Gatdamn!
His paws were hot, his black lined back was hot, and most importantly he as an individual was hot. Both in a literal sense and also a figurative sense... but mostly literal. Kazakir had been wandering for a few moon cycles now, living off of the vultures' leftovers whenever he could find it. Sometimes a an occasional desert mouse. Thin and gauntly, he wasn't living up to his usual well-groomed image but thank whatever was above there was no one to see it. Surely he would melt into the sand before he ran into anyone out here!
But of course, just as the thought tumbled through his dehydrated noodle, a scent wafted near. He gulped it eagerly, then followed swiftly. Forget his indecency, he was tired and needed help out here! This was no place for a gentleman who was raised in captivity.
There was a familiar scent on the wind.
Candle, who had all but forgotten what it was like to find comfort in something familiar, followed it at once. She darted through the ravine with single-minded purpose. She did not know who she would find, but did it matter? It was a piece of home, here!
She found Kazakir, and exploded into a string of high, excited barks. Candle ran to him — ran into him if he wasn't quick enough to get out of the way, and began to smother him in quick kisses and nips. She didn't even consider that he might not recognize her.
The wind brought to her nose a scent she'd thought she'd lost. Something welled inside her heart, causing her paws to be pulled forward.
Her nose twitched, and as she caught sight of the man, lithe legs moved faster. Running, a dark shadow among the sand as she raced to-
KAZAKIR!
the yip-yap of an excited sister as she tackled her brother, burying her nose into his fur. It was him! Kusuma-kin!
You no get eaten by silver bird!
Since having agreed to join her sister's efforts in building this new tribe, Ri'zura had spent her time preparing for the season's stay. While they inhabited the ravine, she planned to search every inch of for herbage that would be of use.
One of her favorite places to look was by the water. Not only did it harbor beneficial flora, but it also allowed her time to cool off in the water.
After having found a few items to return to her dugout, Ri'zura had planned to go for a swim. However, a disturbance stole away her attention. A noise. Flying water. Excited yips. She watched from a distance as two bodies collided, another soon following. Curious, she remained silent. She knew of Kusuma, but not the others. Did they live here too? Were they tribekin, or wanderers?
cameo!
by design, zoug had not seen the worth of competing for the clan women. his spiritual knowledge, coupled with the deep scarring of his eye, had made him seem otherworldly and inapproachable. they sought him for his body and the good fortune that might be bestowed by his walking of the ghostplaces.
but when a man arrived to the place where tribe made their home, zoug rose on stiff legs, hackles lifted all the way down to his hips. the scent was -- wrong. he could see this one was male, and had similar looks to kusuma, but zoug did not like it.
less for the fact the stranger was male, and more that he was distinctly different in a way the reticent man did not like.
shy one came then. zoug relaxed, watching as she greeted the newcomer. he said nothing, only speculated before returning to his place along the inside of the red walls. kusuma came next, and in her voice it was clear this man was known. therefore, he had no further unsurety, and returned to his scouring of a wooden disk with sand, using his paw to move it upon the ground.
The origin of the scent made herself known quickly to him. Candle slammed into his uneasy figure, yet he held fast as it was nothing more than a tiny pebble thrusted upon a medium sized rock. But Kazakir cared deeply for this pebble and accepted her kisses and nips with a tired wag of his wilted tail. "This one I ain't seen in long time!" His chin brought her closer in an embrace. But surprises were still to come!
His sweet sister?! The shock of her entrance, stage right, brought the man to near tears. "KUS-" She hit different, and down he went with both women on top of him (insert your own joke here). Kazakir howled with laughter, shifting in the sand as he welcomed his kin into his embrace, as well. "Silver bird spit Kazakir out, but Kazakir don't remember... Kazakir can't believe this!" Warm summer eyes flicked from Kusuma to Candle. "Kusuma and Candle friends?"
Last for me unless someone stops her!
Candle did not think she had ever been so thrilled to see anyone. She melted into his embrace, but only had a moment to enjoy it before Kusuma crashed into the pair of them and brought them all to the ground. A yip of pure surprise bubbled out of her, then dissolved into shy laughter.
But she was overwhelmed. Candle extracted herself carefully from the embrace after a moment, and looked for Zoug, whose presence she had felt only a moment ago. He was gone. Her ears fell briefly, but stood tall again when she looked to Kazakir and Kusuma. She whined softly, a promise in her eyes that she would return for a proper reunion, and hoped that they would understand.
She was worried about Zoug, that was all. So she went to look for him, remembering the sadness she'd seen in him, and hoping that she might convince him to come meet Kazakir and share in their joy.
Dark woman's tail was a blur of excitement, nuzzling her brother's neck and breathing in his scent. It had been far too long and she wanted to be absolutely certain the wind would not misread the smell if she breathed it along the breezed and it touched her nose among the sandlands. Candle-kin Tribekin!
she yipped in attempt to explain, still refusing to part from her brother's fur. How she missed his warmth. Where had he been?
Kusuma stopped for moment, thinking perhaps he'd never heard of the Tribe before. All Tribe. All sandland coyot and jackal and notwolfs is Tribe. Kusuma has hard time saying names but can show Kazakir-kin Tribekin!
He watched Candle slip away to tend to other matters. It saddened him but he figured he'd be seeing her quite often now that they shared a home again. But his mood was risen once more to the very blue skies above upon returning his attention to sweet Kusuma. "Kazakir would love Kusuma to show him things! Kazakir does not wish to part from sister again." A long exhale as his breath parted her dark fur slightly. He would not lose sight of his dear kin again.
Pressing against her chest lightly with his forepaws, the wiry man chuckled. "Kusuma crushes Kazakir." A loving nip to her lower jaw was given as the young man teased his sister, just as they did when they were pups.