The noon sun baked the flat landscape, sending heat waves rising into the air. At this time of day, most life was sheltering in the shade, attempting to stay cool. There were few out and about as Mouse moved from the pool where she had met a new friend who had offered her a place to stay. Still rather lost and confused, she had gladly accepted the offer, and directed herself toward the mountain rising a short distance away. However, before she had reached the boundary of what she presumed would be her new home, she was again distracted by a shining pool of liquid, beckoning to her with its promises of satiation and cleanliness.
Approaching the edge of the pond, Mouse again gazed at her ragged condition. Despite its being summer, clumps of thick hair still clung to her sides. She remained caked in mud, and the gash on her shoulder stood out against her grulla coloring. It was slightly reddened and dirty, in danger of becoming infected. To onlookers, she may have looked somewhat vain, the way she kept staring at herself. But it was in bewilderment and not vanity that she inspected herself so thoroughly. Having only regained memories of crashing water bearing down upon her, threatening to fill her lungs, as she swam to this island, she still wondered at how she had come to be injured in such a manner as to steal all her past from her consciousness.
Sighing, she took a few tentative steps into the water, letting the coolness wash around her limbs. Her eyes closed in pleasure, and she let herself go a bit deeper into the pool before lying on her side, relishing in the relief she received from the oppressive heat. Throwing her weight to her left side, she rolled and let the water surround her almost entirely, washing away the grime she had acquired. Given that she was so dirty, even after she had traveled by water to the island, she wondered if perhaps her accident had happened since her arrival, or if she had simply washed up in a rather muddy area. For the moment, she chased the notions from her mind, letting herself enjoy the cold water on her sore shoulder and ankle.
After she had fully removed all trace of her mishaps--save for the wound--she exited the small lake, shook the excess droplets from her body, and continued on her way with less of a hitch in her stride than previously. Finally, she came to the border between the peak and the common area. She had not had prior knowledge of where it was located; she simply assumed that because the scent was made up of mostly female scents, she had arrived at her destination. Impa had told her that she had sisters here. Whether or not they were biological sisters, Mouse was unsure. As she stood at the base of the mountain just over the border, apprehension flowed through her for the first time. She was not quite as shell-shocked as when Impa had found her, but she was still anxious about not fully knowing who she was, and about whether or not she would be accepted by the residents of the area to which she had been invited.