To Lead The Jabari Tribe

Chapter 10

They were hiking up the mountain and much to R'inu was shocked that Peter took to it like a duck to water. He isn't faltering, breathing heavily, or shivering he's actively charging ahead of R'inu even as the snow kept falling and blanketing the ground and path ahead of them. 

Peter was feeling on top of the world as he trekked up the mountain feeling truly deeply in his element after being taken out of it for so long. He wasn't struggling per say but he was getting used to it again like he almost forgot to displace his weight properly when they crossed over a frozen stream. He remembered at the last second mainly because he refused to allow R'inu the satisfaction of seeing him fail.

R'inu and I have never gotten along he's always been cold to me which is fine he's six years older than me. We would never have that much in common till our ages were on a similar level of maturity but it's always been more than that. Even with the older kids they always tried to be polite to all the younger kids but R'inu was only ever cold to me...I've never understood it and now that I've gotten back he seems to have taken up the coldness to just being rude. I had hoped that maybe we could be friends and that he could act as an advisor and a sparing partner since he's one of the strongest warriors of the Jabari tribe. He could give me another perspective on things since his views and mind would be so different all of the time but with the way he's acting, he'll probably just undermine me or be passive-aggressive.

I want to find out why he's been like this all of our lives and if we could come to an understanding for the benefit of the Jabari as a whole...I know not everyone has been raised to be able to see things from a combination of objective and emotional points of view. like I have been told I would need to. The reason I think about that is he'll come head-on from the emotional side of things one of the reasons we are so different since even raised to see it from both sides of things I am often cynical at times which I have been told about. I also want another close friend or maybe someone who will challenge me not in a condescending way but more to make me see a different view of things. 

Peter thought to himself as he walked up a particularly steep and narrow part of the mountain where silence would be welcome to have ample contraction.  Peter eventually let his train of thought slip to him finally arriving back home to see his father and T'rryu in person since he hadn't done that in two years. He also couldn't contain his excitement about seeing the rest of the tribe after being away for so long especially some of the older warriors since they always have great stories to tell from the times before Peter was born. With that in mind, he knows they'll be amazing to talk to about what's happened while he's been gone. 

They walked on and on as the snow piled onto the icy ground, making Peter and R'inu watch their steps extremely carefully. "Watch out P'Tera the ground is slippery and we're quite close to the cliff's edge," R'inu called out and Peter nodded watching his weight displacement and the path in front of him. 

The cliff had a sheer face all the way down with a freezing rushing river several feet down and Peter had to keep looking ahead instead of straight down like his mind wanted to.  Then he heard the snow fall away from behind him and he pivoted and saw R'inu fall in almost slow motion and he lunged forward without much thought. 

Peter grabbed his hand and with his other hand, he grabbed the cliff face the stone cutting into his hand as he braced himself. "P'tera what are you doing!" R'inu shouted as he dangled several hundred feet off the ground the only thing holding him up being Peter. "Saving you, you daft moron!!" Peter shouted feeling his muscles being stretched and his hand about to be cut open as the wind decided to pick up in that moment.

Peter pulled and pulled feeling his muscles scream in agony and his hand nearly slipped from the blood now coating the cliff face where his hand lay. "Let me go before you fall to!! The Tribe can handle my death they can't handle yours!!!" R'inu bellowed as he tried to pry Peter's hand off of him but to no avail as Petter kept pulling Till somehow he had managed to hull up the almost 200 pounds of pure muscle known as R'inu up to the cliff beside him.  

Both of them were sitting there the adrenaline taking its course through both of them as they heaved for fresh oxygen from the thin air around them. There was silence around them minus the whipping wind filling in the void both too tired and emotional to start the inevitable conversation looming over them.

"...I hope you know what you said earlier was incorrect," Peter said with no additional context so it took R'inu a second to figure it out. "You're kidding right?" He said with a hint of snark behind it and it took more willpower than it should have for Peter to not roll his eyes. "No you're one of the finest warriors in the Jabari tribe and you'll make a great leader out on the battlefield when you take the reigns" Peter answered as he held out his hand and caught several flurries as a way to remind himself time is running short the Blizzard is rolling in fast and hard.

R'inu scoffed before picking himself up and dusting the snow off of himself. "You saved me out there and for that, I give you my thanks," R'inu said as Peter grabbed some cloth and wrapped his bloody hand. "The great R'inu thanking someone never thought I'd see the day." Peter joked. "Don't ever get used to it, kid. You better wrap that hand up real good because we don't a snow leopard following us on a trail of crimson you leave behind." R'inu said as he gestured at Peter's bloody half-wrapped hand.

Peter shook his head as he finished wrapping up his hand before he stood up and the two began their perilous trek once more. They walked and walked for hours and the Blizzard was officially hitting when Peter saw the familiar gates in the distance somehow through the snowflakes pelting them relentlessly. I'm finally home. Peter thought as he and R'inu opened the gate... 

Wahoo finally made it to Jabari land Chapter Ten is where the plot really picks up so be prepared. I am so excited to be sharing this story with you all and happy you took time out of your busy and probably stressful day to read this. I don't have much else to say I hope you have a good day and a good rest of your week and see you next week.-K