Soulbound (TMNT '16) ❪✓❫

Companion Fun

The companions are going to appear every few chapters once this chapter is done.

****

Hawk leads through the forest trails, up small hills, turns around trees until the campsite was out of their sight.

"Where have you been?!" Cobalt caws to Hawk.

"Away. Found these three at a camp site." She replied looking to the bird.

"You were at a camp site?!" Sasha yowled at Shado. The king cheetah roared for the leopard snapping so suddenly.

"As you can see, I'm fine!"

"Hawk, how far is this waterfall?" Kri fell into a trot once Hawk slowed down.

"Not far. We need to go farther into the brush."

"I saw the camp. We're getting away from the visitors?" Cobalt landed on Hawk's back. Riki chirps and pirches on the hump of Griz's back, Briar does the same with Kri.

"Who are they? At the camp, I mean." The curious peregrine falcon asked and Griz answered.

"They are definitely something. I'm thinking of sneaking into their camp and eat what's in their cooler. Maybe mess around with them."

"That you won't do." Hawk turns around on the trail and parts the animals like the red sea to walk up to the bear. "We're not friendly animals. Especially the four of us."

"And who put you in charge?"

"I did! I'm alpha. That means the bear gets to listen to me. You do what I say, when I say it. Clear? We need to talk together at the falls." She snarls, peeling her lips back.

Griz snorts and shows signs of aggression and says, "First of all, there is no 'we'. Second, no. I wasn't born to follow a wolf. Neither was Kri and Shado. You can take your little black bird and leave me alone." The bear turns around in the opposite direction. Hawk barks and runs in front of Griz.

"You're not going back there."

"I do what I please!"

"Okay, stop!" Kri roars. Birds flew from the trees and into the clouds. "Griz, the humans at the site gave us all a sudden memory. One that gave us a small piece of information."

"The question is: what kind of info?" Sasha sighed. "I'm Sasha. I understand what you're all going through. The only thing I know is you're in a place you're not."

"How do you know that?" Asked Hawk.

"I've seen it, but I can't exactly remember. It was years ago."

"I'm very confused." Kri said. "At the camp, Griz said she feels like she doesn't belong in her body. I feel the same way. Why would a tiger, and king cheetah be here? And you, black leopard. Why you here?"

"I escaped from a circus. Very simple for me." That couldn't be the reason...

Griz groans. "Back to the subject. I'm not following orders from, Hawk. I do what I want. She lets me do my own thing, I'll cooperate. I won't get caught. I've lived here for..."

"For?" The wolf tilts her head.

"I can't remember." Griz sits on the dirt.

"I don't know either." Shado said. "I have no clue how I ended up in the forest."

Hawk whimpers. "Forget the falls. We're talking right here... we should rest, though."

"What about the campers?" Briar asked.

"We'll go." Said Cobalt. "You four rest while we head out and see who they are. Once night falls, it's your turn to investigate."

Hawk nods once. "I guess you better hit the road."

****

Cobalt flies high with Riki and Briar as Sasha runs on the used trail. The second set of female animals, also known as companions found the truck parked in the same spot at the campsite.

"Has anyone seen my sleeping bag?" Raphael pops out from his brothers' tent.

"Haven't seen it." Casey throws firewood into the fire pit. The campers chatter away as Cobalt looks for a way to come in contact with one of them. She looks for anything to play with as a crow and discovered a package of marshmallows sitting on a log. She flew down.

"This looks good..." She said pecking at the plastic, making it crinkle. The white edible pillows shuffle inside and Cobalt tears a hole big enough to get a hold of one. A voice shouts at her.

"Hey!" Raph snapped. "Shoo! Get away!"

Cobalt had a close look at this creature. She took her treat back into the tree and realizes what he is. "A turtle. They're turtles." She crowed to Sasha in the bushes and to Brair and Riki on the same branch.

"What's going on, Raph?" Donnie asked.

"Ah, just a lousy crow looking for something to eat." He peers up at the black crow eating the marshmallow. "Do you know where my sleeping bag is?"

"No. Ask Leo, Casey, or April. Maybe they packed it. If not, Mikey probably hid it."

"Ugh, of course." Raph starts for his little brother in the tent. "And Donnie, mind if you check for more firewood? Mikey tossed most of it in the flames."

"Sure thing."

"Raph, Donnie, Leo, Mikey, April, and Casey." Riki says.

"Those are their names." Said Briar.

"Each is different." Cobalt said. "Blue is older, then red, purple, and finally orange. Brothers."

"And the humans?" Sasha softly growls.

"Casey and April. Humans. They don't look related. Anyone care to say hello?"

"I'll go." Riki dives to the picnic table. She fluffs up her feathers, small chirps, poking small things like plastic plates, throwing napkins, and getting the attention of one brother. Donatello's feet made Riki screech and run up to the edge of the table, she's a fiesty little bird of prey. The falcon finds a gadget on the table, a small device in between her talons. Riki flees with it into the tree.

"No! Give that back!" Donnie exclaimed. "That's not food, it's an iPod."

"IPod?" Riki pecks at the screen.

"Don't do that! You'll break it."

"Don, stop talking to the animals like you're Dr. Doolittle." Mikey chuckles looking at the falcon in the tree. "Its hungry."

"We have no food for a falcon like this one. This forest is strange." Donnie sighed deeply as she looks to a cluster of trees where the sum set behind. "It's getting late and Raph didn't find his--"

"Sleeping bag? I put it in our tent. He just didn't see it."

"Well, good. While you set up for dinner, I'll get my iPod back." Donnie noticed the falcon was no longer in the tree, he glanced to the ground and sees the iPod was officially stolen by a bird. "Gah!"