A jewel, a mirage- and yet when it became real, it became no less precious. The water was an eye of the sky, but cooler, clearer, cloudless. No doubt the trees alongside its banks supped from the waters in order to grow so tall, this far from more temperate climates. Tumbleweed sucked air through his dry lips and moseyed closer, sniffing the area and finding himself amused to realize that even still, it remained something of a hub- not a castle yet unclaimed.
He wouldn't be foolish enough to mark it as his own, not without a crew strong enough to turn away the weak and foolhardy. For now, he could simply play host; and hide in the shadows while he waited for something edible to come in search of water.
The very star Meridian worshipped could be a hinderance at times. If one was foolish enough to hunt under the gaze of the afternoon sun, they could find themselves with a heatstroke.
The coyote searched for a solution to the sweltering summer heat. The ravine provided a river, but a repetitive routine did her no good. As she approached the pool, she kept her ears pricked for signs giving away another's presence, but failed to notice anything. Meridian let down her guard to take a drink.
Little more than the flick of an ear was given to the sight of another wolf approaching. Cloaked in darkness, he drank fully the advantage of being unseen- at least for the time being- and inhaled her scent with a series of silent sniffs. He flicked his tongue over his nose to wet it, discerning that her scent was mingled with that of other wolves. A social creature, then- a social butterfly, potentially. The coyote had pretty features; eyes that reminded him of a flower he'd seen once, when he'd roamed further inland. Foxglove. He determined then that her looks could be similarly as dangerous.
He wanted, of course, but not for conflict- and knew that a coyote attached to others might bring an end to his plans. Of course, now that she'd found his oasis...There was very little he could do to keep her from it. For now, anyway.
He yawned and stretched, making himself audible as he sat up. A swift shimmy shook sand from his pelt and he regarded the coyote with light humour in his sleepily blinking eyes. He looked at her as though spotting her for the first time, post-nap. With the humility of a grand king, he lifted one foot and gestured toward the water, expecting her to be lightly startled at least by his presence. "Please," His lips smiled warmly. "Drink."
Meridian whirled around at the sound of the yawn, startled. She quickly changed her expression to confident, making direct eye contact with the stranger. He seemed to be non threatening, and resembled a wolf with coyote features, not unlike some from Meridian's tribe. Still, she was vary of the other.
The young coyote's demeanor soured when he invited her to drink. To her, he sounded like another arrogant wolf who though he could dictate what happens in his land. Do you call this oasis yours? There was a sneer to her voice. All land belonged to the sun, in Meridian's eyes.
Her pupils narrowed when she looked to see him, revealing more of her lovely, sunset irises. His expression did not change, and the softness about his mealy lips begged to grow but he refrained. There was a jump in the muscles of his jaw as he noticed the wariness of her features, and his chest grow warm to know he could inspire suspicion so easily.
He spoiled her will to drink which was just as well. Perhaps she would believe the water to be tainted and leave the area alone. His lips pushed forward in surprise when she voiced her accusations, and in spite of the fact that he knew it would make him less of a modest man, he chuckled. "Only when I'm here alone."
Meridian huffed audibly at his response. She didn't scent heavy traffic in the area, and so his claims ended now. Who would leave first? The recent heat was getting to the usually mild mannered canine, turning her into a coyote with a temper as fiery as the blazing sun. She sat down, as if to tell him she was not going anywhere, anytime soon. You gonna stay here or what? I don't see a lot for you here. She lashed her tail with each spiteful word.
She was very bothered, which flattered him. It seemed she would not bend to drink while he was there, which didn't bother him at all. In fact, he chose to lean into it a bit, and stepped forward, out of the shadow, to sit where the sunlight could warm his back.
His eyes never left her face, taking in the slight nuances that marked her rising instability. "I have plenty, here," He remarked, inhaling as though he savoured the hot, dry air. He blinked lazily at her, and then tilted his head playfully to the side. "You would be clever to take me up on my offer- it is quite a journey to the next water source and if you've already travelled this far..." He said, with a shrug. Was she so stubborn that she'd refuse to drink, even when death hovered on the horizon as a mirage?
Meridian found a new way to torment him. She wouldn't refuse a drink, and she wouldn't leave. No matter what he said, the pool was limited, with a small supply in such heat. One could finish it in under a week, if they wanted to. A journey doesn't scare me, but I'll take the pool. Her sunset eyes flicked up to the pool, and then to the sun, revealing her intentions of depriving the other of his water source.
He didn't take her words literally, but he intended to imply that he did.
"It doesn't travel well, not in this heat," He said with a glimmering smile.
He believed the oasis was spring-fed, which would account for the amount of vegetation around it. He had seen watering holes come and go and dry up into cracked earth that left nothing to be found unless one were to dig- but places that supported lush vegetation tended to be everbearing. And in mid summer, if it hadn't dried up already, be believed it wasn't likely to do so. Still- well worth his time to hang around and keep an eye on it, while it lasted. If it did end up drying out, he'd simply have to find another place to establish a keep.
"I assume if you won't drink here, then your home must not be too far away," He said, inching his own pawn a bit further toward her side of the board.
Meridian was annoyed by his banter. The temperature was rising as the sun climbed higher into the noonday sky. She waded further into the shallow pool before replying. No, no it isn't. What do you have to do with where I live? Nosy busybodies were the worst. Meridian realized that if he wished so, the tribe would accept him, and she would have to deal with, what she thought was an obnoxoius canid, on a regular basis. She hoped it wouldn't come to that. Perhaps it would be best for him to stay by his water hole.
She enjoyed the oasis even more, slipping deeper into the waters, and he was proud to see it happen. How many more would come to this place, seeking solace? It would be a magnet, he thought. Irresistible to most, and even though she still refused to drink, she was at least cooling down her body temperature. Perhaps she wasn't as stubborn as he thought. If she'd wanted to spite him completely, she wouldn't have stepped into the water to begin with. Maybe, she could be bargained with.
And for someone who seemed completely at ease with making herself at home in another wolf's place of residence, she certainly didn't seem inclined to return the favour. He shrugged. "Just a matter of quid pro quo," He responded, halting briefly before he added "'This for that,'" in case she didn't understand the expression. "You know how it is out here...The land and the sun give and take, take and give...Why should we not give and take, as well?"
The priestess was still a trader. The habit of making bargains never left her, for it was an invaluable skill. The fire in her voice melted away as the wolf spoke of the sun accurately. I traded too, on a much larger scale. A bargain of sorts? What interests you, more importantly, what's in it for me? Gradient eyes reflected interest in the prospect of a deal.
Like the lines in the desert sand being swept away by a breeze, the contempt faded from her features. She remained in the water, which seemed to grow more still around her yet, now that she regarded him evenly. He moved forward, so that he might too share in the water's touch, carefully keeping his movements benign and graceful so she might not feel cornered. Now that they were in talks, he felt they should lower their voices.
Even the Oasis, he believed, could listen and be biased.
"I cannot make bargains when I have so little to offer, at the moment," He admitted. After all- he had no claim to the Oasis, and no affiliates. No treasures squandered away in this area, either. "But I have a talent for acquiring valuable things...Whether it is knowledge, riches, affiliations..." He said, watching her features to see if any of those struck her fancy.
By the way he had spoken before, Meridian had gotten the impression that he had already built up a stash. Her expression remained the same until the wolf spoke of his talents in acquiring certain objects. A thought struck her. Meridian guessed that he was no better a collector in most riches, but it was jewels that always evaded her. How do you do with gathering gemstones? I need some for my shrine.
"I can spot them from a mile away," He said, eyeing her momentarily as one might look upon a gem sparkling from the darkness. Then he laughed softly, and the glint in his eyes disappeared. He settled back into a kinder mien, though it was delicious testing to see just how cheeky he could be without stirring her ire once more. Frankly, he felt fairly comfortable, knowing now that she might at least see him as being useful.
"Finding them in the desert isn't easy...In fact, it's almost impossible, except for in places where there is perhaps a canyon or crevasse...Digging through sand would be a fool's errand...I'm afraid, if it's gemstones you seek, you will have to cast your search beyond the desert. Mountains, gullys, beaches even...Places where the earth has already unveiled her secrets for you."
Of course, she might only be searching for a specific type of stone, if it was for a shrine.
"Who do you worship?" He asked, almost casually.
Meridian's eyes twinkled as he yipped about an affinity for finding stones. It vanished quickly when the other advised her to search elsewhere. She flicked her tail irritably. Nonsense! Plenty stones reside here! Ever heard of quartz, turquoise, or even garnet? Meridian knew better than to just search elsewhere. He was right on the fact that the sand dunes were no place to look, but gemstones could be found in shallow water, canyons or plateaus. When he inquired about her worship, she huffed audibly. Finally a proper question! I chose to worship the sun, the source of light and life.
His eyes sparkled. "Then clearly, you know more then you let on." He replied. Perhaps she'd been testing him, and had found him wanting. His aim, of course, had been to persuade her to go a bit further from his claim, from where he wanted to search for gemstones...But at least he'd managed to wrangle some information from her. He hadn't expected to find turquoise easily- but she seemed to imply there was some nearby. He'd keep that tidbit of information in his searches. He guessed, as well, that she might live in a sheltered place- somewhere that the earth gave away to show years and years of rock formations...It might be easier to find her homeplace than he'd originally thought.
Finding out about her culture and her faith was of less interest, though he was willing to wager that it was something she liked to talk about. He'd feed the dog a bone, if it meant being granted a better reputation. "How do you do so? A shrine, you say...Any particular stones? Rituals? Sacrifices?" he asked.
The coyote was pleased to have someone to talk to on the subject. She put on a more friendly tone before speaking. A shrine is where I go to pray at sunrise and sundown. It's currently a work in progress, hence why I require stones. Any stones work, as long as they reflect the sun's light at different times of day. She paused for effect before continuing. Absolutely no dull and dingy stones! Meridian was taken aback when the other inquired about sacrifices. Oh no! The sun does not demand innocent blood.
He found himself churning ideas as she spoke. She worshipped the sun when it was at its gentlest- something he found interesting, but chose not to question. The stones seemed to have some significance, though it was their reflective qualities she sought. An idea came to mind, of a stone that might not necessarily reflect the sun's light, but might imitate it. He thought he'd seen some, not long ago. A closer inspection might land him something she might value very much.
"Well I am glad to hear that," He said. "I've met others who do perform sacrifices- more prey than anything, but you know. To each their own," He said. "Though I don't think there's a single creature on this earth that hasn't worshipped the sun at some point or other in their life," he said.
To Meridian, even prey was not to be killed unless it was for food. Hmm... you'd be surprised. I have heard of wolves that worship the moon and shadows. The very thought disturbed her. There was a reason her permanent home would be far from such miscreants. Every intelligent creature appreciates the sun. Without it, where would we be?
"True, but-" He interjected, before he listened to her make her point. "Exactly. We'd be dead." He said simply. "Even wolves who worship the moon, darkness, some god of the dead...I wouldn't be convinced that they never felt the sun's light after a season of rain, a frigid, dark night, and felt ungrateful for it." He said. All creatures relied on the sun for nutrition and warmth, after all. And even those who made sacrifices would need living things in order to worship whoever it was they worshipped.
"You've chosen the right place to worship the sun," He said, squinting as he peered up into the sky. "Have you ever lived outside of the desert?"
Meridian could be open minded at times, but now was not one of those times. She had no tolerance for those who showed ungratefulness to the sun. No wonder some wolves have dark shadow coats. Cursed mongrels! The desert was her home, her base. I was born in a desert. My travels took me far, across the lands to the mountains, valleys, and shores. And now I return to the desert.
His head tilted slightly, opinion curdling. Her life story went over his head, and at the end of it, he shook his muzzle abruptly and flattened his ears.
"Excuse me- did you say that dark-pelted wolves are cursed mongrels?" He blurted. He hoped he'd misunderstood, or that she'd perhaps used poor wording. Already, he felt himself wanting to withdraw from their communications, though. He moved back in the water, slightly; not wanting to share it with someone who had those ideals.
Ooops. Meridian had overshared. She hardly gave a thought to what the wolf thought of her, or she wouldn't if they didn't have a possible trade offer. Meridian quickly hurried to yip what she thought he wanted to hear. She would keep the rest of her opinion to herself. I used the wrong words. I mean some of them are punished for disrespecting the sun, while the others are just like that. She made an innocent face, trying to convince the other wolf that it was a misunderstanding.
He moved out of the water. Changing the phrasing did nothing to lessen the impression that she believed that at least some wolves had dark coats because they had been cursed. He shook the water from his pelt and looked back to see the face she put on, though her feeble attempt failed. Discrimination of that ilk rankled him.
"Well; if you could kindly point me in the direction of your pack, I'll make sure I avoid going in that direction." He requested earnestly, having grown tired of their interaction very quickly. He felt keen to depart, and steer clear of others like her.