Firestone Hot Springs Love Like Winter

Scouting. Tags for reference. <3

The man's posture was a bit stiffer, a bit rougher than usual. Ears back, golden tail tip brushing his hocks, 'Mac only had a vague idea of where he was going. He'd just left the coast, where he'd traveled on a whim to fulfill a childhood fantasy of his. It turned out to be more of an adventure than he'd hoped, and it would forever be burned into his memory. The high he'd gotten off of the encounter with the whales, scenting the ocean for the first time, digging in the sand... but most of all, the bond he'd felt blossoming with @Raindrop preoccupied his mind. Somehow, leaving didn't feel right, but he had to - one didn't simply abandon their commitments to others. He worried about @Easy, and though she was more than capable of taking care of herself even in her current condition, he still felt the need to stay close, to ensure her safety. She was important to him.

And then, there was @Minnow - sweet, strong Minnow. He couldn't get the girl out of his mind, either. Her lovely face floated amongst the many other visions that plagued him. He wondered where she was now, and how she was doing. Was she still well? If anything, or anyone, hurt her... He felt his lip curl, fangs protruding from his maw.

He stopped suddenly, lifting his head and frowning. He felt... protective of all of them, but in an almost possessive way when it came to the younger women in his life. And by the Moon, he felt the need to roam. He shook his head furiously. What was happening to him?

He growled - an unusual vocalization for the typically meek male: it was deep, blood-curdling, resonant. Frustration. He rubbed his eyes with a forepaw. Was it the season? He remembered his father's temper being elevated in late winter. Hello, Da.

Focus, 'Mac. Do something else. Concentrate on what you do well.

Scouting. He loved to explore. But... he wanted to stay close to the Morningsong lands, to the areas he knew Easy frequented, close to Dutch, and... well, he didn't want to stray far from the coast, either. Nose to the ground, he used it as a guide. A strange, sulfurous odor reached him. Curious, he determined his course and continued.

The air got thicker with the scent. Sumac slowed his pace as he came across a part of the flatlands that was not quite the same as the rest. The grass was sparse here, and -

A jet of water suddenly erupted into the air, causing the male to lurch backward and his fur to stand on end. A memory surfaced - the blast of spray from a whale's exhalation. Only this was more violent, more primal. He stared, wide-eyed, tail and ears down, and cautiously entered the springs. What kind of creatures live here? he wondered.