Violet

The line of wagons and carriages appeared on the horizon like something out of a strange dream.

At first, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. The heat rising from the sand distorted everything in the distance, making shapes shimmer and waver as we had come to realise over the past few days.

But as we drew closer, the shapes solidified into something undeniably real.

A long procession of wheeled carriages and covered wagons stretched across the sandy plain, moving slowly in a single file. The vehicles were pulled by enormous creatures I had never seen before. Tall, lanky animals, with long curved necks, humped backs, and wide flat feet that seemed made for this terrain. They moved with a strange swaying gait, their heads bobbing with each step.

Some wolves walked alongside the procession in their human forms, scarves wrapped around their heads and faces much like ours, while others padded along in wolf form, their fur ranging from sandy brown to pale grey. The wagons themselves were draped in colourful fabrics, providing shade from the relentless sun.

They seemed to many wolves to just be out here for me. They were most likely travelling. If not for the shirt wrapped around my face, I would not have been inclined to even approach them.

"What is that?" I breathed.

Bei shook her head slowly, just as transfixed. "I have no idea."

We watched from a distance as the procession gradually slowed. The wagons at the front began to stop, and wolves started breaking away from the line. Some guided their strange animals to rest in the shade of the larger carriages. Others stretched their legs or gathered in small groups, their voices carrying faintly across the sand.

They were stopping to rest.

My stomach slightly cramped, a sharp reminder of the problem that had been growing more urgent over the past few days. We had run out of rations, and the sparse landscape had offered almost nothing. The few animals we had spotted that could be eaten were small and had barely been enough to travel along with.

It wasn’t exactly a huge problem for me, but for Bei, it was serious. She couldn’t draw energy from the sun or moon like I could.

Though, not eating for close to two weeks in my case was not an entirely comfortable feeling due to the constant movement.

Bei glanced at me. I knew she was thinking the same thing. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"We need food," she said quietly.

"I know." I looked at the gathering of wolves and wagons, unease prickling at the back of my neck.

"But we don’t know who they are." Bei stared at the line, and while her voice was calm, I could hear the strain beneath it.

She was hungry.

"We don’t have much choice," I told her. "And I think this is safe enough, especially with our faces mostly covered."

I smiled at her even though she might not be able to see my covered lips. "If it feels wrong, we can leave."

Bei hesitated, then nodded.

We slowly made our way towards them, the shirts around our heads and faces offering protection. With only our eyes visible, we looked like any other traveller in this harsh landscape.

Thankfully, I was most relieved that a lot of the wolves there had their faces covered too, so there won’t be any odd request about us having to remove ours.

We made our way down the dune and approached the resting group from the side, keeping our movements unhurried and unthreatening. A few wolves glanced our way, but most seemed unbothered by the sight of two strangers approaching. Maybe they were used to encountering strangers out here.

Up close, the creatures pulling the wagons were even more impressive. Their coats were short and coarse, their large dark eyes watching us with placid indifference. One of them made a deep rumbling sound, and I nearly stumbled.

A wolf nearby laughed, a weathered man with sun-darkened skin and deep creases around his eyes. He was seated on a wooden crate, a waterskin in his hand.

"First time seeing one?" he asked, gesturing at the creature with an amused smile.

I was stunned a bit. I had expected some of them to ask who we were and what we wanted, not for one to just start an easy conversation.

"Yes," Bei answered easily. "What are they called?"

"Dromedaries, or sand walkers if you will." He took a long drink from his waterskin.

Bei tilted her head at the animal. "I have never seen anything like it before. It looks... strange."

His mouth opened with a toothy grin. "Best animals for crossing terrain like this. They can go days without water and carry more than many transport animals."

"That’s remarkable," Bei whispered, still staring at it.

The old wolf studied us for a moment, his eyes crinkling. "You two aren’t from around here, are you?"

I was caught between lying and telling the truth, but Bei responded before the pause could stretch too long.

"We’re from Silverwood," she said smoothly. "Traveling and exploring other plains."

Several nearby wolves looked up at that, surprise flickering across their faces.

"Silverwood?" A younger woman with her scarf pulled down around her neck, let out a low whistle. "That’s quite a distance. What brings you all the way out here?"

"Curiosity, mostly," Bei said with a light shrug. "We wanted to see what lay beyond the usual routes."

"Adventurous, how nice." the old wolf said approvingly. "Don’t get many from Silverwood in these parts. Most stick to the greener lands."

Another wolf, a broad-shouldered man adjusting the harness on one of the sand-walkers, chimed in without looking up. "Can’t blame them. This heat would melt anyone not used to it."

A few others chuckled at that.

I felt some of the tension in my chest ease. They seemed friendly enough. Open and not looking at us suspiciously.

"We were hoping to resupply," I spoke up, my tone casual. "We’ve run low on rations. But I wasn’t sure..." I hesitated, glancing at Bei before looking back at the group. "Would our coin even work here? I don’t know if Silverwood currency is accepted this far out."