Cubhood: Chapter 9

To no one's great surprise, Taka was confined to the den by his father for his actions. He was too mortified, ashamed and emotionally drained to care or to protest. He entered the den, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.

Why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut? His father had left to speak to Kiamani and his tribe of leopards, and Taka was left within the cave of the den and his own thoughts. His father's words still stung.

Unbidden, Taka could feel the sting of tears coming to his eyes again. He allowed himself a sniff, let out a moan of sorrow.

"Hello?" He heard a voice. Drat. He hadn't realised anyone else was there.

Taka sniffed again, and did his best to pretend he hadn't been crying. He looked around in panic. There, to one side of the den, he could make out a coppery cub. It over to him with dark green eyes. Taka blinked. He could barely make out the cub, but he could see that he had been spotted. The other cub looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and irritation. After a moment, he seemed to recognise him.

"Prince Taka." He said. Taka glanced at him. He didn't recognise the cub, and shrugged. He was in no mood to chat idly with another cub, and gave him a cold glare that conveyed such. The cub looked at Taka carefully.

"What's going on out there?" He asked carefully. Taka groaned. Clearly he'd heard the sounds of Shari and Kiamani's duel outside of the den. It was a wonder the cub wasn't more agitated. Taka would have been terrified to have heard such a thing without knowledge or context. Taka let out a sigh.

"Some of the leopards came to petition my Father. It… didn't go so well… two of them started fighting, and one of them has been badly injured." Taka explained as briefly as he could. He didn't want to get drawn into a long conversation with this cub, who seemed to be sitting up, alert now, and curious.

"Oh dear." Was all he said. Taka snorted. Yeah. Not great. He continued to stare at Taka for a while. Taka let out a sigh.

"What is it?" He asked impatiently. The cub swallowed.

"Sorry. I just… um…"

"Spit it out."

"Why… Why did your father send you in here? I am guessing you've been grounded to the den?" He asked uncertainly. Taka gave him a look. Then his eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, changing the subject. The cub looked embarrassed, and Taka nodded in understanding.

"Ah-ha. I take it I am not the only one being disciplined by their parents at the moment?" Taka guessed, giving a slight smile as the cub's eyes widened.

"How did you –"

"Oh please. It was obvious. Why else would you be in here on a day like this?" he asked him. The cub was quiet for a moment.

"My name is Jicho." He supplied. Ah. Taka nodded, recognising the name.

"You're Sauda's Son. She's the lioness looking after Kasi and Zira, isn't she?" Taka asked.

"Yeah." Jicho nodded. Taka raised an eyebrow.

"So… How are your two new siblings?" Taka asked, seeking distraction. Jicho smiled at that.

"Ah. Well."

"Oh. Does this have something to do with your present situation?" Taka asked. Jicho sighed.

"You will not believe the day I have been having." Jicho said, gingery fur bristling in irritation for a moment. Taka thought silently to his own experience. Shari. Kiamani. The Leopards. The day had started pleasantly enough. He'd even gone hunting with Sarafina. But then the day had gone catastrophically wrong, culminating in the bloody violence from earlier. Ha. Let this cub wallow in his own self-pity. Taka had him beat as far as bad days went.

"Oh. Try me."

Jicho sighed. "It started this morning. We were playing out in the southern plains today."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Zira, Kasi, and Nguvu. Anyway, Imani and I were playing nearby. There was a Zebra herd nearby, all grazing in the grassland. They hadn't noticed us or the other cubs, and were doing their own thing." He said, retelling the events clearly and concisely. Taka nodded.

"Nguvu was playing with Kasi and Zira, some kind of pinning game? Anyway, it was her and her brother against Nguvu, and Nguvu was winning. And Imani, he was next to me, suggested we go and join them, but… well… Nguvu's quite a bit bigger than me, and I didn't feel like it. So anyway, we decided not to and to go nearby, but Imani had an idea." He winced.

"Oh dear. One of those ideas." Taka guessed.

"Yeah." Jicho nodded.

"Anyway, we started stalking the Zebras. You know. Seeing how close we could get before they noticed we were there." He said. Taka nodded. He was familiar with the game. Jicho swallowed.

"Well, we got really close, within a few feet of them, right up to the long grass." Jicho explained. Taka snorted.

"Let me guess. You jumped out and spooked them?" Taka suggested, knowing the sound of this game. Jicho sighed, glumly. Then he shook his head.

"Oh no. I wish. No. We spooked them alright, but not like that." He said.

Taka hesitated, now curious. "What did you do?"

"Well, you know how Mwoga has got that really distinct, irritating accent?" Jicho asked. Taka nodded. The leader of that particular Zebra herd did have a very unique twang to his voice.

"Yes…" Taka nodded slowly.

"Well… Jicho decided he could imitate it. And he could. Really well. It was eerie." He said. Taka could see the beginnings of this problem, but he nodded for Jicho to continue anyway.

"Well, you can guess where that ended."

"I… What did Imani say?" Taka asked cautiously, not entirely convinced he wanted to know. Jicho began to grin. He couldn't help himself.

"He shouted: 'Oh my! Hyenas! Run for it! Hyena attack! Hyena attack'" Jicho said. Taka stared at him agog.

"Good Kings. That…"

"Yeah."

"They must have gone crazy!"

"They went berserk. Soon enough every one of them was shouting it. It leapt from one to the other, and soon enough they were charging everywhere, screaming it for all the savannah to hear. They began to panic and run. Soon there was mass hysteria. And Imani and I, we were right in the middle of it howling with laughter."

"That's terrible!" Taka gasped.

"Oh it gets worse."

"Worse?! Was anyone hurt? Good kings you didn't start a stampede did you?"

"Nah. No stampede. You need to all be running in the same direction to have a stampede. They just charged about in circles, going nuts, crashing into each other, tripping over the dirt. No. The problem was that they went everywhere. We were laughing ourselves to an early grave, but some of zebra were screaming in terror 'Hyena attack! Hyena attack'".

"Oh no." Taka said, realising something and beginning to feel a sense of dread. Jicho swallowed and nodded.

"Yeah. Zira."

"Kings."

"Exactly. When Kasi and Zira heard the uproar, Zira was terrified. She started screaming in panic. And of course, no one knew what was going on, and nobody could calm her down. Imani rushed over there, and tried to tell her to stop crying, that it was just a joke, just a prank, but she didn't believe them at first."

"But Zira…"

"Yeah. She's terrified of hyenas, and she was inconsolable. I've seen newborns cry and scream less than that. Kasi was ashen-faced too, but he got a hold of himself sooner than Zira did, and when he got his paws on Imani he went bananas."

"I bet he did." Taka muttered.

"He started shouting at Imani, whilst Zira was there crying, and Imani lost his cool and told Zira to grow up and stop crying, that it was just a joke and that she shouldn't take everything so seriously and should lighten up once in a while. Kasi lost what little patience he had, and went for him."

"What!?"

"Yeah. I know. He started clawing at him, and the next thing I know, the two are fighting, and shouting and clawing each other, and Zira is crying, and I am shouting, and it's all a great big bloody mess." He sighed. "That's how my mother found us."

"Sauda."

"Yeah. Sauda. And Queen Uru was with her." Jicho said.

"Oh no." Taka pinched the bridge of his nose. He could imagine his mother's expression.

"So they pulled Kasi and Imani apart, and the two started shouting at what was going on. I told them about the prank, and Mom sent me in here – I've never seen her so angry – and took Zira aside to speak to her, and Uru… Yeeash. Your mother can be scary. She didn't shout or scream, she just became really, really quiet." He said. Taka shook his head in shock.

"Oh no." He swallowed. "So where are they now?"

"They're outside, at the base of Pride Rock – we couldn't come up because the King had some kind of meeting happening, so they're down there at the base, getting scolded by our mothers. Uru had Nguvu go and find Imani's mother… I think he was glad to get away from it all. One minute he was playing with Kasi and Zira, the next the Zebra have gone crazy and two of his friends are fighting.

Taka stepped back and slowly digested this. It seemed that his friends had been having a day just as eventful as his. Goodness. He swallowed. This was a mess.

"I… I saw Sarafina on the way in." He said. That must have been while Scar was watching events unfold with the leopards, or possibly even as he was starting a major diplomatic incident.

"Was she okay?" Taka asked him. He hadn't had a chance to see if Sarafina had been affected by the carnage he'd witnessed.

"Huh? Yeah, she was fine. I told Sarafina to warn me if she saw either of our parents on the way up. I was waiting there for Mom to finish with Zira and Kasi before she comes up here to speak with me… I bet she'll go ape." He muttered.

"It sounds like she was angrier with Kasi and Imani for fighting…" Taka offered, but Jicho didn't look reassured. He shook his head.

"She told me to keep an eye out for Zira and Kasi…" He said, looking more than a little nervous. Taka winced.

"Well… Whatever you're in for… It can't be worse than whatever my Father's got planned after what happened today." He said. Jicho looked at him curiously.

"What did happen with the leopards? You've got to tell me what happened –" But before he could open his mouth to speak further, however, there was a loud shout.

"Guys, hang on! Kasi and Imani are coming!" A voice warned them. Nguvu was there, and beside him was Sarafina, whom Taka hadn't seen since the fight had occurred with Shari and the leopards. Sure enough, moments later, Imani entered the den. The cub had a bruised eye, and sported several cuts and grazes, even on his face. Kasi followed close behind them, also looking worse for wear. He too was beat and bruised. He glared at Imani with undisguised anger, and Taka gasped in alarm at the two of them.

"What the hell –"

"Ask him!" Imani snapped, jerking his head towards Kasi, who gave a snort of anger. Jicho looked about, and couldn't see any of the adults.

"Where's Mom?" He asked Kasi, looking anxious.

"She trying to calm down Zira. I am guessing he told you what he and that little cretin did today?" He asked Taka, jabbing a claw at Imani.

"He did…" Taka said. Kasi looked very angry.

"Zira was in tears for hours!"

"Hey, I didn't know she'd react like that!" Imani snapped.
"Oh you didn't know?!"

"No I did not! And even I did, there was no reason for you to go all Outlander on me and claw my eyes out!" Imani snapped. "I didn't know she'd get so upset." He protested indignantly.

"Shut up!" Nguvu hissed to Imani quickly, and all the cubs turned as Sauda entered the den. Jicho's mother was a formidable lioness, and the cubs couldn't help but be nervous when she swept her gaze across the den. She had the same coat as Jicho, a coppery rusty brown fur that was only a shade lighter than Uru's pelt. Behind Sauda, came Zira, who immediately went to her brother. Kasi nuzzled her gently. Sauda however wasn't going to let him off so easily.

"Kasi." She barked, and Kasi stopped and looked away. If Taka had to guess she had had some strong words to say to Kasi when they'd been alone. Probably about picking fights with other cubs whilst they were in the Pridelands. In any case, just a look was enough for Kasi to look away guiltily.

"Imani. I've spoken to my Son about picking fights." She said. Jicho blinked.

"I didn't pick any –"

"I wasn't talking about you, Jicho." She said calmly, as Kasi looked up at her in surprise, eyes widening. "Though whilst we're on the subject, don't think you've escaped punishment. I am thankful you had the good sense to avoid getting into fights, but really Jicho, I am disappointed. I expected more clarity of thought from you." She said to Jicho.

"I know." Jicho said miserably. Still, all Jicho had done was play a poor joke. Imani and Kasi were the ones who had actually been fighting and had hurt each other, and she knew. What was more, they knew it too.

"You on the other paw, Imani…" She trailed off. "I don't know why I expected any clarity of thought from you. Not after so many other incidents. The bees spring to mind."

"Always with the bees…" Imani muttered to himself.

"Rest assured however, that I shall be speaking with your mother about this. She'll deal with you. But don't let me catch you fighting with any of my children, or your mother will be the least of your worries." Sauda threatened. Imani gulped and nodded. "I am sure your mother has spoken to you about starting fights?" She asked him.

"Hey, I didn't start it! Kasi started it! I played a harmless prank! It was Kasi who turned it into a fight! I can't help it if they can't take a joke!" Imani protested. Sauda glared at him.

"I am aware of Kasi's role in the escalation of this fiasco into a brawl, don't worry about that! I don't want to hear any more of it!"

"But he started it!" Imani defended himself.

"Did not!" Kasi shouted.

"Stop it!" Sauda shouted over the din, eyes flashing in anger. Kasi looked away, but Imani continued to stare defiantly at her, perhaps thinking that with his mother still yet to arrive, he could handle his way out of this. Sauda looked away from him, nudged the small form of Zira, who was no longer crying but was now glaring daggers at Imani. That made Imani pause.

"The both of you, will make friends, and come to some form of resolution over this, whilst I track down your mother and come to some sort of agreement over an appropriate punishment. Since you've both behaved as badly as each other, I think it's only fair. And don't think this means you're getting off either, Jicho. I am fully aware of your role in all this as well." She said. The cubs glared at each other, whilst Sauda stood, looking slightly menacing.

"I don't believe there will be a repeat of that fight, will there?" Sauda asked her cubs. There was silence. She snorted. "I thought not." And turned, with a swish of her tail. "I shall go and find Sauda's mother. I think she was with Uru… Trying to sort out another great big mess involving some leopards". She said, shooting Taka a knowing look as she turned and paced away.

Zira was the only sound, and she quietly sniffed from the remains of her tears earlier. Everyone else was deathly quiet as Sauda walked away.

Taka let out a breath, and whistled.

"Wow, Jicho." He said, when she was out of earshot. "Your mother is scary." He shuddered. Imani however swallowed, recovering his bravado as quickly as it had left. He was fuming.

"I don't believe it. All over a harmless joke…" Imani said. Taka sighed.

"Okay, paws up if you're not going to get it tonight?" Taka asked.

Sarafina and Nguvu glanced at each other and each tentatively raised a paw.

"Great!" Taka said. "Grab Mufasa and Sarabi, wherever the hell it is they've got to, and start noting some eulogies. Because Imani, Jicho, Kasi and I, are so dead."

"What are you in trouble for?" Zira asked him. Taka snorted.

"Oh, Taka interrupted official diplomatic negotiations, and almost started a tribal war between two aggressive leopards. Then he helped escalate it into an open conflict that ended with the maiming of one of the King's closest allies and friends. He's a little sore over it, so don't bring it up." Jicho said brightly.

Taka rounded on him.

"At this point, Jicho, I don't have much to lose. My father's going to kill me later anyway, so there is plenty of time to add cold blooded murder to the list of charges." Taka said. Jicho swallowed, as Imani, Kasi and Zira stared at him. Nguvu made a strangled sound, and Sarafina gave a loud sigh.

"You did what!" He asked.

"Yeah. I got to watch…" Sarafina said, shaking her head. "It was scary…"

"Can we focus here? Like on how two of my friends tried to murder each other? You know she's going to spill it all to Imani's mother… And probably Uru. Probably my father, if he's there. You'll be lucky if the herds don't complain to him… To say nothing of the other lionesses and how they'll react to fighting among the males." Taka sniped. There was a pause as they digested this.

"Oh, we are so dead." Imani muttered.

"I don't see why I have anything to be sorry about." Kasi said. Taka raised an eyebrow.

"You tried to tear off Imani's face." Sarafina pointed out diplomatically.

"He deserved it!"

"Oh brilliant, Kasi. That's stellar. It really sounded like Sauda saw it that way." Taka said sarcastically. Nguvu nodded.

"I think Mufasa, Sarabi, Sarafina and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other for the next few days… or weeks…" He said, nodding. Their parents hadn't told them when or how long their punishments would be.

"Kings above… It'll either be mind-numbingly long, or muscle-numbingly short…" Imani winced as his imagination surged. "Kings, Zira! What's the big idea, losing it like that!"

"Hey, leave off! It wasn't her fault!"

"Then what about you! Why'd you have to go berserk like that!? My mother is going to go spare…" Imani muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"I told you, you deserved it!" Kasi spat, looking angry.

"Easy for you to say! Mother is furious with me, thanks to you! Your mother isn't going to lash you till you can't sit for a week!" Imani said.

There was a lull of quiet as everyone heard this.

Sarafina and Nguvu let out a gasp of shock each and Taka distinctly heard an intake of breath and loud hiss of anger. Then he realised it was his voice that had almost exploded into anger.

"Imani!" He shouted in rage before he could stop himself, for the moment, abandoning all pretence of neutrality. Imani's face had gone white as he too realised what he had unthinkingly said in a moment's hot anger.

"I… Wait… I didn't mean –"

"What Imani? You didn't mean to imply they were lucky their parents were killed?" Taka asked, voice dripping with acid. Jicho blinked.

"Excuse me!?" He asked. Taka turned to Jicho in a fury.

"You didn't know? That'll be why your mother was softer on you I guess…" He nodded to Kasi and Zira. Perhaps this was their story to tell, but there was no avoiding it now. "Their parents were killed some months back whilst they were travelling in the Outlands. By Hyenas. Suddenly, that prank of yours doesn't seem so funny, does it? Not so amusing? Or did you think Zira was terrified of hyenas for comedic reasons?" Taka snapped at him.
"Taka." Zira said, her voice level. "I don't need you to defend me." She said, though her eyes looked grateful. Jicho looked aghast, and Imani looked stricken, fully realising the implications of his thoughtless actions. There was no malice to it, but kings Imani could be an idiot sometimes!

"Oh Kings, Zira… Kasi, I am sorry! Mother, she never said… she didn't tell me!" He protested. Zira felt her anger to Jicho for his part in the prank dwindle somewhat, and Kasi felt the same. They believed him, Taka could tell. But Imani, Imani should have known better! Imani had no excuse! Jicho had backed off in uncertainty when he'd seen Zira's reaction, but Imani had gotten into that stupid fight with Kasi and made everything worse.

"You." Kasi jabbed at Imani with a claw, "Are the worst kind of person. Thoughtless. Arrogant. Cruel." He said. Imani looked at them miserably, his eyes wide with guilt.

"Kasi." He heard a voice, and they looked and saw Nguvu standing beside him. The hulking older cub was looking at them both disapprovingly.

"I am not saying he didn't deserve that. But Imani is an idiot. Not a bully or a brute." Nguvu said, defending his friend. Taka sighed, knowing that he was right. Imani looked to Zira and Kasi, aggrieved.

"Kasi, I honestly didn't mean… I didn't want…" he tried to find the words, but Kasi just stared at him coldly.

"I don't care." He said, and Imani's apology died on his lips.

Taka's own anger evaporated when he saw a familiar look of desolation on Imani's face, and could tell that he was truly penitent. The haunted look of guilt on his face was frighteningly familiar, when he recalled his own impassioned pleas to his father regarding his foolishness with the leopards. The air was toxic for a while, as cubs looked at one another in anger, Kasi glaring at Nguvu for his defence of Imani, and Jicho looking horrified by the whole ordeal.

"Enough." Taka said quietly, but everyone jumped at once. "That's enough…" Taka looked to Jicho and Imani, Kasi and Zira. Nguvu and Sarafina. At all of his friends.

"Are you on his side now?" Kasi asked him with a hint of accusation in his voice. He looked as though he was ready to lose it with Taka too, though the threat of consequences from Sauda likely held his anger in check right now. It would be a test to see how long it would last.

"I said enough." "Why are we even fighting?" He asked looking around. He looked at Kasi and Zira.

"Because Imani –"

"Kasi! Look. Do you honestly think that Imani meant to hurt you? That he planned and schemed to make you hurt? Do you think that if he'd thought for even a moment, he'd have played such a stupid prank in the first place?" He asked him knowingly. One look at Imani could tell them the answer. Not that Kasi noticed. Admitting Imani made a mistake wasn't nearly as satisfying as the glorious feeling of righteous anger or the fury of knowing that you were right whilst having the pure certainty that the target of your rage completely deserved your wrath and scorn. Kasi shook his head, still furious.

"I don't care what it was that he meant. Jicho at least had the good sense to apologise once he realised it wasn't funny, but Imani? Imani thinks with his stomach and runs on his tongue! He has no idea what he's talking about! But he should have! That's the point! He didn't think and he should have!" Kasi shouted in anger, and Taka could see the real pain and hurt on Kasi's face. Zira was looking at Imani with uncharacteristic disgust. There was real anger there. It would take more than a few words to forgive this, he could tell. But then, they hadn't spoken with words. They'd spoken with actions, actions that had landed them in trouble in the first place.

"And you beat him bloody for it. He earned that beating," He shot a glare at Imani, who looked down, ashamed, "And he got it. Are you going to choose to hold a grudge over it?" He asked. There was a pause, as Kasi looked away. Taka looked at Imani.

"I… I know what it feels like to do something stupid. But when we do, people can get hurt. Sometimes badly." He said. He thought of Kiamani and shook himself. Imani winced.

"I am sorry Kasi. Zira. I am really sorry. I didn't mean it." He said, and he looked it. Nguvu looked from friend to friend, approvingly, seemingly glad that he no longer needed to take a side.

"Taka…"

"I know. Today… whilst you were arguing and playing pranks on each other… and fighting… I went hunting. I meant to meet with my father. He couldn't. And I got angry and frustrated and I did something stupid and someone got hurt and…." He trailed off. "Do we really need to hurt each other as well?" He asked. "We're friends, aren't we? All of us?" Zira looked at Jicho and Imani. Her eyes were still red and angry at the humiliation and fear she'd felt upon being sent screaming and crying at their pathetic prank but… but… But it had been a prank. Her friends had merely meant to amuse themselves – and her. They'd misjudged it, and her, but that didn't make them bad people. She felt her anger wane. Could she honestly say she'd never made a mistake?

And she did want her friends.
The thought of being alone again, outside of the Pridelands. In the Outlands. Alone. Unwelcome. Bitter. Friendless. It tore at her.

"Of course we're friends." She said, and she saw Taka's eyes light up. Imani nodded, as did Kasi. Friends could hurt one another, everyone knew that. But they could also forgive each other.

Zira swallowed and sighed, and Imani looked gratefully at the two of them.

Taka nodded, confident now.

"Exactly. I have… I have seen enough people get hurt today. I've seen enough idiocy and anger and violence. I don't want that. Not here. Not between us. So, here is what's going to happen. Tomorrow is a new day. And we'll spend it together, like friends should." He said. His eyes glinted. "Then, in the evening - I have a plan." He said. "We just need to know when we'll be free to do it. I have a feeling that Nguvu might be right… We might be in this den for a while." Taka said.