Firestone Hot Springs Back To You, Voice in My Head

Whoo wee... All this wandering sure did tucker a wolf out. Lots of walking. A little running here and there. Terrain that was nice. Terrain that was not so nice. It was the kind of physical activity that created the long-lasting and lingering sort of tired. It wasn't quick and over with like pain. It was the ache that came from repetitive motions and not enough stretching. That tightness that settled on the bones and reminded a wolf that he was still a mortal creature with aches and pains and needs that needed meeting. 

He couldn't sleep. His back was killing him. The tension in his shoulder blades was radiating up and down his spine, spreading into his shoulders with a sort of lingering discomfort that told him he likely sleeping tensely. No doubt, his lack of a home prevented him from fully relaxing in the evenings. Hyper alertness didn't allow for the best of sleep. Tension in his muscles wouldn't do either. He needed a quick fix. Something to force his muscles into relaxing. 

Kero'd smelt a hint of sulfur on his travels. It was a warm smell. The kind that wafted across the air and left the putrid scent of rotten eggs upon the nose and tongue. It permeated without welcome and the scent made itself at home wherever it happened to land. It was distasteful, but he'd brave it. With that kind of scent... It meant hot springs. Hot water. Makeshift jacuzzi. The heat and water would do wonders for his sore hide. 

He stepped into the shallows of a spring and let the water curl around his ankles. When his body adjusted to that temperature, he waded a little further, moving until he was at the right depth to lay down within the pool and keep his head above the water. He did so, settling into the soft bottom. A sigh escaped him. A breath he'd not realized he'd been holding. Pressing his eyes closed, he lingered in the evening air and let the quiet of the night soothe his tired soul.