Idalia's belly ached, growling louder than her courage, and her paws felt itchy with frustration.

  Those apes kept muttering their weird sounds, like rocks clacking together. Clok-clok, brakka-brakka.

  Fortunately, they retreated, lowering their sticks. Then laughed. Touching backs. Mocking gestures! As if they'd won without swinging claws. Gnashing fangs.

  She hissed under her breath, crouched behind a ridge of ashen stone. Hidden. Unnoticed. Frustrated. Why couldn't she understand? Runes came to her mind, skills whispered to her, but these words slipped through like water between claws.

  She stamped her paw softly. Stupid tongues. Stupid noises. If they took Papa, I'll bite their throats until they squeal proper.

  Her eyes caught something beyond the crowd of armored apes. A cave… no, not stone. It rippled and sagged like skin stretched over sticks. A den, but wrong, too smooth, too straight. It smelled different than the rest, heavy with smoke and flowers and the faint tang of blood. Important.

  Her whiskers quivered. That's where they'd keep treasure. Or leaders. Or Papa.

  Her tail lashed with decision. She slunk from shadow to shadow, her paws leaving little craters in the snowing ash.

  The apes didn't notice. Too busy waving their fiery sticks and barking nonsense. One almost turned, but Idalia froze, belly pressed flat until his gaze passed. Then she darted again, closer, closer, until she reached the hide-cave.

  She sniffed. Warm. Sweet. And food—oh, food!—so rich her mouth flooded. The flap of hide hung loose, a thin veil between her and answers. She nosed it, then slowly poked her head through.

  And froze.

  Inside, light flickered from a hanging crystal. Rugs softer than moss lined the ground. Cushions puffed like clouds stacked high. And there, sitting cross-legged with something steaming in her hands was a youngling ape!

  Smaller, smoother-faced than the rest, wrapped in hides not metal. Not filthy and burnt but clean, shining with embroidery.

  The girl's eyes widened, and Idalia's fur bristled, claws digging into the hide floor. She growled low, ears pinned, tail puffing huge. Trap! It's a trap!

  But then the girl… smiled.

  Slowly, she reached out with a small hand. In her palm was food. Meat! Glossy with fat, dripping with scent so rich Idalia's nose twitched despite herself.

  "Hun… gry?" the girl said, her voice high and soft. The word jolted through Idalia's head, broken but understood. She blinked, stunned. She knew that sound. She knew it.

  The girl shifted, careful, like a kit trying not to scare a bird. "No… hurt. No… claw." She pushed the food closer. "Eat?"

  Idalia's throat rattled with a growl, though it wavered. Her heart pounded, her fur stood tall, but her eyes were glued to the food. Her belly cramped with hunger, and her head spun with shock.

  She speaks. She speaks my words. How? Why?

  The girl tilted her head, eyes soft, voice gentle. "Li… o… rex. Small… cub. Safe. Eat."

  Idalia's claws flexed against the rug, torn between lunging, biting, and running. Everything in her screamed danger, but another part whispered just as loud: She understands me. She knows my name. And her belly roared louder than both.

  Idalia's nose twitched, and her paws shuffled against the rugs. The food was still there, steaming, shiny with juices, making her whiskers quiver.

  The girl in the fancy hides tilted her head, strands of platinum-blonde hair gleaming under the crystal light.

  "I am… Vestella," she said, tapping her chest with a soft hand. Her voice had a lilt, broken but not empty. She smiled faintly, almost smug, like she'd already caught Idalia in some secret game.

  "I… sensed you coming. Strange. Little paw-steps. Not… normal."

  Idalia blinked. Her tail lashed. She knew I was here? She huffed and lifted her chin, unwilling to be impressed.

  "Why cave strange, ape?"

  The ape-girl lifted fingers to her mouth, hiding a gasp. Offended. Then she stared, head cocked, thinking.

  Vestella gestured around with her free hand, her fingers sweeping over the stretched hide walls. "Tent. This… tent. Not cave. Made… of hide. Strong, but soft." She pointed at herself next, eyes bright with pride. "Me… Wanderan. Not ape. Wanderan."

  [Knowledge Core [E]: 12 → 18%]

  Knowledge shot up, hard, heavy. Why? Idalia squinted, ears twitching. The word landed heavy, like the strange runes in her mind. Wanderan. So that's what she was.

  Vestella pushed the food closer again, careful, slow as if offering prey to a predator. "For you."

  Idalia bristled, then pounced forward with a squeaky growl, snapping the meat from her palm. She tore into it, hot grease dripping onto her paws, and purred despite herself. So good. So strange. Not hare. Not lizard. Different. Better.

  Vestella watched, wide-eyed and smiling, her shoulders relaxing as Idalia devoured the last bite. Then, in a soft voice, she asked, "Name? Do you… have a name?"

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Idalia froze mid-lick, her ears swiveling. She puffed out her chest, eyes bright with delight. "Yes! I am Idalia!" she chirped, tail curling proudly.

  Vestella gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. "You—speak name? So young? You—you know yourself?" Her eyes sparkled with shock, maybe awe. "Liorex cubs… not supposed… to say name yet."

  Idalia swished her tail smugly. "Idalia always knows herself. Idalia is Idalia!"

  Before Vestella could answer, a voice boomed from outside the tent.

  "Lady Vestella? Are you well?" One of the armored guards, tone gruff and suspicious. The hide walls trembled as a heavy step drew closer.

  Vestella jolted, her head snapping toward the flap. She raised a hand, signaling for silence, her platinum hair falling into her face. Then she turned to Idalia, pressing a finger gently to her lips in the universal command.

  "Shh…" she whispered. "Quiet, little Idalia."

  Idalia's ears flattened, her fur prickling. She crouched low, eyes darting between the flap and the strange girl, her heart pounding so fast it made the rug shake under her chest.

  Vestella moved close, almost nose-to-nose. Her voice lowered to a whisper.

  "You… must hide," she said. "In there… Blanket. Pillows." She pointed at a mound of plush "pillows" piled in one corner of the tent. In that instance, Idalia saw the glowing knowledge words appearing again.

  [Knowledge Core [E]: 18 → 20%]

  Idalia glared at the fluffy hill, her eyes half-lidding. I don't like it. Too many corners. Too much nest. She blinked, realizing that Vestella got too close, then she snapped her teeth with a snarl. "No!"

  Vestella flinched, but not away. She leaned forward, her hands clenched, eyes intent. "Hide," she hissed, pointing again. "I will… protect. I promise."

  The sound of the armored apes grew louder, their steps shaking the ground, the flap of the tent rippling with each motion.

  Without hesitation, alarmingly, Vestella darted. Her arms scooped Idalia up, the hides of her sleeves brushing against Idalia's fur. Idalia squealed at first, wriggling, claws scraping at her arm. But Vestella pressed her palm down Idalia's back in one slow stroke, humming softly, her voice as warm as firelight.

  "Shhh… little one. Safe. Quiet," she whispered, not in Liorex tongue… yet Idalia understood. Every word.

  Idalia blinked, stunned. Her growl faltered, her ears flicking back. Wait… I know this. I understand. The words didn't slip away this time. They sank into her head as if they had always belonged there.

  "Promise… protect…" Idalia repeated. Thinking as to how her Papa would proclaim such words. "Fine." She huffed, wiggling free from Vestella's weird arms; then padded into the cushions. Nest-stuff. Weird.

  She glanced back. Vestella's smile brightened. Expression. Strange. But… warm. The girl pulled a blanket over the mound of pillows, concealing the spot.

  Comfort. Secured. Although, Idalia felt stuffy. Too much warmth against her fur.

  The guard called again, voice muffled but closer. "Lady Vestella?"

  Then, a second later, the flap burst open, and two armored guards stomped in. Idalia could see the armored feet of one just beside the tent entrance. Were they here to scold Vestella? Or… were they just checking on their Wander-ape kit? They were the elders after all.

  Idalia peeked from another crack between the so-called pillows. Lovely. Soft. Better than the nest adornments back at the pride. The Mother's Den. Her ears perked to listen.

  One guard, a female with a voice like crunching gravel, spoke. "My lady," she said. "Are you well?"

  "I'm fine," Vestella replied. "Thank you, Captain Ethel."

  Captain?! Like the Pride's Hunt Captains? But… Vestella speaks to her like… like she's… she's beneath her! Huh?

  The female guard grumbled something. "We heard noises. I'm glad you are safe."

  Vestella gave a dismissive wave. "Testing new spells for our expedition. If you continue to bother me, I'll have you removed from my service. Leave."

  The female guard didn't respond. Instead, she turned and left the tent, followed by another guard. Vestella breathed out a soft sigh before turning to the pile of cushions.

  "Are you okay?" she whispered.

  Idalia poked her head out, whiskers twitching. "Yes. They're gone. No more elder stench."

  Vestella stifled laughter. She laughed. Why laugh? "They will be back."

  Then another thought prickled Idalia's skull. "Wait. Wait-Wait! How do I understand the other apes—"

  "Wan-der-ans," Vestella corrected, enunciating. She waved a finger glowing faintly with tasty pink sparkles of mana.

  "You would be pleased to hear that I am now translating words by the use of… magical arts." That last part seemed to be stated carefully. Secretive. Concealed. More meaning beyond the word. Yet Idalia yowled, quietly, in fascination.

  Then the knowledge words flashed again. Another big increase.

  [Knowledge Core [E]: 20 → 25%]

  "Ma… magic? Is that the reason why my head hurt?" Idalia asked, curious, and almost excited. It was like those times when she had played with Mama's tail and ears, when they felt like sponges to whisper knowledge. She nibbled too hard once; then Mama roared loud, dizzying and amazingly!

  "Oh!" Vestella blinked, as if she didn't expect the response. Her eyes were pretty, Idalia noted. Big and pink, like the sky, or the Geyser lake near the volcanoes. Fun, splashy swims!

  "I'm sorry if it did. But yes, magic." Vestella smiled.

  "Head still hurts. You cheat."

  Vestella resumed with a slight frown. She gestured around them with a hand. "Y-yes. Magical translation. It is difficult, so you must let me concentrate. Now, tell me, why are you here?"

  Idalia blinked, and her ears flicked. "I am hunting. Looking for Papa."

  She padded out of the stuffy pillows. Her nose twitched, drinking in Vestella's scent: sweet smoke, flowers, meat grease, and something else, something that shimmered like lightning trapped in stone. It pulsed within the girl's skin.

  Idalia pressed closer, sniffing deeper, her maw opening as instinct prickled.

  Words rumbled at the edge of her throat, almost tasting the air. Wander-one. That was what she was. That was what made sense now. She wondered how a Wander-one would taste. Taste… a… finger…?

  Idalia stopped. Wait. What? No, no, bad Idalia. Not food! A Wander-one could speak, even if with broken tongue. She couldn't eat it. That was mean. Even Grandpa wouldn't eat Wander-ones. Would he?

  Vestella watched with curiosity, tilting her head. "Papa?" she asked.

  Idalia's tail lashed. She squirmed hard against Vestella's arm. "Yes! My Papa! Solrift! Big mane, strong claws, smell of smoke and lightning! Where is he?!"

  Her claws flexed into the girl's arm, not deep enough to hurt, but sharp enough to demand.

  Vestella froze. Her lips parted. "…Your… Papa?" she echoed, the Wanderan word stuttering awkwardly. Her tone wasn't cruel, but it was blank with confusion, as though Idalia had asked about fire raining from the moons.

  Vestella blinked again, brow furrowing. Slowly, carefully, she shifted Idalia onto her lap, holding her more gently than before, as if the little cub were made of cracking crystal. Her voice softened, almost coaxing. "I… do not know this… Solrift. I do not know your… Papa."

  Her Wanderan words wavered in Idalia's mind, clear but strange, a puzzle she hated.

  Idalia's ears flattened, frustration sparking hot in her chest.

  "You do! You took him! Bloombark said the small two-legs—like you—took him! Where is he? Where is Papa?!"

  Vestella's lips parted, startled by the accusation. "No," she whispered quickly, shaking her head. "Not me. Not my kin. I… I don't know."

  The honesty in her tone made Idalia pause. Her nose twitched, sniffing her again; beneath the sweet-smoke and hide, the girl smelled of fear and confusion. Not lying. Not the way Bloombark lied with her sharp, easy teeth.

  Still, Idalia's heart pounded. "You must know…" she whispered, her voice trembling now. "He can't be gone. He can't."

  Idalia saw Vestella bit her lip, staring. The girl's eyes softened with something deeper than pity, but she said nothing more.

  Only when the silence returned did Vestella loosen her grip. But Idalia didn't leap away. She stayed pressed against Vestella's chest, heart thudding fast. Because in that closeness, she understood. This one… she's different. She makes the words make sense.

  Finally, Vestella muttered, "There are… others. Not friendly."

  Ida's Adventurous Alerts: Wanderan food is so good even a Liorex cub's claws can't resist it, and some say that if you nibble just right, the flavors whisper secrets of far-off places.

  is 6 chapters ahead. Feel free to check it out! Have a good one.