He had no idea that a swamp could ever smell this bad.

There was a very high chance that the sole reason for Maximilian's complete and utter disgust was that he simply had never been in a pure swamp before and had never taken the time to adjust his senses to the unique sights, sounds, and smells. Whatever the case may be, he found himself pursing his lips tightly to the point of soreness, and he strategically timed his breath intakes so to reduce the risk of smelling pure swamp water, which, to be frank, smelled like literal shit. How the hell would you even get used to this? he thought bitterly, shaking wet mud from his brown, stained paws as he marched onward.

Tanglewood's territory, Maximilian determined, would be capable of being reached on foot, so he had foregone the kayak trip and opted to walk the distance, though it was not a particularly pleasant nor short hike. Eventually, though, he was able to reach the clan with his collection of gifts still intact. He reached a point not too far from their town, careful not to get too close to their actual encampment so not as to be marked as a dangerous intruder, and sat, setting his covered basket of gifts on the marshy ground beside him and awaiting for a Tangler to approach him.