Chapter 27: Yoa’s Hideout (3)
Fishing at sea was much harder than by the river. Yoa didn’t want to spend too long away from Nova, not in her state of confusion, nor did he want to. He’d become protective of her without realising it.
That troublesome little mouse had somehow wiggled her way under his thick hide. Troublesome being the key term here. Another reason why he couldn’t be away from Nova for long. She kept attracting trouble, and he didn’t want one of his hideouts exposed. That one in particular by Luna Lacus had been a secret for centuries.
Although he couldn’t be away for too long, it made his inner beast restless. Yoa had to go to one of the rivers, though. That meant venturing back through tribes. However, leaving Nova behind really was quicker than ensuring her safety.
In his jaguar form, Yoa ran through the forest unconcerned about anything or anyone. Everyone shrank back in fear. The trees whispered to each other, and the parrots alerted other birds and creatures that Yohuali was on the move.
The forest was his domain, and creatures big and small abandoned what they were doing so as not to be Yoa’s next meal. Fools. They should know by now that if he wanted to hunt them, he could. Right now, he was loud. Right now, he wasn’t stalking in the shadows, hiding in the underbrush.
Yoa was never one to hide unless he was hunting. They should know by now that they are safest when they can see him, when he isn’t trying to hide himself. Still, there was some thrill in watching others scarper because of him.
He’d already planned his route and what part of the divided river he would seek out. None of the monkey tribes threatened him. The Vohraki—the voiced ones could still be heard howling even past the lake—and the Takaru weren’t near the water source, leaving Yoa to deal with Tomaq’s tribe.
The capuchins scattered up the trees, the chief being the only monkey with his guards to remain where he is on the lowest branch to observe Yoa, letting one of his warriors hold onto the staff he usually carried. Maybe with Tomaq’s old age, he’d become fearless or perhaps wiser because in the seconds it took for Yoa to race through Tomaq’s lands, the small monkey noted the female’s absence and understood that Yohuali was on a quest and not a hunt.
Yoa passed the river, leaping across the large stepping stones and swimming past a few anacondas, undisturbed by his presence but wary of him, nonetheless. Everybody except for the Ancients was prey to him.