Greystoke's Furious Trail, chapter 3

The four men who chased P’li and Lea trudged back in the opposite direction nursing their proverbial and literal wounds.

The thick jungle impeded their journey for several hours. Not helping was Kilo’s dislocated shoulder, which they had a hard time trying to fix. Uli carefully looked at it closely, and cringed at the swelling. He tried to move his arm back into the socket with Pua holding onto Kilo’s shoulders. Kilo nodded and bit his lip right as Uli pushed it in. Kilo loudly screamed, forcing Uli to stop. He did it again, but Kilo’s screams made him stop.

“Curse our luck!” said Kaku, the fourth man. “Why did we have to run into Kai’an and Huli of all peoples?”

“Well we did, so let’s not worry about ‘what ifs’,” said Uli. “But what will the Boss think?”

“What do you think the boss will think!?” Pua snapped.

“Don’t say that!” Kilo breathed in between moans and groans of pain. “We should just tell him the truth! He’ll learn anyway!”

“I WISH I could have your optimism, Kilo,” said Pua.

“We’ll never know unless we find out,” said Kilo. He adjusted his shoulder, but cringed again. Getting a little impatient, Pua sighed, rolled his eyes, shook his head and pulled some leaves off a tree. With his comrades’ help, he created a bind for Kilo’s shoulder, which they wrapped around that dislocated shoulder until Kilo’s arm was fully immobilized. They also made a sling for him, just to be on the safe side.

With Kilo finally in less pain than earlier, they could keep going. Even while he groaned from that pain, it wasn’t loud or drawn-out.

They slowly trekked and trudged through the jungle’s brush for the next several hours. The pouring rain that came a couple hours into their trek hampered it even more, turning the already-soft jungle soil into a think quagmire. “The rain will wash our footprints away,” said Pua. “We do not have to worry about being followed, or at least I hope.”  None of the others responded. Pua felt as if he was talking to himself in the end, and shrugged while pressing on.

After slogging through the quagmire for what seemed like forever, they finally emerged from the jungle. Even though this was only a part of the island, the southern forest’s density made it very difficult to get through. Now, they only had a day until they returned to—

“WHAT do you think you are doing coming back!?” Six men riding Greystokian deer rode up to surround the four. Clad in wooden, almost Mad Max-like armor, they lowered their spears into their faces. Each of the men sighed.

“We were roughed up by Kai’an and Huli,” said Pua.

The six men lowered their spears to look at each other, removing their helmets and glaring at the four others. Pua refused to budge on his story, even going as far as to point as Kilo’s shoulder, although Kilo nodded in agreement, since he experienced it firsthand. “We were in Teo territory,” he said.

“And that matters HOW?” the leader asked, pointing his spear in the injured man’s nose.

“You wouldn’t want to provoke the Teo,” said Pua. “Even if the Paradise Village warriors were with us, their larger army—”

“SHUT UP!” said the leader, moving forward into the torchlight to reveal he was a white man. “The boss came with us. He wants to know why his concubines were able to get away.”

“We just explained,” said Pua. “If we must, then let us explain to him in person.”

“Very well,” said the leader. “What will you do if he does not believe you?”

“Let us speak to him, first,” said Pua.

The sextet’s leader nodded, kicked his deer’s sides and it moved out of the way for the four men to move through.

A camp had been quickly set up in the middle of the clearing. Countless tents dotted the landscape, with men wearing the same kind of armor coming in and out of them. Most of them were white, although there were the occasional indigenous men among them. The indigenous men looked like they were in command, barking orders here and there. There was one white man, clad in wooden shoulder pads, walking among the other warriors, barking orders at the officers.

A campfire was lit in the middle, with a rather large boar skewered on a spear, turning over the fire. It was almost midnight, but there were still men laughing and conversing around the fire, laying their weapons to the side. A woman cooked some taro, macadamia nuts, chicken and other foods off to the side. She was an older native Greystokian woman, but she didn’t look happy with her situation at all. Most of the men ignored her. They were too caught up in their conversation to really care about a woman glaring at them.

The tent at the end was the largest, and most elaborate. While all of them were made out of kapa and had respectable designs, this tent was made of a cloth that didn’t exist on the island, and it was pitch dark. And while the other tents were large enough for one or two men to sleep in, it looked like it could house a family of four or more, like the nomads of the Mongolian steppes. The quartet nervously looked at each other before going in.

A middle-aged, bearded paleface sat at the right end of the tent, filling out some paperwork. He did not wear a suit, but he did wear an outfit similar to what Manti wore, and tattoos much like the other natives wore. In front of him were baskets filled with rice, apples, bananas, potatoes, yams,  broccoli, tomatoes, corn and wheat. The four men nervously walked in, trying to hide their visible waking until their boss looked up from his paperwork to glare at them. Said glare must have cut right through them, because they recoiled on sight.

“Why did you return empty-handed?” he asked. “Where are my concubines?”

“We ran into Huli and Kaitan,” Pua replied determinedly, “In Teo territory.”

The man growled and tossed his bamboo pen aside. “Were you afraid of them?”

The four apprehensively looked at each other before Pua turned back to the man. “Yes, sir.”

“And now, thanks to you, they are probably being protected by Manti’s lackeys. Ugh, we would have done so much more were it not for the tribes.” Pua cleared his throat, forcing the man to reconsider. “Never mind.”

“What now?”

“Go to the healer, Kilo,” said the man. “YOU three go back out and get my property back! I will also send a hawk to the Paradise Village and our other allies.”

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The rainy season meant that the Jungle Couple had to bring their stuff in. Not the deer. They were fine outside.

Inside, they watched TV while watching over P’li and Lea. For his part, P’li stayed at his sister’s side while she recovered from her dehydration. Occasionally, Julie would get up and change the IV bag and give her some more water and food. As she was coming around, she seemed a little uninterested in some of the stuff Julie gave her, like applesauce, but that apparently made her curious. Julie shrugged it off, chalking it up to unfamiliarity with the stuff.

When it got late and everyone else went to bed upstairs—Julie and Kyle in a bed they used mostly for guests—P’li stayed next to Lea. He stayed next to her the whole night. Or at least he seemed to be, when Julie came downstairs to find him sleeping on the bed, using his arms like a pillow.

The morning came quickly. The sun poked through the windows of the eastern side of the cabin, stretching until they hit P’li. He reluctantly woke up after several minutes of trying to keep the sun out of his eyes and turning away. He wasn’t happy having to get up and, thanks to the treatment he got for his dehydration, having to answer nature’s call. Unsure of where to go, he ran right up the ladder into the second floor.

It was a little sparse, save for the two rooms on one end, a table in front of him, a strange… tube… thing pointing out of the nearest window, and other items he didn’t recognize or knew even existed. Desperately, he ran to the door at the far end of the cabin. He first looked over the object, running his fingers over the shiny handle thingy and the actual wood that separated him from whatever was inside. Clenching his teeth, he pulled on the handle, then pushed on it. Nothing happened. He tried again and again, until he noticed it was making noise. Now putting 2 and 2 together, he balled his fist up and loudly banged on the wood until he heard something going on behind the door.

A shirtless, but shorts-wearing Kaitan opened the door. His hair was a mess, his eyes still had a few boogers in them, and he didn’t look particularly happy about being woken up. That didn’t stop P’li from blushing madly until he recomposed himself.

“I have to—”

“I see that,” Kaitan replied. “Hold on, I need to get a shirt on.” He closed the door, came out a minute later wearing the shirt and beckoned P’li to follow him, which he did. Downstairs, P’li lingered on Lea’s form for a second before following Kaitan out the door. Kai led him around the back of the cabin until they reached another structure jutting out of the back, with a carved-out crescent-shaped Grandmother Moon in the door. Kaitan opened the door and pushed P’li in. “Use that hole in the wood!” he instructed.

It was easy for P’li to see. A couple minutes later, he knocked on the door and Kaitan let him out. “Feel better?” he asked.

“Better,” P’li replied. “But I also pleasure the Master when—”

“That’s too much information,” Kaitan replied, covering his blushing face.

“Do you want me to pleasure you?”

“Uh, no, no thanks, I don’t swing that way,” he said. “Besides, I kind of have to go, too.” That’s not to say Kyle’s homophobic; he’s not. But, Julie has also… “pleasured” him, which he eagerly appreciated. “I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh,” said P’li.

“Sorry,” he said. “Now please, let me through. I gotta go!”

Several minutes later, they went back inside the house. They found Julie had already gotten up and was helping Lea eat her breakfast. Having not gotten a good look at her just yet, P’li’s expression showed incredible relief at the sight of her. She laughed at a joke Julie made, her skin and face looked radiant, and she widely smiled. Also, she ate her breakfast eagerly and ravenously, like someone who hadn’t eaten in months. Since it was clear she hadn’t eaten much in a while anyway, the analogy kind of fit. Next to him, Kaitan cleared his throat.

“Oh, good morning you two!” Julie said, standing up and turning towards them. She was still in her pajamas.

“P’li!” Lea cheered. “I’m feeling much better now!”

“Lea!” P’li cried, both in tone of voice and literally, throwing himself onto his sister.

But Julie cleared her throat, bringing the embracing twins back to reality. “Sorry,” said Kai. “But we kinda need to ask some questions and well… Okay, first, a healer from the outside world is coming by to check on Lea. And later, we’re taking you to the Teo village to discuss what they’re going to do with you. Huli and I already volunteered to take you to the North Shore, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“Just behave yourselves,” said Julie. “Although I’m pretty sure you can handle that.” P’li and Lea nodded.

They didn’t have much to do until Chris arrived. But Julie did help Lea get out of bed, but it was made difficult by the wobbly steps Lea took. However, with Julie keeping her up, Lea began to get some leg strength back. After about an hour, Julie saw fit to have her try and push some weights with those legs. Lea’s straining expression as she pushed on the weights made Julie a little uneasy before she finally made her stop. It was a bit much for her.

Besides that, Kyle did some weightlifting of his own; not to build muscle, but to keep him in the slender-athletic shape he was in. Julie did some of that, too. They even lifted their barbells in perfect synchronization. When they were both done, they looked at each other’s’ sweaty bodies with classic bedroom eyes. Kimi, who was also lifting weights, sighed, shook her head and nodded. As for P’li and Lea, both were rather aroused by Kyle’s sweaty chest. You’re welcome, bi/straight/pan women and gay/bi/pan men.

Chris stopped by at around noon, while Julie was doing some exercises to keep her bust… busty. You’re also welcome, people who are attracted to women. Stopping her workouts, she walked up to watch Chris give Lea your average doctor’s visit physical, and a couple painkillers to help her headache, which he found out about while he examined her. He then shooed everyone out except for Julie and Kimi so he could check her lady bits for anything suspicious. When he was done, he told Julie and Kimi that she was fine. And apparently, someone had also been looking over her.

Eventually, he left, but not before giving Lea and P’li a clean bill of health.

They ate lunch after Chris left. And again, Lea and P’li ate a lot of the food—bread, meat, veggies, pineapples, coconut milk and water—to feed their nearly-starving stomachs. The one person unhappy about this was Kimi, since as a growing teenager, you get the idea. It came to a head when Lea reached across the table (sitting her at the table required to teach her a few manners) for some of the poi. Kimi saw her hand reaching for the paste, and she grabbed Lea’s wrist.

Lea didn’t need to know English and Kimi didn’t need to know Greystokian, because they glared at each other, mentally urging the other to let go and give her the fucking paste! Julie figuratively stepped in, standing up and smacking both of their hands. Since Kimi was closer to the poi bowl, she would get it first. Then, after Lea gestured to pass the bowl, Kimi politely did as Lea requested. But, they both glared at each other, much to Julie’s annoyance/displeasure.

Things got a little easier, though. After lunch, Lea walked up behind Kimi. The Australian teen spun around and grabbed her arm, but Lea held her hands up, making Kimi hesitate. Then, she took the Japanese girl’s hair and started braiding it. Smiling, Kimi sat down, grabbed a book and started reading while Lea braided her hair.

As for P’li, well, they had their suspicions whenever P’li posed like one of Leo’s French Girls at odd times. And whenever Kyle tried to talk to him and ask him what was going on, he recoiled from the Jungle Dude. Even though he was fascinated by Kai’s biceps (which he showed off with a sleeveless shirt), the Jungle Dude’s attempts to reach out to P’li failed miserably. Even more suspicious was Lea glaring at him each time he posed.

Mid-afternoon came, and it was time to leave for the Teo village. P’li and Lea were made to stay downstairs while everyone else went upstairs to change. They all came back down in native kapa clothing. Kaitan wore a malo that covered both his front and back, much to P’li’s unhappiness, and Julie wore a two-piece, something Lea visibly had no idea was even possible. But Kimi stuck with a one-piece pāʻū snuggly wrapped around her.

“Why DO we need to see the tribe?” Lea asked.

“It was Manti’s decision,” said Kaitan. “As a tribe, it’s important that we all have a say in what affects us. The confederation may make up most of the South, but this might cause trouble for everyone else.”

“We?” P’li asked until Lea elbow his arm to cut him off.

“If they’re into it, they might vote to make you tribespeople, but I doubt it,” said Kaitan. “But, the rest of the tribe probably wants to meet you.”

The quintet departed from the cabin that afternoon, although not after they fed the deer, nuzzled with them and groomed them (really, just brushed their fur) before leaving for the beach.

The trek to the beachside village lasted a couple of minutes, but it was longer actually getting through the entire village than Julie and Kaitan expected. First off, not helping were the reactions the twins had to the tikis guarding the entrance of the village. Trying to hide from them, P’li tackled his sister, tightly hugging her and trying to look away from them. But by showing reverence to them, Julie, Kaitan and Kimi made it clear, albeit kind of slowly, that there was nothing to fear from the tikis. They were still apprehensive when they walked by them, though. No surprise there.

Passing by the nearest small farm, the twins’ gazes froze at the crops, an action which caught the farmer’s attention. Standing up, he waved at them, but Lea pushed P’li away from him, although out of visible embarrassment, not fear. It made Julie and Kaitan laugh, but Kimi rolled her eyes.

The primary cause of their delays were all the people coming out to get a good look at the new arrivals. First to come out and see them was man named Tito, a forty-something man who smelling like fish and salty seawater. He had just stepped out of his hut carrying a net and a spear, when he caught sight of the quintet walking right towards him. Confused, he scratched his head and opened his mouth to speak, but someone pushed him aside. Understandably unhappy, the fisherman yelled at the people who’d just rudely collided with him. Unfortunately, Lea and P’li didn’t know this. All they heard was Tito’s screaming. And they shivered, but had to let Julie and Kaitan keep them moving. Now it was Kimi who was laughing, although Julie glared at her.

Next was an older woman named Lita. While standing in and sweeping the entrance to her hut, she heard the commotion and looked up to see the party coming towards her. Dropping her broom, she hobbled over to the youngsters making their way towards her. Her approach startled the rather thin young boy, however, although she hesitated long enough for him to relax and wave a hello to her. Something must have clicked inside her, for she started fawning over the young man, which only made him the slightest bit visibly uncomfortable. However she mostly ignored it, until Kaitan politely stepped in between the two and told her that he needed to get to the Chief’s hut. She huffed, puffed and stormed off.

Frustrated, Julie grabbed P’li’s wrist and dragged him away from the gawkers and buggers. P’li resisted, but only momentarily, as Julie’s grip (and everything about her) was much stronger than him. By the time she pulled him to Manti’s hut, he had ceased to resist. He wasn’t happy about it, though.

Manti emerged from the hut, clad in full regalia. Tim and Hilo followed him. Taking a conch shell to his mouth, Hilo blew far and wide, grabbing every villager’s attention. They came to the Chief’s hut, gathering around and sitting in front of the Chief’s porch. Kame walked up to the hut and up the stairs onto the porch so he could sit behind the Chief. Nervously, P’li and Lea looked around at all the people who were now staring at them like captive animals. P’li nervously looked over at his sister, who placed her hand on his shoulder.

“My fellow Teo!” Manti declared. “Yesterday, two runaways, chased by four men in tiki masks stumbled into our territory. Now we must discuss what to do with them.”

“What trouble have you and your palefaced haole minions gotten us into this time, Manti!?” an elderly woman called out from the crowd. A murmur and a “harrumph” spread through the crowd, started by someone sitting next to her. “Those two!” P’li recoiled at the woman’s word and finger-pointing.

“Oh, that Hana!” Julie grumbled. “She’s just an old hag, don’t worry about her.”

“Hana, please!” Manti beseeched. “These two are escaped slaves. Where from, I do not know. But they wish to return to the North Shore. And as they are in our territory, we must protect them.”

“I see that boy,” said Hana. “And his very presence is an affront to our ways and traditions!”

“Your nephew is a mahu,” Kaitan replied. “How can you say such a thing!?”

“ORDER!” Manti bellowed, silencing the crowd. “I wanted to see if anyone wanted to help them, but since this has rather quickly devolved into chaos, I would like to inform you that Huli and Kaitan have already volunteered to take them back to the North Shore. I am NOT sending any warriors along this furious trail, mind you.”

“However, if anyone else is interested in escorting them, let them speak right now!” said Hilo.

Behind his back, Kaitan leaned in and whispered something to Julie. A sneaky grin spread across her lips and she snickered.

“Volunteersaysthankyou that’s a great idea, Hilo!” she said.

“Why thank you!” he reflexively replied before finally registering what she said, and his eyes bulged open.

“Good for you, Hilo!” Manti said, patting his shocked lieutenant on his back. “Kame, what do you think? Kame?”

Kame had been staring at P’li for most of the admittedly-short meeting the same way Manti stared at him the previous day. When Manti called his name out, he shook, startled. “Yes?”

“Kaitan, Huli and Hilo will be taking them to the North Shore,” said Manti. “What do you think?”

“It is a great idea,” the kahuna replied. Manti raised his eyebrow at the shirtless Kahuna. Now he found himself staring at his sculpted chest—

He brok his gaze and turned back to the crowd. “So it is decided,” he said. “Kaitan, Huli, Hilo and Kimi will take P’li and Lea back to the North Shore. And Kaitan and Huli are ordered to wear their old ‘jungle’ clothes. You know which ones, you two.” This made Julie and Kaitan groan, but they nodded their reply.

“At least you are smart enough to decide on this,” Hana sighed.

“This meeting is ended!” Manti declared. “However, I expected all of you to be back for the scheduled meeting tomorrow, although our volunteers are exempt.”

The tribe stood up and dispersed, although there were a few exceptions. Some boys and girls around Julie and Kaitan’s age walked up to them. Lilo, Julie’s best village friend, was among them.

“You’re getting yourself into trouble again?” she asked sardonically.

“We always get into trouble,” said Julie. “Are you surprised?”

“Disappointed, but not surprised,” said Lilo.

“Oi, Kaitan, you’re getting yourself into trouble again?” Kaitan’s friend, Kahe’ela asked. “You’re right back in the thick of it!”

“Shaddap,” he replied in English, much to Kahe’s confusion. “Well, I don’t really have much to worry about, unless someone chases us, and/or we find their village deserted, but that’s just part of the risk.”

“Of course,” said Kahe.