03 – Drums of War
Outlanders were training.
Those were not just skirmish fights, this was a real battle-training commanded by Zira. Lioness was standing on the slope of termite mound, looking on her lionesses on plateaux beneath her. Ten Outlanderesses were divided in two teams to practice rank-attack. In final combat, they all should to strike in one rank, except Zira herself, who as commander should be aside and Kovu, who probably would be... closer to enemy, than any other Outlander. Next to Zira was standing Kovu and Vitani, observing training.
"Watch it, my child." Said queen seriously. "If something happens to me, you will take a lead. Right?"
"Of course, mother!" said young lioness with pride in her voice. But then she wondered about one person, who was missed there. "Won't Nuka participate in fight?" asked she with curiosity.
"Of course, he will." Replied Zira immediately. "But no in main attack force. He would be weak point..." She understood, that she said more than she wanted to. "I mean... Not that he would fail... Just as a son of Scar, he is endangered on most furious attacks. It could destroy all plan with rank-strike. He will assist me... when I will go for Nala! You too will be at my side." Added, looking in daughter's blue eyes.
"I will." Agreed Vitani. "We won't fail you, mother."
"That is not me, who you could fail." Whispered Zira and turned to Kovu. "And you, my son... are you feel ready?" lion smiled.
"As never in my life before." Replied. "Our tactic is brilliant. I just don't know, why we have to play in those spying games. Under your leadership, we would crush them in the open field."
Zira felt flattered but she looked on him with cold stare.
"No! I know, we are weaker. Simba have thirteen lionesses..."
"Including Sarabi, Sarafina and Sakia." Replied Kovu with irreverence. "They are too old to fight..."
"Don't underestimate Sarabi." Gasped Zira with hatred in her voice. "She is a cruel fighter!" and she added, whispering. "And this Tanabi... He might be a tough one."
But then queen gave a signal to start. Both ranks moved to centre of plateaux, at first slowly, then increasing theirs speed to almost run. Two lines met and hit in merciless duel. Five lionesses from every team merged in one organism, fighting, thinking and feeling together. After first two seconds of shock, ranks froze in silent wrestling. In real battle (at least, according to Zira's predictions), the fight would be over just in moment of first contact. Numerous Pridelanders would prevailed Outlanders by brute strength, or better trained army of Zira would scatter enemy in small groups, causing panic. Weaker and light-built, due to almost constant starvation, lionesses from Outland had only one chance – to surprise and to fright Simba's forces. Zira thought, that would be easy... if someone takes their leader out.
"It all depends on you, Kovu." Whispered queen and in next second, second rank of practising lioness broke and team went scattered. Victory was in paws of Hawaa's group.
"Well done!" exclaimed Zira. "Hawaa, Spotty, Dotty, Danthi and Ostasi... you were excellent!" she left her children on top and jumped down to her army. At first, she turned to team that lost. "I saw no errors in your charge... They were just... slightly better. But rules are rules... Swim through Border River ten times!" she ordered usual task for losers. Then she came to winners. "Good! I'm impressed."
"Thank you, ma'am!" replied Hawaa with official voice.
"Dismiss!" said Zira. "It's all today." Kovu and Vitani left that mound and went in Golden Hall's direction.
"Thank you, my queen!" called choir of five lion's throats and in next second all of them departed from battlefield. Only Hawaa stayed.
"And you... are waiting for Nuka, right?" asked Zira, with inquire in her voice.
"Yes ma'am..." replied young lioness uncertainly. "Is that problem to you, lady?"
Zira burst in laughter, then came closer to Hawaa and stroked her in head.
"No... of course not!" she smiled. "How could you thought about something like that?"
Younger lioness was silent for a while and turned her stare to the ground. She replied after almost minute.
"I thought... that you are angry, because I became close with your son."
"What is wrong with that?" asked Zira.
"I... I'm the Pridelander!" whispered Hawaa.
"What!?" growled queen. She grabbed lioness's muzzle and turned it to herself. She looked in scared eyes and gasped slowly. "Don't you dare say that again!" she stopped, watching surprise in Hawaa's eyes. "Unless you decide to leave us, you are Outlander, with your heart and mind!"
"But not in blood." Said Hawaa with tensed voice.
"Who are you?" asked Zira solemn. "You are they?" she pointed in lionesses, returning into Golden Hall. "Who am I to you?" Lioness replied with no hesitate.
"I'm Outlander. They are my pride. You are my queen, Zira!"
Queen smiled and suddenly hugged younger lioness. She burst in laughter, seeing surprise in Hawaa's face.
"And it's all I need to know about you! You are one of us and I'm proud of you." She stepped back and look again in subject's eyes. "Don't you ever say, that you don't belong here. Do you want be with us?"
"Yes, of course."
"Do you share our dreams?" inquired Zira.
"You know, I do!"
"Do you love us?"
"With all my heart!"
"So you are just like us... Don't matter, where have you born." She came to rock wall and jumped on ledge. From there she turned to lioness and said. "Do you remember, how you came here? I remember it very well..." she closed her eyes and recalled memories. "I never considered you as worse, because your origin. And when you denied Simba's power, I knew, that we would be family... because we have so much in common. We all are alike... Maybe we look different, even think different, but we fell the same. Pride and joy of being free... pain and sorrow for those who died... We are Outlanders!" she called in empty gorge. "Our pride is your strength! And you have this strength inside!
"Look on yourself" song. Music mysterious and profound. There are some drums in background.
Zira is standing on ledge, about two meters above surface of plateaux, that stands Hawaa. Younger lioness is looking on queen with awe and respect in her eyes. Zira points on Hawaa.
Verse:
Look at you, my little child
Pretty flower on this rock
She crouches down to see little flower on the rock. Zoom on plant and paw of queen. She stokes it.
Feel the power from inside
That had made you grown so strong
She tries to pull it out, but flower is strong. She leaves it...
There're your rots where's your heart
So you know from where you sprouted
...but she points to rock-gap lower, where rots of plant are.
And you know, you'll never part
This sacred soil, where your tale started
She jumps down to Hawaa and nudges her. Both come in rivers direction. They both look to distant Priderock on horizon.
Chorus:
You understand what they failed
You're someone not of their kind
Zira is on lead, Hawaa follows. They descending from rocks, still looking on Priderock's direction.
You are the one from other tale
Scorn, forgotten but still proud!
At word "scorn", Zira stops, at the word "forgotten" she turns to lioness, at the word "proud" she raises her paw and clutches fist.
You're much stronger than could be they
Cause you're living for just to prove
She points on river gorge below and sing with pride.
That you'll for sure never obey
To no one, except of your heart's truth
They both jumps to water and joins lionesses, who are exercise walking in river's stream.
Verse:
Look at you and look at me
We're the sisters in this fight
They are barely walking in fast stream with exhausted lioness. But all (Zira, Hawaa and second team from skirmish) don't look angry but they're proud of their progress.
In every day of misery
We stand together, proud and right
They comes on other bank of river and climb on cliff.
Our hears so deeply are akin
Cause they beat with similar pulse
Zira is pointing Priderock with paw of extended claws.
We wish to win and we will win
Don't matter what say laws of those!
She clutches fist, like she is grabbing something. She smiles deadly.
Chorus, they sing together:
We understand what they failed
We're someone not of their kind
Animals of Prideland run in panic, seeing Outlanders.
We are the ones from other tale
Scorn, forgotten but still proud!
At word "proud" five lionesses, that just has gone out from river, join the singing.
We're much stronger than could be they
Cause we're living for just to prove
That we'll for sure never obey
To no one, except of our heart's truth
Song ends with "opera-like" ending, of high voices of lioness. Zira is holding her paw on chest.
"Good work, girls!" said Zira, looking on exhausted but still full of spirit, lionesses. "Go home and rest." Second team went to river and started to swim in Outlands direction. Queen was looking on it from cliff, with pride in her eyes. "My pride... Our pride!" she corrected "Scar would be proud... and probably he is, looking from stars!" she sighed and looked on Hawaa. "Go back... Nuka should be already in Golden Hall. I wonder, what he caught this time..." she smiled and added. "What a mess... lionesses are practicing combat and lion hunts. We are in fact, different from this arrogants from there." She pointed Priderock, but then started to descend to river.
"Zira..." said Hawaa with uncertain voice.
"Yes, my dear?"
"I... I love Nuka." She said shyly. "And when his war will end..."
"...I'll gain a daughter-in-law. I know that." Finished Zira with smile. She entered river and started to swim.
"Do you accept that?" Hawaa wanted to have sure.
"Of course, I do!" replied swimming queen. "I'm very happy, that you and Nuka are so close. I'm sure, that Scar would be happy too." They reached second bank and went out from water. "But I hope, you know, that according to Scar's last will, Kovu is his heir." Added with enigmatic voice.
"Yes, ma'am... I don't care about throne..." and she added quietly. "...but Nuka wants to be a king."
Zira stopped and turned to lioness. But in her eyes were no anger, just sorrow.
"I know... But I can't help it. Nuka just can't challenge Simba, he wouldn't stand a chance..." she came closer to Hawaa and hugged her. "My dear... Nuka has lots of advantages, you probably found it out yourself, but brute strength is not one of them. Am I right?" she asked rhetorically. "Kovu will kill Simba and because of that, he will take a crown. But Nuka... as heir of my kinghood, a king of Golden Sand will be respected and saluted as royal descendant."
"I know that." Replied Hawaa. "If this satisfy Nuka, I'll be satisfied."
But this talk had also other auditor. Nuka, crouched on ledge of mound nearby, heard almost every word of his mother and his love. He look on them with sad face, but under this sorrow, grew determination.
"Hawaa, my dear!" he whispered. "You will be a queen! I'll kill Simba and I'll became heir of my father..." he looked on Zira, going in Golden Hall's direction. "And I'll show you, mother, who is the most loyal of your child. Just give me a chance to prove it!"
\/\/\/
Lioness of Priderock were returning from hunting. It was a lucky day, because Nala's pack got two adult gnus, that would make a decent feast for all pride. At the foot of Priderock, they were greeted by those who stayed at home. Elder lioness, king himself and royal children.
"Hi, mommy." Exclaimed Kiara and licked queen in forehead. Nala dropped gnu's carcass and hugged daughter.
"Hi, my sweet. How was your day?"
"Unexpectedly expected." Replied Tanabi, younger brother of princess. Adolescent lion looked bored and angry. "We was hunting on most dreadful bugs, that uncle Timon could imagine."
Queen went to her son and tried to lick him to, but annoyed lion gave to this caress unwillingly. "Watch out, I'm dirty of this all mud."
Nala smiled, and licked son on side, pretending, that she was cleaning him, like small cub. Tanabi shivered from shame. But his mother just turn to Simba and lick her mate.
"King of the Past blessed us." She said. "It was good hunting."
Some lioness from hunting pack dragged preys on Priderock's ledge and all pride went to cave. All, except queen and Tanabi.
"Mom... wait a second." Asked prince. Lioness turned to son and sit, while others was ascending on rock's slope. "Mom... I want to ask you for something."
"All right!" laughed queen. "I won't clean you in from of the pride..."
"Mom... I must hunt." Said lion.
Nala looked on him with surprise. Tanabi was just an almost three years old adolescent, with half-grown mane and still cubbish stare. But this time, he was looking on his mother seriously. This silly request seemed to be important to him.
"What?" amazed queen.
"Let me assist you in hunting." Asked Tanabi with pleading voice. "I'm rotting here! Dad doesn't want to take me on his patrols, Kiara even doesn't want to practice fighting. Whole days I'm hanging with uncle Timon and uncle Pumbaa and with all due to them respect, I'm slowly becoming half-meerkat and half-warthog!"
"Tana! What are talking about?" said Nala, laughing, but she noticed, that her son was serious. "It's not a duty of lion to hunt..." she stroked his mane.
"Yes, I know. Role of lion is to rule or to be kicked out from the pride." Nala narrowed her brow, hearing this. "But we already switched roles with Kiara. Dad say, that she will be in charge, so I want at least find here some place and reason to live here."
"Oh, Tanabi..." said queen, stroking her son, but looking somewhere at horizon. "We are living in hard times... Father says, that war with Outlanders is coming. We must be prepared to fight... and beware of it. That why we are so worried about you two. I promise, that when this war will be over... everything will change."
Tanabi jumped back and looked on mother with irritation in stare. He said with tensed voice.
"I just don't get it. You and dad scare us with visions of those legendary 'Outlanders' from cubhood. I've never seen one and most likely I won't. What we fear of? Pack of starving lionesses, whose only quest and crime is loyalty to long dead leader? This is ridicules! We are scared of ghost! Why dad haven't solved this problem?" asked with curiosity. Nala sighed and started to hill nearby. Her son followed.
"My dear... this is not so simple... Outlanders, led by Zira, hate us. They want to drive us from Pridelands."
"And I want to be king." Replied Tanabi. "And so what? If they haven't even tried to attack us, that means that they are too weak."
"So what would you do, if you were your father?" asked Nala.
"Well..." prince was wondering for few seconds, but then replied with certain voice. "That what would be necessary. I would propose them to surrender under honourable conditions and if they accept, take them to our pride. If they not... I just would drive them somewhere further, that they wouldn't be threat to us." He looked on his mother, waiting for some reaction. But she was still silent, so he continued. "And it's quite unanimale, anyway. To keep them next to our fertile land and don't let them hunt here or use our waterholes. I guess, that life on Outlands during dry season must be... harder than we could imagine."
Nala came to top of hill and sit on the ground. Tanabi joined her and looked on north.
"Oh, Tanabi... You don't know, what you are taking about..." replied queen. "I know well, what hunger is. During Scar's reign, we were starving for almost three years. And then was a drought..."
Lion narrowed his brow and asked, surprised.
"A drought? Dad said, that you were starving, because hyenas was stealing all the preys."
"Well... never mind." Muttered Nala. "I just wanted to say, that I know, what hunger and thirst is... But I suffered it because Scar's errors..."
"...and the drought." Added Tanabi.
"Yes... and the drought. But they..." she pointed on distant Outlands. "...got it thanks to own pride and hatred. If Zira paid homage to your father, they wouldn't be exiled."
Tanabi was gazing on mysterious land ahead. It looks scary, but in the same time, beautiful. golden rock and giant termite mounds were seen even from that distance and were tempting with promise of adventure. Some dry wind blew from north and prince felt chocking dust in throat. "Who are they?" he asked himself. "They are living in this hell, just to be close of Pridelands." He added aloud. "Why father haven't convinced Outlanders to join us?"
"Because he banished them himself." Whispered Nala's mind, awaking flood of memories. But she replied with calm voice. "It would be useless. Zira is pure hatred herself. She wouldn't bow to the king."
"But rest of the pride?" inquired Tanabi.
"Well... They are hardheaded too." Said Nala.
"Whole pride?" amazed lion. "They must have a good reason... or at least, they must think, that they have... Why they supported Scar?"
"Oh... Talk with father about that." Proposed Nala. Words of son awakened very unpleasant memories... and felling of guilt.
"But mom... Dad was not here, during Scar's reign! You know much more than he!"
"King knows better." Interrupted queen. "Always."
"Well..." muttered Tanabi. "So probably that why I'm rotting in cave, when you are hunting. I'm too stupid to understand this masterplan." Finished with anger and turned back.
He started to run in Priderock's direction, and Nala stayed on top alone. But she didn't even notice it. Pictures from her past clouded her mind and heart. At the first time, since banishing Outlanders, she recollected her cubhood. But not those early days with Simba, but some later times... When she thought, that she regained father. She was scared by such a thoughts, because she considered them as disloyalty to Simba... But... "Nala... I have mate and son, but this is not all my family. You all are my kins and friends. I'm king and want to be as father to you... If I even failed, that don't mean, that I don't want to." Said Scar some day. When that was? Nala remembered, that those days she was exhausted, hungry and thirsty... but happy with all her heart. And if history went some other way... "No!" she whispered and shook her head, just like she wanted to shock those memories of. "I've made a right choice. Simba is the rightful king and nothing would change it!" She followed her son.
\/\/\/
"What a feast!" smiled Hawaa, looking on Nuka's preys.
That were two mongooses, about ten desert rats and ten or some quails. In call of lioness there was no sarcasm – for Outlanders such a meal was real score. Of course, it was just a after-training snack, on the real hunt, they all used to come at dusk, but some energy after exhausting practice was necessary.
Outlanders were lying before entrance to Golden Hall, resting and chatting quietly. Only Nuka was walking and serving them meal. Because he hadn't participated in skirmishes, he was quite refreshed and vigorous. Lionesses were receiving portions of meat with gratitude.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't get more, but those sneaky rodents seem to be dried out during last season..." when he came to his mother, he whispered her to ear. "And if Kovu helped me in hunt, we would brought twice a prey." Zira pretended, she didn't hear him.
When meal was over, all lionesses went to Hall, in order to rest before evening hunting. Only Nuka and Hawaa stayed outside. Lion came to lioness and gentle bit her in ear.
"Come on, I got a dessert for you." She followed but asked with uncertain voice.
"But Nuka... Shouldn't you share it with all pride?"
"I saved it for leader of winning team." Said Nuka with smile.
"Yesterday, when I lost, you said, that those who lost require more calories and you gave me another smack." She notice.
"I've caught it in my overtime. Come!"
They went to small basin, nearby Golden Hall. It was favourite place of Nuka and Hawaa, when they spent a lot of time as cubs... and later too. There were another three quails. Nuka gave them to lioness with gallant smile.
"This time I paid for dinner!"
Three quails later, they were laying in basin, hugging themselves. Hawaa almost felt asleep, weary because of hard training and cuddled be lion. Nuka was just murmuring with contentment, but suddenly, he said with serious voice.
"Hawaa... Mother said, that Kovu will be king, if he kill Simba... Right?" but he didn't wait for answer, but continued. "So if... someone other avenge Scar... maybe he will inherit the throne?" Hawaa opened her eyes, amazed by this idea. She knew exactly, what Nuka was intending. "Just... Maybe, that person will surprise everyone and do, what he wasn't expected to?"
Lioness thought with both fear and hope. "He really want to be king... and I want it too, because I love him. If I only could help."
The same time Nuka was muttering in his mind.
"Throne... Who cares about that? But it's only way to show Hawaa and mother, how I'm really worthy! I must find some way to kill Simba... For you, mom. You would be proud of me... And for you, Hawaa... You deserved to be the queen."