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Chapter Text

             She didn’t recognize these creatures.

             There was never a time where Taavi didn’t know what beings inhabited her jungle. It was a new feeling. Not territorial, no. That was Kerchak. Curiosity, most definitively.

            The creatures tromped through her brush noisily, crushing living and dead foliage alike under their feet. At first, Taavi was sure they were elephants, from the furious uproar they caused. But they didn’t look like elephants, and they didn’t sound like elephants. They made fast-paced noises with their mouths, that sounded a bit like a bird call, but lower, and various pitch changes.

            Taavi plastered her body to the vertical tree limb, breathing hard and feeling the rough, damp moss against her skin. She peered down at the intruders, squinting hard and desperately trying to make sense of their unfamiliar speech. They were communicating with each other, that was certain.

            There were three of them. Taavi tried to think of animals that travelled in small family groups. Their fur coats were the most peculiar thing she had ever seen, for they didn’t look like fur. They were of a multitude of shades, some parts were loose, and others were tight, with inconsistent patterns. They had ape-like hands, she had noticed, that were protected by some sort of hide, kind of like the leather Taavi used to cover herself.

            Their manes came out from the top of their heads, which didn’t seem to have any protection other than the brown, curved, plate-like exteriors on their heads. She noticed they had similar appendages, and sizes. The creatures were just a bit bigger than her. One of them was drastically larger than the other two. The leader, no doubt. He lead the way, whacking the plants in front of him with a strange looking spear.

            Taavi slid down the tree trunk and dropped to the jungle floor, bending her knees so that she landed soundlessly. Crouching into her basic ape stance, she slowly moved towards the path were the animals would soon pass. She hid behind a rather large Nepenthes Genus plant to conceal her body from vision.

            Still noisily crashing through the tropical verdure, the beasts passed her without a stray glance, and Taavi got her first good look at them.

            The leader’s skin was that of a peach rind, flushed and flesh. He seemed very aggressive, and Taavi made note not to ever challenge this one if she could help it. The smallest of the three was covered in fur, practically, other than small areas on his face. It was shorter, and quite stout, and had trouble keeping up with the dominant.

            Then came the last one, which trailed behind the first two. It was a bit larger than Taavi, with a nicely groomed, brown mane than came down to the base of his neck. His skin was clear of fur other than eyebrows. He seemed very distracted and was marking something down in a square object he held in his hand.

            Taavi knew too well not to approach them, for they outnumbered her. She couldn’t near the leader. His immense size would surely overtake her. The creature that trailed behind them looked interesting, and his lack of defense seemed like the easiest way to investigate. She reminded herself that she meant these creatures no harm, as they have not yet posed a threat to any life in the jungle. She also remembered that if the time ever came where they did, she was a trained huntress, and used her strengths well.

            As the creatures passed, Taavi climbed back in the tree, and followed the small herd, in hopes of reaching their territory.

            Her hopes had been fulfilled. However, their habitat was the strangest thing Taavi had ever experienced. There were…things, objects she had never before laid eyes on in her life. They didn’t look particularly dangerous, but completely foreign, which was nearly as terrifying.

            She hung from a thick tree limb, covered by a sheet of vines. After watching the creatures behaviors for three sun shifts, Tavvi got bored, and made note of where their camp was located, in means of finding it again soon. She swiftly jumped from branch to branch, using sturdy vines to slingshot her way through the tropical African jungle, headed home.  

            Venturing back into familiar vegetation, Taavi quickly found Terk, who was eating a papaya for his meal.

             “Terk!” she cried excitedly, dropping down from above, in front of her best friend and also cousin.

            Terk jumped backwards and dropped his fruit. Grumbling, he scrambled to pick his food back up. “Watch it, Taavi.” He warned, and then became curious. “What is it?”

            “Terk,” she began quietly, leaning in closer. “There are new creatures here.”

            Terk’s eyes widened, “New? Here? How new? How here?”

            Taavi waved her arms and shushed him, “I’ve never seen them before in my life.” She replied, breaking off a papaya from the tree from which Terk had gotten his.

            “What kind of animals are they?” Terk inquired, chewing in anticipation.

             Taavi shook her head, “I don’t know.”

            “What did they look like?”

            “They’re big, but not as big as us.” Taavi began. “They have small manes, and they stand upright, using their hind legs to stand.”

            “Not many creatures stand upright, other than us.” Terk said meaningfully.

            “They’re not us. They have strange coats, and one of them didn’t even have hair on his face.”

            “How many?”

            “Three. There weren’t any more at the camp.”

            Terk choked on his food and made a sound of surprise. “You went into their territory? Are you crazy?”

            “Only to look. They didn’t see me.”

            Terk relaxed a bit, but still furrowed his brow and stuck out his lips.

            Taavi wrung her rough hands nervously. “And…they kind of look like me.”

            Terk looked up at her, “What do you mean?”

            “I mean that they looked like they could be…I don’t know…related to us.”

            “Oh.”

             “Should I tell Kerchak?”

             “Not unless you want them dead. You know how Kerchak is.”

             “What about Kala?”

            Terk thought about it, then shook his head. “Not yet. I would learn more about them if I were you. But don’t get too close. You don’t know if they’re dangerous.”

            Taavi smiled, and leaned forward. “Would you come with me?”

             “No,” Terk said simply. Taavi groaned, knowing that once her cousin set his mind to something, there was nothing you could do to change his mind.

            She was on her own.

Chapter Text

The morning was bright. The dawning sunlight trickled through the rustling leaves like soft rain drops. The earth smelled sweet and damp, and felt soft under Taavi’s feet. The wispy tree branches dipped and whistled against the elegant breeze, and cooled her glowing skin. Today was a good day.

            It was early. Too early for the other apes to wake, but oh that’s what she loved so much about it. Taavi always got up early in the spring, to watch the flowers bloom and to get first pick of breakfast. She knew that the aizens were finally blooming, according to the gorilla gossip.

            As the troop of apes snoozed soundlessly, Taavi crept swiftly away for an early morning meal.

            As she approached the aizen bush, which bloomed beautifully, glistening for the dew, she heard a crack. Now, Taavi knew that this was a vast jungle, filled to the brim with bustling wild life. But she also had keen hearing, and knew that the thickness of the snap was made by a creature that was large, and with only a crude arrowhead to protect herself, she quickly took refuge in a tree to scope out the threat.

            A few moments passed. Taavi was breathing heavy, hearing only the leaves rustling and her blood pumping furiously in her ears. She grabbed a sturdy limb with one strong arm, and peered over the edge to see what was on the ground, letting her other hand dangle.

            Then she saw it.

             The new creature, crouched and alone, hunched over and making more markings in the same square object he held the day before. It was the medium sized creature, his mane tied up in a small cloth. But something surprised Taavi as she studied the being from above. His coat was…different. Surely he didn’t shed or molt in the single day that separated their encounters.

            Taavi trembled excitedly, knowing that she had to seize this perfect opportunity.

            But something…something stopped her. Despite her desperate heart palpitations egging her on to jump down from her hiding spot, she realized she no longer wished to approach or agitate the animal, but to analyze it. Study its natural movements. It seemed so…peaceful, marking on its object. Any interruption would be an absolute sin, she decided.

            So she watched. For an hour she studied the beast, finding enjoyment in every little detail. The blue in the eyes, the curve of the spine, the focus, the beauty. Taavi couldn’t help but notice that the way the animal was hunched, was that of her own stance. How could that be? Taavi made up her mind that this being may be a subspecies of a primate, but perhaps more complex, smarter, and maybe even stronger.

            Time passed, and even though she couldn’t believe it, Taavi was getting weary of watching the creature copy flowers in his book. She lawled her head to the side, feeling the bones popping from being so incredibly still for so long. Her stomach growled from being vacant from food for so long, and she knew it was time to go.

             But before she turned away to search of nourishment, some movement caught her eye. Spotted movement.

            The undeniable feeling of dread crashed like a wave through Taavi, who gripped her arrowhead tighter. She had battled with this beast before, and she was more than willing to fight again.

            Sabor, a carnivorous, cruel spotted leopardess circled the new creature, hidden and silent in the brush, only to be seen from above. The defenseless animal had no awareness of its presense, mistaking the rustling as simple gale.

            Taavi knew Sabor was ready to pounce.

            Suddenly, Sabor’s paw landed on a thick fallen branch, which broke with a loud crack. The creature snapped its head up, slowly rising to its hind legs. Sabor emitted a low growl, rearing back, still concealed by the bushes, and leaped forward.

            Luckily for the helpless animal, the raging beast did not finish its job. Taavi had swung down, on a vine, and used her legs to block the feline’s pounce. Sabor flew through the air with an ear-splitting cry, and landed on the ground. She quickly regained her footing, and got ready to play offense.

            Taavi wasn’t going to let that happen.

            Turning towards the trembling creature, she grabbed its hand and ran as fast as she could through the foliage, dragging the protesting animal along with her. She knew this wouldn’t last more than a few seconds, for Sabor could outrun both of them easily, but she had to get the creature to safety before she could properly battle.

            At that moment, Sabor came through the trees flying at both of them. Taavi aimlessly flung her creature out of the way and crossed her arms into an X, her arrowhead pointing out. The body of the weapon was plunged into the leopard’s shoulder. Shrieking and ripping her claws across Taavi’s chest, Sabor writhed on the ground, blood pouring from the wound. Taavi knew she would be quick to recover, and she only had enough time to make sure that the supposed primate was safely out of reach, before Sabor was ready to fight again. Taavi noticed the feline had a slight limp as they began to kill circle each other.

            Growling and nashing their teeth at each other, the two locked eyes. Taavi knew that Sabor feared her just as much as she feared Sabor. She could use this to her advantage, as an opportunity to establish dominance.

            The air was thick, and Taavi struggled to breathe as the humidity clung to her, her hair plastered on her head with glistening sweat. Her knees were bent, her arrowhead pointed out in her tightly gripped hand, and her steps were made up of low, long strides.

            Sabor’s yellow eyes never broke contact with her opponent. She kept her head low to the ground and retracted and extracted her claws repeatedly, like flashing lights. Her teeth were bared, saliva dripped from her lips. Taavi knew Sabor wouldn’t wait much longer to feast.

            This leopard had terrorized the jungle for two decades, feeding on whatever she could sink her teeth into, which was a lot. Dragging off innocent gorilla young, destroying families, and feeling no remorse. Sabor had vengeance against Taavi’s troop, that all started when Kerchak killed her mother in cold blood. She never forgave.

            And she never forgot.

             Sabor lunged.

            Taavi was quick to the punch. She dodged by ducking and rolling to the side, finishing on her knees. This time, she attacked, roaring as she grabbed the leopard’s hind legs and held on for dear life. The predator thrashed about, clawing at Taavi.

            Taavi was winning. She knew it, Sabor knew it, but the beast didn’t give up. Taavi held onto the two back legs with one arm, clenching al her upper body muscles to stay attached. Aiming the arrowhead with her free arm, she plunged the three inch stone into Sabor’s left eye.

            Blood spurted instantly, decorating Taavi’s face and chest, and pouring fourth from the wound. Taavi gritted her teeth, braced herself, and let go of Sabor’s legs. With a pained cry, the bleeding feline leaped towards the bushed and retreated, kicking up dirt as she bounded farther and farther away. She’ll be back, Taavi thought.

            The creature! She had forgotten all about the prey she had been desperately trying to protect. To her surprise, it was still there, behind her, ducking into the bushes.

            “You can come out now,” Taavi called softly in her native tongue, beckoning the animal closer. Instead, it inched farther away.

            All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of Taavi’s neck stood up. In the distance and coming closer, the infamous low growl of the beast she had attempted to drive away loomed closer.

            In no time at all, Taavi lunged at the unfamiliar creature, who didn’t have much time to protest, grab it around the waist, and, using all the strength she could muster, hoisted herself and the animal into a tree. She covered the animal’s mouth to ensure absolute silence as Sabor sought her out for revenge.

            From above, Taavi and her companion could see the leopard spots creeping past the area, not once looking up. Dumb ass, Taavi smirked to herself. Once certain that the jaguar was gone, Taavi turned back to her new specimen.

            Finally, she could see it up close.

            CHANGE P.O.V. Third person multiple

            She crouched, for it was easy to balance on such a thick branch. Scooting closer, Taavi studied the creature’s facial features. Its eyes were an unearthly shade of blue, it reminded her of the crystal waters that she often hunted and swam in. The animal’s features were striking, and sharp, like the edges of a rock. Using light movements, she lifted her hand to its face and ran her fingers down its jawline and chin. Whatever it was, she thought, it was incredibly pleasing to look at.

            The creature was trembling with fear, squeezing its eyes shut and inching as far away as it could from Taavi’s touch.

            “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” she cooed.

            The creature opened its eyes with surprise. Then furrowed its brows in confusion.

            “So you can talk?” it said. To Taavi, it sounded with a combination of complex bird calls and something else, far more complicated than what Taavi was limited to.

            “What are you?” Taavi said quietly, feeling the texture of the creature’s hair.

            “G-get off me!” James pleaded, trying desperately to find a crick to dig his heels into on the tree branch. “Please…!”

            Taavi couldn’t understand his words, but the shrill noises he made along with the terrified look on his face was enough to make her back up.

            “Yes,” James breathed. “Thank you…” he wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

            Taavi studied his clothing, and different fabrics. Moving slowly as to trying not to startle him, she leaned forward and took light hold of his collar, and ran the smooth fabric between her fingertips. It didn’t feel like the hide she wore on her body. It was soft, like a fresh leaf.

            James didn’t know what to make of this strange ape woman feeling the softness of his clothing. He tried as hard as he could to keep his breathing and heartbeat steady as she examined him. He had just seen her single-handedly gouge the eyes out of a wild leopard, he had no idea what else she was highly capable of. Who knows what she wanted to do with him?

            “Do you…speak?” James wondered quietly, as if not to startle her.

            The wild girl looked into his eyes.

            Taavi swallowed, and thought of a way to copy his calls. Using her tongue and the roof of her mouth, she made a clicking noise, and tried her best to say something – anything  - in his language.

            “Ta-a-a-vi,” was what she managed to say.

            “Taavi?” James repeated, his eyes going wide.

            She did it! He understood! Taavi cried out with joy. She made the sound again, pointing to herself. She loved it. The way it rolled off of her tongue so easily, it was brilliant.

             “Taavi, Taavi.” The ape woman said louder, pointing at herself. So she did speak…

            “James,” He replied slowly and pointing at himself.

            Taavi stopped smiling. He made another sound. He repeated it again and motioned to himself again. Was that his name? It sounded pretty easy to copy…

            “J…James,” she said sloppily, letting her tongue roll around in her tongue. She’s never had to use it for talking before.

            James’s mouth fell open.

            Taavi watched his surprised reaction. She did it again! She was communicating. She pointed to him and said the name again. He took her hands and pushed them to his chest.

            “James,” he said.

            “James,” she said.

            James pointed her hands to her chest.

            Taavi stopped. Trying to remember which call she used to introduce herself, she chose one of the two at random and pointed to herself.

            “James.”

            “No, no, I’m James.”

            “No, no, I’m James.”

             “No, you’re Taavi.”

            “Taavi?”

            “Yes.”

            “Yes?” A new word?

            “Yes. Taavi. James.”

            Taavi beamed. She had her own name in this strange unknown language. And now she knew his name. If only she knew what it meant.

Chapter Text

            April 2^nd

            African Expedition Log: Day 34
____________________________________________________________________________
            The girl showed up at our base camp again today. This is the third encounter we’ve had in the three days we have known of each other. She hardly stayed for any interaction yesterday; she just tinkered with Father’s equipment for a bit. She approaches us with such reckless curiosity; it’s almost as if she has no fear whatsoever.

            Today, she attempted to communicate again: moving her lips, discovering her tongue, mimicking my speech, and speaking mostly gibberish. She remembered that her name was Taavi (not a name as much as an identity), and I reminded her of my name. While I had her here, I used body language and facial expressions to teach her some basic words, as I studied linguistics at the University two years ago. I realize there’s a difference between teaching someone a different language, and teaching someone a language when they have not heard human speech before. She is utterly fascinated with our speech, but her excitement often gets in the way of her comprehending what the words mean. She’s just starting to understand what ‘yes’ and ‘no’ mean. She’s beginning to comprehend positive feedback, such as smiling, nodding, and the word ‘yes’. However, negative feedback is much different for her. Waving my arms and screaming for her to cease ripping the tent apart seems to be a sign of encouragement in her word. Her natural language and body movement seems to be that of a primitive creature, perhaps a chimpanzee or gorilla, much to Father’s excitement. Apes are the very creatures we came here to observe and study.

            Clayton doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but Father and I believe that Taavi might be the key to discovering more about these magnificent creatures. She doesn’t understand us, so it would be pointless to ask her where she lives and what species she was raised by until we teach her more. Taavi is incredibly eager to learn, which is good news to us, but she has much to discover. As I write this, I feel my exhilaration grow inside of me. Oh, how I cannot wait to show her the wonder and complexity of the world!

            ~ James Porter

Chapter Text

            Taavi had learned many words from the creatures.

            ‘Yes’ was one that she enjoyed saying, because it made James and the hairy creature smile. She wasn’t sure if the biggest creature ever smiled. He never had when she was around.

             She also liked saying her own name; it was her first in this new, strange language, and she felt as though it was a dignified name. Taavi learned the word ‘tree’, ‘dirt’, and ‘human’, which is what the creatures called themselves.

            But of all the new and exciting words she had learned, the word ‘James’ was, by far, her absolute favorite.

Chapter Text

            Taavi arrived at the base camp as the adventurers began to wake up. The sun was just rising, still blurry and a bit icy, just waiting for time itself to warm the jungle, and defrosting it as it always did. The flowers to just starting to re-bloom as Taavi entered the camp.

            “Good morning!” the hairy human greeted excitedly. She had gotten quite use to that term, ‘good morning’, especially coming from him, but she still wasn’t quite sure what it meant. It gave her the same feeling as a smile does, but she wasn’t sure if that’s what it was intended for. She also decided she should learn the other humans’ names.

            Taavi smiled at him in response, a facial expression she had grown quite fond of. She had also begun to sport the same posture as the humans showed; legs and backs straight, shoulders back, and their arms at their sides. It hurt her spine to walk like that, but she knew she just had to get used to it.

            James exited his tent yawning, looking well-rested with sleep still in his eyes. “Good morning,” he said meaningfully, approaching her openly. Though he had just woken up, his eyes twinkled.

            Taavi wished she knew what ‘good morning’ meant. She had a feeling it was a greeting, because they said it only when she showed up. But the sounds were so long, and too complicated for her to catch onto.

            “Goo…” Taavi began, eying James questionably.

            “Good morning,” James sounded out.

            Taavi tried again, but kept getting stuck, becoming increasingly frustrated with every attempt.

            James smiled reassuringly. Then he cleared his throat and said, “Hi.”

            Taavi blinked. Surely that couldn’t be the whole word. It was too short and ended strangely. But despite her doubts, Taavi repeated his words.

            “Hi,” she said clearly, and gave a little laugh.

            “Hi!” James said again with more enthusiasm. Taavi gave a little hop and clapped her hands, her common response to repeating a word correctly.

            Suddenly, James reached towards her with an outstretched hand, his thumb grazing over her cheek and coming back brown and oily. The boy’s lips turned up at he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

            “Dirty,” he explained to her.

             She recognized the word and wiped her own cheek, examining the sediment that had been caked onto her skin. Perhaps she was due for another groom.

            “Bath?” he asked.

            That was a word James had been trying to teach her. Words themselves were incredibly simple to say, but Taavi always got stuck behind the meaning behind them. He had shown her photographs – another item that she had yet to wipe her head around – of people in vats of water, but the girl didn’t understand what they were trying to accomplish in there. The tub was too small to fit a proper swim, so what else could they be trying to do?

            But Taavi was curious, so she nodded eagerly. “Bath,” she said, which earned her a smile from her friend.

            Dr. Porter and James spent the morning working together to come up with a plan on how to bathe her without exposing her, and exploiting her privacy. Porter had the ingenious plan to use one of James’s bathing suits for Taavi. She eyed it timidly as James approached her with the article of clothing. She still wasn’t use to the idea of clothes other than the animal skins she wore to cover her chest and pelvis. The feeling of soft fabric was something she certainly had to get used to.

            Much to James’s utter shock, Taavi didn’t know social rules, like ripping your only clothes in front of someone, especially someone of the opposite sex. The girl simply removed her clothes in front of him and reached for the bathing suit.

            James let out a choked “oh!” and turned away, turning as red as a beat and holding the suit away from himself. He felt Taavi take the clothes from his hands, and heard the sound of rustling, followed by her frustrated grunts.

            Concern got the best of him, and he peaked towards her for signs of struggle. She had attempted to fit the suit over her head through the right leg hole and had become positively stuck. She stood there, thrashing about, and completely naked other than the bathing suit residing on her head.

            Porter came out of his tent to see what the ruckus was about, and when he laid eyes on the spectacle, he let out a laugh.

            “Well, don’t just stand there, boy!” he exclaimed through hysterics. “Help her!”

            James swallowed nervously and felt as though he was being back into a corner. He had no urgency to seeing anyone sporting nudity, let alone a girl.

            With fast breath, little eye movement, and quick fingers, James successfully helped Taavi into her – his – suit, which actually fit her quite well. Then it was time to put Taavi into the tub. James led her by the hand to the bathing station he and his father set up, which consisted of a wooden tub filled to the brim with frothy, soapy water, and a bucket of different oils and shampoos.

            Taavi began to get nervous. She hadn’t a clue of what she was supposed to do in the tub. She was quite good at swimming, but she wasn’t sure that’s what the tub was for. The bubbles also made her anxious; she had never seen anything like it. But there was a familiar smell – flowers, fruit, and tree oil – coming from the tub, so she decided to take a leap of faith.

            James hiked up his cargo shorts and submerged his feet into the soapy water, hoping that Taavi would follow, which she did, shyly at first, then as the water line crept up her bare calf, she let out a squeal. The water was hot and clear, unlike the water Taavi usually swam in.

            Taavi stepped into the wooden tub completely, and lowered herself slowly, letting the steaming water sneak up her thighs, hips, waist, and then her back. When she had sat down completely, the water was up to her clavicle, but the suds reached her chin. Taavi liked the way the bubbles felt, like butterfly wings, tickling her skin.

            James sat just outside the tub, his elbows dipping in suds, still holding Taavi’s hands. He retrieved a cup from the bucket of shampoos and dipped it into the water, letting it fill up, and pouring the water over her back. She gasped softly as the hot water trickled down her spine. She looked at James with her shiny, brown eyes.

            “Bath?” she asked breathlessly.

            “Yes,” James nodded. “Bath.”

            Taavi had the time of her life in the bath, splashing James with bubbles, and scrubbing her body clean. Two or three times, Taavi submerged her head in the water, and came back up screaming when the soap entered her eyes. She learned her lesson eventually. She also discovered that the more soap you put in the water, the more bubbles come out. Soon she was up to her eyeballs in bubbles – literally – which lead to James flushing her eyes out with fresh water once more.

            James made sure to rid her face and hair of oil and grime, using a sponge to scrub off the caked on mud. He added more fragrance to the water to make sure she came out smelling like a bouquet of flowers. After the bath, which lasted a good hour, Porter suggested that James took the time to comb out Taavi’s hair. She sat on the ground, tinkering with an alarm clock, whilst James perched on a stool, and battled her tangles one by one. She did not enjoy being groomed like this at all. By the end of the combing, her scalp was red and throbbing.

            James liked her hair combed out. It was black and shiny, and a bit curly, cut by the girl herself, lest the length get caught on any twigs as she’s swinging through the vines. With Taavi clean, smelling fresh, and wearing clothes, she looked…nice.

            He led her to a full length mirror. He had already introduced her to her reflection a few days before, which took some time to get used to. But now, Taavi’s reflection startled her even more. She certainly didn’t recognize the girl looking back at her. This girl had clean, caramel colored skin, shiny black hair, and proper posture. This couldn’t be Taavi, could it?

            Ah, but it moved as Taavi moved, and breathed as Taavi breathed. It had to be her. It couldn’t be anyone else.

            James wished they had clothes for girls, as Taavi seemed a bit uncomfortable with the loose fitting clothes he gave her.

            James joined her at the mirror, walking up beside her. “Taavi,” he said grinning.

            She couldn’t believe it. It was her. How could she look so different than before? It was almost as if…

            It struck her hard; it felt as though the wind had been sucked out of her. How had she not seen it before?

            Before James could stop her, Taavi took off running, her legs pumping before she even knew why. She tore through the trees, breathing heavy, yet staying light on her feet. She could feel the sharp sticks and thorns digging into her feet but she didn’t care. All she knew is that she had to get to Kala, and fast.

            The gorillas grazed peacefully, munching on fruit and chasing their young, grooming each other and socially interacting. Kala was sitting with her sister and talked about the weather when Taavi ran towards her and glowered at her.

            “Taavi, what’s wrong?” she asked concertedly, and then she caught sight of Taavi’s striped garb. “What…what do you have on you?”

            “They’re clothes, Mama.” Taavi walked closer to her.

            Kala studied Taavi’s clean face and groomed hair. “Where did you get that?”

            Taavi swallowed dryly, “From…the humans.”

            Kala stepped back, “The humans?” she pushed, looking at her daughter as though she had grown horns.

            “Yes, Mama, the humans. I’ve been visiting them for some time now. They’re teaching me things.”

            Kala shook her head, “You can’t let Kerchak know about this.”

            Taavi grunted, “That doesn’t matter, Mama, they won’t hurt us. They haven’t hurt me.”

            “You can’t trust them. You must stay away from them!” Her voice got louder.

            Taavi tensed her muscles angrily, “You don’t know them, Mama!”

            “For once, listen to Kerchak and stay away from those creatures.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me there were creatures who looked like me?” Taavi asked coldly, and then she ran.

Chapter Text

            Taavi moped in her special tree all the next day, clutching the fabric of James’s shirt in her fist. She refused to eat; her appetite disappeared the day before. She sat hunched over, her knees tucked up against her chest, her arms wrapped around her shins. The heat was stifling, her hair sticking to her forehead, and her skin slick with dew.

            When the sun was passed its highest point, she heard rustling from underneath her branch. Terk’s wild fur popped into her view, followed by the rest of his head.

            “Why’re you being all bratty today, Taavi, huh?” Terk swung up beside her.

            Taavi shrugged and turned away from him

            “C’mon, talk to me. Is this about Kerchak?”

            Taavi sighed, “No. Kerchak, I could understand. But, Mama? She’s never had a problem with creatures different from her. I mean…she raised me.”

            “Kala just…doesn’t want you trusting them, and then getting yourself hurt.”

            Taavi grunted, annoyed. “Can we just not talk about Kala anymore?”

            Terk picked a papaya off of a nearby tree whose branches had intertwined with theirs, and took a bite thoughtfully, thus ending the conversation. Yet after a few moments of silence, he decided to start a new one.

            “What’re the humans like?”

            Taavi turned towards him. “What?”

            “The humans?” Terk repeated with a twang of impatience. “What are they like?”

            Taavi waited a moment, just to make sure he was being serious, but his face was quite clear. She uncrossed her arms and leaned her back against the length of the tree, letting her legs straddle the wide branch, and her feet swing freely. She took a deep breath.

            “They are…” Taavi tried to find the right words. “They are…so much more complex than we are. Advanced. But they don’t use their intelligence to hurt us – like Sabor and the others.” She shook her head. “No, they’re not going to do us any harm.” Then she smiled. “They’ve been teaching me so much. Their language; I can speak it!”

            Terk nodded excitedly, and braced himself for more, so Taavi continued.

            “There are three of them. Clayton is the alpha, but he and I don’t see much of each other; I don’t think he likes me very much. Maybe he’s like Kerchak in that way. Porter is the oldest, he’s the father of James.” At the mention of James’s name, Taavi’s stomach did a flutter.

            “James is the youngest. He’s the one who’s been teaching me the most. He…cares so much, about the creatures of the jungle, and about our lessons. I’ve never met anyone like him.”

            Her voice trailed off, along with her train of thought. Then she caught Terk staring at her, eyeing her strangely.

             “What?” she snapped defensively.

            Terk blinked. “Oh, nothing,” he said, surprised. He finished his fruit quickly, and threw the pit over his shoulder. “The humans sound…nice.”

            Taavi grinned, “Really? Would…you like to meet them?”

            Terk backed up slightly, “I think it would be best if you were the only one they stayed in contact with. Give them my condolences.” He turned to walk away, and then paused.

            “Taavi?”

            “Yeah, Terk?”

            He took a breath. “The way you look when you talk about James? It’s something…different. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look like that before.”

            Taavi swallowed tightly. “Is that bad?”

             Terk looked back at her with sincerity. “No,” he said, “It’s nice. It’s…really nice.”

Chapter Text

            After a few long, mopey days, Taavi ceased her isolated behavior and started sneaking off to visit the humans again. Most of the apes knew where Taavi was when she wasn’t with the group. But any confrontation would end up with Kerchak discovering her secret, and when Kerchak was angry, all would reap the consequences.

            So, Taavi slinked off at random hours of the day to see James and continue her lessons.

            A week and a half after Taavi’s argument with her mother, Taavi awoke with an almost euphoric yearning for knowledge. The sun had yet to rise, but Taavi was more than awake when she set out for the human territory.

            James was asleep when she entered the campsite, snoozing soundly in his tent. Clayton was polishing his artillery outside of his tent, and when he caught sight of Taavi, he snarled, but stayed silent; Porter was coking eggs and meat in a pan over their campfire. He smiled and waved at her.

            “Good morning, Taavi!” he said cheerily.

            “Hi!” Taavi exclaimed, feeling proud for using her new greeting words.

            “James is sleeping right now, but feel free to wake the lazy-bone up.” Porter pointed to James’s tend and chuckled.

            Taavi walked over the tent and pulled back the cloth flaps, wracking her brain on what “lazybone” meant.

            His tent was moderately sized; enough to fit his suitcases full of clothes, a twin sized cot, and an ungodly amount of possessions strewn about in an ordered chaos. James lay in his bed, his eyes closed, his cheeks flushed, and his chest slowly rising and falling.

            For some odd reason, Taavi felt her breath catch in her throat for a fleeting moment when she laid eyes on him. She bit her lip playfully and crawled on top of his bed without hesitation, sitting in the small space he did not occupy. Taking a deep breath, Taavi leaned forward and poked James in the face.

            At first, he didn’t react – he just twitched his eyes under their lids. So, Taavi poked him again, this time with a mischievous grin on her face. Lines began to form on James’s forehead, but his eyes remained closed. By the fourth poke, his lids were slowly lifting. His hair was fluffy, and his clothes all crumpled, his body tangled in his blankets. For a split second, he looked surprised, but then his features softened, and the corners of his lips turned up in a sleepy smile.

            Taavi gave a small squeal of delight and felt a new, bubbling feeling throughout her entire body.

            “Good morning!”

            The words flew out of her mouth before she even realized what she said. The words registered with James immediately, and he sat up quickly.

            “Taavi!” he exclaimed excitedly, “You did it!”

            Taavi threw her arms in the air and the bubbling feeling grew stronger. “Yes!” she cried joyfully.

            At some point of their two-minute celebration, James took the back of Taavi’s neck in his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead, pulling back with an animated mwah! The moment was fleeting, and the gesture left a tingling feeling on Taavi’s face. She could tell it was a positive action, for when James pulled back right after it, he was grinning. She grinned right back, and put the moment in the back of her mind.

            That day, James decided to work on emotions. He took the liberty of making Taavi her own flash cards. Each card had a face on it, drawn by James himself, illustrating the different feelings with facial expressions. They sat on his bed, facing each other, Taavi watching patiently and attentively as James went through the cards multiple times, pronouncing each word.

            “Your turn,” he told her, shuffling the cards.

            He held one up of a smiling boy. Taavi thought hard, and then the word sprang into her head.

            “Happy!”

            James nodded. “Yes, good. Show me.”

            Taavi poked her cheeks and grinned, showing off her teeth. James chuckled and nodded again.

            “Good.” He held up another card that showed a little girl, whose mouth looked like she had previously sucked on a lemon.

            “Mad,” Taavi said confidently.

             “Show me.”

            She scrunched up her face so tightly, her muscles ached. “Mad,” she said again through strained lips.

             “Fantastic. And this one?”

            “Sad.” She stuck out her bottom lip and widened her eyes.

             “And this one?”

            “Soo-prize!” Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open to demonstrate.

            “What about this one?”

            Taavi was stumped. The word was a bit longer than the others, and the picture looked like a mix between happy and soo-prize.

            “It’s okay,” he reassured warmly. “Excited.”

            “Ah, excited!” Taavi threw her hands up to show him she understood, and was then reminded of something.

            “Good morning?” she recalled curiously. Was that the feeling James had when she finally comprehended those words? Was that the fun, bubbling feeling she got in her stomach? The feeling of James putting his mouth on her head flickered through her memory, and she felt her face become very hot. She liked the feeling of being so close to James, but he had never done anything like that before…she didn’t want to push her luck.

            James glanced at his lap and smiled shyly, “Yes, good morning.”

            Something new gleamed in James’s eyes for a moment. Something safe…and comforting. And it might have been a trick of the light, but Taavi could have sworn that James had a bit of rose in his cheeks as well.

Chapter Text

            May 28^th

            African Expedition Log: Day 90

            Taavi is learning more than my father and I had ever anticipated. For lessons, we go through our flashcards daily, and Taavi is being introduced to more words weekly. She knows the basic emotions (more importantly, what they mean), all of her primary and secondary colors, as well as parts of the body, and even can name some food. She’s started using her newfound vocabulary throughout the day, and forming sentences. Most of them are questions of confirmation, such as:

            “Blue James eyes?” or “Clayton mad yes?”

            My father is thoroughly impressed with Taavi’s gain of knowledge, as am I. She’s so full of life when she greets us in the morning, and has somewhat of an obsession with visiting us every day without fail. I find myself longing for her to stay longer so we can get more lessons in, so I can satisfy her need to learn more about her world. We’ve really grown quite fond of her, much to Clayton’s dismay. He’s becoming increasingly frustrated due to the lack of progress on finding the gorilla territory. We’re still trying to figure out what will happen when the ship comes back in a few months.

             Three days ago, I made the decision to ask Taavi if she could show us where her home is, and if she could show us. All of the color left her skin at once, and she shrunk back as if we had burned her with fire. She shook her head no. Father asked why, and she only responded with one word.

            “Father.”

            She ran off into the woods, and we haven’t seen her since. I hope she’s alright.

Chapter Text

            Taavi spent the next few days in the jungle with her family, playing with the younger apes, foraging for food, and practicing her words in private. Everyone acted as if it had always been this way, like Taavi had never even heard of humans. And for a while, everything seemed as if it was back to normal.

            But Taavi, every morning when she woke up to the dusky sun, had an undeniable pull in her heard to go back to the camp. She tried to convince herself that the reason for that was because of her need for learning, but that was only part of it. Spending time with James gave her a feeling that was nearly indescribable. At times when she looked at him, she felt as if she was floating, and there would be a faint aching in her heart. Her face would get hot and the bubbly feeling would come back, the excitement. She had never felt so many mixed feelings with another being before; it was all so new and curious. Sometimes, Taavi hated the feeling because being away from James for so long left a small hole in her heart.

            On the fifth day of being away from the camp, Taavi decided she could keep up her streak no longer. That morning, she leapt out of her bed of leaves so quickly, vertigo buzzed around her ears for a moment. Stocking her hands full of fruit, she made her way through the jungle with lightning speed. She had memorized the way to the camp long ago.

            The campers were already awake, making their tents tidy and looking a bit glum. Taavi crashed through the brush and grinned ear to ear.

            “Good morning!” she shouted, taking a large bite of mango.

            James turned around at the noise, and when his eyes met hers, Taavi saw her own joy reflected back at her. “Good morning!” he replied happily, dropping his blanket and walking towards her.

            She felt the pink bubbly feeling again.

            “Where have you been?” Porter chuckled, approaching her as well.

            Taavi just smiled (she didn’t quite understand his question) and took another bite, the juice dribbling down her chin, which earned an endearing look from James.

            “Let’s get you cleaned up,” James said gently, taking her hand and leading her to the main canopy tent.

            Taavi furrowed her brow and cocked her head. “Bath,” James explained.

            Her eyes brightened immediately and she jumped up on her toes. “Bath!” she exclaimed cheerfully. She missed being groomed by warm water. Before she met the humans, she didn’t even know water got that warm.

            After her bath and a good comb, Taavi was more than ready for her lessons. Porter took over that day’s lesson, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. But she cheered up once she realized the lesson was just a review, which was easy for she had been practicing the days before.

            Once the lesson ended, Porter went back to his study to continue writing, and Taavi was free to roam the camp. She instantly began looking for James. She found him crouched on the edge of the camp, nearly hidden in the bushes, drawing something.

            Slowly and quietly, she crept up behind him as to not disturb his art. She loved watching him draw, even more than she did when she first saw him. His eyes were pierced with focus and icy blue, his bottom lip caught in his teeth in concentration. Yes, still the same.

            When she got closer, she realized he was drawing a creature, a bird she saw around the jungle. It was red-orange with green highlights, with soft feathers and round features. She sat behind him to watch, and James looked over his shoulder, glanced at her with a smile, and continued working.

            “It’s called a red-headed love bird,” James explained softly, “isn’t it beautiful?”

            Taavi hadn’t a clue what “beautiful” meant, but James said it in such a breathless way, she knew for sure it was a good thing. “Yes,” she replied.

            His sketch was only half-developed when the bird flew away. He looked positively torn down, his chin in his palm, his lips turned down in disappointment. Taavi came a bit closer, and James looked at her sadly and shrugged.

            “Sad?” she asked quietly.

            He nodded, “A bit blue, yeah.”

            There was a twang of confusion, but she supposed he meant that he was sad, which made her even more excited than before.

            “Why are you smiling?” James asked, chuckling.

            “Come! I show,” Taavi said, standing and taking his hand.

            “Show me what?”

            “Bird!”

            She led him a good walk into the jungle, shushing him every time he asked where exactly they were going. Taavi kept searching for signs of familiarity, and she could tell they were getting close.

            After about five minutes, she stopped at a huge canopy tree, and looked up.

            “Stop,” she said, leading him to the base of the tree. “Here.”

            James’s face twisted into concern, “Here?”

            Taavi nodded, and pointed up to the top of the tree, “There.”

            “Taavi, I can’t go up there, I can’t climb!” James wrung his hands nervously.

            “Taavi climb. James hold.” She walked over to a thick, dense vine and gave it a tug. “See?”

            James shook his head, “No, you can’t do that, I’m far too heavy.”

            Taavi couldn’t quite understand what words he was saying, but she got the gist of it. “James arms, Taavi hips.”

            She walked over to him with a scolding look, and took his hands in hers for guidance. With no shame, she wrapped his arms around her waist and tightened them for safety.

            “Hold,” she said again with a gleam in her eye.

            With all of her strength, she hoisted herself up the vine, with James whimpering and exclaiming at the slightest falter. But Taavi held on. Her muscles strained, but she was use to the physical exertion. James just held on with complete awe, wondering how on Earth she had maintained this super-human strength.

            They were perhaps eighty feet in the air when finally Taavi got to a branch that would lead them to the top of the canopy. James was out of breath, despite his lack of activity. Perhaps his nerves worked his muscles enough. Taavi looked at him with an annoyed and impatient look, then playfully nudged him and said, “Look!”

            She climbed up branch by branch, and reaching the top of the canopy leaves. James followed breathlessly, muttering the whole time. Taavi waited for him at the top, and when he joined her side, she grinned.

            “Ready?” she asked.

            “Ready,” James said.

            She pushed the leaves apart, and climbed through, nearly disappearing. James had no choice but to follow, and when he did, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

            Red-headed love birds. Everywhere. Nests and families swarmed together, twittering happily amongst themselves. They didn’t even seem concerned with Taavi’s greetings, or her pettings. He stared in disbelief for a good ten minutes; he just watched her interact with the beautiful creatures.

            Taavi looked over to him. “Say good morning!” she prompted, holding a bird on her two fingers and stretching it out to him.

             James reluctantly put his hand out and stroked the bird, who moved with his hand. He had never been able to get this close to these birds; they were always so antsy around humans. But he supposed they never saw Taavi that way. Soon, James was just as Taavi was, happily speaking to the birds as if they were small children, laughing and saying his usual “oh my!”.

            Taavi loved watching him with the small animals; he was so gentle and kind to them. She noticed he was with that with all the animals he came across, even bugs like butterflies and ladybugs. He even treated…her…like that.

            Taavi’s heart fluttered. Did he see her like that? Like an animal? Is that why he was so kind to her, and taught her all the wonderful things? She realized she didn’t want that, to be treated like an animal, even if it was with kindness and respect.

            She swallowed dryly and waited silently for James to finish his entertainment. They had been up in the canopy for an hour when James turned to her and smiled warmly.

            “Thank you, Taavi. It’s beautiful,” he told her.

            Taavi smiled back at him halfheartedly, and lowered herself back down onto to the top branch and out of the lovebird nests. James quickly followed, and they made their descent to the jungle floor. James spent the entire trip back to the camp wondering why Taavi looked upset, but he decided to ask once they were in the privacy of his tent. They sat on his bed, facing each other, but seldom speaking.

            “Taavi sad?” he asked, lifting her chin to look at him. She pulled away and nodded solemnly.

            “Why?”

            Taavi didn’t answer for a while. She looked as if she was forming a long sentence, but in the end, she sighed and said,

            “Taavi animal?”

            James’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. His body reacted before his mind did: His hands jerked towards her shoulders, and his legs scooted his body closer to hers. Taavi shrunk back, the same way it did when he asked her to show him where the apes resided. She looked like…

            James shook the thought out of his head. No, she didn’t look like a scared animal. She looked like…

            “No animal,” James said simply, attempting to ensure her understanding. “Taavi is not an animal. Taavi is a human.”

            The words struck Taavi in her chest. She felt as if James had slapped her across the face. She always had a feeling they were alike…but Taavi was so different from James. He was so smart, and his words were so perfect; she could only dream of having a vocabulary that vast. He moved differently from her, ate different food, felt different things. But Taavi had always hoped they were the same in that way. It just didn’t hit her until the words left James’s mouth.

            Taavi didn’t know how to react to his words, whether to laugh or cry, out of sadness or joy. Her body decided for her, soft tears welling up and sliding down her cheeks as she stared at James’s bedspread.

            James inched ever closer and took a deep breath. Then, he leaned forward, and enveloped Taavi in an embrace.

            Taavi had never been hugged before, especially by James. At first, the feeling was strange and claustrophobic, but a second passed and Taavi felt warmth spread through her being, and she couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. The pink bubbly feeling returned to her stomach, and made its way to her chest, and up in her throat. She felt her face get warm as well, a feeling she associated with the color red. James, who was larger than her by nature, guided her head to the space where his shoulder and collarbone met, and Taavi tucked her face in there for resting. They stayed there for a long while; Taavi slowly coming to terms with her new identity, and James trying to ignore the fact that the girl was soaking his shirt. Locked in a loving embrace, they both felt…

            Safe.

Chapter Text

            Going home that day was the hardest thing Taavi had ever accomplished in a long while. But she set her course home with a sense of profound purpose; her head held high, and her mind clear. With each step on the thriving jungle floor, the hope in her chest swelled. A feeling she had never felt before.

            Suddenly, her surroundings appeared different than they had been before. For a reason Taavi had yet to figure out, everything seemed brighter. The trees and flowers seemed to breathe along with her, swaying in harmonious serenity. Her skin and hair felt clean and refreshed, traits they rarely possessed.

            But Taavi was still waiting for something inside of her to change. Yes, her mind was clear, and she could feel her blood pumping through her veins, but where was the change deeper within? Taavi knew she had something more than skin, bone, and muscle. She knew her body wasn’t a mindless shell. There were some things that were alive, like birds and apes, and some things that weren’t, like rocks, water, and dirt. What she didn’t know was why, and how.

            She was alive, she was sure of that. She had life. She had breath, and ate, and slept, like the other creatures did. But she also thought. And not just simple thoughts for survival purposes, but thoughts of conscious. She felt things that the other apes hardly felt; feelings she didn’t know how to describe. Going against her nature left a black pit in her stomach, a hole that took what felt like forever to fill. Somehow, somewhere inside of her, a voice was given to her to make her who she was. A voice that knew her own nature, and was heard when she was making a decision for herself. A voice that told her what was right, and what was wrong. Taavi didn’t know where it came from, but she always listened to her voice inside of her head.

            Always.

            And right then, the voice told her that being a human was right.

Chapter Text

            As Taavi leapt from tree to tree on her course home, she felt a nagging feeling of dread poking at her chest. She blamed it on her fear of Kerchak, but very suddenly, it felt as though the air had been sucked out of the entire jungle. Not a single creature was in sight, and she could hear the birds abandoning their nests and flocking to the skies. Taavi cocked her head to the side, closed her eyes, and concentrated hard on her hearing.

            Then she heard her mother scream.

            Without any thought, Taavi took off into a run, leaping from one tree to the next, tearing through the leaves and ignoring the scraping branches. She tore through the brush like her life depended on it, her chest heaving with every breath, and her legs pumping through their soreness. The branches became increasingly familiar, and she focused on steering herself in the right direction to her home. The screams of her group were getting louder, and more frequent. And then she heard a dominance ape cry, and a pained growl.

            Sabor.

             Heat rushed to Taavi’s face. The color red flashed through her mind as her anger grew in her throat. Just up ahead, she saw her family fleeing the spotted beast, and she let out a roar that caused even Sabor to pause in her tracks.

            Taavi judged by the blood-stained foliage that not every ape was lucky to leave the fight without a scratch. She instantly scanned the area for her mother, and saw her holding her bloody arm, but otherwise safe. She couldn’t find Kerchak in the millisecond that she spent searching, but Terk was safe up in a tree. Good, she thought to herself, they’re safe. Then, she set her eyes on Sabor.

            The leopard’s teeth were free from blood, which meant she hadn’t landed any kills, but her claws reeked of liquid crimson. Taavi knew she was in it deep when she realized she hadn’t any weapons with her, not even her arrowhead. She brought that with her everywhere; how stupid could she be? Stop it, she told herself, now’s not the time.

            Once the apes were successfully evacuated from their nesting grounds, Taavi faced her opponent. Fire burned in her cheeks as she caught the hollow eyes of the panther. She had had this fight one too many times, and it was time to end it…for good.

            Just as they always did in their battles, the two began their death circle. It was almost like a waltz: rehearsed, repetitive, and very much strategized. Taavi kept low to the ground, her knuckles supporting her torso, and her back arched into a dominant gorilla stance that Kerchak often used. They circled each other, maintaining icy eye contact, waiting for each other to make the first move.

            As always, Sabor made the first move, launching herself at Taavi with long, nearly talon-like claws. But before the feline made it to the human, a deafening roar came from the bushes, and Kerchak made his appearance. Beating his chest, and practically snorting out steam, he charged at Sabor and took her to the ground. Taavi knew their connection was broken, and their fight was caught off.

            “No!” she screamed, and then realized that neither her father nor Sabor had any idea what she had just said. Luckily, they hadn’t heard her protests over the sounds of the gorillas screaming their support from the trees, cheering on their leader.

            Taavi could do nothing but watch as they fought, she knew that getting in the middle of their battle would be the end of her. Kerchak was stronger than any creature in the jungle; that was true. But mindless anger and violence was nothing compared to the clever, nimble, and lightning fast reflexes of a panther. In no time at all, Sabor had analyzed Kerchak’s fight pattern, as she did with all of her victims, and dodging the giant gorilla seemed like a hobby to pass the time. After thirty seconds of bounding around the enraged primate, she became bored, leaping and scratching him across the chest. It wasn’t deep enough to kill him, but just deep enough to keep him out of the game. That was a play that Taavi knew Sabor calculated; everyone knew she came here for Taavi.

            With Kerchak out of the picture in under a minute, they both knew that Sabor had the upper hand in the battle. But what the leopard didn’t know, was that with the forty seconds that she wasted toying with her silver-back plaything, Taavi had the chance to turn her attention to Terk, who was on a high branch above her, waving a sharp, grey stone in his hand.

            Her arrowhead. Without calling attention to herself, she made a small hand movement to motion him to drop it, and she caught it nimbly in her hands with a grin on her face. This changed everything. Without wasting time on human thoughts, she fashioned the stone onto a stick, a long staff, and secured it with a strong vine, a practice she was very familiar with. By the time Kerchak was bleeding from his chest, she had herself a spear.

            When Sabor looked back at her to gloat, a flash of shock passed through the cat’s yellow eyes, and for a moment, Taavi saw her cower, retracting her claws. But the second passed, and Sabor hissed menacingly, though Taavi couldn’t detect any danger behind it. It sounded like the outburst of a wounded animal. She smiled to herself: she had taken over the game.

             Taavi pounded her chest and bared her teeth, a move her mother taught her at a young age. The leopard made the first move, but her lunge was sloppy. Taavi easily dodged by stepping to the side, and swiveling on her heel to face her opponent. Sabor roared in frustration, but the girl wasn’t fazed by the cat’s poor attempt at claiming dominance. Sabor lunged for a second time, and Taavi catapulted herself into a thick canopy tree, climbing with ferocity, knowing that her enemy was inches behind her. Using the leaves to obscure the feline’s vision, Taavi pushed ahead and threw herself into the dense top branches and waited for Sabor to find her. Sabor growled, twitching her head in every direction, her aggravation building. Taavi’s heart skipped a beat as the jaguar jumped out of sight and disappeared into a rustle of leaves.

            Realizing her plan had been used against her, Taavi crawled back through the brush the way she came, listening hard for any sounds to give away Sabor’s whereabouts. Her question was answered when Sabor tore through the air and plunged her claws into Taavi’s arm, ripping a long tear through her flesh. Taavi bared her teeth and almost screamed, but caught the cry in her mouth and forced it back down her throat. It was not the time to show weakness.

            Taavi slashed her spear wildly, and the blade caught Sabor’s left leg, a fine mist of blood showering Taavi’s hands. Sabor growled lowly; she obviously not too keen on showing weakness as well. Then, the jaguar lunged once more towards Taavi’s chest, and the girl dodged, but not near enough, pulling both of them down onto the jungle floor.

            Taavi, in the corner of her eye, spotted a moderately-sized space where thick moss covered fallen branches. This is what the gorillas called “the pit”, a hidden hole that was covered by shaggy green, and that the young gorillas avoided religiously. It was perfect.

            She only had to lure Sabor over to the pit, to get them both away from the apes and ensure their safety. The spotted panther was practically foaming at the mouth from anger, and threw herself at Taavi, who attempted to bat her away with the spear, but snapped the staff in half instead. The arrowhead flew through the air, and fell through one of the small gaps in the moss over the pit. She was running out of time.

            Quickly thinking, Taavi moved herself to the very edge of the obscured pit, and gnashed her teeth at Sabor, roaring and batting her chest. The jaguar easily fell for the mockery and attacked Taavi’s chest, causing them both to fall through the moss. Taavi landed on her back, knocking the air right out of her. Her spine cracked after the jungle floor impact, and Sabor – still on top of her - extracted her nails into Taavi’s chest, causing her to cry out in pain. Sabor’s teeth were mere inches away from Taavi’s face, saliva dripping into the girl’s mouth and eyes.

            Her claws dug farther into Taavi’s flesh, and she could hardly bite back the pain. But she felt cold stone against her finger tips – the arrowhead. Her arm stretched as far as possible, and fumbled in the dark for a grip on the stone, but Sabor’s teeth were getting too close. Taavi was bleeding out, and fast. For a moment, fear of death flashed across her mind, and panic overtook her body. The leopard opened her mouth – and just as she was about to clamp her jaws around the girl’s neck, Taavi stretched her arm to wrap her fingers around the arrowhead, and using the very last of her strength, plunged the entire stone through Sabor’s neck.

            Sabor went stiff, the shock causing her body to go rigid, and then went limp. Blood gushed out of her throat, spraying Taavi in warm, thick blood. Taavi expect the life to go out in Sabor’s eyes, but it didn’t. Then she realized there was no life to begin with. The jaguar spent its entire life being fueled by vengeance and rage, fighting Taavi to fill the void in her soul left by the death of her family; no other emotion could make its way into her mind.

            Taavi spit out blood, and hoisted the 150-lbs cat off of her body. Her wounds were dripping, and her head buzzed: dizzy from the loss of blood. She dragged Sabor’s body out of the pit, the sounds of the cheering, screeching apes being drowned out by the blood pumping in Taavi’s head. Her vision went fuzzy, going in and out. She felt herself going cross-eyed, and she was breathing much too heavy.

            The gorillas came from their safe place in the branches and surrounded Taavi in a big circle, looking at her with disbelief and wide eyes. Kala made her way to the front, and stood ten feet away from her daughter, her face filled with concern. Taavi tried to smile, but found herself too weak to do so. Sabor’s lifeless body lay in front of her, looking more like a drawing than a previously living creature.

            Taavi knew what she had to do – it was what every creature had to once they defeated their opponent. She took Sabor’s body, and raised it above her head, crying out in power. She wasn’t sure where the strength came from; she had never felt so physically weak in her life. The apes screamed in triumph, pounding the ground with their fists. Taavi had just moved up the hierarchy.

            Kerchak banished himself to a tree, sulking and tending to his wound. Taavi found him, sitting there quietly, a grey cloud fogging his emotions. She brought Sabor’s body, holding it close to her own. She looked at him, and he looked back. Then, slowly, she laid Sabor’s body down at his feet, bowing her head, and lowering herself to her knees.

            There was a long silence as she kneeled, eyeing the leopard’s bloody spots. She heard Kerchak’s steady breathing, and dared to look up. Tilting her head in the slightest, her eyes caught her father’s. She expected them to be filled with disgust, as they always were. But this time, Taavi saw something different. There was guilt, and mourning…and care. A look she had never before seen. For the third time that day, all of the breath sucked out of her, and her eyes welled with tears. And against all doubts, Kerchak nodded.

Chapter Text

            The world was coming in and out of focus. Taavi staggered through the brush, clutching her bleeding arm and chest, praying to someone, somewhere, that she would make it to the camp alive. She had never seen so much blood in her life, especially coming out of her own body. Her arm had lost all feeling, but the deep wounds in her legs and abdomen were becoming increasingly painful. She wished she would just lose consciousness, but knew she wouldn’t make it if she passed out. Her legs moved subconsciously, taking her closer and closer to her destination.

            Soon she felt sunlight on her eyelids, and found herself in the middle of the camp, on her knees and barely breathing. She heard a distant call of her name, but she was too weak to care. All she wanted to do was lay down, and never wake up. The pain throbbed through her entire body, going against the flow of her frantic heartbeat. The call became a bit louder, but still muddled, like a scream underwater. She felt arms around her, and then was weightless, floating through the air, another heartbeat against her own chest.  The world became muffled, like she was seeing and hearing everything through thick cotton. For a moment, black and red spots clouded her vision, and she felt an intense burning on her wounds, like someone was pouring acid on her. She screamed, but she couldn’t hear the sound that came out.

            Then, she felt lips pressed up to her head, a quiet “It’s going to be okay. Stay with me, stay with me!”…

            And then she felt nothing.

            When Taavi came to, the sun was shining through the top of the tent, warming her skin. She felt something by her side, breathing perhaps. Then she heard faint, desperate pleadings.

            “Just wake up. Please wake up.”

            Her natural instinct told her to rise up, but she felt as though she was tied to the soft cot she was lying on. Pain shot through her spine, and flared under her skin. Before she could stop herself, she cried out. She felt movement to her right, but she found that she couldn’t move her neck, either. James’s face came into vision, lined with worry and concern, and little sleep.

            “You’re awake,” he said quietly, brushing her hair back with a smile.

            All she could do was mumble a confirmation. Suddenly, her eyes felt heavy, and she couldn’t keep them open.

            “Yes, sleep,” he told her.

            But she didn’t feel like sleeping. She wanted to keep talking to James, but her entire body felt as though it was sinking through the cot and into the ground. So, right before she lost consciousness, she took hold of James’s hand and intertwined their fingers.

            “Happy,” she whispered, and then everything went silent. 

Chapter Text

            ******************************************************************

            Taavi spent the next few days in recovery, letting her wounds heal properly before she returned to her family. James spent most of his day sitting next to her cot, reading to her and feeding her. He would teach her lessons when she wanted, but sometimes they just talked. James started teaching her American sign language to help her distinguish words apart and to link hand movements to her vocabulary to help understand the English language. Taavi always felt the fluttery pink feeling when she awoke from her pain-killer induced slumber and found her friend dozed off in his chair. Her wounds healed nicely, and within a week and a half, she was able to move around without fear of damaging anything.

            On the twelfth day of staying at the camp, Taavi decided to return home, to let her family know that she was alive. She finally had enough energy to make it to the nests, and when she arrived, the gorillas were going about their day. All except Kala.

            Kala sat in her nest, hunched over, and nervously nibbling a piece of passion fruit. Taavi knew she did this when she was anxiously waiting for something. Taavi approached her, and Kala turned around, her eyes bright.

            “Mama,” she said, smiling.

            “Taavi, my child.” Kala ran towards her and embraced her, holding her close, and causing Taavi to wince at the strain.

            “I thought you were dead,” Kala said, examining her daughter’s wounds and bandages.

            “I’m okay, Mama, I promise,” said Taavi, brushing her mom away gently. “How are the others?”

            Kala smiled sadly, “We didn’t lose any, but they’re still recuperating.”

            Taavi cocked her head to side in concern, knowing her mother was keeping a vital piece of information to herself. “And?”

            Her mother’s eye glinted mischievously. “The only thing that Sabor did to Kerchak was wound his ego.”

            Taavi laughed out loud suddenly, surprising herself. It felt good to smile naturally around her mother, it had been a while.

            “Can I go visit him?” Taavi asked after a moment.

            Kala nodded. “Be careful. He hasn’t been in the best of moods lately.”

            Taavi accepted the answer, and took off to her father’s hidden cove.

            Kerchak’s hidden cove was deep on the outskirts of the gorilla’s nesting grounds, shielded by thick, long ropes of leaves from the trees towering above. Sunlight barely seeped through the canopy, and so the cove was coated in shadows, hard to spot to the naked eye. Only Kala and Taavi knew of Kerchak’s secret place; a place he would hide when he was making a decision, or when he was just plain sad. Taavi wondered which it was this time.

            She soundlessly slipped through the curtain of vines, and saw her father’s figure – usually looming and intimidating – cowering in the corner, slumped in what looked like defeat.

            “Father?” she whispered, creeping up behind him. The figure didn’t make a sound.

            “Father, it’s Taavi,” she said again, planting herself only a few feet away from him.

            She listened for any acknowledgement, but she felt as though her father heard her perfectly. She knew her mistake.

            “Kerchak?”

            The silverback grunted noisily. “What is it you want?”

            Taavi paused, swallowing hard. She hadn’t thought this through; what did she want? Comfort? Normality? Or maybe just a little bit of concern from her father, maybe that was all Taavi needed to survive. Unfortunately, she would receive none of these necessities.

             “What do you want?” Kerchak demanded once more, causing Taavi to jump. He was the only creature in the entire jungle that could make Taavi quake at the sound of his voice.

            “I want…I wanted to see if you were alright.” Taavi tried to hide the quiver in her voice.

            “I don’t need a caretaker; I can tend to my own wounds.”

            “I was just – ”

            “Go.”

            “Kerchak – ”

            “Go.”

            Taavi muttered a swear under her breath, and turned to leave.

            “What did you just say?”

            Kerchak’s cold voice stopped Taavi dead in her tracks.

            “What did you just say to me?” he repeated quietly, which made it all the more terrifying.

            Taavi took a long deep breath, and knew that she would immediately regret her words as soon as they left her lips, but she needed to take a chance. She needed to have the confidence to jump, and let fate catch her.

            “I said, a simple damned thank you would suffice,” she spat, “Please don’t let your inflated pride blind you from seeing that sacrifices have been made to keep your ass alive.”

            The words came out much harsher than Taavi had ever intended, and the look on Kerchak’s face told her exactly how far she went. He turned to her, rose with his chest heaving, and hot air shooting out of his nose.

            “How dare you, you – ”

            But Taavi was far from finished. She stood in her haunches, and stuck her chest out as well, hoping that Kerchak couldn’t hear the rapid beating of her heart. “No, how dare you, Kerchak. Letting Sabor into the nesting grounds, under your protection, and it nearly cost the lives of your family!”

            The words were flying now, and Taavi could hardly hear herself over the blood pumping in her ears. Kerchak stood frozen, dumbfounded by her speech.

            “And after that, after nearly losing your tribe, you hole yourself up in your little cave to pout? What kind of leader abandons their tribe after an attack like that?”

            “Abandon?” Kerchak hissed, moving towards her menacingly. “You were gone for twelve days. Your mother was distraught, babbling about how she thought you were dead. What do you call that?”

            For a moment, Taavi wasn’t sure what to say, how to respond. He wasn’t wrong; she was gone for a significant amount of time.

            Taavi’s voice came out trembling as she forced tears back. “I…I almost died. I was on the brink, Kerchak.”

            The gorilla stood tall, and nodded once to allow her to continue.

            The girl felt fear rise in her throat, her breath shallow, the air suddenly becoming thick like cotton. But she had to say it. She had to tell him.

            “The humans, Father. They helped me. They saved me.”

            The expression on Kerchak’s face failed to change. Instead, Taavi watched in surprise as her father hung his head and breathed out a slow exhale.

            “I thought as much,” he said in a low voice.

            “You knew?” Taavi rasped, her vocal chords suddenly shot.

            Kerchak laughed coldly, “Do you take me for a fool, child? Of course I knew. You were off every hour on the hour with those beasts; it took me but three days to find out.”

            Taavi shook her head, trying to jog out the bafflement that clouded her thoughts. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

            He scoffed. “Because I knew sooner or later, you’d learn your lesson from spending time with those savages. And it seems I was right.”

            “They saved me, Kerchak.”

            “It was their fault that Sabor returned to our nesting grounds. She had been stalking you for weeks, knowing that you wouldn’t be here to protect your family.”

            “Protect?” Taavi snapped, “Protect? That’s your job.”

            “The fact is, girl, that Sabor knew your weakness. Those humans are your weakness. If you love your family, if you care for any one of us at all, you will stay away from those monsters.”

            The word struck Taavi, and she fought to contain her anger.

            “The only monster in this jungle is you, Kerchak.” This time, her voice was steady.

            “Call me what you will, Taavi, but at the end of the season, the humans will leave this jungle, and never return. It is your choice. Stay and protect your family, the only beings who have ever loved and accepted you, or go with the humans, and forever be an ass in a lion’s coat.”

            Tears crept down Taavi’s cheeks as she turned and ran through the jungle as fast as she could, ignoring the stickers and branches that scraped her face and arms. She was disgusted in her father’s words, but that voice inside of her told her that his words were true. She would have to choose. And soon.

Chapter Text

            Taavi knew that she needed time to herself, to battle the thoughts raging in her head, to make a choice that would set the course of the rest of her life. The thought of bidding her mother farewell sent a sharp ache to her chest. But imagining James leaving, knowing she had a chance at life, to see the world and all of its glory outside of the jungle, she would never forgive herself. Once she made a decision, that was it. No do-overs. No take backs.

            After spending several hours alone with tear-stained cheeks, Taavi traveled to seek refuge in the human camp.

            Upon arriving, Taavi felt the warm sun and the cold breeze dry her tears and relaxing her muscles, tense from her worries.

            James sat in his usual crouched stance, sketchbook and pencil in hand. Taavi called out her simple greeting, and turned a trio of heads.

            James’s eyes lit as he set his eyes on her, and he was up and brushing off his clothes, striding towards her with a broad grin plastered on his face. “I’m happy to see you healing well,” James signed and said, holding her out at arm’s length.

            “Thank you,” she replied, flushed.

            Porter pranced out of his mapping tend, waving his arms at the sight of Taavi returning. “Oh, hello, darling!” He embraced Taavi, who was caught off guard but easily adapted.

            “Hello,” Taavi smiled.

            “How is the family?” he signed. If he had not spoken the words, Taavi wouldn’t have a clue what he was asking.

            “Good. Safe,” she signed simply.

            “And your father?” Porter asked delicately.

            Taavi shook her head. “Angry. Hurt.”

            “It’s not bad, is it?” asked James, his brow furrowed in concern.

            “No. Hurt – sad.”

            James nodded in understanding. “Why is that?”

            “Taavi is human. Father is gorilla.”

            “Speaking of gorilla,” interjected a booming voice. Clayton swaggered up to the group of three with a rifle in one hand, and a glass of amber-colored liquid in the other. His breath was hot and bitter as he neared Taavi, and it took all of her decency not to scrunch her nose in disgust.

            “Speaking of gorillas,” he said again, “have you seen any?”

            Despite the lazy way he slurred his words together, Taavi could make out a basic understanding of his inquiry, but it confused her all the same.

            Before she could answer, Clayton prodded her with the barrel of his gun and widened his eyes. “Oh, you have, haven’t you? Why, as I recall, you live with them, don’t you?” His voice tightened.

            “Clayton,” James warned quietly.

            “No, no,” Clayton cut him off. “Let the ape answer. Why hasn’t she shown us any of the gorillas, eh?” He swung his arms wide, nearly striking Taavi across the cheek. “Why, that’s why we’re here, no?”

            Porter scoffed lightly and snatched the glass away from the bumbling man. “For God’s sakes, man, it’s four o’clock in the afternoon. Now is not the time for drinking, especially with a lady present.”

            “She’s no lady,” Clayton spat, splattering spit on Taavi’s eyelids and nose. “She’s a monkey, isn’t she?” Taavi wondered why he ended every sentence with a question, but never allowed anyone to answer.

            Clayton leaned towards Taavi until they were nose to nose, and she could feel the heat radiating off of his face. “What I want to know, eh,” Clayton began, his breath singeing Taavi’s nosehairs, “is what exactly is she hiding from us?”

            James moved quickly, pushing the man off of Taavi. Clayton stumbled back unsteadily and cleared his throat loudly. Using swift movements, he aimed his gun at Taavi like a scolding finger.

            “I’m onto you, beasty,” he rasped, and then disappeared into his weaponry tent.

            It wasn’t until Clayton was gone that Taavi realized she was practically quaking, her arms wrapped around each other.

            “Hey, hey,” James’s voice broke through the overwhelming sound of Taavi’s rapid heartbeat. He steered her towards his tent, with Porter in tow, and sat her down on his cot.

            Taavi didn’t know what came over her; perhaps it was the way Clayton bore his teeth, and she saw a flash of predator in his appearance, or maybe it was when he pointed his gun at her, and her heart had stopped completely. Whatever the feeling was, Taavi realized that she now considered Clayton as a threat.

            James sat himself next to her, and Porter sat in the bedside chair across from the bed. Taavi couldn’t shake the image of Clayton’s teeth, sharp and glinting white, almost feline-like.

            “Clayton’s not going to hurt you,” said James’s voice. She felt her arms warm up, and she took notice of James’s hand on her knee, attempting to focus on his touch to drown out the other feelings. She looked at him, and saw nothing but care in his eyes.

            “Don’t worry, he won’t get anywhere near you,” James reassured, “I promise.”

            Taavi didn’t quite understand what “promise” meant, but she felt instantly comforted by his words. Porter nodded and muttered a few words that Taavi couldn’t help but realize they were words that had much different meanings than James’s kind ones.

            Feeling an overpowering exhaustion spread over her, Taavi closed her eyes and leaned towards James. He settled her in his arms, awkwardly at first, and Porter smiled and left the tent.

            Her ears were pressed up against James’s chest, whose heartbeat was quickening with every moment. His arms were slung around her shoulders, and she felt once again at peace in the caring embrace of her friend.

            Friend.

            Suddenly, as warmth from James’s body spread to her skin, and as she became increasingly aware of James’s voice whispering sweet nothings into her hair, Taavi’s decision became much clearer to her

Chapter Text

            Her parents were dead.

            The reality, the inevitability, did not strike Taavi until she saw them. Blood-stained bones, ivory-turned-rusted crimson, dusy and bleak. Sun-faded strips of cloth covered them, failing to conceal their twisted, mangled truth.

            The floor boards creaked as Taavi’s stomach lurched. She stood in the doorway of her childhood home, a home she would never remember. Her parents built this home from nothing. This was a place where life was made; a place where life was taken.

            The hut was dark, thin streams of light illuminating the dust that swirled around the room. The foliage had long overgrown throughout the house, over the walls, the ceiling, the floor. A table with chairs, the wood rotted, had been overturned and slashed violently long ago, vines wound tightly around it. Shards of dust-covered glass was strewn across the floor, making faint sounds as a breeze brushed past the strips of curtain that covered the broken window.

            Kala stood behind Taavi with a pained look on her face, waiting restlessly for her daughter to react to the horrible scene.

            Taavi took the whole room in, ignoring the awful details such as the family portrait that lay shattered on the ground near what use to be her parents. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose, and let it out forcefully through her mouth. It was shaky and distorted, as if she had forgotten how to breathe. She commanded her left leg to move forward, and then her right, and soon she had taken four whole steps into the room before the nausea took over.

            She felt something rise in her throat, bubbling to reach the surface, but instead of vomit, it was sobs. Uncontrollable tears shook Taavi’s entire body, her stomach heaving as she choked on her own sputtering. Kala kept her distance, and Taavi wanted to thank her – had she not been crying – for allowing Taavi the time and privacy to mourn her biological parents.

            Taavi wasn’t sure how long she cried; it could have been hours, or perhaps just several minutes, but suddenly the tears stopped, and her entire body, wracked with exhaustion, heaved a great sigh of relief, releasing all previous tension. Kala sat in the doorway, watching her with a tender expression that Taavi couldn’t quite decipher. Taavi pushed her tear-soaked hair out of her face and breathed in deeply, finally remembering how to let air into her lungs. The shock, she knew, would take months to recover from, as she learned from her mother’s experience with losing her own parents years ago. She knew she would cry herself to sleep for nights to come, but the first initial mourning was done and over with. So, Taavi wiped her tears, blew out a breath, and turned to her mother.

            “I was born here.” It was a statement, nothing more.

            Kala nodded and there was a nostalgic twinkle in her eye. “Now you know.”

            Taavi pressed her lips into a fine line, trying desperately to keep her bottom lip from wobbling. A flash of blue caught her eye, and she noticed untouched wood and linen in the corner of the room. It was similar to her nest, but looked a bit like James’s cot. It was small, for a baby, perhaps. Yellow shapes that resembled birds were printed across the white fabric that covered a small pillow. Then she saw it. The color of the sky captured by a cloth. She reached out her hand into the crib and grasped it with her hand, the feeling softer than anything she had ever felt in her life. A baby blue blanket, her blanket, a fabric her mother would swaddle her with her when she was just a toddler. Suddenly, Taavi remembered the piercing green of her father’s eyes, and the warmth of her mother’s brown ones.

            She clutched the blanket close to her chest, tears spotting the sky blue into navy. She always thought those memories were strange dreams she had while she slept. What a strange dream, she would think when she woke up, who were those hairless creatures? What a strange dream. This blanket was the one connection she had humanity, the last piece of evidence that she was ever a part of their world.

            Taavi turned to her mother, blanket still in hand, and noticed her mother’s eyes were speckled with tears.

            “I just want you to be happy,” her mother said quietly, “no matter what you decide.”

            Realization hit Taavi once more. She had to choose. The choice that had been pending since the day she had first seen the humans, months ago. A choice she thought of every waking moment, a moment with her entire future in the balance, something that would change the course of her entire existence. Would she stay, or would she go? She thought of her mother, holding her close when she was scared as a child, and her mother would stroke her hair, and say a prayer over her. She taught Taavi everything she knew, all the wisdom she had learned through her life. Her mother taught her about the spirits of the jungle, about the power of words, and the strength of actions. She comforted Taavi when she was sad, and praised her for good doings. She was always there for Taavi, never failing, and love never ceasing.

            And then Taavi thought of herself in James’s embrace. There was something she never knew she had inside of her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, the warm glow that made its way from her heart to her cheeks. The fluttery feeling she had felt before was, after a while, replaced with complete serenity. Her heart beat slowed, and her breath became steady when she was around him. Perhaps it was the piercing blue of his eyes, or the simplicity of his smile, or even the dimple in his cheek. Or the way he looked at her during her teachings, the comfort he gave her when she was confused, and the laughter they shared when she finally understood. How committed he was to her success, to her learning. How much he knew about the world, about music, about people, about her, about creation. How he could capture creation in simple strokes of a pencil and splashes of paint. She thought of the outside world, with the humans. They sparked the flare of light into the static of Taavi’s life. They brought the meaning, the truth, the knowledge from whatever world they had travelled from. Taavi could feel an unexplainable pull towards them. The kindness, the honesty, the beauty of the outside world, a kind of beauty she had never found in the jungle. The jungle was harsh, and natural, and routine. Though there was splendor in the jungle, nothing was new under the sun. With the humans, there was endless to learn, endless journeys to experience.

            “Mother…” Taavi choked, her voice suddenly gone.

            “Take your time, Taavi,” her mother said gently, and then turned away. “I will wait.”

            And Taavi was left alone in the quiet and the cold of her childhood home.

            An hour later, when Taavi emerged from the hut, still clutching the strip of blue in her hand, Kala had tears streaked down her cheek. The corners of her lips turned down into a somber smile, her eyes shining. Taavi dropped to her knees, and put her arms around her mother, adjusting the blanket around Kala’s shoulders.

            She pressed her forehead to her mothers and cupped her cheeks in her hands. “No matter where I go, no matter who I become,” she said in a trembling voice, “You will always be my mother.”

Chapter Text

            “Do you want go through our cards?”

            Taavi snapped her head, shaking off her daydreaming. Her eyes took a moment to focus fully on James’s smile, which faltered after a few long moments of silence.

            “Are you alright?” he asked, leaning towards her and examining her face.

            Taavi was used to the question, and gave the same answer she always did. “Fine.”

            But this time, James wasn’t convinced. His mouth turned down into a thoughtful frown. Then his eyebrows shot up in revelation. “I know!” he announced excitedly. “I’ll teach you something new.”

            This caught Taavi’s attention. James hopped up from his cot where the two of them were seated and began to rummage through his suitcases and boxes, mumbling fanatically under his breath.

            “What?” Taavi asked, her head cocked to the side.

            James turned to her, a sparkle in his eyes. “How would you like to learn something new?”

            It had been weeks since Taavi had been taught anything new. Over and over, her lessons consisted of perfecting the words she already knew, and learning the synonyms of those words, and what they meant. How they were spelled, how they were read, how they were signed. It had been starting to get a bit tedious.

            Taavi clapped her hands in excitement. “Yes!” she exclaimed.

            James nodded quickly and pulled a box of old-looking cards out of the bottom of his drawers. “Ah-ha!”

            He returned to the bed and emptied his box into his hands. The cards had strange illustrations on them, with bold lettering under them, and notes scribbled on the back of each. The drawings were of people in odd and outrageous clothing, doing things like handing each other flowers and holding their arms out.

            “I want you to know more about humans,” James explained, shuffling the cards. “What we do, how we act.”

            “Okay,” Taavi said breathlessly, feeling the bright, yellowy feeling bubbling in her stomach once more.

            James grinned, and held up a card that showed a man holding a large array of beautiful flowers, some that Taavi had never even seen before, with all different colors.

            “When a man cares for a woman, he shows it in many ways,” James explained, making sure she heard every word. “He gives her gifts, like flowers, and chocolates.”

            Chocolates were one of Taavi’s favorite things about humans. They had somehow taken the cocoa bean, a bitter, disgusting seed that Taavi had grown to loathe, and turned it into a delicacy, rich and creamy and sugary. It was so sweet it made Taavi’s teeth ache.

            “Chocolates,” Taavi said dreamily, which made James’s laugh.

            “Yes, chocolates. Also, sometimes clothes, and jewelry, like necklaces.”

            Taavi waved her hand, “More!”

            James flipped another card around and it showed a man holding a polished log in his hands, slung behind his head. “This is what we call baseball. In some parts of the world, people are mad for it. They love it.”

            “Baseball?” Taavi asked, pointing to the log.

            “That’s called a bat. It’s a part of a sport.”

            “Sport,” Taavi repeated. She had been taught a bit about sports and games, but never quite understood why humans were so fascinated by that source of entertainment.

            “I’ll explain it when we go back to England,” James said happily, and Taavi felt another flutter of anxiety. She had told James of her choice, and he comforted her well, but they both were greatly anticipating their future.

            “Okay, more.”

            He showed her pictures of how they ate meals, and how they greeted each other by clasping each other’s hands and even hugging them close. James explained this was a more intimate greeting. Some of the cards showed children playing with objects like dolls, toys that resembled more humans, which Taavi found fascinating. He showed pictures of schools, and picture houses, and busy streets.

            The very last picture was perhaps the most unusual drawing Taavi had seen yet. A man was pressing his lips against a woman’s cheek, and both looked pleased that he was.

            “What’s that?” she asked in awe. They both looked so happy. Why did that make them feel like that?

            James cleared his throat, “That’s called a kiss.”

            Kiss. What a curious and simple word. She tried it out with her own mouth, and liked the way it tickled her tongue at the end.

            “Yes,” James said quietly, but nothing more.

            Taavi furrowed her brow, “What is it?”

            “Oh!” James smiled sheepishly. “It is a sign of affection.”

            “Like a hug?” Taavi asked.

            “Perhaps. But…it’s a bit more…special than that.”

            Taavi didn’t know what he meant at all. Oh, she wished he made more sense when describing things like this. How hard could it be? So she used his own teaching tactics against him.

            “Show me.”

            A queer sound escaped James’s throat, and he turned a bit pink. Was he getting a warm glowing feeling, too?

            “Ehm, yes, well,” he stuttered, his eyes darting every which way.

            Taavi placed a hand on his knee and looked him straight in the eye. “James.”

            James focused on her, and then took her hand in his. Delicately, he placed his lips on the top of her hand, and pulled back with a satisfied grin.

            Taavi was anything but satisfied. She pointed to the card, “Cheek.” Could you kiss more than one part of someone? Taavi needed to know.

            James sucked in a breath and leaned towards her, letting his mouth press up against the warmth of her cheek in a tender kiss. He pulled back quickly, a bit too quickly for Taavi’s taste.

            “Where else?” she asked, pointing to the card a second time.

            “What do you mean?” he asked. His voice seemed strained.

            “Where else on her? For the kiss?” Taavi knew she wasn’t making much sense. She still struggled with stringing words together in a sentence.

            “Oh, where else on the body?” James asked, with a flick of panic in his throat.

            Perhaps this action was more intimate than Taavi had initially thought. A hug was something that friends shared, but the couple on the card didn’t look quite like friends. They reminded Taavi of the parents that she knew around her tribe, how they took care of their children together, and shared embraces often. Was that this kind of intimacy, where it exceeded friendship entirely and ventured into companionship? The bright feeling sparked once more in Taavi’s stomach, and she realized she had to know for sure. Right then and there.

            “Yes, where else on the body?”

            James cleared his throat a second time, with more of a struggle this time. “Well,” he said nervously, his cheeks changing from blush to red.

            “James.” She moved towards him slightly, trying not to get lost in the crystal blue of his eyes. “Show me.”

            James fidgeted for a moment longer, and then he stilled, locking eyes with her, brown on blue. His expression changed into something Taavi liked very much, an expression she saw often, but could never put her finger on it. Her heart beat slowed, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

            James leaned towards her, and the hairs on Taavi’s neck stood up in anticipation. He hesitated, barely a nose’s length from Taavi’s face, his eyes searching. And then he moved once more, and his lips pressed to hers.

            This was much different than the kiss on the hand and cheek, and it was much different than the many hugs they had shared. The kiss was quick, just a swift press of mouths, and James pulled away. But Taavi wasn’t done with that feeling yet. She took hold of the back of his neck, ignored the frightened look on James’s face, and kissed him.

            She had never felt anything like it. Though it was only locked lips with James, she felt as though they were clasped together in spirit, as if their very souls had intertwined in this moment. It was overwhelming, and euphoric, and amazing. She felt James take hold of her waist, moving himself closer to her, and Taavi realized she didn’t want any space between them. She could feel the heat radiating off of his face, his cheeks, and felt the same heat in her own.

            Why didn’t humans do this more often? If Taavi had the time, she could have done it all day. It would never get boring if it was done like this. She didn’t know how humans kissed people on the cheeks and the hand if the lips were the very best part. How foolish humans could be.

            All of a sudden, their lips parted and James pulled back, but he didn’t move away. He just stared into her eyes, his breaths shallow and rushed. He cupped her cheek with his gentle hand, his thumb grazing over her bottom lip, and she felt an involuntary shiver up her spine.

            “Where else?” She just had to ask. If cheeks, hands, and lips were the only parts of the body you could kiss, what a waste every other body part was.

            “Where else?” James squeaked, looking frightened once more.

            A spark ignited inside of Taavi and she leaned forward again and kissed James long and tenderly on the lips, but she didn’t want to stop there. She peppered his face, his brow, his jaw, and made it down to his neck in excited pecks before he honked like a small bird and took her face in his hands.

            “Taavi!” he exclaimed, turning a new shade of red that Taavi wondered was actually possible.

            “Wrong?” she asked, feeling shame creep up her neck.

            James’s eyes twinkled as his face reverted back to its natural color. “Goodness, no, not at all,” he reassured with a broad smile that lit up Taavi’s entire world. “Just…slow down.”

            Taavi didn’t want to slow down, but she didn’t want to embarrass James any further.

            “Taavi,” James said, his voice suddenly serious, “Kisses are something that are shared privately, alright?”

            She had heard the word privately before, but she didn’t like the sound of it. “Private?”

            “Privately. Alone.”

            “Alone…with someone?” Taavi wondered how you could be alone with someone else there.

            James chuckled, “Yes, curious, isn’t it?”

            Taavi smiled, and gave James one last kiss on the lips, savoring the feeling to hold her over until the next. “Yes,” she said, and stood to exit the tent. “Curious.”