Verdigris Ravine Here this one stays

@Gaara

Andanari lay in a patch of sun. Her wounds had finally healed and now raised along her body in hard scars. It had been a lesson she had learned and it was painful. That not everyone was your friend.

But today she was resting. She had just hunted some large snakes sunning themselves they lay ensconsed in a nearby catch fat as they readied themselves to sleep.

The dark coyote himself had been content at munching down on a crunchy scorpion. He had watched the adults do it and tried his best at biting off the tail end to remove its stinger, but it's claws had it's way with his snout. Regardless, it was dead now and he was eating it. 

Then, Gaara was on the move again, sniffing out for another snack to fill his quick metabolism and growing body. The smell of food brought him to Andi. He woofs lowly at her and approaches, head down and deep blue eyes casting to the snakes. Was she gonna eat any of that?

Andanari had yet to try a scorpion. She had seen other's do this. But she hadn't gotten up enough nerve to try. But she did like to watch how they did it. It was nice to see and learn from the older coyotes in the pack. 

She was thrown from the start of her nap, by the red and tan coy that she had grown with. And she offered him a smile. 

This one greets you. Hungry?

A nod with a little grunt, licking his jaws in anticipation yet lays down before her and the food as an offering of patience. Gaara had seemed to hold little patience for most things. The exception being towards his Tribekin. Those of Tribe were always thee exception. 

Gaara's nose then juts, using it to point at Andi's scabbed over wounds. She was healing well, he noted.

Andi smiled at his lack of words. She wondered if he could speak. She was pretty certain he could, but they were more vocalizations than communications in the tribe. And that was fine. It fit their dynamic here.

She pulled one of the snakes and pressed it towards him. A motion with her nose for him to eat.

She turned the scabbed wounds towards the sun and nodded. Though a dark look came into her eyes at the memory of the wolf that had given them. And a small dose of fear.

There was not many words out of Gaara. His mother rarely used words and when she did, were clipped and simplistic. His father was the same and even when he did speak many of his words were of the cave clans, crude and gutteral. It had very easily become Gaara's way as well. 

He dipped his head in silent thanks, then craned his neck while still laying, to reach for the snake pushed towards him. He began tearing off chunks, starting with the head and pauses as Andi's expression turned sour. Did good. Gaara aimed to boost her up.

Andi understood the silence of her tribekin. She herself was not the most talkative of creatures. But her mother tended to talk more than the others. She enjoyed that she realized at times. And then other times the silence was more than enough. 

This one tried, but that one was big and mean.

She shivered. And sighed. This one is not brave like that one.

Bravery among Tribe. He spoke only. She didn't need to be brave, not on her own, not when she had Tribe at her back. Gaara's brother adapted the ways of the cave clans. Sticking to the shadows, the dark dankness. Gaara chased the sun. He wondered how far his chase would take him one day. He wondered how far the sands stretched. He was quiet in his thoughts as he ate up the snake.

There was no lie or disbelief in his words. The tribe was brave. Therefore she was brave, he was brave. They were all brave. But it hadn't felt like enough. Not then and not  now.

Andi was more present outside than her siblings. But she did not like the darkness of caves all the time. She liked the warmth of the sun and the desert air.

Does this one like to explore?

A grunt and a nod, answering 'yes' to the dark agouti coywolf's question. His nose jerked outward then, away from them. His deep blue eyes cast upon the horizon rippling with heat waves. 

Explore all sands. He tells her. He wanted to go out there, where the horizon rose. He wanted to chase the sun.

Andi nodded her head and listened. She followed his movements and looked out over it as well. And gave a firm nod. 

Then these two should.

She was willing to go explore if someone was with her. She thought they would be alright. They were learning.

His Tribekin let him know that she too was interested in exploring far beyond the reaches of home. Well, Gaara felt they could not go too far, not without the worry of their parents. He didn't want to risk Andi getting in trouble. Didn't want to imagine if something were to happen to her. Yet she wanted to go and he would not stop her. Tribekin would be safer together, as always. 

He nods then in returned. Then it was settled. Soon, they would see what all the desert had to offer.