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Yareha was on his way back from a hunt, passing near his father's den. There appeared to be cubs in and around it. So strange, to have brothers and sisters a fraction of his age. About as strange as it was to realize that he had nieces and nephews that were fully grown adults!

The joys of family, the white lion thought sardonically as his eye landed on a juvenile with red and pink markings. The boy looked like he was probably related in some way. Given proximity to Kivuli's den, this was likely one of his half-brothers.

"Are you going to visit Kivuli'Mwezi? Say 'hi' to your younger sibs?" Latitare asked from where he was circling not too high above his charge. He was trying to redirect Yareha's attention into the pride. Great Lion, the troublesome male hadn't even bothered trying to hide his latest seduction from the eagle! Latitare had seen the whole thing from his view on high!

He supposed it shouldn't matter too much, given that Yareha's behavior within the pride was perfectly acceptable, but hadn't part of the problem arisen when that grey lioness brought cubs to the Mwezi, saying they were Yareha's?

His eye also fell upon the boy nearby and the bird seized the opportunity gratefully.

"Look! Here's one now! You name's Jalendu, right?" The eagle tended to keep track of these details as part of his assignment to keep tabs on Yareha at all times.

"Yes you are, you're both sons of Kivuli'Mwezi!" Latitare crowed happily. "Yareha's just old enough to have moved out and live on his own." The eagle decided he wouldn't mention the fact that the white lion's children were older than Jalendu. It seemed a bit impolitic at this point in time. He didn't want his friend and charge to feel that old now!

The adult in question had long since learned better than to try cowing his spy with a glare. Latitare simply shrugged such expressions off obliviously and continued chattering happily. It was enough to drive anyone mad. So Yareha ignored the circling eagle and focused on the boy. Jalendu.

"Yes, we are," he answered stiffly. There really wasn't anything else to say, since Latitare had said it all.

"His name is Yareha Afaer and he's one of your older brothers," Latitare chirped. "He's been an adult for quite some time, he just didn't inherit size from your father," the bird added. He didn't add his observations of what Yareha might have inherited instead, that border encounter had given him a suspicion. Kivuli had had relations with multiple lionesses, but his relationship with Galilahi seemed pretty serious.

"My name is Latitare," the eagle went on, landing in front of Jalendu. "Pleased to meet you!

The lion's face was neutral as he watched the spy and his...half-brother. When the bird was like this, he wondered why he even needed to talk. Latitare said everything that was needed, without asking and carefully edited for the audience at hand. That was one saving grace.

Then again, there was a great deal that Yareha had made certain the eagle didn't know. And he was happy to keep it that way. His mind shied away from the thought of what other juveniles Kivuli was raising.

"You certainly could be," Latitare agreed. There was no real way to tell how big the juvenile would grow to be, just the fact that he still had a good deal left to go before he was fully grown.

"And of course I let Yareha speak any time he wants! He just doesn't always choose to for some reason," the eagle observed. It was something he'd noticed, but didn't have any real knowledge of why. Not that he minded too much. Talking was something he was good at. That and observing other people talking.

The white lion let out a long-suffering sigh. "He has no control over my voice," the hunter added to the spy's words. "He simply has a tendency to speak all I would have said and more, leaving me nothing more to say."

Yareha's mouth quirked in a grin as he felt the first stirrings of some kind of brotherly emotion towards little Jalendu. "I take it you also think he should shut up?" he asked the boy.

Latitare looked from one lion to the other. "I can certainly talk less," he observed. "But oftentimes if I do, Yareha still doesn't speak much!" the bird explained.

"I was assigned by the royal family to keep an eye on Yareha because he has been known to...speak unwisely," Latitare finished somewhat lamely, as he belatedly realized that it wasn't his place to tell a juvenile that the boy's half-brother disagreed with the status quo and had been rather outspoken with his beliefs in the past. Not necessarily because it would embarrass the adult lion (which it would and the eagle didn't actually want to do that) but more because it would expose some problems in the inner workings of the pride and he didn't actually have leave from the pride's rulers to discuss such sensitive matters with a youth.

The other reason why the bird probably changed what he'd been about to say was the fierce glare the subject had leveled at him. Yareha had no intention of influencing - or tainting! - his younger brother when the boy was too young to really understand the controversy. He himself had tried to quiet things down in order to give his own children a chance at life in the pride without his own mistakes hanging over their heads. They didn't do anything to deserve it. Which was one reason why he was glad that Kivuli was truly the twins' father - they wouldn't have that stigma to overcome in the least.

"If a bird or other familiar takes to you, then they're yours and you're theirs," he said instead. "It's a personal partnership between the two of you." The lion considered the request. He thought it strange that his younger brother didn't seem to think the idea of playing with a grown lion awkward, he certainly couldn't forget the difference in their ages.

"I suppose I could...though I think you'd be more comfortable playing with Avahk. Or Hamaniya, Chiba or Ime'Kotek," he mused aloud. "They're a little older than you, but not nearly as old as I am," Yareha added mischeviously.

"Gack!" Latitare had had just enough warning to take off, and he flapped madly to get out of the way before he was grabbed by the young lion. The eagle recovered his balance and began circling around the pair once more.

"Well, that's no way to get a partner!" he chided the boy. "You should work on your manners instead!" The nerve! He'd been brought in by the Royal family, this brat should know better!

Yareha watched the scene unfold fairly calmly. He knew that Latitare would be able to evade Jalendu, and he found the eagle's indignition rather entertaining. And he didn't have to say much about the pounce, since the bird was, as usual, saying everything that needed to be said.

He thought about pointing out how his own children were much more likely to want to play with their half-uncle at the drop of a leaf, but decided against it. Jalendu didn't seem to listen to more than half of what he and Latitare said, so what was the point.

"Looks like he nearly got you," the adult said at last, directing his comment upwards to the circling eagle.

The eagle in question glared down at the juvenile. "I'll stay up here, thanks," he retorted with a glare. He seriously doubted the boy would remember such a promise five minutes later, not even considering keeping it.

Yes, Jalendu showed every sign of being a chip off the old block.

"Fish?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere. "There are no fish around here," Yareha informed his wayward mischevious half-brother. The boy was wearing him out with a cub's energy, enthusiasm, and habit of jumping from topic to topic. He could scarcely keep everything straight!