Lion Head Mesa sakura no hana

home again, until the stench of the coyote women drove her away again.

after climbing to the heights of the mesa satsu carried on, keeping her distance from the tunnels that she had explored with @Ramesses as they were now the home to @Maggie and @Jawahir, and any others that might have been collected during her time away.

heading north along the plateau brought her in line with a long shadow; the head of the so-called sphinx, or perhaps the neck, jutting out as an impossible obelisk. the path forked there, and she chose to follow the winding route through the left-most dust; it looked undisturbed.

a copse of tired looking trees, which did not suit the elevation or the climate at all, grew clustered along the path. roots clinging desperately, or perhaps with purpose, to the red clay. the heat had scorched any greenery from their branches.

it was beneath these skeletal hands that satsu ventured, seeking the heart of the grove.

maggie was bored. they'd been promised culls but so far, none had showed to the mesa. yet phayrow was still doing his swanning. it annoyed her, much as she'd taken pleasure in their time together.
much as she did like the way he looked at her.
but she was shrewd as she was beautiful. she hadn't met the silent, gentle woman with whom her lord seemed so close.
and so maggie hunted after the poppet, glacial eyes twinkling with mischief and malice.

satsu was glad to be home. it felt different here - more open and thus more free - than the strathwood. perhaps it was the absence of the giants that really eased her mind; no prying eyes, no worrying over what was said or to whom.

she was not alone though. as she picked her way among the weathered trees, some otherness remained. it prickled the back of her neck. when she looked around, satsu saw something silver-white against the red of the earth. the horizon was shimmering from the heat, giving her the thought that it was merely her imagination.

the other was looking for her now. maggie stepped brashly into a true line of sight, approaching on assured steps. "did jawa'ir bring yew 'ere as well?" the beauty demanded. but she had her answer, soon as she looked at the other.
no stamp of the world-weary on the feminine features of the other. she had moved with grace across the blasted place, after all. never had to swing her hips for nothing, this one. 
maggie's delicate ears thrust forward expectantly.

alert to the stranger now, satsu watched for signs that they drew closer. it wasn't long before the pale shape ducked in to view among the trees, at which point satsu saw them for what they were. the only reason satsu could explain the lack of revulsion for this creature on sight was their pale coat - it was not a quality one expected from a coyote.

then they began to talk. all that satsu could make out from that rabble was the name of the meddling creature, jawahir. she did not like the way the coyote looked her over; the fur of her nape rose with contention.

jawahir serves pharaoh. i have no need for such... creatures. the hard set of her jaw and dismissive, uninterested aura gave enough away about her opinions. she need not speak aloud her disdain for his tastes, the way satsu closed off immediately was answer enough.

but maggie was intractable, and what she found was insult in the way their discourse was shut down. "oh, are yew one o'those what thinks she's too good for what oi do?" the strumpet cocked out a billowing white hip.
"so who are yew then, duchess?" the beauty pressed on, glaring balefully toward the woman. "do yew mean to be my queen?" the laugh afterward was mean and boisterously so.

this creature was almost more incomprehensible than jawahir themselves; their words were heavily accented with a brogue that satsu could barely translate. she took more offense to the posturing as she worked through the commentary in her head.

after, when she did finally understand the implication, she scoffed.

i am wolf, by virtue of that i am greater than you. she need not be so forthright with it, but there it was.

i am ushiyo satsu, of ushiyo-han. well, she was that, in a past life. calling upon a dead title did not alleviate satsu's low mood, as now she thought of what she had left behind and who had helped her to do so.

her lowborn blood had been a great source of mockery these past years, but it bit with different teeth coming from this pretty sow. 
she had more standing in akashingo and perhaps even the favour of phayrow, the way she'd said his name.
maggie snorted to hide the sting the noblewoman's tongue had delivered. she knew her kind were lower than wolves, hadn't her aunties always said it? but the beauty was determined not to be shamed.
'is that yer name then? usheeyew satsow?" maggie mocked, butchering the names as her accent would have done even if she was trying. piss on this fancy foreigner!
"tell me. 'ow many toimes 'as her lordship ridden that fine white stallion?" she spewed malevolently, grinning into the dour, pretty face.

the creature ought to know better than to insult her betters, though in the heat of the moment satsu could not lay too much fault on them. the dancer had been quick to judge and quicker still to voice her dislike; she cared little for the feelings of this wretched thing, finding a miniscule joy in seeing their reaction. perhaps if she were more cruel the vermin would leave.

you may only call me ushiyo. as was proper for someone of a lower station in life. they were not close; they were not even the same ilk, so to be on a first-name basis with this pale creature was unnatural. however as satsu said this, she was cut off by what the petal was proclaiming.

i— again her teeth set in a scowl, jaw tight. the warmth on her cheeks was evident even as satsu fought to control her reaction; she could not, and blushed profusely. curse her bashful features!
you are a crude creature. go back to your hole, i am sure pharaoh can find a use for that mouth!
but that only made her burn all the brighter.

there it was. when maggie's throat had been properly cleansed by a bend-at-the-waist echoing laugh, one that bounced across the burnt plains, she regarded the other with a cunning eye. 
two paths here. one was that the trollop had laid with pharaoh, same as any of them. but now she fancied him, and could not forgive his sport. so she abused the ones he favoured. 
"your phayrow 'ad me the day i was brung 'ere!" maggie roared, a barmaid in her cups with fists raised. the glacial gaze was steel upon stone.
the second was that ooshiyu had never seen a cull, let alone a crush, even a boy her own age. 
maggie felt the jugular must be in the second, with the manner uchiya whatever had snapped so. 
"yer glowin' as a lightning ember," the pale and lovely girl smirked. "all right. 'ave yew ever 'ad a man before, at all?" she felt she knew the answer before the spoilt cow even spoke again!

satsu need not be reminded of the complicated tastes and poor habits of pharaoh. the petal took great care to mention things nonetheless, finding it humorous. her laughter filled the spaces between the trees. satsu couldn't tell the suffocating heat apart from the equally claustrophobic pressure of her own emotions.

i was taught to reserve myself for my future husband, satsu explained, her tone clipped. she was ruddy in the face and unable to look at maggie at all now. nobody had ever dared speak ill of her in this way, except for pharaoh, who only did it in jest; there was something more malevolent in the coyote's tone, real or imagined out of satsu's own bias, it was unclear.

feeling sharply betrayed by her own lack of understanding, satsu glared at maggie next and flashed her teeth, as if the display would warn her to stop her questions - or to leave. go on then, find someone else to toy with, creature!

maggie smirked a smug smile, sparking backward, out of range. "yew ain't greater than me, love, not when yer nuffin but a worthless virgin!" the coyote climbed swiftly to the upper hand once more, circling sideways. 
"virtue ain't done a woman in this world a damn bit o'good," she snapped gaily. "'ow can yew tell yerself yer worth more when it's clear what the man o'this cunny-'ouse values! and it aint a frigid girl wiv 'er skirts tucked too high into 'er crack, oi'll tell yew that!"
maggie was prepared to leave, but not without a final blow. "get yerself rid o'that maiden'ead soon as yew can. oi'm certain phayrow would love to be the first, an' gentle besides. else yew can 'awk it," the beauty spat. "i once knew a lass what got fifteen goldfinches an' a proper title! an' all for the pleasure of first go!"
she seethed, pushing hatred through the sieve of a glossy smile. "'ain't an 'usband in the world what'll give you that sort of freedom, no matter 'ow pure, yew daft ramekin."
maggie turned, cackled, and darted back toward the mesa.

the mouth on this one! they danced spritely around satsu with mockery flowing from their tongue, surprising the girl with each syllable, enough so that the warning flash of teeth meant nothing and she was too taken aback to verbally respond, choking more on each breath.

then the flighty creature turned and ducked away. satsu was livid; she wanted to chase them down and ruin their pretty white pelt, crack their jaw so that they could no longer smile, or some other heinous and violent action - and yet she could not.

she was soon left alone to wallow in all of her inadequacies.