Another glorious day! I have made so many discoveries and there will be yet more later. I stretch and groom and wish there was some-dog to clean my hind. I am doing alright I think but I know it would be easier with, even one, pack-mate. I don’t get lonely anymore. I just revel in all the new experiences I get to have and know that, whenever I next reach a pack, I will be revered for my wisdom, even if I am not yet un-creched. The salt in the air, increases each day, today it is strong. I will find the source today.

I set off at a leisurely pace from my temporary den and follow a stream and the now-familiar scents of the vegetation of Salt-World. I stop at a few of my favourite berry bushes. I eat some and scout for prey. I am getting pretty good at hunting the mammals and lizards of this land. I still eat prey-plants. I found I have a taste for them, and they seem to improve my nasal acuity. I catch one of the soft brownish lizards and kill it quickly, thanking Salt-World for the provision.

I follow my nose along a stream. The salt is everywhere. I will get there today. Stronger salt downstream. I feel Sun on my back, warming my spots. The trees are thinning, and I expand my nasal horizons^. There may be a creature here who might not want what’s best for me. I smell nothing but salt and continue cautiously out of the tree cover.

The trees continue to thin and then they are gone. There is a short patch of scrub. Beyond, there are small plants poking out of dark stone and the biggest saltwater I have ever smelled. It is inspiring and humbling. I sit to stare and smell the expanse. In this direction, I cannot hear the wind in a tree and cannot smell anything but salty water.

When I have taken in this spectacle for several cents^, I start to walk along the rock. There are little-saltwaters everywhere, between Soil-Sentinels^. They are not as overwhelming as the big-saltwater, so I start to investigate them. They each smell different but with the same overtones of salt and water and life. As I travel towards the stream, there are fresher notes of clean water and animals and land-plants. The little-saltwaters continue. I investigate them in turn.

The rock-bound little saltwater nearest the stream, is mostly fresh water, with a light overtone of salt and a delicious exciting smell that is like nothing I have ever smelled. I decide to drink. I am thirsty and have a heightened awareness of the lack of real, fresh water while conducting my research. The water is perfect. Cold, fresh and flavourful. I drink deeply. I then continue investigating. What will the next little-saltwaters smells like?

Each smells more and more intense and the sounds of the water becomes confusing. I begin to perceive more creatures in the little-saltwaters and, try as I might, I cannot catch them. I notice great, heaving many-tailed horrors swarming over the land and between the little-saltwaters.

I go to the edge of the big-saltwater and stare at it with eyes, ears and nose.

I feel myself flying with the bird I can hear and smell far above.

I smell patterns in the movement of the water.

I feel a warm glowing and decide to lie down.

I smell the day turning to night. The Set is glorious. There is a night-Sun-pup bringing my vision into hyper focus. I see every crevice in the rocks highlighted in this un-Worldly light. I have never smelled anything so rich or delicate or complex or subtle or gentle or ephemeral.

I suddenly smell something completely alien to me. I glance around to find several of the horrors in front of me, moving their many tails back and forth. When they touch me with their tails, I instinctively want to jump back, but I cannot. I feel their wet sliminess seep cold and tickling through my fur.

I know I should be frightened but I feel so content, smelling plants from World and rich Soil and the blue flower from the little-wild, Inside. It is like having a mobile comfort-unit in my head.

The horrors pull back their tails and reach out to each other. Linking tails, they writhe over each other for a while. They then move over to me and wrap their tails around all parts of me.

They drag me to the big-saltwater.