The hero's quest for treasure

Surveying the land, the noble hero searched tirelessly. The treasure he'd buried was somewhere on this vast plain.
If only he could remember where.
Lifting his head, he took a deep breath. Scents filled his nostrils; the deep musk of summer heat baking the grass, sizzling meat dripping juices onto hot coals, and the familiar sweet stench of his companions.
Then the fragrance of flowers brought his mind to focus.
It was there, among the flowerbed.
Leaping forward, the hero bounded across the plain. His journey took him all the way to that great barrier of sticks, where wondrous new lands lay just beyond his reach.
It was in the shadow of this barrier that the flowers sat, bountious and beckoning.
The hero fought against himself as he waded through, the gentle caress of each petal almost more than he could handle. It would be so easy to lay down and give in to the flowers' allure.
But to do so would mean forfeiting his treasure.
And so the hero pressed on.
At the center, he found the place. A hint of his scent still lingered here, so faint he almost didn't catch it.
Bending over the place, he started to dig.
Dry dirt and flowers gave way dirt that was well moistened. It felt wonderful, and the hero relished the feel of it.
Down, down he dug.
Then he hit something cool and solid.
His treasure.


"Mom! Max is digging in the flowers again!" The boy named Jack called. Mrs. Martin set down the platter of burgers and turned.
"Max, no! Bad dog!" She shouted, moving towards the flowers.
A brown head rose above the flowers, with a long bone clenched between its jaws.
When he saw the woman coming, Max the dog bolted out of the flowerbed and across the yard, leaving a trail of dirt and flowers in his wake.