As the group of mismatched animals traveled further through the jungle, Thunder stopped abruptly. He sniffed the air trying to find any clue of his herd. His tail swished and swatted a mosquito near his flanks. “Okay, Penelope, which way do we go?”
They had been relying on Penelope’s tracking skills when Thunder no longer knew where they should go. “This way. Woohoo!!”
Penelope darted to a tree several yards ahead. She turned around to face them then cocked her head to one side. Her feathers shook ever so slightly as she rotated her head again. “Peekaboo. Hello friends. I see you.”
Soma grumbled at the perky parrot. “Yes, yes. We see you. Now, let’s get on with it already.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” agreed Persius.
The animals continued to follow her, each one of them caught up in their own private thoughts.
From nearby, Drago peered out from behind a giant fern that kept him and his men hidden from view. He gestured for the hunters to stay down. “Look at that, will you?”
The hunter next to him whistled. “That’s some mighty fine animals.”
“Worth a fortune,” agreed Drago. The only downfall was that Drago would have to split the profits with the others.
“Shall we attack them?”
“Not yet. Let’s keep close. I have a feeling they my lead us to something greater. We’ll stop here for now,” Drago ordered. He watched the men find different spots around him to rest against small trees. Evening would fall before long. They would need to be at full energy in the morning if they were going to overtake the rhino and elephant calf. With that jagged horn, the rhino was not as valuable, but there would still be other uses for the beast. He smiled to himself, “Ah, yes, the forest has endless treasures, and all for us to take!”
He propped himself up against a tree near him and crossed his arms over his chest. He fell asleep with a satisfied look plastered on his face.
Night had fallen over the jungle. Moonlight shone on the lake below as the rushing water from the falls above sent rings of waves all around the surface. A cave was nearly hidden next to the magnificent falls. Soma, Thunder, and the tiny white egrets were settled right before the cave entrance.
Penelope flew up to a fig tree nearby and started to peck at the fruit. “Yum, yum. Dinner.”
Thunder walked over to the fig tree and rubbed his side up against it. When his movements shook the tree, Penelope leapt up. “Tree is dancing. Uh-oh. Earthquake. Take shelter!”
The tree rattled more and Penelope bobbed her head up and down excitedly. “Uh-oh! Oh my! Oh my! Uh-oh! We’re going down!” She held up her wings like she was piloting a plane and made machine gun noises. “Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!” The gray parrot fell from the top branch, latched onto the one below her and swung all the way up and around it twice before finally standing straight. “Whew!” The bird pulled herself together and shook off the leaves that had attached themselves to her feathers.
Thunder looked up at the mass of ruffled feathers peering anxiously over the branch. He gave her a goofy, apologetic grin and laughed softly. “Sorry, Penelope. It was me! I had an itch!”
“What-a-ya doin’? Shaking the tree. Uh-oh. No good.”
Soma shook her head at the commotion and turned to look around them. She found a huge mud puddle next to the waterfall and it called to her. It was like a magnetic pull. Soma lumbered toward it with a big smile. “Ah! At last.”
Cedric shuffled his feet from on top his perch on Soma’s back. He suddenly felt a little nervous. “Where are you goin’, Ms. Soma?”
Persius caught on to the anxious tone in Cedric’s voice. He leaned over to get a better look in front of them. “Uh-oh. Bath time.”
Sydney squawked. “Time to disengage, if you know what I mean!”
The three egrets flew off Soma’s torso and landed on Thunder who was shaking his head ruefully at their antics. Sydney sat down with her legs folded under and her wings stretched at her sides almost as if she were nesting on top of him. “Aahhh! Much better!”
Persius sighed. “And his skin is so soft! Like velvet!” The egret rubbed his face in Thunder’s back. “Aaaah!”
Soma waded into the muddy water. It squished around her as she moved and she sighed with an almost goofy grin, the first that she had displayed in quite some time. Soma put her nose down to the mud and blew into it. Small bubbles appeared on the surface of the goo. Her tail flicked happily in the mud behind her, then flung a sticky mess into the air around her. Soma was in rhino heaven at the moment. Not a care in the world.
The parrot watched the rhino from her branch. “Mmm. Gone for a swim.”
Thunder looked over where Soma was now rolling around in the mud. He noticed the pond next to the puddle. He walked closer to the waterfall and let some of the wandering sprays tickle his skin.
“Oh no! He’s goin’ in! Argh! Abandon ship!” Cedric warned. The egrets leapt up from his back and landed on a ledge above the cave opening.
Thunder watched the birds above him and shook his head. “You birds are weird. It’s just a little water after all.” He stepped into the small pond and let himself relax for the first time that day.
As he soaked in the cool pond, Thunder pondered the journey that had brought him here. The thought of the uprights with their weapons that boomed like thunder made him wonder if his name was as destructive as the fire that burst like lightning from their barrels. How could man be so vicious to creatures that were only trying to live in peace?
Thunder shook off the dire thoughts that circulated in his head. They were much too serious for one as young as he. They were ideas that he would never have had, if he and his herd had been safe from the poachers. All he wanted now was to find his mother and he wondered if she were safe. Did Serenity find a way from the trucks, like he had?
Thunder lowered his trunk into the water and vacuumed water up. He lifted it up and sprayed the water against his back. He was reminded of the playful calves at the pond. He smiled and a new thought entered his mind. Thunder zeroed in on the egrets on top of the ledge and closed one eye as he got them within his sights.
“What-a-ya doin’?” Penelope called from above.
“Shhh, Penelope!” Thunder cautioned her.
The egrets were still chatting away to each other. They did not notice him until it was too late. Thunder shot the water at them and giggled when they fell back against the cave wall behind them. They gave him evil glares as they pruned the water from their feathers.
“No fair!” accused Sydney.
“Yeah, what’s the big deal here?” Persius narrowed his eyes at Thunder.
“I suppose we needed a bath sometime.” Cedric pointed out.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” Thunder gave them a goofy grin.
“That’s okay. We’ll get payback eventually, elephant,” Sydney promised.
Thunder turned back to the water and saw his reflection in the ripples below. “I wonder if they miss me.”
Soma grunted in the puddle next to him. “You worry too much.”
“Soma, would you miss me, if you were my mother?” Thunder felt another tear rolling down his cheek. He made a small snuffle sound as more tears came out.
Soma gazed out into the distance with a lonely stare. She took a few moments to reply. “Yes, Thunder. I would miss you if you were mine.”
Thunder sniffed. “Thank you, Soma.”
“Now if you don’t mind. I would like to enjoy my bath in silence.”
“Right. Sorry.” Thunder plopped down in the water and it almost reached his eyeballs. He let his trunk float on the water’s edge and settled in to enjoy the quiet from his surroundings. From time to time, he saw the egrets whispering as they gestured toward him and he wondered what they were plotting.