Martin's Savannah Flower

Meet the Ranger

Morning on the African savannah. As the dawn broke, the peace and serenity of the beautiful Kenyan morning was shattered by the bellow of a wild animal.
"Gooooooood morning, Africa!"
Aroused by the morning melodies of the bush, Martin woke up in good spirits, ever eager for the adventures this day had to offer. But strangely, the ecstatic creature adventurer was greeted by silence. "Huh. Where is everybody?"he asked, looking around the vacant space of the Tortuga's main room.
  Meanwhile down in the invention's garage, Koki was hard at work making much needed adjustments to the Createrra VX, the hood of the vehicle popped open to allow easier access to the engine inside. The technician had just adjusted another bolt when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Koki glanced over her shoulder to see a tiny blue lizard perched on her right arm. The Tortuga technician gave a startled squeal as she jumped back in fright, flinging her unwanted passenger to a nearby crate. Dazed upon impact, the lizard was then enveloped in a blinding blue light, transforming into none other than–
"Doggone it, Martin! Don't scare me like that!"
"Guess I shoulda knocked first."he said sheepishly as the technician resumed her task. "So what's up Koki? Working on the Createrra? I bet you can use some extra hands."
"Nah I can handle it."she dismissed, her voice a little gentler, her eyes never leaving the car engine under the hood. "Besides, some of these tools are–"
"Hey. What's this do?"
Koki's flew wide open, dropping her gadgets in alarm while Martin held a blowtorch. "Don't touch that!"
Too late.
The garage was filled with a cloud of smoke and the panicked screams of the technician. The smoke cleared to reveal a black mark staining the Createrra's tan exterior.
Koki cast Martin a rueful glare; if looks could kill, then the Kratt in blue would have died on the spot. "Maybe you should go help somebody else."growled the computer whizz.
  Martin chuckled nervously as he left Koki to pick up the pieces, muttering curses as she did so.
***** Five Minutes Later...*****
Seated on his favorite beanbag chair, Jimmy Z was furiously pushing the buttons on his controller, eyes never leaving the television screen–
"How's it going, Jimmy?"
  Martin's sudden appearance earned a girlish scream of fright from the Tortuga pilot who nearly jumped out of his seat.
"A little warning next time?"said JZ, readjusting his gaming headsets along with his signature baseball cap while giving the source of his fright an unamused look. Martin simply chuckled. "Yikes!" The gamer quickly returned his attention to the game, frantically pressing buttons. "Almost cost me the match! Oh no you don't!"
"Sorry about tha–" The Kratt in blue's eyes widened as they fell upon the television screen. Martin grinned as he quickly grabbed a blue beanbag chair to join his friend. "Ooh! Sign me up for the next round!"
"Sorry, MK. I'm a little busy right now." Jimmy replied, eyes firmly glued on the screen. "I'm trying to beat my old community college buddy Nick at Halo 3. Besides, why don't you go out and play with Amber?"the redhead asked.
"I can't." Martin replied with a frown. "Amber's at Hammond's for the weekend, remember?"
Jimmy remembered in that instant. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that."
The InGen CEO's health had been deteriorating as of late, and the young Velociraptor had volunteered to keep her 'grandfather' some company, along with his grandchildren Lex and Tim.
Not wanting to overstay his welcome, the older Kratt got up to leave. "You enjoy your game. I'm gonna go look for Chris."
"Mmkay."mumbled the gamer, stuffing his face with potato chips. A tiny static explosion could be heard from the television. Victorious, Jimmy whooped and gave a fist pump. "Yeah! Eat it, Van Owen! Eat it!"
****Outside the Tortuga... ****
As he left the turtle ship, Martin was greeted by the warmth of the African sun and the melodic songs of the indigenous birds. The Tortuga H.Q was stationed on top of a high ridge that overlooked the vast expanse of the savannah which stretched as far as the eye can see, occasionally dotted by acacia trees and towering termite mounds. From his vantage point, the Kratt in blue could see a whole menagerie of different kinds of animals from graceful gazelles to mighty elephants. Every creature adventurer's dream.
Martin slid down the escarpment to enter the bush when he spied the very person he was looking for emerging from the tree line; his other half, his partner in crime, his best friend and little brother.
He immediately raced to him. "Chris!"
"Martin? What're you–Oof!" Chris' befuddlement was short lived as Martin scooped him up and tackled him in a gripping hug. The Kratt in green chuckled in his brother's crushing embrace. "I see that somebody's happy to see me."
Releasing his hold on Chris, Martin was practically getting in his brother's face as he talked a mile a minute, "What're we doing today? Savannah hide-and-seek? Bowling with buffaloes? Elephant back riding? Cheetah racing? Duck, duck, Egyptian goose? Or maybe rhino rodeo? Oh! Or how about lion wrestling?
"What do you say, brother 'o mine?"
Chris' smile faded. "Well, actually bro, I'd love to, but–"
"Chris!" Both of them looked to see Aviva walking up to them, a picnic basket in her hand. The inventor strolled up to Chris' right and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Hola, Martin."
"Oh, hey Aviva. You coming with us too?"the older Kratt asked.
The Kratt in green rubbed the back of his neck as he answered, "Actually, what I was going to say was that Aviva and I were planning on going to those springs to the north of here."
"It should be lovely at this time of year."added the inventor with a beaming smile.
The older Kratt's enthusiasm deflated a little upon hearing his brother's answer. "Oh. I get it."he said with a weak smile. "You probably have a romantic stroll for two planned. You don't need a big blue lug tagging along."
"Martin–" the Kratt in blue cut off the inventor, "Three's a crowd. You kids go on,"
"Are you sure, bro?"Chris asked. Martin nodded. "Umm... okay. Suit yourself. C'mon, Aviva!"
The older Kratt watched them go before turning around to walk in the opposite direction.
Martin wandered aimlessly through the savannah, without any particular goal or destination in mind. Deep down, he was happy that his little brother had found someone special to spend time with, but it seemed like they were now spending less and less time with each other like the old days. Heaving a sigh, the lone Kratt Brother ambled on towards the woodlands leading towards the river. His gloom however, quickly lifted as he explored the forest like a child in a candy shop, meeting all sorts of animals who called this place home, from scampering ground squirrels to towering giraffes. He had even caught sight of the spotted form of a drowsy leopard asleep somewhere in the fork of a tree, his camouflage perfectly matching the dappled light of the forest.
Setting his eyes low, he spied a whole manner of Africa's lesser known denizens including a spotted leopard tortoise ambling along the well used game trail. So slowly did the terrapin walk that Martin's ever wandering eyes watched the singular line of termites passing through, and then all manner of trackways and footprints left by all creatures great and small. One set in particular caught his interest.
   "That's a neat track,"he said aloud to himself. "Gotta see who's making these tracks." Fully captivated by this riddle on the forest floor, the Kratt in blue followed it as though it were the only one in all of Africa. So focused he was that he was blissfully unaware that he was being watched.
Eventually, his creature sense, as he and Chris called their honed senses and intuition, had told him that he was nearing his quarry. Dropping to his belly, the Kratt in blue stalked quietly through the underbrush like a lion stalking its prey, albeit lacking the sinewy grace of the big cats.
He heard them long before he saw them, low grunting sounds followed by light rustling. Peering through the tall grass, the older Kratt's eyes were greeted by a group of small, weasel like animals frolicking and foraging along the base of a towering termite mound.
"Mongooses!"he whispered to himself. "So these tracks belong to a colony of banded mongoose! They're extremely social and can number anywhere from 7 to 40 individuals. And this one has over 20!" The lively mongooses paid the hidden Kratt brother little mind as they were busy sniffing and digging into the sun baked earth.
"Looks like they're foraging for food. Insects, small reptiles, bird's eggs, millipedes and beetles make up most of their diet. Mongooses use their sense of smell to locate their prey and dig them out with their long claws."
Suddenly a slight disturbance in the tall grass seized their attention; a burly shape slowly made its way towards the colony. From his hiding spot, Martin immediately recognized the newcomer by its grotesque face and razor sharp tusks.
"Here comes a warthog! What's he doing here?"
Surprisingly, instead of fleeing, the mongooses boldly darted towards the imposing wild pig who simply dropped down to his side, allowing them to climb all over his body. Then it finally hit him.
  Martin chuckled as he watched this odd spectacle. "Of course! The Mongoose Spa is open for business! By rolling over on his side, the warthog is making it easier for the mongooses to pick off any ticks or parasites on his skin. Even in all those hard to reach places. It's the perfect partnership. The mongooses get food, while the warthog gets a free pedicure."
"Mongoose Spa? That's a good one!"
"It felt appropriate." Martin replied, eyes never leaving the grooming mongooses fussing over the more than content warthog.
"Do you always talk to yourself?"
"What can I say? I find myself to be enjoyable company–Huh?" His blue eyes widened. It had only just occurred to him that he wasn't alone.
The Kratt in blue jumped to his feet with a startled yelp, but quickly lost his footing and fell flat on his bottom. The mongooses and the warthog were also startled by the human's outburst and made a hasty retreat. A feminine voice could be heard giggling at Martin's expense. He looked up and gasped.
Standing before the creature adventurer was a young woman in her late twenties perhaps. A dark brown outdoors brim hat covered golden blonde hair that was tied in a French braid. She also wore a blue t-shirt covered by a beige vest as well as a pair of khaki shorts. And then there were her eyes. The prettiest blue eyes that Martin had ever seen.
The blue eyed stranger continued to laugh. "I couldn't help but notice you were wandering the bush all by yourself. I thought you might be lost." She offered her hand to help the fallen creature adventurer which he graciously accepted. Once on his feet, the creature adventurer stood a good head taller than the woman.
  Martin chuckled as he replied, "Well, that's the life of a creature adventurer for ya. Find a beautiful place, and get lost." Like those eyes, he thought, entranced. He could get lost in those beautiful eyes. Upon realizing that he may have been staring too intently, he cleared his throat to regain his composure.
"What're you doing out here by yourself, may I ask?"
"I'm a ranger."the woman replied. "It's part of my job." Martin also noticed that she carried a wooded staff, which she was currently leaning on. Attached to her belt on the left side appeared to be a long, curved sword indigenous to this part of the world. And she had a leather strap that wrapped around her chest diagonally, but he didn't see any gun barrel on her back. All in all, she may not have possessed a rifle like other rangers, but she was still armed to the teeth.
  The woman decided to introduce herself. "I'm Laura Wilkinson."
"Martin. Martin Kratt."
Laura's eyes widened as a silent gasp escaped her lips. "Martin Kratt? As in the Martin Kratt?"
The older Kratt smiled, well aware that his and his brother's names were known around the world over. "In the flesh."
By now, the blonde ranger was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "Oh mungu wangu! We've heard so much about your adventures around the world! We're big fans of your work! I just can't believe I didn't recognize you at first!"
  Martin cast the woman a scrutinizing look. She was really cute when she's excited, her beautiful smile, the way her eyes seemed to light up. In the end, he just had to ask. "So... how long were you following me?"
"Not that long actually."she replied. "Thought you might be a poacher at first, then I saw that you were just a harmless majinuni who might be lost."
"Majinuni?"he asked, raising an eyebrow. His Swahili was a bit rusty.
"Harmless lunatic."the ranger translated, trying in vain to hide her smile.
"Hey!" Martin exclaimed, feigning offense as the woman laughed to her heart's content. He had to admit, she had a really cute laugh, and it was enough for him to laugh in turn.
Any doubts Laura had of the tall and handsome stranger were instantly evaporated as he turned out to be very funny and sweet. And he also loved animals and nature as much as she did. Not to mention that he's Martin kutisha Kratt!
She liked him already.
Laura began to walk away, signaling Martin to follow her with a beckoning gesture.
Not a bad view from behind either, he thought as he watched her. He quickly rid himself of those thoughts.
(BG Music: Grazing In The Grass by Raven Symone)
"Where are you going?"he asked.
"C'mon! There's lots to do on the African savannah!"she replied, now going in a much quicker pace.
Martin smiled, following his new acquaintance into the bush, hungry for adventure.
Throughout the day, the ranger and the creature adventurer strolled through the African bush, taking in all kinds of sights and sounds, and meeting a wide variety of animals along the way; the pair ran among a large herd of zebra, their movements creating a dazzling array of color with their racing stripes.
They also came upon a family of cheetahs nestled within a series of rocky outcrops. The mother had killed recently and was taking the rare opportunity to rest upon a boulder while the animal enthusiasts played with her cubs. Luckily for the two humans, Laura knew this particular cheetah mother, who in turn had no qualms about letting them interact with the energetic youngsters.
  Martin ran across the grass with the youngsters in hot pursuit, laughing as he tripped and fell flat on his belly, falling under the weight of three rambunctious cheetah cubs who proceeded to wrestle and ruffle his hair. Laura sat next to the mother who enjoyed the ranger's hands that petted her spotted hide, a rumbling purr vibrating from her throat as her chin received much wanted attention.
Later on, Martin and Laura strolled through the grove of umbrella thorn acacia trees favored by a band of giraffes who browsed among the thorny branches, unmindful of the minuscule two-legged creatures walking between their long, lanky legs which seemed to be tree trunks themselves. Their spotted hides allowed the giraffes to blend almost perfectly into their environment despite being the world's tallest land animals. The pair also had lunch with a pair of Black rhinos, a mother and her year old calf, whom Martin had learned, much to his surprise, were very fond of chocolate sandwiches, slices of bread with chocolate bars in the middle, which the ranger had packed up for such an occasion.
Leaving the rhinos behind them, the pair literally went down to earth, exploring the sun baked tunnels of an abandoned aardvark den. They soon found that the hole may have been abandoned by aardvarks, but it was now occupied by an elusive striped hyena. The normally nocturnal scavenger took no pleasure in sharing his lair with the bothersome humans and violently repelled them, biting Martin's buttocks as a warning. The pair wisely made a hasty retreat.
They met a small herd of elephants congregated by a watering hole, a family unit made of related females and their calves, accompanied by flocks of white egrets who followed their gigantic hosts for flies and other insects flushed out by their footsteps. While the pachyderms washed and drank along the banks, the two stood a good distance away, leisurely observing the elephants who payed them little attention. That was when a playful calf made his presence known, nudging Martin with a little too much force that he fell face first into a patch of fresh elephant dung. Laura tried her best to control her laughter, but failed miserably, clutching her stomach from laughing so hard before she squealed as she was pelted in the chest by a ball of muck. It was Martin's turn to laugh, but that was until the ranger narrowed her eyes at him, bringing a chill crawling up his spine. He gulped nervously before a rounded dung ball made contact with his face. The pair then engaged in Africa's version of a snowball fight, only instead of snow, it was rounded balls of elephant dung.
Their frivolous play was brought to an abrupt end when the eldest elephant, the matriarch, ambled up from the waterhole and sprayed the soiled duo in a shower of water.
   After a proper wash at the waterhole, they observed a pride of lions dozing lazily through the heat of the day, under the shade of a towering acacia tree. Not long afterwards they followed a group of gazelles prancing and leaping into the air, with Martin trying to get in on the act. Needless to say, he didn't make the cut as the fleet footed antelopes left him in the dust.
He did have better luck when he engaged in a dance-off with some Grey crowned cranes. The gregarious birds were covered in gray plumage, their heads adorned by a distinctive crown of stiff golden feathers. Martin's arms spread out wide in imitation of the bird's white wings as he mimicked their dance moves which consisted of bowing and jumping. Laura joined in on the fun, dancing in the style of the local Samburu and Maasai people, jumping as high as possible in a standing position. After a while, their dances soon became more freestyle, resulting in giggling and laughing tomfoolery and mishaps as their fine feathered audience looked on.
Their safari soared to new heights as they rode upon the back of an old bull elephant whom Laura was well acquainted with, seeing the world through the eyes of the hulking behemoth who ruled the landscape in perfect harmony with the splendor of the African bush. On the open grasslands, Martin tried his luck with riding a Cape buffalo. That was, until the brute shook him off with a bellow of displeasure. With an irritated snort, the bovine turned to rejoin his thundering herd, leaving Martin laying motionlessly in the grass.
The ranger immediately rushed to the fallen Kratt brother's side.
"Martin are you alright?"she asked, turning him over on his back. To her relief, the creature adventurer burst into laughter, completely unharmed. She found his laughing to be highly contagious and she soon joined him. The usual rhythms of the African bush were soon merged with the cheerful laughter of two kindred spirits completely at home in this rugged and wild wonderland.
***** If you've read my story The Lost World: Jurassic Kratts, then you probably know about the inclusion of a new member of the Wild Kratts team. I figured that it was about time I gave her a proper introduction. Meet Laura Wilkinson, an African-born ranger who's a lot tougher than she looks, and she's voiced by Grey Griffin.
**A bit of trivia: Laura was inspired by the character Kitty Carlo (also named Laura Wilkinson) who had shapeshifting powers, allowing her to change into any animal. She was created by fanfiction author SilverWaterBombadil.
I love Africa. It's one of my lifelong dreams to go there some day. This is only part one of a two part story, the second, more action packed chapter still underway.
   Tuonane kwenye njia ya kiumbe! (See you on the Creature Trail!)