Mindful of his footfalls, Nate traveled with less stealth than a wolf should rightly have, but better than the utter ineptitude of his earliest attempts. One step at a time. Literally and figuratively. Arrowhead ears pricked at the muffle of a voice in close-distance, and the call of Ko-Ga in return. His feathered friend didn't return to lead him closer or warn him away, and didn't sound distressed.

Was it someone they already knew?

Or was the damn bird trying to get him killed? Again?

With a long-suffering grimace, Nate followed the noise until he could be sure he didn't know the speaker. But they had a familiar cadence to their voice, common among men from the West. Which was... odd to find carried over into the words of wolves. Whether that made for good or bad news, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was just news.

Ko-Ga! Nate called to announce himself by, and a few strides later the shadow of him became visible through snow-laden trees. He stopped a safe distance away. Took in the stranger. Built like the coywolves he used to sing to at night in desert scrub, and colored for it, too.

Ko-Ga had hopped very close, unperturbed, but Nate still hesitated to approach uninvited. Only smiled so the warmth creased his eyes, Howdy. You, uh, found my friend, I see.