been there, dune that

It was rare for Spirit to wander far from Ashen's packlands, even to the territory just to the north, but today was an exception. More often than not he stayed close to the lake, in the luscious slice of land carved out in the midst of the desert, where his finch companion was happiest and where plant growth was plentiful. These dry, barren sand dunes weren't exactly his favorite place - but occasionally he knew you could find bits of vegetation here and there, sometimes rare herbs that couldn't be found elsewhere.

Maybe he'd get lucky and come across something like that. So far no luck, but he'd press on, despite the stifling heat of the sun beating down on his back from overhead. Apparently he wasn't the only one with  a quest in mind though (because why else would someone be out here in the bone dry desert?), he speculated as the figure of another wolf came into his vision. His fur was even darker than Spirit's, and he could only guess that he was even more miserable out here in the dry heat.

It was hard to tell if he was suffering as much as Spirit feared he might be, at least from his great distance, so he moved to close the gap between them. Crossing the sand always took more energy so his steps were measured and cautious as he drew closer, only slowing once he was within earshot. "H-hello," he called out, trying to throw his voice over a farther distance than he was used to. "A-are you alright?"