Chapter 11
"Today's the day!" Sakina stood at the peek of Pride rock staring out over the Pridelands with determination in her eyes. Sarabi had finally convinced Simba to let her take the young lioness out with the hunting party that day to learn for the first time.
"Excited?"
Sakina turned her gaze from the savannah to her Queen; she smiled as Nala made her way over to them. Then her eyes landed on Nala's rounded stomach, the royal couple had announced that Nala had indeed become pregnant again. Which had made the pride extremely happy that their pride seemed to continue to grow "Yes I am? I've never seen a hunt before" Sakina was grinning ear to ear like a fool.
Nala nodded, sitting down beside the excited young lioness. "I remember my first hunt…though all I caught was a wondering baby Gazelle that wondered from the herd and had wondered back into the Pridelands," she said with a small sigh.
Sakina bumped her head against his, "But you're still one of the best skilful lionesses here" she said.
Nala smiled, "Thank you Sakina"
"Momma! Aunt Sakina!"
Both lionesses turned their heads and smiled as they watched a young male cub, yellowish in colour with a tuft of brownish fur on his head come scampering toward them. Kopa was full of energy, which Sarabi said he got from his father when he was a cub. The young prince skidded to a stop in front of his mother and aunt and gave them a large toothy smile.
"Good morning Kopa" Sakina rubbed her paw on the cubs head as Nala licked her sons cheek.
Kopa rubbed his head down his mothers head before looking up at his aunt, "Grandma Sarabi said you're going out hunting. I want to go too!" he puffed out his chest. "I'm brave enough to go"
Looking at one another, both lionesses laughed softly and looked down at the young cub once more. "Not today Kopa, you're still far too young" Nala stated as the young prince groaned and smacked at the ground with his paw sitting down. "It's not fair. I'm too young to do anything fun," he mumbled.
Lifting her nephew's chin with her paw, Sakina winked at him, "You'll see that one day that waiting makes it all more fun when it comes to adventures out in the Pridelands"
"Sakina?"
The young lioness lifted her head at the sound of Sarabi calling for her, "I best be going" she bent her head down and smiled, "But I promise when we get back we'll go and explore alright so we can give your mom a little break" lifting her head up she smiled and bowed her head to her Queen and friend.
"Be careful out there," Nala instructed.
"Don't worry I will be" Sakina smiled widely, "Wish me luck" with that she turned and bounded off down to where Sarabi and the hunting party were waiting for her.
Kopa ran to the edge and peered down, calling out, "Good luck Aunt Sakina!" he sat back as Nala walked over and wrapped her paw around her son and stared off after the hunting party.
From the shadows of a rock, a pair of amber eyes watched the leaving party. Nuka had come to see Sakina, but was disappointed when she left with the hunting party. Though he knew he should be happy for her, Sakina had more then once told him how she wanted to one day be apart of the hunting party and contribute to the Pride that raised her. Turning his head, he spotted the new young prince and pregnant Queen. News of the Queens pregnancy had enraged Zira more then just having Kopa around. To her it meant more heirs to try and dispose of.
Eyes landing on Kopa, they narrowed just a bit; some part of him hated the small cub. The cub that had taken his place as prince, yes his father had chosen another heir, but with Kovu still as a cub he would have had his chance to prove his father wrong. But now he didn't. Since Simba's return, the lionesses no longer saw him as a way to save the pride if he were to ever mate Sakina, but now as a weak despicable male no thanks to his mother's reputation. Or least that's how he saw it.
Growling to himself, he turned and padded off toward his family's den. Inside Kovu and Vitani were fighting over a twig in their mouths. Rolling his eyes, he stuck out his paw so Kovu tripped and Vitani had turned out the victor.
"HA! Kovu I beat you" Vitani stuck her tongue out at her twin.
"That wasn't fair! Nuka tripped me!" Kovu protested.
Nuka scuffed, "Don't go blaming me because your clumsy" throwing himself down on the ground he groaned as the two cubs started to crawl over him. Vitani bit down on his ear as Kovu tucked on what the mane that Nuka was growing. "Play with us" they said.
The older male pushed them both off him and glared, "No. Play with each other I'm too tired," he muttered.
Vitani rolled her eyes, "Sheesh, he must not have seen Sakina today to put him in such a mood"
"Oh Nuka and Sakina, sitting in a tree. M.A.T.I.N.G. First comes love, then comes cubs, then comes Nuka…" Kovu was cut off with Nuka had pounced pinning him beneath his paw. Nuka snapped his jaws down at his half-brother, "Do that again. I dare you!" he growled low.
"Nuka! Get off him!" Zira's booming voice echoed throughout the cave.
Ears pressed against his head, Nuka backed away from Kovu as Zira, Dotty and Spotty walked into the den. Zira's piercing gaze on her eldest son, "Just what were you doing?"
"I was just…"
"Just what? Playing!? You know Kovu is the chosen one, chosen by your father. You must never lay such a paw on him ever if he is to one day become King he must be well" Zira snapped, picking Kovu off the ground running her paw with her unsheathed claws over her sons back making the young cub yelp slightly.
Nuka scuffed but backed away once more when Zira growled loudly at him. "Is that understood Nuka!?"
"Yes mother" Nuka muttered lowly. Vitani who was sitting beside her brother, looked up at him then to her mother, she never understood why Zira never laid as much attention on Nuka as she did her younger cubs, true Kovu got more attention then her, but Vitani herself was given more attention then her older brother. Her blue eyes watched him as he padded past their mother and the other lionesses and out of the cave. She tried to follow but Zira stopped her by stepping on her tail, "It is time for your training Vitani" Zira clearly stated paying no attention to her eldest cub leaving the den.
Sakina lowered her body low to the ground beside Sarabi. The Hunting party had stalked a herd of Gazelle before the herd had stopped to graze. Giving the party enough time to stalk out and prepare their attack. They had targeted two fairly young Gazelle who had strayed from their parents and were prancing about as the rest of the herd relaxed and grazed. The party now was just awaiting Sarabi to give the orders and take the first action.
"I want you to keep close to either me or Sarafina. But try your best Sakina. I have prepared you as best as I could" Sarabi whispered low to the young lioness.
Sakina nodded, "You've prepared me well Sarabi. I promise to make you all proud" she whispered back, she lifted her eyes to the sky, 'And makes you proud as well mother' she thought silently before focusing back on their prey.
"Ready…go!" Sarabi sprung up alerting the herd of the party. The others took off at Sarabi's signal and all were heading to lead the two gazelle away from the herd. Sakina had done as Sarabi had instructed and kept close to her Godmother or Sarafina as she helped take down one of the Gazelle.
Sarafina and another lioness held down the struggling Gazelle. The old lioness grinned at Sakina; "Go ahead" she nudged her head in the direction of the Gazelle's neck. Sakina gulped, she watched from afar as Sarabi bit down into the neck of the other gazelle they had caught, nodding she followed Sarabi's example and bit down hard into the Gazelle's neck until the creature had stopped struggling.
"Well done" Sarafina rubbed her head against the younger lioness as Sarabi and the rest of the party dragged the other caress over. Sarabi had a soft but large smile on her face, she rubbed her head against Sakina's, "Congrats to a newest hunting member" she announced.
A bright smile appeared on Sakina's face, as the lionesses all roared to welcome her to the hunting party. She sat back and held her head high in pride. Besides Nala she had been the youngest female to ever make it onto the hunting party in the longest time. After the other lionesses congratulated their newest member of the hunt, they proceeded to drag the bodies back toward Pride rock.
Once home, Sakina got a large share of the Gazelles and with it in her mouth ran to where she smelt Nuka. With her head still high she walked toward the greyish male who was sitting with his shoulders slumped and sulking. She dropped the meat down in front of the two of them and licked him on the cheek.
The greyish male raised an eyebrow, "Why so proud?" he asked.
"I killed the gazelle in which this meat is from" Sakina motioned to the meat at their paws. "And I'm the new youngest member of the hunting party" she said proudly.
Nuka scuffed, "Congrats I guess…"
Cocking her head to the side, she stared at him confused, "What's wrong? I'd thought you'd be happy for me? I'm one of the few youngest to ever make it on the hunting party"
Nuka shrugged, "Guess it just doesn't impress me much"
Ears pressed against her skull, she looked away, and then pushed the meat toward him, "I brought this for you…" she whispered turning to leave but Nuka grabbed her tail. "Stay and eat with me" he grinned at her as the young lioness smiled back, the two ate in silence. Oblivious of Zira who sat nearby watching them, but her normal scowl was replaced with a smirk as she watched the two eat and speak to one another. A plan was forming in her mind, there was only one way to get to the young Prince, and that was to get him away from the watchful eyes of his parents, grandmothers and his aunt Sakina who when not around Nuka often spent most of her time around Kopa. Chuckling to herself, she smirked and turned heading back to her den where she would think more on her plan to dispose of the new prince.
Sakina stayed with Nuka for a little while longer before she departed from him. She went up to the main cave where she spotted a young male cub sitting and waiting for her. "You're late!" he pouted stomping his paw on the ground.
Sakina laughed softly and lifted the cub up in her paws and rubbed her paw on his head then placed his back down. "I'm sorry I had to do some things," she said as she started to walk with the young cub walking along side her. "What things?" Kopa asked curiously.
"I was just talking to Nuka" Sakina stated smiling down at him.
"Why him? He's just a mangy lion" Kopa stated running into Sakina's legs when she stopped walking. The lioness looked down at him sternly.
"Don't ever say that about Nuka. He's a very sweet lion" Sakina looked away and sighed, shaking her head. Kopa looked up at her and placed his paws on hers, "What's wrong Aunt Sakina?"
Sakina sighed, "It's nothing Kopa…" she whispered, though she knew it was, she just couldn't understand why the other members of her Pride hated Nuka. So his mother made the mistake of mating with Scar, that he was Nuka's father, it was no right to put a parents faults on their cubs. She remembered the time they were sweet to him when he was younger, they always were nice to him when he came to play with her.
Kopa seeing past his aunt's lie licked her on the chin. The young lioness couldn't help but smile, lowering herself down she let the cub jump on her back as she began to bound down pride rock and out into the grasslands. Sakina did not go far from their home as she played with the young prince, she chased him in a game of tag and hide and go seek until nightfall fell over the Pridelands.
The sun was just setting as Sakina made her way back toward Pride rock, in her mouth dangled a sleepy Kopa, who was struggling to keep his eyes open as he tried to strike up any conversation he could even though his aunt couldn't answer him back due to him dangling from her mouth.
Upon arriving home, Sakina took Kopa into the main cave and set the cub down beside his sleeping mother. She watched with soft eyes as the young prince gave a loud yawn and crawled into his mother's paws and laid his head down closing his eyes. Turning she made her way back out of the den and laid down outside looking up at the sky as it darkened and the stars began to appear one by one.
"I heard you made the Hunting Party you should be very proud. I for one am and so is the Pride" Simba approached her after getting his evening report from Zazu. The red mane lion sat down beside her and looked up at the stars as well.
"I am very proud…this is what I always wanted. To give back to my Pride in some way" Sakina smiled up at her King.
"You do that even without being apart of the Hunting Party. You are a living member of this Pride as well as an aunt and protector of my son this Prides only prince" Simba grinned down at her.
Sitting up, nodded, "I will always protect Kopa, Simba. I swore too as repayment for the prides protection growing up after my mother died. But also because I love my little nephew" she said. Yes, even though she was not related by blood, she had come to love the little cub as her own nephew and would see him no other way. Yes he was her prince, but first and foremost he was her little nephew.
Simba nodded, "And you will also be a good hunter for this Pride" turning he made his way back into the cave.
Sakina sat out a little while long then headed on inside with a wide smile, she took her usual place beside Sarabi and Sarafina as the older lionesses were already asleep she laid herself down between them and laid her head on her paws. She watched that not far from her, Simba nuzzling his mate and son before placing a paw on his mates growing tummy and where his cub was growing within. A small smile crept onto her face, 'Maybe that'll be me and…Nuka one day' she thought to herself and with that pleasant thought placed her head back down closing her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Too dream of the lion she loved.
