Spring had only just begun to unfurl its warm rays across the land as Gem traveled north from Raider's Hollow territory. Normally, she would take the more central route to arrive at the Armadan markets, but she wanted a change of scenery this time. Night had begun to fall, that welcoming warmth of day fading to a crisp and chilly breeze as the stars began to show overhead. Her thirst had begun to overpower her sense of direction. Dry lips smack together as her belly rumbles, demanding at least a little bit of a snack. Growing hopeless that the desert would never end, she is surprised when the tips of palm trees begin to reveal themselves over the horizon. Her attitude changes quickly. A sudden burst of energy expels from her as she zooms over the cooling sand, cresting the closest dune and pausing at the top to admire the scenery below. Spreading out in the middle of the desert is an oasis. The surface of the water sparkles against the rising moon, inviting her for a cool sip. Without waiting another moment, Gem tumbles down the sandy slope and skids right up to the shore of the oasis. Plopping herself down onto her belly with front paws fully immersed in the water, she slurps and drinks until her thirst has been quenched. Just what she needed! Letting out a content sigh, she rolls over onto her side, allowing her fur to soak up some of the water and cool her skin off from a long day of walking. Gem Klein

Cygnus was in search of something. Just what, though, he had no idea. Since embarking out on his own, he couldn't help but feel insatiable. His hunger was not for food though, but for things, pretty things, interesting things. His homelands were so different than this - during his youth he'd only known densely populated forests and mountainous terrain. Never in his life had he seen so much sand, nor had he ever seen so little refuge from the sun.

He was grateful when the sun finally began to set, just as he found a source of water. For the briefest moment he'd started wondering if he might be lost here forever, doomed to dry up under the sweltering sun, but he knew he was far too clever for such a fate. He'd figure it out, the same as he always did.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who had water in mind though. The scent of a wolf reached him and caused him to pause, nose wrinkling slightly and mouth opening as he explored their scent. Wolves were not entirely foreign to him, though he'd never had a proper conversation with one either.

Ah, well - what better time than now?

Making his way across the sand, noting the way the tall palm trees cast swaying, eerie shadows on the ground, he carefully headed toward the water. It was hard not to be a little awestruck by the sight that he saw once he crested the dune, surveying the oasis that opened up at the bottom. It was breathtaking! The backdrop of the gradually darkening sky, dotted with gleaming stars, only added to the already quite picturesque scene. The moon's reflection was bright on the still water, only broken up slightly by a calm breeze that drifted through the oasis.

His claws flexed slightly in the sand to keep his traction as he navigated down the dune, letting out a yowl of greeting once he got closer to the canine.

"Pretty awful place here, ain't it?" Came his form of greeting, a lazy smile spreading over his lips as he strode closer, his nub of a tail giving a slight wiggle.

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From her location on the ground, she could see sand all around her. Really, the sand stretched for ages and ages. At least when she looks north, south, and west, all that rose from the horizon were the sloping dunes she had slid down. But when she looks east, encircling part of the oasis, the tall red rocks that her family used to call home. Their peaks rose to the starry sky as if they were telling her they were watching over her. Flipping onto her other side, Gem lets out a content sigh. She knows getting wet while in the desert isn’t the greatest idea as the temperatures were known to drop so drastically, but it felt so good to cool off. As she laps up another generous gulp of water, a loud feline yowl sounds off nearby. Startled by the sudden noise, Gem starts and suddenly rises to her paws. At first, her eyes are wide until they meet with the cat that approaches in a friendly manner. With her coat smoothed and tail wagging, she looks to her companion, Hematite, nodding to silently let him know that she wasn’t in any danger. The large mastiff circled back around the palm he’d been lying beneath and got comfortable once more. Turning her attention back to the wild cat as he spoke, Gem laughs quietly, her head nodding as she smiles. “Pretty awful until one finds this beauty,” she replies, motioning her muzzle toward the pool of crystal clear water and standing palms that fluttered gently in the breeze. Stepping from the shore and away from Cygnus, Gem gives her coat a shake, heading the excess water that had been dripping from her petite frame. “I actually had no idea this place existed, but I’m glad I found it!” Gem says, her paws closing the space between them so that she doesn’t have to raise the volume of her voice as she spoke. Gem Klein

Admittedly, his attention didn't stay fixated on Gem for long. It would return to her, but as he began his descent down the sand dune, he couldn't help but scour the ground for anything interesting. There wasn't much to be seen though, aside from the wide stretch of sand all around them - glimmering ethereally against the moon's light. Occasionally the sandy ground was broken up by some stray rocks, their surfaces tumbled smooth from the winds that tended to whip through here, and even more rarely bits of vegetation struggling to grow under these desolate conditions. Nothing he needed to keep, that was good, since he hadn't quite found a way to carry these hypothetical things he didn't have yet... but that was a problem for a different day. For when he found something worth keeping, probably.

He tried to keep his balance as the sand threatened to give way beneath his paws, and his claws flexed slightly to dig into the firmer soil beneath the sand as he sank in and slid slightly downhill. "Oh," he breathed, entirely unused to traveling on sand. "Ain't used to this sorta place," the feline admitted, having no trouble at all admitting that he was out of his elements here.

At least with the sun's retreat the world quickly had begun to cool off. It was a swift enough drop that all the worry he'd had - which wasn't much at all, by most creature's standards - seemed to fade instantaneously.

His greeting was met with a smile and he returned it, shooting the stranger a friendly smile as well. His eyes fell on the mastiff he hadn't noticed before, and he stiffened for a moment until he decided he wasn't about to get ganged up on, thankfully. He had no problem being scrappy and fending for himself but he was content on this fine spring evening to enjoy the scenery, maybe present company included.

"Right? Doesn't look too bad here at all!" He admitted, moving a few long strides closer as well. His tufted ears swiveled slightly toward her as he listened. "I'm from pretty far from here. Never seen anything like this place before in my life." Which, given his young age, wasn't saying a whole lot. "Name's Cygnus, by the way," he introduced himself, bobbed tail giving another small wiggle as his gaze fell away from her and to those high-reaching palms, noting the way they swayed in the gentle breeze against the rapidly darkening sky.

Cygnus

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Knowing it was rude to stare, Gem looks away from the approaching cat toward the looming red rocks in the distance. They somewhat encircle the oasis, providing it protection from the harsh elements of the world. Was that why the wind and sudden downpours had not washed away this miracle? Her eyes linger on the sparkling water as it reflects the moon above them. The water had been cool and refreshing, fresh and ready to be drank. But where did it come from? Did it ebb and flow with the seasons? Had they been lucky enough to catch it during a higher point? Cygnus is near her now, his paws shifting in the sand catching her attention once more. Looking to the feline, Gem smiles again, her tail picking up a gently sand sweeping wag once more. "Pretty far? What brings you so far away?" Gem questions almost excitedly, earnestly interested in why Cygnus wished to leave so far from home. "I was actually born in the caves of those red rocks there," she turns to lift a paw in the direction of the towering stone before returning her gaze back to him. "I'm Gem and that brute over there is Hem," she giggles as her companion huffs, but doesn't move, rather laying his head back down to snooze. Gem Klein

Deciding that this other creature was likely not a threat, Cygnus moved closer to the water to drink. As he lowered his head, his tufted ears gave a little flick, and he let his gaze fall off the strangers to focus on gulping down a hearty bit of water while he could. He doubted he'd stay in this land for long, and he wasn't sure how long until he found lands more fertile. With his luck, he'd spend days wandering through the desert - best drink while he could and keep his body hydrated.

"Just wanted to see the world. Heard a lot of stories from my parents about how big and grand it was. Figured I'd either prove 'em wrong or have the adventure of a lifetime." Already he'd seen more than he expected - like this little oasis, hidden behind such a vast stretch of sand dunes. He wasn't at all worried about being disappointed. Wherever life took him, he was ready to go.

Gem explained she was born not far from here. "I take it there's a pack nearby, then? Anything I ought to keep an eye out for?" He'd fish for information where he could, not quite sure how cautious he ought to be around other canines. This girl seemed nice enough, but the last thing he wanted to do was find out he'd crossed some pack's borders and end up dinner for one of these nearby groups.

That was, if anyone even lived nearby... who would pick such a place as a home though? It was hard to imagine finding dens amongst these big sand dunes, though Gem had explained she was born in caves not far from here. He'd seen no real good signs of prey though, but maybe he just didn't know quite where to look. The trees overhead swayed as another breeze coasted past, their long fronds swaying and casting a series of strange-moving shadows on the ground, where the moon cast its light down.

"You think you'll ever go far from home? Or does your type like to stay where they're born?" He let out a little snort of amusement, recognizing he was being awfully inquisitive - but he was admittedly as hungry for knowledge as he was for anything else. "Ain't had too much experience with wolves, I'm afraid. Hence all the questions."

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