It was a long trek from beach to misty woods, and then back to his den in the Starlight Forest. He picked up some herbs from all over, then deposited them in his cavern after many back and forth trips: that was his life. Lonely, but there were ways to curb that loneliness. He wished he didn’t use so much catnip and poppy, but it was a tempting smell and hard to resist when his nest was in close vicinity.
He loved his cave. It had a cozy room in the back where his bed resided, though opened up into a spacious atrium where two large boulders rested against each other in stony embrace. The perimeter boasted so many nooks and crannies to organize and stow his herbs. Some dark, cool spots perfect for storing, and some hot, sunny spots perfect for drying towards the entrance where warm sunspots floated in. Roots from a bushy tree held his rock and earthen walls together.
It seemed like paradise, but how could it be if he was the only one in it?
He rolled up onto his side, feeling the deep bedding of his nest cradle his body in the darkness. A soft sigh escaped him, and after what felt like hours, he finally pulled himself to his paws and made his way into the atrium, and from there, outside.
After he slipped out of his home, he felt both sun and shade speckle his fur through the branches. He could hear the plant life rustle in the breeze, song to his ears. The taste of the mountains rolled down the hillside that rose up behind him. His den was hidden in a maze of rock, undergrowth, and trees. His paws have touched every stone and plant along the hillside, except the ones who have not risen from the soil, and even still that could be argued. There was even a nice little trickle of a stream that ran down the hillside, so he never was far from a drink. He could hear it from his cavern. A wet paw rose to comb his whiskers.
After weeks of restocking, he finally had a day to himself. He mostly busied around his cave, organizing herbs, filling a few turtle shells with water so he didn’t have to leave his cave for a drink…though not much time passed before he moved to sunbathing atop his abode.
The heat felt nice, daylight wrapping him in a motherly embrace. He lost track of time, dozed, then came to.
He suddenly felt hot and let out a labored huff, pulling himself to his paws. A soft leap from his roof started his adventure to cooler places, the tom making his way through the woods towards the Shimmering Lake. It will be a long walk, but it was a nice day to dip his toes in the water.
It was a joyous journey, and he caught a couple of meals along the way. A mouse dangled from his jaws as he carried it to his destination. It would be nice to have a snack after a hot day at the lake.
He felt forest loam shift to pebble and sand beneath his paws. The aroma of lake-life overtook the smell of the forest, though the scent of another cat rose from under both. He set his mouse down and swiveled his ears.
“Hello,” He shouted from afar with a smile and wave of his tail. “Enjoying the view?”
He always prided himself in finding good company.