Steel had been mostly wary about leaving the den he shared with his parents. The rain had been intriguing at first, but quickly the light drizzle had turned to something much more sinister. The storms had ravaged the lands for weeks now, forcing him to stay inside the shelter of their den. Boredom had plagued him. Slowly the skies had brightened as the tropical storms slowed, and though rain still fell gently from the heavens, he couldn't stay inside any longer. He was a careful boy, often unwilling to stray from his parents' side. Slowly he would pry himself from his mother's sleeping grasp, silent as a mouse as his oversized paws carried his small body toward the den's entrance.
There was a bit of hesitation to the young boy's step as he found himself slipping into the cool autumn air, abandoning the safety of his immediate home. He had a strange feeling he ought to feel afraid, for his parents had told him the world wasn't always a good place, but instead he felt nothing. His gait was guarded and wary as he ventured further into unknown territory.
It wasn't long before he came across a peculiar scene. A girl, with extremely dirty fur, a complete stranger to him -- but he knew few others beyond his family, so it wasn't surprising. His life mostly consisted of his parents and his older siblings, though his sister Ara had told him that there were other young children that she was taking care of that could play with him soon. A slight scowl painted his features as he watched her, wondering if she was having fun. Another older woman, her fur a gleaming white, stood nearby. "Hullo," he would offer softly, eying them both with curiosity. His mom and dad had never explicitly told him he couldn't leave the den alone, just that it could be dangerous; and that he certainly couldn't go beyond the borders of his home.
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