Luneshale Pass rhyme dust

She hadn’t gotten very far the other day before being waylaid by a stranger. Determined to make the most of her new free time today, Meerkat set out at dawn, headed south this time. She walked past Lake Rodney as far as the fen, enjoying a meander through the enchanted wetland.

The day was still young by the time she grew bored and decided to turn east, loping through the ghostly wood and across the meadow beyond it. Meerkat thought she might pick some wildflowers to bring back to the girls. For now, she continued toward the pass ahead, planning to grab a bouquet on her way back home.

The vegetation gave way to scrub as Meerkat made her way toward the doddering river. There she paused to get a drink and soak her paws, which ached after so much walking in a way that brought a contented smile to her lips.

S'ari froze where she was, also standing in the river, but fifty feet away from the wolf. She said nothing, and did not approach, but neither did she run. She'd been smelling wolf on the wind for days now, though faint. It was, however, growing stronger by the day, and now here was the proof. S'ari had not seen a full-blooded wolf in ages, not since she was a pup and the tribe had traded with a pack moving through the desert. All her own family, blood or no, were coyotes, or some mix. Wolves could be dangerous, but they could also be friends. S'ari did not know which this one was, and so she stood stalk-still in the water, her head tilted to one side, large ears pushed forward on her head. Waiting.

This time, she recognized the coyote for what it was at first glance. Meerkat went very still, marveling a little at the coincidence. She wondered if this one was also lonely and searching for a home. Would she bring another possible recruit back to Moonspear today?

But she was getting ahead of herself. She raised one paw out of the water and crooked it in a little wave, sprinkling droplets back into the slow current. Meerkat complemented the gesture with a small smile and a friendly flick of her sandy tail.

S'ari turned her head at the wolf's gesture, so that she looked at the wolf askance. Her brown eyes flicked down to see the small wave. She suppressed a smile, somehow reminded of her own family in that wave, their strange gestures and greetings. So far, this wolf seemed harmless.

S'ari hopped up onto the bank of the river and made her way on quick, light paws towards her bigger cousin. She stopped several feet short, still cautious, but dipped her head to be polite. This one greets you, she said, her voice coming out in an ugly rasp. She cleared her throat. Forgive Coyote. She has not spoken in some time. She tilted her head, studying the wolf, showing that it was now her turn. In S'ari's tribe, names came easily, but she was more distrusting than the others in her family and did not give her name easily.

Encouraged by her cordial gesture, the coyote came closer. Her greeting caused Meerkat’s head to rear back in surprise. She had always associated this phrasing with northerners. Here was a creature who looked like the poster child for desert dwellers speaking those very same words. It was uncanny, in a way.

Hello, Meerkat said, head canting slightly. Is that your name? Coyote? I’m Meerkat.

S'ari flashed a grin at Meerkat's question, amused. She had been warned by her tribe that those outside of it often found their speech patterns strange. Ah, no, she said, trying to think of how to explain. Those from Elsewhere, the members of this one's tribe... We do not say I or me or my, except on rare occasions. Coyote refers to herself as Coyote because that is what she is. That is what all the tribe is... unless they are not. But even they say Coyote, most of the time. S'ari was completely unaware of the fact that she was probably being confusing.

This one's name is S'ari. Sah-ree. She repeated the name to be clear, being sure that Meerkat heard the tapped R in her voice, a sound something like a mix between an L and a D. But Meerkat may refer to her as... whatever she wishes. Coyote does not mind. For all her beliefs that she was less talkative than the rest of her family, she was mistaken. All tribe members from Elsewhere spoke until their minds emptied, usually with very little filter. It was only that they thought of such strange things.

While the coyote explained a little bit about her culture, Meerkat stepped out of the water. She gave each of her forepaws a dainty shake, eyes still glued to the smaller canine. Some of what she said puzzled Meerkat a little, though it was always fascinating to learn about other societies.

It’s nice to meet you, S’ari. Hey, my full name is actually Suricate. Nobody’s ever called me that but it’s crossed my mind once or twice that Suri would be a pretty nickname, Meerkat mused in turn, tail waving. Do you and your tribe live somewhere around here? I’ve only passed through this area a few times, I’m not very familiar with it.

Almost without notice, S'ari took several prancing, dancing steps back as Meerkat exited the water, to maintain the same level of distance. It was a strange relationship that the tribe of Elsewhere had with those outside the tribe. Often, they were overly friendly, even with full-blooded wolves, who were usually their enemies. Yet, the tribe never forgot the danger entirely, and it was woven into their culture to dance and skip and frolic and pretend that all was good, when really the purpose of the dance was to create safe distances until trust was formed. S'ari kept a lightness in her eyes and facial expression even as she skipped away from Meerkat, out of snapping distance.

Suri, she repeated, tilting her head this way and that, ears turning, as if to catch the sound of the name. Well then, perhaps S'ari will call this one Suri, and it will be our secret, yes? And then when others ask our names, we may stand side-by-side and set their mind spinning. Which one is which? Who is to say?

Her face fell a little at the question about her tribe. Coyote's tribe is far away, in a desert much like this one. S'ari has been searching for a place to call home, and this is the closest to home she has ever gotten. She will stay here from now, and remember the others, and hope that they follow her. She took her eyes off Meerkat, then, and stared into the vast blue sky and the red sands, lost in thought.

She couldn’t help but draw comparisons between S’ari and Kusuma. Whereas the latter had seemed rather anguished and desperate, the former was much more chatty and lighthearted. Although some of the things she described about her tribe struck Meerkat as unfamiliar, there was no talk of big, shiny birds and letting brothers being eaten.

Sounds like a plan, she agreed, smiling at her new friend’s wordplay. It slipped a bit as she added, I’m sorry your family’s far away. That’s hard. I hope they join you someday. And that maybe some new friends join you in the meantime.

That made her pause and look around, expression thoughtful. In the handful of times Meerkat had come this way, she’d never crossed paths with a wolf pack. That was strange, considering just how many of them rose and fell in the other Teekon regions.

I can definitely see why you like this place, she mused, eyes cutting back to her companion. There’s something very beautiful about the landscapes around here. I remember once finding an open air cavern with water in it. I think it was a little east of here? I’m sure you know of it, if you live around here.

S'ari tried to smile back at Meerkat, though her heart twinged with loneliness. Many of the tribe take up and leave when the wanderlust strikes, she explained. Some return to the tribe in time; others never do, though they are remembered. S'ari felt the wanderlust and knew it was time to leave. She will find happiness here, in time. She knew no such thing, but there was no point in belaboring the fact that she was alone, or she would drown in wallowing.

Her large ears swiveled and then pushed forward in curiosity at Meerkat's mention of an open-air cavern with water in it. Her eyes wandered eastward. Coyote must have missed it when she came here... Probably, she was too far north. She glanced at Meerkat out of the corner of her eye, mouth lifted in a lopsided grin. Perhaps Suri would like to come and look for this cavern with S'ari? She expected to be turned down, and yet the breath stuck in her throat and little desert beetles buzzed in her stomach as she awaited the answer. Oh, to not be alone!

Apparently S’ari didn’t know about the cavern. Meerkat was already planning to show her—it was an absolutely stunning place—when the coyote issued an invitation. The envoy grinned and waved her tail harder.

Yeah, let’s go find it. I mean, I swear it’s just east of here but maybe I’m wrong. Either way, I’m down for a little bit of adventure and exploration. That’s why I’m out here in the first place, she said, realizing she hadn’t shared, I’m from Moonspear, which is a village in the mountains northwest of here. I actually just tried to recruit a coyote hybrid the other day…

This time, she didn’t think she was getting ahead of herself. But Meerkat wondered if S’ari would pick up what she was laying down. Even if she did, would she be remotely interested? She seemed pretty attached to this place and Moonspear was remarkably different in both climate and terrain.

S'ari released an audible sigh of relief, her whole body relaxing. She would not be alone, at least not for a while. Perhaps by the time she and Suri found the cavern, she would tire of company and wish to be alone again. And if not... well, she'd deal with that when it came.

S'ari will follow this one's lead, then, she said, and moved to face the wolf entirely. Ordinarily, she would offer to lead, being a desert native, but she was not native to this desert, and also wanted to be polite.

Her head tilted to the side at Meerkat's next words, and then her eyes swiveled upwards towards the mountains in the distance, that loomed like a menacing shadow. Those mountains were her stopping point. She would never go beyond them. Coyote is sure this one's village is beautiful, she began, slowly. Perhaps Suri will tell S'ari about it, yes? But that is all. Here, she swept her gaze outward, towards the lowlands at large. The desert sand runs in S'ari's blood. She turned away from it once, to explore new places, and all she found was... cold and cruel and lonely. Lonely. She was lonely now, but not for the scenery. The tribe... We are creatures of the desert. We wilt and die like flowers when we leave it for long.

Together they began to walk, Meerkat setting a slightly slower pace due to her longer strides. She gazed ahead, scanning the terrain, her good ear tilted to pick up everything S’ari said. She’d definitely cottoned onto Meerkat, earning a smile. The envoy nodded her head, glancing sideways to catch her companion’s eye.

I totally get it, she said simply, and I’d be happy to tell you anything you’d like to know about Moonspear. I’ve lived there for half a year now, which actually caught her a bit by surprise. My husband, Njord, and our little girls live there with me. I have other family there, then wolves who are so important to me, they’re practically family too.

For no particular reason, Meerkat glanced behind them. They’d already walked far enough that she could no longer see the small river. She faced forward again and raised her head when she swore she saw a flash of light in the distance. She couldn’t quite see the twin tarns from here, though it was the telltale glint of sunlight reflecting on water.

It wasn’t long after that when the two approached the edge of the Two Eyes Cenote. Meerkat approached the ledge with caution, craning her neck to peer down into the pool of jade water below. Lush tendrils of greenery trailed from the lip of the cavern, dangling all the way to the pool’s surface.

She took it all in for a moment, then looked at S’ari to see what she thought.

S'ari scampered along beside Meerkat, her dainty paws light on the sand, like a dancer. She was relieved that her friend was not offended by her explanation, by the fact that she simply couldn't leave the desert anymore. She tilted her head this way and that as she listened. Suri has pups! And a husband! Somehow, this information seemed incongruous. Or perhaps S'ari was projecting--the idea of getting married or having children terrified her. S'ari could not remain free to roam the sands if there were little sunlings who needed her care, she said. No. Best to leave the mothering for others.

She stopped when Meerkat stopped, and glanced in the same direction, though she did not know what her friend was looking at. Missing home? she asked. Coyote hopes she does not steal you away for too long.

When they came upon the cenote and peered down into it, S'ari breathed deeply, a long contented sigh, smelling the greenery and the humidity. Is S'ari the only one who wants to jump in? she mused, grinning at Meerkat. Hmm... Is there a way down, she wonders... One that does not involve jumping? She moved away from the edge and began to look around. One side does not look so steep, but slippery! Shall we risk it, or move on?

Definitely not, Meerkat quipped, feeling a powerful urge to take a swan dive down into the inviting waters. I’d say we should just go for it but I’m actually not sure how deep the water is, she mused, lapsing into silence as S’ari mentioned finding another way down before adding, I’m sure we can make our way down, then see how deep it is. Then we can climb back up and try jumping in?

She waggled her eyebrows a little bit, then joined the coyote in looking for a safe route downward into the cavern. After a fair bit of nosing around on the least steep side of the wall, Meerkat discovered a small footpath. It was overgrown with moss and other leaves, perhaps deliberately concealed to deter visitors. She paused to consider this, then looked up at S’ari.

Waving her over, she said, Look at this. We should probably go slow—the rock looks a bit slick—but I think this is our safest bet.

With a twitch of her tail, Meerkat began to venture along the narrow track, her left flank not so much brushing the wall as pressing firmly against it. Even so, her paws on the other side were less than an inch from the edge. Her heart began pounding in her chest, though she smiled, enjoying the thrill of it all.

sooooo I rolled a 1d20 on Discord to see if S'ari would make it to the bottom safely. LOL. I rolled a 2. However, since I've done so many posts since this started, I can't exactly make her critically injured so...

Well done! S'ari praised when her friend found the footpath down. She glanced at it, traveled its length as far as she could see. Hmm. Yes, best to go slowly. She was about to suggest that perhaps she should go first because she was smaller and could test the way down easier, but Suri was already moving. Coyote followed.

Her little paws had an easier time than it looked like Meerkat was having, but she did not say this aloud. Even talkative S'ari knew (most of the time) when it was best to keep her pointy maw shut. Her friend needed to concentrate.

Apparently, S'ari was so focused on her friend focusing that she wasn't paying attention to her own paws. And suddenly... she was falling through space. She was so surprised that she did not even call out--was too busy wondering why the world had tipped over. And then she landed with a loud SPLASH into the water. Her legs kicked automatically and her head broke the surface with a gasp. W-Well! We know it is deep enough now!

S’ari fell so suddenly that Meerkat didn’t even register it until her body crashed into the water with a splash that echoed around the cavern. Before she could even comprehend what it meant, the noise startled the she-wolf so badly that her paw slipped. Right around the time the coyote surfaced to declare the pool’s depth, Meerkat was already beginning her own freefall.

It happened so fast, though it felt like ages. Meerkat wanted to scream a warning to S’ari, though there wasn’t time enough to get her mouth to cooperate. She didn’t even make a sound at all, aside from a wispy intake of breath as she plunged right toward the smaller S’ari.

I don’t have any threads set after this yet… >:)

tiny powerplay about meerkat kicking in the water. lmk if i need to delete!

S'ari saw Meerkat slip and fall, saw her larger body plunging straight toward her. Her brain told her to get out of the way, but falls happen so quickly. By the time her limbs began to cooperate, Meerkat was already atop her, nearly knocking S'ari out and pushing her down deep into the water. Then Meerkat began to kick, to push herself up back above the surface, and S'ari felt a powerful back leg slam into her chest, entirely by accident.

S'ari, bright spots swirling in her closed eyes, tried desperately to get to the surface. She hadn't had time to take a breath before Meerkat had pushed her under, and the kick had forced what little air she'd had from her lungs. After what felt like ages, but was merely a few seconds, her head broke the surface and she gasped loudly for air. Her chest throbbed a little where Meerkat had kicked her. S-S'ari is never... going swimming with Suri... again... she said, between panting breaths. But she gave the wolf a faint smile, to let her know she was all right.

It wasn’t possible for either of them to avoid a collision. The water softened the blow some, though Meerkat’s body still hit S’ari’s with significant force, shoving her deeper underwater. She felt her paw hit something as she tried to flail in two different directions at once—sideways and up—and could only cringe as she finally grasped onto the side of the pool.

Whipping around, she watched S’ari resurface and immediately yelled, I’m sorry! Are you okay?

She belatedly registered S’ari’s joke and gave a breathy laugh. Meerkat faced forward and pulled herself out of the water, resting on the rocky shore and assessing herself for damage. Aside from her pounding heart, everything seemed in order.

You know, that was actually kinda fun. I mean, besides the whole part where I landed on you. Maybe if we take turns? I definitely want to go to the top and jump in properly though, she gushed in a whoosh of breath.

S'ari also hauled herself up out of the water, breathing a little strangely because taking deep breaths hurt her chest. Suri has... quite the kick! she said, grinning at her friend. She laughed at Meerkat's next words. Yes, she agreed. We take turns. It does sound fun! She stood up and began to carefully make her way out of the hole. Wait for S'ari to be all the way out, perhaps, she called, over her shoulder. In case she falls again. Maybe stand to the side? Sari had no plans to fall in again, but one never knew. Apparently she wasn't as graceful as she'd thought.

Soon enough, she was up out of the hole, and turned around to peer down at Meerkat. Up you come! Suri may jump in first this time.

Are you sure you don’t want me to stay down here until you clear your jump? Just in case, of what, she wasn’t sure.

They’d both proven they were capable if not strong swimmers. The hole was deep but not particularly wide. All the same, Meerkat felt like it would be a good idea to stay nearby in case S’ari needed to be fished out of the water for any reason. Although…

I’m coming up, she said, changing her mind and picking her way carefully along the narrow path.

A little breathlessly, she joined the coyote at the top and said with a grin, If you need help, I’ll just jump in after you again. I’ll have the benefit of aim, if I need it.

S'ari was all smiles as they now both stood at the lip of the hole. She turned her head away from Meerkat and glanced at her bashfully out of the corners of her eyes, though whether she was only pretending to be bashful or was actually shy was hard for even her to tell. Suri is very sweet for being so worried about S'ari. But Coyote is sure she will be fine this time. Just do not land on her again, eh?

Since Suri had given her the okay to jump first, S'ari backed up a bit, then ran towards the edge and jumped with a loud yip-yapping coyote howl! She sucked in her breath, though it put a twinge of pain in her chest, and held it as she was submerged in the water. She opened her eyes and saw bubbles galore for a moment, but then they subsided and she was left with the beautiful underwater world of the cavern. She stayed down for only a few seconds, and then popped her above the water and began to swim to the far end of the cavern wall, away from Suri, to give her room. All right! Jump! she called up.

I’ll do my best, Meerkat agreed on a laugh.

S’ari backed up a few feet, evidently going for a running start. Although this worried Meerkat—what if she flung herself too wide and hit the far side of the pool?—that was sort of the point. There was something thrilling about taking the risk. Besides, running and jumping did seem more fun than merely jumping.

She moved quickly to the ledge, just in time to see S’ari’s head pop out of the water. Her happy whoop still seemed to be echoing off the stone walls. Meerkat’s lips pulled into a grin.

I give it a nine out of ten! You didn’t yell loud enough, she shouted playfully, her head soon after disappearing.

Shuffling back a few dozen steps, Meerkat planted her feet. She just hoped S’ari had gotten out of the way as she sprang forward, paws slapping the dusty ground. Meerkat felt a rush when her paw hit right at the perfect spot on the edge to leap. Her own cry trilled through the air as she tumbled into the waiting tarn with a reverberating splash.

S'ari tutted at Meerkat's scoring of her jump. Only a nine? Tough crowd! Let's see if Suri can do any better! And then she watched as her friend jumped into the pool! She had, in fact, moved far enough away, and this time she did not get jumped on by a giant wolf. It was much more fun when one did not have to worry about drowning.

S'ari's dainty legs kicked in the water to keep herself afloat. When Meerkat's head popped up above the water, she grinned. Well. S'ari can only give that a nine out of ten, as well. S'ari thinks her own yell was better! She laughed.

Meerkat glimpsed S’ari at the edge of the pool the instant before she plunged underwater, her eyes automatically squeezing shut. She forced them open as she hung there, suspended, then began kicking her way to the surface. Her head burst out of the water with a loud intake of breath as she looked around for the coyote. Meerkat paddled toward her, grasping at the lip of slick rock as she bobbed in place.

Fair enough, she said a little lamely, still catching her breath.

She wanted to do that again immediately. But it was S’ari’s turn. In the meantime, Meerkat finally thought to look around at the interior of the cavern, noting the greenery creeping over nearly every surface. There appeared to be many crevasses and fissures in the stone walls, including a large tunnel off to one side.

She’d like to explore, eventually, but for now, she splashed at S’ari and urged, Go, go again!