Coconut Grove I know places we can hide

Slavik looked down at Speedy, who’d come to rest contently at his chest. For a minute they sat in silence, Slavik laid his head down and closed his eyes, taking deep relaxed breaths. Then the minute ended, and it was time to explore more. He returned her grin and hurried to his paws, and followed her to the ocean.

When they at last broke from the tree line, Slavik’s jaw dropped. It wasn’t just a pool of sky blue for miles, it was a both a frothing storm and a serene lake all at once. Ripples and waves, similar to the ones he liked to make when they played in the hot springs and that underground lake, dotted the expanse of a vast and never ending ocean. They were like little white crowns, topping a blue hill, then disappeared into the rest of the sea. And the sand, it was gold like his fur, like the fields he’d grown up in.

He was paused at the tree line- awestruck, but was brought back to reality by Speedy’s comment. She was there already! Practically in the ocean! Slavik hurried to her side, and his hair stood on end when the water trickled around his paw pads. It feels stingy, he observed, the saltiness felt different somehow than the fresh water he was used to. Speedy looked hesitant to continue in, but Slavik wasn’t stopping here. He nudged her quickly with his shoulder, hoping she’d follow him out further, where the waves could crash upon him.