This time it was Bridled King who was entertaining guests. Alastor and Nalla were listening as he explained what sort of prey and forageables were available in the area in the event that Tsidal was interested in a trade deal. He was currently showing them one of the bulbous, green basaraytz trees that was off in the distance, obscured slightly by the shimmering heat of the air. "Slices from the green part are said to be good for medicine, but the flowers on top aren't particularly useful for anything– mostly they're there as a lure. Kee is still studying the efficacy of the green parts but there's no indication that any other part of the plant is useful."

A scoff from a little ways away caught everyone's attention. Three pairs of eyes turned towards the pink belamoid who was walking towards them through the heat shimmer and across the pale golden sand. The gentle breeze ruffled her mane as she walked, giving evidence that it was there but being entirely too shy to battle with the heat. "That's not true."

King's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

She sat down with a thump, her tail lashing as she curled it around herself. "I could say the same about you, kid. I'm Daago– doesn't Maema live here?"

Alastor dipped his head politely even though she couldn't see it. "Hello, Daago. Nalla and I are here as well."

She flicked her ear in acknowledgement as Bridled King looked over at Alastor and Nalla, frowning at them. "Do you know her?"

Nalla nodded. "Maema introduced us to her before. We met her at the hot springs."

Daago thumped her tail against the ground. "There, see? Settled. Anyway, you're wrong about the plant– the blooms are the cure for all ails. Pieces from the base are good for sunburns and making you shit your brains out, but not much else. The seeds are even more valuable than the blooms– just one is as big as a belamoid's whole body and they're edible if you boil them long enough. Plus the boiling liquid has its own uses."

Alastor made a thoughtful noise. "How do they taste?"

"Not like much," she admitted, "but it gets soft enough to shred up and you only need a little in a portion to keep you feeling full for a long time. Mix it with a good soup and you're golden."

Bridled King grumbled a little but said, "Thank you for the correction, Daago." He was wise enough to know not to scorn advice given– even if he was a teenager who didn't want to be spoken to so disrespectfully. "At any rate… yes, Maema lives here. I don't know where she is right now, though."

Daago shrugged. "I wasn't really planning on sticking around anyway. I just wanted to drop something off for her." She reached into her bag and produced a small, orangeish fruit. "We were talking about these the last time I ran into her." She tossed it into the sand in their general direction and stood up. "Anyway. Nalla, Alastor– good to see you." Then, she turned and left.

Bridled King snorted indignantly. "She's not very nice, is she?"

"No," Nalla agreed, "but I think she's a little sweeter than she lets on."