YAY!!!!!!!!!! Pich dashed home as fast as her clumsy paws and legs could take her, acquiring a few new bumps, bruises, and scrapes along the way. And when she finally reached the den...well, she started searching for her parents. OH! The thing she had to ask them! They would be so proud of her! The pale little juvenile had a big grin on her face, a grin that mirrored her father's lopsided goofy one in every way. "MAMA! PAPA! PICH HAS SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!" Rare was it that Pich spoke, and rarer was it that she spoke loudly.
Safi was startled from his nap, rather content by his mate's side, by an unfamiliar yell. Or...it was unfamiliar until he recognized the voice. And blinked. A great deal. "What the...Pich?" Curious and a little worried, he got up and trotted towards the source, his youngest daughter. Who looked rather pleased with herself. "What is it, sweetheart?"
Fiyali's head came up at the yelling and she blinked - getting up after a moment or two to follow her mate. What in the world was going on...? At the least, it didn't sound as if anything was -wrong-... but still. Pich almost never yelled. "Yes... what is going on?" she echoed, blinking at their daughter.
Pich bounced a bit, then settled down, sitting. But she still seemed to vibrate a little in excitement. "Pich made a friend! Eletumaini the leopard!" She giggled. "He very nice, little silly...and can't see. So..." The juvenile puffed her chest out. "Pich will be his eyes! Until Pich can give him sight!" She would let them soak that in...THEN ask. Yup! Oooooo....they would be so proud, she was certain!
Safi blinked. And blinked again. "It's wonderful you made a friend, Pich!" He chuckled nervously. "But...uh...how do you intend to be his eyes? I've...never heard of anyone doing that..." Then again, he'd never known anyone that was blind. He'd HEARD of it. But...never MET anyone. "And where is he?" he looked around. If Pich was going to be her friend's eyes, why hadn't she brought him?
Fiyali sat down across from the smaller female, tilting her head a little bit. "And aside from that... how would you be able to give him sight?" she asked gently. After all, they were not the gods, to decide such things. She also wondered where this leopard was, but Fiyali knew that Pich wouldn't ever lie to them.
"When Pich is big, Pich and Eletu will go searching for a way!" She stood and bounced a bit again. "Until then...Pich will stay by Eletu, make sure he does not bump into things!" She sat again and took a deep breath. "But...to stay with Eletu...Pich needs to go with him, because his family travels. So....can Pich go?" And she used the cute face. Not that she realized she was using it...she just REALLY wanted to help her new friend!
Safi barely followed his daughter, and it took him a few seconds to realize what she was asking. He nearly choked on his own throat. "Wait, what?! You...want to go with a family you only know one creature in? But..." Ohgods! She had the face. He looked to Fiyali, hoping to find strength (and help in answering her) in the more...sensible dog that was his mate.
Now it was Fiyali's turn to blink. Several times. "I ... but ... you're not really old enough to be ... making choices like that yet.." she tried - attempting to reason with Pich. She knew that it wasn't -really- all that good of a reason, since she'd left her own family around that age. But ... this was -their- daughter...
Pich pouted. "But...Pich is Eletu's friend! Pich HAS to help him!" She seemed to wilt. "Pich will visit lots! And...and Eletu says his family is REALLY nice!" She seemed to perk back up, looking hopeful. "Pich will be a good pup!"
........How did his daughter manage to get such strange, but oddly convincing logic? It certainly wasn't from him. At least....Safi didn't think it was from him. Was it? Safi sighed. "Pich...you're still small. And...being on your own at your age...It's scary. And...well, lonely. Even if you make friends." He knew. He'd gotten separated from his family. And until he'd met Fiyali, he'd been lonely during the periods between friends.
Fiyali winced at the wilted look Pich gave them both ... but nodded at her mate's words. "Your father is right... you always miss your family... no matter how many friends you make," she murmured softly. Then she said, "And how would you visit if Eletu's family travels? Would you come back all by yourself? That could be dangerous, you know..."
Pich grinned. "We'll all come by! So Mama and Papa can meet Eletu's family too! That way, Pich does not travel by self!" She grinned. "Pich has it ALL planned out!" She wagged her tail happily. "So....PLEASE~?"
Safi sighed and shook his head. "Pich...Why....why don't you wait here a second. Your mother and I will talk about this." He looked to Fiyali again and trotted far enough away so Pich wouldn't hear them talk. And once she caught up, he spoke up. "What should we do, love?" He was torn between letting her go...and being the good parent and making her stay.
Fiyali followed Safi away, sighing softly as she sat down and leaned against her mate just a bit. "I really don't know..." she murmured, ears drooping a little. "It would break her heart to say no, I think... and it is true that it wouldn't be dangerous if the whole family she wants to travel with would come by now and again... "
Safi nodded. "But we'll miss her. Oh gods, we'll miss her." He shook his head. "Parenting got a little bit harder." He didn't think he'd have to make such decision! Ever! "And...I don't think there's really an in-between option. So...ugh...this sucks."
"That... pretty much sums it up..." Fiyali murmured, glancing back over toward Pich for a moment. "I ... well, before we do anything, we could... ask to meet this Eletu and his family, I suppose. Or ... at least meet -him-, if the whole family doesn't want to move now." She knew that it would be a pain for them to get all of their -other- children to go traipsing off someplace just for a reason like that...
Safi nodded. "I think...that's a good idea. At least meeting her friend, certainly." He smiled half-heartedly. "Make sure she's not seeing through rose-colored water." He loved all his pups too much to let them just...walk into something that could get them hurt, in heart or body. "And if he's a good creature...maybe she can go."
Fiyali nodded at that - happy that her mate agreed with her idea. "Yes... so ... shall we go and ask her if she can lead her friend here?" The female smiled faintly. "After all, she'd better ... practice if she might be going off to do this for a while."
Safi nodded. "Yeah. Well then!" He perked up a bit and trotted back to the waiting Pich, his heart a little lighter now. "Sweetheart...we'd like to meet your friend first. And maybe his family if they'd be okay with coming over here. It is...a very decision. And we'd like some background before making it, mmkay?" He nuzzled his daughter, to let her know he wasn't mad at her at all.
Pich nodded. "Okay Papa! Pich will bring Eletu...and maybe his parents!" She yipped happily. She'd gotten the answer she hoped for so far. "Thank you~"
Fiyali smiled at that - also leaning down to nuzzle at her daughter. She knew that this friend of hers couldn't be too far away. Still, she mumured, "Be careful on your way there..."
