Not Like You (The Simian Forest Saga: Vol. I)

The Huntress [XVII]

Smack.

Krissa gritted her teeth and glanced up toward the higher branches of the fallen pine, peering up at the apes above with narrowed green eyes. Normally she wouldn't have such trouble with the others, but today of all days she was being bullied something particularly awful. After the storm had passed, it had become very apparent that something was out of place. A massive pine had collapsed into the ape village, landing inches from the royal family's home. The colony had been working since dawn in order to get some of the branches cleared away before they would try and start the removal process. 

Smack. 

Another pine-cone collided with the back of her head. Krissa gritting her teeth, trying to ignore the way the apes settled up above in the branches grunted in amusement. Tugging at another branch, she brought the tomahawk in her hand down upon its spongy bark. Krissa tugged back a few times before it finally snapped off and tossed it off to the side. It landed among a few others she had managed to break earlier, giving a dull hiss of its rustling needles.

Smack, smack.

Biting back a groan of frustration, the ravenette proceeded to move to the next limb. 

Smack. Lord help her. 

Her head turned on its axis and she glowered up toward the two, taking note of the apeish smirks upon their faces. Sage and Quill. She wanted to snap at them for their behaviour, but instead, remained silent. Why heckle them and give them what they wanted? They were acting like children anyway. The young woman took a deep breath and returned to her puttering, ignoring how their paws thudded against the trunk as they followed her. With a firm grasp, Krissa began to climb; one-two-three. T

he young woman bore down and hoisted herself up further with a grunt and then crouched, her dirtied fingers pressing tightly into the slippery pine's bark. At first she paused, taking in the scenery from the precarious spot on the limb, but eventually she hobbled over to the trunk and used her bare toes to balance herself. Her light body hovered gracefully as she raised the ax high and then brought it sailing down. The branch cracked and then she reached down, giving it a few vigorous jerks. Feeling the hot afternoon sun on her back, she couldn't help but enjoy the serenity of the moment. She listened to the communication of the apes as they spoke back and forth, cooperating as a huge team in order to clear out the hazard present. They were all working away peacefully. The harsh aroma of pine sap filled her nose and stuck to her palms, leaving a gummy texture behind. Krissa didn't mind, though.

Smack. 

Krissa wrinkled her nose and grabbed the nearest pine-cone, and within a rash moment of thought, she launched it toward the two chimpanzees that jeered just above her.

WHAP!

The eldest of the two snarled. Quill yipped in surprise. The two tensed and the hair along Sage's shoulders began to rise. Right, these were wild animals. Oh no.. The pine-cone within Quill's hand suddenly disappeared as he lunged.

Quickly, the young woman wheeled around. Krissa began to climb her way up the trunk, having abandoned her tomahawk in search of refuge, knowing fully well that the two males were in hot pursuit. Quill's pant-huffs caused her pace to quicken, brushing by anybody in her path in order to get out of the way, muttering apologies the entire way. She scrambled, then knelt, her knees smashing into the surface until she eventually found that she could no longer keep her grip in places, her hands too damp. Surprised shrieks erupted from a male who she nearly knocked over, which caused Krissa's heart to just about leap from her throat. 

"Sorry!" she shouted back as soon as she caught sight of the male's sour expression. Losing her footing so suddenly, her heart leapt and she, in turn, did as well. Her body caught the air and she felt a rough hand snatched at her ankle, nearly closing around it.