Zana had never been too far outside of Inferni since she'd been absorbed into the whole new world and had been on the neverending search to find her father. Now that she'd got older, though not much bigger at all she was beginning to feel the need to see just what all was outside the beaches and fields that she loved to explore. She knew she would have no problem leaving behind the gulls for a day or two though, and so happily she set out on her way to discover the lands beyond home.
She almost didn't realize it but the path her little feet had set out upon was almost the very one she'd taken in leaving the pack she'd been born and raised her first few months of life in. Now that she was older she was taking more notice in her surroundings than she had when she'd been assisted by the greyscaled lady across the long stretch of woodlands and too the edge of Inferni, where it was best thought she'd be able to find the unknown father that was missing in her life. The small hybrid with her tail all wrapped in crisp new ribbons had found herself on the outskirts of Phoenix Valley once more and in the back of her mind was a stiring of memories that until now she'd almost forgotten.
Small gray lavender eyes blinked at the red dirt road that seemed to meander through the lands like a sluggish river on this first day of spring. She slowly placed her paw on the surface, finding it odd that it was not liquid like she thought it would be. Boldly the child scampered out onto the road and turned a small circle, her ribbon wrapped tail held proudly in the air at the feat she'd acomplished, though she knew it wasn't anything to really be proud of, just to dare to be this close to the den of the monster was beyond brave to her.
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Lysander had been absorbed in the children and hadn’t spent much time outside his cabin in the last few weeks. They didn’t seem to mind the lavish attention, once they had gotten use to it all. He brought them toys and food. Told them stories and let them tell him some too. Why more people didn’t steal puppies, he wasn’t sure, but they were of the best items he had collected. Yet the thought of them growing up and leaving him was always trickling in, sometimes souring his time with them. Maybe he wouldn’t tell them they could leave one day. Maybe they would be content to stay with him, if he did not verbally offer them another option. Sometimes he took them out to play, but only for short periods and only when he knew no one would see. He couldn’t risk losing them.
When he left the cabin for extended periods of time he put them back in their hole. They were better about it at night, but even so there was little complaining. He usually came back with something new for them and that was an incentive at least. Ly was returning from Halifax with more loot when he ran across her and he was surprised. Not a wolf and not a coyote, but something in between. Like Davinci. And she smelt of the clan Giggle had come from. He thought back to his evening with the male and giggled at the coyote girl, maybe she was as much fun as that male had been?
“Oh hello there miss, how’s the day?”
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She had jumped in alarm at the giggle that rang out from behind her and yet quite quickly she turned around, catching the question the male asked as she wrapped her tail around her legs and stared up at him shyly, unsure of what she was suppose to do. He wasn't from Inferni and she didn't know him from so long ago when she'd lived here in Phoenix Valley. She tilted her head to the side and finally just gave in and responded. "I'm not miss, I'm Zana.." she exclaimed, wondering just why he'd called her miss.
She glanced at the stranger then down the road just to make certain that there was someone else around that he could have been talking to before she admitted what she was up to. "I'm exploring, what are you doing?" she wanted to know. He was a strange looking fellow that was for sure. She never realized that her bottom lip seemed to start pouting out as she was studying the weird creature before her. She wasn't sure just what he was but he atleast smelled like he belonged here. She, knew she didn't.. but she had once, so in her mind it was alright. Someone really needed to teach the girl about boundaries and rules sooner than later.
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The girl jumped suddenly and Lysander grinned, scaring her had been too easy. Chuckling at her turning about, he studied her more closely now. Small and stout, but maybe that was just due to her age. The ribbons neatly wrapped around her tail were a nice touch; girls liked ribbons, didn’t they? Maybe Ly would look for them next time he made the rounds in Halifax. Her correction of him was amusing, and he decided that if he was wrong, at least she wasn’t right, they’d have to compromise. “Oh well then, how about Miss Zana?”
Lysander overlooked the fact he did not offer his own name, it was rarely needed. He was a nobody, and if anyone can looking for him, they wouldn’t know who to ask for at least. Besides, even when he did offer up a name, it wasn’t his half the time. Instead he only smiled as she answered him, making no move. Nodding, as if her answer were truly acceptable he spoke, voice deep, warm and agreeable. “Ohwell I’m explorin’ too, maybe we could explore together?” His eyes lit up at the prospect of spending time with this child, though she wasn’t Conor or Emwe and no one could take their place in his heart or home.
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Zana frowned at the male and watched him silently while he was grinning and chuckling. She wasn't so sure what she thought about this strange fellow, most of the males in the world she'd met outside of Inferni had been a bit insane and she wasn't so sure she wanted to deal with another weirdo. When he asked her about her name again she narrowed her eyes at the male, not realizing that 'miss' was just one of those thing others attached to names. "I am just Zana, Not Miss Zana. Not Miss.. just Zana!" she said as she stamped one small paw at the male, hoping that he would get the point.
She was so caught up in the trouble with her own name that she didn't realize that he hadn't given her one yet. When he went on to the next subject about his own exploration and perhaps joining her on hers and teaming up she frowned once more and glanced at him as she asked. "You're not gonna try and eat me are you?" For some reason it seemed that all the male's she'd bumped into outside of Inferni had wanted to eat her. Why anyone would want to eat her she'd never be able to figure that one out!
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“Now now, ‘just Zana’, don’t get yarself into a tizzy. If you want to be ‘just Zana’ that’s fine. Ya could even be Mr. Kalamazoo for all I care.” His eyes twinkled. Already Zana was practicing the fine art of arguing, which was good because like all women she was bound to use it often in her life. She won this round, though he’d replaced the prefix of “miss” with “just” and it might take her a while to caught on. All the same to him. “A rose by any other name has just as many thorns, or something like that, yeah? Ya got thorns Just Zana?”
Winnie had thorns, when he teased her, which he did almost any chance he got. The little hybrid’s question amused him, and he contemplated just saying yes and chasing her off, being done with it, but he had time to kill and scaring children didn’t seem as much fun when he imagined Conor or Emwe scared. “Why’d anyone want to eat you? I don’t think ya’d taste very good. Too skinny. Now me. I’d be delicious.” His voice bragged and he shook his well rounded rump as if to emphasis that indeed he had a lot more flesh on his bones than the small girl did. “Ya can eat me if you want, if you’re really hungry that is.” His voice was serious, his face calm, as if it were indeed the most natural offer in the world.
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Zana's ears pinned back against her skull as she tried to figure out just what in the world the male was trying to say to her. The addition to just infront of her name was had for the girl to catch, her attention so easily distracted but everything that he was saying. So many words poured from the male and she was just so confused! Shaking her head slowly her little brows furrowed up as her mouth hung open. He was really a strange fellow, but she was beginning to think she liked him!
"Who's Mr. Kalamazooo.." she finally asked the male as he finally gave her an opening. Shaking her head in annoyance she realized that he was asking her a lot fo questions and saying too much at the same time! "I hate roses.. one time I got stuck in a rose bush and had thorns in my butt!" she blinked up at the male and wondered why he was asking her about roses and thorns.. but that trail of thought was destroyed as he turned onto the question that she had indeed asked earlier.
Her ears pinned back slightly as she frowned at the fellow. She wasn't for certain but she was beginning to think that he was making fun of her. He then made everything even stranger by announcing that she could eat him if she liked. She wrinkled her nose up and laughed. "Not pos' to eat people. That's bad." She glanced around to make certain they were alone before she whispered loudly like kids tended to do. "..Someone did try and eat me once though!" The small girl glanced up at the sky as she went on. "These mean ol' birds keep trying to get me too.." She glared at a poor innocent little sparrow that was perched on a small bush as she growled. "'tupid birds.. I'll get them one day.." she promised. She just had to figure out how.
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“Mr. Kalamazoo hates roses too, hmm.” Lysander scratched his chin as if the idea that Just Zana and Mr. Kalamazoo really did have something in common. Of course, it was absurd, since Lysander knew no one by that name. Shrugging he listened to the little girl’s logic and nodded, agreeing. “I suppose eatin’ people is bad, but what if you are just really hungry?” Lysander had never had to commit cannibalism, but if famine came and the food was gone, well better he lived off someone else than the other way around. Perhaps it was inappropriate to have this conversation with a child though, Lysander wasn’t sure but he changed the subject anyway.
“Oh birds are easy to get.” Again he rubbed his chin with one hand, as if in deep thought, but it was all just to emphasis his words. “Really, anyone is easy to get, if you have the right equipment.” Lysander liked making toys, and he was sure what he was brewing would be a good toy indeed. “Ya just need to shoot ‘em!” Lysander turned back towards his cabin and looked over his shoulder. “Follow me, Just Zana, I think we can find something fun for you.”
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Zana watched him with an odd look to her face as he began to speak in rhymes. She'd never really heard anyone speak like that except when telling silly stories and she didn't see anything silly happening right now. She frowned slightly as she pointed out, "You're taking funny.." her lip jutting out as she was beginning to grow allowed with all these things that were soaring right over er pretty little head.
When the conversation was changed to hunger and the thoughts of eating another she just shook her head and stuck her tongue out in disgust as she wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure if I'd want to eat you.. sorry." she said as she tried to process it all. She didn't know how strange it sounded apologizing for not wanting to eat someone but perhaps in the future that idea would change. She was afterall part of the horrible little clan with the skulls that lined their borders so elegantly.
Lysander spoke and Zana's interest began to perk as thoughts of a war on the birds began to form in her mind. He seemed to have a plan and and was excited to hear this. Anything to get her beach back was fine by her! Her tiny little puff of a tail waved like a banner as she darted after Lysander. "What are we going to find?" she asked, a bit of mischief sparkling in her eyes, for she knew what type of equipment you used to 'get' somebody, but she wasn't sure what type one would use on a bird that didn't come down from the air except to attack when your back was turned.
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Lysander ignored the girl’s criticism about his speech. It was a touchy topic, as he never wished to sound moronic like half his family seemed to. Yet that was one of the high points about children. They were small and silly and one could just ignore them if one wished. And Lysander had employed that tactic at times with Emwe and Conor. Also he did not mind if Just Zana did not wish to eat him, he didn’t quite feel like explaining the joke to the girl. She questioned him where they were going but he only turned back to face her, pulling his finger along his snout to signal they were in on a big secret together.
Coming up to his cabin he opened up the door to reveal the empty home inside. “Come on in Just Zana, make ya self at home.” Lysander smiled, knowing that her options were to stand idly by or sit down on the hard floor as he opened up the floor board compartments in which he hid just about everything and began to rummage. Pulling up a partly hollowed branch, dry and strong, he replaced that floor board and moved to a different compartment. Pulling up the thin, sharp knife he sat down and went to whittle. Mostly he ignored the girl, absorbed in his work, but every so often he looked up to check the expression on her face. “Won’t be long now. Would ya go get me some tiny little pebbles from outside, yeah?”
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Zana was wondering just what was going on and if she really wanted to follow the male any further into the lands that she'd once lived in. Then came that gesture to ensure her that they were indeed on a super special secret adventure and like all kids when presented with a surprise or a secret of sorts she meekly went along with the whole idea, not knowing just what was actually going on.
When they reached the destination it seemed the larger male opened the door and invited her in. She frowned at the way he said her name, still not sure just what was going on but she grumbled, "This not my home.." as she moved on into the cabin and glanced around at the nothing that was everywhere. She turned her eyes back to Lysander as she realized that he was lifting up part of the floor and pulling things out. He then began to widdle away at the stick he'd gathered, the shaving floating on the air and giving her something to keep herself occupied with while he decided to ignore her.
Batting at another shaving she complained, "No funnn..." the words long and drawn out in a whine as she frowned at the male. his only reply seemed to be to try and coax her along with assurance and then a request. She furrowed her brow and turned towards the door to go find some pebbles, wondering just what it was she wasn't getting that was so fun, having to do with pebbles and sticks.
Returning shortly with a small mouthful of pebbles she scurried back to Lysander and dropped the pebbles at his feet among the scraps of wood shavings and splinters before settling down and asking. "Why pebbles?" He sure had strange ideas of fun.
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Lysander was absorbed in his work so that when Zana complained of her boredom it went unheeded. Though likely, had Lysander noticed the girl’s growing lack of interest, he wouldn’t have done a thing about it anyway. Still, the child was obedient enough and just as Lysander was putting the finishing touches on the small shooter the midget came back, pebbles coated with a thin layer of saliva at his feet. He smiled indulgently at her, picking up a few pebbles in his hand and placing one in the pea shooter. Aiming at the girl’s rump, he blew quickly into the contraption. The stone flew straight and sure.
“Well now then, won’t this be a fun toy for you Just Zana?” He shot another swiftly moving stone at the wall. If she could fashion darts small enough they could really have some fun, he knew he could do it, but perhaps she should grow accustomed to this toy first before they made any “improvements”. “So, do you want anything fancy etched onto your pea shooter, or will this do? I don’t think the birds will bug ya much longer.” He held out the weapon for her to inspect, and smiled down at her in his carefree and comical way.
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She found that spending time with the funny male was filled with finding things to do by yourself. She hadn't come to the point to understand just what being ignored was but soon enough it would come in time. As soon as she'd returned with the pebbles she'd returned to shuttling the scraps of wood about the floor. The small girl had been pawing at the wood shavings as Lysander finished up the creation he had been working at. She hadn't noticed when he'd picked up one of the pebbles and had placed it in the contraption, only realizing what was going on when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her rump as she yelped in surprise.
Glaring at the male when she realized where the pain had come from she realized he was speaking to her as she shuffled closer, watching as he pelted another pebble against the wall, which clattered off and bounced a few times before falling still on the floor. She glanced from the pebble to the peashooter and back at Lysander as she asked. "I can have it?" a little glint of mischief glittered in her eyes as she realized that those pesky birds were doomed now.
She had almost begun to laugh when she realized that she couldn't use the toy just yet. Frowning she shook her head as she admitted. "I can't change.." The toy would be perfect when she was able to shift and bully the gulls back who'd bugged her for so long but right now she was still stuck on all fours and would be for quite a while she believed.
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Her yelp of surprise brought a wide smile to his face and he held it out to her for further inspection as she drew nearer. She was impressed with his gadget, though it was rather simple. Still, Lysander loved to built things, anything, and he was happy that this weird midget child would take pleasure in something he made. Even more happy that the birds and strangers around her would be annoyed with the toy-weapon. “Yes, it’s for you. Just for you.”
Pulling it back he took his knife and made the opening just a tiny bit bigger. All masterpieces needed some tweaking. He was absorbed in perfecting it he barely heard her complaint, but it registered and he frowned at the thought. What if she couldn’t use the damn thing? He knew some couldn’t shift, but that was because they didn’t have it in their blood. It that was her problem, he would fix it, even forcibly if he had to. “Anyone can shift if they want. Ya’re a luperci, right? You’re probably jus’ too young right now.”
He whittled a bit more at it and then it was done. Anything else would be decorative and useless, but he had no objects, as long as it meant he got to work on it more. Perhaps she wanted it plain though. Holding it out, he smiled more at his creation that at the child. “Here. Ya want me to tie some leather on it, so ya can wear it around your neck? Or you want some birds or your name on it?” His hand trembled as he thought about just how perfect the weapon was.
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Zana didn't appreciate the trick that the male had played on her but it made her realize that soon enough she would be able to play the same trick on others as well. Her eyes lit up as a smile drew across her lips as she began to plot all the neat things she would be able to shoot from the weapon at unsuspecting victims. Her little ribbon wrapped tail lashed back and forth happily as he confirmed that the toy was all hers.
The smile disappeared from her maw as he took it back suddenly but it didn't last long as she realized he was just fiddling with it more. When he was presented with the problem of her inability to shift it wasn't long before he came up with the answer. Zana shook her head as she sighed. "On day I cans.. but I want to now!" Why did she keep getting presents that she couldn't use just yet to shoot down the pesky birds, she needed something for the here and now!
It didn't take too long for the male to finally finish up the work he was doing on the toy before it was presented back to her for inspection. Once more he asked if she wanted something more done to it as she finally nodded. "My name?" she asked, hoping that it wasn't too much. When she realized he'd asked if she wanted a cord on it as well she nodded excitedly, realizing that soon enough the birds would pay, she just had to be patient.
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Lysander shrugged at her predicament. She couldn’t shift now, he had given her the answer and it wasn’t good enough. There was little else he could do about it. She couldn’t use the weapon until she learned to shift, and Lysander smirked at her. “If ya don’t want it, I’ll keep it.” He drew the weapon back towards himself teasingly, pretending to inspect it for himself. Grey eyes twinkled at the girl, knowing how easily he had upset her before, how easily he could upset her again. Making toys for children was fun he decided. It was totally rewarding.
Grabbing his knife, mentally sounding out Zana, Z-A-N-A, he inscribed it. Letter by letter. Unlike mos this family, he could read and write, and while normally he did so quickly, with the inscription he wanted to take his time. One mess up and the words would look wrong, and he wanted his work to be perfect. Moving back to one of the floor boards he pulled out a long cord of leather, eye balled the measurement and cut the rope. Cutting a notch into the wood of the pea shooter so the cord wouldn’t slip, he looped it around so she could carry it around her waist, her neck, or just hang it from a peg.
“There now Just Zana, what do ya think of that?” He dropped the toy about her neck since she couldn’t carry it just yet. “Take care of it though. You only get one. Next time ya want me to make somethin’ for you, it’s gonna cost you. Cost you big, you got that Just Zana?” His eyes narrowed and he smirked again, as if to stress the point. Good things in life were rarely free, but Zana was getting a freebie just now. Just this once.
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Zana's little mouth hung open when all of a sudden the male decide that he just might take the new deadly toy away from her. Zana stamped a little paw and howled, "Noooo! Zana wants! Zana wants!" Her brilliant thistle eyes stared wide-eyed at the man, hoping that she wasn't too late and that her newest prize wasn't to disappear so suddenly.
She began to relax slightly as he seemed to decide that it wasn't done yet again. She tried to peer up at what he was doing when the little markings were carved onto the peashooter. She realized that it must be her name since she'd asked for it but she didn't know what her name looked like and she was rather interested in seeing what it did look like now that he was almost finished. She watched as he went rummaging in the floorboards once more, her little tail waving back and forth happily as she waited to see if he wasn't just tormenting her again.
Suddenly the tiny weapon was plopped down against her chest as he'd placed it there. She bent her head down, her nose touching the warm wood as she giggled slightly. "I thinks when I gets bigger the birds will not be so happy now." Her little eyes twinkled as she lifted her head back up again and nodded seriously to the warning that Lysander was giving her. "I won't lose it.. no-no." She didn't have anything to offer anyways if she did lose it.. unless he wanted to eat seagulls. She would catch him those evil birds when she got older.
She suddenly became shy as she shifted her gaze down and whispered, "Tanks you.." She hadn't expected to get something out of her little escape from Inferni but she sure was glad that she had!
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We close this now? PPed her leaving the cabin if that’s okay?
Why making children happy delighted him, he had no clue. Yet Zana’s smile, her twinkling eyes made his heart swell up with happiness. Had anyone else described this feeling to him, or the reason it came about, he would have smirked, called them soft, pathetic even. Yet children, they were great. So innocent, so silly, so full of life. And they loved to play games. Would he love Emwe and Conor when they grew up as much as he did now? It was hard to say, and Lysander didn’t really want to know the answer.
Slowly he led her to the door of his cabin, it was only right to escort her out of him home. “You’re welcome Just Zana. Come back and visit when ya’ve got a few dead birds under your belt, yeah?” Slowly he scooted her out of his cabin, but she was ready to go anyway, that had been clear. Closing the door behind her, Lysander dropped to the floor and sighed, exhausted and happy and feeling like Santa Claus.
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