The Adventures of Jaylu the meerkat
Chapter 1
Silence.
That was the only word Jaylu could think of to describe his surroundings. It had been days after he had left his village which, in his case, wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It was normal for the young meerkat to take walks that were days or even weeks long. But in all that time, he had never heard such nothingness. Now it seemed to be the only thing around him.
"It's all right" he thought. "The forest is always silent. I'm just listening too close right now". But in his heart he knew something wasn't right.
He was correct in his assumption; the forest was just as quiet as it always was. And if you weren't on your own, you would easily overlook it. But Jaylu was a meerkat, and was taught by his parents and elders to be aware of his surroundings, listen to the forest, and, to a degree, feel the motions of the world.
And all of his knowledge told him that all was not right.
Wanting to keep his journey an enjoyable experience, he foolishly tried to ignore it for a while. But the feeling just became stronger, to the point where he felt fear gripping him. He decided enough was enough. He went to find out what was wrong.
His stealth skills he'd been taught he did not learn in vain. To anyone who might have been watching, they wouldn't have noticed his slight changes in his walking, in which he slowly applied less pressure to the ground with each step, and he started walking slightly to the left. In a few yards he would be off the road and out of sight.
A hunter will almost always try to sneak up from behind,' he remembered his parents saying, 'so first get out of the open without seeming to do so to the best of your ability. Most predators will hunt by hearing and smell, so if you change the sound of your walking until you are silent, they won't notice you're on to them.
Even though he was sure he wasn't being followed, he listened to these instructions obediently .When he got off the road he immediately started taking in his surrounds, for if you have to hide or make a run for it, make sure you have as much an advantage over your predator as possible. "Trees to the left and right of the road, trees to the right go far and get thicker, trees on my side are much thinner and lead out to the Flatlands and prairies, which after a few hours travel lead to the mountains." He spoke softly to himself as he crouched in the bushes.
He reached into the sack he always carried with him and pulled out his Knocker, as it was formally called. It was really nothing more than a knot of wood, but it was carefully carved and oiled to become a weapon strong as an ash tree trunk. It was the official weapon of the meerkats. Any young meerkat who reached his sixth season of age received one. This tradition was rarely, if at all broken, and Jaylu was no exception.
He smiled as he fitted his tail through the hollow hole in the center of it and fastened it tight. It wasn't a fancy weapon, but was very special to him. He still remembered his father helping him carve it for himself. It made him think of his home, his soft bed, the delicious meals his mother, sister, and cousins made, and the beautiful village he lived in. He thought also of the discomfort that happened there only months ago...