Chapter 21: Home at last
The cub pride crossed the border into the outlands and stopped running, wanting to cool off. They walked slowly, feeling the sun's heat on their backs as they walked. Tiku looked around, he knew he was not in the lone lands yet, and he also knew that they were no longer in the pride lands. He wondered exactly where they were, and how they were going to get to the lone lands.
"I don't like this place," Kiki said, shaking her paw a bit. The ground beneath them was hard and cracked, also hot from the sun's rays beating down on them all day. "Please tell me this isn't the lone lands." Kiki asked, looking at Tiku. Tiku shook his head. "Nope, this isn't the lone lands either," he replied, picking up his feet and doing a little dance. Kiki laughed. Bailey whined as best he could as he to did a little dance. "Aw, come here Bailey, you can ride on my back for now, your paws are more sensitive than ours." Kiki said, helping Bailey climb onto her back.
"I'll be right back," Tiku said, running forward a ways. He sniffed the ground and then looked on. This was the mark, the territory mark between the outlands and the lone lands! "Over here!" he yelled. Kiki jogged to him. He smiled and then crossed the territorial barrier. He pulled her and Bailey across. "Welcome to the lone lands," he said. Kiki looked around. "This is the lone lands?" she asked. "Yup, welcome to my home." Kiki shook her head. "Well, it's not like my home, but it'll do." Bailey climbed off of her back and followed them as they walked off.
Darkness was beginning to descend upon them. "Come on, let's find my cave," Tiku said, running off. Kiki and Bailey followed, running after him. Tiku ran towards a rock formation, then around it. Kiki and Bailey followed.
"Hello?" Tiku called. "Mom? Dad? I'm home! Hey Taka?" he yelled as he walked into the cave. Kiki and Bailey waited outside the cave, unsure about what to do. Tiku emerged after a few minutes with his ears down. "They're not here," he said. "What?" Kiki asked. "I don't understand, where could they have gone?" Tiku sighed. Kiki looked towards the river. She cocked her head a bit and then frowned. "You crossed that river right?" she asked, pointing toward the river.
"Well sort of. I started to and then got up onto a log and floated down to where I met you." Tiku explained. Kiki's ears lay back against her head. "Uh, Tiku, I don't think they knew that." "Huh? What do you mean?" Tiku asked. "Well, you left without telling them right?" Tiku nodded. "Well, since they probably followed your scent to the river, they probably thought there was no way for you to cross it and live, so." she stopped mid- sentence, letting Tiku fill in the rest. "You mean, they think I'm dead?" Kiki nodded. "They, they must've left." he tipped his ears back in sadness and then walked into the cave, a few tears sliding down his cheeks.
Kiki and Bailey followed him, feeling sorry, but unsure of what to do. Kiki sort of knew how he felt, but not quite. She lay down beside him and cuddle up close. "It's alright, tomorrow we'll find them." She said. Tiku smiled at her. "Yeah," he said. Bailey curled up against Kiki and fell asleep. Tiku yawned and laid his head down on his paws and then closed his eyes. Kiki sighed and looked out towards the stars. In her mind she prayed, "Please let us find his parents, or they find us, I'm tired of being so alone, cubs weren't meant to be without parents, please help us."
The cub pride crossed the border into the outlands and stopped running, wanting to cool off. They walked slowly, feeling the sun's heat on their backs as they walked. Tiku looked around, he knew he was not in the lone lands yet, and he also knew that they were no longer in the pride lands. He wondered exactly where they were, and how they were going to get to the lone lands.
"I don't like this place," Kiki said, shaking her paw a bit. The ground beneath them was hard and cracked, also hot from the sun's rays beating down on them all day. "Please tell me this isn't the lone lands." Kiki asked, looking at Tiku. Tiku shook his head. "Nope, this isn't the lone lands either," he replied, picking up his feet and doing a little dance. Kiki laughed. Bailey whined as best he could as he to did a little dance. "Aw, come here Bailey, you can ride on my back for now, your paws are more sensitive than ours." Kiki said, helping Bailey climb onto her back.
"I'll be right back," Tiku said, running forward a ways. He sniffed the ground and then looked on. This was the mark, the territory mark between the outlands and the lone lands! "Over here!" he yelled. Kiki jogged to him. He smiled and then crossed the territorial barrier. He pulled her and Bailey across. "Welcome to the lone lands," he said. Kiki looked around. "This is the lone lands?" she asked. "Yup, welcome to my home." Kiki shook her head. "Well, it's not like my home, but it'll do." Bailey climbed off of her back and followed them as they walked off.
Darkness was beginning to descend upon them. "Come on, let's find my cave," Tiku said, running off. Kiki and Bailey followed, running after him. Tiku ran towards a rock formation, then around it. Kiki and Bailey followed.
"Hello?" Tiku called. "Mom? Dad? I'm home! Hey Taka?" he yelled as he walked into the cave. Kiki and Bailey waited outside the cave, unsure about what to do. Tiku emerged after a few minutes with his ears down. "They're not here," he said. "What?" Kiki asked. "I don't understand, where could they have gone?" Tiku sighed. Kiki looked towards the river. She cocked her head a bit and then frowned. "You crossed that river right?" she asked, pointing toward the river.
"Well sort of. I started to and then got up onto a log and floated down to where I met you." Tiku explained. Kiki's ears lay back against her head. "Uh, Tiku, I don't think they knew that." "Huh? What do you mean?" Tiku asked. "Well, you left without telling them right?" Tiku nodded. "Well, since they probably followed your scent to the river, they probably thought there was no way for you to cross it and live, so." she stopped mid- sentence, letting Tiku fill in the rest. "You mean, they think I'm dead?" Kiki nodded. "They, they must've left." he tipped his ears back in sadness and then walked into the cave, a few tears sliding down his cheeks.
Kiki and Bailey followed him, feeling sorry, but unsure of what to do. Kiki sort of knew how he felt, but not quite. She lay down beside him and cuddle up close. "It's alright, tomorrow we'll find them." She said. Tiku smiled at her. "Yeah," he said. Bailey curled up against Kiki and fell asleep. Tiku yawned and laid his head down on his paws and then closed his eyes. Kiki sighed and looked out towards the stars. In her mind she prayed, "Please let us find his parents, or they find us, I'm tired of being so alone, cubs weren't meant to be without parents, please help us."