FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IF ANYONE IS READING LEAVE A REVIEW! EVEN IF IT'S TO SAY "GOOD JOB, GIVE MOAR." I AM FEELING VERY, VERY LONELY!
Author's Notes (FEEL FREE TO SKIP):
To ii The Raconteur ii, who was called Salroah until a few days ago, YOU ARE AWESOME. An actual constructive review!? Totes awesome, I die! (Get it?) If you ever need anything, I got your back. You need help in a fight or like...your lawn mowed or whatever, I'm totally there. Seriously though, your review pointed out a lot of things that need to be addressed that non-reviewing readers (seriously, don't be that) probably noticed. The first chapter is a mess, and there is a reason for that, well two reasons. First, the first chapter was originally going to 10,000+ words. In short, the first and second chapter were originally supposed to be one. However, there is a rule of thumb that fanfic chapters shouldn't be more than 5,000 words. In my experience, writing a HUGE story with HUGE chapters will have people complaining that it's a pain to read. The first chapter was well over 6,000 words, so I stopped. I knew it was missing a lot (like a lot of the character development in this chapter), but I wanted to get it out there, which made it not as good as it should be. Second, the first chapter originally had four singing segments, including songs that added to character and backstories. When I went to post it, I read the guidelines which stated that no song lyrics could be used unless they are in the public domain (i.e. no song the chipmunks would ever sing). So I had to delete the segments, which makes the chapter feel kind of empty. On top of that, I also deleted background information that was told while there was singing, including information about the native chipmunks, as well as what happened when Alvin and the gang first arrived at the island and why there were already chipmunks there. Instead, that will have to be revealed later on. Anyway, I won't do that again because there won't be any singing segments (sorry, rules are rules). All the other chapters should be more focused. Sorry for the long note, but if you have questions, put them in the review and I'll answer them before the chapters.
Chapter 2
Alvin and Richard finally made it back to their village, or at least below it. Alvin shook his head at the sight. The huge horde that was the Alvin Tribe was dancing around a roaring fire. On a spit over that fire was the boar they had killed. Although they weren't going eat it, they were roasting all of the flesh off to share the bones. Said bones would go into decorations and piercings. Alvin figured at one point that the chipmunks of the island would eventually go full tribal, but this was pretty ridiculous. Even the Theodore tribe only used feathers and flowers.
The entire mob was being led by David. He was running on top of the wild pig as it turned on the spit, wearing thick coverings on his feet. He was leading the tribe in a rendition of "Party Rock," occasionally doing back-flips and leaps. Richard and Alvin glanced at each other, both of them having expressions of displeasure. They approached one of the chipmunks dancing. The elder reached out and tapped them. They whirled around, ready to pounce and attack. Upon seeing who it was, their eyes widened. They began alerting chipmunks around them. The entire rendition was brought to a cascading halt as more and more chipmunks noticed that their chief and elder was among them. David on top of the boar was seemingly the last. When he finally saw Alvin, he grimaced unpleasantly. He leaped off the spinning carcass and instantly wove his way through the mob. He came to a grinding halt in front of the chieftain. He took the chieftain's free hand and rubbed it, seemingly affectionate.
"Chief Alvin!" he cried. "It's so good to see you! Where have you been?"
"On a walk." Alvin replied flatly. "I would ask you the same, but it is apparent."
David laughed nervously, a few members of the mob laughing with him.
"Yes, well, exercise does the body good!" David replied, a wide grin on his face.
"Exercise requires killing?"
"Oh come now, grandpa! It's a time-honored tradition!"
"Not in my time."
David gulped, looking incredibly nervous. Alvin then scoffed and waved his hand through the air.
"Don't light the fire below the village anymore." the elder stated. "The smoke smell gets in my house."
"Oh, of course grandpa." David replied, grinning again. "Anything for you."
Alvin merely scoffed again. Both he and Richard began making their way towards the elevator to the elder's house. David watched him leave with a smile and a nod. Once his chief was out of earshot he puffed up his chest.
"You won't be around forever old man…" he muttered. His sharp green eyes then glared at Richard, who was noticeably darker than the rest of them. "And your little native helper won't save you either." He turned back to the rest of the tribe. They had all of their eyes on him. They followed his lead by virtue of how tough and athletic he was, but if push came to shove they would listen to Alvin. The old chipmunk had been in charge since each of their births. They would not turn on him. Alvin was getting close to his final days, however. A single illness would likely put him down. Once that time came, there was only one person with enough influence to lead the tribe, and that was David.
David responded to the crowd by throwing up his arms and giving a smug smile.
"He didn't tell us to stop!" he declared. "Hit it!" The mob cheered and began dancing again. This time they all began pairing off and spinning around. David weaved through them to a female who hadn't bothered to find a partner. She was waiting for him. David stopped directly in front of her. They both grinned widely. She was covered in dark warpaint, yet was still astoundingly beautiful. She had icy blue eyes that could always pierce through any of David's bravdo.
David politely bowed and held out his hand. She was the only person he would ever do that with.
"May I have this dance, Georgia?" he asked politely. She giggled and tilted her head.
"I suppose." she said in an alluring voice. She took his hand. He pulled her close and they began dancing with everyone else. They all joyful laughed and spun around, all the while a pig was roasting in the middle of them just for its bones.
Richard helped Alvin out of the elevator and led him over to his chair. Alvin sat in it with a groan as he slouched and relaxed.
"Oh, that walk gets longer everyday." the old chipmunk stated.
"You know grandpa," Richard began. He was now in Alvin's kitchen, preparing a meal. "You could always take David down a few pegs."
"It would accomplish nothing." Alvin replied. "He's too much like me."
"He's nothing like you!" Richard cried. The younger chipmunk began chopping up some leaves and roots.
"Not now, but...when I was younger." Alvin said. "I was reckless, bull-headed, sure of myself, and eager to prove how good I was. I played sports and rocked out at concerts. He wants to hunt and march to battle. He even looks like I did, although painted and pierced. Same problem, different situation."
"You didn't kill anything." Richard shot back. Alvin went rigid in his chair. Images bounced around in his head: his hand holding a red-stained sword, dripping a sanguine mixture of rain and blood, while he was surrounded by black-colored bodies. He had to think about something else, fast.
"That's not the point." he said quickly. "The point is, he's too stubborn to listen to me. If I told him to stop hunting he would just do it in secret. The entire tribe is following his strong personality, just as my brothers would follow me. It does no good for me to…"
Richard abruptly shrieked. Alvin jerked his head around and squinted. He could tell something big was moving in the kitchen besides Richard, but he couldn't make it out.
"Richard, what's going on!" Alvin demanded.
"It's just…" Richard began. He then stopped talking. Alvin could feel his spine go completely rigid. Whatever the large thing was, it was slowly walking towards the elder, and Richard wasn't stopping it. As the thing slowly came into Alvin's vision he saw that it was a chipmunk, a fat one. It walked right up to his chair and leaned towards his ear. Alvin was still as a stone.
"I'm sorry for scaring you great elder." the chipmunk said. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm from the Theodore tribe. My chief doesn't know I'm here."
"Why are you being so secretive?" Alvin asked.
"I don't want David to see me." the fat one replied. Alvin didn't doubt that was true.
"What is it? What happened?" Alvin asked.
"They chased that boar into our territory and killed it. I threw a nut at his head yes, but afterwards he threatened our entire tribe. He said the moment you died, he was coming for us. Chief Jacob would have stopped me if I told him. He wouldn't want to stress you out, but I'm worried about our tribe. We're not warriors. Please, do something about David."
Alvin listened attentively. His mind was mulling over everything he had been told. He finally licked his lips and nodded.
"I understand. I will do something." Alvin said. The fat chipmunk seemed to relax a little.
"Thank you great elder." the chipmunk said. "I'm sorry for frightening you. I'll leave now and let you get to your meal." The chipmunk turned and walked back out of the elder's vision. Alvin watched him climb into what must have been the window by the kitchen. Then he was gone. There was silence for several moments.
"Richard, are you alright?" Alvin asked.
"Yes, grandpa." Richard replied. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very manly was it? I turned my back for a second and suddenly there was someone else in the kitchen. I tried to say something, but he shushed me."
"It's fine." Alvin replied. "He just wanted to tell me what David did earlier today. Finish what you're doing, I need to think for a while."
Some time later, Richard brought the food he made to Alvin. At such an advanced age, Alvin could no longer chew hard food. His caretaker had to mash his meal into mush or soup. Richard fed Alvin in silence for several minutes. With half of the food gone, Richard couldn't hold himself back anymore.
"What did that chipmunk say?" he asked. Alvin swallowed the food in his mouth and sighed. He brought his hands up and folded them over his stomach.
"David threatened to attack another tribe after I died." the elder explained. "Even worse, it was the Theodore Tribe. They lack any kind of warriors."
"What are you going to do?" Richard asked. There was now great concern in his voice.
"I've been thinking it over, but I haven't come up with anything." Alvin stated. "I could punish him, but it wouldn't work. His skull is too thick. I could make someone else chief, but he would just take it after I died. The entire tribe watched him make the threat, I have no doubt. None of them stopped him. They're all firmly behind him, and I doubt I can change that." There was silence after that. Richard sighed and brought a spoonful of food to the elder's mouth. Alvin took the food and swallowed it.
"You say he's a lot like you when you were young." Richard says.
"So much so." Alvin said.
"Well you're different now."
"I learned my lesson the hard way."
"Maybe he does too."
The was a new pause in the room. This time Alvin straightened up in his chair. His eyes widened. An idea was buzzing in his head. Richard nervously looked back and forth, wondering what was happening.
"What...what is it?" Richard asked. "What did I say?"
"The hard way." Alvin said. "Like me, he has to learn the hard way."
"Yes, that's what I was saying." the caretaker replied. Alvin paused for another moment. He turned his head towards his descendant.
"There will be blood." the elder said.
"Blood?" Richard asked.
"That's what it took for me." Alvin explained. "Blood spilling. Should I do that to him?"
Richard licked his lips and gazed out a window. He breathed heavily for a few seconds.
"Would there be more blood now, or more blood if you did nothing?" he asked.
"Probably...there would be less if I acted now." Alvin stated.
"Then...pick the path with less blood." the caretaker said firmly.
"Yes...yes I should." Alvin said with a nod. "Richard, I need you do me a huge favor."
"Anything grandpa."
"Contact the other chiefs. We need to have a meeting."
David and Georgia danced until they were both out of breath. The sweaty, excited tribe had swarmed the burnt mess of the boar, trying to seize the bones. David, on the other hand, didn't bother with it. Instead, he pulled Georgia away from the rabble and into the jungle. When they were finally out of the sight of the chaos he let her go. Georgia panted slightly as she crossed her arms.
"Any particular reason you pulled me away from bone-picking?" she asked. She had a sly smile on her face.
"No." David replied flatly. He took several steps forward, causing her to walk backwards. She backed into a tree. She briefly looked behind her before facing him again, cocking her eyebrow. David was only a few centimeters away from her face. They could feel the heat coming off their bodies.
"Do you have something to say to me?" Georgia asked.
"I like the way you dance." David replied with a smile.
"Oh do you?" she said. "You dance like you have rocks for feet."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd take that as an insult." David's hand came up to her head. He strung one of her painted, sweaty bangs behind her ear. His fingers trailed down her face and drifted behind her neck. "My chieftess."
Georgia's eyes half-shaded and she sighed in excitement.
"I love it when you call me that." she said in a husky voice. "Almost as much as I love calling you chieftain."
David grinned before pulling her face into his. Their lips mashed together and they proceeded to eat at each other. They made grunting noises as their lips parted against each others, allowing the tongues in their mouths to meet. David pulled away from Georgia's mouth and began trailing his lips down her neck. He began licking the sweat off her neck, as if it were sweet honey. Georgia rolled her eyes and grabbed his head with her paws.
"You should be chief..." she said through moans. "If only that old fossil would just fall over…"
"He'll be dead soon enough." David said into her neck. "We have nothing to worry about."
Georgia slipped her hand under David's chin and lifted his head. She gazed directly into his eyes.
"Do not get complacent." she said. Her voice was low and her eyes were wide. "There's no telling what that native boy attached to Alvin's hip is filling that old munk's head with. The dark ones aren't to be trusted."
"I know that. I'm not stupid Georgia." David replied. "If Alvin doesn't give me what I deserve then I will take it by force."
"Good." Georgia replied, grinning. "I won't settle for anything less than being chieftess."
"You're going to be more than that, my sweet. I will not rest until you and me rule over this entire island, as king and queen."
"Oooooh, I love when you take charge like that." Georgia held out her arms. "Just for that, you can have me all night long."
"No offense, but I was going to take that anyway." David then pressed his body against her, lifting her feet off the ground and pressing her back against the tree.
XX
Chief Jacob was dozing when his shoulder was tapped. He lifted his head and coughed for several moments. He groaned and scratched his massive stomach.
"What...what is it?" he asked. He looked around and spotted a chipmunk that was darker than all the ones in his tribe. He instantly jumped in his chair, nearly knocking himself over. "What...who is...what are you doing here!"
"Whoa...calm down Chief Jacob!" Richard cried. "My name is Richard! I take care of elder Alvin!"
Jacob waved his hand through the air and coughed for a few more moments. He took a few moments to compose himself.
"Oh yes, that's right." he finally said. "I seem to recall hearing something about you. Forgive me, I was alive when the natives were attacking us."
"It's alright, I understand." Richard said, his voice falling. "Your son...Ian, he let me in. He told me to just wake you up."
"I'm sure he did." Jacob replied.
"Um...sir, you named him Ian?" Richard asked.
"Yes? What about it?"
"Where did you hear that name, if I may ask?"
"My grandfather, grandson of the great elder Theodore, mentioned it. I always liked the sound of it."
"Well...elder Alvin told me that before they came to this island this guy Ian was...you know what, it's not important. I have a message from the great elder."
"I am at his disposal...to the best of my ability." Jacob briefly gazed down at his rotund body and coughed. "Please keep that in mind."
"I will Chief Jacob. Great elder Alvin wants a meeting of all the chieftains of our tribes, two days from now."
"At the usual meeting place?" Jacob asked, his eyes brightening.
"Yes sir."
"That hasn't happened since Ian was born. I look forward to it."
"Thank you sir. I hope you feel better by then."
"Oh, I sincerely doubt it. On your way out, tell Ian I want to speak with him."
"Yes sir, I will." Richard turned and began walking away. Jacob eyed him carefully. This messenger of the great elder was practically black in color where the rest of the tribes were brown or cream, that is, everywhere except their faces and stomachs. It was clear that this Richard was mostly native. It was disconcerting to an old chipmunk such as the chief. It left him wondering what the elder Alvin was thinking. Shortly after Richard departed the center of the thicket, Ian returned through it. He was complaining with every single step again. He stopped in front of his father and saluted.
"Reporting as ordered great chieftain." he said.
"Gather wood for the fire tonight." Jacob ordered.
"What! Alone?" Ian complained.
"Yes, alone."
"But...that'll take all day!"
"Then don't scare your sick and old father on purpose!"
Ian grimaced at his father and kicked some dirt with his feet. He began walking away, muttering under his breath. Jacob thought for a few moments. His thoughts drifted to some of the comments his youngest son made the day before…
"Wait." the chief said. Ian stopped and turned his head, still looking irritated. "Two days from now we're having a meeting of the chieftains. You're the one permitted guest that's coming with me."
"What?" Ian asked. Now he sounded genuinely confused. "Why?"
"Because I said so. You'll have to help me get there, and I want you to listen to every word that is said there, you got that?"
"Y-Yeah, I got it." Ian replied, sounding more confused than ever.
"Good. Now do what I told you."
XX
Ben descended the stairs into The Bastion's entrance hall. One of the guards had come running, jittering and stammering about a messenger. After listening to him for a few moments, Ben gave up and told him to stop talking. Instead, the white leader of the Simon Tribe decided to meet this messenger himself. When he crossed the final step to the hall, both leader and messenger saw each other. They had similar reactions, both of them flinched and took a second look. For a few moments, neither said anything. It was Richard who raised his hand and pointed.
"Oh, yes...I heard about you." he said. "The um...albino, was it?"
"Yes." Ben replied, not looking very pleased. "Although I do have a name if you care to know. It's Benjamin, but people who are my friends or really, really hate my guts call me Ben."
"Um...okay?" Richard said, more as a question.
"You would be...from the natives?" Ben said, his hand waving up and down. He was indicating Richard's appearance.
"What? No, no, my name is Richard. I was sent by the great elder Alvin."
"Oh, I see. I thought the natives hated us. Why would you join the Alvin tribe?"
Richard started to look a little offended. He narrowed his eyes.
"My mother was a native. My father was of both Theodore and Alvin's blood."
"Yet you came out so dark, interesting." Ben began walking in a large circle around Richard. He was examining every inch of the messenger sent to him. Richard was only becoming very uncomfortable. "You must be an outsider back home. That must be tough."
"Elder Alvin has always taken care of me." Richard said. "He's...he's my family. I don't care about anything else."
"How lovely." Ben said flatly. He had made an entire circle around Richard. He then stopped, clicking his heels together. "So, what can I do for the great elder Alvin?"
"I am supposed to deliver a message for Chief Ethan." Richard replied.
"I am standing in for him." Ben said.
"The elder was very specific. This message is for the chieftain only."
"If you must know, my dear father is infirm and unable to speak."
"When will he be well, then?"
"He has not been conscious since shortly after his accident. Before he fell into his coma he appointed me as acting chief."
"He appointed you?"
Ben's eyes contained an angry glare as he offset his jaw.
"Yes, me. I was there. I am his son." Ben's held out his hand towards Richard. "Now either give me the message or leave."
Richard did not appear pleased by this. He was, however, standing in The Bastion and none of the guards were stopping this white chipmunk. He finally clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.
"Great elder Alvin has called for a meeting of the chieftains, two days from now at the usual place."
"That would be Landing's Point, am I correct?"
"Yes." Richard was being careful to avoid honorifics. The only thing that Ben had succeeded at doing this whole time was make Richard nervous and convince him of nothing.
"Tell the great elder that I look forward to meeting him two days from now."
"Unless your father awakens."
Ben stopped, his face briefly falling. Then he smiled and his usual demeanor returned.
"Of course." Ben said, bowing. "Well, is there anything else?"
"No, I will be leaving." Richard replied. He briefly nodded towards the white chipmunk before turning and leaving back through the doors. Ben's pink eyes followed the dark chipmunk out of The Bastion. Once he was gone he scoffed and turned back towards the stairs. He began climbing them, muttering to himself.
"Preceptive little rat…" Ben muttered. "Alvin's been pouring his knowledge into that native. The native's still young...that could be a problem."
XX
Two days later, a two-wheeled cart was being pulled through the forest. Several members of the Theodore tribe were at the head. Bringing up the rear of the cart was Ian, grunting and panting. Inside the cart was the incredibly large Chief Jacob. He occasionally glanced around, looking at the scenery. It had been quite some time since he had been able to leave the village. He wouldn't force his tribe to drag him around just for his pleasure.
"Are we there yet?" Ian complained. He seemed to be getting winded from the journey.
"No Ian, we aren't." Jacob replied, shooting his youngest child a glare. "You know, this is an important spot. Landing's Point was where the great elders and great ladies first landed on this island."
"Did they leave snacks there?" Ian replied.
"What? No." Jacob replied.
"Then why should I care?"
"You know, this is the reason all of your other siblings have mates and you don't."
"That's not true!" Ian snapped. Jacob looked at his son in complete surprise. Was Ian actually offended? "Lillian isn't married either." Ian followed up with flatly. The chief gave him a look of displeasure. Ian only grinned in a very artificial manner. Jacob was suddenly regretting not smacking the sarcastic streak out of his son when he was young.
"Ian, would you do me the great favor of not speaking for the rest of trip?" the chief asked.
"Only if you pay me, pops." Ian replied. The chief only rolled his eyes in response. He noticed a tree that had been marked with a green strip of cloth.
"Stop here." the chief ordered. The chipmunks pulling the cart halted. They all groaned and began stretching, feeling pretty exhausted. Jacob pointed to the ragged cloth on the tree. "Do you see that?"
"That rag over there, what about it?" Ian asked, unimpressed.
"Well...your ancestor, the great lady Eleanor tied it to that tree." Jacob explained. "It's ripped from the dress she was wearing when she washed up here."
"Oh that's nice, is it to mark where they buried their snacks?" Ian replied.
"You are a special kind of killjoy." the chief replied. "Now get over here. Get me on my feet."
"This isn't the beach."
"I'm going to walk the rest of the way."
A silence pervaded between the two of them.
"You can barely walk." Ian said. His voice was quite serious.
"That's why you're here to help me." his father replied. "The other chiefs don't need to see me wheeled in on a cart. Now come on." Jacob held out his hand. Ian sighed and took it. He slowly began edging his massive father off of the cart. "In case you were really wondering, Eleanor left that cloth as a marker, in case they ever got lost."
"I thought my answer was pretty clear." Ian stated. With one great pull his father halfway rolled off the cart. With great effort, the chief got to his feet.
"Nothing you ever say makes you clear." Jacob replied. He held out one of his arms. "Now help me get to the beach."
Many minutes later, Chief Jacob and his son emerged from the jungle. Both of them were gasping and heaving. Ian was holding his father up with all of his might. Jacob for his part looked as if he were ready to pass out. When they entered the beach, Ian spotted three chairs in a circle in the middle of the sands. Each of them was large, three times larger than they needed to be for a normal chipmunk. This was a gift for Chief Jacob, who would probably fill the whole thing up. Each of the chairs was cut from fine wood, covered with resin, and decorated with either a "T," "S," or "A."
"Okay pops," Ian said, out of breath. "Let's get you to that chair." With much heaving and pulling, the two of them dragged themselves over to the chairs. After what seemed like an eternity of crossing the sands, Ian managed to dump his father into the massive chair with the "T" over it. Both of them fell over, gasping and panting. It took several minutes before Ian got to his feet and wiped the sweat from his head.
"Alright, you're in the chair." he said. "I consider that a full day's job." Jacob managed to lean back up. He wiped the sweat off his brow in a manner very similar to his son.
"Sorry, but I need you to gather wood." the chief said.
"What! Why?" Ian shouted.
"I'm not punishing you." his father replied. "The meeting calls for a fire. We're the first ones here, so you better get started."
"Seriously?" Ian whined.
"The sooner we get the meeting under way, the sooner we can leave."
Ian groaned and rolled his eyes. He began dragging his feet back to the forest. While his son was gone Chief Jacob continued to catch his breath, until he couldn't take it anymore. He launched into a massive coughing fit. He put his hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath while hacking. It took him longer than he would have liked. After a while, he sighed and leaned back in the chair again.
"Oh goodness…" the chief moaned. "How am I not dead yet?" He gazed up at the sky. "Thirty-one great kids, one complete jerk...why does that bother me so much?"
Richard was leading Chief Alvin along the beach. Despite the long stroll, the old chipmunk was surprisingly not tired. Richard was keeping a close eye on him, but Alvin didn't seem bothered. Even though their tribe was the closest to Landing's Point, it was still longer than the elder's usual walking destinations.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Richard asked. "This is pretty far."
"I'm fine." Alvin said. "I'm a little...agitated. It's keeping me from feeling tired."
"Agitated, by what?" Richard replied.
"About what I'm doing and about...Landing's Point." Alvin then sighed. "I can't really see it anymore but...it stirs old memories."
Richard looked at his elder with worry. The chief wouldn't tell him what he was planning. If it required all three chieftains it couldn't be anything small. What's worse...the talk of blood spilling had Richard's hair standing on end. As they approached the meeting place, Richard saw that one of the chairs had been filled, and someone was already stoking the fire. The closer they got, the more Richard's eyes widened. There was a massive, bloated chipmunk sitting on the Theodore Tribe's chair. Was that their chief? When they finally entered the circle of chairs, they were noticed.
"Elder Alvin, it's good to see you." the huge chipmunk in the chair said. The one stoking the fire turned his head briefly to look at them, before returning to what he was doing. He expressed no emotion.
"It's good to see you too Jacob." Alvin replied. Richard led him to his chair and sat him down. Alvin put his hand on Richard's shoulder. The caretaker leaned over, giving the chief his ear.
"What is that massive thing at the edge of my vision?" Alvin asked in a whisper.
"That's...chief Jacob." Richard whispered back. There was a pause.
"Oh." the elder stated. He released his descendant and relaxed slightly in his massive chair. "Jacob, how are you feeling?"
"I'm...still fighting off my illness." the chief said reluctantly.
"I see, quite stubborn isn't it?" Alvin said. "I couldn't help but notice you are...somewhat larger."
Ian abruptly laughed for a brief second before covering his mouth. He coughed as if he were clearing his throat and resumed working with the fire. Jacob threw him a glare.
"I'm not able to move very well these days." the Theodore Tribe leader said. "I've put on weight because of that."
"It's probably exasperating the problem." Alvin stated.
"I know."
"I'm only trying to help."
"I know elder, I believe you."
"I'm curious, who did you bring with you?" In truth, Alvin was wondering who would laugh at the chieftain of their tribe. Almost everyone of the Theodore Tribe was kind and respectful. It was rare to have one with a sour disposition.
"It is my youngest son, Ian." Jacob replied.
"Ah, yes...Richard told me about that." Alvin replied.
"Your messenger mentioned something about the man you knew before you came to island named Ian. I heard my grandfather mention that name and I liked it. Who was this Ian?"
"Well he...my brothers and I were singers and he was...you know, it's not that important. Some thing are better left forgotten."
"Excuse me," Ian began, turning around. "I seem to be subject of a conversation that I am not a part of."
"Ian!" Jacob warned. It didn't stop his son however.
"I can tell from your tone that this Ian person was someone you did not like." Ian said. "I just want you to know, there's probably going to be two people with the name Ian you don't like after today."
"Ian!" Jacob shouted.
"Why is that?" Alvin asked.
"To put it mildly, if you like me after today, you would be the only one."
"IAN!" Jacob yelled.
"I know you're doing this to annoy your father." Alvin said. "You shouldn't. Until your father is better you shouldn't put any undue stress on him."
"In order to do that I would have to have been silent for years now." Ian replied. "I think we all know that isn't happening. On top of that...what the?" Ian stopped in the middle of his sentence. His eyes widened as someone new emerged from the jungle. Richard turned his head and saw something completely white walking towards them. He took a deep breath and leaned over to his elder.
"It's Benjamin, the albino." he whispered.
"Ah, yes." Alvin said. "Let's try not to stare...Ian." Even though Alvin couldn't really see, he was pretty sure that Ian was the one gawking. Ian cleared his throat and walked over to his father to stand beside him.
"That white chipmunk…" his father began.
"Chief Ethan has an albino son." Ian said. "I heard some munks talk about him. I don't know what he's doing here."
Ben took his sweet time getting over to the Simon Tribe chair. Everyone else was silent as he approached. He was followed by one of the Bastion guards, who was holding a giant leaf. When Ben got to the chair, he laid on it like it was a couch. The guard put the leaf over his body, giving him shade. There continued to be silence for several moments.
"My name is Benjamin in case any of you was wondering." the albino chipmunk stated.
"Are you comfortable?" Chief Jacob asked.
"Oh this?" Ben asked, pointing to the leaf above him. "It's necessary for me. I burn very easily in the sun. I didn't know how long we would be here."
"Speaking of "we."" Alvin began. Even though it was very blurry, it wasn't difficult to see the white chipmunk sitting across from him. "Where is Chief Ethan?"
"As I told your...unique messenger," Ben began. He shot a harsh glance at Richard. "My father cannot be here. In his illness, he has appointed me acting chief."
"He appointed you?" Alvin said. The tone was the exact same as the one Richard had when he asked the same thing. It made Ben narrow his eyes even further. He was right, they were similar.
"I am his son. I was there at the time of his accident." Ben repeated. "He appointed me as active chief to avoid any squabbling. The Simon Tribe has no problems with this."
"I would have preferred to have Chief Ethan here." Alvin said. "But I suppose I should respect his wishes." The old chipmunk didn't believe Ben's story, at least not entirely. He found it unlikely that Ethan would give the rule of the tribe over to one of his younger and most notorious sons. From the stories Alvin had heard, Ben was a conniver, plotter, and had a reputation of trying to get under people's skin. He also couldn't believe that the Simon Tribe was fine with it. However, Alvin couldn't put off this off.
"Alright, I called you here to deliver a message." Alvin said. "When I tell you this, I don't want you to panic."
"I will not." Jacob replied.
"I'll contain myself." Ben said.
Alvin finally sighed. He looked in the direction of the two chiefs, one at a time, before speaking.
"In one week, I will hand over the role of chieftain of the Alvin Tribe to David."
End Chapter 2
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