Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Confidence - with a decent serving of pride - oozed from the pup's every pore. It wasn't often that Haka'far was actually able to show someone else around. It wasn't often that he was taller than those he was surrounded by either. Typically the young male was made to follow the elder dogs and listen to this or that about that or this and blah blah blah. What was more fun was being around Lendri - but that ya-ya was spending more and more time with that old grump Likal'e and learning about the plants and the healing and blah blah blah. Boring! Even the thought of hearing his brother excitedly try to explain that this plant did that thing was making Haka's eyes feel heavy. His chest burned with the threat of a yawn just by the mere idea! And then there was Kira. Less fun to have around since she had to make everything a competition. Tsk tsk. It was too bad for her that Haka'far was their leader. But, then again, she was now an apprentice to the actual leader, Li'Navira. A pointed ear atop the pup's head flicked in annoyance. He'd never let her know how he truly felt about the arrangement, but he'd play up the facade on how it didn't actually matter and how good it was for her to have some means of thinking she held rank.

His ears swiveled towards the shrill voice of the pup beside him. The tall ears worked as radars, pointing this way and that when he listened to others and always giving away just how much attention the ren was paying at any given moment. Honestly, he had nearly forgotten she was there. She was a curious one. Navira just brought her home one day and she claimed to be roughly the same age as himself and his siblings. Yet she was so small! Just a tiny, baby. Haka'far was convinced she had been lying about her age. Maybe even lying about her past and how she had lived alone prior to the clan. He could barely comprehend such an idea. Who in their right mind would live without a clan?! It had not occurred to the ibizan that the situation may not have been by choice.

He pulled back his lips in a friendly smile, his tail wagging as he answered her inquiry. "Of course!" His voice was boastful yet chummy. He liked this pup. On some level she reminded him of his brother - with the exception of the non-stop discussion of herbs and her lack of pre-occupation with her mentor. Kukuk had always been... something. He was friendly enough but Haka'far had always found the canna a bit too goofy. He was glad that the husky was not his own mentor. "I've been everywhere! Like you!" He paused briefly, thinking as carefully as his thick skull would allow him before continuing. Both Kira and Mama had told him to think before he spoke or acted. The advice from Kira went unheeded, but coming from Mama the words held more significance and he would try. "I mean, you've been everywhere outside... or... something like that. But, not here! I know this place like the back of my jaw!" ...or was the phrase "back of my paw"? He didn't think too long on his slip of the tongue.

With a wag of his tail he paused his steps. "Hey!" An idea had occurred to him. "Want to see someplace funny?"

Hardly waiting for an answer the pup strutted forwards with a new destination in mind. His face was a mixture of pure determination and the will to hold in a chuckle.

The ibizan pup could hardly keep himself from laughing at the thought as he pranced ahead. Turning corners and bounding forward, he kept vigilant to make sure his short-legged friend was still behind him. His ears facing backwards to listen to her pattering steps and occasionally turning his head back to visually ensure he wasn't moving too quickly for her. As the two neared a set of stairs he slowed to a stop.

"Look here!" he exclaimed through a wide smile and panting breath as he approached the base of the stair case. "Just be careful you don't mess up the dust." The pup stepped lightly and carefully, being sure to not disturb his treasure. There, laying faintly in the dust, was the outline of another canna. It was almost like a pale chalk drawing of a ren.

"It's Lendri's butt!" The statement was said through a full bought of laughter. The male found himself falling to the ground in his elation, his sides heaving as he struggled to breath between howls and chortles. It almost brought a tear to his eye.

Of course, when Haka'far had first heard of the incident his very first instinct was that of absolute concern for his brother. And when he heard that Kitchi-Kitchi - the bully that she was - had helped to set the leg he only grew more worried. However, upon seeing Lendri in his splint and how he seemed to be doing fine, maybe a little sniffly but mostly fine, he was keen to call the younger ren a "ya-ya" for having been so careless as to fall down stairs.

Taking a deep breath and pausing his laughter he turned to Jarri with an almost serious expression upon his face. His head looked very tall as his ears stood erect, giving it the appearance of an upward facing cone. "It's... it's only funny because he's okay now."

Through gasps and chortles of laughter, Haka'far smiled as his newfound friend. Every time he attempted to speak he found himself in another round of uncontrollable giggles and chuckles. Laying on the concrete ground with his legs sprawled out from under him, his face pressed against the dust-covered floor and his sides heaving he managed to catch his breath.

"Y'know, Lendri didn't laugh when I showed him. And I'm pretty sure Kira doesn't think anything is funny." His tail wagged behind him as he lay open mouthed, not even caring when his lolling tongue touched the caked-in-dirt flooring. "But you," he paused briefly only to catch his still-lost breath, "You know what's funny! I mean, you might be short but you've got a smart head." Haka'far had never been good with his words or expressing what he meant. At least he had never truly been mistaken in his meanings for things. It wasn't like he spoke like the old rock mouth, Hara'mukha.

Rolling onto his belly he looked Jarri directly in her eyes, a serious expression on his face. "Y'know, I think I'm going to give you a new name." Haka was never above "playing leader" amongst the other pups. He viewed himself as a sort of mini-boss, especially when Li'Navira wasn't around. "Yep, I think I'm going to call you Li'hali!"

His tail wagged quickly in wide archs as he rose to his feet only to immediately drop into a play bow, inviting his Li'hali to play.