It had been almost a month since the youth had happened upon Inferni. He could still picture that cool evening clearly, when lightning had illuminated the scarred, ragged features of the woman who had saved him from his stint as a vagabond. The boy was supremely glad and grateful to not be living life on the open road anymore. His life had changed for the better, and his body showed signs of it. Although Mason Hesiod had been far from emaciated when he had come to Inferni's borders, he had not had the proper weight and mass. It was lucky that he was still young and able to adapt, and that he had happened upon the Clan's borders when he did. The boy had done some growing, which had much to do with his improved diet and spirits over all.
His features had matured and elongated. Although his mixed heritage was still somewhat evident in the trunk of his body, there was no mistaking the dominance of his coyote DNA. His muzzle was long and thin, his ears larger than a wolf's. He had caught his reflection a few days before when he had visited Hade's Beach on one of his ritual fishing trips, and he had been very pleased as his coin colored eyes were reflected in the water. Mason was not a vain child, but his outward appearance clearly showed his coyote blood in ways that no one could refute. As far as he was concerned, that just reinforced the fact that he belonged here in Inferni.
The boy had also gained confidence during his weeks here. He hadn't been timid to begin with, but he now ventured more freely. Although he preferred to stay mostly within the Clan's borders, he had begun venturing out farther to neutral territories like Whisper Beach. He had even come face to face with strange wolves and had not batted an eyelash. The boy still took care to make sure that the scent of Inferni clung to his skin, discreetly rolling on the spot where he knew Kaena slept in the caves. Truth be told, he also liked smelling like her in general. She not only made him feel secure, but he also wanted to be part of her family.
The boy had been following that very scent at the present time. Although he liked to project the image to outsiders that he was completely independent and indifferent to them, he very much wanted to see the scarred woman. He had not seen her for a while and he missed her terribly. He wasn't above tracking her, and he hoped that she wasn't busy. Mason found his target in the normally sunniest part of the territory, although darkness now dominated the plains.. The sand-colored boy took off like a shot, rocketing himself until he skidded to a halt in front of the scarred silver woman. "KAENA!" he half-shouted in his exuberance. "You's busy?" His tail wagged behind him, and he danced about as he waited for her answer.