Pirihonga awoke with a bark, instantly warning Kura that someone was in the cave with them. Because it was so dark, Kura could not make out anyone or anything with her natural eyes, so she them over to her night vision. Doing this, she could see three figures standing around her. Reaching out gently with her mind, she sent thoughts of peace, but the figures jumped back in fear. Sitting slowly up, she again sent out gentle feelings of calm and safety. This time, the figures did not flinch, and one took a tentative step forward. Smiling softly, the figure reached out its hand, and touched Kura lightly on the arm. Kura kept on sending out her gentle calming thoughts. Growing more bold, the figure then turned and touched Pirihonga, who very gently, started to lick the hand.

The figure sprang back in alarm, but Pirihonga stayed where he was, looking at the figure with calm, peaceful eyes. The figure then approached Pirihonga once more, and started to pat him. Slowly, One by one, the two other figures cautiously approached Kura and Pirihonga, and started to pat the kuri. Kura just sat and smiled.

For she realised that these figures were the Hapuoneone, a timid race of beings, who usually shied away from everything and lived mainly underground in the caverns and tunnels. Seeing them up here, on land instead of inside land was very unusual.

The Hapuoneone started to withdraw, and one of them beckoned Kura and Pirihonga to follow them through the door and down the stairway that stretched before them. At the end of the stairway, the corridor branched out into three tunnels. The three Hapuoneone disappeared down the right one, but Kura and Pirihonga turned and took the left one. They had not gone far when a roar of frustration echoed through the tunnel, from the direction in which they were headed. They glanced at each other, then continued on their way.

Suddenly, one of the Hapuoneone that they had previously met, stepped out from a side entrance in front of them. The Hapuoneone frantically beckoned them to follow, but Kura and Pirihonga declined and continued heading down the tunnel toward the direction of the roaring. As they got closer, the sound became deafening, so both of them switched their hearing off.

The tunnel ended in a large cavern, and tied on the far wall was a huge Hore, roaring out his frustration at his bondage and wounds. Where the ropes were around his body, massive wounds had formed, oozing with pus and blood as he tried, unsuccessfully, to break the bonds that bound him. His gigantic body was writhing in pain, as he twisted and turned, trying in vain to wriggle out of the ropes. The more he struggled the more tightly the ropes gripped into each segment of his worm-like body, and cut deeply into his flesh. Kura and Pirihonga glanced at each other, then started to walk towards the Hore.

Suddenly they were grabbed from behind, but Pirihonga bit the Hapuoneone that grabbed him, for the Hapuoneone had made the mistake of grabbing Pirihonga by his tail. The Hapuoneone gave a screech, and let go immediately. In the meantime, the Hapuoneone that had grabbed Kura had released her also, and was now standing with a blank expression on its face.

Pirihonga walked up to the Hapuoneone and bit it, for he did not like the fact that it had laid its hands on his beloved Kura.

Kura gave Pirihonga a stern look, and he had the grace to look ashamed, but as Kura turned from him, a gleam came into his eye, and a smug look came onto his face. Kura headed off in the direction of the Hore, and Pirihonga followed along behind, protectively keeping an eye on her.

All of a sudden, the Hore spotted the two of them and let out an almighty roar, and plunged towards them at the same time. The ropes that bound the Hore held him fast. wounds. As the Hore plunged towards them again, there was scuffling from behind, as more and more Hapuoneone came rushing into the cavern, attracted by the noise. One of the Hapuoneone once again tried to stop Kura and Pirihonga. Kura turned calmly around and indicated that they should stay where they were, then carried on walking towards the Hore, showing no fear whatsoever.

The Hore, by this time was starting to get confused, as he knew, that he could usually scare everyone and everything that came anywhere near him. He was amazed that here were two creatures that he had never seen before, walking towards him calmly. When they were within reaching distance, the Hore plunged towards them once again, but to no avail. Instead of turning and running Kura reached out and smacked his nose.

The Hore couldn't believe it! For in his 763 years, no one, apart from his mother and father had ever smacked him! Now, here was this tiny creature, who he could swallow in one mouthful, hitting him on the nose!

The Hapuoneone behind Kura and Pirihonga gasped in amazement also, for they had never seen a sight comparable to that which they had just witnessed. Some of them even fainted in shock.

Meanwhile, Kura, Pirihonga and the Hore were staring at each other. Kura reached out with her mind, and immediately recoiled from the pain that flowed from the Hore. Grabbing hold of Pirihonga, she proceeded to draw strength from him, and the spinning ceased. Once Kura could control the pain, she then proceeded to send calming thoughts and the Hore, slowly lost his frustration. Breaking the connection with the Hore, Kura and Pirihonga stepped closer to him, Kura reached out to touch him and Pirihonga started to gently lick the wounds.

The Hore was totally bewildered. Firstly these creatures showed no fear of him, secondly one had the gumption to hit him on the nose and thirdly, instead of trying to kill him they were helping him. Slowly the Hore felt his pain ease, and even though it was not much to start with, the relief that he felt was great. He had been tied in this place for over two hundred years, and no creature, until now had ever shown him compassion. He turned his massive head to look at the tall creature, and watched her as she went from rope to rope, gently loosening each knot. The other little creature was going from wound to wound easing each with his soothing licking.

The Hapuoneone behind, started shouting in fear and frustration, but Kura turned to them and gave them all a severe stare. The Hore roared in, and began to spring forward, but Kura stopped him with another smack on the nose. Staring into the huge eye of the Hore, she shook her head solemnly then turned to the Hapuoneone and glared sternly at them. Slowly they quietened down, and glancing nervously around, started to retreat into the doorways leading off the cavern.

Kura continued loosening the ropes, and when she had finished she turned her attention to the wounds. Pulling on the mauri rongoa, Kura focused it on the more severe wounds, and as the Hore watched in stunned silence, he saw the worst of his wounds slowly heal. When Kura and Pirihonga had finished their ministrations, they sat down next to the Hore, and being totally exhausted, they fell asleep against him.

The Hore was still struggling to come to terms with what had happened. Even though he was hungry, he had no intentions of eating these two after all they had done for him.

"Anyway", he thought wryly to himself, "If these two can heal, they can just as easily wound and therefore, if I ate them, I would probably get major indigestion."

The Hore shuddered to himself, thinking of the damage these two strange creatures could do to his insides. Sighing to himself, he stretched out, and was soon fast asleep. With no nightmares to haunt him, this was his first sleep in over two hundred years, that was pain free.

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