Here's the next chapter, another new friend.oops.ignore that! Lol.anyway
you find out something about Tanu and about Kiki.. lol, wait and see, then
tell me what you think! Ttfn!
Chapter 12: the mute.
The three cubs walked around, all looking for something to eat. Tiku and Kiki searched the skies, where Tanu searched the ground. "Look," said Tanu, "There are obviously no recent kills to feast on. I'm going for what I've lived on for a while now." He smiled. "Grubs!" Kiki turned around and stared at him. "What?" she said. "Grubs. You know, the little creepy crawly things? They're delicious!" Tanu explained.
"Gross! I'm going to find some real food!" Kiki declared. Tiku sighed and watched as she walked off. Tanu shrugged as he upturned a log and stared at all the different bugs beneath it. "Suit yourself." He said, grabbing pawfuls and eating the bugs. Tiku frowned. Grubs were not his idea of food either. So instead he sat and bathed himself. He licked his paw and then pulled it down over his face. He licked it again and wiped his head. Tiku then turned and began to bathe his body as best he could.
He was really starting to miss his mother. Tiku sighed and looked towards the clouds. His parents smiling faces seemed to form themselves in the clouds above, and then almost as if the wind had pushed them away, they were gone. Tiku sighed. He glanced back up. His ears perked up and he smiled. "Kiki!" He yelled, looking around for her.
Kiki, who was sitting on a log posing as a bridge staring at her reflection, looked up. "Look!" Tiku said, pointing to the sky. Kiki looked up and then smiled, standing up. "Vultures!" She cried, knowing what it meant. "Come on!" Tiku cried, running towards the vultures. "Hey! Wait up!" Tanu yelled, chasing after them.
The cubs crashed through the bushes, mouths watering, stomachs grumbling. What they saw though, was not a regular kill. It was a lioness, barely alive, yet still breathing. The cubs walked over to her. There was a small hole under her leg, right in her chest. Tiku cocked his head at the sight. Blood was all around it. He had never seen something like it before.
"You cubs need to get out of here." The lioness said, her voice scratchy and cracking. Her eyes were glazed with pain. Tiku felt overcome by sadness. "Please," the lioness started. She stopped to take a few breaths. "Take care of my young Bailey, protect him from the." she choked on the last few words. Kiki took a deep breath and then said, "Don't worry, we'll take care of him." The lioness smiled at Kiki. "Beware of the humans, they only wish to do you harm.protect yourselves." the lioness suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes rolled back and her body became stiff.
The cubs knew it was time to leave. They turned and walked off, trying to find Bailey. Tiku was the first to spot him. He was in a patch of long grass that surrounded a tree. He was small, probably only about a month old. "There he is." Tiku said, pointing. Bailey crouched low in the grass, concealing himself. Kiki smiled.
Just then, the low rumbling the cubs were becoming only to familiar with returned. It was really close. "Come on! We have to hide!" Kiki yelled. Tanu ran for the tree, pounced and climbed up into the branches, concealing himself behind the leaves. Kiki and Tiku hid in the grass below with Bailey, telling him to stay quiet and hidden.
The rumbling animal pulled up and then stopped. Two humans got off it and then leaned over the lioness. "Just died a minute or two ago." One said. He had sandy colored hair and brown eyes, Tiku noticed. "Hey Frank, look at her, I think she was nursing a cub." The other said. The one known as Frank stood up. "I think you're right Joe. We don't have time to look for it right now though. Let's get her loaded up and get back to camp. That was my last bullet, and the sun'll be setting soon." Frank said, picking up the body of the dead lioness. He carried her back to the large rumbling animal and put her in it. Then he and Joe climbed in and drove off, the large tires of the truck spitting and spewing dirt all around.
Once the truck was out of sight, Tiku and Kiki ventured forth. Bailey followed them cautiously. "It's ok little one." Kiki said. "We're you're friends." Tiku said. Tanu climbed down out of the tree and shook himself. "Man I hate humans. They come in and interfere with our lives, go around killing us and all. It just ain't right." Tanu shook his head and stared at the now motherless Bailey.
"So, can you tell us what happened?" Kiki asked. Bailey opened his mouth, but nothing but a raspy sort of sound came out. "What about your name?" Tiku said, trying to make sure it was Bailey. Again, the cub said nothing. Tanu's nose crinkled up in disgust. "He's a mute." He said, spitting the words out as if they left a nasty taste on his tongue.
Kiki glanced at Tanu and then turned and offered a smile to Bailey. "Leave him, there's no room for mutes in this world." Tanu said, walking off. Kiki turned, leaving Tiku to watch Bailey. "What?" she said, her tone deep and accusing. "They can't talk, they can't roar or growl or nothing. They're of absolute no use in a pride." Tanu said. "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure we said we'd take care of him." Kiki said. "That was before we found out he was a mute." Tanu said, his voice rising. "I joined this pride of cubs, I'm in charge, and I say we're leaving him." Tanu growled.
Kiki stepped forward. She stood tall, and looked Tanu straight in the eye. "Excuse me?" she said. "You asked to join us. That didn't make you leader. I know what it feels like to lose parents to humans. I am not, under any circumstance, leaving this cub to fend for himself. You don't like mutes? OH well. If you're gonna stay with us, get over it!" She said threateningly. Tanu stepped back and stared at Kiki. He couldn't believe this.
Kiki's eyes dared him to say something against her. He growled low in his throat. "Fine," he said, turning and walking off. Kiki smiled triumphantly. Tiku smiled at her as she walked back over to him. She nuzzled Bailey, who smiled lovingly up at her. "Don't worry Kiddo, you're safe with us." She said. "Come on, let's go find a place to stay for the night." Kiki yawned.
"Already found one," Tanu yelled from a branch on a tree about five feet away. Kiki saw a log positioned over a small pond that led right up into the tree. She smiled. Yes, that tree would do nicely for the night. "Hey Tiku," she said. "Yeah?" Tiku replied. "Put Bailey on my back. I'm gonna carry him to the tree." Tiku shrugged and then grabbed Bailey by the scruff of the neck. He picked him up and gently set him on Kiki's back. Kiki smiled again. "Thanks Tiku." She said. Tiku smiled. "No problem." He said as he followed her and made sure Bailey didn't fall off.
Kiki walked across the log and then jumped across to the tree. Bailey dug his claws into her shoulders to stay on, but she didn't mind. She found a nice, large branch and lay down. Tiku followed and lay down beside her. Bailey fell off Kiki's back and in-between them. He snuggled up and Kiki and Tiku both smiled at each other. Then they laid their heads down and yawning, closed their eyes and fell asleep.
Chapter 12: the mute.
The three cubs walked around, all looking for something to eat. Tiku and Kiki searched the skies, where Tanu searched the ground. "Look," said Tanu, "There are obviously no recent kills to feast on. I'm going for what I've lived on for a while now." He smiled. "Grubs!" Kiki turned around and stared at him. "What?" she said. "Grubs. You know, the little creepy crawly things? They're delicious!" Tanu explained.
"Gross! I'm going to find some real food!" Kiki declared. Tiku sighed and watched as she walked off. Tanu shrugged as he upturned a log and stared at all the different bugs beneath it. "Suit yourself." He said, grabbing pawfuls and eating the bugs. Tiku frowned. Grubs were not his idea of food either. So instead he sat and bathed himself. He licked his paw and then pulled it down over his face. He licked it again and wiped his head. Tiku then turned and began to bathe his body as best he could.
He was really starting to miss his mother. Tiku sighed and looked towards the clouds. His parents smiling faces seemed to form themselves in the clouds above, and then almost as if the wind had pushed them away, they were gone. Tiku sighed. He glanced back up. His ears perked up and he smiled. "Kiki!" He yelled, looking around for her.
Kiki, who was sitting on a log posing as a bridge staring at her reflection, looked up. "Look!" Tiku said, pointing to the sky. Kiki looked up and then smiled, standing up. "Vultures!" She cried, knowing what it meant. "Come on!" Tiku cried, running towards the vultures. "Hey! Wait up!" Tanu yelled, chasing after them.
The cubs crashed through the bushes, mouths watering, stomachs grumbling. What they saw though, was not a regular kill. It was a lioness, barely alive, yet still breathing. The cubs walked over to her. There was a small hole under her leg, right in her chest. Tiku cocked his head at the sight. Blood was all around it. He had never seen something like it before.
"You cubs need to get out of here." The lioness said, her voice scratchy and cracking. Her eyes were glazed with pain. Tiku felt overcome by sadness. "Please," the lioness started. She stopped to take a few breaths. "Take care of my young Bailey, protect him from the." she choked on the last few words. Kiki took a deep breath and then said, "Don't worry, we'll take care of him." The lioness smiled at Kiki. "Beware of the humans, they only wish to do you harm.protect yourselves." the lioness suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes rolled back and her body became stiff.
The cubs knew it was time to leave. They turned and walked off, trying to find Bailey. Tiku was the first to spot him. He was in a patch of long grass that surrounded a tree. He was small, probably only about a month old. "There he is." Tiku said, pointing. Bailey crouched low in the grass, concealing himself. Kiki smiled.
Just then, the low rumbling the cubs were becoming only to familiar with returned. It was really close. "Come on! We have to hide!" Kiki yelled. Tanu ran for the tree, pounced and climbed up into the branches, concealing himself behind the leaves. Kiki and Tiku hid in the grass below with Bailey, telling him to stay quiet and hidden.
The rumbling animal pulled up and then stopped. Two humans got off it and then leaned over the lioness. "Just died a minute or two ago." One said. He had sandy colored hair and brown eyes, Tiku noticed. "Hey Frank, look at her, I think she was nursing a cub." The other said. The one known as Frank stood up. "I think you're right Joe. We don't have time to look for it right now though. Let's get her loaded up and get back to camp. That was my last bullet, and the sun'll be setting soon." Frank said, picking up the body of the dead lioness. He carried her back to the large rumbling animal and put her in it. Then he and Joe climbed in and drove off, the large tires of the truck spitting and spewing dirt all around.
Once the truck was out of sight, Tiku and Kiki ventured forth. Bailey followed them cautiously. "It's ok little one." Kiki said. "We're you're friends." Tiku said. Tanu climbed down out of the tree and shook himself. "Man I hate humans. They come in and interfere with our lives, go around killing us and all. It just ain't right." Tanu shook his head and stared at the now motherless Bailey.
"So, can you tell us what happened?" Kiki asked. Bailey opened his mouth, but nothing but a raspy sort of sound came out. "What about your name?" Tiku said, trying to make sure it was Bailey. Again, the cub said nothing. Tanu's nose crinkled up in disgust. "He's a mute." He said, spitting the words out as if they left a nasty taste on his tongue.
Kiki glanced at Tanu and then turned and offered a smile to Bailey. "Leave him, there's no room for mutes in this world." Tanu said, walking off. Kiki turned, leaving Tiku to watch Bailey. "What?" she said, her tone deep and accusing. "They can't talk, they can't roar or growl or nothing. They're of absolute no use in a pride." Tanu said. "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure we said we'd take care of him." Kiki said. "That was before we found out he was a mute." Tanu said, his voice rising. "I joined this pride of cubs, I'm in charge, and I say we're leaving him." Tanu growled.
Kiki stepped forward. She stood tall, and looked Tanu straight in the eye. "Excuse me?" she said. "You asked to join us. That didn't make you leader. I know what it feels like to lose parents to humans. I am not, under any circumstance, leaving this cub to fend for himself. You don't like mutes? OH well. If you're gonna stay with us, get over it!" She said threateningly. Tanu stepped back and stared at Kiki. He couldn't believe this.
Kiki's eyes dared him to say something against her. He growled low in his throat. "Fine," he said, turning and walking off. Kiki smiled triumphantly. Tiku smiled at her as she walked back over to him. She nuzzled Bailey, who smiled lovingly up at her. "Don't worry Kiddo, you're safe with us." She said. "Come on, let's go find a place to stay for the night." Kiki yawned.
"Already found one," Tanu yelled from a branch on a tree about five feet away. Kiki saw a log positioned over a small pond that led right up into the tree. She smiled. Yes, that tree would do nicely for the night. "Hey Tiku," she said. "Yeah?" Tiku replied. "Put Bailey on my back. I'm gonna carry him to the tree." Tiku shrugged and then grabbed Bailey by the scruff of the neck. He picked him up and gently set him on Kiki's back. Kiki smiled again. "Thanks Tiku." She said. Tiku smiled. "No problem." He said as he followed her and made sure Bailey didn't fall off.
Kiki walked across the log and then jumped across to the tree. Bailey dug his claws into her shoulders to stay on, but she didn't mind. She found a nice, large branch and lay down. Tiku followed and lay down beside her. Bailey fell off Kiki's back and in-between them. He snuggled up and Kiki and Tiku both smiled at each other. Then they laid their heads down and yawning, closed their eyes and fell asleep.