Rosewater Oasis bloodstream

The desert moonlight found the warrior pacing the shallows, inky paws creating ripples in the surface of the pool as she herself remained deep in thought. She meant to leave before the sun awoke, hoping it would give her enough time to reach the distant mountains before the day heat set in. But there was something - or rather someone - she wanted to speak to first.

Water spilled from her jowls as she wetted her throat from the dry air, calling low for the presence of the sand man. No matter how alien she felt here, as she waited for @Tumbleweed to arrive, assuming he was awake, there was something about watching the moon through the palm fronds that brought a sense of comfort. For it was the same moon that oft would see her train beneath the stars.

if/when you have time c:

The vulture flew off, a gem in its claws. With its nest built, Tumbleweed now had a place where his gems could be stored, though he'd had very little time to find some new ones. The exchange was brief- barely an interaction at all as he left the jackrabbit out on a dune, and a polished piece of turquoise beside it. The dark-feathered bird descended and picked up both, winging off without a word. It was how Tumbleweed preferred things while there were guests at the Oasis- discreet. 

He padded back toward the Oasis, approaching the water pool to see how the desert wanderer was doing after having been summoned. Revived by the waters of the Oasis, she would survive, and she looked rejuvenated, now that her thirst no longer plagued her. "I've been told these waters have healing properties," He said softly as he approached, a faint smile playing at his lips in the moonlight.

Her gaze followed his figure as he drew near, relieved to see his winged companion absent from his shadow. For she got the feeling that anything said in this oasis somehow made its way back to the bird and that the illusion of privacy was a thinly veiled silk screen. The mention of the waters rejuvenating properties brought a faint smile to her face. "Water heals all. Even bad mood, it seems." A jest - she had certainly felt it when she first arrived. Water; the source from which all life flourished. While it certainly wasn't unique to here, she would entertain the snake-man for now. "Without it you be dry like desert."  

"Come. Walk with me." A grin as she beckoned him to follow with a wave of her russet tail.

He recalled how she'd first snapped at the wolf who had reached out to help her- but had passed that more off as instinct than a bad mood. Xiao had readily accepted help, and had willing accepted his assistance walking back to the desert oasis. He'd given her time and space, so she might not go through her frailty in the presence of a man. He took great care to ensure that no others advanced upon the Oasis while she rested. 

And now, she invited him along with her, and he went willingly.

Recovery had been smooth with the shadow of the spider never too far away. The sand man she had seen less often, but she knew he had been there on the sidelines. Peace and quiet had been something the warrior had relished during here time at the Oasis. It had been a welcome rest to evaluate where she was pulled to travel next, though in the back of her mind she knew the answer the moment she stepped foot here - the mountains drew her onwards always.

He fell into step silently and, as the pair neared where Xiao had prepared a travelling bundle of desert meats and fruits to give her strength during the journey, her smile gave way to a face of hardened lines. "Desert is not home for me," she turns to him, meeting his sunlit gaze. "Before sun wakes I leave. For mountains." With a wave of her tail, she gestured to the bundle.

"Sand man has been kind. Anything you wish, I give you." A debt she wished to repay, for their hospitality had not gone unnoticed.

Near-death had awakened the longing for greener lands, cool and wet, where she would seemingly rather face the bitter cold of oncoming winter than risk heat exhaustion ever again. He could see the determination in her features, but he thought perhaps if this had simply been her first voyage into the sand lands, she'd judged it too soon. 

She offered him anything, though she had already claimed to deny him of one thing he wanted. 

"I would like it if you stayed," He said, willing to test exactly what she meant by anything. "I would show you the desert's hidden delicacies, teach you to walk only where the sand is cool. This Oasis will flower with life, but I've so few to share it with." He said. "Start new, here." He suggested, his voice cool water.

His words burned. "You offer hard bargain," she rumbled, features settling in a scowl. It was everything she hated - the burn of the sun on her pelt, the rough sand that clung to every crevice - though the oasis was lush it was nothing compared to what she was used to. Though, should she deny his request and follow the urge to put the desert behind her, she also risked inviting the ire of the sand man and his people to wherever she settled next. The thought of a duty unfulfilled was enough for her to consider the possibility of staying. 

"Sand man is lonely." She knew the feeling well. "I give you company - is that all?" For although grateful for his help, she would not remain here to fan his face and feed him grapes.

The change in her expression hinted at an impression that mortified him. When he realized that what he'd said might have implied something, he drew back slightly, so she might not think that he meant...That.

"Oh, I-" He stammered. "I don't mean...Company, I would not...I do not deal in, ehm, physical trade, no, no...I'm not asking that of you," He said, before he hastily added "Not that there's anything wrong with those who offer their body, freely," After all, he wasn't one to shame, though Xiao did not seem the type to taken kindly to...Anyone. He enjoyed all sorts of delights- but generally kept them outside of business. 

"I won't trap you, if this seems too steep an ask. But I would like you to stay and help me found this pack, at least until the first snowfall settles on the Mountains to the West." He figured that would be two months down the road- long enough, perhaps, for him to find some more willing packmates. "Help me mind the borders, hunt, search for gemstones, and I'll consider your debt paid by the end of the Autumn. By then, you might even want to stay." He said with a faint smile. "Does this sound amenable?"

In all honesty, Xiao hadn't given any thought to what her words might've entailed, let alone what hidden meanings Tumbleweed might've deduced from what little she'd spoke. "Physical...trade?" She eyed him, confused, head tilting as she listened to his rambling. What on earth had she said to unnerve him so? It is not until he speaks of using one's body freely for... things... that the pin finally drops. 

"Oh!," her expression shifts to that of surprise, "no, I-I not want to give you sex, desert man." Shame burned in her cheeks as she realised how this mistake may have painted her in his eyes. He was attractive in a sort of rugged way, but not one she considered her type. 

The terms of their deal were laid out before her - she would accompany him (strictly platonically) until his pack was formed. Xiao had qualms about is, of course, but if it was what he wanted then she would oblige. A nod in return. "No trap - I understand. Oasis will be safe, and you. I make sure of it." For she was a warrior at heart, loath to let anything happen to the man under her watch. "Seems you teach me common tongue as well as desert secrets," she meets his smile with a tight lipped one of her own.

He laughed, still ashamed of himself. "Please- Tumbleweed, call me Tumbleweed, and I am very sorry I made it this awkward," He said. He didn't take any offense when she said she would not consider such a thing. He'd seen his own reflection in the Oasis many times, and knew he might not be considered conventionally handsome. A mutt, with some proportions a bit wrong. Ears too big, eyes too small and squinty and framed with heavy eyelashes. He was handsome neither as a coyote nor as a wolf, but some mixture of both without necessarily taking all the best bits. 

Not only did she agree to stay for a while, but she also offered a function. "Guardian, then?" He asked, his tone impressed. "That would be much appreciated. Here- why don't we take a tour about the borders so you can become familiar with the extent of our territory?" He asked, though he himself knew it was much smaller than others.

fade here? :D

A chuckle from him and the warrior does her best to match it with a small snort of her own, still sheepish from the whole interaction. "It ok, Tumbleweed, Xiao is sorry too," she addressed him by his name, introducing her own in the process. He had no reason to apologise, really, for it was a simple lack of understanding on both of their parts. 

The prospect of being a guardian to the Oasis had Xiao murmuring her approval. "Yes - not all coyote be kind as you," for she imagined competition for resources, especially water, would be rampant in these areas. "I protect Oasis from bad coyote. And wolf too." At his offer for a tour, she simply waved her tail as if to beckon him to take the lead. While the desert would take some getting used to, she would put her trust in the man to show her the ropes for now.