The Tirones Minor did not often venture beyond the boundaries of the Clan’s land, but as the winter pressed on he felt the need to expand his horizons. He was not uncomfortable now that he had exited his home, but he was very cautious now. His oversized ears pricked at the slightest sound and his golden colored eyes were wide an alert as they swept over the scenery. He was certain that he had seen human-made ruins before, but not to this extent.
There were several scents that crept about, but they all blended together. It was obvious that this place was a neutral territory, because there was no certain dominant scent to be discerned. All different creatures seemed to wander through here. It was easy to identify the individual scents of coyotes and wolves, and even hybrid creatures such as himself. He frowned a bit to himself as he identified the scents of pack wolves, but he shrugged it off. If they came about here, it was really none of his concern. They were as free as he was to wander and look about.
In terms of human made buildings, he was far more used to the mansion on Inferni’s land. He had really only been there a few times. And despite being youthful and curious, he had basically avoided the mansion. He remembered being there for Halloween, but that had been a very strange night. The adult members of the Clan had been acting very strangely; even Kaena, who was usually serious and more restrained, had been acting out of character. Everyone had been looser, but it had made Mason uncomfortable. Also, the mansion was home to Halo, co-Hydra of the coyote clan. He liked her a lot, and she seemed to be closer in age to him, so he gravitated toward her. But she did not seem to like him, which was another reason he avoided the mansion. He did not know why she didn’t like him, but he did not take it personally.
There was a certain extent of wonder that polluted his caution; he had never really seen anything like this before. As he moved through the cracked asphalt streets dusted with debris and the negligence of time and nature. It seemed as though the flora was reclaiming parts of the urban jungle. The coyote hybrid side-stepped some rubble in the middle of the road before stepping down off the sidewalk and on to the street to avoid a bench which had been overturned by the unmanageable growth of tree roots.
He had heard tell of others coming to the city in order to find supplies or just to explore. It just so happened that the coyote hybrid was in the mood for both. The Tirones Minor felt an edge of excitement now. He did not often feel the call of the unknown, appealing like a siren’s song, but being here was doubly important. He could both explore and gather supplies needed back at Inferni.
Although it was not raining right now, the temperatures had dipped. That was to be expected, because winter was well upon the land. Mason figured that he could concern himself with finding materials to help keep everyone warm. Perhaps he could even find something to help him start fires. He knew that there was a tiny human widget that could probably aid him, but he did not know its name or how it worked. The boy turned, nosing a doorway open, and peered inside the dusty gloom of the old store. Then he slunk among the overturned shelves and mess of things tangled on the floor, intent to find something that could be useful to him.