Chapter 4

Days after the incident with Zahur, Asani was lying in his den alone. Due to the fact that most of his days were busy with his princely duties, he liked to spend his free time alone in the peace of his den. Unfortunately, his relaxation was sometimes cut short.

"Asani!" his father called.

The young lion growled and rose to his feet, annoyed by the interruption. Can't a lion get a few seconds to himself around here, he snarled in his head.

He walked out of the den and saw his father standing a few feet away, looking out at the distance. Shani, his father, looked very much like Asani, with red fur and a black mane, but his body had gray fur mixed in, and a gray chin tuft. "What is it, Dad?" Asani questioned in an annoying tone.

"You're becoming lazy, Asani." His father didn't switch his gaze as he spoke in a stern voice.

As if you aren't lazy, Asani thought. Shani spent most of his free time in his den ordering other lions to do things. He rarely left the den, especially in the last few years. Asani stared at his aging dad, and noticed that his fur was dull and he looked scrawny. Since there was plenty of prey in the pride, and malnutrition couldn't cause his father's strange appearance, Asani guessed that Shani's age was finally starting to take a toll on him.

"I'd like to take you around our lands today, because it will soon be your complete responsibility." Shani turned to face his son and began to walk away, Asani following.

You may say that like you're dying, but I know you still have life in you, Asani thought as they walked. When he realized that his dad was walking down the same path that he took Asani on as a little cub, the young lion protested. "But I've been everywhere in the Kingdom!"

Shani grinned and began to laugh. "You haven't been everywhere, son. You're young, so there's still room for you to learn." He told the annoyed lion before breaking into a sprint. Asani padded behind his father, now curious to see where they were going.


"What is this place?" Asani growled as he surveyed the area his father brought him to. Plain gray rocks were the only landform in the barren land, which formed dens. The place smelt atrocious, like a bunch of dead animals were rotting between the rocks.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but what lives here provides our pride a lot of food." Shani pointed his muzzle at one of the dens, where a spotted canine emerged to greet the lions.

"Shani, what are you doing here? We gave you the biggest water buffalo that the pack caught today! Surely your pride doesn't need any more." The small black, orange, and white animal snarled.

Shani was not amused by the dog's tone and roared loudly, causing the spotted dog to run away with its tail tucked beneath its legs. Asani's father was nearly three times the size of the canine, so it was quicker then the old king, yet Shani pounded after the spotted creature. Other wild dogs poked their heads out of the dens to see the sight, and murmured to each other. Shani had managed to pin down the nearly all black dog and snapped at its face.

Asani sat down and watched the fight in terror. Don't tell me he's going to kill the poor creature, he thought in panic. He opened his mouth to speak against the fight, but was interrupted by a series of loud barks.

"Shani, my good friend," a male wild dog howled, "Is there a reason to attack one of my pack members?"

Shani released the dog, which growled something to himself and limped away. "There's a reason to teach young, arrogant pups a lesson when they smart off to the top predator." Shani growled, but changed his expression from a scowl to a grin, and nuzzled the dog who had just spoken.

That must be the leader, Asani assumed.

Asani's father beckoned his son, who walked up to the two friends. "Asani, I'd like you to meet Akida. He is the leader of this pack." Shani introduced him to the dog.

Asani dipped his head, "It's very nice to meet you."

Akida smiled and said, "It's an honor to meet you, Prince Asani. If it weren't for your pride's protection, the hyenas would have slaughtered my pack by now."

So that's what they get for helping our food supply, Asani thought to himself.

"Speaking of hyenas, there's some things I'd like to discuss with you alone Akida." Shani told the wild dog leader.

"Alright, we can go to my den." The two leaders began to walk away, but Akida turned his head to say something to Asani. "My daughter is in the clearing to the left if you'd like to meet her. She'll be the next alpha of our pack, so you two will be working together one day."

Anything to get away from this revolting stench! Asani sprinted in the direction that the wild dog said to go. He wondered what the daughter would be like. Right before he reached the clearing that the female dog was in, he heard voices talking to each other. "Now, now, I can't date all of you!" a female panted.

"Then who do you pick?" a male growled. Two other males asked the same question, and Asani could tell that the female was distressed.

That might be the leader's daughter, Asani realized. He growled and got into a stalking position, hiding between the tall grasses. Then, he lunged to the spot where the dogs were, snarling and lashing his tail angrily. He formed a protective stance in front of the female dog, and roared to show his large, sharp teeth, causing two of the dogs to run away. One of the males stayed put, and Asani recognized it that it was the same dog who had challenged his father.

"Get out of here!" Asani warned. When the dog remained still, the lion roared ferociously, finally scaring away the bull-headed dog. Asani relaxed and looked down at the female canine, who sighed in relief.

"Thanks for that," she barked, "I never thought I'd get rid of them!"

Asani nodded and replied, "It's no problem." He looked off in the distance where the dogs fled, and purred with amusement. "Plus, it's fun to see how scared they get. I wouldn't actually hurt one of them, except maybe that dark furball."

The female dog giggled, "Oh, Ndegwa? He's all bark, but no bite!"

Asani laughed, but changed the subject. "By the way, are you Akida's daughter? I was sent out here to meet her."

"Well, you've met her! I'm Maua, Akida's daughter and the next alpha of our pack." She replied while using a paw to acknowledge herself.

"I'm Asani, the prince of the Southlands." He looked at her and said, "Our fathers say that we'll be working together one day."

"More like me working for you…" she mumbled to herself.

Asani stared at her with his head titled, confused by what she meant. Maybe some of these wild dogs resent hunting for us.

"Let's take a walk." He suggested, and walked away, Maua following.


They walked and talked for about an hour before returning back to Maua's camp. Asani had grown to like her, and secretly wished that she was a lioness. We actually could talk and relate to each other, unlike Zahur, who just annoys me, he thought while looking down at the pretty spotted dog. His thoughts were interrupted by a distressed yelp.

"Fire in the mountains!" a dog ran into the camp announcing. Akida dashed to the dog that had the news. He panted and told the leader about the fire. "It looks like the source is in the middle of the mountains of the north." He said.

"No need for us to worry…for now; the snow should cover it quickly, and there isn't a known wild dog pack living in the mountains. However, if the fire comes closer, then we may have a problem." The leader advised his pack member, and then dismissed him.

Asani and Shani heard every bit of the dogs' conversation, and looked at each other warily. "You know there's a lion pack living in the mountains, right?" Shani asked his son, who bent his head in acknowledgment. Shani flicked his ear, and walked away from the dog camp. Asani followed his father silently. What if lions die in this fire, he wondered.

Shani came to a stop at the edge of their territory looking over the smoke-engulfed mountains. "I want you to go to the Nothlander's pride and scope the area. Bring all surviving lions here, is that clear?" Shani ordered.

"What if I don't survive?" Asani asked.

Shani grinned solemnly. "You're stronger than that." he chuckled. "Now, go!"

Asani obeyed his father and sprinted off to the mountains, uneasy about what he would find.