Mazhira sat at the border, despite her fear and her mother's warning she was still there. She was curious about her neighbors the demons. She hoped as long as she did not cross the border she could run to safety if one happened to appear. She lifted her paw as she sat their and began to practice her signs. Hi. Mom. Risa. Me. What? All short and easy to understand.

Despite his inner sense of turmoil, Hak'zhakuu seemed outwardly to be just as proud and poised as ever he'd been. He'd practiced long to always keep his composure...maybe too long. Even now, with his heart as heavy as stone, he looked smug. His easy gait slowed and then stopped as he realized he recognized the looming mountain to his one side...good, he'd found his way back after all. Once he got farther north, to where he'd been before returning 'home'...maybe then he'd be able to better relax. Almost as a second thought he looked around. He didn't expect to see THAT lioness again...but neither did he plan to see the one he did spot. Small and dark, she stood out. He considered a moment, and then walked towards her. "Most cordial greetings, little one...Tell me, are you from those lands," he motioned to where he knew THAT lioness had said she was from, "Or...those lands?" This time he pointed in the direction of the volcano.

Mazhira thought she was dreaming as she saw what appeared to be a grown up Risa heading right for her. She blinked and realized no that wasn't Risa but they looked to much a like to be a coincidence. Mazhira smiled widely, could he be?

Hak eyed the cub closer when it was clear she wasn't about to scamper off. She looked familiar somehow, but was too young to have been here when he'd first wandered through...Hmm. Her markings certainly reminded him of his own...

Her shyness (for that was what he took her muteness to be result of) he found endearing. Many parents taught the rule to never talk to strangers, and he certainly was one of those. She was bold enough to stay, but not enough to talk...maybe there were others around? He glanced here and there, but no. "I see. You're from that way? Not by the volcano, right?" He blinked when she pointed at him. She wanted to know where he was from? "I'm from..." He debated a moment, then pointed northeast, away from both the volcano and the cub's lands. "Far far away that way, is my home, I suppose." Or it would be his home. Once he found the right place, away from the hustle and bustle of many prides.

"Do you perhaps know of a lioness in your pride...she'd be near unto my age, I should think...Her fur was golden and red and black? I believe she was a leader of some sort..."

Mazhira frowned very clearly, if she could she would have growled. She shook her head when he told her where he from, to say that was not what she meant. She raised her paw and pointed to him again and was about to make him do the same hoping he would understand, but his words caught her ears. He knew ... he knew her mother. So he was! Mazhira's eyes lit up with joying and she jumped up nodding her head vigorously. With that she ran over to him brushing against his leg and purring. She look up at him adoringly.

Hmm...Well if she didn't want to know where he was from then what had she wanted? The child was slightly frustrating in that she wouldn't speak to him. He tried to seem more inviting...and apparently it worked. She suddenly was leaping about and then came running at him...nuzzling his leg? He shifted a bit, trying to keep an eye on her so as not to step on her.

"Uhm...do you have a name, little one? I am Hak'Zhakuu...And I assume you know the lioness I spoke of?"

Mazhira nodded to his question, but than pointed to her mouth and frowned. She tried to talk, trying to force out her name, but of course the words didnt come. She hoped he understood. She stepped back and nodded again. She raised her paw pointing to herself then moving her paw to her heart patting once, her signs for my and mother. She smiled brightly hoping he would catch on. To drive her point home, she pointed to him, then her, the patted where her heart was twice to say, you are my father.

Sadly Hak wasn't quite catching on to what the cub meant. He understood that she knew the lion he spoke of, but beyond that...? Hmm. Something with her mouth. Maybe it wasn't that she wouldn't speak, but that she couldn't? That would explain all the gesturing. He'd never met a mute lion before.

Now..something with her heart. Pointing at herself and them him, and her heart. He frowned and sighed. "I am sorry, little one. I don't quite understand. You know the lioness and...you want something from me? Or..." He was frustrated, but slightly amused.

Mazhira was close to tears when he still didn't understand. Why was the world so unfair to her. Mazhira deflated slumping to the ground feeling really defeated. She didn't know how to explain to the male she was her mother's daughter and she couldn't say he was her father. Why, she wondered. Mazhira huffed, rising to her feet again. She walked right past Hak and off toward the demon lands without really thinking about it. What was the point?

Oh goodness. Clearly the cub was distressed that he couldn't understand. "There now..." He tried to comfort her as she lay on the ground. "Surely it cannot be that bad. Your own family understands you I'm sure, and I'm just wanderer...does it matter that I can't?"

For a moment he thought his words had worked to cheer the girl, but then she was walking, walking past him, towards the volcano. Now if he remembered right the pride there was the enemy of the one the girl claimed to be from. Going much farther could get her stolen, or hurt. Though he saw no one around, he frowned and padded after her, snatching her up by the scruff and grunting at her weight as he returned her to within her own land. "Now, I'm sure your family would be quite sad if you got hurt wandering over there. Especially your pride's leader. She seemed very concerned for her pride when last I was here. She would be quite upset too, I imagine." He tried not to sound like a scolding parent. Was this really his business?

Mazhira was startled out of her thought when she was scooped up off the ground. Only then did she realized she was going the wrong way. She mouth dropped open for moment before she closed it and started to cry. She didn't mean it, she was sorry. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, "no." It was whispered and barely loud enough to hear, so much so that Mazhira did not realize it was not her thoughts.

Oh goodness. Now he'd made her cry. Hak pinched his eyes shut, thinking. Poor child, she really must be offended by his not understanding. What she had to say must be important...or at least important as far as childish thoughts went. "I could try to understand again if you'd like?" He asked, a moment before she mumbled 'no'. Caught off guard, he blinked.

"Wait. You do speak?"

Mahira looked to Hak confused. Was he asking her is she spoke? She couldn't speak. Mazhira shook her head no and to demonstrate again she opened her mouth to speak. "No," she said and jumped in surprise. She DID speak. Her eyes went wide, she found her voice. Her Daddy helped her find her voice! "Papa," she whispered. She looked at him for a moment. "Papa" she shouted pouncing on him and nuzzling him. "Thank you," she whispered purring.

To say Hak was stunned would be an understatement as the cub suddenly flew at him, calling him 'papa'...PAPA?! He looked sharply down at her, and suddenly it all clicked. The marking were familiar because they were HIS. But he'd never had...Realization wrapped around his mind and he sputtered a bit. That one night, with the lioness...this was HER daughter. HIS daughter.

Still flabbergasted he lifed a paw, holding the cub close to him. He had a daughter. He could not get over that fact. He just stared at her, the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're my..."

Mahira enjoyed the cuddle from her papa. "Daughter," she said in a cublike manner. Her word was stretched out as if she was trying to make sure she pronounced it right. Though it should not have been unexpected she had never spoken before. It was totally new for her. "Moto is my mother," she said is the name cublike manner. She sighed, still slightly suprised when sound came out. It was so new for her, she was facinated. "I," she tried again, "have to brothers and a sisters." Her manner of talking was slow and it irritated her only slightly for signing was much faster and easier for her.

So he'd been right. The time he and Moto had...well. That was certainly unexpected. He hoped it hadn't made more hardship for her, that instead this cub had given her some company and helped her not feel so alone. After all, a mother and daughter were better than one alo--...Wait. "Two brothers, and a sister?" she'd had FOUR? He was a father four times over all in one day. Did any of them look like him more than this one? At once he wanted to meet them...and he also wanted to stay away. They must wonder where he'd been...and he knew this was not the place for him. It would be best if they never knew, perhaps, rather than having to lose him again so soon after.

"I see. My dearest darling daughter...what is your name? Is Moto...well? And the others, they're...?" He at least had to know.

Mahira looked up and giggle at his reaction to her news. Her eyes shown when he called her his dearst darling daughter and she felt as though her new bond with him was even more special. "My name is is M a z h ir a. Mazhira. Mama is fine and and R i s a looks jus like you papa. W i r a is fine, um she looks jus like mama. Our ovver brother is not here, but he is fine too." Hira grinned and wiggled away, "Come on. I can show you."

The cub's speech was slow and new, like that of a cub much younger than herself, but Hak didn't mind. She was his daughter, and he could find no fault with her. To hear that one of his children--one of his sons looked just like him...a strange feeling of pride began to swell inside him. Moto must know then, who had fathered them. He hoped she had not been angry to find out...He wondered if her mate had returned. Surely he would not approve.

He watched the girl scamper back towards the pride and smiled sadly. He knew he couldn't stay. It would be terrible to tell Mahira that but...It had to be done. "Mahira," He called out to her. "I...I cannot stay. If the others saw me...I don't want to hurt them, you see. I am sorry already that I will have to leave you again, my daughter...If it weren't for meeting you I would not know I even had children. But...this is not my place." His smile was filled with sorrow. "I...do not wish to meet the others."

Mazhira turned at here her name although prononuced incorrectly. Her jaw dropped as she heard her father words, surely she'd missheard him. IT was not so however as he seem to say the same thing twice. Mazhira could feel the tears coming. "Why," she uttered. "Why can't you stay," she cried in her slow manner. She went back over to him stopping short, sad eyes looking up at him filled with hurt, "If you go I won't be a

Poor poor dear. Hak regretted coming now, showing himself to the child. He'd hurt her more by giving her false hope..."Oh my child...you will be able to speak. I am sure of it. I cannot stay because this is not my place." He couldn't admit that he didn't know WHERE his place was...

"...I would offer to take you with me, if I thoughti t was the right thing to do. But I'm sure your mother would miss you. And this is your home. Even if it's not mine."

Mazhira frowned, then glared at him angrily. "I won't! I won't", she screamed her words clearer now. "It is my home, but I don't fit in here either! Your just a ... just a ... BIG COWARD!!!" Mazhira was very angry. It just wasn't fair. She narrowed her eyes, ears back, fur raised. "Fine be that way," she shouted, "Go away and don't come back. WE HATE YOU ANYWAY!!!"

All Hak could do as the cub railled and hollered at him was smile sadly. She would be able to talk, he was more certain now than ever. He was worried that she would say this place didn't fit her either...The urge to take her along swelled within him again. He grit his teeth and fought it down. "My child, I am no coward. It would be much easier to stay with you, to be with you...but it would be wrong. I have to be brave and accept that, as do you." Don't come back? He hadn't planned to, but the words hurt just as much. He knew she didn't hate him; her actions before the outburst had made that plainly clear. "I am sorry, Mazhira. It isn't that I don't love you, or anything like that."

She frowned at his words. How could he possibly know that this was not his place. Was it a feeling, like the one of curiosity that she had about the prides and world beyond the borders of her own. She was certain he could not know. She still thought him a coward. "I won't accept," she spat, " and I don't care if you love me because I don't love you." Her words were untrue, but her angry clouded her judgement and she was young. She did not truly understand. Tears came through the anger. "Take with you please, papa. Please."

Ugh...what could he do? The child begged to go along but..but he couldn't just TAKE her. But if she wanted to go, felt out of place here, wouldn't it be just as bad to leave her? He ran a paw over his face. "My child...Do you really want to go with me? I am your father but...we just met. Wouldn't you miss your mother...?"

Mazhira bounded over to him nodding vigoursly. "I want to go please take me. I want to know more about you and I want to know whats is beyond this place. My mother will miss me and I will miss her, but I can come back. Can I not?" Her words were fast and sort of blurred together, but her point was clear.

She frowned slightly wondering what he would say. To drive her point home she tried to speak first, "Beside, if you don't take me then I will follow you."

Hrm...It was true she likely would follow him. Especially if she'd inherited his stubborn streak. He sighed. And she was right, she COULD return if she wanted. How could he tell her no, when her reasons were sound and smart? To tell the truth he wanted time with her as well...

He took a breath and cleared his throat and sat up straight...He looked down at the cub and smiled. "I suppose since you'll be following me anyways you might as well come along...Do you want to go say goodbye to your...Moto maybe? Or just come along?"

Mazhira grinned brightly then frowned. She wanted to say goodbye to her mother and let hear her new found voice, but she did not wish to lie and if she told her mother about her father she was sure her mother and siblings would come. She shook her head frowning at the rather grown up decision she had just had to make. "No, I go say goodbye they will come here too. You wouldn't want that right?" She sighed lightly. "We should just go."

Hak sighed, but couldn't hide his small smile. Though she'd never met him before, his daughter felt this strongly about him that she had decided to come along...maybe things weren't as bleak as he'd thought. If nothing else, he had some family now. "True...I would hate to take you all from Moto." He shook out his fur and got to his feet. "Well then, my child...shall we make haste?" Best not to linger, now that her mind was set. He set off at a steady pace, leading the cub out into the wide world.