Chapter 12: To Spot a Hyena
"It was nice to meet you, Maalum. Maybe we'll meet again one day…but if not, thanks again for not killing me." ~Yaya
"The Elephant…Graveyard?" Maalum repeated slowly.
A dry and rocky, barren wasteland sat before them. Geysers that shot out steam were scattered about, and the bones of dead elephants littered the place. An unsettling fog covered the area and, almost like the spirits of the elephants were still there, faint trunk sounds could be heard in the distance.
"Yes." Kovu watched his shocked demeanor from the corner of his eye. "Legend has it that this land used to be beautiful with green grass, fruit trees and sparkling ponds. A herd of elephant used to live here in peace. Then, one day, a hyena came across the land and wanted it for his pack. When he left and told his pack, they came back every day for a month, taking down an elephant each time until they were all gone. Unfortunately, the blood of the elephants corrupted the land; the trees and grass withered, and the water dried up. The carcasses left a thick foulness in the air that couldn't be cleared. By the time the hyenas could take the land for themselves, there was nothing left worth taking, but they moved here anyway."
"…what happened?"
"The corrupted land awakened the spirits of the dead elephants, and drove them mad with vengeance. They haunted each hyena, either running them away or killing them, even the young. And to this day, their spirits roam about, making sure no animal, especially hyenas, come to their land." Kovu paused and then started walking down a giant tusk toward the main part of the land. "Of course, that's just a legend…"
Maalum hadn't feared easily; his frame and strength usually left him with a sense of confidence that most things couldn't hurt him. There were only specific circumstances when he became afraid—times when his strength couldn't help him—such as Kiara almost getting hurt or the thought of his father rejecting him. But hearing that story sent a cold chill down his spine; he'd have a problem facing a live elephant, let alone a dead one. He didn't know if it was true or not, but he certainly didn't want to stick around to find out.
He stayed close behind Kovu. "What are we doing here?"
"There were a few reports of hyena sightings close to Pride Rock recently, and I wanted to check out this area to make sure a pack wasn't forming over here. I figured having a strong liger like yourself couldn't hurt."
"Oh."
Kovu held his snickers inside as he walked with the slightly unnerved Maalum close behind him. He hadn't thought scaring Maalum would be such an easy task. He assumed he'd have to tell a few stories of hyenas being possessed by elephant spirits before the liger would start to show signs of being shaken. But by the cautious way he was looking around, he was clearly affected by it now. Phase one of his master plan was almost complete. They just needed to go a bit further out.
The two walked in silence for what felt to Maalum like an eternity. Pride Rock disappeared in the foggy distance as well as the existence of life in general. The wasteland stretched on, only getting creepier with every step. More geysers. More jagged rocks. More bones. When he noticed some of the bones were smaller and didn't belong to elephants, he could help but to ask Kovu if he thought they should turn back around. Kovu insisted that they could handle any problem that came their way, but Maalum wasn't so sure. There was a dark presence looming over them as thick as the fog. Even if it was just a legend, there was something unsettling about this place.
"So," Kovu started in a casual tone suddenly, "have you made friends with anyone here yet? Tishala, Eshe, Zazu…maybe Rafiki?"
Maalum, only partially focused on what he was saying, continued watching their surroundings intensely. "Rafiki's okay, I guess. I wouldn't call him a friend though. I still don't know if I can trust him. I've gotten along really well with Timon, Pumbaa and Upesi though."
"And my sister, it seems."
"Not really. This is actually the first time we've gotten along since I've been here. Usually she's yelling or pushing me off on someone else."
Kovu paused in thought, remembering his previous night's encounter with his sister. He wondered if Maalum knew anything… "Sometimes Vitani acts like she's hiding something…have any idea what that could possibly be?"
The underlying suspicious tone of his voice brought the rest of Maalum's attention back to the conversation. He looked at Kovu, and though his expression was of simple curiosity, he could tell there was more behind it. He hesitated as he thought back to his talk with Vitani. Even if he and Kovu were getting along better, who was he to reveal Vitani's secrets? Especially when he had secrets of his own. "Not really."
Kovu stared at Maalum a little longer. He didn't know if he believed him or not, but it was irrelevant for the time being. Vitani's secret was second to Maalum's. He'd figure hers out eventually. He turned forward and continued on as normal. A few minutes further into the walk, they came across a trench of bones. Kovu came to a stop at the edge and peered over into it.
Eventually, he turned to Maalum. "This trench is the last area to look in and then we can start to head back."
Maalum felt a sense of relief wash over him upon hearing that, but it was gone within seconds when Kovu spoke again.
"Can you go check in there while I keep watch up here?"
"Go in there?" he repeated.
"Yeah. In case there was an ambush planned, I want to keep watch." When Maalum looked unsure, Kovu raised an eyebrow. "You're not scared, are you?"
"No…just cautious."
"A big liger like yourself has nothing to worry about. Besides, I'll be right here the whole time."
Maalum breathed deeply through his nose, not believing separating was the right idea, but nodded.
"Good. Now, keep an eye out for any sign of hyenas; tracks, fur, a den or anything of that sort."
He nodded again, and then looked around one last time before carefully sliding down into the trench. It was deeper than it appeared from the top and the bottom floor was covered in bones. Keeping Kovu's position in the corner of his eye, Maalum began to look around for any signs. He ultimately found nothing of significance.
"I don't see anything. No tracks, no fur, no dens. There is a scorpion down here though." Maalum looked at the scorpion crawling over the bones toward him. Watching out for his tail, he flicked him away.
"Great. We can cross this graveyard off the list and—" Kovu, who was standing at the edge of the trench, lifted his head suddenly and looked behind him. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Maalum frowned and watched Kovu's behavior. The lion was staring intensely at whatever was behind him. Was there trouble after all?
"Stay here." With that, Kovu walked out of his sight.
Maalum protested immediately. "No, Kovu, wait…Kovu!" After a minute of pacing back and forth, Maalum started trying to climb out. It wasn't a tree, so the sides weren't as easy to grasp, but with some effort he was able to make it out. Unfortunately, by the time he did, Kovu wasn't anywhere in sight. Looking all around, he hissed out Kovu's name a few times. When he still didn't receive a response, panic began to fill him. Where could he be? What could've happened in such a short time span? He hadn't hard anything, so what did Kovu hear?
Unsure what to do, unsettled by this atmosphere, and not even sure where he was, Maalum just spun in a circle, looking in all directions. What was going on?
Bones.
Bones.
Bones.
That's all Maalum saw.
After running around with no idea where he was going for a minute or so, he forced himself to calm down and come up with a plan. If he couldn't find Kovu soon, he'd have to go back to Pride Rock and tell Simba what happened. They could get a search party together and find him for sure.
The only problem with that plan: he didn't know how to get back to Pride Rock. He hadn't been paying attention to where they came from; he just followed Kovu and watched for danger. And even if he did know, the fog hid everything and confused his sense of direction. There was no way of knowing if he was going North, South, East or West. He climbed a few elephant carcasses, but it wasn't high enough to see anything beyond more stretched-out wasteland. So, he'd just been wandering cautiously in hopes of spotting something he remembered seeing already. All he saw, though, was bones.
"Kovu, where are you…?" he mumbled to himself while walking on. "What is Simba going to say?"
His mind drifted to an angry image of his father, yelling at him for losing Kovu. Kiara came to mind next; her watered eyes from the thought of her mate hurt or worse. Nala's look of contempt and her same words from before about knowing not to trust him. Vitani's anger. Upesi's shock. The pride looking down on him and turning their backs. A voice in his head questioned even going back. Why not just head back to the jungle and avoid it all?
"By the looks of it, I won't even make it out of this graveyard."
As he passed another pile of bones, his ear twitched at a faint sound. Stopping and turning in the direction it came from, he just stared into the fog. When he heard it again, he was able to make out a whimper.
"Kovu?" With wide eyes, he rushed toward the sound.
Questions filled his head as the whimpers got louder and he got closer. Was he hurt? Was he attacked? Were there hyenas here after all?
Only one of his questions was answered as he finally found the source of the sound. From atop the edge of a jagged rock, he could see a pure white animal sitting in a pile of bones. Upon squinting for a few seconds, he could see it was a hyena and its leg was caught underneath a giant tusk. He watched as the hyena pulled at its leg, trying to free itself, and whimpering when the bone wouldn't budge.
He debated with himself about what he should do. It was clear they were in need and he couldn't just ignore that. However, what if it was a trap? According to Timon and Pumbaa, hyenas were sneaky creatures and could be dangerous. Even Kovu was suspicious of an ambush.
Maalum had seen them before; in his first journey to Pride Rock, he took a wrong turn and ended up in a dried-out valley where a pack of hyena lived. In the few minutes he watched them, they were laughing, goofing around, and even fighting each other. He thought them to be odd animals. This white one didn't seem like the ones he saw though, or even the ones his peers described. Maybe it was because it was hurt. Whatever the reason, he had to at least try to help. Giving the benefit of the doubt seemed to run in the family.
Walking down the rock, Maalum remained cautious as he headed over to where the hyena was. As he got closer, he was surprised to see that it wasn't just a hyena, but it was a girl hyena. An albino female hyena. She looked to be around his age, but then again, he didn't know how to judge the age of a hyena. Finding nothing threatening about her, he checked the surroundings once more before approaching her completely.
When the she-hyena saw him, he could see the fear spread across her face, starting with widened eyes and ending with an agape mouth. She whimpered and recoiled, pulling at her caught leg in the process. It only served to hurt her further though, as evident by the 'ouch' that escaped her.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm just here to help you," Maalum said in the least threatening way possible. He wasn't sure how believable it was, though, to a small hyena. And by the looks of her fearful expression, she wasn't exactly trusting of him.
With slow movements, Maalum started trying to figure a way to get her out. He looked all around the large tusk with scrutinizing eyes while she continued to watch him closely. After making his assessment and seeing how heavy the tusk was on her foot, he came to a conclusion. "Since it's still connected to the skull, it's too heavy to lift or push. I'll have to break it first and then move it to free your leg."
When the she-hyena's eyes widened again, Maalum assured her that it wouldn't hurt so long as she didn't move. He then made a fist with his paw and knocked on the bone to see how much strength he'd need to put in to break it. Surprisingly, it didn't seem as hard as he thought it would be, but it would still require a decent amount of effort. Charging with his shoulder would've been the easiest method, but it would've been hard to do so without hurting her in the process. He'd just have to use his paws.
He walked over to the root of the tusk, a point that looked pretty weak in his analysis. Drawing back and lifting his paw high, he struck the bone. Nothing happened. The second time, he put more strength into it, and cracks appeared. The third time, more cracks appeared. It was only after his fourth hit that it gave way. From there, he easily pushed the tusk off her leg.
Maalum wouldn't have been surprised if she ran off; the fear that had been on her face gave him the impression that she'd try to get away as soon as she could. But instead, the hyena just looked at her leg and wiggled it slightly. She then looked at Maalum, her gaze still wary.
She was silent for a long moment. "Are you going to kill me now?"
"Um…no?"
"Can you just make it quick? Please don't make me run; I was never the fastest runner—you can ask anybody in my pack. They'll tell you I was slow and weak. And now with my leg, I won't even make it a few feet before you catch me. The chase would be pointless for the both of us. And can you start with my back when you attack? My neck is very sensitive…"
Maalum, taken aback by her sudden rambling, just stared at her while she spoke. He thought she'd stop after a minute, but she continued on as though breathing wasn't a priority. When she went on to talk about how she wouldn't even taste good to vultures, he interrupted her. "Hey. I'm not going to hurt you."
"No?" She searched his face with suspicion for a few seconds. "Seriously? Why not?"
"Um…because I don't have a reason to." He was sure she could see his confusion. "I just heard your cries and came to help."
She hesitated. "…I'm not much of a fighter either. I mean, realistically, I'll probably scuffle when you first bite me, but that's more of a body reaction. After you shake me a few times though, I'm pretty sure I'll go limp and you're free to tear me apart from there…"
"I'm not going to hurt you," Maalum said again, sternly. When she recoiled at his brief surge of impatience, he sighed. "Look, have you seen another lion around here? Dark fur, green eyes, scar…"
"No. There isn't anybody else out here. I should know, I've been here for almost an hour."
He looked down and shook his head. Where in the world was Kovu?
"Lose somebody?"
"Yeah. His name's Kovu. One minute we were talking, and the next he was gone." Maalum frowned at the thought. "I need to get back to Pride Rock to tell Simba." With the mission back in mind, he turned away. Still unsure of what direction to go, he looked around and chose a random path. After mumbling a 'see ya', he started off.
"Wait, Mr. Not-Gonna-Hurt-Me-Lion." He turned to find her dragging her leg to catch up to him. "You know you're heading in the wrong direction, right?"
"Actually, I don't. I'm kind of lost."
"Well, I know where it is; I can take you there."
Hope filled Maalum. "Really?"
All traces of the fear that was once on her face was now gone. Instead, she was wearing a smile, and he could see zest dancing in her eyes. "Yeah. It's the least I can do—you know, for not killing and eating me. I know lions don't eat hyenas, but you can never be too sure out in these parts. I once met a snake that ate other snakes. Safe to say he didn't get many dates." She started laughing to herself. It was a snorting laugh that left Maalum with a raised eyebrow.
When she noticed his expression, she flattened her ears in embarrassment. "Sorry, I have a tendency to ramble sometimes."
"I'm starting to see that."
She gave him a sheepish smile. "But anyway, let me walk you back to Pride Rock. I would help you look for your friend, but it's not good to walk around these parts for too long. Nobody may be out here right now, but you never know who or what will be eventually. There's always an unsettling feeling around here, and there's a reason for that."
The thought of the elephant spirits came back to mind and Maalum nodded in agreement. As much as he wanted to find Kovu himself, going back for help would be the best course of action. "Okay, sure. Thanks."
She beamed. "No problem. Now try to stick close so we don't get separated. It's easier than it looks in this fog."
Maalum watched her drag her leg a few paces forward, which only took him one step to be by her side. "I don't think that'll be a problem." When she only laughed in response, he looked at her leg with concern. "How's your leg feeling, by the way?"
"It's just a little stiff right now—well, a lot stiff right now. But it'll be alright after a few minutes…I think…I hope."
Maalum followed her slow pace while she went on talking about her leg. When they hadn't made it far from their original spot after a few minutes, Maalum thought of a way to cover more ground.
"…I mean can you imagine a three-legged albino hyena? Sheesh. It sounds like the start of a bad joke, am I right?"
"Hey, how about you sit on my back and just tell me the direction to go? That way we'll get farther, and you won't have to drag your leg around."
She thought about it for all of five seconds before nodding enthusiastically. "Sure, but I have to warn you, I may be a little heavy; I had a large breakfast."
"It's fine." Maalum wasn't worried in the slightest. She was small, so she couldn't have been that heavy. And even if she was, a little weight on his back was worth being able to get back to Pride Rock faster. It would only add to the weight on his back about Kovu. He bent down and waited for her to get on before rising back up. "Which way?"
"Wow. So, this is what it's like to be this tall. Maybe one day I'll ride on the back of a giraffe and be able to see the tops of the trees…"
"Um, hello? Which way?"
"Oh, sorry!" She forced herself to focus then. "Keep going straight for right now. When you come across a dried-up waterhole, make a left."
Maalum nodded and continued straight. A few questions popped in his mind to relieve the potential awkwardness of the silence, but he found it to be unnecessary as there was no silence. The she-hyena started chattering about whatever came to mind a few seconds after they started off. The only time she stopped was to laugh at something she said that evidently tickled herself. She did that snorting laugh that, now being closer to Maalum's ear, made him cringe. He was quickly starting to prefer her initial fearful behavior; at least then she was silent.
Eventually, Maalum decided to combat her ramblings with a question he actually did want to know the answer to. "Hey, what are you doing out here anyway? How'd you get your leg caught?"
"Good question." She paused briefly in thought. "Made-up answer: I chased a rabbit through the graveyard and slipped on a bone in the process, causing a pile of bones to fall on my foot. Truth: A few others pushed me over the edge of a hill and knocked over a pile of bones onto me. They left when they saw my leg caught."
Maalum raised an eyebrow. "Why did they push you?"
"Made up answer: They didn't mean to; it was an accident while we were playing. Truth: An albino hyena isn't the most popular of the bunch. In fact, she's probably the least liked which would explain why her pack has moved on without her…again."
Maalum turned his head to the side to glance up at her as he walked. She was smiling, but that zest in her eyes was overshadowed by a sadness. Maalum frowned as he turned back forward. She had been annoying him with her rambling, snorting laughter, and was starting to with her 'made-up/truth answers', but that faded away at her last sentence. Her admitting to being an outcast and having a rough life made him more understanding.
"What's your name?"
"Yaya. Like yoyo, but with 'a's instead."
"…I'm sorry they did that to you, Yaya. I know it's hard being different."
"It's fine. Don't get me wrong, it's no fun being left behind and pushed down bone hills, but I'm not upset about it. They just don't know how to cope with big differences. Hopefully they learn in the future, but even if they don't, I can't let that stop me. My destiny doesn't hinge on whether or not they accept me."
Maalum remained silent as he listened.
"I don't know what my destiny is yet, but when it's time for me to follow it, I want to be scared because it involves danger, or because it's forcing me out of my comfort zone…not because I think I'm too different. I spent enough time thinking that already." She sighed. "Do you know how exhausting it is wanting to be something or somebody other than yourself?"
He hesitated. "I do. I'm not exactly common either. I'm a lion and tiger mix."
"Really?" She shifted on his back, he presumed to look closer at him. "I would've never noticed. You look like all the other lions I've met…then again, that could be because you're the only lion I've met." She laughed lightly.
"That may have something to do with it."
Yaya smiled and then patted him on the back of his mane. "You should laugh more. It could be because I'm a hyena, but humor makes life easier, especially when things are hard enough as it is."
Maalum let out a low hum of acknowledgement, but otherwise didn't respond. As he finally approached the dried-up waterhole Yaya spoke of earlier, he turned left. "Do I just keep going left from here?"
"Just until you see two carcasses."
"…there are carcasses all over the place."
"Antelope carcasses. You'll be able to tell by the skulls and horns."
"Ah." He nodded and padded forward.
Oddly enough, Yaya kept quiet for the next portion of their walk. Maalum assumed she became pensive over the last bit of their conversation, or that she started thinking about her leg. He surprised himself because after a few minutes, he began wishing she would talk again. He still didn't care to hear her rambling on about nothing, but it would've been better than silence.
The next time Yaya spoke was to give him more instructions when he made it to the antelope carcasses. Not wanting to continue on further in silence, Maalum opened his mouth to make conversation. He wasn't able to get his sentence out before she gasped suddenly.
Maalum came to a halt immediately. "What's wrong?"
"I just realized I don't know your name."
He shot her a look over his shoulder for startling him. "Maalum."
"Maalum? Wow...are you a King?"
"No. Why?"
"Your name sounds so regal. King Maalum." She started to say it in different voices then. High, low, gruff and fancy. "King Maalum. King Maalum. King Maalum. King Maalum. King Maa—"
"Can you stop? Please?"
She flattened her ears. "Sorry."
He shook his head. Was this really better than silence? "You know, you remind me of someone I know, Yaya."
"Someone charming, I hope. Oh, and good looking. Intelligent and witty wouldn't hurt either."
"Well he's goofy, loud and troublesome…but he has a good heart."
She pouted at first, but perked right back up. "You think I have a good heart? Thanks, Maalum."
He more-so thought the other three qualities fit, but he couldn't deny that she was helpful and friendly.
"Speaking of a heart, you'll need to go up the spine of a carcass soon to get to higher ground."
He waited for her to tie the connection together, but when she didn't, he asked. "Okay…but what did that have to do with a heart?"
"Nothing really. I just had nothing else to connect it with."
Maalum let out a sigh and shook his head to which Yaya laughed. As he followed her instructions, finding a carcass to climb, his curiosity got the better of him. "So how do you know how to navigate through the graveyard so well with all this fog?"
"When you have to find your pack so many times even places and things out here become familiar."
Maalum thought about the hyena reports Kovu mentioned. "Does your pack live out here?"
"No. They like to move around a lot, and so they pass through here often, but we typically live in areas with more…life." She laughed again.
"Has your pack come near Pride Rock lately?"
"Not that I know of. They try to steer clear of areas with possible competition or danger, if they can help it."
Maalum nodded. From the way it sounded, Yaya's pack wasn't the one spotted near Pride Rock. Did that mean there was another pack near instead? He thought about it as he walked, and if hyena danger was prevalent for Simba. Would him helping one be considered a bad move? On one hand, he couldn't see his father shunning Yaya, seeing as he didn't shun him for being different. On the other hand, the way Vitani spoke earlier made him think the pride wasn't too patient in things concerning their enemies.
He was broken out of his thoughts when Yaya began shifting around on his back to get more comfortable. "So what's your story? Tell me about Maalum, the lion-tiger with a regal name."
"Um…" Out of habit he fell into the backstory he crafted for the others. "I was abandoned as a cub for being half lion and half tiger. I was raised by a cheetah until I could care for myself, and then I went searching for a pride to live with. I found Pride Rock and they let me stay with them so far."
"Okay, now truth."
"What?"
"You're supposed to say, 'made-up answer' before you tell a cool lie, but we're past that point now, so just move on to the truth."
Maalum hesitated. "Why do you think that wasn't the truth?"
"It sounded cool. When I tell my made-up answers, I try to make myself sound as cool as possible. I thought that's what you were doing. Wait, was it actually the truth?"
"…no, I guess not."
"I knew it." She grinned. "So, what's the truth?"
He didn't speak. There was no real reason not to tell her. Sure, it was a secret, but who was this hyena going to tell? And even if she did, who would believe her? But the lie had been on his tongue for so long, and to speak it out loud would force him to acknowledge it. Soon enough he'd have to tell the truth to more than just her, and he didn't know if he was ready to do that just yet.
Sensing his hesitation, Yaya spoke again. "How about I go first? What's my story? Made up answer: I come from a pack of all white flying hyenas. It's the strongest hyena pack in the land and I'm the future Queen. Truth: I actually don't know who my mother or father is. Almost all the ladies of our pack gave birth around the same time, and when I was born, I was left in a common area. Everyone denied having a white pup and nobody wanted to take me in." She shrugged. "At least that's what I was told."
Silence. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. Four minutes.
"Truth: I wasn't abandoned. My mother raised me in the jungle, and I came to Pride Rock because my father is the King. He doesn't know who I really am yet…and I'm afraid of messing everything up if I tell him. I don't even know if he wants me."
Silence. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. Four minutes.
"I knew your name sounded like royalty."
After several more minutes of random conversation and following instructions, the dirt beneath Maalum's feet slowly turned into green grass. The fog lifted, and the sounds of birds and life returned. Seeing Pride Rock in the distance sent a wave peace and relief over him. He was finally back. It was only when he remembered that Kovu wasn't with him to enjoy the tranquil feeling, that a sense of urgency came back, and he sped up.
"Maalum, wait a minute."
Almost forgetting Yaya was on his back, he blinked and came to a stop. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her. "What's wrong? Is it serious this time?"
"Well, about as serious as possible for me." Yaya carefully slid off the side of his back, and landed on her bottom in the grass. Shaking it off and rising back up, she gave him a kind smile. "I have to go back to the graveyard. Don't get me wrong, Maalum. You're one of the nicest animals I've ever met, but I'm still a hyena. The chances of finding an entire pride of lions like you is highly unlikely. I should get back to my own pack."
He frowned, but nodded. "Are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah. My leg's feeling much better now. Watch." She ran a circle around him, albeit still on the slower side. "I'll be able to find my pack in no time."
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely. This isn't the first time I've had to find my pack, after all. They might not like me, but they'll have to work a lot harder to lose me." She smiled at him and then, without warning, booped him on the nose. "It was nice to meet you, Maalum. Maybe we'll meet again one day…but if not, thanks again for not killing me."
He rolled his eyes and rubbed his nose. "You're welcome. Thanks for your help too, Yaya."
With that, she turned and headed back into the elephant graveyard. Maalum watched her disappear into fog, and then pressed on through the grassy savannah. His focus was getting to Simba and letting him know Kovu was missing. As he ran, his previous thoughts about the pride's reaction came back to him. His heart began to race as he thought about his time there coming to an end.
"Maalum. You finally made it back."
Startled by the sudden voice, Maalum tripped over his own paws and fell forward, rolling a few times. He landed with his face on the ground and haunches in the air. Shaking it off and rising back up, he turned to see who the voice belonged to. He was shocked to find Kovu lying leisurely across a nearby jutted rock.
"I was starting to think you wouldn't make it back before dinner."
"Kovu." For a moment, that's all he could say, and he walked over to him. "I was looking everywhere for you. What happened back there? I was just about to go get Simba to come find you. Where were you?"
"Here. Waiting for you."
Maalum narrowed his eyebrows at that. When it clicked to him that Kovu had been there the whole time, he frowned. "You left on purpose…?"
Kovu yawned, and stretched as he rose to his paws. He jumped down from the rock and closed the distance in between himself and Maalum. "Congratulations. You passed the first test."
"First test?"
"Yep. You see, to be completely welcomed into this pride and considered one of us, you need to have a ceremony. But before the ceremony, you need to pass three tests that prove you're a good addition to the pride and not a hindrance or harm." He explained briefly. "The first test was to see if you could find your way back by yourself. You took a while, but you did it nonetheless. Good job."
Even though he was being congratulated, Maalum couldn't feel a sense of accomplishment or relief. Rather, he felt irritation and slight betrayal. He spent all that time worried about Kovu, thinking something happened to him, only to find out he was at Pride Rock, sun bathing. While he was wandering around a foggy graveyard with no idea what was going on. He couldn't have told him about the tests earlier?
"…thanks," Maalum said emotionlessly. Turning away, he started walking. He didn't have a specific destination anymore, he just wanted to get away from Kovu. He'd thought they were making some progress, but somehow, this made him not trust him all over again. Was everything a lie? Wanting to spend time with him? Reports of hyena sightings?
Kovu started to follow him. "Sorry if I made you worry, but I thought having a sense of urgency would show how fast you'd be in a real time of emergency. You understand, right?"
Maalum didn't even bother to look at him. "Sure."
"Did you run into any trouble? Elephant spirits?" He laughed lightly, and when Maalum only glared at him, he held up a paw as if to say, 'calm down'. "Easy. I'm just kidding with you, Maalum."
"Seeing as I spent all morning in a frenzy searching for you, I'm not in the mood for jokes."
Kovu nodded. "I see. In that case, I'll give you some time to relax. We can pick up the next test a little later."
Just the thought of another test sent a surge of irritation throughout Maalum. The reason for the tests made sense; they couldn't just let anyone in the pride without seeing what they brought to the table. But Kovu still could've went about it another way. If Maalum had to be tested, he'd rather it be by his father. At least he could expect some sort of curtesy from him.
Kovu stopped following him then, and watched him walk away. "Before you go, Simba wants to have a word with you. If I were you, I wouldn't mention that it took you this long to get back…"
Maalum came to a stop then. Simba wanted to talk to him? About what? And would Simba be displeased with how long it took him to get back?
"In fact, you don't have to bring up the tests at all. When I give Simba my report, I'll just put in a good word for you." Even though Kovu was smiling, there was something not as nice hiding behind his expression. "You're not the fastest, like you said, but when it comes time to show your strength, I'm sure you'll excel there." With that, he started walking away in a different direction.
Maalum hesitated, but then started walking again too.
Maalum found Simba sitting at the edge of Pride Rock, talking to the majordomo he'd seen with him before. He approached him slowly, an anxiousness in the pit of his stomach as he wondered what it was his father wanted to see him about. After all the worrying he did over Kovu earlier, he wasn't sure how he had any worry left in him. He felt emotionally spent and tired, but just being in his father's presence built unsure feelings out of nowhere.
Wanting to get this last anxious hurdle over with, he spoke, "Simba, you wanted to see me?"
Simba turned upon hearing his voice and smiled. "Ah, Maalum. Yes, I wanted to have a word with you, if you don't mind."
"Of course."
Simba nodded once, and then turned back to his personal assistant. "Thank you for the report, Zazu. Please let Nala know for me."
"Yes, sire." The bird bowed and then glanced at Maalum, unsure, before flying off.
Maalum hadn't seen much of Zazu, but from the looks, he wondered if the bird would ever be comfortable seeing him. He quickly discarded the thought once his father gestured with his head for him to follow. Still a little tense, he obliged, following him down the side of Pride Rock. They walked in silence for the first minute. Maalum didn't know if it was because Simba was gathering his thoughts or because he was just enjoying the cool breeze in the air. He never knew what to expect with his father. His expression must've betrayed how he was feeling, because when Simba glanced at him, he gave him a warm smile.
"Don't worry. This isn't anything bad. In fact, it's good." He stopped as they approached a small waterhole. "First off, I wanted to tell you thanks. Kiara told me what you did during your hunt together, and I know you were hurt on her behalf."
"Oh." He'd almost forgotten about that. "It wasn't a problem really. I'm sorry we got into that situation in the first place."
"She said it was her idea, and I know my daughter; once it's in her head, nobody can change her mind. I can't blame her though; she got it from me." He shook his head, and bent down to lap up some water, but stopped. "I was really worried last night when she first told me. I even lost myself briefly; I banned her from hunting alone…but after Nala talked to me, I calmed down and changed my mind."
Maalum just listened.
He sighed. "I know she's older now—she even has a mate—but it's hard not to look at her like a cub sometimes, especially when she makes impulsive decisions like that one." He looked thoughtful. "And cubs are very hard work. They need a lot of love and attention. Turn your head for one second and they're gone."
What if you turn your head for a whole lifetime?
"I try not to be so overprotective of Kiara, but it's just because I've seen the evils of the world. I lost my father to one of those evils. I don't want to lose her to it too. She's my daughter, but also the future Queen. This pride needs her too." He finally started to lap up some water.
Maalum knew he wasn't telling him to make him feel guilty—rather to praise him for his courageousness—but he couldn't help but to feel that guilt anyway. If only for agreeing with Kiara's plan to hunt in the first place. She was important to Simba and the entire pride…a small part of him couldn't help but to wish his father had that level of concern for him.
Simba rose back up. "I'm going off on a tangent, but I wanted to tell you thank you personally. This pride thanks you too."
"It's wasn't a problem," he said again.
"Is your head alright?"
"Yeah. It was just a few kicks, that's all." When Simba still looked at him with concern, he looked down. "I'm fine. I mean it."
Simba finally nodded after a few seconds and then continued the walk. He started through the tall grass to nowhere in particular. "So, how has the morning been with Kovu? I know you two spent some time together."
"It was…good."
Simba didn't seem to catch his hesitance. "I'm glad to hear it. I know Kovu's been hard on you these past few days, and I've been talking to him about it. He has a hard time trusting others, because he's seen a rougher side of life as well. He lost his family, all except Vitani. I'm sure you've seen her temper; she has struggles as well. But when you get to know the both of them, you'll see they're good lions. Kovu has the makings of a good King."
Maalum nodded. Based off his experience not too long ago, he wasn't sure how true that last sentence was, but the rest of it was at least to be considered. Apparently, Simba was aware of Vitani's trouble to some extent, and he seemed understanding about it. He'd have to tell her the next time he saw her…and she was in a good mood…which could be a while.
"And if he hasn't told you already, you're more than welcome to sleep in the den with us."
"Thank you, Simba."
He nodded and came to a slow stop on an elevated knoll where the large waterhole could be seen in the distance. When he sat, Maalum sat beside him and looked at all the animals gathered around it, drinking. It was still a dreary day, but the life all around was a sunshine in itself.
"Next, I have a favor to ask of you, Maalum."
"A favor?"
"Yes." He turned to him. "In your journey for a pride, have you ever passed through a jungle?"
Caught off guard, Maalum hesitated. "…a jungle? Uh, maybe."
"It's a really beautiful place with lots of trees and a waterfall."
"I think I might've been there once or twice."
"If you were to go back there, would you feel comfortable navigating through it?"
"I should be able to." Maalum didn't know where he was going with the questions.
Simba nodded. "Would you be willing to accompany me there?"
His heart almost stopped. "Join you…to the jungle?"
"Yes. I have an old paw injury, and there's a specific herb I need that grows in the jungle." He explained. "I haven't been able to go before, because I couldn't leave Pride Rock. But I think Kovu is prepared enough to stay in my stead now, and it'll be good practice for him. I don't want to go alone, because I haven't been there in a long while. We wouldn't be gone long. What do you say?"
What could he say?
Joining his father on a trip to where he was raised? A great possibility of them seeing his mother? A reunion where the truth came out? Answers to questions that had lived in his heart since he was young? And nobody else would be involved except the three of them. It couldn't be a better situation. There was only one answer to that question.
"Absolutely."
Hey everyone. This is super late, but I got it up before the fifteenth of this month, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless. I had to skip an update for December because I had a few health troubles arise. It's life. Good news is it's all under control now, and there shouldn't be anymore problems. I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I'm wishing you the best for 2018. This chapter feels…uneventful. I had to set some more situations into play, so not too much transpired besides conversation. I had fun with Yaya though, and I believe next chapter will be a lot more fun with Kovu's second test for Maalum…