Sly Fox Sand Dunes primera

if someone were to spy upon the dunes from a bird's-eye-view, they'd see a sprawl of aureate sand comprising the majority of the region; there'd be elevated portions and shallow, rock-hewn barriers, but for the most part the territory was an undulating gold, except — there was one bundle of red flowing from point to point, shifting beneath the shadows cast by the highest of the dunes. the bundle was far more animate than the stationary stone.

close-up, mercedes was nothing special: a rusty auburn with fox-like proportions, wide ears, and a petite but slender figure. she traced her way carefully along the sand, never standing still for longer than she absolutely had to, as she explored. this was not her first venture in to this area — the lowlands were her home, and had been for a few months now — and she prowled with the intent to find herself a burrowed lizard or some such thing, to fuel her empty belly.

vague timeline is vague

S'ari had only come out this far into the Lowlands a few times, and this is where she was happiest. The heat baked into her bones and made her feel lazy and invigorated all at once. She wanted to roll over onto her back in the dunes and close her eyes and feel the heat of the sand encapsulate her body. She wanted to dig her paws deep into the sand and trudge her way up to the top of a dune, and then see how far she could slide down it.

She missed her Tribe.

But there, on the wind, was a scent. Stronger than the scent of the Desert itself, which had its own smell. It was the smell of Coyote. Not one she knew, but coyote, nonetheless. Probably, they were farther on and made invisible by a dune. She dug in her paws and climbed her way to the top of one. The wind shifted and she got slapped in the face with the scent of Coyote and scanned the scenery around her.

There! A glint of red! Excited, she released a great yipping, yapping howl and plunged her way down the dune, towards her own kind.

the chances of finding something to eat during the warmer parts of the day were slim, which mercedes was well aware of, but she tried anyway. it had been at least a week since she'd had a sufficient meal and her patience had worn thin.

however, any chance she'd have of sneaking up on any burrowed lizard or hidden mouse was quashed by the cacophony of happy noises coming from one of the dunes she had crossed earlier. she regarded the space over her shoulder with her usual intensity, as if the sand itself was the offender and she was ready to pummel it as retribution.

she saw the leggy adventurer tumbling down the side of the hill, sand whispering as it settled below, and turned to face the oncomer with the sharp voice. the fur along her nape prickled a little bit but otherwise mercedes remained watchful and quiet, a little bit on-edge while the stranger closed the distance.

It took S'ari some time and much closing of the distance between them for her to realize that this coyote didn't look very happy to see her. She was completely thrown off by this; what coyote did not greet another with joy? Feeling suddenly disheartened, her stopped well short and simply stood staring at the other, looking dejected. Here she was, in the land of Coyotes, and now she wished to be anywhere else. Her emotions a whirl inside her, spinning like a dust devil, she turned her head to the side to look at the stranger askance, ears lying flat along her head, and then she turned and began to trot away, much more graceful than she'd been a moment before.

Perhaps this would intrigue the stranger, make them follow. That was what S'ari hoped, anyway.

S'ari: does not get immediate joy from another coyote. S'ari: well fine then.

she took only a moment to consider her options; linger in the dust for a hunt that would likely fail, or follow the stranger as they drew off again. it seemed an easy choice even if she was wary. mercedes saw the shift of the stranger's posture from elated to worried as they peeled off across the sand, and realized she had been alone for far too long.

she loped after them without a word, her reaching steps shortening only when she came to the stranger's heel. the scent that carried from them was one of desert dust and summer sun, but otherwise there was nothing amiss about them to concern mercedes. if this was a trap, she'd go in to it unsuspecting.

S'ari sensed nothing behind her for a heartbeat, two, three... and then she heard the sound of light pawsteps and smiled. She waited for the red one to catch up, waited for the heat of the other close behind, and then threw her head back over her shoulder, grinned, and took off across the sand. Race me! Play! This was the way all Tribe members interacted. The desert was their playground, their entire world, theirs for the taking. After some time running, the heat baking itself into her lungs with each breath, she half-turned to see if the other was still following. Play!

the behavior of the stranger was not something mercedes was accustomed to. it felt unsettling to be invited anywhere or to be included, even in something as simple as play. she was young and eager for the attention all the same, but there was a level of disconnect she would have to come to terms with subconsciously; her grandmother had never been like this, and mercedes had limited interactions with the others of sangeda as a child.

still, her adventure away from her home meant she would be forced to try new things, and she was happy for that. when the stranger urged her through body language to join in with her game, mercedes didn't have to think about it — she reached with her next few steps to try and keep up with the wiry coyote woman, and soon the pair were running along the dunes.

mercedes should've been using her energy to chase prey, but the feeling of the wind against her cheeks was thrilling, as was her current company. something as simple as playing tag should not have had such a profound effect on her! and, yet...

S'ari was filled with indescribable joy that this coyote was joining in the fun. They chased each other across the dunes, S'ari leaping as best she could out of the way when the other attempted to tag her, but she was often tagged anyways. She had not had this much fun in months, not since she'd still been with her Tribe. She felt like a child again, free to roam the desert without worry for the knowledge that her family was always close by. She laughed and leaped and ran, and then... What a wonderful idea!

S'ari turned suddenly in the sand and attempted to nudge her new friend in the shoulder, to push her over the dune to go tumbling to the bottom. Then, without waiting to see if she'd been successful, she yip-howled and threw herself down the dune and flipped head-over-paws almost all the way down. She kept her eyes firmly closed and tried not to breathe in the sand; she had done this a hundred times before at home and always ended up a bit winded and possibly bruised, but never seriously harmed. When she finally stopped rolling, she gasped for air, staring up into the sky, breathless and joyful.

their game shifted back and forth, one of them chasing and one of them dodging, and the longer they played the less nervous mercedes became. she saw now there was no reason to be afraid of the stranger or her antics. she had not meant her any ill-will at all! the yearling let out a few chuffs, or some coy sounds, as she dove to tag her new friend.

the betrayal came suddenly — when the stranger was the one chasing — and the pair were atop one tall, rounded sand dune. mercedes felt the now-familiar touch of the stranger and was about to let out a chuckle when she noticed how forceful this attempt was, and the abrupt shifting of the sand beneath her feet.

down she went! her pale legs kicking, bending like a spider that had been swatted; she felt the cushion of the sandy surface beneath her spine as she tumbled, and tucked her chin, which only exacerbated her rolling. when she finally came to a stop mercedes was on her belly with her legs splayed out like a starfish. it hadn't hurt, but she was now dizzy and feeling confused by the spinning of the earth.

her companion landed beside her not long after, on her back, and mercedes shot them a look of confusion that then shifted to hurt, before blinking and trying to scrub the sand from her eyes. was that all part of the game too?

S'ari caught her breath a bit, then turned her head, still on her back, to grin at her new friend. And saw the look of emotional hurt in her eyes before the other began to scrub the sand away. It felt as if her heart had been punctured with a claw. Did this one get hurt? she asked, concern clear in her voice. It was the only reason she could think of that her new friend would look at her like that. It was also the first time she'd spoken during their interaction. S'ari has rolled down dunes her entire life and never gotten hurt. She made a worried, tutting sound, attempting to sniff around her friend's body, searching for injury. Coyote has some healing knowledge, though... there are no medicinal herbs among the dunes...

her ears flicked forwards when she heard the stranger speak, then back, and seemed undecided about where they should rest. she shook her head. s'ari surprised me, she answered, using the stranger's name so that she could remember it better.

mercedes had a strong accent of her own, having grown up with her Spanish-speaking grandmother; but her common was pretty good regardless of that. me being... mercedes. sure, she could have given another name, or made something up on the spot, but the novelty of introducing herself at all was not lost on her. until now mercedes had been a very lonely girl.

i've never done that before, she explained, feeling her cheeks go warm.

Well, the girl, Mercedes, seemed unharmed, so S'ari stepped away from her to give her space to get up. If Mercedes wants to be friends with S'ari, she must expect surprises, yes? Otherwise, where is the fun? She didn't realize that she was possibly sounding threatening here. In the Tribe, pranks such as pushing someone down a dune were quite common and considered a healthy part of any good relationship.

'I've never done that before,' Mercedes admitted.

S'ari turned her head to look at the girl askance. She flicked her gaze up to the top of the sand dune, then looked at Mercedes again. Then back up at the sand dune. Does this one... wish to go again? she asked, her tail starting in a slow wag. A sly grin lifted one corner of her maw. She began to slowly inch her way up the dune, waiting for a yay or nay from her new friend.

s'ari looked perplexed. there was no other way to describe the expression on her face, and mercedes watched as she looked back and forth, wondering what was going through her head. the question that she offered was one that made mercedes smile, still bashful.

again? by now she had managed to correct her posture and was sitting up in the sand. she turned to regard the dune as if it were an imposing ski-hill; and after a second to consider it, she was on her feet again, spinning on her heel, and trying to race back up to the top.

race you there!

S'ari watched Mercedes study the dune, wondering if she would be too afraid to throw herself down it again. --And then suddenly her friend was up on her paws, scrambling in the sand, challenging her to a race!

S'ari jumped a bit in surprise, and then laughed and chased after friend. Oh-ho! she cried, and dug her dainty little paws into the sand, climbing back up to the top of the sand dune. She was smaller and lighter than Mercedes, but that didn't guarantee a win. She and Mercedes seemed neck and neck, but S'ari stopped paying attention to her friend to focus on climbing. Despite her light weight, her paws were sinking in the sand. By the time she reached the top, she had no idea who had won, and didn't care.

Giving Mercedes a wink, and breathing heavily, she flung herself down the side of the dune again, tucking her chin and pulling her tail between her legs, flattening her ears.

she was out of breath once she reached the top. at first the run had been easy, but the higher she had to go and the more she had to dig her heels in to the dune, the more difficult - and slow - her progress had become. at the top, mercedes could look out across the sprawling sands; but she chose instead to watch s'ari, who winked, and then threw herself back down the hill!

a laugh pealed out of mercedes at the sight of s'ari tumbling, finally letting her unhindered glee reign over the moment. she didn't think twice about it: mercedes followed shortly after, diving from the rounded top of the dune and aiming her shoulder for the sand, so that she could start a good roll!

as much effort as it had taken to climb the dune, it took no time at all for her to roll down it again.

S'ari was pretty winded by the time she tumbled to a halt at the bottom of the dune for the second time. She took deep breaths to steady her pounding heart and closed her eyes against the glare of the sun. After a time, she said, Is... Mercedes alone? Does she have family? Quietly, she was thinking of the Ravine, but did not want to spring the question on her new friend so suddenly. The girl did not smell of others, but one never knew.

mercedes wanted to laugh, but she could barely catch her breath. she felt very happy with herself for successfully rolling down the hill - and happy too that s'ari was there. how fortunate she was to have met her!

the coyote asked a question and mercy's mouth opened to answer, then closed, and she shook her head. it didn't feel right to mention her grandmother; the woman had never been a kind influence on her, and aside from keeping her fed and giving her a place to sleep, there was little real connection there.

i'm alone. she'd been alone for a very long time - for always, really, given that she'd been keeping herself entertained ever since she could remember.

S'ari nodded slowly. In the desert, she said, Coyote is never alone. Coyote is Tribe, family. All are equal and have a place. All may join. That is what S'ari was taught before she left. But Tribe follows you wherever you go. S'ari is still Tribe, and she may still gift it unto others. She sat up in the sand, looking at Mercedes, and then looking off to the east. There, she said, pointing with her muzzle, is the Ravine. S'ari lives there, with other Tribe, like us. Coyote. She returned her gaze to her friend. Mercedes may go there if she wishes. She is always welcome.

This was the calmest and most understandable introduction of the Tribe that S'ari had ever given, but it felt necessary with this particular friend, who seemed, in small gestures, often unsure of herself or others. Zoug had simply showed up there and decided to stay, without asking (which was fine with S'ari), and Kusuma had asked to come, and had not seemed the type to need this explanation. But Mercedes felt... different. More cautious. Someone who had never been playfully tossed down a sand dune before.

She pulled her gaze away from her friend, pretending to study the horizon, to give Mercedes time to think without being stared at.

s'ari gave a lengthy explanation which mercedes appreciated, almost as much as she appreciated being invited at all. it stunned her that this stranger could be so friendly, so giving! it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

it took no thought at all, no time either, for mercedes to have an answer. i'll come! she practically burst with enthusiasm for the chance to have a home. at the very least, somewhere where she might be welcome - and maybe one day, outright belong to.

she was bashful again, but smiling. i'll find my way.

S'ari smiled at Mercedes' enthusiasm, glad to have found another Tribe member. She was sure Kusuma would like the girl, but wasn't sure exactly what Zoug would think. Of course, she didn't know what Zoug would think about anything, since he didn't speak the same language as everyone else. But she was sure even he would come around.

Good, S'ari said, and smiled, and continued to lay there in the sand, and eventually fell asleep.

[End.]