"Uncle Tabaqui? Are you bad?"
The question came so suddenly, Tabaqui didn't know how to correctly respond at first.
A few stray flies buzzed near his eye, causing him to blink them away. "What?"
Aashi looked down at her paws, than sheepishly up at her maternal uncle. "Well are you bad?"
The two looked very much alike. Well, besides the fact that one was an adult, the other a cub, and both being brown furred, Aaishi looked far "neater" than her uncle. Tabaqui was a downright mangy and scruffy specimen. The only thing that really bound them together were their similar eyes.
Tabaqui responded to his niece with a snicker. "Now what makes you say that dear?"
"Well. It's just, I've heard other animals talk. They say bad things about you. And Mummy doesn't like me talking to you."
She would have mentioned her uncle's smell, but kept quiet about it so as not to cause offense.
"Oh so your mother's been talking about me huh? Well sweet heart. Do you think your dear old uncle is bad?" Tabaqui asked, leaning in close.
Aashi could smell his hot breath, nearly making her gag. "Well I don't….Um no?"
"Well that's all you need to feel dear." Tabaqui said rising up away from his niece. "Aashi, let me tell you something."
Aashi took in a clean breath, happy to get away from the stench her uncle provided. "Okay."
"You see. You're uncle aint bad, I'm just an...opportunist." Tabaqui explained.
"An opportunist, what's that Uncle Tabaqui?" Aashi asked.
"Well it's someone who sees a chance and takes it. Living in the jungle is all about survival, and being the opportunistic creature I am, I take any chance to help me survive better."
The thoughts began to turn within Aashi's head. "Okay. I-I-I think I understand."
"Your mother is just too cautious by half, she doesn't take chances like me. She likes playing by the rules."
"But aren't rules supposed to be followed?" Aashi's question came so innocently.
This provoked another giggle out of her uncle, "Well now Aashi my girl, you know the old saying, "Rules are meant to be broken"."
"Oh. Well okay. Maybe." Aashi said, still uncertain.
Tabaqui chuckled, and placed a paw upon his niece's head. "You're more like your mother than you know girl."
Aashi giggled herself. "You're funny Uncle Tabaqui."
"And you've got my sense of humor." Tabaqui noted.
Suddenly, the little hyena looked over to her left, then back to her uncle. "I should get going Uncle Tabaqui. Mummy is going to wonder where I am."
"Alright dear. Hurry along." Tabaui urged to his niece. As she started to run back, Tabaqui called out, "Aashi! Just a minute!"
Aashi came to a stop. "Yes Uncle?"
"Now no need to tell your mother about our little talk. We can keep it our little secret okay?" The hyena finished with a grin.
Aashi responded with a grin of her own. "Okay Uncle Tabaqui! Bye!"
And the little one bounded off, leaving the adult alone. Tabaqui grinned to himself. He wasn't sure if his niece would keep their secret. After all, his sister could be quite persuasive when she wanted to know something, but at least he had upped his chances of not being found out.
He had to pride himself on that.
A/N: A followup to my one shot "Sister Dear". Here we get a little interaction between Tabaqui and his niece Aashi. I'm probably like the only person who came up with extended family for Tabaqui.