Verdigris Ravine Veil

The one called @Sari lingered in her thoughts. Candle found her beautiful, but did not know how to express this. She was shy with her, looking sometimes when the other woman was occupied — but the moment she was caught staring, she always looked away.

Candle searched for her now, carrying a gift. Another lizard! A whole one, because a half-eaten gift would not do at all. Its head was clutched between her teeth, the tail of it swaying lightly as she searched.

Phone post. I love Candle already sob!

S’ari wandered the desert, as usual. She did not hunt or do anything else particularly important, except it felt important to her all the same. To become one with the desert was part of her nature. To explore the dunes and the canyons and the oases. And now that she has friends, she was much happier exploring.

Today, in her explorations, she came across Candle, the Tribe’s newest edition. S’ari greets you, she said as she approached, dipping her head. Ah! Lunch! she added, seeing the lizard dangling from the other’s maw. S’ari should catch something, as well, no? She began to scent the air and the ground, searching for any kind of game trail.

Her eyes widened slightly when she found S'ari, struck breathless by the sight of her! Candle's tail quickened behind her. She let out a little yip and tossed the lizard to the woman. For you! She pawed it closer to S'ari and took a step back, settling on her forelegs while her hinds folded in a crouch to keep her bottom off the hot sand. Her tail waved behind her like a dark flag.

Candle yipped again and whined, quizzical now. Did S'ari approve of her gift? She could find another lizard! Or a mouse!

S'ari was taken aback in the best way possible by Candle's offer. For S'ari? she questioned, nosing the lizard. Candle is far too kind! Still, she felt conflicted. Should she offer to split the lizard with her new friend, or eat it all herself? Asking to split it might make her seem ungrateful for the gift. S'ari decided to eat all of it and then take the girl out hunting for herself. She settled her belly in the hot sand, so used to it that the heat did not bother her, and promptly crunched down on the lizard's head, her tail wagging behind her. When she had swallowed the head, she said, S'ari must take Candle on a hunt after this, yes? You must eat, as well.

Not only was she beautiful, S'ari was kind and thoughtful as well. Candle nodded shyly, ears folding and lifting by turns as she tried to process these new, nervous feelings that fluttered in her chest. No one had ever made her heart race in this way before.

For a few moments she only watched her eat, but then Candle felt odd about it and looked away. She studied the sky. She thought of the words Zoug had been teaching her. Maybe one day, she thought, she would learn to express this feeling.

Until then, she would content herself with being around S'ari, basking in the warmth she exuded. When it looked like the woman had finished, Candle would rise with a soft yip and a toss of her tail, eager for their hunt. Any time spent with S'ari would be good.

Candle seemed eager for their hunt, which only made S'ari more excited. Come, come! she said, her tail wagging. Let us find a hare trail, yes? Lizards are very fast, so if Candle can catch them, S'ari wants to see if she is fast enough to catch hares! Besides, this would be good for the Tribe's caches, if they both managed to catch something.

She took Candle to one the trails that Zoug had found and then said, Now. Sniff here. Does this one smell the hares? They smell of dry grasses, for that is what they make their nests out of. They are not like rabbits, no. They live above the ground. See if you can track them. Follow your nose! She stepped back, then, intending to follow Candle.

Candle had never made a very good priestess. That was why she was the Candlekeeper; the simplest of tasks for the simplest of girls. She just wasn't good at much. But Candle was fast, if nothing else.

So her excitement only mounted as S'ari went on about hares and their quickness. Candle was certain that she could impress her this way. She sniffed around for a time, searching out the scent she knew by now from when her packmates had brought the creatures back. When she found what she was looking for, a pleased little growl slipped from her.

She glanced at S'ari and then increased her pace, focusing ahead.

low muse, trying to keep up with posting, so have a short post.

S'ari was pleased by Candle's clear enthusiasm. She followed along behind the girl at a distance, simply wishing to observe. She noted Candle's little growl when they found the scent of hare, and smiled to herself, only hoping this went well, or Candle's enthusiasm might be snuffed out [get it? like a candle? don't ask me how s'ari knows what a candle is ok idk lol]. Quietly, she trotted behind the girl, watching and waiting.