CHAPTER 2
It was around midday as Mwana sat on another hill, observing his future territory. His brown eyes scanned the landscape. In front of him, to the north, he could see small mountains in the distance. To the west, he saw a large forest on the horizon, outside of his families' territory. To the east and south, the grassy Savannah kept going for what seemed like forever. Even Huduma didn't know what lay beyond their borders.
Mwana got up and looked at his immediate surroundings. One lonely tree stood guard on the hill the lion was on, and a thin river flowed a ways down the hill, in the middle of the prairie. The river flowed east, and a large chain of trees grew along its banks. Several animals, like zebras, were taking their water, and birds circled high above in search of food.
Mwana turned to look. Behind him, at the bottom of the hill was a grove of trees next to a water hole. That was where his small family and pride lived. The young adult could make out the shapes of lionesses lounging in the shade, going about their own business. This made Mwana feel a little sleepy, so he curled up underneath the tree on the hill and closed his eyes.
His nap was not peaceful. To that day Mwana didn't know if he was ready to become the king of his pride. He wasn't sure that he was ready for the effort and responsibility. Mwana knew that he was well liked in his pride, but the lion was doubtful of his leadership skills.
He also thought about mating. Mwana knew that he would need a mate to love and have a family with. The problem was, he wasn't really attracted to any of the females. It was no secret that the opposite wasn't true, though. He didn't want to brag, but Mwana knew that he was a very handsome specimen. The younger lionesses would giggle and blush around him, but the male lion would never use that to his advantage.
Just then, Mwana felt something prodding into his mane. The lion opened his eyes to see his younger brother nosing him, trying to wake him up. When Kidogo saw that he was awake, he pulled back and sat in front of Mwana, smiling.
"Hey, Mwana. What're you doing up here?"
The older lion sighed heavily and shifted his position so that he was eye-level with the cub. "Nothing," he replied, "Just thinking about the future."
Kidogo frowned. He didn't like seeing Mwana so stressed. He looked up to his big brother, and he liked him best when he was in a good mood, laughing and smiling.
"I know that you're worried, Mwana," the adolescent muttered, looking down at his paws. "But you'll be a great King. Trust me."
Mwana smiled and pulled the young lion into a hug. "Thanks, Kidogo," he said happily, "You always know how to cheer me up."
The adolescent yelped and squirmed in his brother's strong grip. "Hey!" he yelled, "Let go! I'm not a little cub anymore! YOU'RE MESSING UP MY MANE!"
Mwana let go of Kidogo, laughing heartily at his antics. The younger saw this as his chance to get back at him, and he pounced, sending him and his elder brother tumbling down the hill.
As the rolled through the tall grass, the brothers laughed and growled playfully, trying to pin each other on the ground. Suddenly, they crashed into what seemed to be another animal. Mwana gasped and quickly got up to apologize, but what he saw made him freeze.
Before the two was a pack of six male lions, and they certainly did not look friendly. They were all large, muscular, and covered in old wounds and scars. Their eyes were burning and wild, piercing into Mwana and Kidogo.
The younger brother blanched and ducked behind his brother, frightened. The adult looked equally scared as the male they had crashed into got up off the ground with a grunt. He turned and glared at the young lions, snarling.
"What do you brats think you're doing?" the dangerous lion growled angrily.
Mwana didn't know how to respond. He was paralyzed in shock. Some future King he was.
