Karro
Chapter One
A New Family
The dark figure limped out of the shadow, carrying his trusty cane at his side, he plodded gently over the firm surface, scanning the elephant bones for what the great kings in the sky were directing him towards. The wise old mandrill smelt the air, and caught a strange scent on the in-coming wind, death. He began to pace faster, groping his way through the darkness, searching for the mystery. Finally he saw a slumped form ahead of him, a beast of some sorts, un-moving. As he approached, he realised it was lioness, life gone from her glamorous form. Rafiki leant over the limp corpse of Jullia, sobbing as he titled her limp head upwards towards to rainfall coming from the dark sky above. The old mandrill had noticed this beautiful lioness before, parading around the Pridelands, she was sister to the Queen; Sarabi. What could have happened to her? As Rafiki mussed over this point, he heard a noise erupt from the lower region of Jullia's corpse. A cub was emerging.
Karro lay in the warm heat of the sun and gazed out onto the slowly rising sun. The tanned lion's firm muscular body was in a slouched position, he looked bored. He sighed deeply and dust erupted from his warm breath before he lapped water from the small lake in front of him. Suddenly a flash of grey appeared on the horizon, and Karro stood up, firmly.
Andre looked towards the watering hole, and laid his steely eyes upon the tan lion staring back at him. Andre shook his gargantuan head, and chuckled to himself. Karro wasn't a cub anymore he thought playfully. As Andre trotted towards his adopted son, the lean lion stood firm still awaiting his arrival.
"Karro, where has Russo gone?" boomed Andre finally.
"She's gone with the young one to the grasslands." came the stiff reply. The usually strong emerald eyes had softened at the sight of Andre, a wise animal who had done so much for him. Ever since he came to herd, a lost cub, Andre and Russo, his mate, had taken him in and treated him as one of their own; albeit one of their furry own.
Andre knew it was time, he had waited for this moment ever since the stormy night when Karro arrived, slumped over the shoulder of Andre's oldest friend. The large creature looked down at the lean lion, a knew now that everything was about to change.
"Good. Good." said Andre simply. "I need to speak to you." he returned, as he sat next to Karro, delicately lowering his large bulk. "Please, sit with me."
Karro obliged in a way he wouldn't do for any other animal, and sat down next to his master.
"Karro," Andre began. "remember how you came to us as a lost cub?"
"Hmmm" replied Karro, only half listening.
"Well, you aren't a small cub anymore, you're a grown lion. I mean you've got a mane." chuckled Andre, in the soft way he could be with the ones closest to him. "And it's time you learnt the truth. The whole truth. Karro, you didn't find us, you were brought to us."
"What?" replied Karro, shocked. "By who?"
"An old friend of ours. From the Pridelands, Rafiki the mandrill. He knew we would take you in, he found you with your mother, she had fell from a large cliff."
Karro felt violently sick, he had always had a romantic notion of his mother losing him on a hunt, and searching for him, before they find each other again and be one. But now that was all gone, his perfect dream had turned into a nightmare. And just like his soul, his mother had plummeted to her end. Karro's eyes began to fill, inexplicably, as he never even knew his real mother.
"Andre, what about my father?" the words had came from his mouth without thought.
"I don't know." replied Andre. "Rafiki just asked if we could care for you, and if we would tell you the truth when you're old enough."
Karro nodded solemnly, and he understood what he had to do. He would find this Rafiki, and he would find his father, and then he would finally have a real family, where he wasn't an outsider. He looked up to his guardian, Andre, and spoke in a firm tone.
"I need to go to the Pridelands."
"I know."
Andre smiled, he had been expecting this, the young lion was impulsive and strong-spirited.
"You know you must respect whoever is the King? If he finds out a rogue lion is in his Pridelands, his judgement will be swift. Ahadi was never somebody to show mercy." came the warning. Karro had heard this name before, and knew what it meant.
"I know, don't worry, I'll be okay…. Dad." said Karro slowly.
"Go get 'em Son." encouraged Andre.
Karro stared back at Andre with admiration and love, before turning, and sprinting towards the glowing sun with a knowledge that he may never return he didn't stop, he continued sprinting, towards the Pridelands. Towards his father. Towards his past and his future.