"What?" he didn't sound too surprised.
"Go on" she coaxed him, and he stuck his head through the bamboo.
Then he looked back at her. His fur which was usually flattened to his sides sprung up in exitment.
"Lets go then" he decided, turning his head towards the wall to indicate it. They slunk through, under the bamboo, then across the grass. She analysed every inch, every paw she set on the ground was modified.
Suddenly a bush rustled, swaying without a breeze. Maliki froze, her body was flattened to the ground in panic. She was too paralysed to think. The caribou raised its head and its ears twitched up. She didn't dare breath.
Imarie gave a quiet gasp and turned his head towards the bush.
Then, the ground shook and quivered as a massive troupe of monterouse silver-back gorillas all thundered along together across the clearing towards their prey. Maliki didn't have time to think. She let out a blood thirsty yowl that could bearly be heard over the rampaging beats that flattened the grass and everything in their wake.
She and Imarie raced after them, trying to get between the massive bulks of their enemies. One knocked her over and she was sent flying, narrowly missing a massive tree trunk. Her vision went blurry and she found it hard to turn her head. Finally she managed to roll a little. Imarie was panting heavily a few tail lengths away from her, looking defeated, whilst the gorilla's stood over the caribou carcass. They'd completely ripped it apart, and turned it into a gory mess, ruining it.
Misery flooded through her, misery and cold defeat. That would be the first meal she'd have in two days. All she'd had recently was a small bite of pheasant, and that wouldn't last her much longer. Then she felt her anger pulse.
"Why did you do that" she screeched, her voice sounding small and shrill. A few nudged each other in testament with powerful hands bigger than her head. "That was our prey, you got it for no reason! You don't even eat it, you don't even need it like we do, you don't..." as the anger surged through her body, powerful and strong and red hot, Imarie silenced her by putting his tail across her mouth.
"What she means to say is, why did you do that?" A lot of the gorilla had sneers on their faces, and it was clear he was heavily outnumbered. She was used to him looking powerful and big beside her, and he looked so little and cub like in front of the big gorilla troupe. But he stood his ground. She could easily compare him to the little gold cub Nevio right now, this is how he must feel.
"Because" said a huge black gorilla. He looked like he was deciding his words. "Go on Kerchak" a big male encouraged him.
"You are trespassing on our land, so we taught you a lesson"
Maliki gridded her teeth. She felt like a cub being scolded, it was awful.
"The tall tree's clearing belongs to us! It always had done!" the fear came from Imarie's eyes and was replaced with anger.
"It has Kerchak, he's right" a small brown female spoke. Then, as Maliki eyes focused on the female she noticed something else between a small fuzzy haired gorilla and a large male. It was a bit bigger than her, and she caught a glance of pale pinkish white. Skin, fur, scales? She had no idea. Maybe this wasn't the time to be thinking about it.
"Kala" the big black male Kerchack warned her with a grunting sound. "This place belongs to us, did you not think about how our fruite is being dried up as well. This is the only place left with enough food to survive"
Suddenly Maliki's mind was flashed back, back to when she was a cub, when she went to the water hole with Akua, and Desta, when Imarie saved her. It made her shake and quiver.
Imarie stood tall and stuck out his chin. "This is our land and we'll fight for it!" he snarled, puffing out his chest.
"And who would that be, you and that crippled creature!?" Kerchack said, gesturing towards her.
"Kerchak!" Kala gasped.
Maliki raised her lifeless leg to her chest slightly, feeling a bit self conscious. Did she stand out that much?
"No" said Imarie determinedly. "Our pack, and we have a big healthy pack of leopards twelve strong!"
Maliki winced. Cyan, Nevio and Zharia didn't really count in terms of battle. As if Olmari would let the three gold furballs out of camp, or out of her sight for that matter.
"You have angered us" Kerchack began. Maliki could feel the terror that Imarie was feeling inside. "Uh oh" said the small spiky haired gorilla next to Kala. "This ain a' gonna be easy"
"I know Terk" Kala whispered.
"And that means your pack will perish!!" Kerchack reared up, and roaring thundered back down an inch from Imarie's face. "Next time we see you on our territory you'll have to get past my guards!"
"Maybe your ears don't work so well" said Imarie calmly, without flinching. "I said, we'll fight for it"
Maliki was filled with pride. Imarie knew what he was doing all right.
Kerchak's expression was beyond frustrated, and a slow smile of satisfaction crept over her face as the gorilla's stalked away. As soon as they were out of ear shot Imarie rushed to her side to help her up. "Are you ok, I swear if they hurt you..."
"Its all right, I just tripped and was too scared to get up" she reassured him, balancing on her three legs. "You were brilliant Imarie, you sure told them!" she said, trying to sound bright.
Imarie smiled weakly. "Well there was no way I was going to let him treat me like a scared cub was there" he said proudly.
"Kerchack was pretty scary though" she admitted. Imarie grunted and nodded, then turned his head to look straight at her. "Come on, now Its almost night fall, Sebore'l be worried sick and we have a lot to tell, theres a war coming"
Maliki nodded gravely, and there's nothing we can do to stop it.
Omg, suspnse!
Ps. Yep, Tarzan'll shortly be coming into this so do not fear!