Chapter 10: The skins.
The sun rose slowly, blending the colors of the sky beautifully. There was a lot of red in the sky that day. It seemed that in every color, every blend, there was red. None of the animals quite understood, not yet. Instead they admired the pretty colors and paid no attention to the abundance of red.
Tiku woke to weird sounds. He heard loud banging sounds. He yawned and looked around. Kiki had her head up, ears perked and listening. "What's going on?" he asked. "Shh!" Kiki said harshly. Tiku gave her a quizzical look.
Kiki got to her feet and then said, "You take that tunnel. Go to the top, and see if the coast is clear." Tiku had no idea what she was talking about but had no time to ask before she was gone, disappearing up a different tunnel. Tiku sighed and did as he had been asked.
He climbed to the opening of the tunnel and peeked out, not allowing more than his eyes to peer around. What he saw amazed him. There, about a hundred yard in front of him was a human camp. Although he did not know what it was, for he had never seen such a thing. He could smell animals, and hear whining. He also heard laughter, although he didn't know how to describe it. He looked around and saw the source of the laughter.
Huddled around a small fire pit were about four or five men. Tiku cocked his head at these creatures. He could not know what they were, having never seen anything like them before. One got up and he saw it stood on only two legs. He watched the strange creatures, trying to figure out what they were.
Then suddenly something sharp clamped onto his tail. "Youch!" he yelled as he was pulled back into the tunnel. Once back into the large area where he'd slept Tiku turned and faced Kiki. "What'd you do that for?" he asked, holding his now throbbing tail. "Don't you know what those things are?" Tiku glanced in the direction of the tunnel and then back. He shook his head no. "They're humans!" Kiki explained. She seemed upset, almost scared. Tiku didn't see what all the fuss was about. What could the humans possibly do? They walked on two legs for crying out loud.
"We're going to have to see if we can slip past em'. We certainly can't stay here." Kiki said. "Why not? What can they do?" Tiku asked. Kiki stared at him. " I mean, they don't have sharp claws or teeth or anything that can hurt us. What harm could they possibly do?" "Didn't you hear those loud sounds this morning?" Kiki asked. "Yeah." Tiku replied. "Those were the humans. The humans use these things; we call them fire sticks, cause it looks like they're shooting fire out the end. They can kill animals Tiku. Humans can do a lot more than you think."
"Come on, we're gonna have to try and get past em'." Kiki led the way back up the tunnel Tiku had used. "Why can't we use one of the other tunnels?" Tiku asked. "Other animals." Kiki muttered. Tiku sighed and followed her. They exited the tunnel. Kiki went a few feet and then stopped, dead in her tracks, staring at the human camp. "OH no, no, please no. No!" she chanted. Tiku followed her gaze. He suddenly knew what had stopped her in her tracks. For there, slung up on a tent wall, were two lion skins. One white and one rusty brown with a black mane.
The sun rose slowly, blending the colors of the sky beautifully. There was a lot of red in the sky that day. It seemed that in every color, every blend, there was red. None of the animals quite understood, not yet. Instead they admired the pretty colors and paid no attention to the abundance of red.
Tiku woke to weird sounds. He heard loud banging sounds. He yawned and looked around. Kiki had her head up, ears perked and listening. "What's going on?" he asked. "Shh!" Kiki said harshly. Tiku gave her a quizzical look.
Kiki got to her feet and then said, "You take that tunnel. Go to the top, and see if the coast is clear." Tiku had no idea what she was talking about but had no time to ask before she was gone, disappearing up a different tunnel. Tiku sighed and did as he had been asked.
He climbed to the opening of the tunnel and peeked out, not allowing more than his eyes to peer around. What he saw amazed him. There, about a hundred yard in front of him was a human camp. Although he did not know what it was, for he had never seen such a thing. He could smell animals, and hear whining. He also heard laughter, although he didn't know how to describe it. He looked around and saw the source of the laughter.
Huddled around a small fire pit were about four or five men. Tiku cocked his head at these creatures. He could not know what they were, having never seen anything like them before. One got up and he saw it stood on only two legs. He watched the strange creatures, trying to figure out what they were.
Then suddenly something sharp clamped onto his tail. "Youch!" he yelled as he was pulled back into the tunnel. Once back into the large area where he'd slept Tiku turned and faced Kiki. "What'd you do that for?" he asked, holding his now throbbing tail. "Don't you know what those things are?" Tiku glanced in the direction of the tunnel and then back. He shook his head no. "They're humans!" Kiki explained. She seemed upset, almost scared. Tiku didn't see what all the fuss was about. What could the humans possibly do? They walked on two legs for crying out loud.
"We're going to have to see if we can slip past em'. We certainly can't stay here." Kiki said. "Why not? What can they do?" Tiku asked. Kiki stared at him. " I mean, they don't have sharp claws or teeth or anything that can hurt us. What harm could they possibly do?" "Didn't you hear those loud sounds this morning?" Kiki asked. "Yeah." Tiku replied. "Those were the humans. The humans use these things; we call them fire sticks, cause it looks like they're shooting fire out the end. They can kill animals Tiku. Humans can do a lot more than you think."
"Come on, we're gonna have to try and get past em'." Kiki led the way back up the tunnel Tiku had used. "Why can't we use one of the other tunnels?" Tiku asked. "Other animals." Kiki muttered. Tiku sighed and followed her. They exited the tunnel. Kiki went a few feet and then stopped, dead in her tracks, staring at the human camp. "OH no, no, please no. No!" she chanted. Tiku followed her gaze. He suddenly knew what had stopped her in her tracks. For there, slung up on a tent wall, were two lion skins. One white and one rusty brown with a black mane.