It Began With A Question

Haka'far's ears turned like satellites atop his head searching outwards for slightest hint of his target. He hadn't done much that day outside of wait around for the other pups to be available. He had sauntered past his sister, Kira, who hadn't seemed too busy with anything but whom he didn't much care to talk or play with currently. Not with his weird, mixed feelings towards her and her mentor. Lendri was always busy - or so it seemed. Likal seemed to want to drive that pup into an early grave with training. Or, maybe Lendri did it to himself. Either way, Haka had no interest in hearing about or helping with picking flowers.

No, there was a specific canna he was on the hunt for.

Rounding a corner, he noticed the clan's chief seemingly just lounging about. He gave her a sheepish smile in acknowledgement before attempting to continue on his way. She was the chief, she could do whatever she wanted, but why would she have chosen Kira as her apprentice instead of him? Mama always told him that if he didn't have anything nice to say to just say nothing at all. But Haka'far just didn't have anything to say in general.

"Hey, Haka! What're you up to today?"

The young pup nearly leapt in the air in surprise. She was addressing him directly. Folding his ears back and lowering his head in respect he took a few steps towards her before raising his posture to that of his typical, boastful stance. "Oh, hello Li'Navira," he said with feigned confidence, hoping he was showing the proper respect as his mother had taught him. "I was just looking for Jarri'hin. We were going to play zelfa mufar after our training today!"

Haka'far found his tail was wagging so hard behind him at the thought that it shook him up through his hips, swaying the whole back half of his body along with it. The idea of the game and the chief's interest in what he was up to caused him to nearly vibrate with excitement and pride.

The young male nodded his head in understanding as Navira spoke. If Jarri wasn't currently at the prison base then he surely wouldn't find her around. It was good information to know so he could perhaps instead turn his focus towards one of his siblings. If Lendri really was just choosing to busy himself without the grumpy Likal's commanding him to do so, the younger canna deserved a good tackle for the crime of simply existing as Haka's younger brother.

His ears remained at attention, a physical indication that the pup was truly listening. His ears had the bad habit of giving him away when they would turn or fold down while one of the elder canines would be talking to him. The young ibizan had yet to figure out how the adults always seemed to know whether he was paying attention or distracted.

"She and Kukuk went to the Rith'r Flik border a little while ago so that she could meet their general."

He nodded at the chief's statement. Yes, that did sound very important! What a great opportunity for Jarri'hin! The hypocrisy between his feelings towards his friend doing something important and those of his sister having a high ranking mentor was lost on him. Simply put, Jarri deserved it. Kira did not. Or, perhaps she did. He still hadn't managed to sort out his personal feelings on the matter.

The pup's tail slowed to a halt at Li'Navira's next statement explaining why Kukuk and Jarri had gone to meet with the Rith'r Flik general. His head tilted a bit as he took in her statement and tried to make it make sense in his mind. No, he must not have heard her correctly. He would definitely need clarification on this one.

"What do you mean?" he asked, the hint of a whine pulling at his words. His mind hoped that he had simply misheard.

The emotional strike was immediate as the reality began to seep into him. He hadn't misheard. He was paying attention. He was listening. She said Jarri was going to leave. The sadness took on an immediate pain in the pup's chest and stomach and the want to ralf slowly crept up within him. The emotional anguish was causing him physical discomfort. But all he understood was that he did not feel so good.

The threat of tears was pushed back before they even truly began to form a gloss over his eyes. The only thing that would have given him away was a crack in his voice as he spoke, "No... she.... no..." His mind was racing. He found he was suddenly flushed with panic, elbow deep into a sort of anxiety attack. His fear rolled into an anger as he attempted to bottle his emotions and remain stoic. He was tough. He wouldn't let anyone - let alone the chief - see him cry or sad.

"She can't," he said defiantly. A spark of rebellion lingered in his brown eyes. "She's a Why'o canna. You can't just send her away!"

Fire burned behind the cadet's brown eyes. Li'Navira was wrong, it was simple as that. What did she mean about the Rith'r Flik being Jarri's family? The Why'o were her family! If they had been looking for her for a long time then why did they not find her when the Why'o did? Navira should know this as it was the chief that first discovered the young, frog-faced pup. No, if she really was Rith'r Flik and they had been looking for her they should have found her. Haka felt the want to say so and voice this opinion but he found himself holding his tongue as the elder mutt mentioned his own sister and how she had been lost on the day of the Rozo'ama akoda.

What does that have to do with anything? he wondered silently to himself. Firstly, he was too young to fully recall the situation that had unfolded that fateful day. The earth had shaken, mama had brought them outside, then she went back and brought Kira back. She hadn't been missing for a long time. They hadn't had to look for her for a long time. Plus, she was also a Why'o. It was different.

"But Kira is Why'o?" he said, his voice trailing in an inquisitive manner towards the end of his statement. Even with his mixed feelings towards his sister right now he knew it was different. Kira was his sister. Jarri was his friend. Both were Why'o and should remain as such.

"Mother found Kira. If Jarri'hin's mother was looking she should have found her, too. But she didn't. You did." He paused to think of his next statement carefully, not wanting to offend the chief. Though he disagreed with her opinion on the destiny of his friend and her choosing his sister to be her apprentice he still respected her as their chief. Li'Navira wasn't just a Why'o chief, she was The Why'o Chief. He had never known any others to hold the rank and could hardly imagine it as a possibility. He had also never considered any of her choices - personal or professional - to be "wrong" before. But, this specific decision was wrong.

"There isn't anyone more important to the Why'o than another Why'o," he stated simply. His voice beginning to lower and trail a bit as he spoke. His eyes lowered out of respect and he dropped his head slightly, nose pointing away from his chief. His ears flicked atop his head before he turned to face her again, immediately adding, "And Jarri'hin is Why'o!"

Looking his chief in the eye, he wasn't about to back down on this one. He was right and she had to know that.

Let her go?! No. Absolutely not. Had Li'Navira lost her mind? That was the exact opposite of what Haka'far had been saying! Was she even listening to him? Of course not. Adults never listened. He was smart, he payed attention, he knew things, but they never cared. No one cared. Not Kira, not Rah'ki, and definitely not Li'Navira. The only one who cared was Jarri'hin and the chief was going to send her away! Why?! Because a family that lost her didn't find her? It was not fair!

The cadet held his defiant gaze until the speckled mutt rose to her feet, towering over him. He felt himself shrinking. Just a small, insignificant speck of a canna. At this he immediately lowered his gaze. Dropping into a sitting position and lowering his nose to point off to the side and down towards the floor, he averted his eyes, only glancing up every now and then to look at the chief as she spoke to him. He kept his face turned away, not only out of submission to his chief but also to keep her from seeing his fight to keep back the tears that threatened to overflow.

"And this is what I, Li'Navira'e Hu'grair, chose for Jarri."

But what about Jarri? Did Navira even ask what she wanted? The ibizan failed to recognize his own hypocrisy as he was also attempting to make decisions for the small pup without her consent. His ears had folded flat upon his head - a telltale sign he was not fully listening - as he considered it. Obviously the frog-eyed cadet would prefer to stay here with him and the rest of the clan. She was Why'o, after all. But would she even be able to stay if she wanted to? Navira seemed set on her leaving. It wasn't fair. She wasn't being fair. A leader should be fair. Shouldn't they? If Haka'far was leader he would be a fair one, he mused.

He had only been half listening but paid enough attention to know she had asked him a question and was awaiting a response. Pitifully, he shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath. "Fine," was all he could muster as he turned his face to meet hers. His gloss covered eyes not doing much to shield the fire that still burned behind them - this time not of simple defiance, but of a hate that had begun to simmer within his small form.

Apologies meant nothing to the young cadet. They felt empty as he was unable - or unwilling - to understand the sincerity behind his chief's words. She couldn't know. She didn't know. She would never know. All she cared about was keeping some ant dogs whom he had never seen before happy. Were they even real? And what would he care about what they wanted? Li'Navira cared more about an outsider clan than the Why'o canna. Why'os like Jarri'hin.

Haka'far felt it difficult to hold his anger-flared gaze with the soft, sympathetic eyes of his chief and her repeated apology. His body was shaking, quivering with the adrenaline, fear, and hostility. An action that could easily be mistaken for holding in sobs. He dropped his gaze while remaining lowered in the sitting position, turning his head away from those of his antagonist. Thinking back to what his mother had told him he held his tongue so as not to let his words get him into more trouble.

Folding his ears back atop his head he glanced at the chief through the corner of his eye. He thought carefully on his words, really really trying to be respectful as he was taught to be. Unfortunately, his attempt at asking something akin to "will that be all" escaped his muzzle as, "Can I go now?" The inquiry was made through gritted teeth as he hunkered down. He wanted this all to stop. The negative feelings, the bad future, everything, and the way to do that now was to walk away. Maybe spending time with his friend would help quell some of this anxiety for, when he was near her, he could easily forget the foreboding destiny that lay ahead for her.

If only it didn't have to be this way. If only they could stay together as Why'o or... not Why'o. His own words floated around in his head, perverted by his frustration.

'There isn't anyone more important to the Why'o than Rith'r Flik.'