Chapter 08 Menacing Intent

"Owies! Stupid knife!" he cried, his voice tinged with fear.

"Little Hermit, why do you make such a dangerous thing? It bites me like a snake! Ouchies, that hurt! Stupid knife, why you gotta be so sharp? Scaring poor old Kaka like that!"

"But Kaka, it's just a tool. A useful tool, it lets me cut things. We can use it, just don't touch the sharp bits."

He gingerly touched the cut on his finger, wincing as he felt the sting of the wound.

"I know, I know, little Hermit. I didn't mean to hurt myself. Just wanted to see what this shiny thing was all about. But it had to go and bite me, didn't it? Mean old knife."

With a heart pounding in his chest, Kaka cast a wary glance at the discarded knife, his gaze filled with suspicion. It lay innocently on the ground, its blade glinting in the faint light, but to Kaka, it was a menacing creature waiting to strike.

With a trembling hand, he reached out and gingerly prodded the knife with the tip of his finger, as if testing its intentions. When it remained still, he let out a sigh of relief, but the memory of the pain lingered in his mind.

"Hermit, why do you make scary tools? Kaka doesn't like it. Make nice things," he grumbled, casting a wary glance at the offending knife.

"But maybe... maybe knife not so bad. Maybe can use it for something good," Kaka mused, his brow furrowed in thought as he tentatively picked up the blade once more.

"Maybe can use it to cut berries, or make a shelter. Yes, that's it! Kaka will be brave and use a knife for good."

As he finished examining the last of the tools, Kaka let out a satisfied grunt and nodded to himself. He seemed pleased with what he had found, though it was difficult to tell for sure with his weathered face and scared features.

 After a moment of silence, he spoke in his gravelly voice, his words slow and deliberate.

"Good job, little Hermit. Kaka impressed. These tools... they are good. Useful. We can use them to survive out here in the big scary forest."

His voice trailed off, and he glanced around the cave, his eyes lingering on the entrance as if expecting danger to come bursting through at any moment. But there was nothing but the gentle sound of wind scratching against the roots of the apple tree outside.

With a grunt of effort, Kaka rose to his feet, his joints creaking in protest as he stretched his weary limbs. His gaze shifted towards the mouth of the cave, where a faint glimmer of daylight filtered through the entrance.

"Time to see what's out there," he muttered gruffly, his voice rough from disuse. With slow, deliberate steps, he made his way toward the mouth of the cave, his senses on high alert for any signs of danger. Kaka squinted against the brightness of the outside world, his eyes adjusting to the sudden change in light.

As Kaka gingerly poked his head through the tight opening of our humble cave, his eyes widened in sheer astonishment, his eyebrows shooting up so high they nearly disappeared into his wrinkled forehead, and his mouth formed a perfect circle of shock as he beheld the makeshift spiky fence guarding the entrance to our humble cave. His wrinkled face twisted into a mix of curiosity and concern, his wrinkled eyebrows furrowing as he surveyed the barrier.

"What this? A spiky fence?" Kaka muttered, his voice a hoarse whisper as he gingerly approached the spiky fence, his spindly fingers reaching out tentatively to touch one of the sharp sticks.

"Ouch! Poke Kaka!" he cried, jerking his hand back in pain as a sharp thorn pricked his finger.

"Pointy stick keeps small predators away! Good job, Hermit! It will keep us safe for a little bit." Kaka yelped, his eyes wide with astonishment as he surveyed the crude barricade, patting me on the back with a grubby hand.

"Keep away bad things. Keep Kaka and Hermit safe," I nodded proudly, my chest puffing out with pride at the sight of my spiky fence.

As Kaka stepped past the fence, his movements were cautious, his eyes darting around the surroundings as if expecting danger to leap out at any moment. I trailed closely behind him, matching his pace with small, scuttling steps.

He paused to sniff the air, his sniffer twitching as he took in the various scents wafting through the forest. With a grunt of approval, he nodded to himself and continued, his goblin instincts guiding him through the familiar territory.

Outside the cave, Kaka's eyes roamed over the clutter of my hauled items strewn about the entrance. He saw piles of sticks haphazardly stacked against the cave wall, bundles of leaves heaped together in disarray, and an assortment of small rocks scattered across the ground.

Curiosity piqued, Kaka made his way over to the rocks. With a grunt of effort, he bent down and began rummaging through the pile, his gnarled fingers sifting through the stones in search of something of interest.

After a few moments of searching, Kaka's hand closed around something hard and smooth. With a triumphant grunt, he pulled the object from the pile and held it up to the light. It was a piece of flint, a small, jagged rock that goblins used to spark fires.

"Lookie here, Hermit!" he yelled, his voice tinged with excitement.

 "I found me a shiny rock! A goblin stone! Ain't it the most amazin' thing you ever did see?"

He turned the flint over in his hands, examining it from every angle as if it held the secrets of the universe within its smooth surface.

"Ya see, this here's a special rock," he continued, "Goblins use it to make fire, they do! Just a little spark and poof! Ya got yourself a nice, warm fire to keep ya cozy on them cold nights."

With a proud grin, Kaka tucked the flint into his tattered loincloth as if it were the most precious treasure in all the world.

"Kaka, you're so smart!" I yelped, unable to contain my admiration.

 "You always know just what to do. I'm lucky to have you looking out for me."

With a warm smile, I sidled up beside him, feeling a swell of gratitude for the goblin who had become not only my beloved caretaker but also my mentor and friend.

With wide-eyed wonder, Kaka's gaze shifted upward to the branches above, where the tantalizing Rush apples dangled just out of reach. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized the telltale shape and color of the fruit, his voice rising in a mixture of excitement and disbelief.

"Apples? Rush apples!?" he yelled, his voice trembling with excitement. 

"Can you believe it, little Hermit? Those are Rush apples up there! The very apples that our cruel masters devour with such greedy glee! Goblin's favorite treat, they are! Not quite ripe yet, but oh, they'll be soon enough! This is a treasure beyond measure, it is!"

Rush apples were notorious for their intoxicating effects, capable of sending even the most hardened goblin into a blissful haze of euphoria. Among the evil goblins, these apples were a treasure, a luxury food. 

But as Kaka reveled in the sight of the coveted apples, a sudden shift in the air caught his attention. His nose twitched, and he wrinkled his forehead in confusion as he detected a strange odor drifting through the air.

"Wait just a tick," Kaka muttered, his voice growing somber

"Do you smell that, little Hermit? It's... it's like the stench of a wet dog, but fouler somehow. And what's this?" He gestured toward my scraped knees and elbows, his gaze sharpening with concern.

 "Did you take a tumble, or did some mean nasty lay a hand on you? Have you been harmed, little one? Tell me everything."

I whimpered softly, my eyes darting around nervously as I recounted the harrowing encounter.

 "It was... it was a wolf, Kaka," I stammered, "A big, scary wolf with teeth as long as my arm! It came out of nowhere, growling and snapping, and I had to run for my life! I thought I was a goner, Kaka, I did. I was chased by a fearsome wolf! It was big and black, with eyes that glowed like embers in the darkness. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, darting through bushes and undergrowth, but the wolf was relentless."

My breath hitched as I recalled the moment when the wolf plunged off the cliff.

 "But fear not, Kaka," I continued, trying to sound brave despite the tremor in my voice.

 "The wolf is no more. It fell from the cliff and met its end, never to trouble us again. We are safe now."

Kaka's voice trembled with concern as he listened to my account of the wolf encounter. His eyes widened with fear as I described the chase and the perilous escape. 

"Oh, little Hermit," he cried, his voice shaking, "you mustn't wander off alone like that! It's too dangerous out there, especially with those wolves prowling around. Even adult goblins like me stand no chance against vicious beasts like that and you are just a hatchling, they will nibble the flesh of your bones. You must hide from predators."

With a sense of urgency, Kaka nudged me to return to the safety of the cave. 

"We mustn't stay out here any longer," he insisted, his tone filled with worry.

 "The wolves hunt in packs, and if one of them had found us, the rest not far behind. We must go back to the cave and wait until we are sure it's safe again. We must wait until nightfall to see if they have left us be."

With a gentle nudge on my back, Kaka guided me back towards the cave, his movements quick yet delicate.

Feeling a shiver run down my spine at Kaka's fearful warning, I nodded vigorously in agreement, my own eyes wide with fear.

"Yes, yes, Kaka, you're right. We mustn't stay out here any longer. I... I don't want to meet any more wolves."

But just as we neared the safety of our cave, the stillness of the forest shattered as two ferocious wolves burst forth from the concealment of the tall grass, their predatory eyes fixed on us with menacing intent.