Chapter 1
Taka lie snuggly between his mother's paws. He was a dark cub with a flop of black hair which covered his bright green eyes if he did not keep it pushed back. A smile of content spread beneath the cub's whiskers as the first warm rays of the morning touched the tips of his paws like a gentle whisper: wake up! He opened his eyes happily, listening to the gentle breathing of the other lions pressed around him. The den was hot and stuffy with so many lions, with so many different scents, and with a king who could not control his bowels.
Taka lifted his head and scowled at the pride: it seemed he was always the first to wake. He glanced with disdain at his brother: small and golden with a flop of brown fur on his head, Mufasa lie sprawled on his back across their father's paws, his mouth open, his ear twitching. Taka had a good mind to spit right into his brother's open mouth as a sort of practical joke, but the chilly morning wind ruffled his tuft of hair and it fell again in to his eyes. Taka batted his hair back and turned to the entrance of the cave.
It was glorious, the rising sun! His father's words echoed in his head as he reflected: "One day, my sons, the sun will set on my time here and when it rises, one of you will be the new king."
"One of us?" Mufasa asked in confusion. There was a worried frown on his face. Mufasa did not know it, but Taka knew his elder brother had no desire to become king.
"Of course, zebra-breath," snapped Taka, rolling his eyes. "Did you think we'd rule it together?"
"Don't call me zebra-breath!"
"Oh, forgive me . . .ZEBRA-BREATH!"
Mufasa had pounced and as the two cubs went rolling, King Ahadi sat in reflection a moment . . . what a brilliant idea: they would both be king!
Shaking off the memory, Taka bounded forward to the very edge of Pride Rock and surveyed the land. His tiny chest swelled. One day . . . this would all be his!
"Taka?"
Taka heard his mother's voice and turned brightly to face her. "Mother!" He bounded forward with a cub's bouncy run and wound himself between his mother's legs. Uru leaned her neck down and nuzzled him affectionately.
"So," said Uru, smiling down on her son, "what mischief are you up to today?"
Taka turned from his mother with a private smile. "Oh . . . nothing much," he said, his back to her as he surveyed his claws nonchalantly. It was a lie and being a mother, Uru knew it was a lie. Being a wise mother, she also did not let on that she knew.
"Whatever you do today, be safe, my son." Uru gave Taka a worried frown he did not see, but hearing the tenderness in her voice, Taka spun around. His mother, however, was already retreating into the cave. He watched her go with a guilty, miserable expression and scowled at the ground.
It always seemed his mother was the one lion he would never hurt. No one else mattered. Why, he would have run away long ago if it wasn't for Uru's love . . .
"Hey, Taka!"
A bright, girlish voice. Taka looked up to see Zira bouncing his way and scowled. She was a little brown cub with a dark stripe on her head and bright, mean little eyes. Taka loathed her. She was always following him around! But at least she had her uses. . . .
"What ya gonna do today, huh?" Zira asked eagerly, her bright eyes trained upon his every move. She tilted her head, smiling her wicked smile, and Taka groaned in exasperation. "I know," went on Zira, "we could stuff Sarabi in that crevice down by the gorge --"
The offer sounded tempting, but Taka said over her, "Get lost, Zira."
As he was moving away, Zira sat a moment and watched him retreat, her shaggy face filled with hurt. She would have done anything to make Taka like her but he was always so mean, so secretive and so stuck-up.
Zira lunged forward suddenly as Taka was nearing the stone stair and snatched his tail in her teeth.
"Hey – get off, rag-ear!"
Taka gave her a swipe, but Zira pinned him down, her bright eyes wicked and triumphant. Taka was such a skinny little weakling, she thought haughtily . . . but in his eyes there was something magnetic, a conniving power she was thirsty to share. And besides . . . he was the only cub in the pride who was remotely nice to her, even if being nice in Taka's case meant sneering sarcasm and the occasional swipe in the face.
"If you don't tell me what you're up to . . . I'll tell your mother!"
Taka groaned as Zira's wicked smile widened.
