Here's part two. I tried keeping it as exciting as possible ^^. Enjoy folks!
2. He's back
Louis was petrified with fear upon seeing he ape, who he and the herd thought to be dead. He knew he would never make it into the ground in time, Gutt would grab him and slit his throat before he could get one claw in the sand. He was so scared that he could only think of one possible conclusion to this scenario: he was going to die.
Gutt's reasoning at the moment was as clear as it was clouded. The first action he would've done many months ago, was to kill the molehog at this instant, yet he didn't. Why didn't he feel the urge to silence this enemy of his? He was convinced he did wanted to end this creature's life, but something held him back. Trying to make up his mind he just stood there with a puzzled face staring at his frightened foe.
After a brief moment Louis snapped out of his initial shock and decided to try and buy some time. He hoped someone would find him before this monkey seized his chance to kill him.
"W-w-what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I could ask you a similar question."
"C-c-can you, I mean, why would you do that?"
"Feeling a bit scared do you… hero?"
Louis noticed Gutt still used the same mocking tone as he had done when they first met on his ship.
"N-n-no, well a b-bit maybe."
He smiled nervously, but Gutt showed no sign of friendliness whatsoever, so his smile vanished at the same rate as it had appeared.
"If you are here, does that mean the mammoth is here too?"
The captain felt a rage building inside of him.
"No they are not here." Louis replied firm.
This steady denial made Gutt even more angry.
"Don't lie to me, I know he is!"
"A-a-and what if they a-a-are here?" Louis lost his confidence already.
He hit the nail right on the head. As it turned out, Gutt didn't really know what to do either. Since the defeat he suffered against the herd and Granny's whale he had no ship nor crew left. Now if he was to face the mammoth and his friends alone, he was dangerously outnumbered. If he did attack them he'd lose easily, but if he'd turn back, now that they are so close, they slip through his grasp and he may not find them again in the future. He'd lose his chance of vengeance once again. He hadn't realize this impasse until now. Then he got a fiendish idea.
"Do you really want to know the answer, hero?" he said with an evil grin, showing his teeth.
Leaving it up to the molehog's memories and imagination was an excellent move played by the captain. Louis indeed knew the answer, yet he hadn't seen or heard any friends so far hence clung onto ever possibility of buying time.
"I'm a-a-all ears …"
Gutt didn't know why this tiny creature didn't annoy him as much as he'd think it would, but he still felt very angry with it for messing up his payback on the mammoth family . He told himself he should use his opportunity to finish the guy off right now, but he was weirdly enough impressed that this little fellow indeed had had the guts to stand up against him and his crew. Then he was awoken from his mental struggle by a scream.
"Loooooouis! Are you here Louis?"
Peaches had reached the lake, in search for her friend.
Louis heaved a sigh of relief, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Think you're safe now, do you" Gutt whispered menacingly. "let me get you back to reality, mate. If you tell any of your friends you've seen me here, these will be the last things your furry mammoth friend is going to see…" showing Louis his sharp claws, for which Gutt received his name.
Louis gulped, he felt his throat getting dry thinking of what Gutt's nails could inflict on the girl he loved so much.
"Now go to her, and remember you were just looking for fruit, understood?" Gutt sounded less friendlier by the minute.
Louis was still thinking about Peaches and didn't hear every word the ape just spoke.
"W-w-what …"
"Loooooouis!" Peaches, still looking for her friend, farther away then before
"Understood?" Gutt spoke a little harder, placing his claw under Louis' chin.
"Y-y-yes sir, I'll …"
"Then go." Gutt pushed him out of the bush before he could finish his words.
"Louis! Oh I finally found you" Peaches gave him a hug with her trunk.
"Hey, yea. Here I am, hehehe." Louis laughed nervously.
"What were you doing there?" She asked.
"Oh nothing special, just searching for some roots that's all."
"Find any?"
"Afraid not." he said smiling.
"Maybe you just gotta try a little harder, let me see."
She was already heading for the bush.
"NO!"
She stopped and turned to her pal.
"Why not? Is there something you're not telling me Louis?"
"Of course not, I mean, forget it, there's nothing there…"
But she already stepped through the bushes.
'Oh no.' Louis thought and sprinted after her.
"Louis, were you trying to keep this hidden from me?"
She hold out a big pineapple and had a questioning look on her face.
"What? I-I eh, yea. You got me, hehe." Louis smiled a bit.
"Tsk, when do you learn Louis, you can't hide anything from me."
The teenager handed him the pineapple and walked away, proud she knew all about her friend's secrets and behavior. Louis stood there for a little while.
"Are you coming or do you want some time alone with you fruit." she said chuckling.
"No, I mean, yes I'm coming."
Louis followed her friend. 'that was close' he thought, but he hadn't forgotten the image of Gutt slicing Peaches' neck. He hoped never seeing that ape again, although he knew for sure that this meeting was merely a start of what was going to happen.
That's it for now. Will Louis be able to keep his secret? Right now, it is as much a mystery to you as it is to me. I'll be updating as soon as I thought of a nice way to continue this storyline.
