Submission (#1145) Approved

The group had moved from a world of sand, sand, and more sand to a place full of trees and a bustling castle-like town. Sawyer viewed the swirl of red, orange, yellow colored leaves mystifying especially since he was no longer plagued with the heavy heat of the sun against his back and beneath his paws. 

It was difficult for the kittom to focus on anything but his desire to wander and explore his new surroundings, his little adventurer’s heart demanding that he slip out even though he knew, logically, that it wasn’t doable. Still, his heart pined anyway. 

Fai had found them a cozy cabin, large enough for the gaggle of kittoms to have all the space they needed and for them to be able to store all of their treasures. Even now he could hear the clinking of trinkets as Fai and Linus sorted through things to make sure that everything was accounted for. 

Every time a coin clinked against another, Sawyer’s ears twitched and his tail flicked because of the restlessness starting to build inside of him. 

He was bored.

He wanted to go outside and explore, his imagination reconstructing the sights he got to see when they’d first arrived in Bellmoril. After spending so much time among heat and sand and sparse flora (outside of cacti and a few palm trees and the like) it was exciting to see the plethora of trees that littered the area. 

More excitingly, Sawyer was fascinated by the warm, fiery colors of the leaves that populated branches and bushes. He ached to stick his furry head into one particular bush just outside the cabin they’d dubbed their new headquarters. It was mostly orange with the base leaves a vibrant yellow and some of the orange leaves were starting to darken, turning into red. 

If he stared at it long enough, and went a little cross eyed, Sawyer could pretend that it looked like a roaring fire of leaves. 

He watched Fai sort through their goodies, forks and knives clunking against the wooden floor for a moment while debating if he wanted to offer his help. But, there was two of them working on it, he would only get in the way and…

His ears twitched when he heard a sound like a branch knocking against the window.

There was still a lot of light outside so  he wasn’t remotely spooked, but intrigued and he turned his attention to the window with his little eyebrows lifting as he scampered over. Pushing up on his hindlegs he placed his forepaws onto the windowsill. 

His nose pressed against the glass, fogging it up before he was smart enough to scoot back. 

“Oh nin, look at the colors,” he gushed. 

Sawyer had never really thought that orange was a pretty color until they left behind the dusty sand and made their way to a place full of trees and leaves. And right now? Right now, Sawyer couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight outside the window. 

Excitement blossomed on his features as he pushed up on his paws to get a better look. This time, he was a little more mindful of fogging up the window as he pushed his forehead against the window pane. It helped, a little, but then he could feel someone nudging his shoulder and when he looked over, it was Kit. 

Without a word, the kittom shuffled over, making space at the window for his friend to join him at starting at the scenery. 

Sun began filtering through the trees, a light breeze sweeping up fallen orange and crimson leaves up into the air and across the window’s view, and everything lit up with a golden glow that made everything look illuminated in a way that Sawyer’s little brain was struggling to drink in. 

His maw hung open a little and he scooted closer to Kit.

“Do you see that?” He whispered, voice filled with dreamy wistfulness. “Gosh, I really, really wish we could go play in it.” Counting treasure was fun...enough he supposed but he ached to be able to stretch his legs outside and, really...Sawyer wanted one very specific thing. 

He wanted to push all of those red, yellow, orange, and like leaves into one giant pile and to climb one of those trees with branches that he could actually climb onto and fling himself from a branch into the thick piles of leaves and roll around in them until his golden-colored fur melded with the leaves. 

If they waited long enough, some of them might’ve even turned brown and then he would really be able to blend in. 

The idea was so tantalizing Sawyer almost had half a mind to try and push the window open and crawl out miasma be damned. Luckily for his well being Kit had placed a paw on his shoulder and coaxed him back. 

His ears flattened against his head when he looked over at his fellow kittom before his tail drooped too. Kit’s look said enough and Sawyer, at least, had the decently to look a little ashamed before he laughed. 

“Okay, okay. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna. I was just y’know, daydreaming about it,” he said with a sheepish grin before Kit shook her head at him like she didn’t believe him. 

“Sawyer,” she said with a tone that made him stick his tongue out at her in response. 

“Kiiiiit,” he replied in an equally annoying voice before he returned to his window gaze. “You can’t tell me it wouldn’t be fun to make leaf piles and jump in them.” It sounded like the absolute ideal thing to be doing no matter the season. 

“Later,” she said and Sawyer thought she was being dismissive. “We’ll build a big pile and roll around in it.” There was a firm nod of her head and a definitiveness in the way she spoke to him that had the kittom believing that she would. 

He reached a paw out to press it against the glass and let himself look as wistfully as he possibly could out the window, edges of his maw curling upward before he scooted a little closer to his companion and let some of his weight rest against her. 

“Okay but I get dibs on first jump,” he said in a very serious tone. He didn't need to look at her to know she was probably rolling her eyes at him again. He was used to that, he knew he was the most spacey, impulsive, and easily distracted of the bunch. 

“Besides, I’ll match the leaves better!” He declared, letting his chest puff out before he startled to giggle. 

“Uh-huh.” Kit didn’t sound impressed but Sawyer didn’t mind. He had basically stopped paying too much attention to her anyway at that point, too busy looking out at the swirling leaves and the way the expanse of trees stretched out before them with their warm colored leaves that looked like they were glowing as the sun set behind them. 

Sure, it would have been more fun if he could have been out prancing around, climbing trees with real branches and getting an up close and personal look at the leaves but…

This was pretty nice too. 

(It was, after all, a better view that sand, sand, and more sand.)