While Tarzan did not live with the gorillas all the time, he visited his family every day, and occasionally stayed a night or two, and Jane was usually always willing to camp in a gorilla nest outside with him if only for the experience. He was always ready to assist his father in anything with the family: protection, searching for better foraging sites, and even amusing the young to keep them from tormenting his father all day. Kerchak always appreciated the assistance, as well as seeing his son happily married to Jane.
One day, while wrestling with Terk, Tarzan accidentally knocked Jane's drawing of her mother, and he set it up right for Jane and handed her pencil back to her. He was admiring her work while listening to Jane explain how she felt connected with her mother each time she drew her when a strong gust of wind blew through the window and knocked several things down, including Jane's portrait and easel. Tarzan sniffed the air, then ventured out of his treehouse, climbing up to a top branch to look out above the jungle and over the ocean, where large, dark clouds were swirling.
"Tarzan!" Jane called up to him. "What's up there?"
"Trouble," Tarzan answered, glaring at the storm clouds. This storm was not going to be a good one. And the treehouse was too close to the ocean and too exposed to weather this kind of storm. A typical rain fall was one thing, and he and Jane could curl up in their bed in the back of the treehouse to stay warm and avoid getting wet. But this storm would not allow that. He could tell by the pressure and temperature in the air that the winds would be too strong, the rain too powerful, and the night air too cold for him, Jane, and Professor Porter to stay in the treehouse. It was time to join his gorilla family in relocating to safety.
Tarzan, Jane, and Professor Porter arrived at Kerchak's family grounds with Tantor. The gorillas were all huddled in a circle, and Tarzan pushed his way through everyone to see what the commotion was about.
In the center of the crowd, Tarzan gasped as he saw a tree had fallen and was crushing a couple female apes underneath, and they cried out desperately as Kerchak and a couple blackbacks attempted to lift the tree off the females. Tantor stepped forward and used his tusks and trunk to lift the tree up, and Tarzan ran forward and assisted in pulling the females free from underneath the tree. Tantor dropped the tree back down.
"What happened?" Tarzan asked.
"Lightning struck the tree," Kerchak answered as he walked over to the females to check on them. "We're lucky it didn't start a fire."
One of the females had a gash on her arm that Professor Porter was already wrapping up with material from the travel sized first aid kit he carried around. Once the bandage was complete, the female tried standing up and walking, but she limped and had to pause every couple of steps. The other female had no visible wounds, but she seemed shaky and walked with slow, stiff steps.
Kerchak sighed as he watched them, then stepped away from the family and looked up at the darkening sky. Tarzan followed his father, standing next to him and checking the sky as well, noting the storm was moving closer. Kerchak closed his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought for a minute before he opened his eyes and looked at his son.
"I need you to do something for me," Kerchak said.
"Anything," Tarzan agreed readily.
"I need you to lead the family to the mountains we frequented often during storms. There should be enough caves to find cover from the storm."
"You want me to lead the family?" Tarzan asked. "Wait, what are you going to do?"
"I must assist our injured friends. They will only slow the rest of the family down and attract predators. I can find a safe place for just the three of us, but the rest of the family needs a larger space to accommodate them and keep them sheltered out of the storm."
"What happened to never splitting up?"
"Obviously, this situation calls for it. Perhaps a cruel leader would leave behind any injured members for the greater good of the rest, but I am not that kind of leader."
"I know you're not. What if I help the females so you can lead the family?"
"I would feel better if I knew you were somewhere safe," Kerchak said. "And I believe the females will feel better if I stay with them, after all, I am a bit better suited to assist two adult female apes with walking. And you are a formidable protector, Tarzan, but desperate predators will take advantage of situations like this. They will hesitate to attack if they see a silverback. They may not do the same if they see you."
"But I . . ." Tarzan glanced back at the family. "I've never led the family before."
"Not the entire family. But you were always a ringleader of your entourage, especially when you sought mischief. We do not have much time to discuss this. The storm approaches fast. I need you to get our family to safety so I can assist our friends to our own safety."
Tarzan took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay. I'll lead. But please, be careful, Dad."
"I always am. I should be telling you that."
Tarzan smirked at his father's playful look, then followed Kerchak to the front of the family. Kerchak grunted for everyone's attention and when the family all looked up at him, he said, "The storm is headed directly for us, and with two members of the family injured, we are already behind schedule in seeking shelter. Because of this, I have decided we must split up."
The family gasped in surprise at the order as this was something Kerchak always tried to avoid.
"I will assist our two injured friends to shelter closer by. With only a couple of us, we should be able to locate a smaller sanctuary to hold us through the night. Tarzan will lead the rest of you to the mountains. As acting leader of the family, you will obey his orders."
Everyone gave grunts in response before turning to face Tarzan, who blinked at his family's willingness to follow him. Kerchak noted the surprise in his face, and he lowered his head to whisper in his son's ear.
"Everyone is ready to follow you. They trust your judgement, Tarzan, as do I. You will do well."
Tarzan nodded his head, and he pushed up tall on his knuckles and surveyed the family, making a headcount of who he had with him, then stepped through the family to the head, where everyone began lining up and following him. Kala smiled proudly at her son as she moved to the front of the family to walk beside him supportively, as did Kaphi. Tarzan glanced back once at Kerchak, who gave him one last encouraging nod before stepping over to the limping, wounded females.
Tarzan tried to move quickly as he led the way to the mountains. The wind was really picking up and rain started sprinkling halfway through their journey, and now everyone was wet and cold as they pushed forward. This storm was turning into a violent one. He ran ahead a bit and leaped up to a branch in a tree, checking the journey ahead. He could see the mountains, and he looked back at his family.
"Not much further," he said. "Once we're in the caves, we'll be safe."
Tarzan leaped off the tree branch and continued forward, heading straight for the mountains. However, they ran into an obstacle on the way. Floods were starting, and a small creek had become a raging river, blocking the path to the mountains.
"We're not going to try to swim across that thing, are we?" Jane asked.
"Apes can't swim," Tarzan told her, and he scanned the area for another way across.
"Really?" Jane said, frowning. "You learn something new every day. Well, what do we do now?"
Tarzan wasn't actually sure what to do, but then he heard Tantor grunting and looked over his shoulder to see the large elephant scratching his back on a tree pleasurably until the tree snapped under his weight and tumbled over, smashing into the rocks on the other side and lodging in place. Tarzan smiled at the newly created bridge and walked over to it, testing it out first before gesturing for everyone to follow him.
Now safely on the other side, Tarzan began climbing up the rocky slope of the mountain, leading the way forward as more rain began pouring down on them a bit harder. Tarzan looked back to check on everyone's progress and was just in time to see his mother slip while trying to pull herself up, and he grabbed a vine and swung over to her, catching her hand and helping her up to the ledge.
"Thank you, Tarzan," Kala said, smiling at her son.
Tarzan sighed and looked up the slope they still had to climb.
"Dad would have had us in the caves by now," he said.
"You'll get us there," Kala said, but Tarzan leaped ahead to continue leading the way, and she sighed sadly.
"Is everything alright, Kala?" Jane asked, pulling herself up to the same ledge as her.
"Tarzan's afraid he won't measure up to Kerchak," she said.
"Really? He hasn't said anything to me."
"He won't. But I know. I am his mother."
"Yes, I am still getting used to that one."
Tarzan was the first to arrive at a ledge where a cave entrance existed in the middle of the mountain, and he bravely entered the cave first, emitting a low warning grunt as Kerchak often did to attract the attention of any current residents or predators. Nothing responded to him, but he felt a strange presence over his shoulder, and he glanced back, glaring at the cave walls behind him. He narrowed his eyes, but the cave was clear, so he headed back to the ledge to see how the rest of his family was faring.
"Oh, Daddy, it's amazing!" Jane squealed as she looked around the cave.
"Oh yes," Professor Porter agreed, "It is quite exquisite."
"They're excited by a big hole in the ground," Terk scoffed, smirking at Flynt, Mungo, Kaphi and Asha. "Humans."
"Whoa!" Mungo said, walking to the back of the cave. "Check out this big hole!"
"I wonder how far back it goes!" Flynt said.
"Don't let me catch you two wandering off into those caves," Kala warned the two young males.
"Yes, ma'am," they said at the same time. Terk rolled her eyes at them while Kaphi and Asha laughed at their annoyed looks.
Tarzan assisted the rest of the family up to the ledge one by one, helping each member up the slope and into the cave. There were only a few members still climbing the slope thankfully, but one of the mothers grabbed a root in the ground to pull herself up the rocks, and the root snapped. She fell backwards with a frightened cry, and she landed on her back, the jolt of the fall knocking her baby loose from her back, and he lost his grip on her fur and went sliding down the muddy hill, screaming the whole way.
Tarzan caught sight of the commotion just in time to leap into action, jumping down the hill and surfing down a tree, snatching a very large leaf and surfing on top of that, trying to speed up quickly to catch up to the infant.
Suddenly, the child slid right off a ledge and went falling straight for the river, and Tarzan leaped for him, snatching him just in the nick of time and grabbing an edge of the large lead with his toes and hand, creating a parachute for himself that flew with the strong wind, pulling Tarzan up to the mountain once more.
Everyone watching from the cave entrance sighed in relief at the rescue.
Tarzan pushed the infant to his back so he could use both hands to direct the leaf to the ground, and he landed safely with the baby clinging to his shoulders, grinning up at the family cheering for them. Tarzan smiled and grabbed a vine to swing up to the cave entrance where the happy mother waited for her son.
"Oh, thank you, Tarzan!" she said, hugging her son before hugging Tarzan.
The happy mother and child retreated into the cave and out of the weather. Tarzan turned to see Tantor finally pulling himself up to the cave, panting in exhaustion and mumbling under his breath.
"Let's get out of the rain, Tantor," Tarzan said, walking into the cave.
Tantor attempted to follow, only to end up stuck, to which Terk said, "Tantor, my friend, I really appreciate you coming in headfirst."
Tarzan chuckled at his friend's predicament. Kala came to sit next to her son.
"See?" She said, looking back at the family gathered around a small fire Jane and Professor Porter had created. "You got us here safely. Your father would be proud."
"You think so?" Tarzan asked.
"I know so."
"Flynt?" Mungo called out. Tarzan frowned as he watched his friend pace the cave in search of the said ape. "Has anyone seen Flynt?"
"Isn't he always with you?" a blackback asked Mungo.
"Yes!" Mungo nodded his head. "So something is seriously wrong! He'd never go off without me!"
"He probably went down those caves," Kala said with a huff. "After I specifically told him not to."
"Don't worry," Tarzan announced loudly. "I'll find him."
Mungo thanked Tarzan profusely, which made Tarzan chuckle as he headed into one of the caves in the tunnel, following the path. It went on for ages it seemed, dark and cold, and very wet. He wasn't sure why Flynt would wander this far alone, so he moved cautiously in case there was a predator within that he had missed upon first entering the cave. That would be worst case scenario right now, especially with Tantor trapped at the entrance.
Suddenly, several bats flew overhead of him, and Tarzan jumped back, accidentally stepping on something that crunched under him. He looked down to see a pile of bones. He gasped, wondering once more if there was a predator somewhere in this maze of caves. He hoped Flynt was not harmed. There were bones everywhere, skeletons of all kinds of creatures here and there, and Tarzan carefully kept moving forward, keeping his eyes focused while moving through the dark tunnels.
He came across an animal print, and he leaned close to see what kind of predator he was dealing with. Instead, he saw a very familiar print in the ground. A four-toed ape print and his blood ran cold while he muttered, "Tublat."
A sound behind him made him spin around, and he came face to face with a very angry Tublat who rose on two and roared, beating his chest at Tarzan. One red eye glinted in the dim light of the cave.
Tarzan backed away, and he felt rocks crumble behind him as his heel slipped downward, which told him he was on a ledge of some sort. When Tublat lunged at him, he dodged the attack and leaped over the large ape.
"Tublat!" Tarzan snarled.
"Tarzan," Tublat snarled in return. "Hairless runt. It is you. Where's Kerchak?"
"Not here," Tarzan said. "I'm protecting the family at the moment."
"Don't make me laugh," Tublat snarled as he towered over Tarzan. He broke off a piece of stalactite and swung it at Tarzan, who ducked and lifted a large bone and blocked Tublat's second swing at him. Pushing against Tublat, Tarzan used the bone to knock the stalactite out of Tublat's grip then tripped him with the same bone in a quick sweep of his feet.
"I don't see," Tublat grumbled as he pushed to his feet, "why Kerchak would trust you to lead his family if he's still alive."
"Well, he did," Tarzan said. "I am his heir."
"Perhaps this was merely a trial run," Tublat thought aloud. He lunged once more, and Tarzan raised his hands, catching Tublat in a fist lock and they pushed against each other. The larger ape had the upper hand, so Tarzan tried to kick at Tublat's face, only to be grabbed by his neck and backed over a ledge.
"What will Kerchak think when he finds out how you failed to protect the family?" Tublat questioned before throwing Tarzan into a small chasm full of upturned stalactites. Tublat roared and beat his chest triumphantly. Then, the large ape ran off.
For several minutes, Tarzan lay on the damp ground groaning in pain, his head spinning and his eyes seeing stars. He struggled to breathe. He couldn't move. He had failed to protect his family. What would Kerchak think of him then? He was supposed to lead the family to safety, and he brought them to Tublat. And with Tantor blocking the entrance, there was no escape. He really had failed. He would never be like Kerchak. He would never measure up to his father. He could never be the leader Kerchak was.
Tarzan groaned as he rolled over, trying to push himself up, but he was so bruised and beat up. He struggled to his knuckles, falling over once more.
What was the point? He couldn't be Kerchak. He couldn't fight off Tublat like Kerchak could.
"I do not expect you to carry the jungle on your shoulders," Kerchak's voice echoed around him. Tarzan opened his eyes as if expecting to see his father before him, but of course, Kerchak wasn't there. Tarzan closed his eyes as he recalled what Kerchak had once told him. "Nor to be the jungle's next greatest leader. You are absolutely perfect the way you are to me."
I don't have to be Kerchak, Tarzan thought to himself as he pushed up on his knuckles once more, rising up at last. I just have to be me. I have to fight Tublat like I would choose to fight him. And I think I have an idea.
Remembering his family, Tarzan bolted through the cave, running as fast as he could the way he had come. He found Tantor alone in their original spot, and he pulled on the elephant's tusks until Tantor managed to squeeze into the cave, finally free of the killer storm outside. Tantor explained that Tublat had stolen the family, so Tarzan went right back to tracking his family's footprints, and he discovered that Tublat had forced the entire family, including the missing Flynt, into a deep pit surrounded by stalactites up and down, and a large waterfall roaring in the background.
"Anyone who accepts me as their new leader will be allowed to leave the pit," Tublat said from a ledge towering over the family. "What I want is this family. And now I have this family."
"No," Tarzan said loudly as he worked his way up the rocky slopes near the waterfall to keep hidden. "This is Kerchak's family. This is my family. But it is not your family!"
"Where are you, runt?" Tublat snarled, looking around the cave angrily. "Hairless coward, show yourself!"
Tarzan climbed higher, finding a place above Tublat's ledge. He kicked a rock loose, then sent it flying at Tublat, striking him in the face. Tublat snarled and looked in the direction the rock had come from. Tarzan crawled his way to the tip of a cliff near the waterfall, glaring at Tublat.
"I am not a coward," Tarzan said.
Tublat snarled and grabbed a rock, throwing it forcefully at Tarzan, who leaped out of the way just in time, the rock striking some boulders near the waterfall.
"You missed," Tarzan taunted.
That was enough to send Tublat in a rage and the ape chased after Tarzan, who led the ape back into the tunnels. He saw a chasm ahead and leaped for a stalactite hanging from above and bounced off it, landing gracefully on the other side. He looked back to see Tublat draw to a halt.
"Come on, Tublat," Tarzan teased. "If a hairless runt can do it, so can you."
Tublat snarled and jumped over the chasm, barely making it to the other side. Tarzan smirked before he resumed running, continuing to lead the brute ape down the cave back to the main entrance he had originally brought the family through, where Tantor was waiting. Tantor gave Tarzan a nervous look as Tarzan ran up to him.
"Remember what I told you," Tarzan said. He jumped up on Tantor's back and jumped for the ceiling of the cave, crawling along it until he was obscured by the darkness.
Tublat charged in and Tantor visibly shook as Tublat walked up to the elephant.
"Where is he?" Tublat asked.
"Who?" Tantor asked.
"Don't play games with me," Tublat snarled, grabbing Tantor's trunk. "Where is Tarzan?"
Tantor used what he could of his trunk to point outside where the storm raged on.
"He said he was too afraid to face you," Tantor said.
Tublat released the elephant and walked toward the entrance, and Tarzan swooped down and kicked Tublat out of the cave, knocking him off the ledge and over the cliff. However, as Tublat fell, he grabbed Tarzan's leg, dragging him down with him.
Somehow, Tublat managed to land on a ledge several feet below the original one they were on. Tarzan was hanging on the edge of it, dangling over the river while Tublat towered over him, shaking his head in disapproval.
"You weak miscreant," Tublat said. "I don't know what Kerchak ever saw in you. Why he ever bothered to call you his son when you clearly are nothing but a disgrace and a hairless runt. I bet he would feel really foolish if he could see you right now."
"Maybe," Tarzan said. "You're right. I can't always protect the family. I'm not even a real ape. I don't know what Dad saw in me either, but he trusted in it. And he trusted the fact that I can swim!"
Tarzan grabbed Tublat's arm as the ape tried to smack him off the ledge, and he pulled Tublat down with him, and they both fell to the river below. Tublat disappeared beneath the rushing water, and Tarzan climbed up on some rocks he had managed to grab onto, and he let out his characteristic yell, his family, who had somehow freed themselves from the pits thanks to Jane and Professor Porter, cheered behind him.
After climbing back up the hills and into the cave, everyone settled in for the night at last, comfortable, safe, and warm. Kaphi and Kala curled up around Tarzan and Jane while Professor Porter slept on Tantor's back. As dawn came, the storm slowly moved on, leaving a chaotic mess in its wake. As the early morning sun began to brighten the cave, a few shadows appeared at the entrance, and Tarzan lifted his head to see who was intruding in his space.
Kerchak and the injured females had arrived, and they were reuniting with their friends while Kerchak worked his way over to his mate and children. Tarzan sat up and smiled at his father a bit nervously.
"Nice cave, Tarzan," Kerchak said.
"Thanks."
"A bit out of the way, don't you think?"
"Oh, you think?" Tarzan frowned, racking his brain for a cave that may not have been so far off. "I just thought since . . ."
"Kerchak," Kala scolded lightly, not even opening her eyes.
"I'm only teasing," Kerchak said with a chuckle. "You did well, son. I couldn't have done any better."
Tarzan relaxed and laughed as well.
"Wait till you hear about Tublat."
"Tublat?" Kerchak frowned and gave his son a very concerned look. "What about him—was he here?"
"Don't worry. I took care of him."
Kerchak's eyes widened, but then he smirked and ruffled Tarzan's hair as he said, "That's my boy."
Tarzan grinned at his father as he ducked out of the rough hair tussle. He settled back in next to Jane, who was still asleep leaning back into Kala. Kerchak circled around his family and laid down next to his mate. It was still very early, and the aftershocks of the storm were still causing havoc in the jungle, so it was best to sleep a while longer before venturing outside. He felt warmth in his chest as he heard his father mutter softly before falling asleep:
"I knew you would make a great leader one day. I am very proud of you, Tarzan."
The time that the words Tarzan recalled Kerchak saying to him is shown in the side short Growing Up Wild: Short Stories from Iron On the Outside, Father Within, if anyone is interested in checking out that scene. I had a lot of fun retelling this version of events with Tublat's return.