Fairspell Meadow loyalty loyalty loyalty

Gucci was ordered to "stay".

And so he did.

Although, after the second day, obeying that command turned into a bigger challenge than usual.

First there was the night when Martin Friedman brought him there. His Ma's boyfriend had a stench of alcohol about him, but that was okay, humans had their odd habits, and it wasn't like Ma herself wasn't snoozing with a bottle (Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, if his nose was serving him right) in her arms when they left. Mr. Friedman carried him a long while, long long while, until they reached this field, where the man set the dog down (quite clumsily, if Gucci could remark) and gave him the order to stay.

The chihuahua, of course, obeyed with glee.

Then came morning, which was frigid, but the toy male had his hand-knit sweater to warm him. He stayed in the same spot as the Sun rose, but then he really, really needed to pee. So, he did the unthinkable and disobeyed the given command, at least for as long as it took him to empty his bladder behind a boulder. Then he was back in his spot, looking left and right, worried his Ma might have seen him being a bad boy.

At some point he got hungry, which he hadn't been in months. Anxiety began to build as no bowl of his favorite Nom Noms was appearing before him. He felt his little stomach rumble, but still he did not budge, even as the winter Sun sank beyond the horizon.

It was okay, he was given the order to stay. He'd get an even tastier reward when Martin or Ma came back from him.

He woke up in the middle of the night with aching, frozen limbs, his whole body shivering, teeth clattering. Not even his sweater could protect him from the frigidity. Feeling like a truly awful boy, he left his spot to curl up behind the same boulder be peed on, albeit some inches away from the stain.

In the morning her felt nothing but misery. His stomach was now growling louder than him, and he whined at the whipping wind. Where was Ma? He needed her. Now he no longer cared about the reward for obeying, he just wanted his Ma back, to hug him tightly and warm him against her bosom, sing her pretty songs and scratch him under the chin. He would be such a good boy after this, she would see, Martin and she would never again feel the need to test him like this.

The tri-colored chihuahua got back to the spot he was on the previous day, sat down and tried so very hard to keep his posture right and proper, even as the coldness and tiredness seeped into his bones.

A pitched whine of his carried over the meadow.

qiao knew nothing of humans and the aberrations they bred - but she did know the sound of food. her keen ears lead her through morning mist and winds to an open plains. there was little remarkable about this once-green valley, save a boulder that sat with rough shoulders in its center.

sniffing the wind, qiao froze as she heard the noise again. a whimper, somewhere to her right. beyond the snow and pale grasses, qiao saw a small badge of red in the clearing. something was under that red -- something alive and smelling strangely of lavender and herbs.

qiao's form sunk: her ears flattened, her shoulders dropped, and her hips trailed behind her as she inched closer in a hunter's prowl towards the thing that was about to be her breakfast.

ramesses strolled with @Kasmut that day. 
she had remained his own. of course he had decreed this with his desires and his attitude toward her. she welcomed him in the way that he wished s—
across the way, he watched the familiar careful step of a coyote. it piqued him at once. pharaoh extended his stride, halting whatever they had been speaking of. the lotus would fit herself to him. kasmut did this quite well. 
the lord of akashingo would have spoken then to the stranger, had not he looked beyond. his gaze widened incredulously, and then stuttered into a confused irritation.
so foreign a body! ramesses stared askance at the small creature, his attention helplessly pulled from the coyote for now. "Bes lives," he said in a sing-song, wondering voice.
ramesses gathered himself to attention.
"what are the both of you doing so close to my palace?"

The toy male quite suddenly became aware of the presence of others. His posture, which had begun to hunch from exhaustion, fixed itself and he sat up straighter.

First, he spotted the one that was low to the ground, behind his back, hiding in the tall grass. Oh, were they in a kind of playful bow? He gave them a tired smile and a single wag of his fuzzy tail. "Oh, ahm sorry, ah haven't seen ya there." He addressed the canine - clearly of mixed breed - in the Southern drawl of his kennel, before moving on to look at the pair that made their presence known.

Now, these two had just the most lovely white coats, the bigger one's far thicker and grander than his companion's, and Gucci would bet his collar on shared german shepherd ancestry, possibly with a bit of husky.

Concerningly, the taller one's question made it clear Gucci and the playful mutt were almost-intruding upon their people's territory. Was this someone's ranch? Oh no!

The chihuahua got onto his short feet and adopted a submissive posture, as was proper of one to do when socially in the wrong. "Ahm real sorry sah, av only been here a short while, didn't catch any scents or nuthin'. Don't think them's at fault either." He gestured at the third, darker dog in the gras.

through gritted teeth qiao stayed her impulse to lunge, for she had seen ramesses through the thin reeds, and had hoped he would spare her the expense of a lost meal.

foolish thing, hope.

she straightened, peering down at the disfigured thing that would have been her meal. perhaps he was better spared; surely, the gods had taken great offense to his existence to smite him so cruelly with impairment. he was either a hideous rat, or a wolf given some grotesque curse.

she glanced along to the man and his silent companion. she recognized him immediately for his bearing -- only a king could command such haughty disdain.

the grotesque little thing spoke; qiao's lip curled to hear such a charming voice. goblin, gnome, or otherwise, he had earned her interest. "hunting. where is your palace?"

to his chagrin and awe, the creature spoke! their accent was thick and syrupy, but pharaoh ascertained two things: that the animal was ignorant of their surroundings, and that they were male. ramesses turned his lazuli eyes back to the coyote. he was struck at once by her mien and charmed by the cool way in which he was addressed.
the man turned and motioned toward the mesa. "that is akashingo." he regarded her with interest. "it would be a more fitting place for you than the snow."
but his focus was recaptured by the Bes-thing. "what are you?" his tones were intrigued, commanding. strangers against the corner of the mesa were indeed his for consideration. 
ramesses loathed this season.
but against the snow he knew himself to be quite striking indeed.

Akashigo, that made his ears perk up. It sounded like a kennel, most likely one focused on prick-eared, well-furred breeds - but could just as well be a shelter, based on the invitation the male extended to the earthy female. Could it be that she was a stray? Poor thing, Gucci couldn't imagine that sort of life.

He was addressed by the gorgeous male, and the question he did not take as literally as it was intended.

"Well, sah, ahm a formah sho' dog." As he said this, the chihuahua fixed his posture into a stack and morphed his face into the haughty expression expected of his breed. "Been competin' since ah been eight moons ol'. Ahm Golden Grand Champion o' twenty-nineteen, n triple Best in Sho' 'fore that, not to mention the num-rous wins as best o' mah breed n group." Thinking of his proud career made a smile creep onto the little dog's muzzle.

He then relaxed his posture and expression, returning to the polite countenance of before, knowing even a canine of his accomplishments needed to be humble. "N also got some titles for ex-em-plary behaviour n obedience, but that's none too important. How 'bout you, sah? You've got a, if y' don't mind mah sayin', a real champion's bearins 'boutcha. Good pedigree, ah assume?" Even if it was muddied by mixing, Gucci had to admit it produced a real regal-lookin' offspring.

not the first time a male had invited her to his home. was he not to wine and dine her first? qiao's gaze leveled to the stranger at his flank - his woman, his servant, his whore? or all three at once?

she said nothing, but her gaze traced the distant red arches of the mesa.

the little goblin's voice took over. qiao had no understanding of any of these titles, and even if she did, she would have been flabbergasted - he was a gollum, a Lauren, a little man wrapped in a distorted figurine's heart. if she was not so intrigued by what hex possessed him, she might have considered slipping off into the brush while the two men prattled.

if it got too boring, that's exactly what she planned to do.

even as he spoke it, ramesses wondered if the hard edges of the coyote woman could be softened by gentle water. it brought his craving up all the same; a challenge, and perhaps she did not even yet know it.
he watched the odd and twisted creature pose and speak. pharaoh found it once more difficult to parse the accent. but kasmut so near kept him implacable and calm.
"my pedigree is blessed by the gods. wolves of the sun." ramesses gave a honeyed grin that did nothing to warm the hard lazuli tenor of his eyes. "i am ramesses of the red earth, He Who Walks the Valley. Bringer of Balance and Desire." the man's gaze shifted between them.
"a formal show dog," he repeated at last. "do you know any tricks?"

Gucci was lovin' this conversation and company so far. Back in Santa Barbara, it was Martin's job to take him to the dog park to interact with his kind, but the chihuahua had to admit the man wasn't too good as it. He'd always somehow end up distracted, end up going somewhere else or talking to someone for a while, the tiny dog in his carrier all along... seemingly forgotten? 

Real silly man, that Martin Friedman.

But this, right now, was just great. 

The dog nodded knowingly when the white male gave his name and lineage. It was a good name, he had to admit, although he wondered if his owners were referencing something with it. "He Who Walks the Valley" could be a song lyric, for all he knew. One of his sons was registered as "Guichon-Brislin's Shape Of You", after all. 

"That's jus a grand name, sah, ah rarely hear ones so sound. Ah don't doubt titles would jest enhance it. Mine's Georgia Honeys Veni Vidi Gucci, but mah owners call me Gucci." The tri-colour said that with a dip of his head.

"Oh no, no, ahm a former show dog." This was still pronounced as "fomah". "N mah specialty wasn't tricks, although ah was taught a few, but ah doubt they'd be int-ras-ting to fellow canine. Jest stuff like "play dead" or "stand", things ahm supposed to do on command. Ah was considered a champion o' obedience in mah day." He poofed out his little chest in pride.

men and their pride: it ran before their mouths like a black wave, engulfing all. qiao held her contempt, remaining the backdrop to this unnecessary exchange of egos.

her ears involuntarily pricked at the mention of owner; so he was either a thrall, or a jester. she barely contained the snort that erupted half-stifled from her muzzle. much as she wished to interject among this court of men, she knew anything she voiced would be unwelcome attention upon her.

none of this softened her opinion of the disfigured thing -- qiao was certain the gods had cast a curse upon it.

an idea was beginning to take form in pharaoh's mind. like most of these mental conceptions, it came at the expense of another.
no tricks. but a good head for titles. 
ramesses gave a nod to indicate that he had received the correction. "it seems to me, gucci, that this world will not be kind to you if you stay in it."
he gestured to the wide expanse of snow, stopping to allow his eyes a lingering brush over the coyote woman. she had said nothing. ramesses wished to hear her voice again.
"my queen has a place in her court for such a voice as yours." another baiting smile.

What Ramesses of the Red Earth said had the chihuahua cocking his head to one side.

"Well, ah don't really mean to stay all that long, sah. Ah mean, mah owners are gon be back for me any minute now." The little male looked hopefully off to where he saw Martin stumble away to two nights ago. He would come back for him, Gucci was certain, very, very soon...

...unless he forgot again?

No, he wouldn't!

...would he?

Then his belly grumbled again.

"Par-pardon." Gucci stuttered, sitting down and curling his fuzzy tail about his feet, trying to appear small in the wake of this embarrassment. "Its jest... they ain't ever bin this late before, y'know? But they gon be back for me. A-ah know they will be."

Will they?

pardon the late reply

qiao tested the wintry air; only her scent, and the collective few around them. so far, the consort had been silent — qiao took the time to silently study them. 

again the mention of owners. qiao’s gaze flickered to ramesses idly - she had lived long enough to know this meeting’s conclusion. you will die in the cold. qiao interjected, having noticed the brittle wisps of hair which uselessly clung to the creature’s pelt. even the strange skin of red that cloaked him was no match for the elements. 

perhaps cruelly, qiao wasn’t concerned about this thing dying of exposure; she was more interested in seeing this meeting end, so she might slip quietly away unnoticed and scout this man’s palace later.

pharaoh's handsome face sundered into a grin as the smaller woman spoke. the small gucci was gently protesting, intent on staying within the snowdrifts that would surely swallow him if he attempted to travel.
"she is correct. i can have food before you within the hour." ramesses smirked softly. "or you may stay here and wait for whoever it is that has left you."
pharaoh was not apt at recruitment. his interest in the little animal had grown fourfold, but this would not be readily apparent as emotions slipped back behind the cool facade.

The female's words cut like a knife.

"Ah ain't gonna!" He yapped at her. "Th-they gon be, gon be back soon, they jus got held up in the snow is all..."

The same snow that bit at his feet, melted on his sweater, made his ears and nose frigid. That nearly froze him dead the previous night.

He found himself more receptive to the words of the properly-named male, in large part due to his gorgeous voice, his regal holding, that pure charisma of his. It all reminded him of the old days among fellow purebreeds so much. It was as if a piece of the pasta appeared to comfort him in this hour of anxiety.

After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"...Ah s'ppose ah should come." The chihuahua drew circles in the soft snow with his paw, his brows furrowed. "If your home's close by, sir, then, then it should be all-right. They'd find me if- when they come lookin' for me." He nodded to himself, but his lips were curved in a frown, his ears pinned back because he dared considered the idea of his Ma leaving him behind.

qiao remained silent, but if eyes could ever communicate the intent of their holder, qiao’s words were clear: you will die, and i will eat you from the snow and carry on.

she was too practical a creature to bicker with an imp. her expression melted away into something blank and unreadable as the small thing seemed to collect his senses and accept the wolfking’s outstretched offer. qiao had no intention of being so trustworthy — here was how babies found themselves swallowed in the mouth of monsters, and qiao was no freshfaced babe lost to the woods. 

she would slip away, but later she would return to this spot and trace their footsteps in the snow to akashingo.

last for me! gonna start a new one <3

the azurite eyes gleamed with pleasure as once more pharaoh got his way. 
in the interim, he glanced around for the soothsayer but she was gone. a trail of small tracks led off. ramesses felt his belly clench uncomfortably with arrested lust, but he shelved it for now and regarded gucci.
a frown. he reached out his muzzle, not so close, but to investigate the odd material that the tiny man wore around his equally tiny body. and then he drew his head back. 
whatever it was, it could be taken when gucci was bathed. ramesses smelt the stench of urine along the rock.
"walk beside me." he would take slower steps, bemused and intrigued by the odd creature.
ramesses gestured to the mesa, rearing high in the flatlands. 
"that is akashingo."

He did not like the look in the earthen female's eyes, not one bit. He could not read it, but something deep within him recognized it. When she slinked away, the dog felt more at ease. 

It wasn't a habit of his to judge others, but she had been a tad too rude for his tastes. 

Ramesses approached him, and as he lowered him muzzle to investigate the chihuahua, Gucci took the opportunity to take in the other's scent. There were numerous ones he couldn't classify as anything but "wilderness", and a prevalent fragrance that he hadn't smelled before, but that made him uneasy all the same. Most notably, the scent of humans or human-made things was entirely absent. 

His unease and confusion grew, but the toy breed was entrapped by Ramesses. When the beautiful male moved, so did Gucci, keeping an even, speedy gait to remain beside the giant.

What was pointed to was not a man-made structure, but a towering red mountain with a flat top. Gucci's little mouth parted in wonder. 

"It looks magnificent, sah."

What kind of kennel was built in such a place?

*curtain fall*