Redsand Canyon In the belly of the beast

Oh boy, sand Xicor thought, cringing at the thought of it getting stuck between his toe-pads.

"It's very beautiful, but not not quite what I'm used to," he explained, "Where I'm from is usually snowy, or if not marshy."

Xicor slowly moved forward with his beautiful protector, hoping that her presence was enough to discourage her pack mates from attacking him.

"So, tell me about your pack," Xicor inquired, hoping to know more about this group he'd never even heard of until a couple days ago.