“..3… 2…. 1… Here I come!”
The little sandy-coloured cub with the black markings on paws and back called in a sweet, sing-song voice as she dropped her paws from over her bright blue eyes and stood up, turning round slowly as she checked that her sister had hidden. “Kania!” She cried loudly, giggling as a flock of birds lifted off in the distance. “I’m coming!” She added, wanting this to be a good game. Sometimes hiding places were a bit scarce and their game would end too soon.
Setting off the young cub hummed softly to herself, a silly rhyme she made up as she went along, checking under scrub bushes, behind tree trunks, under rocks (though they had never actually hidden under a rock it was still a place something hid under, so she checked). And in thick clumps of grass. “Kania, Kania!” She called, despite not expecting an answer, considering their game. Peering into a large puddle she pulled a face. “Kania? If you are in that, you can win. Im not getting muddy for you!” But still no answer she she jumped the dark brackish water and continued on. Their small cave was a favoured spot so she left it a while, but finally she was running out of places to look and stuck her head in. “Kania!” She called again, startling as her voice echoed weirdly in the small space.
“SKWEEEEE!” The cave screamed, making Dania cry out in a frightened squawk and yank herself backwards, landing with a thud on her back, ears ringing. Strange scary sounds continued to echo out of the cave and seconds later, a dark fuzzy head popped out, still squealing in a shrill high-pitched voice. “YAAAAAA!” Dania shrieked as two tusks were aimed in her direction, along with a wet, pink snout. Out of which came that hideous noise.
“SKWEEEEEEE!”
“AHHH HELP HELPHELP!” Scrambling backwards Dania flailed in fear, tripping over her own over-sized paws and long, uncoordinated tail. Tripping over herself several times before fleeing through the grass to a nearby tree which she scaled like a sore-tailed rat. Clinging to the broad trunk she peered back down at the furry beast as it emerged from the cave. Dark body all hunched over, two tusks out the front and a strange skinny tail at the back. It squealed again, making strange high-pitched shrieking sounds.
Wide-eyed and trembling Dania stared down at the beast, only to suddenly slip and drop several inches, her claws loosing their grip. A thin thready gasp escaped her as she struggled to hold on, back legs scrabbling for purchase. “KANIA!” She yelled, loud and desperate this time as she slid a little further. Her claws ached so badly! Pain flared through her toes and up her legs. Shoulders straining she struggled to go a bit higher, but with a scream she lost her grip and fell, landing with a heavy thud on her back and driving all the air from her lungs.
Gasping weakly she struggled onto her side and then up, standing with all four legs splayed wide. Terrified she stared at the black furry thing, though it was about the same size as her it’s tiny beady black eyes seemed to be fixed on her as it opened its jaw and squealed again.
“AHHHH!”
Turning she fled, racing as fast as she could, tripping over stones and in holes. Footprints of larger beast. Suddenly something popped out in front of her from behind a low piece of scrub and she went flying backwards, tumbling ears over tail through the grass. The high pitched squeal came again from behind but what froze on the spot was the far lower, rumbling grunt from her other side. With huge eyes she looked up.. up.. up and saw big black beady eyes. Two huge tusks pointed right at her, and a mouth full of sharp fangs.
“Oh no…” She suddenly realised what these creatures were. Warthogs. Shaking like a leaf she took one slow, careful step backwards, her tiny body hunched low to the ground. But the pig gave a loud snort and thrashed its head from side to side, as if demonstrating how it would soon be using its tusks on Dania. Swallowing a squeak of terror she realised what was wrong. The one in front was the mother, the one behind her was a baby… Shaking now, her heart in her throat she tried to take a step to one side and stumbled, having put her paw in a divot. The pig mother screamed her anger, dark, malevolent eyes fixed on the tiny, cowering cub.
She had to get away, that was the only thought in her mind. If she didn’t, she would be killed… She took another step sideways, legs shaking from the effort of trying to move so slowly when all she wanted to do was flee, or curl up and cry for her own mom.
Suddenly the warthog screamed, a furious bellowing that needed no translation. Spinning about on the spot Dania fled, running as fast as she could possibly go but the heavy pounding of the pig behind her shook the ground under her and froze her breath in her chest as terror squeezed her lungs. She was going to die! The crazy beats behind her was going to gut her open! She hadn’t even found Kania! What would her mother say if she lost her twin and got herself killed at the same time?!
Vision blurred by tears she gasped for breath, already running out of steam, the brief adrenalin-fuelled rush ebbing as certain doom bore down on her. Then there was another scream, this one so high pitched it rang in her ears making her cowed on the ground, paws over her head as she waited for the pain of those tusks to strike. But her breathing rasped in her throat, once, twice.. several times and that horrid cry above continued, behind her now. Risking a peek behind her she gasped at the sight of a huge vulture diving again and again at the warthog mother. Its huge curved beak already stained with blood and the pig thrashing its tusks about every time the bird swooped. She didn’t recognize the vulture, but it cried her name, urging her to run. Without any further need of encouragement she turned and fled.
Some time later, long after she had run herself out and was now limping along, head dropping and tail dragging, the vulture returned. Winging slowly along to land beside her. She didn’t need to look to know the bird was giving her a long sideways look but it didn’t comment, only telling her it was taking her home. Giving a weak nod she meekly trailed along behind the hoppy-jumpy walk of the vulture as they made their way back to the main pride, and her mother….
She was in soooo much trouble..
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