The pride members made their way to the herd of animals who journeyed to council rock. As the group drew ever so closer to their fellow jungle folk, there were than many gazes toward them. It was needless to say that many of their gazes were of the girl-cub who sat atop the back of the white lioness. The girl of which looked back to them just as she and her adopted family passed by them. To the girl it brought such an emotion of nervousness just as it brought the feeling to them. Two springboks gazed to the girl cub curiously. Along the way, she could hear the chattering between the animals.
"Look at that." One said.
"Is that a man's-cub?" The other said.
Elsa turned forward to which she saw a Zebra looking to her. The strip horse of which stopped just as they crossed paths. He gazed to Elsa to which his sight shifted down to the girl's right leg.
"It only has two legs." She said, gazing to the girl's two legs to her sides.
Another Zebra came up and gazed for himself.
"Two?" he said looking to the other.
Hearing all the chatter and seeing the gazes to her direction, the girl cub turned and looked down to her mother.
"Everyone is looking at me." The girl said to her mother.
Diata turned back to look at her daughter. She was very much well away of all the animals who gazed to her adopted daughter. Really wasn't of any surprise to her, for the girl-cub was being witnessed for the very first time by some of them. The first impression of which would only result as being viewed as a stranger to them. She of course that some have heard the rumours that have far escalated through the jungle in recent time. It proved to be true for many of those who have come to hear of them.
"Not many have ever seen a girl-cub in the jungle before, Elsa." Diata explained to her adopted daughter.
"You are more of a stranger to them as they are to you."
Elsa took another glimpse to the animals around her. Staring back at her were the sights of which came from either a gazelle, a zebra or a wildebeest. Most of which chattered to themselves about the girl-cub.
"What is that on Diata's back?"
"Is that the man's cub?"
"That's a man-cub!"
The curiousness of the jungle folk was all the more concerning to Diata. She knew that some, the same way as Kerchek would see her as being the same as her own kind. To which it would cause much fear and reject her for it. Something that she wasn't looking to have come to pass. For her need to have all the jungle folk to be well acquainted with her was of great strength. To withdraw any fear from the many brothers and sisters at the very least, it was for Elsa to behave as well as what was expected of her.
"Elsa, I must ask of you to behave yourself at the meeting." Diata said as she stopped and looked back to her.
"This shall be the first time that everyone will see you. They will see you to be of the way they see your kind, you must show them your just the same as everyone in the pride, understand?"
Elsa in response nodded her head to her mother, agreeing to follow her mothers wishes.
"I will, mama." The young girl promised.
Diata smiled at Elsa. The words of which she heard from her daughter was very much pleasing to the white lioness.
"Thank you, Elsa." She said, knowing that it would go a long way in helping them on this night.
Diata then turned forward and continued on their way to council rock.
Bright and full glistening in the darkening evening sky, the moon had inevitably taken the place of the sun. By this time alone all of the jungle had come to Appearing from the very front of the herd, Elsa, Diata and their fellow pride members walked out into a clearing from the many jungle folk. Simba and Nala rushed out in front as they gazed up to the meeting rock. To do so as well, Elsa gazed up at the reaching ledge where Mufassa stood and gazed downward to them.
"Wow!" the girl cub said as she gazed up to meeting rock.
"Mama, what is this place? It's so big."
The white lioness looked back to her daughter. The first time that her girl-cub was to come to see council rock and it was a place for he to know if she was to live in the jungle.
"This is council rock, Elsa." The white lioness explained as she turned back to the rock.
"The place where all animals are to come to attend council meetings."
"All of them?" Elsa asked curiously.
Diata nodded her head to her daughter.
"Yes Elsa." Her foster mother answered.
" It's a very sacred custom to the jungle. Since the very beginning of the jungle, we would all come to this place. From king after king, the blood that was chosen to uphold the laws of the jungle, we would hear their word and come to chose a new path that would settled a troubling matter."
A girl-cub so discipline and so well mannered by the parents that have now passed, the girl heard and memorised all her foster mother told. She understood well to what was told by the lioness who now raised her in this African jungle. This was to be a custom and one that needed to be viewed very importantly.
"Where Mufassa stands is where all the kings before him have stood." Diata furthered on.
"And where the future king will be in his time of ruling the jungle."
Elsa smiled and chuckled a bit to who it may be on that rock in time. Her mother in turn did the same. However she knew that time was very much slim at the moment. For it would soon be time for Mufassa to speak and the Council Meeting was to commence. It was time for them to take their place at council rock.
"We best hurry now." The lioness suggested as she continued on with the rest of the pride.
The pride made their way up the steep pathway and came up atop the flat, stone platform above. One by one they each settled down atop the stone surface below. Diata and Elsa came near the edge of the rock near the ledge where Mufassa stood.
"This spot should be good." The white lioness said as she turned back to her daughter.
"Yeah." Elsa agreed.
The girl cub draped her right leg over the left of her mother and slid off her side, landing upon her small bare feet. The white lioness laid than laid down upon the spot where she stood. It was after that Elsa sat down at Diata's side and laid up against her white fur. Both mother and daughter were now settled as the council meeting was now due to begin.
Climbing up the steep side of a small hill, Bagheera, Baloo and Rafiki climbed up to the very top where an umbrella tree grew. The three came to the side of the tree.. Bagheera turned to the tree and leaped up to the branch. He laid down on the branch and gazed toward council rock, where the massive herd of animals made their way before the ledge where Mufassa stood. It was at this time that the entire herd of jungle folk had come to reach the meeting rock, from predator and prey alike where standing before the ledge.
"Time is near." Rafiki said, as he leaned against his staff.
"The meeting shall soon begin."
Baloo looked to council rock where the pride members were. he could see Diata and Elsa beside the ledge where Mufassa stood.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." He said, looking up to Bagheera.
The panther only stared ahead, yet he did indeed hear what Baloo had said. He had every right to think as such. The meeting would be exactly of what they all feared it would be.
"Ah, something to have at this time." Rafiki said.
"We must hope that it goes well, must speak for the cub when the time is right."
Bagheera groaned and nodded his head.
"We can't just hope." Baloo said.
"I mean... It's Elsa who is on the line here. If this doesn't go well, what do you think it's going to like for her."
"We can't make all to think as much." Bagheera said as Baloo looked up to him.
"They will see overtime that the girl is the young gentle cub we come to see her to be. It's the recommendation that will go so far as to help Elsa at this time."
It was than that the voice of Mufassa was called out to all the people of the jungle.
"Look well!" He called out, making Bagheera turn to the lion king.
"Look well, oh people of the jungle!" The lion called out.
"The time comes once more for the Council Meeting! Look well, my friends, look well!"
Elsa looked down to the animals below and saw them all biding to the command of the lion. All the jungle folk stood at the very attention to the alpha lion. The chatter to one another had now ceased and it was all complete silence. As the girl gazed, Simba and Nala each walked up to the girl as they each looked below at all the other animals.
"Wow." Simba said as he smiled.
"I welcome you all, on this special evening. Tonight shall be important as I wish to bring to attention of word that has been spread across the jungle in recent time."
It was upon hearing the alpha's words, the cubs were infatuated. To what it was that was being talked of by everyone. They didn't hear anything being discussed, no rumours that being spread hadn't reached their young ears nor attention. The three gazed at one another, eager to hear what the word was being spread around. Simba of which turned to both Elsa and Nala.
"Did you guys hear that?" He asked.
Both Nala and Elsa nodded their heads.
"Yeah." Nala whispered back to them.
"What do you think he's talking about?"
The girl-cub only shrugged in confusion for she was just as curious as her.
"I don't know." Elsa whispered back.
It was at that moment the cubs silent chatter was than ceased by Diata.
"Shh." She gestured to the cubs as they looked to her.
"Be quiet, you three. pay attention to Mufassa."
The three of which turned back to Mufassa, just as he than revealed the answer to them.
"I have come to understand there are rumours." The alpha reminded.
The three cubs were all silent for the moment, eager to hear what the rumours were. Though they were of little knowledge that what they were soon to hear, would leave them all ever so surprised.
"The matter of which that many of you have heard my pride has come to adopt a man-cub."
The three cubs looked in awe to the king. Both Simba and Nala looked back to Elsa curiously. The girl-cub herself was startled at the fact that it was her. For was to be Elsa who was the cause of all the rumours to be spoken of? Elsa looked down to the massive herd of animals and heard their chatter over what was told by Mufassa.
"I am aware that many of you have many questions." The Alpha continued.
"The truth of the matter is that what you have heard... is indeed the truth."
The people of the jungle each gazed to each other, surprise to know it was true and each chatted to one another.
I know that may be very unsettling for many of you."
Mufassa turned rightward of the crowd before him. For surrounded by a few zebra's, antelope and giraffes was the tribe of Kerchek. For her knew indeed they were a perfect example of the matter. Kerchek himself stared back at the king without any emotions to paint upon his expression.
"But I wish to assure of you there is little fear. And it is tonight that I shall bare the truth to all."
The Alpha lion than turned to the three cubs. Though his focus was mainly set upon the girl-cub, for it was now that she was to be brought to be seen by all the people of the jungle.
"Elsa." He called to the girl cub.
"Come, my child."
An emotion of nervousness swept upon the girl-cub. She turned to her mother who looked to her. The white lioness knew that it was for her to be seen by all the people of the jungle. She nodded her head to her daughter in reassurance, encouraging her to follow along with it.
"Go on, Elsa." She said, gesturing her head to the girl to go to him.
"It's alright."
Elsa felt very hesitant to comply. Though she had great trust in her mother. There wasn't anything that she would make her do if she didn't think it wasn't safe. Though there wasn't any danger in this time, as much as it was the intimidation of the crowd of animals below. Though she didn't wish to keep Mufassa waiting.
Elsa came up upon her feet and mad her away around to the ledge where Mufassa stood. The girl-cub walked up to the ledge and stood at the very bottom for a brief passing of time. She gazed up to Mufassa, who smiled and nodded his head to her, encouraging her to come up to the top with him.
Elsa took a breath in just as she began walking up to the very top of the ledge where the Alpha waited for her. The girl-cub came up beside Mufassa as she gazed out the crowd of animals who all looked up to her, many of which where shocked and surprised to see her for themselves. Even now she could hear them below all continuing to talk and ponder.
Bagheera gazed up to the girl- cub as she stood atop the meeting rock along with the king. As with Elsa, he too heard some of the voices of those who stood around him, Baloo and Rafiki. Most of what he could heard from them seemed to be well expected to come from them. She was a man's cub after all and man being the most fear, it was expected for it to cause most of them a to be in a sate of unease.
"I don't believe it!"
"A man-cub!"
"It's a man-cub!"
"The rumours were true."
"They're really adopting a mans-cub."
Hearing all the animals confer over her, it made Elsa feel ever more hesitant. She turned to Mufassa, her young eyes and expression pervaded with fear as the alpha lion could see. Though the fear and concern on her part was seen from the king as nonessential. There wasn't any need for her to be so concerned with the matter at hand. He looked to her with reassurance. If there was anything that she could come to expect from Mufassa, is that he was a kind and encouraging uncle to her. In many cases like a father to her. He always looked to ensure all who he cared for, even to her.
"It's alright, Elsa." He reassure her.
"There's nothing for you to be concern of. Everyone is here and we will support you."
The girl turned to her mother, Simba and Nala. She saw her mother look to her, smiling and nodded her head out of her encouragement of her daughter's bravery. Elsa took a breath in as she tried to rebel the feeling of which tried to divert her from standing on the ledge with the king. In was than that Mufassa walked by her, causing the girl to turn to him.
"I wish for all to welcome the newest member of my pride." The king said.
"The cub of man and daughter of Diata, Elsa."
What followed from the crowd of animals was further voices irrupting from one and than another. Most of which they could all hear, some of which seemed very unwelcome by them.
"Man has no place in the jungle!"
"She can't stay here with us!"
"Mufassa, do you really speak the truth?"
"She doesn't belong here!"
"She's bound to cause trouble to us!"
Most of their words were very much grief too hear by Elsa. The girl cub felt as if she would break down in tears as she heard all the gossip and hateful things that they all were to hear.
Baloo looked all around at all the animals, hearing everyone for himself.
"Oh boy." He said, gazing up to Bagheera.
Rafiki moaned and nodded his head in agreement. To hear all the words that were spoken of Elsa, they all were very disturbing to hear by him. Though he was aware that it wouldn't be long before Mufassa would call upon to speak for the very chance of which they long awaited for would soon be in their grasp. Like a hunter whom Bagheera was, it was to be claimed and very soon at that.
"The time is nearing." He said as he looked up to the panther.
"Come, Bagheera. It will soon be time for us to come forward."
The panther turned to the mandrill and nodded his head yes, knowing that the wise shaman spoke. Just as the mandrill began making his way into the crowd of animals and to council rock. Bagheera of which stood up on the tree and leaped out of the tree.
(I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for it being so long, but had so much to say so... and as always please comment and review!)
