Chapter 17 - The Rise of Archer:

"It's so nice to go food gathering together," Kala smiled as she, Jane and Terk with Keke on her back walked through the lush jungle together. The humans had returned a few days prior and everyone was ecstatic to have them back. Kala was particularly relieved at the return of her son. Even though she completely trusted Jane and Archimedes, she did have a nagging worry in the back of her mind that they would leave for the Jane's homeland.

The gorillas marvelled at the strange things that the humans had bought back especially the chickens and goats, all of them staring at each other in wonder and suspicion. Tarzan laughed as he surprised Tantor with not one but three whole sacks of peanuts as a thank you for all his help! Tantor looked as if he was going to positively explode with joy and had to force himself not to gobble up his precious gift in one go!

"Yeah just us gals, who needs Tarzan now we have Archer here!" Terk grinned; Archer now being her pet name for Jane. Jane smiled wistfully as she reminisced about Tarzan surprising her with the unexpected gift. Jane had squealed in pure delight as she tore open the brown paper packaging to reveal the beautifully crafted bow and quiver full of arrows.

"Oh Tarzan!" she gushed as she flung her arms around him."This is so thoughtful of you! How did you know that I like archery?"

"Your father told me. I thought you could use it as extra protection you know," Tarzan smiled, delighted that Jane loved her gift.

"Well I haven't done it in a couple of years," Jane replied as she pulled back the bowstring, "I'll be a bit rusty. I feel so bad though, I didn't get you a present."

"It's alright," Tarzan's fingertips touched Jane's chin, "your happiness is your gift to me."

Jane commenced her reintroduction to archery the very next day, almost bounding out of their nest at first light, eager to start. Whilst Archimedes and Tarzan constructed and painted some targets for her to practice with, Jane took the bow and used it to exercise and build up her arm muscles again. Her arms hurt like hell but she knew that the pain would be worth it.

All the gorillas, Tarzan, Archimedes and Tantor crowded to watch as Jane went to shoot her first ever target in over two years. Jane stood perpendicular to the target, placing her feet shoulder width apart, her body standing upright without tension. She pointed the bow towards the ground, elegantly taking an arrow from her quiver and nocked it. Using three of her fingers she gracefully drew back the bowstring until her hand reached her 'anchor point' whilst raising the bow.

You could hear a pin drop as everyone watched in silence, Jane's eyes filled with steely determination as she focused on the target. She quickly released the arrow, everyone staring in suspense as it whistled through the air. "Well done Jane!" Archimedes cried as the arrow hit the outer red ring of the target, not bad for her first try in so long!

Jane practiced for hours, her shooting getting better and better with every try. Soon enough she was consistently hitting bullseyes with targets set at over 100 yards away. "Can you teach me Jane?" Tarzan asked, fascinated as Jane confidently hit another bullseye.

"Of course!" Jane was more than happy to share her love of archery with her husband. He was so strong and skilled with his knife and spear; a bow should be a fun challenge for him.

"Watch it!" Gobu shouted as an arrow bounced off the trees and impaled the ground inches from his feet! Jane was a patient teacher, calmly explaining each step but every arrow that Tarzan fired seemed to shoot off in wild, uncontrolled directions!

"Hey!" Terk snapped as another arrow zipped past her nose! "Tarzan buddy I would like to keep my head in one piece if you don't mind! Jane please make him stop before someone loses an eye!"

"Perhaps you better stick with your weapons and I with mine dear," Jane patted her husband's shoulder softly. Tarzan nodded resignedly, frustrated that he couldn't get to grasps with the weapon but a tender kiss from Jane quickly quelled his feelings of failure and disappointment.

"Yes," Jane smiled gently as she stopped daydreaming, "it's nice to have some time away from the boys." Jane had to force herself from grinning like a little excited girl. It had been over a week since she missed her third course. She was now absolutely sure that she was with child and planned to tell Tarzan first over a special dinner that night. The girls gossiped away as they made their way to their favourite fruit gathering spot, Jane carrying her bow and quiver on her back and a basket in her arms that she wove using palm tree leaves.

"Here we are!" Terk rubbed her hands together in glee as they entered the fruit tree grove, "Come to Mama!" As they picked the fruit, Jane practiced in her head of how she was going to tell Tarzan that she was pregnant again.

"Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum!" Keke ran over and tugged at Terk's arm, "There's something strange in that tree over there!"

"Ew! That's revolting!" Terk squirmed as they looked up at the tree, a deer like creature draped over its branches. Its half-eaten flesh was rotting and crawling with maggots, the smell of decay emitting from it was potent.

"Poor thing," Jane said sadly as she gazed up as the dead creature, "I think it has been up there for a few days."

"You think whoever was eating it could have finished it! Don't they know its bad manners to not finish their dinner?" Terk exasperated as Keke buried her face into her mother's thick hair.

"This is a leopard's doing," Kala's face became very serious, "it might come back to finish it. We better get going!"

Terk scooped up Keke as they went to hurry out of the fruit grove. Jane followed them but realised that the little doll she had bought from the market had fallen out of her skirt and onto the ground. "You go, I'll catch up!" she called to them as she picked up the doll. But as she looked up a leopard, baring its teeth stood inches from her face!

"Err hello," Jane stuttered. All the blood seemed to drain from her body whilst the leopard hissed at her.

"Well, well," the leopard sneered, "what do we have here? Planning to steal my dinner weren't you, you little thief!"

"Oh gosh no no," Jane gabbled as the leopard circled her, its tail brushing against her legs, "we are mostly vegetable and fruit eating creatures! We, we have no interest in your loving rotting deer, so we best be going!"

As Jane turned to leave, the leopard pinned down the hem of her skirt making Jane fall to the ground. "Hold on... I know you...you're Tarzan's mate aren't you?

"Er yes, Jane Catherine Porter actually."

"I am Shabeel, Sabor's former mate, King of the Leopards. The same leopard that your mate Tarzan murdered in cold blood!"

"Oh, oh I don't, don't think 'murdered' is the right word," Jane stammered, her heart racing a mile a minute, "it was more like protecting the family."

"I have always wanted to avenge his death! Kill Tarzan, a king for a king… but I think I can make an exception with a queen!" Shabeel seethed nastily. Jane's eyes widened in horror as Shabeel roared, paw raised, claws exposed, ready to swipe when a mango hit her face!

"Run Jane! Run!" Terk screamed as the leopard roared in anger, wiping the pulp off her face with her paw.

Jane ran as fast as she could, ignoring the splitting pain in her side as she ran for the nearest tree! As she reached the foot of the tree, she loaded her bow and fired an arrow at Shabeel. The arrow whizzed right near the leopard's face. "You are dead Jane Porter!" Shabeel growled furiously as she saw that the arrow tip had grazed her shoulder. Jane climbed the tree as quickly as she could, Shabeel not far behind her. Her feet slipped on the moss of the trunk and a few arrows fell out of her quiver. When she reached the nearest branch she fired another arrow down at the leopard, but her shaking hands made her miss by a long shot. Shabeel let out a cruel and taunting laugh, amused at Jane's desperately pathetic attempts to kill her.

Jane looked around wildly and saw a vine hanging in front of the end of the branch. As Shabeel climbed onto the branch, Jane ran at full pelt and grabbed the vine, swinging through the air at a fantastic speed! But using the bow had exhausted her arms; Jane's heart was in her mouth as her fingers slowly began to lose their grip! Jane screamed helplessly as her hands inevitably let go of the vine!

"Auntie Jane!" Keke cried as she watched her tumble through the air, landing with an almighty thud on a large branch of a tree overhead. Jane groaned in pain, clutching her stomach as the rest of the arrows tumbled down below.

"Jane!" Terk shouted anxiously as Jane slowly pulled herself up, the pain in her side sharp and unbearable. As she rubbed her pounding head, she heard a loud snarl from above.

"So it has come to this," Shabeel purred sinisterly as she sat on a branch high above, "I didn't think it would be this easy! Sabor once told me that man flesh was the best thing he had ever tasted…now I get to do the same!"

Jane's eyes widened in both anger and fear as she recognised that Shabeel was talking about Tarzan's parents! Her hand reached for her quiver and realised to her horror that she had no arrows left! She was truly and utterly doomed!

"So long Jane Porter," Shabeel jeered as she prepared to pounce, "it has been a pleasure hunting you!"

"Jane!" she heard a voice shout and saw Kala on a branch below her. "Catch!" Kala yelled as she threw an arrow up to Jane with all her strength. As she caught it in her hand, Jane heard a blood-curdling roar as Shabeel leapt down from her branch, lunging towards her! Jane loaded the arrow into her bow, and faster than a speeding bullet she fired the arrow up into the air, hitting right between Shabeel's eyes! Shabeel screamed as she plummeted through the canopy, hitting the ground with an earth shuddering thud!

"Jane! Oh Jane!" the gorillas cried in relief as she slowly climbed her way down the tree.

"Are you alright Jane?" Kala asked as she gently hugged her, tears welling in their eyes.

"I'm fine, just a bit bruised that's all."

"See I told ya," Terk grinned, placing the dropped arrows into Jane's quiver, "who needs Tarzan when we have Archer here! Your mate better watch out, he has some serious competition!"

"I highly doubt that Terk," Jane laughed which made her chest ache, "it was just beginner's luck. Tarzan has raw talent!"

"Auntie Jane, you were AMAZING! I can't believe you killed a leopard!" Keke squealed in delight as she danced around Jane's feet.

"Yes," Jane said slowly, "I guess I did." They stared at the dead Shabeel for a minute. It was a rather chilling sight; the leopard's eyes were wide open and its head lying in a pool of blood.

"Let's get out here," Kala shivered, "before any more of them show up!"

"Hey guys, how was your fruit gathering?" Tarzan gave a friendly smile when he saw the girls entering the nesting area.

"It was amazing Uncle Tarzan!" Keke cried, bouncing up and down like a ball, "This leopard showed up and -"

"Leopard?!"

"Yes Shabeel and Auntie Jane killed it with her bow! You should have seen it!"

"Jane dear are you alright?" Tarzan took Jane's hands, still slightly trembling.

"I'm alright love, just a bit scratched up that's all. I guess now that Shabeel is dead, the leopards will keep away from us," Jane felt her heartbeat calm down as Tarzan gently rubbed the tops of her hands with the pads of his thumbs.

"I am afraid not," Tarzan shook his head, "they will want revenge for this. We must have a family meeting."

Tarzan gathered the gorillas together and told them of Jane's battle with Shabeel. "The leopards will be angry," Gobu grunted, "we must move to a new nesting place at once!" Commotion erupted amongst the gorillas, all panicking and arguing amongst themselves.

"Gobu is right," Tarzan declared calmly, "the leopards will come after us. If we leave now it will make it more difficult for them to find us, then they might just give up."

"Everyone I want to apologise," Jane limped into the middle of the meeting, "if it weren't for me then we wouldn't be in this terrible mess!"

"It's not your fault Jane," Tarzan reassured her, "we don't blame you for what happened."

"That's right Jane," Gobu agreed, "You were protecting the family. If it weren't for you goodness knows what would have happened to my Terk and Keke!"

"Or Kala," Tarzan added, "You saved my mother's life Jane. We are all grateful to you." The guilt inside Jane subsided a little whilst the injury in her side to continue releasing sharp shoots of pain.

"We'll head upriver. We should be safe there for the meantime." Tarzan decided and all the gorillas grunted in agreement.

"I'll take Jane to the treehouse son," Kala offered, "The Professor and I will take care of her."

"I'll come back first thing tomorrow morning," Tarzan tucked a loose strand of hair behind Jane's ear. "I promise," he said, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"I know," Jane smiled, "Daddy will patch me up. I'll be right as rain in no time." She leaned in and kissed him lovingly on the lips.

"Here we go, I know we have it somewhere," Archimedes riffled through a box of glass bottles and finally pulled out a dark green one in colour. A dark brown liquid poured out of it onto a cloth that he held in his hand. "Nothing a little iodine won't cure!"

"Owwwww!" Jane yelped as her father applied the antiseptic to her scratched arms and legs.

"I know it stings Janey dear but better to have a little pain now then it go septic later," Archimedes told her wryly as he kept applying the iodine.

"I know Daddy," Jane winced, "but perhaps you could invent a less stinging version?"

"All done, now let's look at that lower torso," Archimedes put down the bottle and Jane lifted her blouse to up her bound breasts. The left side of her ribcage was almost black and purple with bruises.

"Well luckily my dear none of your ribs are broken," Archimedes said as he examined Jane, his daughter gritting her teeth against the pain. "They are significantly bruised though."

"How is the patient Professor?" Kala asked, entering the treehouse as Jane was lowering her blouse.

"She needs lots of rest, so that the bruising can heal," Archimedes told her as he took Jane's hand and helped her into bed, "and no fighting leopards for a while eh?"

"Chew on this Jane," Kala handed Jane a gnarly looking root, "it's a magolo root, we gorillas eat it when we are sick or injured. It takes the pain away."

Jane took the root and chewed on it, expecting it to taste foul and bitter as most English medicines did. But it didn't, it tasted sweet and aniseed in flavour, almost like liquorice! "I feel it working," she smiled as the waves of pain in her ribs subsided a little.

"Fascinating!" Archimedes pondered curiously, "I must test this magolo root and its pain killing properties! This could be the next medicinal breakthrough!"

"I'll get you some more!" Kala chuckled, "You will need plenty more of it Jane and I'll get some for you too Professor."

"Daddy, what about the baby?" Jane whispered after Kala left to get some more roots.

"Have you had any bleeding or pains?" Archimedes asked nervously, the bruising on Jane's torso was considerable. There was a good chance that something might have happened to the baby. Jane pulled back the covers and exposed her belly which was now displaying a small bump. Archimedes took out a stethoscope and placed it on Jane's stomach. Jane flinched at the coolness of the metal as her father quietly searched for a heartbeat.

"Anything?" she demanded as the tension and the silence of the treehouse became utterly unbearable.

"Nothing," Archimedes shook his head, "but that doesn't mean anything. You are still very early Jane; you normally cannot hear a heartbeat until much later in a pregnancy." Jane placed a hand on her belly and closed her eyes desperately. She could not lose her baby, not this time, not again.

"We just have to wait and see Jane. We must pray to God and hope that the baby is alright," Archimedes placed a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. Archimedes was not a religious man, back in England he went to church only to avoid societal disapproval whilst thoroughly believing in theory of evolution. Now all of his scientific reasoning and rational thinking disappeared of the window. The thought of his daughter loosing another baby was unthinkable and he knew deep down that Jane would not be able to cope with another loss.

"Hold on darling," Jane whispered to her baby, "please, please just hold on."

Jane spent the next few days recuperating in bed, resting, sleeping and reading. She regularly chewed on the magolo root which did wonders for her injuries. Archimedes was amazed at how the root actually sped up her healing. Normally it took weeks for bruises to disappear but they had significantly faded in days! They waited and watched with bated breath for any signs of a miscarriage but none came and when Jane saw her belly continue to swell, she cried with joy as she saw that her baby was still alive and safe.

However Tarzan had not returned as he promised. Jane asked Archimedes every day if he had seen her husband but every time her father would shake his head. One day Jane decided to get out of bed and go out on the balcony. She rested her hands on the rail as she listened intently for Tarzan's renowned cry. But all she heard was lilting birdsong and the whooping of monkeys.

"I see you are feeling a lot better Jane," Kala came out onto the balcony, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You would know if Tarzan is in trouble wouldn't you? I thought he would be back now." Jane made a sad and worried sigh; it was so unlike him to break a promise.

"Don't worry Jane, I'm sure Tarzan is alright," Kala reassured her, "I'm sure he would not have come back without a good reason."

Jane nodded and Kala carefully helped her back to bed. She tried to take her mind off things by reading another chapter of 'Great Expectations' whilst chewing on some more magolo root. At lunchtime her father gave her a glass of fresh goat's milk with boiled eggs from the chickens and soldiers from some bread that he had made. The food was delicious and Jane was glad that spoils from the port were worth the arduous journey. Afterwards she decided to sketch Tarzan from memory but the mixture of food and her injury made her feel sleepy. Jane tried hard to stay awake but body soon won over mind as she fell into a deep afternoon slumber, the pencil falling out of her hand and rolling across the floorboards.

Jane felt a soft stroking motion across her forehead and hair and smiled in her sleep at the gentleness of the touch. As she slowly opened her eyes she saw her husband gazing down at her, carefully stroking her hair. "Jane," he said softly, his eyes full of love and relief at seeing her alive and well.

"Tarzan, where have you been? I have been worried sick about you!"

"I'm sorry Jane, the leopards nearly tracked us down so we had to split up and regroup and then go a different route than to what we planned. I came back as soon as I could."

"Are the gorillas alright?"

"Yes they are fine, we are all fine. What about you?"

"Oh I'm alright. Kala has been giving me that magolo root, Daddy is experimenting with it. Thinks it is some kind of miracle drug!"

Jane and Tarzan sat on the bed together for a while in a contented silence, Tarzan holding Jane in his arms, kissing the top of her head. Jane looked down at her belly and realised it was time to tell her husband the truth. "Tarzan darling," Jane took a deep breath as she faced him, "I need to tell you something…I haven't been honest with you. I, I have been lying to you."

Tarzan stared at Jane in disbelief. He never thought his wife would ever be dishonest with him. He felt his palms began to sweat as he wondered on what and why Jane would deceive him.

"You know that you got me the bow as a present?"

"Yes?"

"And I told you that I felt guilty that I didn't get you a present too."

"Yes?"

"Well I lied. I did get you a present."

"You did!" Tarzan became excited, "Can I see it? Can I open it?"

"Yes, but you must close your eyes and NO peeking!"

Tarzan shut his eyelids tight as he could as he waited for his gift. Jane quietly took his hand and smiled in delight.

"Alright you can open them now sweetheart."

Tarzan opened his eyes, confused at first as the treehouse looked no different and Jane was not holding a gift in her lap. Then he saw where his wife had placed his hand. He noticed that her normally flat stomach was now swollen and possessed a distinct curve.

"Jane is it, is it, is it?" words failed Tarzan as he looked into his wife's eyes brimming with tears of joy.

"Yes," Jane's face was one of absolute happiness, "I didn't want to tell you until I was absolutely sure but yes I'm pregnant! We're having a baby Tarzan!" Tarzan grabbed Jane in his arms and held her tight. Tears flowed down their cheeks as they both cried in delight. Tarzan cupped Jane's face and kissed her passionately. This was truly the best gift he could ever receive and nothing could surpass this precious, most wondrous moment…finding out that he at long last was going to be a father!