did you hear that?

He wasn't totally certain how he'd ended up in the desert at midday, but it certainly wasn't the time to be moving. So the wiry male had gathered up his companions and ventured into the caves that stretched beneath the lifeless hills. Just beyond the first entrance that he found, where the sun wouldn't reach him, the nomad settled onto his belly and fell asleep. There was no point trying to cross the landscape in the blazing sun, especially not with his dark coat soaking up the heat like a sponge. He would wait until one of the two animals he wandered about with opted to wake him at twilight, get some rest in. There were rumours of geologic instability here, where the ground would shake and crumble at a moment's notice. Well, that would probably wake him up before he could be buried here. Not worth worrying about.

- sunset -

The shrill cry of a shrike aimed directly into his sensitive ears woke him with a grunt, and the yearling shook the bird off of his head. His lips peeled back in a mute snarl as he stretched, working his way to his paws at his own leisure. "Bastard," he spat at the little bird, though he didn't really mean it. With the familiar sensation of the ram's wool against his leg, and the subtle flutter of wings just above his head, the dark waif set out. It was considerably cooler out now, and there was a hint of a breeze spitting loose sand into his face. He tipped his chin down, tilting his head until he got a better map of his surroundings from the sounds of wind whistling through bare branches and over stony bluffs. What he didn't expect, was the steady beat of small paws coming from somewhere up the hill to his left. A fox, perhaps a coyote? He lifted his muzzle again to test the air. No, a pup! He seemed to find more than his share of those, wandering around as much as he did.

Kicking into a lope, he followed the trail of the young wolf. It was only when he was able to hear the second set of pawsteps that he slowed his pace at all. "You shouldn't be in these hills on your own, little one." he crooned, a warning evident in his tone. Sightless gaze tipped towards the ground, aiming to turn his features to where he imagined the child might be. "There are plenty of hungry beasts who would happily eat you up, you know." he added for good measure, baring his own pearly fangs in a grin.

(WC: 709/1500)

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