II

Taking Off

He blinked, watching as two servals sunbathed together. Kiro and her mother lie a quarter mile or so away, neither noticing Ziku's scent. The winds were in his favor. He licked his dry lips as he lie on his belly in the dirt, waiting, watching. Just a couple hours ago, he had left the territory from where he was born, for the last time. Now he was but two miles away, waiting for his chance to meet up with Kiro. Was it selfish that he was going to ask her to leave with him? Though Kiro was an adolescent, she still had a few more full moons on her to go before complete independence. After all, female servals usually stayed longer with their mothers, and could even stay until they themselves were ready to be mothers.

A few more minutes of silence went by, before one of the females lazily pushed herself from the earth, yawned, stretched, and then began toward the stream - the same stream that if followed for a couple miles westward, would lead straight back to Yisha's territory. But it wasn't Kiro who had gotten up.

Ziku swore under his breath, watching as the mother left for a bit - he'd have much preferred to stay out of the center of another serval's territory. Still, he took his chance, and leapt up, cantering over to where Kiro lie in sleep.

"Kiro," he hissed, nosing her.

She opened her eyes, and gasped in shock. Quickly, she calmed to see it was just her friend.

"Oh, if it isn't Mama's cub." Kiro huffed, then turned to lie on her other side, facing away from Ziku.

Ziku huffed, then batted a paw playfully at her.

"Ah, c'mon." he pleaded. "Don't be like that." Kiro said nothing, so Ziku took this opportunity. "Listen, something happened today."

"What? You finally grew a brain?" the female snorted. "You'd better get out of here, Ziku...Mother won't like it if you're here." she said in a mock-tone voice, though both knew it was true.

"Look, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. But something very important happened, and now I have to ask you something."

Kiro continued to give him the cold shoulder, though she couldn't help but feel a bit of curiosity tugging at her fur. Finally, after a bit of silence, she rolled over to face him and snap, "Well? What is it?"

Ziku shifted slightly, before continuing. "I'm leaving today, Kiro."

"What? That's great!" she exclaimed in sudden joy -- something Ziku did not expect at all. "Now we can hang out without your family being so uptight!" she went on, jumping up and head-butting him, before nuzzling the male as well. "Of course there's my mother, but she won't matter so much-"

"Kiro!" Ziku hissed - something he rarely did. "That's what I came here for - to ask if you would leave with me."

Silence. The two adolescents seemed to be studying each other, like they had done so many times in the past.

"What are you talking about?" Kiro finally asked. "Go with you? Where?"

"Away." the male quickly answered. "However far it takes to find out what killed my sister."

Kiro shifted, glancing around with a frown. It was obvious she knew nothing that Ziku was feeling - she was a single serval, born to an experienced mother who doted on her day and night. To feel the loss of an only litter-mate, taken by the paws of something that killed for no reason, was something the young sheela would never understand.

"Please," purred Ziku, finally. "I must leave to find out what destroyed my sister's life."

"But what are you talking about? What happened to Oola?"

Ziku cursed himself, forgetting to mention the incident earlier in the day. "It's my sister," he went on. "My mother and I found her dead - torn apart."

Kiro shifted again, still frowning. "Oh...I'm so sorry..." She paused, before adding, "We...we were all born to die, Ziku. We can't help-"

"It's not that!" snarled the male. "My mother has taught me well about the Circle of Life! I know when someone dies - to help another person's life! But Oola died at the paws of something else...something she didn't deserve! She was young and innocent, and is now sent to the stars, without knowing life! Her carcass rots away in my birth-territory, where she lies, open and exposed to the world - eaten only - and only, by the scavengers!"

More silence, before Kiro exclaimed in fear, "What are you talking about? Nothing ate her?"

"NOTHING!" shouted the male.

"But...But what if she had something wrong with her? A lump in her tummy, perhaps - Mother says that's how my aunt died-"

"It's nothing like that!" Ziku hissed, fur now raising on end, in irritation. "She has been sent to the stars for now reason - my sister, Oola, young, innocent, healthy - no reason for her to die! At least if she had been devoured, there would've been a purpose in her death...but there was not even that..."

The two gazed at each other, both filled with grief and surprise.

Suddenly, a spit and a hiss sounded. Ziku jerked his head to see Kiro's mother standing, not more than ten yards away. Her fur was bristled, and her teeth were showing. Ears folding to the back of his head, the adolescent began to back up, staring at the older female now. She began to pad forward, and Ziku knew it was his last chance.

"Come with me," he pleaded, now turning to look at Kiro. "Come with me, Kiro."

Still, the older female was advancing. Ziku knew he could easily take her down with his body size and weight, and yet...it did not seem right to him. As wrong as his sister's death.

"Kiro..." the serval whispered.

Kiro stared back, eyes wide in confusion and disappear.

"I'm headed north," Ziku finally said. "To the north!" he cried out, before taking off.

Ziku pounced passed Kiro's mother, and sprinted into the horizon. He felt the elder female on his heals, but only for a few yards. Soon enough, she vanished, and he was heading into the light. Away from the only lands he knew from his mother, sister, and best friend - the only other animals he ever got to know in life.