Kerchak had just finished grooming Tarzan when Akut arrived the next day and proposed taking Tarzan to his family for the afternoon. Kerchak had hesitated at the idea, perhaps recalling how the other silverbacks had reacted to Tarzan during the Truce. Akut was quick to pull out his charm, however.
"I'll be with him the whole time," Akut said, his voice smooth and reassuring. "Dad's territory is right through the trees, it's not like we're going over a mountain or anything. Just a little visit. Besides," he added with a playful nudge to Tarzan, "Tarzan asked to go."
Kerchak's gaze shifted to Tarzan, a flicker of concern in his eyes. Tarzan only offered a placative smile, but did not attempt to persuade his father either way. Maybe Kerchak would say no. After all, he was very overprotective at times, and if he couldn't be in the immediate vicinity to protect Tarzan from a raging silverback, this whole trip might end up canceled.
"I don't know, Akut," Kerchak said thoughtfully. "Zutho . . . he's a good leader, but he can be . . . unpredictable."
"Come on, Uncle," Akut chuckled. "Zutho trusts my judgement, he won't do anything to Tarzan. And I'd never let anything happen to Tarzan anyway. We're cousins, after all. Family looks after family, right?" He winked at Tarzan, a subtle reminder of the recent hippo incident.
Kerchak looked at Tarzan again, searching his face.
"What do you think, Tarzan?" he asked, his voice gentle. "Is this something you want to do?"
Tarzan hesitated. Part of him was curious. He'd never really interacted with apes outside of Kerchak's family except for the Truce. The idea of meeting others, especially Akut's friends, was intriguing. But he also remembered the way Akut had tricked him before, the way he'd almost gotten him trampled by the hippo. He wasn't sure he trusted him completely.
Akut, sensing his hesitation, leaned closer, his voice low; "Come on, baby cuz," he whispered, just loud enough for Tarzan to hear. "You owe me one, remember?"
Tarzan's eyes narrowed. He did owe Akut. He couldn't deny that. And Akut was right, it wasn't like they were going far, his family was literally out of Kerchak's territory, through the small trail that marked neutral territory, and then they would be in Zutho's territory. It was not a long trek.
He looked back at Kerchak, who was still waiting for his answer.
"I guess so," Tarzan said finally. "It's okay with me."
Kerchak sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, but he could see that Tarzan wanted to go, and he trusted his son's instincts.
"Alright," he said, nodding slowly. "But Tarzan, you stay with Akut at all times. And be respectful to the other members of the family. Mind your smiles."
Tarzan gave his father his best submissive smile to showcase that he understood. Smiling incorrectly at anyone could spark trouble, and that was the last thing Tarzan wanted.
"Don't worry, Uncle," Akut said, his smile wide and reassuring. "I'll take good care of him. We'll be back before sunset."
"You better be," Kerchak said. He nudged his son playfully. "Go on. Have fun."
"Great!" Akut exclaimed, gesturing for Tarzan to follow him. "You're gonna love spending time with my family and friends."
Even as he followed Akut, Tarzan couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension. He still wasn't sure what to expect from Akut's family. He hoped this visit wouldn't be another trick, another opportunity for Akut to make him look foolish. As they crossed the neutral trail that divided Kerchak and Zutho's territories, Tarzan also felt a twinge of excitement at exploring a new family's dynamic. As they moved through the trees, Tarzan could hear the family chatter, and he unconsciously walked closer to Akut as they arrived to a large clearing where several gorillas were gathered, some grooming each other, some chatting, and young ones playing and wrestling. Several paused to stare at Tarzan as he walked by with Akut, who had his head held high with a smile as he paraded Tarzan forward.
"See here," Akut said as he came up to a large nest near the center of the group. "This is my nest. I do it up all myself."
He puffed out his chest slightly, a hint of pride in his voice. The nest was impressive, a sprawling structure of woven branches and soft moss, clearly the work of a skilled builder.
"Cool," Tarzan said, sitting in front of Akut's nest. "I haven't really gotten around to making my own nest yet. I get cold at night if I sleep alone . . . you know, hairless."
"Right," Akut said, tilting his head. "I suppose that makes things challenging. Hey, here comes my dad."
Tarzan spun around to see the silverback Akut was staring at, and he instinctively backed up a bit so he was standing next to his cousin while a massive silverback walked toward Akut's nest. The gorilla, Zutho, his fur was an almost black shade that made the silver on his back gleam like polished metal. He moved with a quiet power that radiated authority. He paused in front of the nest, his gaze sweeping over Tarzan with mild curiosity.
"Dad," Akut greeted casually, "this is my cousin, Tarzan."
"Ah yes, Tarzan," Zutho said. "I've heard tales of your bravery spreading around the jungle. You did the jungle a great service chasing off those poachers."
Tarzan shifted uncomfortably under Zutho's intense stare.
"It was nothing," he said, remembering to give a submissive smile while addressing the leader silverback.
"Ah, you're just modest," Akut said. "Take your wins where you get them, cuz, you're a legend!"
"Akut's right." Zutho chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "You deserve the praise, Tarzan. Your courage is admirable."
Tarzan blushed slightly at Zutho's words. It felt strange to be praised by this imposing silverback, a leader of another troop. Akut seemed amused by his reaction, and he shouldered him playfully before gesturing for Tarzan to follow him.
"We're going to go explore the family, Dad," Akut said, "while I have him here for the afternoon."
Zutho made a small grunt in acknowledgement as he carried on through the family, checking in on the other members. Tarzan shuffled alongside Akut as he was pulled through the family grounds. Akut paused and grinned at something out of Tarzan's sight, and he was pulled over to a large rock that he climbed up at Akut's insistence. Lying down, Akut nodded at the teen female apes grooming each other in a semi-circle while talking gossip. Tarzan frowned, unsure what Akut was trying to get at, while his cousin simply snorted at him.
"Hey ladies," Akut greeted loudly, and he waited for the females to all turn to look up at him before he flicked his fringe out of his eyes and nodded at Tarzan. "Ever hang with a hero?"
The female apes turned their attention to Tarzan, their eyes widening with admiration. They giggled and whispered amongst themselves before they crawled up the large rock and sat themselves next to Tarzan and Akut, grooming their hair, a couple of the females taking great interest in Tarzan's strange dreadlocks.
"Your hair is so soft but so weird," one of the girls said. Her eyes widened before she offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I meant no offense. It's just so different but so cool at the same time."
"Thanks," Tarzan said. "No one's ever really said anything nice about my hair before."
"Well, as a hero," she said again, batting her eyelashes at him, "I think you deserve all the compliments."
Very uncomfortable now, Tarzan gave the female an uneasy smile, and Akut, who was enjoying the grooming from the two females sitting next to him, smirked in amusement before he pulled most of the attention to himself.
"Ladies, check it out," Akut said, rolling over to expose his back where a hint of silver was peeking through his dark fur. "Already got my silver coming in. Not bad for fifteen, huh?"
If it was possible, the females swooned even more as everyone's attention returned to Akut, even the two females grooming Tarzan's hair had moved closer to Akut. Tarzan couldn't resist the small snort that escaped his nose as he watched all the girls fret over Akut. He remembered asking Kerchak why all the girls seemed most interested in silver backs, and at the time, Kerchak had only said that a silver back showed maturity, and it was simply an attractive feature for females. Kerchak had said no more about it and Tarzan did not push the subject after that small tidbit of information.
After receiving a thorough grooming from the female apes, Akut said his goodbyes to the ladies and led Tarzan away from the family grounds a bit.
"Where are we going now?" Tarzan asked.
"To meet some of my pals. You'll fit right in, I'm sure of it."
They were a bit away from the rest of the family now, and that apprehension Tarzan had felt earlier returned, but he kept close to Akut as he ventured deeper into unknown territory. He was starting to wonder if he was about to be tricked into something again when he noticed three teen gorillas wrestling outside of a cave. They weren't nearly as large as Akut, but still a lot bigger than Tarzan, and they all had darker fur, as seemed to run in the family. Their playful growls and mock snarls died down as Akut approached, bringing their roughhousing to an abrupt halt.
"Yo guys," Akut called out, striking a casual pose, "look who I brought. The hero of the jungle."
"Oh, we should practice our curtsies," one of them said.
"Are we in need of saving guys?" another one chuckled. "I don't know, I'm feeling a little faint. We need a hero, stat!"
"Hairless wonder, right?" yet another said. "What's with the lack of hair anyway, don't you get cold?"
"Uhh, well," Tarzan started to say, keeping his eyes downcast.
"They're just messing with ya," Akut reassured him with a chuckle. "Relax."
"Right," Tarzan agreed with a strained smile. "Funny."
"This is Karnath," Akut said, gesturing to the largest of the three gorillas, who sat down and held his head up high. He had a bit more brown highlights in his fur, giving his body a unique hue.
"What up, kid?" Karnath greeted.
"Hi," Tarzan said.
"This is Goyad," Akut introduced the next ape, one who had a brown snout, "known him since we were babies."
Goyad nodded his head in greeting, and Akut paused in front of the last ape, one who had a bit of a large forehead, his hair sticking up tall in a similar manner to Kerchak.
"And this is Taglat," Akut said.
"Nice to meet ya," Taglat said.
"You as well," Tarzan said.
"Is it true that you chased off poachers after they killed a gorilla?" Karnath asked. "How'd you do it?"
Even Akut sat down to hear this great tale from Tarzan's mouth, though his amused smile never left his face. So, Tarzan explained the events of the Truce, how two other families shared territory with his own in an attempt to escape poachers that were pursuing them. He went on to share his misadventure of seeking out the poachers, and how he really did not like what he saw. But during his visit, he realized how to get rid of the poachers, and with the help of all the silverbacks and a few other gorillas, they managed to scare off the poachers.
"You're crazy," Karnath said with a shake of his head. "And not the good kind either."
"Brave, though," Akut said. "You've got some nerve standing up to your leader like that, even if he is your father."
"Again, crazy," Karnath argued. "You've got some death wish."
"I don't," Tarzan insisted. "I just wanted to help my family."
"If you're so brave," Taglat said, stepping forward, "and like helping the family, want to help us out?"
"Uh, sure, with what?"
"We got a bat problem," Goyad said. "In this cave. See, this is usually our special cave, but these bats decided to move in. We need them out."
"Well . . . if they need a place to stay too . . ."
"There's hundreds of caves around here," Taglat insisted. "They can have any one of those, just not this one."
"You gonna help us or what?" Karnath asked.
Tarzan glanced at Akut, who merely moved his eyebrows questioningly.
Tarzan hesitated. He wasn't sure about this. The whole situation felt… off. These gorillas, while outwardly friendly, gave him an uneasy feeling. They were Akut's friends, but this "bat problem" sounded suspiciously like they were trying to trick him into doing something dangerous. Or they were genuinely interested in having their cave back and saw his appearance as an opportunity. It was hard to judge which way this was going.
"Well, how do you usually get rid of bats?" Tarzan asked cautiously.
"We don't," Goyad admitted with a shrug. "That's why we need a hero."
He emphasized the word sarcastically, earning a snicker from Taglat.
Tarzan glanced at Akut again, hoping for some guidance, but Akut was leaning against a rock nonchalantly, a small, almost imperceptible smirk playing on his lips. He wasn't offering any help, just watching Tarzan with an air of amusement. Tarzan felt a flicker of annoyance. Was this some kind of test? Or did Akut really think he might be able to pull this off.
"So," Karnath pressed, "you gonna help us or what? Or are you just a hero when it's convenient?"
Tarzan bristled at the challenge. He didn't like being pressured, especially when he felt like he was being set up. But he also didn't want to back down, not in front of these apes, and definitely not in front of Akut.
"Alright," he said finally, a hint of steel in his voice. "I'll help."
"Great!" Taglat exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Follow us!"
The three gorillas led Tarzan to the cave entrance, and even just stepping inside, the air grew cooler and damper. The smell of the bats and their droppings hung heavy in the air. Hundreds of bats hung from the ceiling, their leathery wings folded, their small bodies swaying gently. The sound of their soft squeaking filled the air. Tarzan winced at the number of them, and he wasn't entirely sure how he was expected to chase them out.
"So, what do you think?" Karnath asked.
"Err, well, I'm not entirely sure . . ."
"You can't do it, can you?" Karnath sniffed the air. "Figures. Some hero."
"No, I can do it," Tarzan insisted. "I just need to think for a minute."
Tarzan walked out of the cave and frowned in thought. Akut was still sitting outside and he tilted his head at Tarzan.
"You don't have to do it, you know," Akut said. "They'll live without their cave for one day."
"Easy for you to say," Karnath said, walking out and sitting next to Akut. "That's our special hide out. You've got every place under the sun to claim, this one spot is all ours."
"Till I kick you out of it," Akut challenged.
"But you never do," Goyad said. "Your threats don't work on us."
"So, hairless wonder," Taglat said, "any ideas?"
"Hmm," Tarzan thought hard about how to chase the bats out. They were such sensitive little creatures. And maybe that was the clue. He smiled as an idea came to him. "I do have an idea. But I'm going to need your help, Akut."
"Why me?" Akut asked while his friends snickered.
"Because you're my cousin, cuz," Tarzan said with a smirk. "And you were so helpful with the hippo yesterday."
"Oooh," the three apes chanted together while Akut's jaw dropped before he narrowed them at Tarzan.
"You learn fast, baby cuz," Akut said. "Fine, I'll help."
It did not take long to share his plan with Akut, and while he had chosen Akut because he trusted him more than the new gorillas he had just met, Akut was also larger than his friends, so would have a better chance at succeeding the first time. He and Akut snuck into the cave, keeping low and silent so as not to anger anyone and end up getting bit. No, this had to be done in one go and in a way that sent all the bats out of the cave instead of freaking out within it. Once they made it to the back of the cave, Tarzan rolled a large leaf and held it up to Akut's mouth.
"Go ahead," Tarzan said, using his free hand to cover at least one ear.
Akut unleashed a loud roar, and the rolled leaf assisted in directing it at the bats above them, amplifying the noise in the cave which already produced a mighty echo, and all the bats above shivered and flapped their wings desperately, and they began flying out of the cave as fast as they could, flocking together and heading for the sky to escape the scary noise. Finally, there was not a single bat left, and the other three gorillas cheered as they entered the cave.
A chorus of impressed hoots and grunts filled the cave. Karnath clapped Tarzan on the back, a gesture that felt surprisingly genuine. "Not bad, hairless wonder," he conceded. "Not bad at all."
Goyard nodded in agreement. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Even Taglat, the most skeptical of the three, offered a grudging smile.
"Alright, maybe you're not so bad after all," Taglat said.
"Of course he's not," Akut said, giving Tarzan a fond smile, "he's a genius."
Tarzan couldn't help the smile back as he felt warmth spread through his chest. It was good to be acknowledged, to be accepted, even by these rough-and-tumble apes. But the praise felt especially meaningful coming from Akut. After the initial rough encounter, after the subtle jabs and teasing, this felt like a genuine moment of connection.
"Thanks, guys," Tarzan said, returning their smiles.
"I'm parched now," Akut said, giving Tarzan a playful shoulder nudge. "All that excitement made me thirsty. I'm going to grab a drink from the creek then we should probably head back to Kerchak's. Need a drink?"
"No," Tarzan said, for once not feeling overly thirsty. "I'm good."
"Alright then," Akut said. "We'll catch you guys later."
"See ya," Karnath said, Goyad and Taglat grunting in reply.
Akut left the cave, telling Tarzan to wait just outside the cave while he headed to the nearby creek. Tarzan was a bit jealous that there was a creek running through Akut's family. He could really use one of those on Kerchak's side. As he waited, he heard voices coming from inside the cave.
"Akut's such a joke," Karnath whispered. "Always showing off, acting like he's so unstoppable."
"Yeah," Goyard agreed. "Just because his dad's the alpha. Cocky little . . ."
"He thinks we actually like him," Taglat snickered. "He's so clueless."
"Hey!" Tarzan snapped, turning back into the cave with a frown. "That's not very nice. Akut is a good ape."
Tarzan couldn't believe he was saying those words, but at the moment, he believed them. While Akut was mischievous and a little annoying sometimes, especially with his smug attitude, Tarzan could see that there was a good and kind heart inside him.
The three apes turned, their eyes widening in surprise before an evil glint flickered within them as they smirked, teeth baring slightly at Tarzan.
"Oh, look who's back," Karnath sneered. "Going to run and tell Akut what we said?"
"Yeah," Taglat mocked. "What are you going to do, hairless wonder?"
"Cry to your daddy?" Goyad asked.
"No!" Tarzan shouted even as the three gorillas circled him. "But I am telling Akut."
"Oh no," Karnath mocked fear in his voice, "anything but that."
"And here I though you were a hero," Taglat said "Instead, you're nothing but a little eavesdropping tattletale!"
"Back off," Tarzan demanded, a bit of fear starting to creep up his spine. "You don't want to mess with me."
"Why?" Goyad questioned, shoving Tarzan roughly, making him stumble a bit. "Gonna send Daddy after us? Kerchak isn't here to help you."
"No one here is," Karnath snarled, then he lunged forward with canines exposed, snapping at Tarzan, who narrowly avoided the bite.
Tarzan tried to scramble away, having to crawl under the larger apes, but he tripped over his feet as he made sharp turns to avoid a bite or grab, and he ended up tangling himself up enough that he fell, and he curled up in a fetal position as fists struck down on him repeatedly while one of the gorillas bit down on his shoulder and dragged him back a bit, trying to force Tarzan to uncurl and expose his vulnerable chest and stomach.
Tarzan cried out in pain but kept himself in a tight ball.
Suddenly, like a bang of thunder, Akut stormed into the cave, rose on two and pounded his chest while unleashing another loud roar.
The display was enough to make the three other gorillas release Tarzan and back away.
Akut dropped down to all four, his fur bristled, and his teeth bared.
"How dare you attack a child," Akut barked, "are you trying to bring Kerchak's wrath down on this family?"
The three gorillas lowered their eyes submissively, more out of respect for Akut's status in the family than out of any guilt.
"If you ever touch my cousin again," Akut said, "I will ask my father to banish you—all of you! And you know he will listen to me."
The gorillas lowered their heads more, and after a minute of glaring, Akut snarled loudly and mock charged them, and they backed away.
"Have I made myself clear?" Akut yelled.
"Yes, sir," the gorillas said, offering submissive smiles.
"Good." Akut turned to Tarzan, his eyes full of concern as he looked over his cousin, wincing at the bleeding shoulder. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you."
"It's okay," Tarzan tried to say, fighting back tears as he stood up, wincing as he put weight on his injured shoulder.
"Don't be such a martyr," Akut scolded. He carefully lifted Tarzan to his back, then with one last glare at the gorillas behind him, he left the cave quickly.
Akut managed to find a secluded spot just on the edge of his father's territory, Kerchak's territory a short walk away, and he quickly tended to Tarzan's wounds, sniffing him over and grooming Tarzan as best he could, though Tarzan did not help any.
"Ow, Akut, stop, it's fine," Tarzan said, jerking his arm away.
"I can't send ya back to Kerchak without having cleaned that," Akut argued, using a hand to hold his cousin still so he could lick the bite wound.
"You're making it hurt," Tarzan said.
"It's gonna hurt a lot more if it doesn't get cleaned," Akut said. "Hold still. Are you always like this at grooming times?"
"No!" Tarzan answered quickly. With a hesitation, he added, "Just don't ask Dad that."
"I see." Akut licked the shoulder wound a few more times before he sniffed Tarzan once more for any other injuries. Most of the injuries were bruising from the pounding and rough grabbing he had endured. He had a couple of scratches here and there, and Akut managed to get in a couple more licks before Tarzan pulled away from him with an annoyed look and rubbed his shoulder achingly.
"Are you okay?" Akut asked.
"I'll be fine," Tarzan said. "I've had worse. I think."
"Sheesh, you're making me feel bad."
Tarzan hesitated, glancing up at Akut, and seeing the true concern in his eyes, he sighed and looked down.
"They said awful things about you," Tarzan said. "When you left for a drink. They said . . ."
"I know," Akut interrupted.
"You . . . you know what?"
"I know what they think of me. I know what many of my peers think of me, save for some of the females, obviously." Akut sighed and looked through the trees in the direction of his family. "When you're the alpha's son, everyone has to be your friend. They have to be nice to you, whether they really like you or not. That's how it's always been for me. Everyone was nice to me because everyone's parents told them they had to be. And really, the guys still hang with me sometimes cause I get all the attention from the females. But that's all. I know they'd rather not."
Akut sighed again as he closed his eyes, lowering his head some.
"I've never really had someone who was a friend to me because I was just me."
Tarzan looked at Akut, really looked at him. He saw past the bravado, the easy smiles, the casual confidence. He saw a gorilla who was, in his own way, just as lonely as Tarzan himself. He understood, perhaps better than anyone, the ache of wanting to belong, to be accepted for who you are, not for who your family is.
"That's . . . that's not true," Tarzan said softly, though even to his own ears, the words sounded hollow. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to comfort Akut, how to fill the void of loneliness that seemed to emanate from him.
Akut opened his eyes, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"I suppose, as another alpha's son, you might get it a bit," Akut said. "You were actually the first person to not want anything to do with me, despite knowing who I was."
"Yeah, well, you didn't make a great first impression," Tarzan said. "To be honest, no one liked me at first because I was different, not because I was Kerchak's son. In fact, even Kerchak didn't like me. It took him a while to accept me as a member of the family and as his son. You know, he actually said that he didn't think I would survive a year in the jungle when Mom first brought me home."
"Really? He said that?"
"Yeah."
"To your face?"
"Right to my face."
"That's harsh."
"That's not even the cruelest thing he ever said to me. Dad could be really mean sometimes. But ever since he accepted me, he's always been kind—and even a little overprotective, if you ask me. But he had to look past what I was and get to know the real me in order to like me for that. Kind of like I had to see past what you were to see the real you. I know we're cousins first, but I think of you as a friend, too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're pretty cool sometimes."
"Only sometimes?"
"You're not getting any more than that out of me," Tarzan teased.
Akut chuckled before he said, "Thanks, baby cuz. That means a lot."
A comfortable silence settled between them as the sun slowly lowered more and more in the sky. The sounds of the jungle, the chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves, seemed to amplify the quiet understanding that had passed between them.
"We should get back," Tarzan said finally, breaking the silence. He stood up, brushing some dirt off his injured shoulder. "Dad will be wondering where we are."
Akut sighed but nodded as he stood up. He lifted Tarzan to his back, not wanting Tarzan to walk too far with his fresh injury. It did not take Akut long to arrive in Kerchak's family grounds, and Akut took Tarzan directly to his shared nest, pausing for only a second at the sight of Kerchak sitting there munching on fruit from a collected pile he had in front of him. Akut gulped nervously before walking the rest of the way there, allowing Tarzan to slide off his back.
"Are you bit?" Kerchak asked, quick to notice the bite mark. He glared at Akut. "What happened? I thought you were going to stay with him at all times!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but—"
"It's my fault, Dad," Tarzan interrupted, surprising Akut. "He did stay with me the whole time. I just . . . didn't mind my smiles. And another gorilla got angry with me."
"Hmm." Kerchak looked from his son to Akut. "Is that true, Akut?"
Tarzan looked at his older cousin with a hopeful expression, and Akut slowly nodded his head.
"Yeah, I broke it up quickly, though," Akut said. "And tried to clean the wound as best I could."
"Thank you," Kerchak said. He looked at his son. "And you, I warned you to mind your expressions."
"I know, I know," Tarzan said, enduring a few licks to his wound from his father, knowing better than to complain to him. "I won't let it happen again. So I can hang out with Akut again right?"
Akut sat down in front of the nest, a shocked look taking over his face while Kerchak snorted and said, "I suppose I can allow that, but while you're arm heals, you'll stick to my territory."
"Yes, sir," Akut and Tarzan said simultaneously.
"Eat some dinner," Kerchak said, gesturing to the small collection of food sitting in the nest. "I'll collect a few more things for you."
Once Kerchak was out of earshot and Tarzan was happily eating a mango, Akut gave Tarzan a grateful look.
"You didn't have to do that, ya know," Akut said.
"I know. Consider it a valuable life lesson in forgiving and forgetting," Tarzan said as he threw a mango at Akut, who caught it easily. "Free of charge."
Akut laughed at Tarzan's imitation of himself before he spent some time enjoying the fruit with Tarzan before he needed to head back home, promising to visit again the next day.