Valley of Weeds

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A/N: These next few chapters are going to be short.

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

"Nano! Nano! Where are you?" Flicker called, referring to her brother by nickname only she called him.

Her mother's distant call made her ears perk up. Flicker was uncertain about how she felt about Atha. She saw the pity and reluctance in her eyes whenever they settled upon her. Regardless, she respected her mother's authority, and decided that she must return to the temple. Flicker wasn't one to disobey, but she also wasn't one to leave others behind. Perhaps this was because she was the runt, and her much bigger, stronger brother never left her behind - neither did her sisters, even though Lysla was a bit hesitant at times. She preceeded onwards.

-----

"Nano!" Her head sunk into her shoulders. The jungle was a very frightening place at night, and in the rain, especially to month-old cubs. "Nano!"

The ferns in front of her rustled.

"N-N-Nano?"

Out stumbled a muddy-furred Nahoko. He looked at Flicker with eyes as wide as the full moon.

Flicker let her breath out. "Oh, there you are!" She smiled at him. "C'mon, Mum was calling for us. Let's go!" She turned around to leave.

"Um, Flicker?" Nahoko tilted his head. "Home is that way." He pointed to the left of him with his tail.

"No it isn't! It's this way!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Ye-" Flicker was cut off when another rustling noise sounded. Both cubs' blood ran cold, like ice flowing through their veins. "Wh-what was that?" Flicker whispered, terrified.

Out of the blue came a booming voice, making them jump. "Who dares tresspass into my territory?"

Flicker and Nahoko looked at eachother, their muscles frozen.

"Where are you?" The voice came again. "Ah, there you are!"

They looked around for the frightening voice, but no one was to be seen.

"Stupid, foolish cubs," Came the voice.

The cubs looked up and gasped. Way up above them, glaring down from a large tree branch, lay a massive leopard.

-----

The leopard curled his lips back in a smirk. "I surprised you," He spoke slowly. "Didn't I?" Now that he wasn't shouting, one could hear an accent imbedded in his voice. To any creature, different animals would sound as if they had an accent to their speech.

Nahoko and Flicker didn't answer. The leopard threw his head back , laughing. In a calm silent motion, he glided his slender body down to another branch.

"You know, a long time ago, I did quite like tigers," His eyes narrowed slyly. "Such brilliant pelts, they have. Yes, no two stripe patterns are the same, children. But you probably already know that, being tigers yourselves." During this time, he had been leaping down branches, using them as a sort of staircase, or ladder system, if you will. "Alas, I certainly am not one to deny my own fur's brilliance."

He slithered downwards one last time so that he was on ground level. Now that he was on solid dirt, the cubs  weren't as afraid, for he didn't seem quite as big now.

"So, who are you, anyway?" The leopard frowned.

"Why should we tell you?" Nahoko scowled, as if repulsed.

"Yeah!" Flicker added perhaps a bit too confidently. "We don't have to tell you anything!”

Nahoko narrowed his eyes. “If anything, you should tell us who you are!”

The leopard was shocked. “I, wha, but, well why should I?”

“Because!”

“Because why?”

“Because we said so!” Nahoko exclaimed stubbornly.

The leopard curled his lips back. “And if I don’t? What will you do then?”

“Then our Uncle Amur will come and he’ll make you wish you obeyed us!”

The leopard snarled loudy, showing large ivory fangs and making the cubs deeply regret their guff. “You foolish, disobedient little-” He stopped, and his pale yellow eyes widened. “Did you say... Amur?”