Chapter 7: Return Of The Sabers
Kenai glanced over at Kia. The bear-turned-girl had not said one word since their encounter with the mother bear.
He sighed and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Kia, what's bothering you?" he asked softly.
Kia shrugged carelessly and pushed his hand away. "Nothing." she mumbled, but the tone of her voice betrayed her.
Kenai raised an eyebrow at her. "Nothing's wrong?" he asked, not buying Kia's fib.
Kia heaved a sigh. "I don't know...I just..I miss being a bear.." she looked away sadly.
Kenai put his arm around Kia's shoulders. "I know, Kia..I do too." he said sympathetically.
Kia heaved another sigh and turned again to face Kenai.
"The sooner we complete this task the better!" she said, forcing a smile.
Kenai nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more..I wanna be a bear again." he said, laughing. "I miss my warm fur!"
Kia chuckled. "Yes, our fur is much warmer then these things you call 'coats'!"
Kenai soon stopped laughing. "But, it's still cool being humans..I mean..think about it...If we were still bears, we couldn't do this!"
He pulled Kia close to him and planted a quick kiss on her lips.
Kia's face reddened as Kenai grinned at her. "See what I mean?" he asked cheerfully.
The girl blushed again. "Uhh..yeah...but.." Kia pushed away from Kenai. "..You saw the way that mother bear looked at us. She was so afraid of us, just because we're humans!" she said sadly.
Kenai reached out to grab her hand, but Kia pulled away from him.
"I-it's okay, Kenai." she said softly, fighting back tears.
Kenai looked at her in surprise. "But Kia-" Kia put up a hand, silencing him.
"Forget about it Kenai." she said, her voice trembling.
She grabbed her spear and ran off into the forest, leaving behind a very confused Kenai.
"What?" he muttered under his breath, then shaking his head, he ran off to find the upset girl.
Kia didn't slow down, even when she heard Kenai calling her name. She just kept on running.
She stopped when she came to a large, flat rock and had a seat on it, panting in exhaustion. Kia glanced around the forest, but was forced to shield her eyes as a gusty wind kicked up, then ended abruptly.
When she uncovered her eyes, the bear-turned-woman heard a noise nearby. Then a twig snapped.
She nervously walked to where she thought the noise might have come from.
"He-hello? Is someone there?" she asked, her voice shaking.
Looking in the bushes and up in the trees, Kia could see nothing.
Shrugging, the girl turned to return to her seat on the rock-- and screamed shrilly at what she saw before her...
Meanwhile, Kenai was still out searching for the bear-turned-woman who he was so fond of.
So far, he was having terrible luck. "Kia, where are you!"
When there was still no answer, the boy dropped to his knees, defeated. Why didn't Kia answer, when she knew very well that he was searching for her!
At that moment, a loud, shrill scream pierced through the air, breaking the silence.
As the sharp cry echoed throughout the forest, Kenai's eyes widened, and he gripped tightly onto his spear. "Kia!"
He got quickly to his feet and was about to resume searching when a loud animal cry rang out, followed by another of Kia's screams.
Hearing the cries of his beloved Kia, Kenai ran quickly, in the direction of that the screams had come from..
Kia backed away fearfully, towards the bushes, as her eyes met with those of a saber tooth tiger. It was the big one that she and Kenai had encountered the day before.
Kia's heart skipped a beat as the big cat came closer and closer to her, drooling hungrily as it licked its chops.
She screamed again. "Kenai!" she called desperately. She was beginning to wish she had never gone off on her own.
She cried out again. "Help! Kenai!"
Kia was stunned when she heard a voice. "I'm coming, Kia!"
Kia glanced around. Could it really be Kenai?
A moment later, Kenai burst through the bushes and ran at the saber tooth, spear lowered.
The big cat snarled and batted at Kenai with one of its large, furry forepaws. Kenai stabbed it in the paw with his spear.
The feline roared in pain as blood sprayed out of his paw. He turned on Kenai, his eyes glinting with rage as he charged at him.
Kia watched in open mouthed terror as Kenai battled the beast.
He stabbed at the cat, and stabbed at it, until finally he stabbed its neck. The saber tooth tiger dropped to the ground, dead, stabbed by the spear.
Kenai opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as there was a rustling in the bushes behind Kia. "Kia, watch out!"
He pushed the girl away, and positioned his spear in front of the bushes.
Just as he did this, the other smaller saber tooth tiger charged out--right smack into Kenai's waiting spear!
Blood oozed down out of the saber's forehead and he too dropped onto the ground, dead.
Kia looked at Kenai in wide eyed shock. "You...saved my life..." she said softly, and threw her arms around his neck in a big hug.
Kenai hugged her back. Then he looked at her, his face grim. "Next time, Kia...We stay together. No more of this wandering off."
Kia nodded, still hugging the boy. "Okay.." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Kenai..I was just so upset about earlier, and I needed to be alone to think about it..." she paused.
"In the process, I almost got myself killed!" she said unhappily, glancing over at the two dead saber tooth cats.
Kenai nodded silently. "I understand, Kia. Just...try to remember. This job is going to be over sooner then you think, and then we'll be bears again." he said. "So I beg you..try to enjoy your last days as a human..Do it for me?"
Kia heaved a low sigh. She forced herself to smile as she looked at Kenai.
"Okay...fine. I'll do it. For you." she said finally.
She kissed his cheek then grabbed his hand. "So let's get going!" She said cheerfully.
Kenai blushed, touching his cheek where she had kissed him, with his free hand as they walked.
An hour went by and Kia turned to face Kenai.
"Um..How much farther do you think it is to your village, Kenai?" she asked.
Kenai looked around as they kept moving. "I actually don't believe it's that far..We have been walking for such a long time. We've got to be getting pretty close." he said slowly.
He watched the road up ahead for a short while, until suddenly, he started to feel familiar with the path they were on. It was the path he and his brothers had taken to the river, to go fishing.
Kenai turned and grinned at Kia. "We're really close!" he said happily.
A wide smile spread across Kia's face. "Really?" she asked.
Kenai nodded. "Yeah! I even know where we are, we're so close!" he said.
Kenai let go of her hand and walked a little ahead, in the left direction. He motioned back for Kia to follow.
"C'mon, we're almost there!"
Kia ran off eagerly after Kenai, as they headed for the village..
The two humans were unaware of it, but they were being watched.
In the shadows of the trees, a large, dark grey wolf peered out at the retreating couple.
His eyes burned like coals as he turned to another smaller, silver and grey wolf.
"The time to attack is drawing nearer." he said, his voice harsh and commanding.
The smaller wolf nodded his head. "Yes, yes..nearer..But why are doing this, Silver Fang? Why must we kill the humans?" He inquired.
Silver Fang turned, and his hard stare rested on the grey and silver wolf.
"Why? Why! Because they deserve it, that's why! Humans have taken everything from me...Don't forget what they did to you, Warner! Remember your wife? Your pack?"
Warner shook his head quickly. "Those weren't humans that killed my pack, they were dogs!"
Silver Fang snorted. "Dogs may have killed your pack, but humans are the ones that made the dogs so violent! They mistreated those poor animals, and made them violent killing machines!"
Warner's ears pressed flat against his head as he thought sadly about the day his pack had been destroyed, and his wife killed. He hung his head and lowered his gaze to the ground.
"I know...but..still..It just doesn't seem right to kill these humans."
Silver Fang suddenly turned and pounced onto Warner, knocking him onto his back. He held one paw against the silver-grey wolf's chest, keeping him pinned.
"Listen Warner! I am the one who gives the orders in this pack, not you! So if you wish to join my pack, I suggest that you listen and obey my commands, and voice your opinions less! Do I make myself clear?" he snarled, baring his canine teeth.
Warner nodded, his pale blue eyes narrowed in anger. "Crystal." he replied.
Silver Fang seemed satisfied with this, and he let Warner back up.
"Good. Now that we have an understanding, alert the pack! We attack at dawn..The villagers will be most unsuspecting then.."
The dark grey wolf laughed evilly as he imagine the battle scenario.
Warner stared at the wolf pack leader.
'I have to stop him!' The grey and silver wolf thought determinedly, 'But how!'
