Gobi Desert- Search for the Water Eye
International Christian Quality Music Secondary and Primary School,
Kau Min Xi, Non-Fiction: Group 3
I
t was a terrible sandstorm. All the landmarks had disappeared beneath a thick blanket of
searing hot sand. A russet brown wolf tiptoed out from his shelter. Now, it should be he Moon
of the Rain, but the sand that flew wildly on that day seemed to erase all signs of rain clouds.
The Water Eye! Could it be gone? thought the wolf desperately as he tipped his head to
the sky. The droughts would soon come and Delgado had to find the water eye- a small lake- and
live there until the storms come back, “Or would they ever come.” muttered Delgado.
Since the landmarks were gone, everything was harder for the russet wolf. Delgado trotted
off, trying to remember his bearings. The sun was unbearably hot but Delgado didn’t even stop,
though his tongue was dry and his legs ached from the rough terrain.
A faint tang of camel tainted the air. So far, that was the only thing he had scented for the
day. A ball of flame sunk over the dunes. I must find shelter soon; it would be cold so far up here
in the Gobi, thought Delgado. Making sure that the trace of camel was still on his scent glands,
the russet wolf slunk wearily into a crevasse.
A warm, mouthwatering scent hit Delgado before he even entered the crag of rock. Delgado
licked his jowls, he stepped inside and in the darkening half- light, a limp rabbit lay dead on the
floor, blood pooling around it’s skull. “Perfect! A bit scrawny but that’ll do.” The russet wolf tore
into the rabbit, his eyes glittering a rich green, slanted with satisfaction.
Delgado slept well that night, with a full belly and a well groomed pelt. When he woke, the
first drop of dawn was blossoming in the sky, the clouds a fiery orange. He yawned and slipped
out, ready to go. He followed the camel scent, crossing dunes and sheltering under palms- a rare
treat in the Gobi. Finally, he reached a chain of tall, wind whipped dunes. The Chain Of Wind.
It’s going to be easier if I go through a valley, thought Delgado, but in such a dry season, it
was going to be a lot windier. “Well, here goes nothing.” Delgado gritted his teeth as he plowed
against the whipping sand. Something bubbled and it stank of death, there were skeletons here
and there with freshly fallen carcasses of animals littering the place. Then, it hit Delgado like a
claw swipe- Of course! Quicksand, he thought, but how was the russet wolf going to get through?
The wolf backtracked a few paces and ran, the wind piercing his fur and the blood roared in
his ears. Suddenly, the wind changed course and Delgado soared through the sand choked air.
“The wind! The wind is with me!” howled Delgado happily, who landed neatly on the other side.
The journey was easy at this point when a heavy body collapsed onto Delgado’s back, sour
smelling breath wafted to his nose. Rouges! The word exploded in the wolf’s head. He rolled onto
his back and the weight was gone, he flipped back to his feet. A one-eyed sand colored wolf was
snarling at him, it’s green eyes glittering menacingly. “I cannot outfight him but maybe I can
outsmart him.” growled Delgado under his breath, he ran toward the direction of the quicksand,
the other wolf snapping at his heels.
With a howl, Delgado leapt but turned quickly in a backward walkover and landed on a dune,
wind lashing at him. The other wolf made a sound between a terrified yelp and a frustrated snarl
and landed in the quicksand, thrashing and writhing as it sank deeper into the sandy sludge.
Delgado just ran down the hill without looking back.
