Next Chapter: The Truce
A year flew by, and Tarzan, now twelve years old, continued to learn new skills to survive in the jungle among his gorilla family. He grew stronger and wiser with each new adventure, and he was quite content living with his adopted family and never considered the what if that others of his kind might be out there. That was, until one day, a couple families intruded on Kerchak's territory . . .
The gorilla children and adolescents were wrestling and playing as they usually did, laughing as they chased each other around the adults. Terk and Tarzan were playing monkey in the middle with Kaphi, tossing a mango back and forth above her head that she kept trying to catch. After several throws back and forth, Kaphi sat down in frustration and crossed her arms, her amusement in the game long gone.
"It's not funny anymore, guys," Kaphi pouted.
"Come on, you know we're just fooling around," Terk said encouragingly.
"Sorry, sis," Tarzan added, shuffling over to his little sister. "We got a little carried away. Here, you won it."
Tarzan handed the mango to Kaphi, who beamed at him and accepted the fruit, munching into it hungrily.
"She didn't win anything," Terk argued, walking over to Tarzan and Kaphi. "She's supposed to catch it to win it. You always let her off easy, Tarzan, you're getting too soft."
"Am not!" Tarzan said.
"Are too. Softie."
"I'll show you who's soft." Tarzan leaped at Terk, trying to wrestle her to the ground, but Terk still managed to overpower him, and she flipped him over her back before falling on top of him and pinning him down. Tarzan did not give up though, and he struggled to break free of Terk's hold.
Suddenly, there was a loud roar as Kerchak rose and pounded his chest furiously.
Terk jumped away, allowing Tarzan to jump up and look in the direction Kerchak had roared. Through the trees, several apes paused yards back, respecting Kerchak's warning, though there were loud grunts and calls in response.
Everyone looked at Kerchak in question, and the great silverback grunted loudly in return before walking toward the newcomers with cautious steps. Everyone else watched him, staying back in the safety of their territory. Once Kerchak was in front of the other apes, a conversation clearly began, but no one could hear what was being discussed. While most of the family waited patiently, Tarzan's curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly tiptoed over to his father, slinking under the ape and concealing himself behind one of his father's arms, peeking out at the new apes.
There were two large silverbacks standing side by side as they spoke to Kerchak. One silverback had a mate at his side, a light brown female that listened intently to the males while the other silverback had no one at his immediate side, but a small head poked out from behind his massive arm.
It was an adolescent gorilla, near black in color, most likely around Tarzan's age, and the two made eye contact. The other gorilla gasped and jerked back slightly before curiously peering at Tarzan from behind his father's arm.
Tarzan turned his attention to what the silverbacks were saying.
"There are many of them moving deeper into the jungle," one of the silverbacks said. "They come with loud sticks that kill and cages. They have already killed one of our own, Mosi's mate."
"Anuli," the other silverback, Mosi, spoke. "My children are without a mother because of these creatures. They have chased us out of our home range and pushed us into yours. Jaja and his mate, Dola, have been kind enough to accept a truce among our families so we may coincide and share resources, we are hoping that you and yours will open your hearts to do the same."
The young ape hiding under Mosi gently patted on his father's arm, trying to get the bigger ape's attention.
"This year has been plentiful," Kerchak said. "We have plenty of food to go around for all of you while we wait for the jungle to do away with these new creatures."
"If the jungle chases them out," Jaja, the other silverback, said. "What happens if the come deeper into the jungle? We will all be chased from our home. We cannot possibly truce with every silverback family—there isn't enough food."
"Let us focus on now," Jaja's mate, Dola, interrupted. "The children are hungry and tired from the journey. Let them rest. We will discuss these intruders later."
"A wise decision," Jaja agreed. "Then we have a truce, Kerchak?"
"A truce," Kerchak agreed with a dip of his head.
"Dad," the young ape under Mosi yelled. When Mosi glanced down, the ape pointed at Tarzan. "Look!"
All eyes followed the ape's finger to where Tarzan was hiding behind Kerchak's arm. Tarzan ducked further behind his father when he realized he was the center of everyone's shocked attention. Several apes gasped while Mosi glared and grunted aggressively.
"It is one of them!" Mosi snapped, baring his canines at Tarzan. "It is just like the creatures that killed my mate. What is the meaning of this?"
Kerchak glanced down at his son, then looked back up at the other apes.
"Tarzan is a member of our family," Kerchak explained. "He is not dangerous or like those other creatures."
"They will come looking for him," Mosi declared, taking a step back. "He will put us all in danger."
"Those other creatures do not know Tarzan is here," Kerchak said with a shake of his head. "My mate found Tarzan as an orphaned infant several years ago and he's been with our family since. No one is in danger here. This is the only life he knows. You are all safe."
"This is the only life he knows?" Jaja asked, narrowing his eyes at Kerchak.
"Yes." Kerchak said.
"Well, in that case," Dola said, smiling down at Tarzan, "then I am okay continuing with the truce. I find it sweet you took in an orphan as your own. A little odd, but still sweet."
"He will not cause any danger to my family?" Mosi asked, still glaring at Tarzan.
"None. Tarzan is as much ape as the rest of us."
"Mosi, I'm sure everything will be fine," Jaja muttered to the other silverback. "It's not like we have much choice. We can't go back. Not yet."
Mosi snarled and turned away, pacing in a half circle briefly. The young ape that had been under Mosi seemed unsure what to do when his father began pacing, so he backed away further into his own family to get out of sight. Mosi finally stopped and sighed loudly.
"Very well," he decided as he paused in front of Kerchak. "We are in desperate times and the children are hungry, so I accept the truce. But if that so called "Tarzan" of yours causes any trouble among my family, I will do what I must to protect mine."
"Is that a threat?" Kerchak growled, unconsciously raising a protective hand over Tarzan.
"We are not threatening each other," Jaja quickly intervened. "This is a truce, remember? We are doing this for the wellbeing of our families. In the truce, there is no fighting among the silverbacks, and no harm to the young. Are you apart of this truce or not?"
Mosi grumbled before dipping his head.
Kerchak dipped his head once more, then stepped aside to allow the two families to merge with his own, though the merge mostly occurred between the children while the adults kept to their own troops, taking up a section for themselves. Kerchak waited for the families to pass him before lowering his head to whisper to Tarzan.
"Are you all right?" Kerchak asked.
"I'm okay," Tarzan whispered back. "They said they saw other creatures like me."
"Unfriendly creatures. They killed a gorilla. I do not think they are looking to make friends, whether you look like them or not. And the other gorillas are a little afraid and tense right now, so I want you to keep a low profile. I don't want you getting hurt by anyone just because you are different, especially by the other silverbacks."
"They just have to get to know me, right?"
"I wish it were that easy, Tarzan. Just stay close to me for now. Until the truce is over."
"Aww, but that'll be like being grounded," Tarzan whined.
"Hopefully, the truce will not be for long. It's for your safety. Now, let's rejoin the family. We must inform them of what is happening in the jungle."
Tarzan sighed but followed Kerchak over to their nest where Kala waited for them eagerly to hear the news, the rest of the family coming closer to hear of what was happening. As Kerchak explained that strange creatures had invaded their land and killed an ape, gasps and cries of concern scattered through the family. Kerchak reassured everyone that they were plenty deep enough in the forest and that further travel would not be needed, hence why a truce was enacted, and the new families would rest and eat here while the jungle decided the fate of these intruders.
After everyone had heard the news, the young apes quickly searched for new friends while the adults went back to whatever they were doing: napping, eating, grooming. Kaphi quickly found Asha and they ventured toward some new younger apes wrestling near their parents' watchful eyes. Tarzan, unfortunately, was stuck keeping close to Kerchak while his father made rounds of the family, making sure everyone was accounted for and no drama was breaking out between the new arrivals. Tarzan watched longingly as Terk dared Flynt and Mungo to charge some older adolescents eating mangoes on the other end of the grounds. Neither ape seemed interested in the dare though.
Tarzan huffed as he followed Kerchak toward the outer edge of the family where Kerchak kept an eye out for predators, the other two silverbacks doing the same at different ends.
Tarzan glanced back at his friends, up at Kerchak, then back at his friends once more.
Very slowly, Tarzan inched backwards from Kerchak, watching his father to make sure Kerchak stayed focused on looking out for threats, then, still as slow as ever, he began to turn around. Just as he prepared to bolt for his friends, he heard Kerchak clear his throat.
Tarzan winced, then looked up at Kerchak's stern face.
Kerchak narrowed his eyes and shook his head at him.
"Don't even think about it," he warned.
Tarzan huffed as he returned to Kerchak's side.
"But this is boring," Tarzan said. "Why can't I go play with Terk and the others?"
"I do not doubt that they will all be mingling with the other families soon enough. You saw how the silverbacks reacted to you. I cannot risk something happening while you are out of my sight."
"This is so unfair." Tarzan crossed his arms and pouted.
Kerchak sighed, then said, "I know, and I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but you know I'm only trying to protect you. You've grown a lot, but you are still no match for a protective silverback. If you'd like, you may go join your mother. She's over at the berry bushes. Are you hungry?"
"Uhh, yeah," Tarzan agreed slowly, smiling up at Kerchak, "I could eat."
"Go on then," Kerchak encouraged, waving Tarzan off in Kala's direction where he could clearly see her. "Straight to your mother and stay with her. Perhaps we can wrestle when I'm done with my rounds."
"Yeah, that'd be great." Tarzan gave Kerchak another smile before running over to where Kala was eating berries. However, halfway to her, he slowed down and glanced back. Kerchak was still watching him, so he kept walking over toward his mother, but just before he reached her, he glanced back again. Kerchak was talking to one of the other silverbacks, Jaja by the looks of it.
With a grin, Tarzan veered off and ran for where he had last seen Terk and the others near the edge of the treeline.
His friends had not moved far from where he last saw them, but they were closer to the boundaries of the other families this time.
"Hey guys," Tarzan greeted as he caught up to them.
"You're just in time," Terk said, "Flynt was about to throw a mudpie at that gorilla over there."
Terk pointed across the field at an older looking teen ape who was moodily munching on fruit.
"No, I wasn't!" Flynt argued, throwing a small mudball at Terk, splattering her shoulder.
"Scared?" Terk challenged as she brushed off the mud.
"No . . . I just think maybe we should throw mud at someone else."
"Probably a good idea," a female voice said, startling Flynt, Mungo, Terk, and Tarzan. Two female apes lowered themselves from a tree they were in, dropping down in front of the group. They were both petite apes with large amber eyes. One was a light brown color while the other a reddish brown. One of the girls said, "Kasim isn't exactly a playful ape. He'd rip you apart of you threw mud at him."
"And you are?" Terk asked while Flynt and Mungo blinked repeatedly.
"I'm Sade," the light brown gorilla said, "Jaja's daughter. This is my cousin, Bolade"
"Hello, ladies!" Flynt and Mungo greeted enthusiastically.
Sade and Bolade giggled and fluttered their long lashes at Flynt and Mungo while Terk made a gagging noise, earning a laugh from Tarzan.
Suddenly, a rock struck Tarzan's shoulder, and he yelped and rubbed the small injury, looking up in the trees.
"Look who it is," the young male ape Tarzan had seen earlier said from where he sat on a branch in a tree, leaning against the main trunk. He looked just like a miniature version of Mosi with his thick brow hair and near black coat. The young ape glared at Tarzan. "It's the hairless wonder everyone's talking about."
"We heard about you," Sade said, stepping a little closer to the group. "Everyone's just itching to get a look at you. It's so odd that a gorilla family would allow a non-gorilla into their family, you know. That's what Mama says anyway."
"Guess I'm lucky," Tarzan said with a forced smile. All of this reminded him of when he had really been struggling to fit in with the family, a time before Kerchak had accepted him. He thought he'd never have to deal with apes treating him like he was a freak because of his differences, but the cycle was starting back up again. If he could just show everyone that he really wasn't that different, then maybe they would all feel safe with him around and he wouldn't have to be Kerchak's shadow all day.
"Want to get a look at us?" Flynt asked, swinging forward, and smiling broadly at Sade while Mungo shuffled closer to Bolade.
The girls rolled their eyes but smiled all the same at the young males.
"We were in the middle of a game," the young male in the tree said. "Sade, Bolade, get back up here."
"Why don't you stop being a party pooper and come down here, Mavuto!" Sade demanded, glaring up at the other ape. "Besides, your game was getting boring."
"No, it wasn't," Mavuto shouted as he slid down the tree and joined the group on the ground. "We were having fun until you had to see what these dorks were up to. And you"—Mavuto glared at Tarzan—"don't belong here. You belong to those awful creatures who killed my mom. What makes you think you can try to act like a gorilla?"
"Uhh, because he is a gorilla," Terk said, wrapping an arm around Tarzan. "He's about as much gorilla as the rest of us. Just . . . hairless."
"He's not a gorilla. He's a gorilla killer. That's the kind of creature he is."
"He is not," Kaphi said as she charged out of the trees, followed by Asha and another gorilla their age. Kaphi ran up to Tarzan's side confidently and proudly said, "He's my brother, and the best brother ever."
"Some brother," Mavuto scoffed. "How could you say that something this hideous is your brother?"
"Well, he's better looking than you!" Kaphi shot back.
"Okay, fellas," Terk quickly said, stepping in between everyone. "Remember, we have a truce right now, so let's not ruin it for the adults by fighting already. What game were you guys playing before? Maybe we could all join."
Mavuto grumbled under his breath as he moved far away from Tarzan as he could while Sade rolled her eyes and Bolade groaned loudly.
"Mavuto was challenging us to see how far we could throw a rock," Sade said. "Whoever hit the furthest tree wins."
"I was in the lead," Mavuto boasted, puffing his chest out.
"Only because he's actually trying," Bolade added, and Mavuto glared at her.
"Oh yeah?" Flynt said, rolling his arms around briefly to prep them before he grabbed a rock off the ground and gave a hard throw deeper into the trees. It hit a tree a few yards in. "Beat that. Did you see that, ladies?"
"Quit pretending you've got something to show off," Terk told Flynt before grabbing a rock and throwing it as far as she could, and the rock struck a tree a few feet further into the trees from where Flynt's rock hit. Terk smirked at Flynt. "Did you see that, boys?"
"Puh," Mavuto huffed, "I can do better than that."
"Let me at it," Mungo said, grabbing a large rock and spinning in a circlea couple times before letting it go. The rock flew past Terk's and struck the earth without touching any trees. Mungo frowned, then asked, "That counts, right?"
The children laughed and agreed that it was the distance that mattered more than hitting the trees. Kaphi and her friends all threw a rock at the same time, but none of their rocks came close to how far the older ape's rocks went. Before Tarzan could have a go at it, Mavuto laughed and shook his head.
"You all are weak!" Mavuto said, shoving Tarzan away. "Step aside and let the master show you how its done."
Mavuto grabbed the biggest rock he could find, then spun in a circle again and again and again before letting the rock fly.
It flew in the wrong direction, heading straight for the family grounds.
"Oops," Mavuto mumbled.
"Oh no!" Sade shouted. "It might hit someone. We have to catch it."
The young apes chased after the rock, moving fast to stay underneath as it flew out of the trees and straight for one of the families. It was dropping already and aiming itself at a young infant playing on the edge of the family boundaries.
Thinking fast, Tarzan jumped on Terk's back and launched himself through the air after the stone, catching it midair, then falling to the ground below. He landed on his stomach, the rock in his grasp, landing inches away from the infant, who blinked cluelessly at him.
Tarzan breathed a sigh of relief, along with the children behind him.
"What is this?" a deep, angry voice snapped. Mosi came bounding over to Tarzan and the infant, baring his teeth at the scene. "Attacking our own? I knew you were trouble; I just knew it! You should be banished from these grounds before someone gets killed."
"No, it's not what it looks like," Tarzan tried to explain.
"Liar! You are just like those other creatures. I knew you would be."
Mosi roared at Tarzan, raising up and pounding his chest.
Tarzan scrambled to his feet and tried to scramble away, crying out as he barely avoided Mosi's fists as the ape pounded the ground. Tarzan stumbled and fell from the force of the impact, then tried to backcrawl away as Mosi lifted his fists once again.
Another roar sounded as Kerchak ran over to the scuffle, and he stood over Tarzan and beat his chest at Mosi with a second roar.
The two silverbacks snarled at each other, neither dropping down to all fours.
"You are jeopardizing all of our families by keeping that thing here," Mosi snarled. "Look at what he's done. He tried to kill a member of my family with a rock. I saw it with my own eyes."
"That thing is my son," Kerchak snarled back. "And Tarzan has never tried to hurt another ape before. If you feel so threatened by him, then you should leave. These were my grounds first."
"I think it better if you leave. Take that miscreant with you and be gone."
Mosi and Kerchak sized each other up, still standing on two as they bared their canines at each other.
"It was an accident," Kaphi cried as she charged toward the silverbacks, stopping close to her father. "And it wasn't Tarzan's fault!"
"We were throwing rocks to see who could throw them the farthest," Sade added, following after Kaphi.
"Yeah, it wasn't Tarzan," Flynt added, running with Mungo over to Sade. "It was Mavuto. He threw the rock."
Both silverbacks looked down at the kids, Mosi surprised by the story while Kerchak was surprised new ape children were defending Tarzan so readily. The silverbacks finally dropped down to all fours, listening to the truth as it came out piece by piece.
Mavuto swallowed nervously before slowly walking toward his father. He kept his head down as he sat in front of Mosi.
"I threw the rock, Dad. Tarzan caught it. I didn't mean to throw it at the family. We were just . . . playing."
Mosi's face softened, but he managed to give his son a stern look.
"That was very dangerous of you," Mosi scolded. "You could have killed someone. All of you, throwing rocks around like that. No more of that kind of play. I believe it is nearing nap time anyway, so playtime is over. Go back to your nests."
"Yes, sir," all the kids said.
Mosi met Kerchak's eyes.
"Perhaps I've been hasty in my judgement of your son, but I'll still be keeping an eye on him. You may think he is no threat, but I know he is. It is only a matter of time before you know it too."
With those final ominous words, Mosi walked off with Mavuto following him. The other apes bid farewells before running off to their respective family. Kerchak let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding before sending a disappointed look down at his son, who was still standing behind him.
"Dad, I didn't mean . . ."
"You deliberately disobeyed me," Kerchak said. "I asked you to stay with me or close to your mother during this truce. Now look what's nearly happened."
"I know, I'm sorry. But it's not fair. Everyone else gets to make new friends but me."
"And look where that got you," Kerchak retorted, though he regretted his words as he watched Tarzan's face fall. He took a deep breath before saying in a softer tone, "I know this is hard for you, but I cannot risk the other leaders taking a chance on your life if I happen to not be around. You heard what Mosi said. He's just looking for a reason to chase you off, or worse."
"I don't get why they're all so afraid of me." Tarzan couldn't help the tear that escaped his eyes.
"They've seen things I have not. One of their own is dead. They are afraid, with every right to be, but that fear is associated with you, too."
"Because I look like the creatures that killed Mosi's mate. Do you think these creatures are really my kind?"
A shadow crossed over Kerchak's face, and the ape narrowed his eyes at Tarzan.
"I don't know, but they clearly mean harm. You will stay away from them. You will not seek them out."
"I know, I wouldn't, but it would be nice to know that there's others out there like me. Unless they are all evil. That wouldn't be nice to know."
"That's enough of that," Kerchak said. He gently nudged Tarzan to get his son moving. "I believe Mosi was right about one thing: it's nap time. Let's go back to our nest."
"Okay," Tarzan agreed, feeling tired from the rough morning.
They walked back to their nest where kala and Kaphi were already curled up. Tarzan snuggled in next to his sister, closing his eyes almost instantly. Kaphi scooted closer and whispered in Tarzan's ear.
"I can bring our friends to play closer around the nest," she said.
Tarzan smiled and moved his head closer to Kaphi's.
"That would be great, little sis," he whispered back.
"No plotting, you two," Kerchak scolded as he curled around his kids. "Go to sleep."
Kaphi and Tarzan shared a smirk before they drifted off.