Mysteries of the Desert (Open)

[silvermoondragon]

((I sort of started a little expedition RP of my own in the expedition topic and with the revealing of my beautiful aquatic mare who somehow found herself in a desert, I decided I should expand on this RP. For reference I have included the previous posts from the expedition thread. Anyone is welcome to join in if they want, they might both need help to escape the desert.))



Blue looks up after a long quick slide down the dune and notices a shiny patch off in the distance and runs off to investigate, zig-zagging across the sand, enjoying watching the marks he made in the sand and wondering what others might think of them or if others would even see them before the desert winds blew them away. He would not reach the shiny thing for many hours.

~

Blue continued on towards the shiny blur, he didn't seem to be getting any closer after traveling for nearly two hours but that's how things were in the desert. He still had lots of energy left and the sun hadn't even reached it's full height and heat in the sky.

~

After many hours of trekking across the desert, the sun had risen and things had started heating up. Blue had to unfold his wings, holding them out from his body to allow air to flow alongside his body. Despite the heat, Blue had not lost sight of the glinting object that finally seemed to be getting closer. Another few steps and he was there, and he discovered that it was a shiny gleamstone that had been uncovered by last night's brutal desert windstorm. Blue tucked the gleamstone into the tiny pouch the Sharians had given him before setting out into the desert.

Satisfied that it would be safe, he then looked around and was dismayed to realize that he was now lost. Desert winds had blown away his footprints and he couldn't see any recognizable landmarks to guide him back. He rose up into the air desperate to find anything that would help him find a way back out of the desert or at least an oasis as he had been out in the hot sun quite awhile now and was starting to get thirsty. Each beat of his wings brought his panic closer to the surface of his mind, he had never been lost in such a dangerous place before. As his eyes scanned the baked sandy ground, he noticed things he may not have normally noted, the sun bleached bones of small mammals standing out most in his mind. He cursed the gleamstone that had brought him out to what he was certain would be his death.

He rose up higher, still scanning the ground and was just about to give up and start off in whatever direction he was facing when he spotted a shimmer that before he had discounted as a mirage. From higher up it looked much more like a pool with a little green fuzz at the edge. Having not seen anything else in sight Blue dove towards the shape, wings beating frantically speeding him towards it. The winds streaming past his eyes blurred his vision and in his panic, Blue misjudged his speed. As he reached the object which turned out to be a small oasis, he was unable to stop and crashed right into it with a big splash.

Blue struggled to the surface, resisting the temptation to gulp in water to quench his thirst. As he broke the surface, taking a big breath of air in, he realized he was staring into the sharp red eyes of another samanayr.



Quite startled, Blue lifted his drenched wings and attempted to take off, succeeding in splashing water into both his own eyes and those of the other samanayr. Annoyed, the other mare snorted and sunk down into the depths, disappearing from view. When the mare disappeared, Blue had a chance to calm down and get his bearings. He swam to the edge of the oasis, crawled out, and shook himself, glad that there was still some sun and heat. He then realized, as he held out his wings to dry, that that other samanayr had sunk. He was worried that he had hit her when he had crashed into the oasis. Calling out, he leapt back into the pool and dove down, squinting into the depths searching for her. He spotted her swimming gracefully down near the bottom and realized that she was an aquatic samanayr and was in no danger of drowning. Running out of breath, Blue sprang back up to the surface and crawled out once more. After a few moments, the aquatic mare rose up to the surface once more, blinking her eyes in the sun.

Blue called out a greeting to her and apologized for landing in her pond. The aquatic mare snorted and splashed her back fins "This isn't my pond," she called back in an eerie lilting voice.
Tilting his head, wet mane falling on to his face with a muffled splat, he questioned, "if this isn't youyr pond, then how did you get heyre?"
"I was exployring the ocean depths and I came acyross a styrange tunnel. I followed the tunnel and it lead me heyre. I came up to look ayround and found myself in this desolate land, with no otheyrs in sight. When I decided to yretuyrn, I found the tunnel blocked, I think the tunnel collapsed and I have been stuck here since, all alone until you dropped in," she finished, a playful glint appearing in her eyes as she made her last comment.

Blue sat there for a moment, her situation seemed much worse than his, at least he could walk or fly back out of the desert, if he knew which way to go. The two shared a few conversations and before they knew it, the sun had slipped far down below the horizon. Blue curled up on the soft grass at the edge of the oasis while Wave found a nice comfortable spot in the shallows and they went to sleep hoping a new day could help solve their problems.

[Origami_Dragon]

((*bounces in* I know Searing is already in a RP...but I want to play here too and he's the one I declared was doing my hunting. So can I say that this is happening before the events in my other RP? ))



For reasons unknown to him, Searing had been sent out to search the desert sands by day of all times. Something, he was assuming they had been a Sharian though he'd never seen one of that draconic race before, had handed him a pouch and asked if he would seek out the desert's treasures. They had seemed quite confident that the young desert stallion knew exactly what they were looking for and had allowed no questions before shooing him off onto the scorchingly hot midday sands.

It hadn't taken long before Searing had decided that Sharian or no Sharian he was not stupid enough to run around like a mad thing under the desert sun. He'd found a tall rocky outcropping and dozed in it's shade, one ear pricked upwards for the sound of footsteps on the sand, ready to pretend that he was merely examining the stone carefully for those mysterious treasures rather than taking a nap. But really, a nap was the only sensible thing to be doing in the hottest part of the day.

The first cool breeze of evening woke Searing fully as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Shaking and stretching he lifted his head and sniffed the breeze. Much more pleasant to search now. Maybe he couldn't see so clearly, but at least he was in no danger of falling over from heat exhaustion. With a final long stretch he trotted out, scanning the desert for things unknown. Pity he was supposed to be seeking. He wanted to run, not bounce along at a lowly trot. Not that he knew what he sought, so maybe he might as well run.

But a brief run only served to show him just how stupid that daytime jaunt had been. So thirsty... As he stood at the top of a dune panting slightly another breeze whirled past his nose, bringing the tempting scent of water. And more than just a seep, with the green scent the wet air carried along with it Searing was quite certain that it was an oasis ahead. He turned his path that way, carefully scenting the air as he went. Many of the water sources were claimed from time to time by various nomadic Songs. And there was always the chance that a permanent, stationary Song had chosen to settle at one of them. So few of the desert dwellers seemed to share his philosophy that water was too precious not to share, so long as it did not endanger your own life to allow a traveler to drink.

Soon enough it seemed that his cautious approach had been the right choice as the scent of Samanayr added to the moist, green scent he was following. Searing changed his step, making certain that each footfall sounded so as not to seem to be sneaking up on them. When he had the oasis in sight he stopped altogether and sang out a long, low note of hopeful inquiry. With any luck he'd be permitted a drink.

((And now we know why I found nothing. Searing is clueless.))

[silvermoondragon]

((That's fine, Blue is in a bunch of RP's at the moment as well ))

A noise woke Blue from the light slumber that occurs just as one has first fallen asleep. His head snapped up and he glanced around, shaking the sleep from him. He first noticed the shape of the aquatic mare, Wave, sleeping peacefully in the shallows, chest rising and falling rhythmically in tune with her breathing. Blue decided that she had probably made the noise and visibly relaxed, although he continued his search. Just as he was about to set his head down and resume sleeping, he heard a shuffling in the distance. In the darkness, he couldn't quite make out the shape, but it had horns, and lacked the normal quite fluffy tufts that most samanayrs he had seen had. His first thought was of danger and instincts as a stallion made him want to protect the quietly sleeping Wave. He rose slowly, puffing up his fur and feathers, holding out his wings to make him appear larger, hoping that whatever was out there wouldn't realize how scared he was.

[Origami_Dragon]

It took a moment before there was any responce from the oasis. Odd. Surely the cool breeze should have woken them by now. It never even crossed Searing's mind that they might only just now have gone to sleep. He had become far too accustomed to the nocturnal lifestyle that the desert encouraged. Day was too hot for the most part, night was much better. When the responce did come it made Searing sigh softly as the other stallion rose with what seemed by the dim light to be agression.

Stepping forwards slightly Searing dropped down to one front knee, the other leg stretched out before him, in what was intended to be a non-threatening bow. He knew that he couldn't rise to fight or flee swiftly from this pose. It didn't quite occur to him that to the stallion in the oasis this might look like a rival preparing to charge, especially with the sun behind him playing with everyone's vision. Unlike Blue, he held his wings closely against his body. Small as they were it probably wasn't even possible to see them at the moment.

Trilling an appologetic note Searing addressed Blue without changing pose. "Peace defendeyr, I mean no hayrm to you and youyrs. My appologies foyr the tyresspass, when last I came this way no Song dwelled in these payrts. A dyrink is all I ask befoyre I move on." He continued to himself in a softer voice that Blue was not meant to hear. "Though wheyre to find out what Shayrians even want I still don't know."

[silvermoondragon]

As the shadowy figure dropped down low to the ground squishing itself as small as possible, suddenly it did not seem quite as threatening. And when it trilled once more and spoke, Blue realized it was only another samanayr and immediately calmed down, relaxing all his muscles to let his fur and feathers lie flat once again.

"Soyryry," Blue called back, "I thought you were something else."
"As for tyresspassing, this is definitely not my hotspyring and I would not be heyre if I had a choice, only I got lost while out seayrching foyr this stupid gleamstone," he said, tugging the small pouch off of his shoulder and glaring angrily at it.
Thought of the gleamstone brought his mind back to Wave who had disappeared under the surface of the pool in all the confusion. Maybe finding the gleamstone hadn't been such a bad thing, without it he would never have found this oasis and she would remain stuck here, that is if he could find some way to help her otherwise she would still remain stuck here all alone.

[Origami_Dragon]

As Blue spoke, Searing worked his way back to his feet, but made no move to approach. The shadows hid the bewildered and slightly annoyed expression on his face as he heard Blue so casually denounce this place as somewhere he had no desire to be. He shook his head, sending his mane fluffing up all around his face, and stomped one hoof on the soft sand before catching himself. His voice was slightly stilted when he spoke again.

"I know not hotspyrings, but I take it this is not youyr oasis eitheyr? But if you would not be heyre in the deseyrt, wheyre then?" His eyes followed Blue's motion to remove the pouch and wondered if a Sharian had set this other stallion to searching as well. If so, the stranger seemed much better equiped for the task that Searing, and Searing felt no shame in having slept the day through rather than seeking unknown items. Perhaps like this 'gleamstone' that the stallion spoke of.

Mentally shrugging off the idea Searing turned to look out over the rolling dunes of seemingly endless sand. "You ayre not so fayr fyrom the mayrignal lands you know." His tail swished as he contimplated offering to show the stallion the way out, as yet unaware of the huge challenge presented by the aquatic mare lurking in the water.

[silvermoondragon]

Blue could sense the slight annoyance in Searing's voice and replied carefully to his next question, "I feayr I spoke too quickly. I am heyre by choice, sent out by the Shayrians foyr the adventuyres I so love. However, I managed to get myself lost and with the pyrospect of being stuck here foyreveyr, well, I spoke hastily. The deseyrt makes an inteyresting place to visit but I would miss the tyrees and wide open lakes and yrivers, and the falls, the yraging wateyrfalls."
He motioned to the oasis, "Heyre, come dyrink, theyre is also anotheyr in need of help I would like you to meet, I am yratheyr at a loss of what to do."

[Origami_Dragon]

Somewhat molified and aware that much as he might love the desert it wasn't to everyone's taste Searing bobbed his head in acceptance of the appology and offered his own in turn. "And I who have neveyr lived or desiyred to live anywheyre else should know that not all find the deseyrt so wondeyrful a dwelling place." His hide twitched slightly at the thought of all the vast amounts of water and greenery that the other stallion so casually longed for. He found the marginal lands near overwhelming with all the scent and moisture. He could hardly imagine the sorts of places beyond those.

"But I would welcome a dyrink. I too was set to seeking something, though without being told what I sought. The full heat of day is not something I face when I can avoid it. You have company? In tyrouble?" Searing's large ears pricked forwards as he paced into the oasis and looked around. Was the other injured perhaps? Faint with heat sickness? A lone expectant mother? Perhaps the Sharian could be found again and asked to help. Or if it was simply one unaccustomed to the desert climate perhaps he could help without needing to find that odd dragon again. Never in his wildest dreams did Searing expect what he was going to see as he bent to drink from the pool of water.

[silvermoondragon]

Just as Searing lowered himself to take a sip of the cool refreshing oasis water, Blue alongside, Wave burst up to the surface showering the two in water, laughing mischievously to herself. "Hello!" she called out.
She had been listening to the two's conversation and knew that Searing meant no harm.

Blue snorted annoyedly and shook himself off, water droplets flying all over the place once again. He had only just fully dried off from his first encounter with the oasis and aquatic mare and he hadn't been planning on getting wet again that evening.

[Origami_Dragon]

As the water exploded outwards right under his nose Searing stumbled back, loosing his balance and landing with a faint thud on his back. Water drenched his formerly fluffy mane, dripped off his long horns, ran down into his shocked eyes. When he opened his mouth the only sound he could make at first was a strangled bleating. What was it?! Heavy shadows and the dancing water surrounding Wave made it hard to see what had just errupted out of the calm waters. Her fins looked like odd growths, made her look larger than she was. For a moment all the childhood horors ran through Searing's head.

Then Searing's mind began to slowly unfreeze from the panic and catch up with current events. The erruption of water had been coupled with a cheery hello and laughter. The other stallion was not terrified, he was annoyed. Breathing deeply Searing forced himself to look back at the rippling water and the head sticking out of it. It was another Samanayr. Searing's nostrils flared as he scented her. There was an odd undertone to the scent that he couldn't place, never having encountered an aquatic before. In fact, he still hadn't put two and two together to come up with the fact that a Sam in a pool was quite possibly an aquatic. After all, who expected to see an aquatic in the middle of the desert?

Still panting slightly Searing finally managed to get out, "Youyr...companion?"

[silvermoondragon]

Blue had to suppress a laught at Searing's reaction to Wave's appearance. Secretly he was glad that the desert stallion hadn't been around to witness his own reaction earlier that day. He shook his mane out once more, shooting a wry glance at Searing.
"Yes, allow me to intyroduce Wave of Dyrifting yReeds," he replied, lowering himself into a sitting position wings outstretched.

Wave brought herself as close as she could to the shore without beaching herself and began to retell her tale, back fins fluttering nervously as she recalled her plight, silences covered by soft splashing. Blue listened silently to her story once again, but jumped in to interrupt once she got to the part where he had crash landed, leaving out some of the more embarrassing parts.

[Origami_Dragon]

Water continued to drip off of him and Searing made no move to stand as Wave was introduced, rather remaining sitting with a somewhat stunned expression fixed on his face. The name had a very...watery feel to it, only enhanced when the mare worked her way over to the shallows and began teling her tale. Searing sat in silence as Wave and Blue alternated the tale, a silence that held for some moments after they finished.

All this was tumbling around in Searing's head, leaving him confused, unable to focus for the moment. An aquatic. Here. In the desert. What in the world were they going to do with her? The jumble of thoughts in his head made little sense to him, and after a long pause, the first thing he could think of to ask was, "Isn't ocean wateyr poisonous?" He'd only ever heard tales of the ocean. It was something he couldn't even begin to imagine. An enormous pool of water, even more vast than all the deserts in the world, and full of water you dared not drink...

[silvermoondragon]

((I think I have decided/discovered that Wave is very childish and playful...))

Blue turned and tilted his head towards Wave as Searing asked his question, he had never been to the ocean either. Rivers and lakes he knew, all lead to the ocean, but that was the extent of his knowledge.

Wave just kind-of stared at him for a moment before fluttering her fin wings ((I think that's what they are)) and giggling.
"Of couyrse not silly!" she exclaimed, wiggling her ear fins, "If ocean wateyr was poisonous, how could I live in it? This oasis wateyr does taste betteyr though, fyresh and sweet."
She kept staring at Searing as if daring him to disagree.

[Origami_Dragon]

Debating over the nature of the ocean, which he had never seen and did not particularly want to see, was easier at the moment than thinking about what to do with an aquatic Samanayr who found herself several miles from the next closest water supply and even further away from the edge of the desert. "But always when I heayr of the ocean I heayr that one dayres not dyrink the wateyr there, that it is like a 'dead' oasis that spans half the woyrld! How can it be safe to live in?"

In fact, now that he thought about it, was this oasis even safe if one could follow an underground tunnel from it to the ocean? But no, Wave had said it was fresh and sweet. Maybe he'd heard wrong about the ocean. But no again...Wave implied that the ocean was not fresh and sweet. Searing's head was spinning with contradictory thoughts and puzzles, leaving no room for planning.

((This RP is good for Searing! It will get him ready for the idea that I want him to have an aquatic foal. ))

[silvermoondragon]

((Isn't it fun using species modiems? hmm, this is getting difficult as I don't know too much about the scientific aspects of aquatics but I will just assume they are sort-of like fish, and that oceans on Kartyn are similar to Earth))

Wave stared at Searing as if he were a young foal and she were his teacher. tch... she thought to herself, this stallion doesn't seem to know much at all. She had spent most if not all of her life in the water, oceans and rivers, and that comprised her knowledge. She rolled over once, and then rolled back upright before molding her face into what she thought was a knowledgeable look but actually turned out to be quite comical, her ear fins flapping slightly.
"Well they'yre wyrong!" she started, punctuating her remark with a splash, "an ocean is veyry much alive, all soyrts of cyreatuyres live theyre, moyre than theyre ayre in this tiny puddle. Theyre ayre tiny tiny cyreatuyres, too tiny to even see, and then theyre are huge huge cyreatuyres, bigger even than this oasis."
"They'yre scayry," she squeaked, ducking her head a bit before continuing with her previous enthusiasm, "I have seen youyr kind dyrinking, they do not die, only contoyrt theiyr faces and yretuyrn the wateyr back to the sea. I dyrink the wateyr all the time, although I have found that I am not as thiyrsty in this sweetened wateyr."

Blue listened as Wave taught Searing about the ocean. Never having been there, his sense of adventure was beginning to excite him and his wingtips began to twitch. He too was forgetting about Wave's peculiar predicament, or rather it had been shoved to the unconscious part of his mind, his conscious having no idea where to even begin.

[Origami_Dragon]

((Yes it is! Or will be...I haven't gotten to yet... But I'm only two points away from being able to buy them! And then I just have to actually set up his Song and then wait for either breeding season or to grab a custom slot. And we shall run with those ideas of aquatics and the local oceans. *nods*))

Wave's punctuating splash caused Searing to scoot himself further away from the aquatic Sam. He was already wetter than he'd ever been before in his life (water being too precious in the desert for him to feel right swimming in it) and he didn't relish the idea of getting soaked again. Especially not with the chill of night approaching.

The picture that Wave painted was quite different from the image he'd had of the ocean. Slowly the dead, dull grey expance of water in his mind took on a bit of sparkle and became a wetter version of the desert. Full of life, but life that you'd never see if you didn't know where to look. But still dangerous. He looked around the oasis; not the largest such place he had seen, but decently sized. Animals could get bigger than this?!

Wave's last words make Searing look at her oddly though. Sweetened water? "Has someone been dyrizzeling cactus juices into the water? Oyr beyrry?" He leaned forwards, trying to scent the water and see what made it different from the other freshwater he'd seen. And he still hadn't had that drink.

[silvermoondragon]

((hmm... maybe sweet isn't the best way to describe the water. Since Wave grew up in the ocean, ocean water doesn't taste salty to her, but other waters taste un-salty, and I've been using sweet to describe the taste of the absence of salt, but I don't really know a better word for it and un-salty doesn't seem to fit as a word she would use to describe it. I've never been good at recognizing flavours.))

Wave cocked her head and squinted sharply at Searing, "Cactus? Berry?" she questioned, smoothly scooting backwards to allow him to drink out of the oasis.
All this talk of the ocean had started to make Wave feel a little homesick. She turned and dove under the water, her fins propelling her smoothly through the water until she reached the blocked tunnel. She pressed her smooth stream-lined body against the rock and pushed, sending out an echo of frustration when the rock barely moved. She returned to the surface, her tears hidden by the water streaming down her face.

[Origami_Dragon]

((No, no, it's fine. I've seen the term used plenty of times before for fresh water. Searing's just never encountered it until now.))

Slowly rising to his feet Searing in turn looked at Wave in bemusement. "Yes. Things to make it sweet." He kept a careful eye on Wave as he approached the water and sniffed at it, not quite trusting her to not repeat the splash. It smelled like normal water. He was about to take a sip when Wave suddenly vanished underwater. Searing staggered back, legs tangling and almost tripping him as he tried to avoid another splash. But she was staying under quite awhile. Was she ok? HIs gaze flickered back and forth between the pool and Blue. "Should we woyrry that she's staying undeyr so long?"

But almost as soon as he said it Wave resurfaced, much more gently than she had announced herself. One eye on her lest she decide he needed resoaked Searing finally bent his head to drink. After just a sip he pulled back, confused. "It's salty?" He'd managed to get a drink from close enough to Wave that the hint of salt from her tears still tinged the water.

[silvermoondragon]

Blue could see the turmoil on Wave's face right before she dove down and he knew exactly what she had gone down to attempt. Blue tried to smile reassuringly at Searing as he kept glancing between him and the oasis despite feeling a little worried himself. When Wave resurfaced, it saved Blue from having to answer Searing's question and voicing his doubts.

As Searing drank from the oasis and described it as salty, Wave dipped her head and stuck out her tongue, lapping up a quick sip of the water. She paused for a moment, then tipped her head to one side, "Salty?" of course even her tears could not make the oasis salty enough for her to recognize it as salty.
After a moment Wave began to explain what she had been doing at the bottom of the oasis . "I swam down and pushed on the yrock that has blocked off the path, but I wasn't able to move it," she exclaimed with a discouraged sigh, "it moved a bit, but then just yrolled back into place."

[Origami_Dragon]

As Wave questioned the saltiness of the oasis Searing dipped his head for another drink. This time the water was fresh and clear, better than many watering spots he had visited in the past. By this time the salt from the tears had spread out throughout the pool, making it too dilute to taste. "Well it was. Now it isn't. But I still taste no sweet."

Realizing that Wave was talking again, and looking rather sad, Searing froze, still in the drinking position and with a little water dripping down his chin. The yrock moves still? Inward or out?" He looked down into the dark water, trying but failing to spot the place where a tunnel had once opened into this pool. How did that work anyways? Wouldn't it just drain all the water away if it was open? And yet this oasis had been full when Wave had found it through the tunnel.

[silvermoondragon]

"Both. I pushed on it and it yrolled slightly downwayrds into the tunnel a ways, then yrolled back outwayrds when I stopped pushing, yright back into place." Wave explained then finished off rather dejectedly.
She stared off out across the desert, then glanced back to the oasis before continuing, "I yremembeyr I had to swim upwayrds foyr awhile before I yreached the suyrface of the wateyr. I guess my swimming loosed the silt that had been holding the bouldeyr up above the tunnels entyrance."

Blue stepped forward, one hoof into the water, "Maybe, maybe the with all of us, we might be able to push it?"
He could feel the solution was slowly falling into place.

[Origami_Dragon]

Searing was still staring into the inky water, trying without success to find the boulder, when Blue suggested that they all go in and push. His head went up and he stepped back slightly in shock, wide eyed gaze flickering between the dark water, Blue and Wave. "Now? When we can't even see it?" The idea of actually fully submersing himself in the water was frightful. It was so dark, the sun was fully down by now and the moon not full enough to cast enough light. What if they misjudged the boulder in the dark where they couldn't see and it rolled back on one of their legs? And he was starting to shiver in the cool night just from the splashing he'd recieved earlier; how cold would being fully underwater be?

"Suyrely it would go better by day?" Searing all but pleaded. Heat and light would make this endevour much less unerving. And more likely to succeed, wouldn't it? Looking at Wave he tried to think how he would feel, stranded far from the desert. He'd want to get back as soon as possible...but not at the risk of others... Would he?

[silvermoondragon]

Blue raised his hoof to his forehead, still dripping slightly, why hadn't he thought of that! All this talk of adventure had made him forget that they had just gotten to sleep before Searing had arrived, and that he had been out in the hot sun all day. Actually, now that Searing had mentioned it, he was beginning to feel tired once again.
"Soyryry," he told Searing comfortingly, he could how nervous he was, "I was letting my excitment and sense of adventuyre get away with me. Of couyrse it would be betteyr to wait until moyrning."
Blue then looked towards Wave, hoping for her agreement.

Wave looked once down into the darkened depths before grudgingly agreeing. As much as she now wanted to return home, she understood their fear and exhaustion, she was feeling it too.

[Origami_Dragon]

((Okay...I should stop being a lazy bum and actually reply...))

Searing's head was hanging slightly as Blue agreeded that they should wait. He did feel slightly ashamed of pushing for putting this off...but the idea of going into those dark waters scared him. And badly. His golden eyes pleaded with Wave to understand. He would have felt better about asking them to wait until morning if he had realized that they had only just gone to sleep before he had arrived rather than simply having slept late. Seeing Wave's reluctance even as she agreed he whispered softly, almost to himself. "Surely better one more night here than broken bones..."

But they had agreed to wait, and Searing lifted his head slightly to judge the time. It would be long hours even until midnight. He was about to ask them about how to pass the night away, perhaps in planning, when he noticed that both of them were begining to look sleepy. So instead he suggested, "Perhaps we should rest for the attempt?"

[silvermoondragon]

"Well, we were," Blue replied, pausing his sentence with a yawn, "about to fall asleep befoyre you got heyre."
He then walked slowly a little ways back from the water to avoid it lapping up against his hooves while he slept, and then practically collapsed down into a lying position, eyes beginning to droop.
"Goodnight!" he called out.
After all, he had had a pretty exhausting day with getting lost in the desert.

Wave wasn't quite as exhausted as Blue being confined to the small oasis, but she knew how valuable their full energy would be in the morning. Besides, she had been stuck here many days, what was one more day? It wasn't like she hated the desert, it was beautiful in it's own way, quite different from the ocean's beauty.

As Blue started to snore softly, his wingtips twitching from some dream he was having, Wave turned to Searing, eyes twinkling.
"I guess that answeyrs youyr question."
With that, she curled up around a smooth rock half sticking out of the water, and partially submerged herself with only her eyes, nose and ear fins visible above the inky black waters.