Scar's Survival

Chapter 12 Patrol

Scar was dead to the world, exhausted from lack of sleep the previous night he slept soundly. Shaba slept beside him, her warmth and fluffy mane calming Scar's subconscious. Shaba herself was unable to sleep very well. She was fascinated by Scar, even as he slept she studied him. His strong beating heart. His various healed wounds. The scar across his eye. She wanted to memorize him in her mind, to know him better than he knew himself. Though she didn't sleep, Shaba wasn't tired. She was excited. She could not wait to share her world with Scar…

"Get up my beloved," an ethereal voice whispered to Scar.

Scar groaned slightly but didn't awaken from his sleep.

"Scar! Get up!" Shaba yelled.

"Hum?" Scar growled as he woke up. It wasn't even dawn yet. "Please let me sleep Shaba…"

"You're coming on patrol with me today," Shaba stated. "Remember?"

"Oh, right…"

Scar got up and stretched himself out. Everything hurt, especially his healed broken leg. He was stiff and moved slowly around the cave. Getting up after the sun rose was greatly advantageous to him. An advantage he wouldn't have today. He and Shaba left the small cave. Most of the Guard was still sleeping, but Moyo perked right up. Scar went over to him.

"I'm going on patrol with Shaba today Moyo," Scar told him. "I'll see you later today…"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Scar," Moyo stated. "She's gone all day, unprotected…"

"She's been doing this for over a year Moyo without incident. I trust her."

"Besides screwing you, what has she done to gain your trust Scar?" Moyo questioned. "We were brought here against our will initially. I still don't like being here in this… Guard. We were much better on our own…"

"Were we?" Scar rebutted. "If you were the one getting laid you wouldn't think so. Besides here we eat big meals every day. We're not stealing scraps and skirting territories. Politics are annoying, I get it. But just wait it out. Good things are coming for us Moyo, I promise…"

"Alight Scar, if you say so…"

Scar left Moyo to join Shaba. She took a long path around the territory controlled by her Guard. Then, just after the sun had fully risen in the sky, she led Scar onto the Great Plains pride lands. They went deep into the pride's territory, so deep that Scar could start to smell the lionesses. Shaba knew these lands well, where to hide, where to avoid. She silently led Scar to a group of large caves near the side of a cliff.

"This complex of caves is the den of the Great Plains Pride," Shaba stated. "Most of these entrances interconnect inside."

Scar nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"My sister, Queen Da…" Shaba growled. "Never leaves these caves… She's only been spotted a couple times outside at night by my scouts since I was forced off my lands… What an arrogant bitch she must have become…"

"Interesting…" Scar pondered.

Shaba quietly snuck off away from the caves. Scar followed her. They traveled upwind to a large, mostly open plan. Shaba calculated each move, staying behind shrubs and some stray tall grasses. Off in the distance large herds of wildebeest and zebra grazed. Shaba then led Scar to a small rocky outcrop and climbed on top of it. From this vantage point he could see that they had been following the pride…

"This is my pride of lionesses," Shaba stated. "This is about half of them, the other half will still be back inside the den. Over there, see?"

Shaba pointed off to the far side of the plains. In the tall grass there were some dark shadows. Scar made out the forms of many adult male lions…

"That's Choma's Guard," Shaba stated. "They always escort the hunting parties. Half of them are here, the other half back at the den with the rest of the pride."

Scar nodded in agreement.

"And see that young lioness there?" Shaba pointed. "That is Da's daughter: Sana…"

Scar looked at where Shaba had pointed. A young lioness, about a year old sat still in the tall grasses far behind the rest of the hunting party. It was clear she was not participating in the hunt, nor was she paying much attention to it. She was a dark golden color. She appeared a bit small for her age and her behavior was… strange. She was fixated on something, but not interesting in learning to hunt…

"What's wrong with her?" Scar asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Shaba stated. "I think she may be… touched…"

Scar narrowed his eyes, trying to see if he noticed anything else about the young lioness.

"Physically she appears to be fine," Shaba continued. "She's on the smaller side, but not overly so. She is an innocent in all of this. I refuse to harm her."

"Was she named the heir to your kingdom?" Scar asked.

"Yes," Shaba replied. "Her difference must not have been noticeable at birth. But now that she's older, Da will likely come into heat again soon and bear Choma another cub. One that might be a better choice for an heir…"

Scar consumed himself in thought. They watched the pride make a kill. The Guard came out from the sidelines to eat, Shaba pointed out a large dark red male…

"That there is Choma," Shaba growled. "My usurper…"

Choma was quite an impressive lion, large size, strong muscles. He could have given Mufasa a good challenge, but of course he did not match the size of the enormous Dubwana. It was strange though to have a Lion Guard of nearly a dozen lions…

"Why did Choma bring his Lion Guard to the Great Plains?" Scar asked. "And why was is so… large…?"

"My father's Lion Guard is getting older," Shaba stated. "All of the generals are your age or a bit older. Many of them had wanted to retire. I had no brothers to pass on leadership of a Lion Guard to. My father wanted to insure that as a Queen I would be well protected. So he asked Choma, as my betrothed, to make a Lion Guard and bring it with him when he came for me…"

"I see," Scar said in agreement.

"Choma said that the Guard was so large because he hadn't decided who would be the main generals," Shaba continued. "He said he was still interviewing and trying out the lions he brought with him. That turned out to be a lie… None of the lions he came with have ever left…"

Shaba turned to leave and Scar followed her. She showed him a few other key features of her lands before heading back onto her Guard's territory.

"This land also belongs to the Great Plains Pride," Shaba stated. "At first we were just on the fringes, but as we've grown in numbers, we've been able to take on more of it. Right now I control about half of my rightful lands. Choma and his Guard control the other. One day when my Guard is large enough, we will take back the rest…"

It was now the heat of the day. Shaba and Scar stopped near a waterhole under a shady tree to wait out the heat.

"So your sister never leaves the den?" Scar questioned. "How do you know she's still alive?"

"She was last seen nearly three months ago," Shaba stated. "She appeared healthy, from what my owl spy told me. Without her, Choma does not have any true claim to the throne. If she was dead I don't think Sana would be allowed to travel so freely. She would be guarded more. A formal presentation ceremony was held for Sana, I would assume one would be held for her coronation, if my sister was truly dead…"

"Was Da present at Sana's presentation ceremony?" Scar asked.

"My sources told me that only Choma and the Lion Guard were at her presentation ceremony," Shaba stated. "Is that common where you are from? For lionesses to be absent at presentation ceremonies?"

"No," Scar stated. That was odd that Da, as Sana's mother wouldn't be at her own daughter's presentation ceremony. "Was a coronation ceremony held when your sister seized power from you?"

"I'm not sure," Shaba admitted. "That was such a garbled time. My beloved twin sister Da didn't even have the nerve to tell me herself what she had planned. Choma denounced me, refused to marry me. He asked my father, whose health was failing, to reconsider who he had named as heir… Before he could give an answer he died. Choma claimed that Da becoming queen is what he would have wanted. That it would be the best for the kingdom! I knew that wasn't true! My father had always insisted that I would be queen! I had trained and studied my whole life for it! Da never had! She wasn't even interested! Or at least so I thought…"

"When was the last time you saw Da?" Scar asked.

"The night before my father died… Her last words to me were that of encouragement. She said she supported me and the Choma had no right to ask my father to name her as the heir. She told me she loved me. I told her I loved her. And then it all went to hell…"

"It sounds like Choma had this planed before even coming here that he wanted to take over your pride, not just be a consort to the queen," Scar stated.

"Ya I know that now," Shaba spat. "He must have gotten word about me and my… mane. Seeing me as a young cub with overgrown teeth is one thing, but a maned lioness who's sterile, is something different. No lion wants to swear fidelity to a lioness without a living womb. It would be the end of his bloodline. Every lion wants to insure a future for himself…"

"Hum," Scar thought.

"I told him specifically that he could have a common law wife," Shaba stated. "My father and I had agreed that should satisfy his need to father cubs. But it wasn't good enough for him… So he poisoned my own sister against me. That bastard…"

As the cool evening breeze started to pick up Shaba and Scar headed out. They stalked some antelope near the waterhole and caught one for their meal. Shaba then lead Scar back to where her Guard's den was.

"It's a bit early to be back isn't it?" Scar asked. "You never come home this early normally…"

"I'm dropping you off," Shaba stated. "I need to rendezvous with my spies. You've seen enough for one day."

Scar nodded and headed back to the den. Moyo was very happy to see him.

"You made it back in one piece!" he exclaimed.

"Told you I would," Scar replied.

Moyo affectionately rubbed Scar's head, licked his face, and batted at him playfully like a cub.

"Stop it," Scar said in annoyance as he laid down to rest. "You overgrown pest."

Moyo stopped and laid at Scar's head so the older lion could rest his head on Moyo's chest. Moyo had been worried sick the whole day. He knew Scar needed protection. Without someone to help him he would never be able to face a large lion in his prime alone. Moyo didn't know where Scar had gone, but he theorized that the reason Shaba always went alone was because it was extremely dangerous. Being alone allowed for more stealth, but if caught, they would have little defense against Choma's large Lion Guard. For now Scar was safe, back with Moyo. But he knew it could all change very quickly…