Hey, I'm on a roll! Yay!
Vote count thus far: With the Wind - 2 Out of the Blue - 0
So far it looks like the story will be re-titled once again. Keep voting, people! And to I Be Guest, the hyena from a few stories back was named Mataka, not Ajuki. Never heard of that name before, really. And whether it was him or not... well, keep reading and you may find out eventually. But the question of who saved Kito is in this chapter... although I will say it wasn't that creature that scared the animal off. You'll have to keep reading to find that out, too. I'm mean that way. ::grin:: I love it.
Chapter 17:
Yasmin paced inside the cave, looking out into the storm. She stopped once in a while to tap her fingers on her arms. She sighed loudly and walked over to an older meerkat with gray head fur. "Sengbe, I'm starting to worry."
"You have enough to worry about with your father's health. Don't add to it by worrying about Sylvester," the older meerkat said.
"He shouldn't be out there in this weather, no matter how hungry he gets. And we heard the Nunda. We never hear the Nunda in this kind of storm."
Sengbe looked out towards the exit, hearing the thunder crash. "He's fine, Yasmin."
"How do you know he's fine?"
Sengbe grinned, "He's my son. He knows how to take care of himself." He exhaled as he looked towards the exit again. "Even in this weather." His brows rose when he noticed a figure running into the cave. "Speak of the devil."
Yasmin turned towards the exit. "Sly! You're--" She stopped herself when she noticed Sly ran into the cave dripping wet and carrying something in his arms. He dropped to his knees and panted deeply. He pushed his free paw to the ground to keep him from falling over. Yasmin and a few other meerkats ran over to him. "Sly!"
"Are you all right?" a meerkat asked.
Sly nodded. "It's no--It's not a good night to--to be running around in a storm," Sly said nearly breathlessly with a grin. The meerkats who went to him smiled and chuckled a bit. "Really windy." Sly swallowed and panted a little less as he revealed what he was carrying. "Especially for a pup." Kito laid in his arms, seemingly asleep.
"That's not one of ours," a meerkat said.
"That poor thing! What was he doing out there?" Yasmin asked as she took Kito from Sly's arms.
"He was chased by an animal, a hyena I think. He was lucky he was stopped where he was," Sly said as he was given a leaf to dry himself off with.
Sengbe approached Sly. "The Nunda?"
Sly nodded, "It scared the animal off." He took Sengbe's offered paw and stood with his assistance. "The pup collapsed right after that, from the shock, I guess."
Yasmin set Kito into a vacant nest. "From the look of the rings under his eyes I'd say he hadn't had much sleep either." She brushed the pup's hair back a bit. "Poor little thing."
"You shouldn't have brought him here, Sylvester," Sengbe said as he turned to walk away.
Sly cringed at the sound of his full name and walked after him. "What was I suppose to do, leave him out there to die? He's just a pup, for crying out loud! He's barely four months old!"
"He's too young to be a rogue, so his parents must be out there wondering where he is."
Sly turned the older meerkat around and growled, "If they're still alive! Otherwise, why would a hyena be after a meerkat pup?"
"A midnight snack."
"Look, I'm not saying I want to keep him, Pop. I just couldn't leave him out there. He's had a near-death experience. At least let him stay here until he gets his strength back."
Sengbe exhaled through his nose. "Until he can tell us himself." He then turned around and walked away.
Sly exhaled through his nose. "Sylvester... ech." He then walked back over towards Yasmin. "So? Any injuries you can see?"
Yasmin looked back at him and then to Kito. "Aside from the cut on his arm, I don't see anything seriously wrong with him outwardly. I just want to know why a pup would be outside in the worst storm of the season."
"Probably the same reason I went out... he probably got hungry."
"So, Sly," Yasmin grinned as she leaned her weight against Sly, "when he comes to, do you want to see if he wants to play 'Tunnel?' You can be the daddy, I'll be the mommy--"
Sly rolled his eyes. "Yasmin, how can you think about that at a time like this? He was out there alone. He may have lost his parents to that hyena or whatever that creep was. Lightning wasn't exactly on our side." He lifted Kito's arm with the cut, showing it to her. "Anyway, that's probably where he got this cut. Playing Tunnel with us as his parents would be the last thing he'd wanna play."
Yasmin straightened herself up. "Just trying to lighten the mood a little, that's all." She sighed softly. "You know I need it."
Sly's expression softened a bit and he put a paw on her shoulder. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's been a rough night and somehow--"
A soft groan from the pup in the nest caught their attention. They turned to him as he opened his eyes. "Bango? Morake?" Kito began to sit, but then he winced and put a paw to his forehead as he laid back down.
"Shh... easy, sweetie. You're safe now. The Nunda can't get you in here," Yasmin said as she brushed some of his damp hair back. "I'll get you some leaves so you don't freeze." She walked away.
"The Nunda?"
"The creature that scared your predator away. It means 'Beast of Prey.' Don't worry, you're safe here," Sly said.
"I don't wanna be safe. I gotta find--" Kito began to sit up again, but was pushed down by Sly.
"You're not going anywhere tonight, pup, not after that scare you had. Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."
Yasmin came back with some leaves and laid them over Kito as a blanket. Kito, too tired and weak to fight back, settled back down to sleep. Yasmin turned back to Sly and grinned, "Hope you don't that I put him in your nest, Sly."
"Nah. He needs it more than I do," Sly shrugged.
"So, uh... wanna stay with me tonight?"
"I'll, uh, have to pass, thanks. Besides, I'm not that tired yet." Sly politely smiled as he turned and walked away.
Yasmin frowned as she watched him leave. "Those old dreams of his..."
To be continued...
I know, I don't really like the name Sylvester, but it was listed as the full name of Sly. After all, just naming a kid Sly? I think it's better as a nickname.