Chapter 4 Meeting at Council Rock

Later that night, a full moon could be seen shining in the background as the elders of the wolf pack met together on council rock to discuss an important subject.

The reason why they were having this meeting was because the vicious Shere Khan, the same tiger that killed Clarissa's parents and tried to kill her, had returned to the jungle, and threatened to kill her once again along with Mowgli, who he hated even more due to him being an actual man-cub that would soon grow up to become a hunter just like any other man does.

He hated humans and due to the wolves wanting to keep the two kids as safe as possible, they had to come up with a plan in order to keep them away from Shere Khan and protect them from any other harm.

"Shere Khan will surely kill the man-cubs Mowgli and Clarissa and all who try to protect them," The leader of the wolves explained, who was known as Akela. "Now, are we all in agreement as to what must be done?"

All the wolves nodded in response.

Raksha, who was still hesitant on agreeing to Akela, still nodded in response and only agreed since she knew Akela's plan would most likely be the best for Mowgli and Clarissa.

"Now, it is my unpleasant duty to tell the kids' father, Rama! Come over here please," Akela called as Mowgli and Clarissa's wolf father, Rama, very anxiously walked up to Akela.

"Yes, Akela?" Rama asked with fear.

"The Council had reached its decision, the man-cubs must leave the jungle." Akela told the wolf, making him heartbroken and shocked.

"Leave?" Rama asked with shock.

"I am sorry, Rama, but there's no other way," Akela told him, feeling sorry for him since he knew how much he loved the two man-cubs.

"But…but the man-cubs are, well, they're like my own children. Surely they're entitled to the retention of the pack?" Rama asked, trying to defend his idea to keep Mowgli and Clarissa in the jungle.

"But, Rama, even the strength of the pack is no match for the tiger," Akela argued, making Rama realize the leader was right after all and that Mowgli and Clarissa would never have a chance of surviving alone in the jungle.

"They…they cannot survive alone in the jungle." Rama said before he and the other wolves were interrupted by someone.

"Akela, perhaps I can help," Bagheera assured as he got off a branch from above the council rock and walked over to the wolves.

"You, Bagheera? But how?" Akela asked, puzzled while also being surprised.

"I know a man village where they'll be safe, we've taken many walks into the jungle together. I'm sure Mowgli and Clarissa will go with me," Bagheera assured before he and the other wolves were once again interrupted by another person.

"The man village?!" Clarissa asked as she snuck out of the wolf's lair, shocking Akela and the rest of the leaders, along with Rama and Raksha, who had already told the girl to stay inside.

"Clarissa, what are you doing here?" Raksha asked with shock.

"Go back inside now!" Rama ordered as Clarissa shook her head.

"No, I heard you're taking me and Mowgli to the man village. Is this true, Akela?" Clarissa asked the wolf leader, who sighed while nodding his head.

"Yes, Clarissa. You and Mowgli will have to leave the jungle and go back to the man village."

"But why?" Clarissa asked.

"Because Shere Khan has returned to our part of the jungle and you and Mowgli will not survive if we keep you here," Rama explained to her, making Clarissa shocked.

"Shere Khan? You mean the tiger?" Clarissa asked as all the wolves nodded their heads.

"Yes, and if we keep you and Mowgli here, you will be killed," Raksha told her, making Clarissa terrified.

"Killed? Why, I don't wanna be killed here!"

"We know, Clarissa, and that's why me and Rama have decided it would be best for you and Mowgli to leave the jungle and go to the man village." Raksha told her, making Clarissa heartbroken.

"But I don't wanna go to the man village, I wanna stay with you, mother." Clarissa said sadly as Raksha smiled at her.

"I know, Clarissa, I don't want you to leave ethier. Me and Rama loved you and Mowgli like you were our own kids, but you must leave in order for your safety," Raksha said as Clarissa wiped away a few of her tears.

"But what about my brothers and all the other wolves that love us? Won't they miss us too?" Clarissa asked as both Rama and Raksha smiled at her.

"Yes, Clarissa, we'll all miss you, but what we love even more than you is your safety, and we want you and Mowgli to be in a place that's safe and filled with your own kind," Rama explained before Clarissa turned back around to her home cave, which is where Mowgli and her wolf brothers were still sleeping.

"But what about Mowgli? What will he do when he finds out about this?" Clarissa asked with concern for her brother.

"Mowgli will be just fine. Bagheera will take you and Mowgli to the man village and after that, you'll be safe from Shere Khan." Raksha explained to her as Clarissa looked back to the cave one last time before turning back to her wolf parents and hugging them.

"I love you mother. I love you father." Clarissa told them with teary eyes.

"We love you too, Clarissa. Now it's time for you to go," Rama told her as Clarissa let go of him and Raksha to look at Bagheera, who would be taking her and Mowgli to the man village.

"None of us will forget you two man-cubs. You had brought so much joy to us, and it is time for you both to leave, but your legacy will never leave us." Akela told Clarissa who smiled back in response.

"Come now, little Clarissa, it is time you and brother follow me to the man village," Bagheera told her as Clarissa looked at him with confusion.

"We're leaving now?" she asked.

"Yes, the sooner we get there, the less you'll have to worry about Shere Khan finding us," Bagheera said before Clarissa started to follow him, but she couldn't leave without her brother Mowgli.

"But what about Mowgli? He's coming too, right?" Clarissa asked about her brother.

"We will get Mowgli and assure him what's going on," Rama assured Clarissa.

"Very well then, me and the other wolves will discuss a few more things before we leave, and in the meantime, I want you, Clarissa, to stay right here." Bagheera told the girl as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Sure, Bagheera, I won't leave until Mowgli comes and I'll promise to stay right here." Clarissa said with respect before Bagheera walked away from her to discuss a few more things with the wolves.

Clarissa wasn't really paying attention to anything the wolves were saying, but she did wonder if they were saying anything about her. Clarissa always did feel different among the pack and while she did feel welcomed and was deeply loved by her wolf family,

Clarissa always saw herself as an outcast and would sometimes wonder who she really was and more about her past, which was something Bagheera, Rama, and Raksha had never explained to her yet.

Clarissa knew she wasn't a wolf, she was raised by wolves and knew she would never truly become one, which is why it saddened her that she would have to back to her own kind along with Mowgli and also felt bad for her family, as she felt Shere Khan returning to the jungle was her fault since he was after her.

As Clarissa watched Bagheera and the wolves talk and discuss important matters, Clarissa began to sing to herself and worried for the future to come.

Here comes a wave,

Meant to wash me away,

Atide that is taking me under,

Broken again,

Left with nothing to say,

My voice drowned down in the thunder,

As Akela and the wolves continued to talk of what they were going to do with Clarissa, the girl held onto the end of a tree while looking at the sight.

But I can't cry,

And I can't start to crumble,

Whenever they try,

To shut me or cut me down,

As the wolf's discussion continued on, Clarissa held her necklace with the amethyst stone and closed her eyes while singing softly:

I can't stay silent,

Though they wanna keep me quiet,

And I tremble when I try it,

All I know is I won't go speechless...

As Clarissa finished singing to herself in the distance, Akela and the wolves had finished their conversation and ultimately decided it would be best to send the two man-cubs to the man village.

Though they would be missed, it would keep them safe from Shere Khan and would also lead to them finding their own kind.

Bagheera would take Mowgli and Clarissa to the man village starting that night and Clarissa sighed to herself in the distance, as she didn't want to leave the only place she knew as her home.

But she knew she couldn't say anything about it, due to her not wanting to cause any arguments, and it not being her decision and just decided to sit back and wait while going speechless.

"So be it, there's no time to lose, good luck" Akela told Bagheera as he, Mowgli, and Clarissa would start their very long journey to the man village.

Author's Note: The song "Speechless" is from the 2019 remake of Aladdin ((c) Disney)

Please Review!