Ember's Slow Burn

Ember was a walking landscape. A red-footed tortoise with a dark carapace and vivid red, yellow, and black scales on his legs and head, he moved through the world at a pace that allowed for deep observation. He'd sample flowers, push through low plants, and bask until perfectly warm. His indoor enclosure was a jungle of safe plants and hiding spots. The garden path misses the sound of his shell brushing against plants, the sight of his bright head emerging from his shell when called with a strawberry, and his determined travels along the fence line.