Sly Fox Sand Dunes stairway to neterikhet

Nokht's pack disbanded so slight changes to the initial plan ;-; oasis will be uninhabited when they arrive

He watched the tension ease from her shoulders, and offered a brief nod, one ear flicking to the south, his eyes look up to the feint stars hidden even the light of day, it was them he would use to find his way through the sand, when scent was so easy to lose in the winds that swept over the region.
A slight fluster would darken his cheeks as she praised him, for what? It was the right thing to do, that was all. It shouldn't be. He remarks idly, a sense of something deeper tinging his words. Resentment? Certainly something like it.
She was ready to depart, no doubt thirsty and eager for reprieve. Nokht would turn to begin the walk back, his hind leg making only the briefest of contact with the ground with each stride. ..Nokht. He speaks quiet as she prompts him, his paws dragging in the sand. And yourself?