Chapter 4
Learning
- Closer...but not too much...just imagine you don't even touch the ground, imagine that you're invisible...
Vitani curled up even more, remembering to watch both the ground and what was in front of her. Zira was just behind her and was ready to protect her, but Vitani tried to imagine she's all alone, with no defence from the Outlanders. She was on the enemy's ground, all by herself. Every her mistake could cost her so much.
- What's in front of you? – asked Zira.
- The Pride Rock – whispered Vitani. – The waterhole, the rocks and and the trees.
- What's behind you?
- The savanna. The antelopes and zebras, but no lions around. Some of them are on the west side.
- Great – Zira smiled to herself. – A good fighter must know everything, not only where actually the enemy is. He must know what is in front of him and what is behind him. He can't allow to be attacked from the back.
This trainig was succesfull. Vitani was really glad: she didn't hear any praises from her mother that much. She was still so young, but she had to train every day. She fought with Kovu or the other cubs, moreover Zira was teaching her to be a good spy. She was learning how to be invisible, unseen by anyone and to see and hear as much as she could. She liked it. She wanted to be the best.
Not everything was going on good in the Outlands, they could barely live here, but some things became better. They learnt to survive here. After some months drought passed away – the river returned, although there moved in also alligatores. They were risking, but they were thirsty. Everything had it's own price...
But the Pridelands changed too. Now they were all green and fertile. Just as Scar said one day...
Scar...He was still around, they still remembered him, they still kept him in their hearts. They lived for him, they lived for vengeance. Scar's murderer was alive, his family was alive. But the dead lion now became someone like their patron, their destination, the greatest memory. One day Vitani realised with grief that she forgets him. His voice, his face. Everything. She remembered his black mane and dark orange fur, but she was forgetting his face. She couldn't help it, though she tried to do something. Every night she thought about him, afraid of this one point when she'll forget him at all.
Vitani often wondered, where is he now. She knew he's somewhere above, he's watching them and caring about them, that's what Zira said. But where exactly? Could he hear them? Could he hear their thoughts?
She missed him too damn hard. And she wanted more and more to kill Simba, Nala and everyone who was the cause of her father's death.
- Mom? How was dad like? – she asked once. She was ashamed she had to ask. But she was forgetting.
- Scar was...very intelligent, brilliant, powerful... – told her Zira; she seemed like she was absent here. She smiled to something inside of her – maybe memories...
Later Vitani decided to ask Nuka. But her brother reacted in very strange way.
- Scar? Again Scar? – he asked with irritated voice.
- Yeah, what's wrong? – Vitani frowned.
- Oh, nothing. Scar, big, wonderful Scar. – Nuka snorted. – Ask the chosen one, he had more opportunities to talk to big, wonderful Scar...
She rolled her eyes and went away. She knew what was the reason of her brother's annoyance. "The chosen one" was obviously Kovu, Scar choose him to be his heir. He had to inherit the throne, not Nuka. The older lion was extremely jealous. After hearing his father's decision, he started to dislike both Scar and Kovu. He believed Zira would change her mind and make him be the one to kill Simba and be the future king, but she didn't. Zira was obedient to Scar's plans...
Vitani learned fast; soon she became a very good fighter and a great spy. She wasn't afraid of anything, she loved challenge. Though soon spying the Pridelanders wasn't a big deal – they couldn't see anything. They were sure they're always safe...such a great naivety.
