Blacktail Deer Plateau this is my story, this is my song

hoping for a patrol!

it'd been hours since beginning the patrol. ying would have long since stopped, were it not for the sense of importance it gave her. while not yet a mercenary by trade, she strutted along the border as though already bearing the title.

erzulie had heard word of the pretty newcomers, but had not yet met a one. she supposed it was due to her own reclusive nature, intensified by the disappearance of most her young.
therefore she was woefully unprepared to come upon the cloud-maid and her gift of brilliant gemlike eyes visible even at a small distance. erzulie paused in her own ranging, then at length let out a tentative, low sound to announce herself.

ying turned to face the stranger. it was a woman, and a very pretty one, too. a smile began to grow on the warrior's face as she nodded for her companion to join in stride. who are you? she asked, tail wagging steadily behind her, i am ying.

assuming that they would continue in their patrol, she stopped beside a tree to rub her scent into its bark. they were newcomers here, so she was afraid of offending annigan with a urine mark. you are so pretty! she said, moving to bump against the girl's shoulder.

introductions were made, moments before the woman was swept along with the wave of ying's vivacious energy. lips curving amused, she murmured "erzulie" before squatting to enforce her own scent at the borders.
the compliment came suddenly; her ears tilted a moment in surprise before two-toned eyes filled with pleasure. "you be very pretty yourself,"
she stepped onward. closer now, she saw that ying was rainwater and ice, and so young. "you be new?" the woman inquired, attempting to shake the melancholy feeling of age that had crept into her throat.

it's so hard to write out a patrol omfg

erzulie, a lovely name! the way in which the woman spoke intrigued ying, so she thought to ask, where you from? it was forward, but not rude.. in her mind, at least. yes. i come with my sisters, hua and mei. they would have to get together some time soon and discuss their plans.

the huntress was enjoying her time at rusalka, but knew how dissatisfied the twins were with the situation. we come from coast, the coast — the coast, the coast — but i like this pack. while awaiting erzulie's response, ying continued with her marking.

omg i knowww

"i be from de bayou," erzulie intoned, repeating the word so that bright ying might commit its unfamiliarity to memory. "it is a place dat is all heat an' wet. like a swamp." she pressed on with renewing rusalka's marks. "were you de one to lead your sisters here, ying?" 
it went unspoken that she too enjoyed rusalka; she as glad to have met the girl upon this common ground.

by-you, ying repeated, like a beach? she didn't know either word, by-you or swamp, but the description sounded awfully similar to home. constant warmth, a shore beside the ocean.. maybe they'd come from the same region. 

at the next question, the sister nodded as she moved to leave a marker on a tree. they did not want come here, but the coast is too cold. it was for the best. they knew that, didn't they? so i say, well, we come here for a while and go back when its warm. 

she gave a moment's pause before continuing. i like this place. i want to stay, maybe.

"like de hot sea wid all manner of trees surroundin' it," erzulie attempted as a second description. "warmer than de coas'."
it was that which ting mentioned next, and the harlot nodded. "rusalka used to be next to de sea," she revealed, heart blossoming with pain momentarily.
"but it has not been bad here. i hope dat you stay." a sidelong glance; she pressed on to continue their patrol. "de winter here on de plateau is much kinder den snow upon the ocean, for certain."

a call was sounded in the distance, drawing ying's attention. she held onto erzulie's words and nodded along, finding herself quite interested in visiting this by-you. eventually, the strange sound faded, so she turned back to face her companion once more. 

if we go to the coast, ying thought aloud, my sisters might want stay, so i don't have to leave. she wasn't tied to hua or mei; if they were seperated, that might be okay. she quickly whisked the thought away. the twins needed ying there to protect them at all times.

she voiced a soundof agreeance. winter by water is very cold, not like cold here but.. more cold. — a giggle at her own poor vocabulary. — and animals freeze from water sometime, so not very much food for us.

her spiced ears too rose at the call, but both ying and erzulie returned to their patrol. she was intrigued to know that there was some lack of cohesion among the sisters over the coast, but did not comment on it for present.
"i know what you mean. de storms are fierce; de sea is angry in de wintertime. it is good to spend de summer digging deep into de san', burying de crab and de mollusk."
"dat is what i have always done," erzulie went on, more talkative than she had realized. "de sea gives much when it is warm. important den to preserve it for de cold mont's."

the strange accent made erzulie difficult to understand, but ying made an earnest attempt. her ears slowly folded back against her head as the woman continued to speak. instead of focusing on the confusing pronunciations, she kept her gaze settled on the border's path.

when her companion was finished, ying replied, yeah! she made a small leap to aid her feigned agreeance but was quick to return to her work. you very nice, she told erzulie, my new border friend.

LOL

a smile crossed the harlot's muzzle. "i feel de same," she rejoined, gratitude for the invitation shining amid the green and gold of her eyes. she too took up the task anew, warmed by the jovial welcome of the beautiful young woman.
being in ying's presence reminded her poignantly of rosalyn; the little bow upon her mouth remained as she fell to marking.