nascence

Today was a lazy day, and S'ari had already spent most of it lying in the shallow water under the arch, napping. But night was fast approaching, which was a time for hunting and play and a chance to stretch one's legs after a day of hot sun, so she got up, shook the water from her short fur, and trotted out to watch the sunset. Just a little while ago, she'd been worried about being alone. Now there were many here and she loved them all, each one, even after so short a time.

in the day the warmth of sun had beat down on sol’s golden pelt, now the star sank towards the horizon. traveling south had lead her away from the sea and she had slowly lost the coastline and now the desert was her place for now. for some days she had wandered and without guidance during the day she could only read the stars at night to know where to go. yet at no point would she know when she was near to her birthplace unless she somehow found her mothers or a familiar sighting. she only trusted that the sea and moon aided her even here, leading her instinctually on the right path to follow. 

in the distance she saw a small wolf- no, maybe a coyote- shaking out its fur. solaire chuffed to announce her presence nearby, and hesitated in the continuation of her journey, but otherwise remained quiet for now.

The smell of wolf immediately shattered S'ari's calm. And it was not a wolf she recognized, which made it a thousand times worse. Suri and Towhee had proven that not all wolves were unkind, and she already knew that from her childhood, watching the Tribe trade with wolves who came to them. Still... there were some who thought of coyotes as enemies, as nuisances, as competition for food and water.

S'ari sprang to her paws, looking this way and that in the dying light. And there! She reared back her head to yip-yap-howl for the others. Kusuma! Zoug! Mercedes! Not Candle... Candle would only run and hide. But... But...

But the wolf had done nothing yet, and S'ari did not wish to make a scene. Still, she was too close to the Ravine. To home. Home for now, anyway. On quick paws, she dashed toward the wolf, and blurted, You, wolf! You must leave this place! The others... they will not like you being here! Turn back now!

the coyote seemed startled, initially raising its muzzle as if to call out, but instead was silent, seemingly a change of heart. it scurried over to her instead, and in a moment she could smell that it was female, which raised her opinion of her slightly, though she was still a coyote and not a sister of solaire's. 

at the order to leave, sol's eyes narrowed slightly with defiance. i will stay here for the night, it is getting dark. in the morning i will leave. her tone gave no indication that she was requesting permission, but still she tilted her head and wondered conversationally, what will you do when i stay?

@Zoug @Mercedes @Qiao @Candle @Kusuma
Will continue this thread until someone else gets here, if that's fine.

S'ari had been willing to give this wolf the benefit of the doubt. But she did not like her tone, or the narrowing of her eyes. Without warning, she did howl then, in her coyote way, calling for the others. Even Qiao, who did not wish to join the Tribe, though S'ari hoped she might still be nearby.

Yes, S'ari was always willing to give wolves a chance. But a defiant wolf who did not turn away when told, one who was stubborn and looking to stay no matter what... She could not abide those kinds. Those kinds of wolves were dangerous.

Candle knew wolves.

At S'ari's call she turned to a sharp and wild-eyed thing. She answered in bristling silence like some malevolent ghost, halted at her companion's side for now. Candle was not violent by nature. But this was a wolf far too near to S'ari, far too near to those Candle had come to think of as kin.

She waited for S'ari's word.

without another word, the coyote howled, calling out to others. solaire bared her teeth in frusturation. she was a stubborn girl and would hate to leave so easily, she even wished to stay out of spite now. but she also knew she was alone. she had no one to call to herself, and was in an unknown land. if the coyotes had enough attack power to overwhelm her it was not wise to stay, but even at three years solaire was hard to force, even harder when her patience was tested. especially so now. she was larger and stronger than coyotes by nature, by her practice as an amazon too and yet- she was not sure she could best more than three at once, even if they were short and scrawny. it was not smart and she knew this. 

another arrived, bristling, and solaire's tail lashed. she fled some yards distance from the coyotes, though remained on the scene, and turned back to face her. what threat am i to you, to only sleep here? she called over the wind, though appeals to sympathy would be unlikely to sway solaire herself if it was her land.

Dark woman padded up upon hearing S'ari's call, ever-confusing in her scent, Neither coyote nor jackal, somewhere between and just as odd with her pelt. She did not care, she was Tribe. Kusuma visibly fought against curling her lip into a snarl on seeing what had definitely caught S'ari's attention.

Other! 

She knew wolves, had once wanted to join them, before learning of Tribe. And the wind was not giving her the best of whispers. 

Dark woman bent her head, chuffing to S'ari and Candle. Wind does not whisper goodwill on this one. What does Wolf say? Why is Wolf here?

it is me that gets the ghosted :>

her name was thrown to the breeze, carried along on urgent wing.

qiao glanced to @Ephraim and rose stiff-legged. she would allot herself to be summoned only once by these means -- the next time her presence was requested, qiao would remand equitable payment.

s'ari redsand stood before a wolf, fox-faced and robed in crimson and sungold. qiao gasped -- the fox.

alongside s'ari redsand were two coyotes. one bristled with fur that called to mind the surface of an urchin. the other, darker, approached with curled lip and exposed fang.

that pelt is too pretty to dry on the redsands. qiao called to the summery thing. keep it, and run.

the reek of wolf.

it peeled zoug's lips back to expose the sharp yellow daggers of his teeth. at last he came alive to his height: taller and more muscled than the coyote women, the man growled loudly.

"wolf go!" he commanded, his voice and body taking on the emphatic nature of his hard gesture: a stiff-legged strike of his forearms against the sand.

the single eye burned.

but the scent of wolf was not also from the Other they faced.

Probably just a cameo unless he is addressed, just tag me if I need to check in again, please!

Ephraim didn't much care for the way some coyote yip-yipped a summons for his companion. Qiao was not fit to be commanded by anyone. It surprised him when she heeded them almost as much as it surprised him when he got to his own feet and followed after her.

Three spindly dark canines, bristling and growling, and a fourth cast in a coat to match the rough sand all around them. Ephraim remained close to Qiao, looking beyond the gathered yotes to the subject of their ire: a blonde wolf with interesting ruddy markings.

Ephraim, too, was a wolf. He shared some blood with these other canines, it was true, and had features that made him potentially passable among them, but he was larger. Broader. Distinctly something other than pure coyote.

If this was how this tribe of savages met a wolf head on, how then would they take him, a wolf wearing the coyote's mask? He watched closely, but did not join in their threat, even with Qiao's goading taunts.

I just realized I forgot to tag @Meridian please forgive me *sob* (lol)

Many came to S'ari's side, in a matter of a minute or less. Suddenly they were all there, even the pale coywolf that S'ari had not met yet, but had smelled about. By the time they all arrived, the wolf was far from them, staring from a distance, calling over the wind. S'ari did not have to answer, for others answered for her. Still, she voiced her opinion quietly to those standing near. This wolf, she was too defiant. She gave S'ari a look, one not appreciated. S'ari could not take the chance, no. Not all wolves are friends--this she knows.

No worries! It makes sense that the newest member would take time to navigate the ravine. :D

Meridian answered S'ari's call with a howl of her own. She found her new companions gathered, facing a wolf with aggression. Meridian was wary, recalling her encounters in the hollow, but she found no reason to assume that the newcomer meant any harm. The young coyote trotted up to stand beside her packmates, sunset eyes staring into the wolf's emerald orbs. Please state your intentions here. Have you come to trade? Meridian's voice was firm, but not unkind. She waved her maroon tail back and forth, waiting for a reply.

Omg I'm so sorry I didn't realize it was my turn

Candle cast S'ari a slightly incredulous look. No wolves were friends! Frustrated by S'ari's remarks, by Meridian's attempt at peaceful communication, by the lingering gaze of the wolf — Candle snapped.

She shot forward to give chase to the wolf, intending to send the gilded creature running. If the wolf did not run, Candle would slow to a halt with several yards of distance still between them with a round of furious barking. Otherwise, she would follow until she was certain the wolf would not return.