North, Anna and the others were walking along the narrow edge of the jungle, following the currents of the river below. Mattias paused for a moment, glancing down at the Ravine below. It was there he saw the float of crocodiles that were laying over the banks of the ravine below. He looked back at the others.
"Everyone watch your step." He advised them.
Anna, Kristoff and Tadashi paused for a moment, glancing down into the ravine below. At the sight of the Crocodiles below, Kristoff and Anna stared, nervously. They were so large. Seeing them snapping their jaws at one another, the three stared worryingly and in contempt. Even from all the way up at the top of the cliff, they could hear them hissing from below.
The notion that anyone would survive passing through this crocodile float seemed unlikely. One wrong step and someone would be a crocodile's next meal. That begged the question, how was that Jack and that Jungle girl able to get through here?
Kristoff glanced to Anna and Tadashi.
"You don't think...?" he asked, nervously.
Anna shook her head.
"No," she proclaimed, turning to face him.
"No, they had to have made it out. They had to!"
Tadashi peered down at the crocodile float below, examining the float and the speed of the rushing stream. The rapids were moving much to fast for anyone to maneuver through. Let alone try to escape. Even if they could, the crocodiles would be much to quick and could move through the currents easily.
"It doesn't seem likely." Tadashi proclaimed.
Anna glanced to him, squinting her eyes in disbelief.
"Tadashi!" she said.
"I'm not saying they didn't make it, Anna," He insisted to her.
"It just seems unlikely that anyone would be able to survive. Let alone escape the crocodiles."
Anna turned forward, frowning in utter contempt. She shook her head. She couldn't believe that. Her brother had to make it out. He had to.
Though everyone was concerned over Jack and Elsa, Ingrid showed very little concern over the matter. Unlike the others, she could already tell there was no need to worry. The crocodiles below did not feed. They were restless and hungry. Much to her relief. Crocodiles knew not of the law of the jungle and fed upon any who entered their domain. Even more so of man.
"They made it." she insisted to them.
Anna, Tooth, Kristoff and Tadashi glanced at her.
"What?" Tooth asked, curiously.
Ingrid glanced at them.
"They made it out." She said in a sure and confident tone of voice.
"How do you know?" Kristoff asked, curiously.
Anna shook her head. Regardless of how, she had every reason to believe that Ingrid was telling the truth. She had been right about things so far.
"It doesn't matter," she insisted to them.
"We have to find them!"
"Anna, we can't
It was right at that moment that they heard Mattias call them from ahead.
"Everyone, we might have a problem." he called over to them.
The group turned and gazed off in the direction of North's voice. They turned and rushed over to him, Plowing through the brush, they came out to where North and Mattias were standing.
"North," Tooth asked as she, Anna and the others came up behind them.
"Mattias?"
It was there that they saw them looking out over the river. They glanced to where they were looking, where they saw their current predicament. The river took two separate paths. One lead further on. While the other seemed to be heading south through the jungle on the other side.
Kristoff frowned, putting his hands over the back of his head.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." He said.
Anna stepped over next to her Uncle, standing over the edge of the ravine. Her hopes of finding her brother and Elsa now face a much harder obstacle then before. With the river taking two separate paths, there was no telling which way it had taken them.
"Great, just great," Kristoff said, dropping his arms to his side.
"Now what do we do?"
She glanced back at her Uncle.
"Uncle North?" She asked, curiously.
North glanced unsurely to his niece. Much like her, he was unsure of where they should go. He glanced back to the river. All the while, he pondered over which direction they would go and where it had taken his nephew and the girl. The stream that went on ahead went on for miles through the jungle. And there were more crocodile floats that way. But the stream ahead seemed to be heading south, toward the mountains.
North narrowed his eyes. It was now apparent that they were faced with a dilemma.
"I- I'm don't know." he insisted to his niece.
"There's got to be a way across," Anna proclaimed, glanced around the Ravine.
"A bridge or a... maybe a tree we can crossover."
North shook his head. If they went that way, they won't be able to follow. There was no way across the ravine. There were no bridges for miles around this part of the region.
"There's no bridges for miles." he insisted to his niece.
Anna stared in awe and disbelief at her uncle. She then turned, gazing out toward the stream ahead of her. She stared in contempt, wondering where they were and if they were safe. Tooth came up beside her, placing her hands over her shoulders. Anna turned to her aunt before leaning up against her. All in an effort to comfort her niece. Much like her, she hoped that Jack was okay.
Kristoff and Tadashi glanced at North in awe. Kristoff then groaned in frustration.
"Damn it!" He cursed, turning to face toward the jungle.
"Great, that just great!"
He narrowed his eyes, placing his hands over his hips. He then sighed in contempt. It was another dead end. Here they were, on the run from a bunch of mercenaries. Trying to find Jack and the jungle girl. Only to run into another dead end.
It was beginning to feel that all the odds were against them.
Tooth glanced back at North.
"North, what do we do?" She asked, curiously.
North shook his head.
"I don't know." he answered.
Balto and Jenna stared up at the group, overhearing what they were saying. Jenna frowned, narrowing her eyes in contempt. Balto turned to her, staring sullenly to her. Understanding how it was that she felt. For her owner to be lost somewhere in the jungle and for her to be unable to do anything about it.
It was right at that moment that Balto's ear twitched as the rustling sound behind them. He cocked his head, glancing back to the foliage behind them. He squinted his eyes, scanning the leaves. He paused, noticing something moving beyond the leaves. The husky hybrid turned, leaning his head forward.
He peered forward to what was beyond the foliage. It was moving toward them, slowly, crouching down behind the cover of the foliage. As it became closer, he noticed it was holding up a long black object...
Balto widened his eyes. He turned back and scurried up to North, Ingrid and the others, barking to them. North and others glanced back to the Husky Hybrid.
"Balto?" North said.
They Husky hybrids continued to bark at them.
"Balto, keep it down!" Kristoff said, glancing around at the jungle.
But even still Balto continued to bark, speaking in the language of his people. A language of which could only be understood by Ingrid, who then glanced up at the nearby foliage. Where she saw the mercenary, aiming it's gun toward them. She gasped.
"LOOK OUT!" she exclaimed, turning to Anna and Tooth.
She quickly pushed them aside as the Mercenary opened fire upon them. North, Mattias and Kristoff quickly leaped in the opposite direction as the bullets struck the ground where they once stood. They got back up quickly and ran for the nearby jungle. Kristoff turned back to Anna and Tadashi, who made their way into the jungle in the opposite direction.
"Anna!" He called them.
"Tadashi!"
The two of them glanced back to them only a short while. Only to then hear the Mercenaries emerge from the foliage off to their left. They turned and saw several of Hans's hired soldiers emerge from the bush. The three quickly turned and went off into the jungle along with the adults.
"Spread out!" One of the Mercenaries ordered, glancing to the others.
"Find them!
The mercenaries then spread out as they pursued them through the jungle.
Anna Tooth, Tadashi and Ingrid continued running through the jungle, plowing through the foliage. Tooth then paused for a moment, gazing back at her niece, Tadashi and Ingrid, who stopped behind them. She then turned forward, glancing in each direction, trying to decide where to go.
They could hear the voices of the Mercenaries echoing from afar. Anna and Tadashi glanced back, nervously. They were getting closer.
"Aunt Tooth?" She said, glancing back at her.
Tooth glanced to her right before coming to a decision. She glanced back at her niece.
"This way!" she said, grabbing Anna's hand.
She then turned and ran off through the foliage as Tadashi and Ingrid followed. They plowed through the foliage, clawing their way past the leaves and branches. After a short while and at the thought of being far enough away, the four then stopped to catch their breath.
Tooth glanced back in the direction they came. There was no sign of the Mercenaries. Nor could they hear them anymore. She breathed a sigh of relief, narrowing her head.
"Did we lose them?" Anna asked, glancing to her Aunt.
Tooth nodded her head.
"I think so." she insisted to them.
It was then that Anna heard Jenna whimpering next to her. She glanced down at her, narrowing down to the red and white husky.
"Don't worry, girl," she said, placing her hand over her back.
"Everything is going to be okay."
Tooth squinted her eyes, curiously. She glanced around, noticing that North, Mattias, Kristoff and Balto were missing.
"Wait," she said, looking back at Anna, Tadashi and Ingrid.
"Where's everyone else?"
Anna and Tadashi glanced back in the direction they came.
"We saw Kristoff and the others go the other way." Tadashi claimed, pointing back the way they came.
"We have to go back to them!" Anna insisted to her aunt.
There was a sudden sound of gunfire off in the distance. Anna and Tooth both gasped, glancing off in the direction it came. They then heard it again. Several shots were fired in the distance.
The mercenaries continued to pursue North, Kristoff, Balto and Mattias. Raising his AK, one of them fired at the three. Kristoff gasped as a bullet struck the tree near him, causing him to narrow down. He glanced back at the mercenaries, who continued firing at them. Kristoff ducked down as the bullets flew past him, Mattias and North.
The three of them came to a large tree root protruding from the ground. The four of them quickly came around the root and took cover behind it. He leaned back up against the tree root, trying to catch his breath. When he then heard the voices of the mercenaries.
"This way!" one of them called out.
Kristoff opened his eyes. He glanced around the corner, where he saw them coming toward them. He came back around the tree, glancing to North and Mattias.
"They're coming!" he exclaimed in a whispering tone.
North cocked his head, holding his rifle close to him. Mattias glanced up to him before narrowing his eyes, noticing the rifle he was holding.
"Wait, you had your rife the whole time?!" Mattias said, glancing up at him.
North glanced down to his rifle.
"Oh..." He said in realization.
"Give me that!" He said, snatching the rifle from his hands.
Mattias came around the corner of the root, holding up the rifle. Just as one of the Mercenaries emerged from the brush, Mattias pulled the trigger and fired. The Mercenary was struck in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The Mercenary behind him raised his gun and fired back.
Mattias quickly hid back behind the tree root, glancing to North and Kristoff.
"This way!" he said, before he turned and ran forward.
North, Balto and Kristoff followed after him. Just as the other Mercenary appeared from around the root, Mattias quickly turned back and fired at him. The bullet struck the root next to him, causing the hired soldier to take cover. He then turned and followed the others into the jungle.
Listening to the continuous gun fire in the distance, Anna and Tooth began worrying for the others. They heard another short call. But it sounded different from the Mercenaries AKs. It sounded like North's rifle. They must have got into a gun fight with the Mercenaries.
Anna narrowed her eyes, nervously. She hoped that they were okay and they had gotten away. But even still, they had to go find them. They might have North's gun, but that would only last them for so long. Once they run out of bullets, they would be just as helpless as they are now.
Anna turned back to her Aunt.
"We have to go back for them!" Anna complained to her aunt.
Tooth placed her hands over her niece's shoulder, turning her to face her.
"Anna, no," she insisted to her.
"It's too dangerous. We have to keep moving, find somewhere safe."
"They could be in danger!" Anna continued to plead with her Aunt.
The mere thought of the others in danger was as concerning for her as it was her nice. But even still, Tooth shook her head. There was nothing they could do to help the others. Not without a gun. They had to keep going and get somewhere safe. It's what they would have wanted them to do.
"I know, I know," She insisted.
"But we can't just go searching for them with the Mercenaries out there. We have to find somewhere safe."
Ingrid came up to them.
"Your Aunt is right," Ingrid insisted to her.
"They'll still be searching for us. We can't go back."
Anna narrowed her eyes, feeling so conflicted. She knew that her Aunt was right. It was too dangerous for them to go looking for them on their own. Especially with the Mercenaries out there. But even still, she wanted to go and find her brother and the others. Regardless of the Mercenaries and if they were armed with guns. All she wanted was to to find her friends and family.
Jenna ear then twitched at the sound of rustling in the foliage somewhere off in the jungle. She turned, beginning to whimper as she backway. Everyone glanced to her, curiously.
"Jenna, what wrong?" she asked, curiously.
Tadashi suddenly heard a nearby rustling in the foliage. He paused for a moment, glancing back into the jungle. It was there he noticed something was moving toward them.
"Uh... guys." he said, glancing back at them.
Tooth, Ingrid and Anna glanced back at Tadashi, where they saw them staring off into the foliage. It was then they noticed the rustling of the foliage. It was getting closer. Ingrid turned, peering out toward the foliage. She scanned the foliage and noticed something was moving toward them. She then gasped, realizing who it was.
She turned back to the others.
"Run!" she exclaimed.
The mercenaries raised their guns and were about to open fire on them. Tooth gasped as she pulled Anna down.
"Look out!" she cried.
Just as their AK's went off, Tadashi and Ingrid ducked down from the firing. As the bullets flew above them, Tooth stood up with Anna and ran off into the jungle. Tadashi and Ingrid followed afterwards. Though just as she was to follow them into the foliage, she then paused for a moment. Just as they disappeared into the foliage, she glanced off to her right. This was the perfect opportunity she needed to break away.
Her disappearance could be easily explained as getting separated. Nor would she have to worry about the Mercenaries looking for her. They would conclude that she would have gotten lost in the jungle. And while it wasn't right of her to abandon the others, there was no other choice. She was the only one who could find the girl before them. With the mercenaries following them, it wouldn't be long before they catch them.
She glanced back at the direction the others went.
"I'm sorry." she said.
She turned and disappeared into the jungle.
Tooth, Anna, Jenna and Tadashi plowed through the foliage, clawing their way through the leaves and palms. Glancing back behind them, Tadashi then noticed that Ingrid was no longer behind him.
"Wait, where's Ingrid?!" He said as he then paused.
"She was right behind me a minute ago."
Anna, Jenna and Tooth stopped as they glanced back to Tadashi. They scanned the foliage around them, but saw no sign of her anywhere. They must have gotten her back in the clearing. Though they had little time to think about it, as more bullets flew overhead. They ducked down. glancing back the way they came and saw the Mercenaries coming toward them.
Tooth, Anna and Tadashi turned and continued to run through the jungle. Plowing through the lush foliage, brushing the leaves and Branches to the side. All the while, they could hear the crackling of the Mercenaries AK's from behind. The three of them continued ducking down their heads, avoiding the firing. The bullets they fired flung passed them, hitting against the nearby trees. The leaves and foliage around them were cut down by the firing.
But as they continued to run, the firing had suddenly stopped. Tadashi raised his head, glancing back in the direction of the soldiers. They were still following behind them, pursuing them through the jungle. But why did they stop shooting?
Jenna glanced back into the foliage, barking to them. She then turned and ran ahead into the foliage.
"Jenna, wait!" she called to her.
Anna and Tooth followed after her as she disappeared from sight. It wasn't long after that they then emerged from the foliage. And then they froze. There were four other mercenaries, holding their guns to them. One of them was holding onto Jenna's orange bandana, holding her back as she whimpered.
"Jenna!" Anna exclaimed.
"Freeze!" One of them said, pointing his guns at them.
Anna, Tooth and Tadashi raised their hands into the air, complying with the demands of the mercenaries. It was them that the ones pursuing them emerged from the foliage behind them. They held up their guns to them circling around.
"Hey, there were four of them," one of the mercenaries behind them said.
"Where's the other one?"
"She must have gotten lost." The other insisted to them.
"It doesn't matter," Another argued.
"Lets just get these three back back to camp."
He reached down and took the radio from his belt. He pressed the button on the side and held it up to his mouth.
"Mr. Fortrume, we found three of them," he said.
"We're bringing them back to camp."
After some time of running through the jungle, it was then that North, Kristoff, Mattias and Balto emerged into the clearing. They then stopped. They couldn't hear anymore gunfire. And upon scanning the foliage behind them, there was no sign of the mercenaries. North breathed a sigh of relief.
He then glanced at Mattias and Tadashi.
"Everyone alright?" She asked, curiously.
They turned to him, nodding their heads to them.
"Yeah," Kristoff said.
"Yeah, it was good."
It was right at that moment that he noticed several of their group were missing. He glanced around the clearing.
"Tooth?" he called out.
"Anna?!"
Kristoff then stood up.
"We were separated back at the ravine." He claimed to them.
North and Mattias turned to him in shock.
"What!" North exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Mattias asked, curiously.
"I saw Anna and the others go on ahead when the shooting started." Kristoff claimed to them.
North stared at him in disbelief. His wife and niece were now somewhere off in the jungle, alone without him. And after he promised them that he wouldn't leave their side again. With those mercenaries out there looking for them no less.
North turned to Mattias, grabbing his rifle from his hand.
"I'm going back to look for them." he said, opening his rifle as the empty shells fell out.
"North, you can't be serious," Kristoff said.
"We can't take on all those mercenaries on our own!"
Mattias nodded his head in agreement.
"The kid is right, North," Mattias proclaimed to him.
"Those men are armed with AKs. We don't stand a chance."
North finished loading his rifle and clipped it shut. He shook his head, unwilling. This was his own wife and niece in danger, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Not even when the odds were against him.
"That's my Wife and my Niece, Mattias!" he remained Mattias.
"I won't leave them out there!"
Just as he turned to head off, Mattias came up to him and grabbed his rifle.
"You go back there, they will kill you!" Mattias claimed to him.
"Think this through, North!"
North turned forward, narrowing his angered gaze. He knew that he was right. Going back with the mercenaries, he would have no chance. He only had a few bullets left in his pouch. Not enough to take them all on.
As his senses returned, North slowly lowered his rifle. He narrowed his head, frowning. The truth of which he tried to deny was now laid bear before him. His family was in danger and he was powerless to do anything about it.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
Kristoff narrowed his eyes, pondering. Here they were in some remote part of the Jungle. No way for them to find Jack and the jungle girl. All while Anna, Tadashi and the others were as lost as they were. Or were captured or worse.
"So now what?" he asked.
Mattias glanced back to him.
"We have to keep searching for Jack and that girl." He insisted to them.
"How?" Kristoff asked, curiously.
"For all we know, they could have gone down one of those streams back there. Face it, it's hopeless!"
North shook his head.
"No!" He exclaimed, turning back to them.
"No such thing as Hopeless!"
"We can't go back there!" Kristoff insisted to them.
As they continued to argue, Balto stood listening to them. It was then that he sniffed the air, catching a whiff of a familiar scent of which he had been following. He glanced back, continuing to sniff the air. Balto then turned, following the scent. As he continued to sniff the air, he then caught a whiff of another.
It was Jack's and Elsa's!
He scurried over to a clear patch of dirt, where the scent was strong. He gazed down over the earth beneath his paws. Balto then widened his eyes. He glanced back to North, Mattias and Kristoff and began to bark. The three of them glanced back to the wolf hybrid.
"What is it, Balto?" Mattias asked.
Balto barked at him, gesturing his head to the patch of earth of which he stood. Mattias came over to him. He glanced down at the ground, where he then gasped and kneeled down. There were several tracks. Two of which appeared to be human. One bear foot and the other appeared to be wearing boots.
It was them!
They were Jack's and Elsa's. Alongside from what he could tell were...
Mattias widened his eyes.
"Uh, North," He called to them.
"You might wanna take a look at this."
North and Kristoff came up behind him.
"Mattias, what is it?" North asked, curiously.
Mattias glanced back to them.
"Tracks!" he insisted to them
"Their Jack and the girl's. Fresh too."
North and Kristoff widened their eyes.
"What?" Kristoff exclaimed.
"How is that possible?" North asked, curiously.
"They were swept down stream. How could they be here?"
Mattias shook his head. He was just as confused as they were how it was all possible. But regardless of how they ended up here, there was another problem to deal with.
"I don't know," he said.
"But there's something else."
North and Kristoff glanced at him, curiously.
"What is it?" North said, as he and Kristoff came up next to him.
They glanced down to the tracks embedded over the ground. And then they paused. Suddenly any sense of curiosity was replaced with awe and concern. They saw Jack and the girl's. But also the tracks of what looked to be big cats over theirs. Several of them to be exact.
"Are those...?" Kristoff asked, glancing at him.
"Lions," Mattias insisted to him.
"Several of them. Could be a whole Pride."
The very mention of Lions, Kristoff glanced at Mattias in utter contempt.
"Lions," He exclaimed.
"Did you say... lions?"
"Seems that way." Mattias insisted to him.
"And by the looks of it, Jack and the Girl went with them."
Kristoff was dumbfounded at Mattias's answer. As if their situation couldn't be any more worse at this point. Not only was his friend somewhere in the jungle. Now he may be with a pride of lions.
"Well, that's just great." he said, sarcastically.
"The tracks seemed to be leading west," Mattias said, as he stood up off the ground.
"They'll probably heading for the outer plains."
North gazed forward, holding up his hunting rifle in both hands. It was now clear where they had to go to find his nephew. If there was a chance of getting his wife and niece back, they had to take it. Regardless of the danger.
(One chapter left for this story. Then we move on to the final chapter to Legend begins.)
