Caged - Unleash the Beast

Chapter 8 - Oh... Brother

The mountain lion's ears pricked at the sound of Brandon's voice, still unsure, Brandon took another step forward. The mountain lion growled before taking a step back, showing its canines as a warning.
"Khan. It's me. I'm sorry that I left you." Brandon tried to calm the big cat down.
It flicked its ears before getting down low, ready to pounce. It bunched up its hunches and growled once more.
"I think that is our cue to leave." Tyson murmured as they began to back away slowly.
Brandon seemed to be in shock, a sad look on his face as he lowered his hand.
"Time would have changed the bond." James murmured to him, resting a comforting hand on Brandon's shoulder.
Before anyone could react the mountain lion leaped, James grabbed Brandon's hand as the big cat grabbed him by the collar. Now Brandon and the mountain lion were dangling over the rocky cliff face, it wasn't a big fall but it would be a painful way down. James struggled as his grip began to slip out of Brandon's hand, Sam tried to help, he was to late. James' grip slipped and now Brandon and the mountain lion went tumbling down the cliff face. They all hurried to the edge as they watched the pair land on the ground, Brandon moaning and trying to get up. The mountain lion got up onto its paws in no time and now was stalking over to Brandon.
"We can't just stand here and watch!" Sam said as he began to run down the hill.
"Sam!" Jackie called after him as she followed.
"We are suppose to be a team!" James called down to them.
"Well, I ain't staying up here." Rider shrugged and soon he too followed.
"Seriously?" James called to them.
"Come on, James. You're the only one up there!" Jackie told him.
James looked around to find that Jake and Tyson had followed, "Very well." He murmured to himself. The group half stumbled down the hill, using each other as balance when some one slipped. They hurried down to the ground as fast as they could, the snow leopards they had seen on the way up were now higher up the ledge. Sam slipped only to be caught by James who in turn slipped, before anyone could stop they all went sliding down the hill. Piling on top of one another wasn't the best of plans, Sam on the bottom, then James, Tyson, Jackie, Rider and then Jake to top it off.
"Well that was quicker." Sam wheezed as everyone else regained their feet.
"Come on, we can't waist time." Tyson moaned as he lead the way.
"Do you even know where you're going?" Jackie asked.
"No." Tyson shrugged.
They came to the clearing they had last seen Brandon, no blood was on the ground nor was there any signs of attack.
"I'm fine." Brandon suddenly spoke from the bushes.
"What the hell happened?" Jackie asked, a puzzled look on her face.
"Don't ask me." Brandon shrugged his shoulders. "All I know is that our bond is full again."
"Speaking of which... Where is the big cat?" James asked, a frown on his face.
"Right behind you." Brandon said.
They all turned around at once to find the same deep blue eyes that had once threatened them now at bay.
"Come on. We better get back." Jackie beckoned them all.
"Good idea." Tyson nodded, he had seen his fair share of horror for the day.
Jackie shook her head before following Jake to the locked doors, they trekked the terrain in silence only to be interrupted by the occasional growl of defence. Jackie fumbled with the keys before looking up to the door, their stuck to the other door was a piece of paper. Jackie looked at everyone, they all had the same puzzled look on their faces. Once everyone had exited the dome, Jackie pulled the piece of paper off.
"You, ah, going to read it?" James asked, as he mounted his jaguar.
"I will when we get home." Jackie sighed, before stuffing the letter into her bag.
She looked at Brandon, who had a worried look on his face as he mounted his mountain lion. She remembered that he wanted to talk to her and Rider alone once they got back. They rode into town, everyone having the same thing on their mind, what was written in the letter. They had pulled up and dismounted their big cats when Rosie had come along.
"Brandon!" She said, as she excitedly ran over to him.
"I told you that I wouldn't leave." He whimpered, Jackie remembered the soft spot he had after being kneed repeatedly.
"Come on, you must come home. Mother and Father are waiting to see you again." Rosie said cheerfully, pulling at his arm like a little kid.
"Brandon said that he wanted to talk to Rider and I. He can say what he wants to say and then we will make sure he comes home." Jackie told Rosie.
"Actually, I'll wait around here for him. I have to collect a few things here anyway." Rosie shrugged, a small glimmer of sadness in her eyes.
"I won't be long." Brandon reassured her before following Jackie inside.
James and the others tried to follow, only for Jackie to raise her eye brows at them. Jake frowned before rolling his eyes and beckoning the others away from the house. Jackie beckoned Brandon and Rider inside, she looked around before going in herself, everything seemed to have been at peace after the war. But now, it was different.
"What did you want to tell us?" Jackie asked as she say done at the dining room table, she gestured for Brandon and Rider to do the same.
"I didn't want to say anything in front of the others, I didn't want to alarm anyone." Brandon murmured.
"Why?" Rider asked, he leaned closer.
"Because, I didn't want anyone to panic." Brandon sighed, he began fidgeting with his thumbs.
"Panic about what?" Jackie asked, a crease in her forehead.
"Maddi is planning to attack." Brandon sighed.
Jackie sat back in her chair, everything around her seemed to stop at once. All she could hear was her own heartbeat.
"She has gathered an army and is preparing to wage war against you." Brandon continued. "This is what they and been planning. If she found out that you had been captured by us, she would have killed you on the spot."
Both Rider and Jackie were now sitting back, their breathing slowed as every word Brandon told them sunk in. One word seemed to stick out, war. Jackie had seen the first of the war not long ago, she had seen innocent blood spilled, fires raging untamed and fear and death in everyone's eyes.
"I need to go talk to the other chief's." Jackie murmured to herself.
"What?" Rider asked, fear filled his eyes.
"I ned to go and talk to the other chief's." Jackie spoke up, loud enough for them to hear it.
"But, that is suicide." Rider argued. "If what Brandon said was true, about them killing you on the spot. What do you think would happen if they see you?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I need to go." Jackie murmured, a stern tone in her voice.
"You are not going anyway!" Rider stood sternly, he made the chair fall to the ground as he towered over her.
"You can go now, Brandon." Jackie murmured to him. "You do not tell anyone about this. This is between us 3."
"I understand." Brandon nodded before exiting the door.
Jackie heard the door click back into place as Brandon closed the door behind himself. She waited for Rider's lecture, but instead a tear came to his eye. Jackie looked up at him, he had pain in his eyes as well as fear.
"I can't lose you." Rider murmured to her. "I can never lose you."
"Rider, please." She tried to calm him.
"When everyone else returned back, but not you, it felt like death was upon me. I could not live this world without you." Rider murmured once more, he placed one of his hands on her cheek.
"And you won't." She calmed, as she stood up.
"You can't promise that. You don't know what is out there." Rider whimpered, more tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes.
"And neither do you. As far as we know, they are in the forest. I will be fine." Jackie tried to calm herself now.
She leaned into Rider, she could feel his heart beat against her head. She could feel his every breathe against hers, his muscular arms wrapping around her as a protection, his chin resting in the top of her head.
"I can't lose you." Rider murmured once more.
Jackie was about to reply, but thought better of it. She closed her eyes and just allowed Rider to hold her tightly, he had already lost his sister. They were interrupted by the door opening, Jackie didn't move, instead she opened her eyes and just stayed where she was.
"Oh. I am sorry." Rider's mother suddenly said. "I didn't realise you two were home."
No one replied to his mother, both of her parents were now with the other ancestors, all she had left was Jake and Rider. Both of them were very protective of her, Rider even got jealous at times.
"Just dropping off the apples. Dinner is on the bench. When your hungry just warm it up." She said, as she hurried out the door.
Jackie chuckled to herself once the woman left, Rider too had a smile on his face.
"Please, don't go." He murmured before looking down at her.
"I have too." Jackie said, she held his hands tightly. "I won't leave till first light."
"There's no stopping you is there?" Rider murmured.
"No stopping her from what?" Jake suddenly interrupted.
"Nothing." Jackie shrugged, a fake smile on her face.
Jake nodded slowly before heading up stairs for a quick shower, once she heard the water running she let out a sigh of relief.
"No one can know." Jackie warned him.
"People will start to wonder where you are." Rider raised his eye brows.
"Leave that to me." Jackie said, before kissing Rider on the cheek.
"What? Is that all I get?" Rider asked, as he watched her walk into the kitchen.
Jackie simply chuckled before warming up their dinner, once she heard Jake turn the water off she hurried up for a quick shower. Leaving the boys alone, might not have been the best of plans. She simply shrugged to try and reassure herself that they would be fine.