Chapter 8: Dead or Alive?
Kita walked with a spring in her step, her tummy full, and sheer happiness overtaking her. She smiled as she walked. Tiaru carried a huge piece of meat in his mouth for Tiku and Taka. If Taka wanted more, all he had to do was go back to the kill and find it. Kita sighed and walked up to the cave entrance where Taka lay, sound asleep.
She smiled and then looked around. "Hey Taka?" she nudged him. Taka murmured something, yawned, and then looked up at Kita. "Hmm?" Kita looked around once more. "Where's Tiku?" Taka frowned. He looked down at his paw, where Tiku had slept. "Wuh, uh, he was right here." he picked up his foot and then stood, looking around. "We were sleeping together." Taka went into the cave and then came back.
Kita's smile faded and the earlier spring in her step vanished. She began to pace nervously. "Where could he have gone?" she asked. Tiaru set down the meat piece and said, "Let's split up and look for him."
Taka looked up at Tiaru. "It's not your fault," Tiaru said, assuring him. Taka nodded. Kita jogged off in search of Tiku. Tiaru sighed and then took off in the other direction. Taka watched them and then sighed, dropping his head. His nostrils flared. He could follow Tiku's scent!
Taka walked slowly, making sure he was headed the right way. Every so often he bent his head down low to check and see if he was still on Tiku's path. He followed the scent to a river. The same river he had had Kita follow to reach Howler's lands. Taka walked up and down the bank, sniffing to see if perhaps Tiku had walked into the water and then come back out. He hadn't. Taka sat down and stared across the water. There was no way Tiku could've made it all the way across by himself. No way at all.
"What!?" Kita cried out. "NO! You have to be lying! Tiku is not dead!" Kita exclaimed. She was practically in hysterics. "Kita I checked all up and down the banks, you know as well as I do there's no way he could've made it to the other side alone." Kita's eyes brimmed with tears. "NO!" she yelled, turning and taking off in the direction of the river.
Tiaru turned to Taka. Before he could say a word Taka interrupted, "It's okay, I know she didn't mean what she said." He sighed. "She's just really upset, and it's all my fault." Tiaru looked in the direction Kita had gone, then turned and rubbed his head under Taka's chin. "Look, we all make mistakes," he started, "But my mistake caused the death of Tiku! It's my fault he's dead!" Taka cried out.
Tiaru sighed. "No it's not and you know it." Taka sighed and looked at Tiaru. In his heart he knew Tiaru was right. It just wasn't fair. Why did Tiku have to die? He was so young! He had so much ahead of him! Taka sighed and then retreated to the seclusion of the cave. Tiaru watched him, but stayed outside. He knew Taka needed some alone time.
Kita walked up and down the riverbank, searching for any sign that her baby was still alive. She saw no footprints. She didn't smell his sweet scent. Kita cried out in despair. She sat down and cried, letting the tears come. How could her baby Tiku be dead? Kita looked across the river to the other side. Anger filled her and she swatted at the water. She then bounded into it and swatted and roared and growled until her fury passed. She walked out of the water once more and sat.
The sun was setting fast, and with it, it seemed to take Kita's heart as well. She sighed and then looked up at the sky, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Oh mother, please take care of my little Tiku," she paused to wipe her face with her paw. "Watch over him for me," she choked on a sob and then turned and left the river. Kita glanced back at the now hated river. The river that took her baby. And the river that she would never drink from, bath in, nor have anything to do with again.
Very sad chapter I know, but don't worry, things will lighten up..won't say no more..hehehe..just don't worry ok? Ttfn!
Kita walked with a spring in her step, her tummy full, and sheer happiness overtaking her. She smiled as she walked. Tiaru carried a huge piece of meat in his mouth for Tiku and Taka. If Taka wanted more, all he had to do was go back to the kill and find it. Kita sighed and walked up to the cave entrance where Taka lay, sound asleep.
She smiled and then looked around. "Hey Taka?" she nudged him. Taka murmured something, yawned, and then looked up at Kita. "Hmm?" Kita looked around once more. "Where's Tiku?" Taka frowned. He looked down at his paw, where Tiku had slept. "Wuh, uh, he was right here." he picked up his foot and then stood, looking around. "We were sleeping together." Taka went into the cave and then came back.
Kita's smile faded and the earlier spring in her step vanished. She began to pace nervously. "Where could he have gone?" she asked. Tiaru set down the meat piece and said, "Let's split up and look for him."
Taka looked up at Tiaru. "It's not your fault," Tiaru said, assuring him. Taka nodded. Kita jogged off in search of Tiku. Tiaru sighed and then took off in the other direction. Taka watched them and then sighed, dropping his head. His nostrils flared. He could follow Tiku's scent!
Taka walked slowly, making sure he was headed the right way. Every so often he bent his head down low to check and see if he was still on Tiku's path. He followed the scent to a river. The same river he had had Kita follow to reach Howler's lands. Taka walked up and down the bank, sniffing to see if perhaps Tiku had walked into the water and then come back out. He hadn't. Taka sat down and stared across the water. There was no way Tiku could've made it all the way across by himself. No way at all.
"What!?" Kita cried out. "NO! You have to be lying! Tiku is not dead!" Kita exclaimed. She was practically in hysterics. "Kita I checked all up and down the banks, you know as well as I do there's no way he could've made it to the other side alone." Kita's eyes brimmed with tears. "NO!" she yelled, turning and taking off in the direction of the river.
Tiaru turned to Taka. Before he could say a word Taka interrupted, "It's okay, I know she didn't mean what she said." He sighed. "She's just really upset, and it's all my fault." Tiaru looked in the direction Kita had gone, then turned and rubbed his head under Taka's chin. "Look, we all make mistakes," he started, "But my mistake caused the death of Tiku! It's my fault he's dead!" Taka cried out.
Tiaru sighed. "No it's not and you know it." Taka sighed and looked at Tiaru. In his heart he knew Tiaru was right. It just wasn't fair. Why did Tiku have to die? He was so young! He had so much ahead of him! Taka sighed and then retreated to the seclusion of the cave. Tiaru watched him, but stayed outside. He knew Taka needed some alone time.
Kita walked up and down the riverbank, searching for any sign that her baby was still alive. She saw no footprints. She didn't smell his sweet scent. Kita cried out in despair. She sat down and cried, letting the tears come. How could her baby Tiku be dead? Kita looked across the river to the other side. Anger filled her and she swatted at the water. She then bounded into it and swatted and roared and growled until her fury passed. She walked out of the water once more and sat.
The sun was setting fast, and with it, it seemed to take Kita's heart as well. She sighed and then looked up at the sky, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Oh mother, please take care of my little Tiku," she paused to wipe her face with her paw. "Watch over him for me," she choked on a sob and then turned and left the river. Kita glanced back at the now hated river. The river that took her baby. And the river that she would never drink from, bath in, nor have anything to do with again.
Very sad chapter I know, but don't worry, things will lighten up..won't say no more..hehehe..just don't worry ok? Ttfn!