Mason had been staring at some fixed point on the horizon line, not really paying attention to much of anything. The sun sparkled on the waves when it broke free of the cloud cover that confined it, and sometimes his gaze would shift to follow a glimmer before his eyes returned to rest at some distant point at sea. He wasn't really thinking much, though he flitted through memories and tried to discern their significance.
The Tirones Minor could not remember the last time he had seen his biological parents. He had been quite young when they had become separated. Their faces were clouded over in his mind, hazy. He could not remember his mother's eye color. Kaena Lykoi had come to fill that void, in some ways. When he had first arrived in Inferni, she had taken care of him. Mason was independent by nature, but as a young boy he had needed reassurance within his new home.
He was not sure if he ached because he wanted to have a closer relationship with her, or if he wanted to separate himself from her entirely for a while. He knew that she would not have a problem with him asserting his independence. She had encouraged his growth and exploration at every turn. But his confidence was a bit shaken and had faltered. He would not dream of wanting her to dote upon him, but he wanted to make her proud. And at the same time, he did not know why that should matter at all.
It call came down to the fact that Kaena Lykoi was not his mother, and she never would be. She had no reason to mother him. Her own children were still part of Inferni. But the boy craved a connection deeper than any he had made so far. He was tied to Inferni, he knew that much to be true. Although he was small, he was already incredibly loyal to his clan and he wanted it to thrive. But more than wanting to be an asset to the clan, he wanted simply to belong, simply for being himself. He hoped that when he proved himself useful that maybe she could look beyond that, and value him the way he valued her.
His thoughts were broken by an off-kilter voice. Somewhat startled, the sandy-pelted coyote youth turned his bright coin eyes to the source of the sound. A hybrid puppy - a very young one - was bounding about the beach. At first he did not know what to make of this, as it seemed that the child was yelling. He wondered if he was upsetting - but on the contrary, the boy looked happy. Curious, the coyote approached the pup without any hesitation or second thoughts. "Why are you yelling?" he asked curiously.