Strange places and strangers

What was this dreadful place? It was dry, the landscape unchanging, and much too exposed. There was nowhere to hide from the sun's rays, and the heat was starting to get to him. It was just too bright, and the rippling rocks were strange to look at. He huffed, prowling along at a lazy pace, hips and shoulders rolling easily. "Where's the shade?" he grumbled to himself, singular blue eye shifting left and right as he sought some sort of cover. It seemed there was none.

But something did stand out. A strange form in the distance, standing out against the different shades of red stone. At first, Ehrgeiz assumed it was a wolf, but as he neared, he saw a long, thick tail, stocky legs and smaller, rounded ears. This was definitely not a wolf. He squinted, trying to understand what he was seeing, but realizing he'd never seen a creature like this, he approached somewhat curiously. It wasn't often that something interested him.

He stopped about twenty feet from the long-tailed creature, his own willowy tail swaying behind him."Hey, what exactly are you?" he asked bluntly with a raised brow, "You talk?" His muscles tensed, completely prepared for the unexpected - he didn't know what the feline was, but he could tell that this was another predator and she might just be dangerous.