"So . . . cousins, huh?"
"Not now, Kiburi."
"What does that make them? Your distant uncles or something?"
"I said not now, Kiburi."
Kiburi rolled his eyes at Makuu's irritated remarks. It was a wonder how he hadn't completely snapped and flew into a rage just yet. If he did, then he at least had the chance to do something, unlike Kiburi, who couldn't do much of anything with a broken leg. He turned his attention back to the much older crocodiles, -- Kellan and his cousins Chibali and Kasim -- who were huddled together a few tail lengths away, discussing what they were going to do, now that Makuu had shown up.
"This place is no longer an option," Kellan said.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Kasim asked.
"Move to somewhere else, duh!" Chibali retorted.
"If we leave, fish brain, then the messenger won't know where to find us. And even if we did leave behind a message of some sorts for him, how could we trust him to be smart enough to follow it?"
Chibali did not have a retort immediately at the ready that time.
"So," Kasim started, turning his attention away from his brother and onto Kellan. "I say we wait here until the messenger comes back, and then after we send him away with an update, leave."
Kellan didn't show much of a reaction, but it did seem like he was thinking about it.
"Who's this messenger they're talking about?" Makuu whispered.
"I don't know," Kiburi whispered back. "Only ever saw Kellan."
"What about Chibali and Kasim?"
"They don't really hang around all that much. I think they prefer to keep to the shadows, out of sight and out of mind from everybody else."
"Except us."
"Right. Except us."
"You two do realize we can hear you, right?" Kasim called out.
"And you three must realize that we can hear you, too," Makuu stated.
A long, uncomfortable silence followed, as the two younger crocodiles and the three older crocodiles stared at each other.
Suddenly, the beating of small, feathered wings could be heard approaching the animals. The crocodiles all looked at the newcomer, but when Kiburi and Makuu recognized the bird, they were not happy.
"Talib?!" Both exclaimed simultaneously.
The hoopoe didn't seem to notice them at first, but when he glanced in their direction, his eyes alighted in surprise.
"Makuu?" Talib said. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? What the hell are you doing here?" Makuu questioned, his temper rising.
"I...I..."
"He's here doing his job," Kellan defended in Talib's place.
Kiburi knew that Makuu wanted to snap at his father, but he also knew that he wasn't going to pass up a chance to question Talib, either.
"Why are you working with my father, Talib?" Makuu asked, getting down to the business of things. "What is he having you do?"
"Your father?" Talib said, tilting his head to one side.
"Yeah. You didn't know?"
"No, but then again, that isn't any of my business. If it isn't related to the objective, then I don't care about it. Just one of the . . . things . . . of the job."
"And what job would that be, exactly?"
"Something that he can't say, I'm afraid," Kellan said before Talib could answer. "Now, as much as I would love to continue hearing you both argue with each other, Talib and I must get back to business."
Makuu was going to protest, but Kiburi shushed him first. Makuu glared at Kiburi, but he paid him no heed.
"Now, Talib, there will be a slight change in plans, since the arrival of my son was . . . unexpected," Kellan said, then leaned down and continued to whisper something in Talib's ear.
Aside from the occasional twitch of his feathers, Talib gave absolutely nothing away. Neither Kiburi nor Makuu could even begin to imagine what Kellan was telling Talib. Either he wasn't surprised or unnerved by what he was being told, or he just knew how to hide those kinds of things from the public eye.
"Got it?" Kellan asked when he was done whispering.
"Yes," Talib answered simply. "Pleasure doing business with you, Kellan."
"And I, you, little bird."
Both Kellan and Talib turned their backs to each other and proceeded to go their separate ways. However, while Kellan wasn't paying attention, Talib slipped an apologetic look over Kiburi and Makuu's way. Then, he took off.
I wonder if he actually regrets this, Kiburi pondered.
"You sure we can trust that bird now?" Chibali asked. "I mean, he does know those two . . ."
"If he is who he says he is . . ." Kellan began to say, but stopped before he could finish, as if he didn't believe in his own words. He shook his head and sighed, "Whatever. If he knows what's good for him, then he won't betray us. Now, back to our little problem."
Kellan moved away from his cousins and approached Kiburi and Makuu. His gaze locked on with each of theirs. Again, the area fell silent.
"Chibali, Kasim, remove those roots for me, will you?" Kellan asked as he directed his tail towards Kiburi's makeshift prison without looking away from Makuu.
"Kellan?" Kasim said, confused.
At that, Kellan turned his head to glare at Kasim and Chibali. The brothers got the message and didn't ask anymore questions. They went to work pulling the roots from out of the earth. As they were doing so, Kiburi could feel the den falling apart.
I hope Kellan doesn't plan on having them bury me. I'm not sure if he's realized it, but the roots are kind of the only things keeping this whole, well, hole together.
"Hey, Kiburi, you gonna get out or what?" Kasim asked through clenched jaws. He and Chibali had stretched an entwined pair of roots until they formed a hole large enough for Kiburi to walk out of.
"Come on! We don't have all day, ya know!" Chibali snarled.
Kiburi didn't waste any time and limped out of the den as fast as he could. As soon as he was out, he heard a loud 'thud' as the roots snapped back into place. Kasim and Chibali worked their jaws this way and that, attempting to get them to feel normal again.
"Okay . . ." Kiburi trailed, completely on edge now that he was out in the open, and, in a sense, no longer trapped.
"Now what?" Makuu finished.
Kellan stood in place, silent for a good minute.
"Kasim, Chibali, I entrust you two to escort my son back home," Kellan calmly instructed.
"And what about you? Still going on with the meet?" Kasim asked.
"Of course I am," Kellan said, turning away from Makuu to walk over to Kiburi, who didn't budge, even though every instinct of his was telling him to run.
"But what about Kiburi?" Chibali added.
Kellan stopped when he reached Kiburi's side. Both crocodiles stared at each other, Kiburi's gaze one of fear, but Kellan's . . . for once, Kiburi couldn't tell. Sensing Kiburi's confusion, Kellan smirked.
"I don't think he's planning on going anywhere else anytime soon, if he knows what's good for him," Kellan answered slyly.
He's right about that. Doesn't have to be so smug about it, though. Then again, this is Kellan I'm thinking about. How can he not be smug when he makes an irrefutable point?
"You are not going anywhere with him!"
His rage overflowing, Makuu lunged towards Kellan and Kiburi, seemingly forgetting that Kasim and Chibali were still around. It didn't take them long to react to the outburst and pin Makuu, again.
"Don't you ever learn, runt?" Chibali snarled.
"HEY!" Makuu and Kellan snapped. Everyone looked at Kellan, surprised by what he said.
"Do not call my son a runt, Chibali," Kellan warned.
"But, he is kind of small," Chibali argued, sounding uncharacteristically pathetic.
"I can assure you, Chibali, I will do far worse to your jaw than those roots apparently did."
Chibali made no further remarks. Kellan turned his attention away from his cousin and onto his son.
"Kellan," Makuu growled as he glared at his father. Kellan, however, just stared at him with another one of his unreadable expressions. Then, without saying anything to Makuu, Kellan turned and left, forcing Kiburi to walk alongside him. Also, leaving Kiburi wondering one thing.
Why?