Cubhood: Chapter 7

When the mists receded again, Scar spotted Pride Rock, sitting in its usual place, its great enveloping bulk hung back against the sky. It stirred something in him to see it, pressed against blue of the stratosphere. It made him think of home. It was the only part of the skyline for miles around. For it not to be there, felt alien. Wrong. Now it stood there, a comfort to all in its shadow. His palace, his home, his den and his throne.

It was interesting, he noted, how little time he'd spent as a cub on the tall imposing monolith. He and his friends had sought out adventure throughout the Pridelands, returning to Pride Rock only at the end of the day. Sometimes, they didn't even bother to return to the den – though they didn't sleep anywhere but under the watchful gaze of their mother or one of the other lionesses. It was curious. Scar looked around and immediately found his former self. He was standing beside Sarafina and Nguvu, and not far away, he spotted Mufasa, Sarabi and Imani. With a start, he realised that the group were huddled about Kasi and Zira, both of whom looked unsure of the new faces there were no doubt being introduced too at this very moment.

Going by the sun, some time had passed, but not much. More tellingly, both Zira and Kasi still sported the marks and bruises they'd had upon arriving in the Pridelands. So it was probably a day or two later at the most. That certainly seemed to be the case for because Kasi and Zira, both looked about them, unsure and anxious, at creatures whom Scar knew for a fact would later become trusted friends. In fact, Scar remembered the day. He'd suggested they show the two new cubs the Pridelands between their usual playing and his parents had agreed. It would be a good idea, they'd thought, to take their minds off the recent tragedy, and to reassure the cubs that they would be well cared for and well looked after in the Pridelands, despite their parents' untimely death at the jaws of hyenas.

Taka had however, promised to avoid the northern borders, at least until things calmed down somewhat. Caliban and his fellow hyena pups might have chased down Kasi and Zira, but the killing of two fully grown lions in their prime took more than the capabilities of a few malcontented hyena youths. A full adult pack had attacked the young family and that meant adult hyenas must had taken down the lions, like prey. Caliban had been terrifying enough. He had no wish to meet the raider's parents. They were unlikely to be so easily intimidated.

"I've got it!" he heard the voice of Sarafina clearly.

"Lions verses lionesses! Sarabi, Me, and Zira, versus Taka, Mufasa and Kasi."

"But there are five males! What about Nguvu and Imani?" He heard Mufasa ask. Sarabi paused.

"You have Imani. We'll have Nguvu." Sarabi supplied. That was four verses four. But there was one notable difference and Nguvu spotted it.

"I am not a lioness." He said, as Imani grinned. Sarabi nodded.

"Okay, so it's mostly lions verses lionesses. Kasi and Mufasa are a bit older and a bit bigger than the rest of us. Nguvu is huge – he moved that tree trunk all by himself. He'll help balance the teams." Sarabi said. Mufasa snorted, but shrugged.

"Fine, fine." He agreed. "That's fair enough. Nguvu always wins anyway." He said. Kasi and Zira looked at one another, and looked thoroughly confused.

"What are you talking about?" Kasi asked, hesitantly.

"It's a game." Imani explained helpfully. "Our parents told us about it. Two of us wrestle each other, and the winner is the one who pins the other to the ground. If they can't get out of the pin, they lose." He grinned. "It's fun! Everyone has their own way of playing. Like Nguvu. He's as strong as a water buffalo. So he usually just sits on people. But some of us-" He glanced at Mufasa and Nguvu "-are a bit smaller. So we need to be clever in how we fight. Once you get them on the ground, it's hard to get up, no matter who is stronger." He said. Zira looked unsure, but Kasi looked intrigued.

"I… see…" He said. Sarafina nodded.

"You've never played anything like that?"

"No… It was just Zira and me in the Outlands. There weren't any other cubs. We weren't a big Pride. It was just us, and our parents. Here, there are lots of cubs." Kasi said. Taka looked around, did a quick headcount, and smiled. True. There were more of them than there had used to be.

"Let's try it." Kasi said, looking a little surer of himself.

"Umm… Kasi… I don't know…" Zira looked a lot less sure, but Taka gave her an encouraging smile.

"It'll be fun." He reassured her.

"Who should I go for?" He asked, and Mufsa raised a paw.

"Why not? I'll go first." He said.

"I thought you were on our team?" Imani snorted. Mufasa laughed.

"We'll call it a practice round!" He suggested. Taka rolled his eyes. His brother had come out of his shell since he was young cub who wouldn't play any such childish games. But that came with the side effect that meant that his dear brother would do anything in order to show off.

Kasi squared off against Mufasa. His elder brother was easily the more well-built of the two lions. In fact, Mufasa had always been infuriatingly finely tuned in that regard. Whilst the great kings had seen fit to bless Taka with handsome looks, and brilliant intellect, Mufasa had attained the lion's share of the strength and muscle. Even by lion standards, Mufasa was an unusually stocky and well-muscled youth. Only Nguvu seemed more so, and he was hardly a typical example.

Kasi, in complete contrast, was barely larger than Taka, and even then it was difficult to tell whether that was merely seniority of age (for Taka had guessed that Kasi was slightly older than the other cubs). Life in the wilds appeared to have been pretty difficult. He had seen how the cubs had ravaged the meat they'd been given from the hunting party with an almost depressing hunger. They hadn't completely starved, but their stay in the Outlands had been enough to remind them of the value of regular, good, meat. Kasi pushed back his tuft, and it curled behind him into an elegant point.

"Ready?" He asked.
"When you are." Mufasa responded, giving a grin. There was a brief pause. Then, the two lions leapt at one another.

Mufasa was, as Taka had suspected, the stronger of the two, and he showed it, pushing forward with unbridled vigour, and slamming into his friend roughly, knocking him to the ground. The blow knocked the wind out of them. Zira gave a shout of horror and alarm, but Sarafina shot her a smile.

"Don't worry, look! He's fine, see? They're not trying hard enough to really hurt one another, even if they wanted to." She told her. Zira looked on in worry.

"I don't think I like this game…" She muttered, as Kasi climbed to his feet. Mufasa looked briefly concerned, but Kasi flashed him a smile.

"Okay…" he said quietly, having gained a feel for how hard Mufasa hit. "Let's see if you can…-" He didn't finish. Mufasa leapt at him again, aiming to repeat the maneuverer, and overpower Kasi in one fell swoop. But when he lumbered into Kasi… Kasi… simply wasn't there. Kasi's body moved like fluid, darting to the side as Mufasa barrelled towards him and suddenly, it wasn't where Mufasa had thought it was. He thundered past Kasi, who lashed out with two paws, and struck at Mufasa's rear, the blows unbalancing Mufasa, and knocking him to the ground. Kasi seized the opportunity and leapt atop Mufasa even as Sarabi gasped in shock and Imani let out a cheer.

"Nicely done!" He congratulated Kasi. Kasi tried to pin Mufasa to the ground, but Mufasa wasn't going to be beaten to easily. Bucking, Mufasa knocked Kasi off him very quickly, and butted at his friends clumsy attempts to retain his balance. Kasi fell backwards, but before Mufasa could mount and pin him to the ground, Kasi rolled away, and climbed back to his feet in a single motion. Suddenly he was back on his feet and jumping at Mufasa, never staying still and never ceasing motion.

"Come on Mufasa! You're twice his size!" Nguvu shouted, cheering on Mufasa. Taka however gave a small smile of petty delight as he saw that, strong as Mufasa was, he just couldn't seem to get a grip on Kasi, who kept moving, kept darting from side to side, and diving. Occasionally, he would jump over Mufasa and roll under Mufasa's clumsy swipes, to try and gain a different angle of attack. After all, if he could pounce on Mufasa from behind, before Mufasa had the opportunity to adjust his footing and balance, than Kasi would have no problem pinning him to the ground.

"Look at him go." Taka heard Sarafina say. She didn't bother to disguise her awe. Perhaps it was merely the novelty of watching someone dodge and evade Mufasa (who so often won at this game), or in the very least, watching someone play with such a varied, distinct style. In either case, both lionesses present looked wholeheartedly impressed with Kasi's acrobatic performance.

Mufasa however, was not impressed.

In fact, as the sparring had progressed, Mufasa had become more and more visibly frustrated with his own inability to find any kind of grip on Kasi, who always seemed able to somehow twist his way out of any lock or pin Mufasa had on him. Kasi was simply too fast for Mufasa to find any kind of purchase on him. He was sweating now, and grunting in frustration. Eventually, he let out a shout of frustration, and charged towards Kasi again. The young lion cub darted away, retreating, but not before he had swiped at his opponent with both paws. For the briefest moment, it looked as though Mufasa had succeeded, and Kasi stumbled, crashing to the ground once more. Mufasa gave a shout of triumph as he pounced. Kasi didn't try to climb to his feet, but instead hurled himself to the side, rolling under Mufasa's pounce. Mufasa landed a moment before him, his back turned to where Kasi was quickly climbing to his feet. In a moment, he was rushing towards Mufasa. Mufasa, already in an awkward position was felled with little effort on Kasi's part. The Prince's larger frame was pulled off balance and dragged to the ground like a hunted gazelle. Sarabi and Sarafina gave a shout of surprise, and Imani and Nguvu cheered as Kasi placed his paws firmly on Mufasa tripped form and held him down. Mufasa struggled briefly, but Imani gave another cheer.

"You got him! You got him! Well done!"

Kasi stepped off Mufasa, who shook himself.

"That was unbelievable!" Imani said, cheering Kasi, as Mufasa climbed to his feet. Kasi looked briefly concerned, but Mufasa was gracious in defeat, offering him a smile, and then laughing.

"You got me there!" He congratulated him. "You were so fast!"

Kasi blushed, looked almost embarrassed at Mufasa's praise.

"I… was I?" He asked. Taka snorted.

"Mufasa isn't the quickest lion in the Pride, but he's no slouch. You were super quick. You sure you're entirely a lion? There is no cheetah in your ancestry?" Taka asked in jest. Kasi smirked.

"Not that I am aware of." Kasi said, his mouth twitching at the idea.

"Where on earth did you learn to do that?" Sarafina asked him, looking impressed. The cream coloured lioness was looking at Taka and Kasi appraisingly.

"I… Well… Practice, I guess… We had to move quickly if we wanted to hunt food in the Outlands. You can't just wait for it to come to you like you can in the Pridelands." Kasi explained. "There's no great secret to it." He shrugged.

"I thought you were amazing." Zira said, and Kasi flushed again, and nudged his sister.

"Alright, alright. Don't overdo it." Kasi said, though he was clearly flattered by the attention. At Mufasa's slight frown, Sarabi gave a light laugh.
"And don't look so forlorn! I thought you were very impressive as well!" Sarabi said. Mufasa instantly brightened.

Imani and Nguvu nodded in agreement.

"It was a close one! If he'd managed to get you, I don't think you'd have come back from it." Imani said. "Still, a good thing you had that outlander speed on your side, right?"

"Huh? What speed?"

"Outlander. Vicious, slick and lightning fast. Mufasa didn't stand a chance. We should try a doubles match! What about if your siblings joined in? Zira and Taka? Then you could have Pridelanders verses Outlanders." Imani chattered excitedly. Zira and Kasi didn't looked excited by the prospect though. In fact, Kasi was frowning and Zira looked worried.

"What did you just call me?" Zira asked in confusion, looking from Taka to Imani.

"I said, Outlander versus Pridelander!" Imani said, still filled with enthusiasm.

"Oh." Zira said quietly, looking somehow deflated. Her earlier amusement was evaporating like mist. Imani didn't seem to have noticed, but Taka narrowed his eyes, watching with curiosity. Zira looked away, and stood up.

"Actually, no. I think I'll head back to the den… King Ahadi told us we'll be staying with a lioness called Sauda, and I wanted to check some… things…" And without anything further, she began to walk away.

"Hey, wait a moment! Zira!" Taka called after her, and she halted a few steps away from him. "What's the matter?" He asked her. Kasi forced a smile, and shook his head, and Zira looked to him, hesitating.

"I just... I don't know."

"You don't have to join them if you don't want to. It's a stupid idea anyway. You don't need to join them in their infantile games." Taka said, wondering if that was what had bothered her. To his surprise though, Zira's face fell at his words, intending to be ones of reassurance. Instead, she look greatly saddened by his words.

"No… I… I wanted to… It looked like fun. It sounded like fun to play with you and Mufasa and Kasi." She said, smiling shyly.

"Then what is the matter?" Taka asked, in obvious confusion.

"I just… the way they all talked about Kasi. The way Imani paired us up. Pridelander. Outlander. Outsider. Outcast." She said the words coldly, and a sliver of ice went down Taka's spine. Zira shook her head.

"I… I wanted to thank you and your father. For your help. I still cry for my parents but… it was… a help… to know that we had somewhere safe to live. That we won't starve. That we'll be… looked after." She sighed. "I know that sounds pathetic…"

"It isn't." Taka said firmly. Zira sighed.

"But just now I realised… Imani doesn't see us as Pridelanders. He sees us as outlanders. Outsiders. Someone new and exotic and interesting… for a while. And then what happens? What happens to us then?" She looked about nervously. Taka frowned.

"That's what's bothering you? You've only been here for a day or so. It'll take a while for Imani to get used to you, sure. But give it a few weeks, and Imani won't even remember you weren't born here. I doubt he'd care in either case. Imani isn't like that." Taka said, firmly. Zira looked at him.

"I am not an Outlander. I don't want to be known as the lioness who came from the dirty wastelands! The wild and untamed savage, shown pity and mercy! I want Imani and Nguvu and Mufasa and Sarabi and Sarafina and you to respect me… to like me. I… I like it here." She said quietly. "It feels safe. It feels like a home. I want that." Zira said.

Taka stared at her for a moment, looking uncomfortable. He wasn't prepared for this. This wasn't the sort of thing he usually did. He felt a lump forming in the pit of his stomach as he looked at Zira's eyes, filled with wild panic and desperation.

Did she really think they would send her away again, if she didn't behave like a 'normal' Pridelander? Did she really believe they would save her, only to condemn her later? Did she really believe that of him?

Probably not, he decided. It wouldn't be rational. But people believed all sorts of irrational things, and fears were rarely as neat and tidy as to be rational.

"Zira. I promise you. You will always be welcome here. And this land, is your home, as much as it is mine. No one, ever, will take that from you."

"You promise?" Zira asked him.

"I promise. They'd have to get through me first." He said, puffing out his chest with mocking bravado. He was taken aback though, when Zira rushed towards him and nuzzled his cheek, leaving a single lick on the side of his face.

Taka stared at her in confusion and alarm as his entire brained collapsed into the unknown that was physical touch with a female. The strangeness of the happening barely registered on his preadolescent form.

"I… ugh…. Um…" He hesitated, unsure of what to say. What did you say to a lioness when this happened? He had the oddest feeling he ought to be apologising for something, though he couldn't think what.

"Hey, Taka! Zira!" Taka gulped a lungful of air (the first, since he found he'd been holding his breath), when he heard Mufasa and Sarafina behind him. And behind them, the other cubs had chased after him. Mufasa was looking at him strangely.

"What were you doing?" He asked him.

"Nothing!" Taka snapped, quickly. Too quickly.

"Just talking." Zira added, smiling innocently. Mufasa frowned. His intuition told him something was being hidden from him, but he didn't pry.

"Listen, Zira," Mufasa began. Imani interrupted him.

"-Zira. Sorry. I was just talking to Kasi and I might have said things… well… expressed myself poorly…" Imani said. Sarabi rolled her eyes.

"There is an understatement." She muttered. She'd seen Zira's reaction an immediately guessed the cause. Lionesses have a sixth sense for this sort of thing, understanding and anticipating each other in a way that, to males, appeared as some form of arcane sorcery. At least on the face of it. Imani ignored her, and focused on Zira.

"I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to choose the next game." He offered. "I know you said that you wanted to play games like we played… But I figured that, since we'll be playing with you guys, now anything you play is fair game too." He smiled. "I know it's getting late, and we ought to think about heading home soon but…" He trailed off, looking at Zira who was staring at him. Then her mouth broke open into a wide grin, as she looked at her friends. Friends. She hadn't had those before.

"I think…" She paused, thinking. "That… in honour of my dearest brothers most recently displayed quickness that we should… race back to Pride Rock. The fastest wins. The slowest loses. As fast as you can. No breaks. And we start right away." She said, grinning cheekily. She darted ahead of them leaving the other cubs in the dust. Taka stared after her.

"Clever little-" Sarafina's words were cut off as she and Sarabi darted after her, leaving the males standing agog in confusion. Mufasa's eyes widened as his mind – so slow to catch up – registered what she'd said.

"Kings blast it!" Mufasa cursed, and the males chased after the lionesses at full speed.

By the time the lions arrived at Pride Rock, it was already darkening, and their mother's were waiting for them. Uru was watching for the cubs and smiled when they arrived, panting like a pack of hyenas. Kasi of course, had finished first, but surprisingly Taka had managed to pass Zira on the way back. Mufasa arrived last, already exhausted from their mock fight earlier.

"You're quite fast as well you know…" Kasi commented to Taka. Taka pulled to a halt, and shrugged.

"Maybe. I've never beaten Mufasa though. He's bigger than me, and stronger too."

"But you're faster. You just need to play to your strengths. Nobody said you had to you had to fight in the same way." Kasi told him, smiling. Taka nodded slowly. He was right. The next time it was his turn, he'd have a few surprises of his own. He smiled, and opened his mouth, but stopped when Sarabi, Sarafina, Imani, Mufasa and Nguvu arrived in quick succession.

"Did you have fun today?" Uru asked her son, as they entered the den for the night. Taka watched as Kasi and Zira joined Sauda and her other son on the other side of the den, looking unsure and out of place, but still happy and alive. He knew Sauda. She was a good lioness. And an experienced Mother. They would be happy with her, he knew it.

"Yes." Taka said. "I did. And I learned some things too." He said. Uru chuckled.

"All in all, a good day then? And what about your new friends? Did they have fun playing with you?" He asked them. Taka smiled.

"I think so. I think they're going to be happy here." He said aloud.

The vision evaporated into mist once more.