 Omfg, I am 'tarded. I didn't realize his whole moving in was a surprise. ;___; I thought it was just his purdy decor. XD Deeeeerp, I say, derp. Owell, I will play it off in this post. |: IT NEVER HAPPENED LOL. Word Count: 815 A sense of anxiety had settled down over the coyote woman, and it permeated all facets of her life. She was worried and paranoid over very minor things now, and in her head wild scenarios, impossibly complicated, of the many "what ifs" of life played through her head. What if Haku was crossing their border right now, his targets set like a heat-seeking missile on her very home? As safe as she felt in her own cave, with Inferni's miniature warrior guarding her to one side and her daughter to the other, she could not chase such thoughts from her head. They seemed a constant plague to the silver-furred Centurion, nightmarish scenes chasing after her in both sleeping and waking moments. Kaena looked at Mason with her single yellow eye, noticing he certainly wasn't their miniature anything anymore. At almost eight months old, he was almost done growing. He still had some filling out to do in some places, still possessing the long-legged ungainliness of adolescence, though he'd lost the unsteady legs of youth. It wouldn't be too long before Mason wasn't even a Tirones Minor anymore—the silver-furred hybrid contemplated his rank, thinking it was most likely he would begin at Discens or even Praeses. It wasn't as if the tawny youth was a brand new coyote they'd just dragged across the border; he'd lived in Inferni for many months now, practically growing up in the clan. True, the first two months plus of his life elsewhere, but his core formation had been within the clan, and that was something that boded quite well for the Tirones Minor. He'd passed the trials of youth with flying colors, it would seem, and now he would prepare for his ascension into the regular ranks. Even if he appeared to be practically an adult now, Mason had not lost all of his childlike qualities, things Kaena certainly still valued, even if most youths his age wanted to run away from puppyhood as fast as their legs would carry them. He seemed to brighten up just by looking over at Kaena, and her own happiness grew, her paranoia laid to rest by the sparkle in the youth's golden-yellow eyes. His greeting was affectionate and quite enthusiastic, lending more power to the scarred coyote's smile. He was getting stronger by the day, it seemed. His words were even more energetic, and the hybrid looked over at him in surprise, beaming. Striking out on his own was just one more sign that Mason was growing up. It was bittersweet, really—Kae had often worried about him growing up here in Inferni all by his lonesome these long months. He'd had no playmates his own age the whole time, which did bother Kaena a little bit. Perhaps she should have taken Dawali up on his offer to let him come to AniWaya and play with other children. It would've been a nice treat, anyway. Now, however, the Tirones Minor seemed a bit too old for playdates. "Striking out on your own, huh?" the hybrid said sadly, trotting out of the cave after the younger canine. She expected to be led further away, but their walk was quite short, indeed—as it turned out, Mason was her new neighbor. The hybrid woman beamed wider at this and the decor of little skulls around the entrance, the tiny trophies of a young killer. From the number of them, young Mason had enjoyed a fair amount of success in his hunting expeditions. "Nice collection," the silvery-hued Centurion commented with a grin, following the Tirones Minor into his dwelling. She peered around in the dimmer light, finding his decoration and listening to his proclamation that it was for her. It looked rather comfortable, and at least a far sight warmer than her own bed. Delighted, the coyote padded over and curled up into it, tucking her legs beneath her and snuggling into the warmth. "I love it," she said, keeping her head lifted up from the rest of her body, still beaming at the youngest member of Inferni. Her tail wriggled a quick thanks before settling next to her thigh, curling up next to her. She was most comfortable in her own den, but the long weeks she'd spent with Mason in the cave had made her quite comfortable with his presence. Now, she had a little private escape even from Vieira, if she so desired. It wasn't that the Quintus actively annoyed Kaena, it was just that occasionally the silver-furred hybrid simply got so uncomfortable without her own completely private space in her own dwelling. "I'll always have my own little protector, hm? Though you're not quite so little anymore," the Centurion said, punctuating the statement with a grin that was more proud than anything. Mason was another to add to the tally of coyotes that had grown strong and big within Inferni's borders. |
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