Rosewater Oasis red desert dunes

Backdated to August 8th.

Meridian approached the oasis with a shiny chip of stone in her mouth. The oasis was an ideal place to conduct ceremonies, but unfortunately for her, an impudent coywolf had soiled it. Meridian believed it was time for a cleansing. 

She saw nobody at the pool, but neglected to look elsewhere for watchful eyes. She doubted she was welcome here, but sensed no danger. Careful not to step in, she dropped the crystal in the pool. Uttering a silent prayer, she bent down to drink. The water was clean, in her eyes. The gemstone, yellow as the sun, had absorbed any bad energies or whatever else the coywolf had released in the water. They young spiritualist was sure someone would take the stone, but she didn't mind. Anything unholy lurking in the waters was now trapped inside the stone, sure to curse would be thieves.

Tags for reference, as she is trespassing (unofficial territory)! But AW!
@Tumbleweed @Widower

It did not take long to catch the scent of the sun–worshipper. There was no individual she loathed more in this moment, thus bringing great speed to her gait as she followed the trail.

Just before she reached the impudent creature, Widower called for her companion, @Tumbleweed. They would make good on their earlier fantasies of turning her into vulture foods. Or perhaps, she might get her chance to see them buried deep within these lustrous sands.

Step back from our water! Snarl rippling across the distance, the dark coyote stood firm, glare blazing with a fiery beam. And it was aimed directly at them.

Meridian's ceremony complete, she turned around to face the aggressor. It was the same coyote she had seen before, calling for her companion. The priestess assumed that would be Tumbleweed. She was still a distance away, and by her snarl, Meridian prepared herself for a skirmish. But she would try to talk sense into the territorial canines first. Your water? The one that your friend pissed in? It's the sun's water, and nobody else. She doubted the shadow touched creature would listen to reason, but it was worth a try.

The sun's water. Widower scoffed. Just how foolish was this one? 

Do not speak of the sun. The sun does not need to drink, nor can it keep others away from it. But I can, and I will. Especially from you! Inching closer, her tail lashed furiously behind her. Ears flattened, teeth on display, she readied herself. Regardless of whichever way this began, Widower knew just how it would end. With this coyote gone for good.

The widower's next words were seen as an insult to the sun. Meridian strained to keep her cool, all the while silently cursing the coyote. The sun can do many things, but I don't expect a child of shadow like you to understand its importance. She looked scornfully at the other's dark pelt.

The interloper seemed to be reading for a fight, and Meridian reckoned she would get more than she bargained for. The amber spiritualist wasn't an excellent fighter, but she would hold her own against a fellow coyote. She snarled, revealing a set of sharp, but scarcely used canines.

He saw the tracks left behind in the sand by the sun worshipper, and noticed with disdain that they led toward the Oasis. His ears flicked and whiskers flared when he wetted his lips with his tongue. An earthy growl rumbled like distant thunder in his chest as he began to move back toward the Oasis, hastening his step when heard voices raise.

Bristling, the coyotes faced one another, both primed for a fight. He heard the sun worshipper make yet another remark that curdled his blood, and he decided then that she would be given no mercy. 

”You know what would happen if the sun came down and drank from our Oasis?” He mused hypothetically, inserting his voice- calm like cool waters in comparison to the crackling tension between the women- before it dropped. ”It’d drown.” 

He didn’t even need to look to Widower. He knew she would be up for the task- and he closed in on Meridian, keeping himself between the coyote and the water so she might not easily escape the grace he intended for her.

Fools. Meridian let out a high pitched laugh, amused by Tumbleweed's remark. The sun? Drown? In your shallow pool?! She noticed the pair closing in on her, but didn't allow her discomfort to show. Instead, she proceeded to antagonize them. I, Meridian Cactusbloom, pronounce you two as lunatics. The longer she could wound them with insults, rather than teeth, the better.

Tumbleweed came soon, spewing words alongside her to this pompous fool.

And I pronounce you a dead woman, soon to be food for the scavengers! She yowled, rushing forward with lunging teeth. She cared not where they landed, but only that they find blood swiftly. 

This woman would learn just who she'd messed with, one way or another!

As he anticipated, the sunworshipper was distracted enough by his nonsense to turn her attention to him- and simultaneously, Widower understood his thinly veiled invitation. Suffocating their first trespasser right in the Oasis waters was something they would both enjoy, no matter how macabre it might seem. In that moment, he gained three things- the coyote's name, a renewed kinship with Widower, and the fancy title of lunatic. No doubt some reference to the moon, which in this case he would embrace simply to spite the wolf who so loved the sun. 

Widower rushed the woman who had stood her ground, allowing both coyfolk to draw closer. Tumbleweed followed suit, aiming to push Meridian further into the water.

When they tried to force her deeper into the oasis, Meridian resisted. She cried out in pain when the darker canine's teeth tore through her skin. She twisted free, crimson liquid oozing out of the wound. Meridian turned her teeth to her, lunging for her tail. If she was sucessfull, she would give it a series of jerks, attempting to rip it clean off.

The irony taste of blood was soon hers, but it did not linger long. Widower was disappointed, but knew that this was simply only the beginning. She would have more.

When teeth grasped for her tail, the shadow growled in defiance. Swipe after swipe, smack after smack, she threw. They would not have any part of her in their grasp. Not if she could help it!

Cornered between deeper waters and the two foes, she writhed and snapped, lunging for Widower's hind end in an attempt to drive her off and gain some ground, perhaps. But in doing so, she turned her back on Tumbleweed who seized a moment only to calculate before he sprang forward. With limbs outstretched for the woman turned away from him, he aimed to grab her by the waist and pull her over sideways into the water, grabbing for a hunk of her fur with her mouth though to secure his grasp.

Meridian felt teeth grab at her pelt, and she was hauled sideways into the water. She struggled to keep her head afloat, fearing that they would drown her. Fine! I'll leave! Her pride hurt, but she valued her life more. If she escaped, she would be back for retribution, that was for sure.

She struggled to keep out of reach, but when Tumbleweed grabbed hold and pushed them toward the water, she reeled.

Joining in, she circled the pool and reached to press firm against their head, forcing it closer toward the water. They spoke of leaving, but this was not good enough. Widower was tired of their existence, and so would see to its end.

You will go nowhere but the bottom of this pool! She seethed lowly into their ear. But I will be so merciful as to give you a choice .... you can be drowned in it, or you can bleed out in it. Which do you choose? It was so cruel, really, to suggest that the choices both ended in their demise. Both would equate to immense suffering, but one would end it all much quicker. Widower wondered which they might choose. But if neither, then the choice would be made for them. And it would not be the quicker option.

Whether or not Meridian had caught hold of Widower's tail, she was pulled sideways into the water with a splash. Too shallow there to swim in, but deep enough that the Sandstriders could potentially push her and hold her below the surface. He grinned at his success, and stood over Meridian with a loose roll of fur in his mouth, holding her so that the water that licked at her chin and splashed up her cheek might make her panic. 

She conceded, in the two-again-one fight that had been against her from the very beginning. He looked up, still hanging on to Meridian, to see the glint in Widower's eyes. His tail waved as if to applaud her silently for her threat. With a growl, he pushed down on the small of Meridian's back, to insist that she make her choice- or a counter-offer- as soon as she could.

As the water lapped at her snout, Meridian grew more desperate. She made a dire offer. Spare me, and I'll show you my jewel stash. I have an excavation site you can dig up. In truth, she had one measly quartz, and a possible gem site. Anything to escape.

Moments away from impending death, the coyote made a quick offer; an answer differing from the provided choices.

At first, it seemed an enticing thing to consider. But Widower silently wondered if whether they could be trusted to fulfill this offer. And when considering recent events, she figured they had a slim chance of truly collecting such a wealthy sum for their mercy.

The Widower snarled, paw pressing down harder. I don't trust you have anything to equate to the worth of your life, so no. No deal. And with a pleasure filled smirk, she spewed a few final words. I would ask if you had any last words, but I really don't care to hear anymore filth from you. Glancing up to Tumbleweed then, she would first be sure they were prepared for the furious writhing to come. If the coyote was not held down properly, they would set themselves free with ease. And such a thing could not be permitted to happen.

Tumbleweed, with a mouthful of Meridian's fur in his mouth, couldn't speak, but a roll of his eyes suggested that he didn't believe Meridian either. He felt relatively comfortable allowing Widower the decision regarding the coyote's fate, though he felt that if there was any disagreement between them, they could at least discuss it while he held the coyote's head underwater for a few moments. With the verdict being a death sentence, he changed his grip slightly, aiming a bit higher along her neck, and began to push Meridian down into the water. 

What he didn't expect was to be slighted by one of the things he valued so much. The very shard of stone that Meridian had placed into the water earlier had a keen edge to it. And when he moved to push Meridian's head below the surface, the sliver of stone's pointed edge slipped between his toes, and stabbed into the webbing between them, piercing the skin and causing the water to suddenly grow dark with blood. He growled, but did his best to maintain his posture- all the while having to balance, now, with his weight pushing the stone further and further into his foot.

As she was pushed under the water, Meridian took a gasp of air under with her. I wouldn't last her long, but she held her breath all the same. The water turned red with blood. Not her blood. The recalled the stone left in the water. The sun's fading rays illuminated the shallow water, fading as it got murkier with blood. She wouldn't let the sun disappear. Bubbles rose to the surface as Meridian exhaled underwater. The squirmed and fought, knowing that the further Tumbleweed pressed, the more pain the jewel would cause. If he recoiled, she would take the chance to break free.

In a moment's notice of the slow trickle of blood merging with the pool of water, Widow's visage bloomed with delight. But when she discovered Tumbleweed's reaction, she knew then that the assumption had been wrong. It was not the sun-worshiper's blood; but in fact, it was his.
How it came to be there was unknown. And yet, quick displeasure faced the reality of it. Despite the burning desire to watch this coyote slowly cease to exist, the idea of a growing injury upon her companion was far less appealing.
Whirling around to the opposite side of the pool, Widower shoved Tumbleweed away, replacing his grip upon the neck of the impudent. Tugging upward, she pulled them from the water, letting their body fall against the sands without an inch of sympathy towards her roughness. Consider yourself lucky that we let you leave with your life. But know this... if I so much as catch even a glimpse of you, you will not part from these lands again. Rearing, she snarled. Now get out.
Once they had done as she'd said, assuming they were wise enough to take the once in a lifetime offer, the dark figure would turn toward her companion, a brow arching in an instance of concern, but also disappointment.

He would have stood and allowed the stone to pierce straight through his foot if it had been necessary. Allow the woman to choke and inhale his blood, taste the metallic tang of her own murderer before she lost her senses. He gritted his teeth together as he continued to press her down into the water, only to look up when heard sloshing in the shallows and felt Widower's hip shove against his. 

He was reluctant to surrender his grip on the coyote who infuriated both him and Widower, but he also knew it was best to steer well clear of Widower when she was angry. He stepped back, giving her space to pull the sunworshipper from the water and dispose of her weakened body upon the dry sands. He dove toward her, growling, teeth clacking at her heels to usher her away, leaving behind a bloody pawprint every time he set his foot on the ground.

The frantic priestess took the opportunity to escape. As soon as the Widower dumped her on the bank, she leapt to her feet, wincing. Meridian wasted no time in making distance between herself and the pair of scoundrels. Thankfully, her wounds weren't deep, and would heal well in time. 

The sun had saved her. Widower and Tumbleweed had disrespected the sun, and the latter had received his wound as punishment. This would only be the start of things. Punishment. Meridian would return, when they would least expect it, she promised herself. She called a final taunt over the wind, a homage to her indigence. Faithless! 

The sunset was crimson, not unlike the blood that trailed behind her as she returned to the ravine.

Last from me! <3

last from me also!

Widower watches the fleeing, bloodied form. But once it is gone from view, no further thought is paid, for it is not owed.
To Tumbleweed, she does not look. He has allowed such an easy, quick execution to evade them, and this is seen as betrayal. The sun–worshipper, an enemy, has been set free. This will not be forgiven.
Whirling around, Widower departs without words. She has nothing to say to the man that has deprived her of a triumph, nor will she for some time.

He would not have given up on his hold of the sunworshipper, but when Widower moved in to take over herself, she'd pulled the coyote from the water and sent her splashing to the side. And so, he could not understand why Widower was so upset- he would have driven the shard of whatever it was straight through his paw if it had meant keeping the woman's head underwater. 

He watched as both women turned their backs on him, one scuttling away only to shout something he would ignore, and the other in stony silence. He limped back into the shallow waters, panning the sand with his bleeding paw until he found what it was he was looking for, and pulled it from the water. 

His eyes widened. 

With its two sides perfectly flat and smoothe, it was only the stone's point that had caused him agony. But the gemstone itself gleamed yellow, like the sun- slightly translucent. Widower wasn't one to test, but he felt she would want to see the sparkling gemstone they had gained. 

"She left you a gift," He said, holding the precious gemstone in the paw that still bled little droplets of blood onto the sand.