momma said

With a heavy heart Armando continued his eastward trek. He'd gotten separated from Motif some time back and with no ties to her captors he'd had no reason to stay. So he'd left at what was possibly the worst time. Though he'd been too far away to see it he'd heard that a volcano in the east had erupted and that was what had caused everything to go sideways. Ash fell heavily and constantly. It choked out the plants and scared away the sensible wildlife, making life difficult for the garbage loving panda. He was used to going a long time without his staple food and having to subside on "junk" such as small birds, bugs, fruit and the like, but now that was a struggle. The potbelly he'd gained since coming inland was gone, replaced with hollow sides.

With the way things were now he'd given up on making a living inland and was now headed back to the coast hoping desperately that his island with its thick bamboo forests was okay. Maybe he'd try again someday.

Armando trudged through the ash with nary a thought to what was around him. He was tired, he was hungry and he just wanted to be somewhere safe. Some time ago he'd stopped shaking the ash from his coat so now he was covered from head to hind in a thick blanket of the stuff. Even his fedora, which he was loath to part with, was covered. What was the point in clearing it off? There were no ladies here to impress. He looked a mess anyway.