Whitefish River samakat bayda'

wolf-scent was everywhere. young, old, even new—leading northward to the plateau.
jawahir would not get so close as to invite their wrath.
the river suited them; they skirted the tree line where the soil dropped away, seeking shallows to cross, and then sought the moss-slick stones.
tail aloft for balance sake, it was not enough to avoid at least one slip. thankfully the jewel did not become trapped in the middle, though when they arrived on the eastern edge the rufous ginger of their limbs presented darkly wetted.
no matter.
they could lounge in the sun a while, then be on their way.

she has lost the young oceane. up and left early morning without a goodbye to the old soul. gracious is not sure what she could have done to upset the girl, but decides to not dwell. young adults find ways to explore the land, no matter anyways. gracious would find her own way around teekon until she possibly reconnects with the girl, should the universe allow her.

until then, gracious has ventured to places new, though settles for a place to find herself a meal. due to her tall stature, gracious can wade into the deeper parts of the stream and still only have half of her belly soaked with water. she is careful with her steps until she settles into a flattened bed of the stream, where the mud squishes slightly beneath her weight.

she is steady now. grey eyes watch the fish who no longer scatter away from her paws. she focuses, muzzle slowly edging towards the surface of the water to dive. she has yet to take notice that she has company with her that isn't wolf-like. hopefully, they let her catch something, perhaps she would even share if not given a reason to be bad-tempered.

the sun is oft too much for jawahir, though they are not maladapted to arid climates. a personal preference -- borne of their love of night-work.
presently they dozed beneath the spotlight of the sun.
something large approaches. the sound of water parting around a traveling object brings some interest to the jewel, who observes with care.
a bear? no -- not piggish, just large. a wolf.
slowly a smile draws across their face; but they say nothing, watching as the wolf concentrates. jawahir cannot discern much about the wolf beyond their immensity or their inherent patience -- both being equally dangerous.

she is still, just for this moment despite feeling the current of the stream push against her slits. and in a moment, with great speed not expected of the burly woman, her jaw unhinges as white daggers are unsheathed into the water. the scatter of the drops hits against the surface as many fish below scatter in fear.

yet, gracious comes out soaked and victorious as a fish is held between her jaws. flapping, squirming, gasping. blood soon begins to pour from the poor soul and stains the once light colored hair around her mouth. 

she wades out of the stream now, settling onto the banks of the stream where the water could not reach her. though, when she finally begins to clean her catch, she takes notice to the creature not too far from her. she has seen many coyote tricks in her lifetime, thinking about her parents for a short moment. their cunning nature makes them alike to one another, and that is something gracious cannot be fond of.

yet, she is not aggressive, not protective. not yet at least. she has not been given a reason to be so. instead, she watches the coyote with quiet eyes before parting bloodied lips.

"if you're hungry, i would ask instead of try and steal this from me." her manner and tone is soft, yet her statement holds something bold. something unusual for the older woman.

so powerful; to have the ability to stand there in the water, immovable, to pluck a meal from the waiting stream.
the sight transfixed the jewel for a time.
a weight spread across their chest. it sent heat radiating through their blood so that it nested tightly in their throat.

the wolf takes notice. their voice is softer than what jawahir thought was fitting.
no, no of course. i would never. such a crime would sully the courtesan's connections; should they come to be known for pilfering openly, rather than the barter.
simply marveling over you, precious one.
this wolf did not immediately strike them as a threat, nor did they chase the jewel away with any haste. perhaps something could be gleaned from this meeting.

gracious is old enough to feel storms in her bones and has seen many sunrises and sets in her many years of existence. lovers have come and gone, some in peace, others in tragedy. her heart has not felt passion and engulfing flames for a tad bit of timer now, but perhaps that is to be expected now. not many take interest in such an old woman -- except for this small creature, it seems.

it certainly catches gracious off guard, though she remains composed. she at least knows that this young creature is no threat, but perhaps a temptress. in her younger days, she would've flirted right back, but those days may be completely behind her.

"come closer, you'll see that i am nothing to marvel at." a warm invitation, testing the waters of the response. she will not bare fangs if the girl slinks too closely; rather she is curious about her answers and her intentions. therefore, gracious can't scare her away with aggression.

the fish is dead, it won't swim away any time soon. gracious can avoid being gluttonous for a moment or two. "you are youthful and thin, many would consider you the precious one, not i."

oh, but you are marvelous, the jewel went on to say, though she did not move. the invitation lingered there within reach and jawahir was welcome to accept it; but they did not want to put themselves at risk even for a moment. more importantly, they did not want to disturb the elder from their meal.
precious—me? a smile, the flash of teeth carefully hidden.
few of your kind believe that, but that is alright. i can love your people from afar.
or, with some tempting, as close as they can get.

she does not come forward, and in a way gracious feels a surprise. however, she can respect the choice. the woman is an imposing figure after all with her large size, any smaller animal would be a fool to put themselves against her brute force. but thankfully, gracious is a docile being. and the girl's continuous praise allows her more access to the older woman.

when the girl takes the compliment from gracious with a smile, the older woman returns it. "it is ancient for us to believe that we cannot get along. i would think that you are on the good sides of many for your kind nature. but why love us when many treat you poorly?" her talk of loving the wolves from afar makes gracious wonder about her. what is her fascination with the larger creatures? is it adoration, or is it lust? 

a genuine question that hopefully receives a genuine answer. gracious struggles with knowing truth from lie, but she can only hope this young girl sees no reason to lie to the older woman. after she waits for her answer, she tears the fish into her best attempt at halves, ready to share.

"you do not have to observe me from afar, though. eat with me. what is your name?"

jawahir takes a moment to consider, then rises. their height is nothing compared to the voluptuous coat of the wolf.
they prance closer and then recline upon their haunches silently. the smell of the fish is strong and not enticing to the coyote.
admittedly, my people are not often more than feral beasts... it has been my dream to see us united, rather than treated as lesser. as pests.
that much was true; jawahir was determined to change the strong views of the greater canines. they sought an easy life at the same time - attainable through the debasing of the self.
a tip of the chin, flutter of lashes.
i am called jawahir.

she seems to have an ambitious dream, though gracious can see it truly happening if wolves are progressive enough to think of the other canids as equals, more or less. yet, jawahir as she introduces herself to gracious, puts it simply -- coyotes are known as thieves, low-lives to the way of the wolf. though, thinking to her own history, gracious' family is perhaps no better than the stigma that she learned around the smaller beasts.

they are all still animals in one form or another.

"you're ambitious," she first says to the girl in a soft manner, "keep that with you. times always change when given a reason to." hopes and dreams and ambitions drive everyone forward. hopefully jawahir does not give up, there could be many unforeseen benefits with creating coalition between wolves and coyotes. though, some may be more looked down upon than gracious could think of. until then, she remains patient with the thought.

"you have a lovely name, you may call me gracious if you wish to know." a polite tip of the head. "where is jawahir off to?"

ambition was a blessing. without it jawahir doubted they would have survived this long; what was the point of anything without it?
the elder woman is full of rare kindness.
ah, i go where i am wanted. which is a vague answer, but true enough.
jawahir thinks of pharaoh.
and yourself? you cannot be far from home, i imagine.

jawahir. unique and elegant in its own form. gracious nods to the girl's vague answer. perhaps these two are not so different from each other, though gracious is not familiar with the concept of not being welcomed in certain parts of these wilds. perhaps that is the line that will separate the coyote experience from the wolf experience.

but when it comes to the question of her own home, gracious feels a smile grow dim for a moment. "I have no home," she says softly to the girl, "i merely travel where i want to go." she is older than most and this causes many problems in her life. gracious may always be seen as a burden, despite her knowledge and high levels of activity. hopefully, before winter draws in, she may find a place to call home at last.

"but traveling causes me to grow tired of adventure. perhaps you are familiar with this feeling too." there may always be a sense of stagnant air in gracious' life until she finds the next greatest thing to keep her interested. moving constantly only adds more wear and tear to her joints and bones.

in my line of work, one never tires. they answer glibly, a shine in the depths of those dark eyes.
this poor thing! destitute at her age. childless too, jawahir might imagine. a pity; the woman was kind and could have advanced jawahir's own goals had she been networked through the valley.
do you seek an end to your roaming? a thought caught in the web of her mind now.
there is... a man, of your kind, who favors me. he hopes to build something for himself. you could come along, to rest there. smiling.
your every need, catered to! imagine.

the girl offers something that many would not refuse. an end to her roaming and an end to her search for nothing. n a way, gracious feels honored to be offered such a place to live. jawahir seems to be honest, for there is no reason for gracious to not like her. perhaps, if she learned more about what truly laid in her future, she may have said otherwise.

however, a content smile places itself over her lips. "your offer is hard to ignore, but easy to imagine." she is at least happy to know that there are others out  who can respect coyotes, despite their often devious behavior and smiles. "do you think this man would find value in someone like me?"

the woman was an elder, which perhaps held little value to the esteemed pharaoh, but jawahir did not agree with such a sentiment. each person had their place. this individual had lived a whole life and could become something, still; a teacher, a counselor, or something else entire.
i am sure. jawahir confirmed. it went against the truth of pharaoh but that did not matter.
jawahir could see value in every wolf. this one was kind, yet with little to offer aside from experience.
putting on their most charming aires, jawahir exuded warmth and acceptance.
you will want for nothing! your days can be spent in good company, with a full belly.