd found himself in, so the solitude hadn't bothered him. He'd spent the time protecting his herd, guiding them, culling them when necessary. He'd spent it in appeasing the spirits and the gods, allowing himself to be guided by them. As the years of solitude had passed he'd found himself more and more drawn into the older ways and the superstitions of his peoples' traditions, probably in an attempt to feel closer to those absent. It was no great burden for him to do so, anyway, and it had helped him survive alone and helped his little herd to thrive this long.

Fall was coming, so his herd had moved down into the forested regions and was breaking apart. He had to range much more widely to keep them all within his purview, which meant long days of travel for him and, unfortunately, less oversight for his herd. It was the hardest time of year for them but there was nothing he could do about it. Every once in a while he whimsically entertained the thought of finding a mate or two, raising a few litters of children to follow the herd with him. But alas, it took a very unusual female to take to the life of a reindeer herder without having been born to it. Besides, he never did end up leaving his herd long enough to meet anyone, female OR male. He knew the likelihood of finding someone to share his burdens or to bear his children was simply too much to hope for. No, he would simply have to do his best for these reindeer until the day he was too old to continue, and they would need to return to fending for themselves.

Right now he was taking a short rest among a scruffy grouping of pines, watching a small group of his herd's yearling bulls wandering together as they grazed on lichens. He was panting lightly from the long path that had taken him from the last group to this one, though the weather was cool enough this late in the year up here that his fluffy coat was not a hardship. His blue eyes were partly closed, and his ears flopped to either side in a posture of complete relaxation. Despite his blissfully languid pose, the Jarvela had his full attention on the bulls, watching them for any signs of injury or disease or any other concern. They all seemed well, though one bull seemed more nervous than the others, constantly startling and peering around before fitfully returning to eating. It might have been simply because he was the smallest of them and had perhaps been bullied, but Mikkal kept a close eye on him anyway. He would likely not make it through the winter if he was being bullied - the constant harassment from the other males would probably eventually kill him assuming he didn't starve from not being allowed to eat properly. He would probably be a candidate for a cull a little later in the winter, assuming he wasn't injured by another bull sooner than that.

Kai, surprisingly enough for a wolf of Finnvi blood, hadn't spent much time in the north. His father had spent a few years away from the sort of terrain that their people were usually most comfortable in, exploring the sights that Boreas had to offer while meeting as many wolves there as he possibly could. It'd been awhile since he'd seen his dad now, and despite having never truly gone to the north for anything but brief visits, he felt drawn there - like an invisible string was stuck somewhere deep in his soul and pulling him north. The urge came not long after he saw the first snowfall, relatively mild where he'd been wandering in the east, but slowly growing in intensity as he traveled further north. It was somewhat unsettling that he'd never even seen a reindeer. It made his heart long for his family's homelands, the ones that Kanja had spoken of; it made him feel strangely restless. Reindeer were almost mythical creatures to him, larger-than-life animals that only existed in stories  - he knew how real they were, but it was hard to really wrap his mind around their existence despite having seen similar creatures. It seemed fitting that he ought to at least encounter them though, and while he'd hoped he'd find his father by now to see if he would accompany him, he had resigned himself to a solo journey. The cold seeping into his core, as he traveled further to the north, was refreshing rather than daunting. Kai was thankful for his family's genetics even more now, knowing he might not fare so well here without his heavy build and thick coat. The snow underpaw made him feel even more invigorated and determined. Kai had learned enough about the herd to know where to find them during each season - to vaguely know their scent as well as their footprints, provided snow hadn't covered them. He'd been taught how they moved and which plants they fed on, so when he saw the dense pine forest he found himself heading there by instinct alone. He felt a surge of excitement as soon as he caught a strong scent of the reindeer tracks, his posture stiffening as he slid closer to the ground. They were far enough away that he wouldn't startle them, but he wanted to be extra cautious; he had no intent on doing anything but observing them today. But the scent of another touched his nose, surprising him. Who else would be wandering these forests? It'd been miles since he'd come across the trail of another wolf. His ears perked, sniffing at the earth curiously as he headed toward the source of the scent. Even from a far distance, he caught the male's familiar dark grey coat, deep crimson markings touching the stranger's neck and face. His eyes widened with obvious interest, his pace increasing, though he resisted the urge to bark out a greeting. He was quiet as he approached, though made sure that the sound of his paws was loud enough to signal his greeting - the herd was not far away at all, judging by their increasing scent, but could he have been so lucky to find another family member? Perhaps it was meant to be, however crazy of a coincidence it was. A wide grin settled on his features as he closed the distance between him and Mikkal. "Hyvää päivää, he called out quietly, nodding in eager greeting, and hoping he wasn't mistaken in who this might be. Kai had never met another wolf who bore similar features and wasn't a Jarvela, so he hoped he wasn't wrong now.