Verdigris Ravine we both knew it was true

qiao knew little of the trouble s'ari experienced at the hands of corrupted power, but it read well enough in the way the tribe-woman's thin visage darkened.

she reaffirmed qiao's place in their world. an irrevocable kinship that sat warm in the empty air between them. qiao was a hardened woman not so easily moved by niceties, but she noted s'ari's generosity with a long and level look.

it is not so bad to be leader. it is how civilizations are founded and empires made -- and how legacies leave their mark in the sands. she hoped to impart this passing bite of knowledge to s'ari before their company came to a close. perhaps the warning was not for me. she lowered her head and supped of the crisp water. perhaps it was for you, s'ari redsand of the tribe.