Wild Berry Meadow ard alahlam

it was only through soft luck or some work beyond them that jawahir found the trail of pharaoh, far beyond the reaches of the places they had once roamed together.

the pack of them had departed, and the world was somehow emptier. it disquieted them, and none of their trade could be fulfilled without wolves.

jawahir's strides carried them through the more even terrain of a landscape that ran in all colors and directions

they might have retired at dusk were it not for the etchmarks of a lone saint-wolf, and in that, the fragrance of pharaoh himself!

yet it was not only the reappearance of the royal that drew jawahir along; they knew at once the first creature, and loped upon beautiful lithe legs until the other's frame was plucked from the falling shadows. what an honor to see you once more, satsu. their lips, inscrutable.

the song of the cicadas had not followed the path that satsu tread. she found that in her wandering, when she paused to take in the scenery or find a spot to drink and cool herself, she missed the crying hum.

she had discovered for herself a patch of meadow with an abundance of bushes. the thicker the strands of vine, the larger the thorns. yet their sweet smelling fruit drew her close; and it was here that she found respite, nibbling at the bitter, under-ripe fruits and feeling the darker pieces burst with sweetness on her tongue.

the dancer paused when she sensed eyes upon her - and then a familiar voice speaking.
as she turned to bristle towards the darkness, satsu forgot all about the tranquility of the meadow.

you? what are you doing here? but she knew, too, that this creature was a crafty little thing.

a cluck of their sweet tongue; because i am owed a great debt.

the glint of white teeth. by both you and your companion.

had he not left her to the devices of a bored courtesan? the man had spoken once of his royal plans, but when the saints had gone, the royal did not remain.

jawahir slowly rolled their smooth shoulders, stepping forward with a cautious gait. what have you done with the life i gave to you, satsu?

their eyes were no longer the honeyed expression of a practiced life. jawahir smouldered.

propriety would have quelled satsu's desire to bare her teeth, had this been a wolf. this thing was less than that; her lip lifted to flash fang, scowling while the coyote drew closer.
you have given me nothing. we had an agreement and it has been fulfilled.
satsu, who refused to dance.
i used you in my bid for freedom when i was desperate. my debt was paid when i brought you further business, if that was what trafficking could be considered; there had been men and women drawn in by satsu once, but she no longer played the part of vermin.
i am not one of your hoard, creature.

jawahir's striking face did not alter its expression, and their lips only slanted upward the more that satsu raved

once you belong to us, you are always ours, jewel, the courtesan murmured in a tone made for the ears of those who wanted her. not this foul wolf and her misplaced hatred.

where is pharaoh? they chose next to say, aware of the pale teeth that threatened beneath satsu's silken lip. perhaps he will understand the meaning of a blood debt.

jawahir looked curiously at the field of ripened fruit. is this where he means to discover himself? you will need the eyes and the ears of those who serve wolves. whether or not you believe us hoard.

any threat satsu held, any tremble of a snarl, died in her throat.

pharaoh.

what does this vermin know of the golden man?

it catches satsu off-guard and drains the color from her face. she falters in her hatred and her loathing, ears turning to the forefront so that she can clearly gather what is said.

of course. i should have expected you to follow after him. but it was news to her. how satsu had missed the connection was beyond her; the man who comforted himself with willing vermin, and this creature who stole their way through life.

the woman recounts the many times she has caught the vermin-scent upon pharaoh in passing and nearly gags. her attention turns from jawahir as she gathers her bearings, trying to calm the upset this knowledge has provided.

we share a great deal between us, jawahir responded, voice a pleased purr in the back of her satin throat. satsu had been noticeably unbalanced, and they focused upon the rend opening in the woman's veneer, nipping at the sensitive edges.

your companion takes delight in me. i will be welcomed back into his presence. a single step closer. into his bed.

into your new claims, satsu. there was no escaping the jeweled grasp which had wrapped themselves around the proud royal so.

he places his faith in pleasure. have you provided this to him? but it was mocking, the question, for each of them both knew the truth of that.

the surprise diminished within satsu quickly. she choked it down as she had swallowed the rest of her emotions during times of great upheaval. when her brothers were killed, she did not make a sound; it was jawahir that rescued her from certain death, then.

there was something new that warmed the blood in her veins now. a sense of betrayal; something that caused her sakki to strengthen. it had bothered her before, knowing that pharaoh chased vermin for the wrong reasons.

jawahir's commentary made manifest something different. she knew not what.

i care little for his extracurriculars. everyone has their hobbies. the creature had gotten under her skin, which was not hard to do.

this is not an answer, satsu, the slim creature pressed again, though the lovely eyes remained hardened with a rime of amber and frost.

they stretched luxuriously before the wolf-woman now, small curved hips silhouetted for a moment against the darkening skies that fell in long mist across the rolling steppes.

you will not be free of me, so long as he is satisfied.

the grin glittered once more. what would he think of you if he knew you were once one of this fallen circle? jawahir urges. security for her kind came at a cost; they meant to exact this from satsu, using the young woman to climb onto a shelf from which the courtesan could not be dragged.

jawahir's comment is soft, careful. it is a threat despite the sombre quality of it. the grin they hold upon their sleek, thin face is the kind satsu would expect from a thief, and suits the creature.

the greater threat came after. it was enough to force satsu in to silence for a moment, withdrawing in to herself. it was cruel. he need not know. she hastened to say.

wanting to demand silence and forgiveness, but not deserving either.

i will... show you what we have found. you will not tell him anything, satsu drawls this carefully, knowing that if she is not careful the little thief will skew things to their advantage. and should he find out, you will be cast from the highest cliff to die.

a deal; that's what the vermin had been waiting for, was it not? there was time for jawahir to make their choice, while satsu steeped in self-loathing.

i would prefer to avoid cliffs.

their words had given the effect desired; satsu seemed to flatten and retreat before their very eyes. jawahir advanced, hunger in the whetted gaze. they knew that the other would not kill them. was that not why the woman had been in need?

in return for my secrecy, i will keep his interest to myself, so you are able to rule as his chaste queen. another tease, cutting at that tender place once more. a warning that the courtesan was not to be crossed, not after her sacrifice and her place as savior.

so far from the lands behind the mountain, they uttered, voice calm as sacred water. the pack has left and you are not with them. why?

there was little satsu could do to protest these terms. they were as good as she was bound to get, and she cursed herself as much as the coyote for cornering her in this way.
fine. she shot back, though there was little fire to it.

a draw of breath to quell frustration, and satsu is already turning from the lovely berries - having forgotten her plucking of the fruit and the staining of her lips - to bring the creature home alongside her.

satsu did not want to speak to jawahir or entertain the creature more than necessary, but she was at an impasse. their deal struck, now it was the vermin which held the power, and satsu did not want them to change the terms - so to keep them satisfied, she answered:
they let us go, with promises to return once we found a suitably pleasing place for ourselves. they go to war for no good reason, and we may be called on to aid them.
oh how glorious it would be, to see jawahir thrown in to that fray; or wrung between the teeth of the tiger lord himself!

well, not his pleasure entourage.

jawahir had heard the yarns hissed by those who had been brought to the front of battle as comforts.

the risk to life and to body, not only at the teeth of the looming enemy, but the roughened, the crude, the soldiers they had been sent to serve.

their gaze fell to the edge of cold once more. satsu did not understand their world, and the courtesan did not intend to provide her with finer details. their strides matched those of their indebted, and eventually the harsh expression cleared to the cunning, inviting look.

it is another sort of flesh-trade, the making of warriors. a light comment as the ground sounded softly underfoot.

i choose to quarrel only one man at a time.

satsu snorts when she hears the comment by the coyote.
that is not what i remember— with a flash of rare humor in the icewater of her gaze, shooting the creature with a knowing look. one man at a time when things were going poorly; with the usurper taking the head of everyone loyal to her father upon the han, satsu could not imagine she was the only one to flee by way of the secret paths.
such a time of upheaval for her family could only have been a blessing to jawahir, who saw opportunity where there was only ruin.
she did not speak further on the subject and turned along the path, leading the way through the bramblework of berries and towards the red-tinted horizon.