The summer in these lands was rather temperate, however. Still a little too warm for me to love but there was plenty of shade in the foliage and a nice breeze carrying the scents of the foothills. It did intrigue me that such diverse flora thrived here, I had to avoid stepping on cactus amid treading over the soft tropical ferns. A curious land indeed.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost did not catch a soft rustling in the underbrush ahead of me. I froze momentarily, swiveling my ears forward to pinpoint the origin of the sound. The rustling grew more desperate as I stood listening to it, but it did not sound like whatever was making the noise was much larger than I mouse. I proceeded slowly towards the noise and parted the brush softly. I found a small finch nestled within the branches and leaves, busily scouring for food. Upon my intrusion, the bird turned and chirped rather aggressively at me. I snorted and continued on my path, mumbling about manners and the heat causing tension among the animals around here.
As I was muttering, a salty scent washed over my tongue and I lifted my head intrigued. I could hear the babbling of a spring and a smile crawled across my lips. It had been far too long since I had a proper bath and I loved how the saltwater refreshed my skin. I jogged up to the pool, watching the soft foam curl around the surface. The clear water invited me in, so I approached it slowly with one foot going in at a time. To my surprise, the water was much color than the ambient temperature and I sighed in relief. As the water swirled around my legs, I slowly lowered the rest of my body beneath the surface, embracing the refreshing feeling of the seawater as it caressed my coat.
"It really could not get any better than this."