For Freedom
"How far do you think we'll need to travel this time, Sarabi?" Sarafina asked with an anxious look in her eyes.
"There's no telling," came the reply, "The last of the herds moved on several weeks ago. Foraging for weak animals will be fruitless now-we must leave the Pridelands if we're to find enough food for ourselves and them." Sarabi laid her ears flat with disgust at the thought of feeding the hyenas.
It had been nearly five years since Scar had taken the throne after Mufasa and Simba, had been killed in a wildebeest stampede. The Pridelands, a once lush and beautiful haven for any number of herds and flocks, had been reduced to a barren wasteland under the new king's mismanagement, and what was worse was that Scar would hear no advice. He was king and that was that!
"But, Scar-" Sarafina nearly reminded her best friend, since their cubhood, that her brother-in-law would not hear of them leaving, but she was stopped by Sarabi's stern look,
"Where's Nala?"
"With the others-waiting for us." Sarafina wasn't sure where her friend was going with this.
"It's time."
Sarafina looked confused for a moment and then the realization hit her.
"Do you really think so? She's never been beyond the border!"
Sarabi's stern gaze slowly grew gentle. "Yes, Fina, it's time-the land is slowly being ruined-a new king is the only way. Nala has learned to be a queen and she will find a good king to lead the pride. I wish-I wish-it didn't have to be this way, but it does... I wish Mufasa-Simba..." She closed her eyes to stop the tears, but they leaked out anyway.
The two friends stood quietly comforting one another in their grief. Then Sarafina said,
"I'll be right back."
"Go quietly, my friend, we can't arouse suspicion."
Sarafina returned a few minutes later with her adult daughter in tow. Nala had grown up to be sleek and slender, and under Sarabi's coaching she was a powerful huntress and a magnificent athlete-a true queen.
"Mom tells me that it's time for me to go," the young lioness's green-blue eyes and her body were a study in tension.
"Calm down, Nala," Sarabi advised, "The hyenas can smell fear-and with the way you're carrying yourself, they wouldn't even need to smell your fear-its written all over your face."
Then the former queen's expression softened, "Buck up, my dear-we have trained you for this day since you were born. You have become everything a queen must be and now you must seek out your king. You can do this, Nala!"
Nala nodded and breathed deeply, steeling herself for the task ahead.
"Now, here's the plan," Sarabi continued, "You'll come with the rest of the hunting party until we're parallel with the gorge, then the rest of us will head west and you will head north."
Nala nodded.
"Good luck, my dear!" Sarabi's eyes were moist again as she looked at the lioness who was born to be her daughter-in-law-Simba would have had a fine mate if he had lived and it cut Sarabi to the bone to think of what might have been.
.
Sarafina stepped forward next, she didn't quite know what to say and her heart was full of emotion, "I love you, my daughter-with all my heart."
Nala pressed loving nuzzles into both her mother and her mentor, and then they joined the others.
Nala traveled fast at first, and crossed a small desert in a day and half, but then the weeks of little too little food began to catch up with her and her stomach growled painfully. She must hunt soon or risk being too weak to hunt at all. She slowed her pace dramatically and chided herself for not conserving her energy sooner. Being anxious to put the Pridelands and Scar behind her was no excuse for such a foolish move.
She soon came to a beautiful oasis and her spirits brightened; surely there would be food nearby. She slowed to a stealthy walk, her muscles tense and ears alert. She sniffed the air-nothing. She continued on, pausing only to lap water from a spring.
The minutes ticked by and Nala began to get a little inpatient. She hadn't had a decent meal in a while. Suddenly, some of Sarabi's hunting advice came back to her-"be patient, use your wits-animals can sense frustration as well as fear." Nala paused and forced herself to take some deep breaths before moving on again.
Then, as if out of the blue, something caught her eye-a blue colored bug was sitting on a moss-covered log, and behind the the log-a warthog!
Nala licked her lips as she sank into a crouch. She was downwind-this will be easy, she thought, that warthog is so busy sniffing that bug! She creped closer. One ear flickered as she picked up another sound.
Someone-make that someone small-was singing,
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight-"
Nala suppressed a chuckle, yes, she thought, the lion may sleep, but the lioness hunts!
She sprung!
The warthog let out a shriek as Nala charged forward, and then it turned and ran for its life. She was not far behind. She chased him through bushes and around a tree-only vaguely aware that someone was calling for someone named Pumbaa. She couldn't have cared less. Finally, the warthog ran himself under the root of a tree and was stuck fast. Nala closed in!
Then, out of the blue, a small meerkat appeared. He seemed to be trying to free the warthog from under the root-Nala didn't care, that meant more food for her. She was nearly there!
Then, suddenly, she did have something to care about-a lion appeared from the other side and she was forced to fight him.
They went several rounds, as if to get a feel for each other's strengths. Nala thought he was an excellent fighter, albeit inexperienced. Then again, she was tired and hungry. He was a beautiful lion, Nala thought, as she either parried his blows or struck with her own-golden fur and a rich red mane-she wondered if she might be able to hang out with him-after she beat him!
Finally, her skill overrode his strength and she flipped him to his back.
She stood on top of him, growling and trying to catch her breath.
Then she got the shock of her life.
He spoke her name.