Grit and tiny pebbles rolled through his fingers as a dusty stream, tumbling back to Earth in a dull, light brown line that wavered in the occasional searing blasts of wind pretending to be breezes. Even after no more would fall, several granules clung to his skin, held in place by the sweat on his palms. He allowed himself a contented look and dusted his hands together before brushing the last remnants away with the help of a couple quick swipes over the legs of his jeans.
The oasis was calming, a small verdant stripe in the middle of sheer desolation. He thought it particularly appropriate, considering the circumstances.
The stranger had given him free rein to explore the grounds. Normally, he would have been suspicious of that kind of offer, but there was something that drove him to set aside his disbelief. He couldn't help but trust the young man he'd met on the battlefield at Corsica Base and he wasn't quite sure why. That they piloted similar mobile suits hadn't been enough; it hadn't mattered to him during the initial skirmish. Not until the blond had stepped out of his suit had he felt any real desire to listen.
He swirled a finger through the sand, the rough texture reminding him of working days long past.
It was amazing what a little sand could do, really.
Blown at a high speed, it could be just as deadly as any beam cannon, destroying flora and fauna alike. Under fire, it turned as sharp and fragile as glass. Carried along by water, it could remold even the hardest of rocks over time, smoothing over rough edges and eliminating jagged splinters.
Handled with care and a skilled touch, it could become a work of art.
He'd never had the time or the freedom to think about it before. Another of the unusual gifts he'd been received while he was here, perhaps, along with a full repair service to Heavyarms and hours of music.
A quiet voice beckoned him over through the dense foliage, pulling him out of his miniature reverie, whispering... something about an interesting bird, and would he like to look at it?
Trowa nodded and rose to his feet, headed in the direction of his captor/host.
If he was going to lose his life in battle, at least he could say he had visited the desert first.