Chapter 9- A Restless Investigator
I didn't sleep well that night, finding the absence in the den rather disturbing. Fewer lions in there than previously made it feel less safe, and the occasional laughter of the hyenas heard just outside didn't make anything feel better. The main reason for my restless night though, was because of the plan I was formulating. I knew there was no way I would be allowed to go to the gorge by myself, and no way I was going to be taken there by anyone else. I knew I would have to break some rules to be able to get there, even if it meant I would be upsetting those who would care most. Sarabi and Sarafina had taken the time after Mufasa and Simba's obituary performance by Scar to tell Nala and I that we would have to stay with at least one of them at all times from now on. I didn't like that news very much, and I am sure Nala would have been the same if she wasn't still grief stricken. It wasn't like I could blame her. She had lost her childhood friend in the middle of said childhood. Whilst I did get to become fast friends with the prince, I hadn't the same amount of time with him to form as strong a bond, even if it did really hurt when the news broke out of his passing.
Despite of all the sadness around, I couldn't help but feel an air of something more sinister. I had nothing but my own thoughts to go off of though, and surely if I were to say any of it, I would have been shrugged at because a child's imagination can run wild, particularly when trying to cope with an event such as the one that had taken place. Collecting evidence would be the only way, and even that was going to be difficult as I didn't even know what to look for exactly.
When I woke up in the morning, the light was just about peeking through into the den. Yet, despite the sunrise appearing the same, it felt like even the air was mourning the loss of the king and his son, as if the air and sky could feel. I had been held tight by Sarafina in the night as she was trying to comfort her daughter and I in what was a difficult time for both of them, as well as every other pride member. The feeling of sadness in the den was obvious even as the pride members slept. When I looked over to Sarabi, her sleeping face even looked in a deep depression, the strength I could feel from her was weaker, though I was sure it would return as she recovered. She seemed too strong to let it consume her for long. Even if she had lost her two loves, I had faith he would return to her normal self. From where I was though, I knew she would need time to herself and I would have to honour that.
To begin my attempt of escape, I had to get out of the tight clutches of Sarafina, also avoiding waking up the rest of the pride. I looked around to make sure I was the only one awake, and sure enough to my fortune, all others were sleeping peacefully, albeit under a weight of sadness. A few unsettled faces in their slumber with their new living circumstances likely to be a troubling sight in their dream, in line with how they saw their new reality.
I shifted without a sound, just about managing to wriggle out of the hold I was in. Though I nearly kicked Sarafina in the face when I finally rolled free. That wouldn't have been good. Keeping caution in my movements, I stood up and checked the others were still asleep. Nala stifled in her sleep, not able to feel me close, but thankfully, she didn't wake from my absence. Seeing I was still the only waking soul, I padded out into the light, squinting until my eyes adjusted to the light.
Much to my surprise, there weren't any hyenas in sight, which I had expected considering the noise they had made in the night, contributing to my lack of sleep. However, it appeared I wasn't the only one awake, Scar was sat at the edge, overlooking his new kingdom. I couldn't see his face as his back was turned to me. His ears perked as I approached. I had to make sure he didn't know I would be going, or else I'd never be able to get away. He turned to see I was his company, turning his head away again as if he didn't notice me. As I got closer, I could see that he was smiling out to the lands. I found out the hyenas were just below Pride Rock, and there were a lot of them. Seeing their masses made me feel nervous, considering my encounters with them had been anything but pleasant. "Shouldn't you still be asleep with the others?" He asked, not even turning his eyes to look to me. "Wouldn't want them to be worried of another cub going, would we?" He continued, the lazy tone in his voice gave me a clear idea of how little he cared.
Despite his lack of care, I sat beside the new monarch, looking to him as I responded in mind "It's fine, I've only come out here." I pouted at him, earning no response at all. "Shouldn't you…be doing…king stuff?" I asked "Like, checking on your subjects?"
He shook his head and gave a low chuckle, reaching a paw over to pet my head, albeit rather roughly "A king doesn't need to bother himself with such trivial tasks. I have the ever faithful Zazu to tell me if there are any problems amongst my loyal subjects." I gave him a look that wasn't convinced and finally he looked to me with a toothy smile "I wouldn't expect you to understand, what with your own parents being unable to teach you the responsibilities. I couldn't expect you to understand how to rule." He gave more pats to me, making me feel very patronised. I didn't appreciate that, but there wasn't much I could do.
"Sorry. I guess you're right. As long as you're a good king I suppose." I responded, my head hanging a bit lower, though I could watch him from the corner of my eyes, seeing how I had managed to stroke his ego. The lion king was looking down to me with a much kinder smile than before.
Much to my surprise, he pulled me in close to him, as if he was comforting me, though he didn't put his claws away like Sarafina or Sarabi would have. In honesty, it did feel like he was trying to be kind to me in that moment "Oh, poor sweet cub, your ignorance and inability to understand these things melts my heart, it really does." Hearing those words from him was a little bit odd, but as I looked up in his hold, I couldn't gain much from his expression, unable to see it clearly. "I'm not going to be a good king." It seemed like a rather odd admission, though he quickly followed up the statement. "I am going to be the greatest king, and my legacy will continue with future rulers to take my mantle." He announced to me, though the projection of his voice gave the impression he was telling his whole kingdom. The very thought of his own legacy, one that was yet to be written, was enough to make him smile what was one of the first genuine smiles I had seen from the new lion king. "That was silly of me to assume an outsider cub would know that. I do apologise." He tried to sound sincere, but not very hard, as I could hear in his voice the lack of care. As odd as it was to be held up against Scar, he wasn't being unkind, he was actually being somewhat careful not to hurt me. In a confusing way I was comforted by his actions. Despite my reservations of him, there was definitely a small amount of care away from himself in there, and for some reason I was able to bring that out of him in that moment.
He didn't appear to suspect me of anything other than being an early riser, which came as a little relief to me. With Scar seemingly too distracted with his new vocation, it meant he wouldn't likely notice if I was gone. My biggest worry was beneath me, quite literally, as the horde of hyenas beneath Pride Rock weren't exactly to be trusted. No doubt I would need to keep myself hidden from them if I was to reach the gorge and even to just look around in there. They were likely to roam around the Pridelands entirely as they were allowed back in now. For sure, all pride members except Scar believed the presence of the hyenas to be detrimental to the treasured 'Circle of Life' that I had been told about several times even in my short stay. "Leave me now, cub. My kingdom needs seeing to." He said as he ushered me away, releasing me from his embrace. I did as he asked, stepping away from him. Looking into the den, I could see not another soul was stirring, which was perfect for my secret adventure. With this taken note of, I knew it wouldn't be much longer before they would wake.
With another look to the lion king, I slipped away from their view, making my descent from Pride Rock, taking extra care to make little noise. It didn't take long to see the hyenas that were below the main platform rock, but they paid no mind to me, most of them sleeping, and those that weren't, were too busy pestering each other. The fact that they could have just turned their heads to me at any moment was scary, though at this point I doubted they would be interested anyway. The sound of giggling was faint to start with, though as I got closer to the hyenas, it died down as I got to the bottom, finally some eyes resting on me. The tension built up for me, unnerving me with just their stares. I was surprised that none of them made a move to go for me, but then, it made more sense if they didn't cause trouble initially, making sure their place in the Pridelands was secure. Being stuck in a staring contest with all those eyes was all I could do, if I made a sound, then Scar would be alerted. I gave a look up to the rock where he would have been standing, but the angle I was from it meant I couldn't see him, and vice versa. With a quick thought I held the look up to where their ally was before frowning at the hyenas. I'd hoped they had read my expression as one of warning. Of course, it was a bluff, but if I could make them believe the consequence of alerting my presence was greater for them, then they would be discouraged. I made sure to hold the look, seeing some of them blink.
Thankfully, it appeared to pay off as I walked underneath the large plinth rock where the new lion king would have been standing. I made sure to hold my stare on all of them for as long as I could, sidestepping my way past them. I made sure that none of them were going to sneak behind me. This wasn't easy to do, because there was one hyena in particular that was staring back at me with similar intensity. The claw marks on her cheek told me who it was, and she did not look happy, but even she didn't want to risk the wrath of Scar. Even making it past their group, I had to walk backwards to make sure they didn't take the opportunity, though I did give myself the liberty of watching my steps. The look I shot at them before turning was one that told them not to follow, or the consequences will be harsh. I could give that in the knowledge that they wouldn't call my bluff for a while, but when they did, my time for investigating would be limited.
With this time limit stuck in my head, I turned to run towards the direction of the gorge. The quiet rustling of the grass, the gentle breeze coming from my pace and the sound of my paws thumping on the ground were the only sounds. I felt a sense of jubilation, I was free. I hadn't had this kind of freedom before in these lands. There would be no one to tell me what to do, no one to watch over me. Yet, this elation didn't last long, the smile that grew on my face had faded into a serious frown in determination. I was on a quest after all. I had to hold back my own bad thoughts about leaving the others, knowing they would worry in my disappearance. I didn't want to cause worry, but knew that the chances of me being able to find anything would be next to nothing if I didn't go alone. Without a doubt, Scar would be informed of my disappearance, and he would either send some lionesses to find me, or he would find me himself; hopefully before hyenas did.
It didn't take long for the grassy land beneath my paws started to fade as I approached the gorge. I came to a lip of land that allowed me to look all the way down. The land itself looked fairly barren at the bottom, only a few flora sprouting out in defiance of the otherwise empty space. As I looked along it, both ways, I started to picture the scene that Scar had described. I could imagine a sort of silhouette of Simba in the middle there, in shock, frozen as the wildebeest closed in on him, the sheer volume of their numbers making his fate inevitably grim. I looked a little further down to see a dead tree that had been broken in the stampede, a lone branch that was once part of it was no more than five metres from the rest of the tree. Again, the motion pictures came into my head and I saw Simba being kicked about in the stampede like a ragdoll, lifeless. To make it worse for myself, I saw the dead tree still intact until the limp body of the fallen prince crash through it was a nasty sounding crack. I could feel my sadness growing. I could picture the scene; Mufasa seeing what was happening to his son, crying out and diving in to help him. I looked a little more, having scaled down some of the less steep part of the canyon walls, and what looked like a spatter of stains on the ground. I couldn't tell from that distance, and could very well be wrong, but I thought it was dried blood. As a result of this, I nearly choked up, picturing the fallen king try to make his way to his son, dodging, ducking, but ultimately, he would be hit. The stampeding wildebeest consumed by their actions, not thinking of what they were doing. Being so deep into seeing what I thought had happened, the next part was the most graphic, causing me to gasp at my own imagination. I saw as the king was knocked down, a particularly large wildebeest blindly charging to Mufasa, the lion unable to do anything about it, laying there, beaten, with a sadness in acceptance that it was his time. He would close his eyes one more time before the heavy impact of the sizeable animal's hooves made an audible crunch that made my heart sink as I could picture the crunch produce the supposed blood spatter from the king. The very thought of the event happening like that made me feel emotional, a couple of tears sliding out as I tried to control my thoughts and keep everything strictly evidence based, rather than an emotionally charged search. It would be hard though.
After a few moments of stumbling my way down, I made it to the bottom. I couldn't feel any smaller than at that moment, the canyon walls towering over me, showing the distance I had scaled down, albeit down the simplest path. It didn't make it easy though. It only took a moment for me to adjust to the surroundings, and although the dust had mostly settled since the stampede, some of it still hung in the air, tickling my nose a little when I breathed in, though it was more an irritant than something that made me laugh. With some of the dust still in suspension, being down there felt a little darker, which was fitting for the mood of the place. I could feel my tail curl and unravel as I scanned the ground for any potential clues. From an immediate standpoint, the potential to find any incriminating evidence was as barren as the ground I was standing on, with nothing to spot. I made my way over to the battered tree I'd spotted from the top, trying to see if I could pick out any particular scent. Whilst I hadn't practiced it much, I was able to work it out with Sarabi's advice at the front of my mind. There was nothing to be picked up though, a lot of the smells that came to me were what I assumed to be wildebeest, with a few odd scents that I couldn't identify. None of them were familiar to me, which wasn't giving me any encouragement. The only thing I could see on the tree was the indication of claw marks that had dug into the material. The depth of them told me it was one of the last places the prince had held onto. That changed my idea on what exactly went down. Still, there wasn't any indication of foul play there, so I couldn't think this was successful.
I turned to look to where the wildebeest would have run down into the gorge. It looked incredibly steep, so they must have been in a panic to have been running down there. I raised a brow at my thought, wondering what had brought them to such a panic that they would stampede. I didn't have knowledge of their normal behaviour; if they were naturally skittish, or if this was an odd shift in behaviour. I sighed to myself as that meant I would have to return to get any answers on that. At that point, I'd guessed that the hyenas had informed Scar of a freely wandering cub who was meant to be with the rest of the pride, so I wouldn't have long to continue my search. Facing away from the wildebeest entry route, I walked further into the gorge, hoping to find something I could use that wouldn't be speculation, and would be useful in my theory over what could have happened.
The blood spatter. I remembered and bounded over to where it was, though when I got there, I really couldn't be sure if it was blood or not. It didn't have a particular scent, nor did it look unlike a darker shade of the dirt that made up the ground. I felt deflated at the discovery. I hadn't found anything that would help me in what I was trying to find. Just as I was giving up hope though, I couldn't help but notice the light dusting on the ground had obviously compacted a little on the surface. As a result of this, I could make out a faint paw print, though it was hard to notice. When I got close to inspect it, I could see it was a small paw. As I took a breath, the dust layer sifted to make the paw print disappear further than before. I raised a brow, an idea forming in my head. I took a step ahead and looked down again to see another very faded paw print. I looked ahead in the direction they were pointing to and followed the path through.
After rounding a corner, I could see a steep incline that would require a climb to get over, though it didn't seem impossible to do. Feeling my tail flick as I contemplated making ascent, looking around in the empty area as if I was being watched. It didn't take long for me to shift across to the start of the steep path, getting my claws out so I could get better grip if need be. I looked up to the top, which appeared to be further than I thought it actually would be. "Okay. You can do this." I spoke to myself, controlling my breathing as I started to pull myself up the wall.
Before too long, I was getting into a sort of groove with the climb. However, no sooner did I get used to it, that I had an interruption of sorts. I didn't see anything, but I heard it. Making sure I had a safe hold against the wall, I looked around and down. The initial look I had to check I was alone didn't feel so silly, because I could feel the presence of another. They must have been watching, though I didn't let it deter me, continuing to climb all the way to the top of the hill.
Without another thought, I turned to scan the area below. I still couldn't see anyone, but the feeling wouldn't go away. I just knew there was another watching me. The frown I held over my gaze didn't let up even as I turned around and walked on. I walked through an arch that a rock formation had made, stepping onto a large, flat rock that overlooked a great beyond. From all that I could see was a barren landscape, with little vegetation, though it seemed the dominant plants there were covered in spines. I didn't want to find myself there. This platform rock was up at a great height, with a steep decline the only way down. I stood at the edge for only a moment longer, feeling unsafe if I was there any longer. It dawned on me that I hadn't checked for anymore of those paw prints. To my dismay, the light covering of dust was not on this rock, making any impressions indiscernible.
"Okay, I have had quite enough. If you're watching me, you might as well show yourself." I growled, crouching down as I waited for anyone to appear. A soft breeze ran over me, catching my attention as it seemed to cling to me for a moment before drifting away. After waiting, still no one appeared and I sighed, sitting down "Perhaps I'm just paranoid…" Another sigh escaped my lips. After all the searching I had just done, the effort I put in, and I couldn't find anything. The paw prints were the biggest mystery I found. They were the right size to be the fallen prince's, but I had no proof he was alive. "They could easily have been made when he was running from the stampede before they got him." I justified to myself, though my expression didn't soften. I couldn't explain why, but it didn't feel right to say it. It didn't feel right to think it either. Something just felt wrong. I shook my head again, trying to dispel my own refusals, but it wasn't working. "Those pawprints…" I said to myself, looking to the ground with a frown, my own little paws in view "Wait a minute. Wouldn't the stampeding animals have overrun those paw prints?" I asked, looking up to the sky as I was trying to run with the train of thought "So maybe it was a spot they didn't go to. Or maybe it was done after it all happened. That means he was alive after the stampede…if that scenario is true. Does that mean he could still be alive?" I asked myself again, feeling my tail flick almost metronomically as I thought of more "If he is, then maybe there is a chance he is still in the…no, it looks like he was headed out. Out there?" I paused to look over the platform once again, seeing the less than friendly looking plant life below. A smile started to grow on my face as I gave in to the hope.
I couldn't be sure he was alive of course, but the possibility of it did make me happy. It was short lived however, as I looked across the barren lands, thinking again that it was likely nothing was there for him to survive on, seeing as the Pridelands appeared to have all life within it. "What do I have to do to find out for sure?" I already knew the answer, but felt pangs of fear hit me when I looked out to the never ending landscape where if he was alive, the prince would have gone. As if I needed any more encouragement, it felt as if the elements were urging me on, a familiar light breeze flowing over and around me, then floating ahead into the vast area below. The only way I cold see was by the leaves that were carried in the wind, though they seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Despite feeling my heart in my throat from the nerves, I looked over the lip of the platform and saw the easiest way to get down, though it would still be difficult. I looked back at the archway, knowing I could very easily go back at that point. For all I knew, the prince was dead, and I would just wander into an empty landscape for my own demise. A small feeling in the back of my mind kept pressing me on though. Just as I was about to jump, I had to stop myself, make sure I was going to land steady enough I wouldn't just fall into the briars because I couldn't stop.
"And just where do you think you are going young miss?" A voice suddenly appeared, causing me to turn around and see who was talking to me. I was expecting to see a hyena when I looked, although the voice hadn't registered with me at all, making the reveal even more of a surprise. The voice had come from Sarabi. The lioness had a stern expression on her face. How she even knew I had come here was beyond me. However, the real problem to me were the possible consequences I would have to endure, seeing as I had broken a rule just hours after it had been set. "I expect you to answer your elders when they ask you a question." She spoke as if in warning, approaching me.
She got to the edge I was just about to leap from and looked out to the land below "This is not a place for a cub to go exploring. Far too dangerous." She commented, sighing as she looked away from there to put her eyes back on me, her expression softened, if only by a fraction. She was still waiting for an answer.
The whole time she was talking and pacing around me, it felt as if my limbs were frozen in place and my eyes wouldn't close. I looked up to the lioness, my mouth opening as if to speak, but the more I looked to her, the harder I felt it was to let my words come out. She looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear whatever excuse I had lined up. She was ready to shoot it down regardless. "I…" I stuttered, barely able to find any words even when starting "I was just going to look t-" I was then cut off.
Sarabi shushed me, her expression becoming more intense, more intimidating especially to my smaller size. "This is not a place to go looking. What has already happened should tell you how dangerous it was to go here by yourself. I noticed you were missing this morning. Tishala, you have no idea how worried I was. To have my son and my love taken from me has been enough loss. I do not need the loss of another young life. Especially not when it would be so needless." A small huff escaped her at the end of that, with the lioness soon bringing me close. "I promise to forgive you if you promise not to do this again." She offered, a small smile starting to grow as she waited for an answer.
She would be less than happy with my response as I thought I was being funny when I answered, "I can't promise that." Her smile dropped immediately and a frown made its way onto her. Sure enough, my own playful grin faded, my ears dropping back.
I could tell she held back from growling at that moment, clearly she was being dead serious about me not attempting a solo exploration. "This is not something to joke over. No wandering off by yourself. If not for me, then for yourself. It is not safe for you to do so until you have grown enough. Do you understand?" She loomed over me even more in that last sentence, causing me to nod with a rather worried look on my face. I hadn't experienced Sarabi act like that to me before. Finally though, she relaxed.
That didn't mean she was done though, starting to groom me with her tongue, asking in between "Why did you come here?" It sounded as if she already had an answer in mind for me.
I looked straight up, pausing her grooming so I could answer "I wanted to come here and see for myself. I wanted to see if-"
Once more I was cut off by the older female "If Simba was actually still alive?" She let a mournful smile come over her face "Tishala, whilst that is a lovely thought to have, I am afraid the reality is not so happy. I am sorry you have to experience loss like this at an age where you should barely be able to grasp the concept that a life as young as yours isn't impossible to take, no matter how unfair it seems." We exchanged sorrowful looks, causing the lioness to recoil somewhat "Of course, you are aware of loss already. I'm sorry for reminding you." She pulled me closer "As long as you are with our pride, I will do my bets to make sure neither of us have to endure such hardships again; especially not alone." She let out a heavy sigh "The ones we have lost cannot come back, but we can move forward with the strength they would want us to have. As a lioness of this pride, we will have support, much as we will support them." She continued. The monologue she was giving me was fuelled by emotion, and I could tell she was having a hard time not to shed tears. The resilience and strength Sarabi was showing me had me in awe. She wasn't saying all of it for me to hear, she was trying to encourage herself to bring herself up. "The great kings of the past will guide them to their rightful place alongside them. Even my son will be watching over us, urging us to continue with our heads held high."
I found a way to clamber up onto her back, pretty much resting on her head. She looked up to where I was with a smile "You cannot come here by yourself, but if you want, in the future, I might allow you to come with me. We can pay our respects if we do visit. Only if you behave in the meantime though." Sarabi offered, though it was a softer offer than the previous one.
I leaned over so our eyes could meet even whilst I was on her head, "Okay, I would like that." I showed her a smile, quickly turning to surprise as she shook me off her, though I did manage to land on my feet. The momentum I had from the fall carried me over though, allowing me to fall back onto my rear, my tail moving aside just in time.
Seeing that she hadn't started walking for us to leave yet, I had to ask, "How did you know I would come here?" I raised a brow, seeing her smile turn into a bit of a smirk.
"A cub will always think the same way." She chuckled "It doesn't matter you aren't originally from our pride. You are still a cub. I used to be a cub. I know how cubs think. A curious cub like you would want to explore the location of a recent event. Even as tragic as it was." Once again, the tinge of sadness to her voice couldn't be ignored, her happy expression dropping for a split second. "Also, I am not Scar, I actually look around and notice things. He doesn't bother in training for hunts. It didn't take long for me to track you." She held back a little chuckle "And finally, all I had to do was give the hyenas stern enough look and they gave away which way you went." She finished. It made me realise that my little escape was nowhere near as subtle as I thought it was initially. Before I spent too long dwelling on the thought of that though, Sarabi had already shifted, motioning for me to follow her back "Come on Tishala, we need to get back. No doubt Scar will want the lionesses to hunt today. I fear we will have to provide for those hyenas as well." She paused, frowning at the ground as she waited for me to join her, muttering under her breath "I hope I'm wrong."
Almost immediately after she spoke, a cackle was heard "I hope you aren't. I can't wait for my first proper meal. Just thinking about the food brings a smile to my face." The hyena turned out to be Shenzi. I peered behind her to see she wasn't alone, having her faithful goons close by.
Sarabi was less than enthused to see the hyena there, standing over me without a thought. "You should not be in the Pridelands. You may have to wipe that smile off your face. Whilst I can, you will not be taking any of our food." She warned, growling at the other female, causing Shenzi to do the same in response. It was clear neither of them were going to find it easy to even be civil.
The hyena was the first to relax, smirking at the lioness "See, that's not what Scar said. The way he put it across was that you'd do all the leg work for us, then we would work for him when he wanted us to. All you gotta do is supply the food." You could see her goons were starting to giggle as she seemed to have Sarabi beat. "A lot of my boys are saying they're hungry now. Probably why Scar wanted me to find you. You need to hunt, a lot." She grinned. Sarabi didn't respond, instead choosing to walk past them, making sure I was with her.
Even with the elder lion watching out for me, one hyena thought it would be funny to snap their jaws near me, seeing me flinch in terror. I could feel the force of the snap with how close it was. Fortunately, Sarabi was there to help, making sure her claws were out as she gave the offending hyena a close shave. With them worried again, in a rather childish bout of mine, I turned to look out and stick my tongue out at them, turning around to continue on our path back.
Once we got back, passing through the crowd of hyenas, I could see that the lionesses had gathered together; Sarafina the only not present, as she would have been with Nala. They stopped their conversations to see Sarabi, barely noticing that I was with her, not that I minded. I didn't need the extra attention. She exchanged a nod to all of them, their expressions a mixture of surprise and worry. There was no protest to me following her to where Scar was waiting, higher up on the main platform of Pride Rock. Even as the lion king looked down to me with a raised brow, he didn't tell me to leave. His attention turned to his brother's widow, that familiar toothy grin appearing "I might say I am quite surprised that you are not more attentive to your pride's needs, especially after you failed to provide your love and child with the help they needed." I winced at the comment, realising it was a deliberate low blow.
Sarabi looked vulnerable at that, her eyes seeming to wobble as she tried hard to fight the tears that were coming. She was too upset with that remark to even argue otherwise. It looked as if even a part of her agreed. "Perhaps that's why you found this one earlier." He gestured to me "It could be a way to make up for your failures previously. They will unfortunately define you for some time. Best you get to improving yourself." He continued to emotionally torture her, making the usually unbreakable lioness on the brink of bursting into tears. Before she could let it out though, Scar leaned closer as she sniffled in attempt to control her composure. "Sarabi, I would be very careful not to show weakness. You never know when one of these younger, stronger lionesses will see it as their opportunity to take control. However," he chuckled into her ear before finishing "if you are able to keep your strength and authority, then you might just have a special place with your new king." His voice trailed off with a purr as he dragged his tongue over her closest ear, causing her to shudder.
A moment later though, she stood up straight again, the strength back in her eyes as she looked to Scar "I will do what is best for this pride, Scar. That is what I will be here for. As far as the lionesses see, you aren't our king yet. Prove you are up to the title and then we will accept it entirely." Despite being a little smaller than him, she cut a strong figure. He got closer as if to intimidate her, though she didn't back up, creating a tense scene until Sarabi spoke up "Your hyena friend said you wanted to see me, Scar. Why?"
His expression was flat as he looked at the mass of hyenas surrounding the smaller number of lions "It's time that you gathered your lionesses to hunt." He paused to gauge her reaction, waiting to see a protest from her "We have many more to feed, so I need you to bring even the inexperienced with you. They have to learn at some point." He reasoned.
Sarabi shook her head, looking to me. I took it as a cue to step forwards "Scar, you know we always have those to look after the cubs. I think it would be best if a smaller group went. The young ones need to feel safe after what has happened." She could see that he was not agreeing to this, his scowl growing as it was directed at me.
"A smaller group cannot hunt the number we need. Honestly Sarabi, it's like you don't even try anymore. Mufasa would be disappointed. The cubs will have their king to watch over them. What could be a grander experience for them than spending time with their king?" He switched his scowl to a smile when looking away from me.
Still though, the former queen had more reservations "We cannot hunt too many animals Scar. We would be breaking the circle of life. The rest of the animals will leave if we hunt too much. Do you understand?" She gave a stern warning, frowning as she asked the king the question.
He pushed right up to her face "Do you understand that when the king asks his lionesses to hunt, they will do so? It could become a complicated life for those who do not cooperate." The threat was clear, and although she appeared unphased by it, Sarabi dropped her head with a sigh, deciding it was no use to continue arguing with him.
Satisfied with this, Scar finally relaxed his expression "Okay Scar, but I did warn you." She responded, looking to me before she spoke again "Keep Nala and Tishala in the den. It is safest for them there." She instructed "And keep a close watch on them. I wouldn't want you to make a mistake that I have." I blinked at that response, realising she had shot back at his own way of making her feel bad. With that, Sarabi used a paw to nudge me in the direction of the den. "Remember what we agreed on? I will need you to behave and stay out of trouble just until the lionesses and I return from our hunt. You think you can manage that?" She raised a brow to me, her head lowered so she was my eye level. I was put in a position where I had no choice but to nod, especially when I remembered how she took my attempt at a joke with her. "Good. I don't think we will be too long." She assured me as we entered the den to see Sarafina laying beside Nala, who looked like emotionally flat.
The two grown ups looked to each other "She stopped crying not long ago, I think she needs some rest." Sarafina explained. They held their gazes on each other, Sarafina sighing as she realised what she had to do. "Which lionesses are staying to look after these two?" She asked, standing up, though it was clear she didn't want to leave her daughter in her depressed state.
"None. Scar has said he will watch them." Sarabi responded in a flat tone, knowing her friend wouldn't like that news. Her reaction said it all.
Sarafina reached and pulled me in. "I have to care for my daughter, and Tishala as well. He cannot be serious. I won't leave them alone. There must be someone that can stay with them." She argued, shaking her head to show her distaste at the idea.
Sarabi sighed and shook her head "He demanded all lionesses hunt." She stepped in close to her friend, offering a supportive nuzzle to her "We can make this quick. The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can get back to these two." They both looked to Nala and I. Finally she relented, agreeing to go with her.
Just as they did, Scar stood at the entrance, watching on "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but that doesn't appear to be hunting." Despite the joke, he kept a stern look about him, looming large over them as they passed by him to leave, an intense stare initiated by Sarabi until she had gone too far beyond him.
And just like that, I was alone with a sleeping Nala, and the lion king. Though that didn't last, Scar sounding a loud yawn as he looked to me "Play nicely. Your king is going to rest alone. Now, if you decide you don't want to behave, then I can always ask one of my delightful friends to keep you in check." As he said that, he grinned, stepping aside so I could see a hyena who didn't look like the friendly type. "Do not disturb a sleeping lion. Do not disturb your king. Enjoy your stay." He chucked before sauntering out of sight, the only thing left to see was the hyena leave as well.
It struck me just how fast things were starting to change since Scar had ascended to the throne, and none of them seemed to have much benefit to any lion except himself. The hyenas also seemed to be benefitting, but there wasn't anything I could do with my small stature. I couldn't think my way out of it, because I didn't have faith in them to would show mercy even to a cub whilst all the lionesses weren't there. With that realisation, I sighed, looking away from the entrance of the den, instead turning my attention back to the only other company I had after Scar had left, though I couldn't disturb her from sleep either. Instead I chose to join her, feeling comfort in laying down next to her, closing my eyes as I listened to her breathe, using the steady rhythm to bring me closer to my own slumber. It had been an early start for me after all. It didn't take too long before I was fast asleep.
"Ow!" I shouted, shunted from my slumber and opening my eyes to see what caused the pain on my chest. Before I could register what I saw though, I could feel the pressure against my side. My sight cleared up enough for me to realise it was Nala. Her eyes still seemed tired and the fur close to her eyes still looked off, likely due to the crying she had been doing like her mother mentioned. "What's the big idea?" I grumbled, rolling over to stand up looking at her. She had a faint smile, though it soon shifted to a frown as she pushed me a little bit. "Hey!" I yelped, nearly falling over from the force.
My own frown was forming "You got my mum really worried about you. She was about to go find you when queen Sarabi stopped her. I was worried too." She didn't seem so angry, forcing me to soften my stance towards her "I thought that you weren't coming back." The other cub added, finally leaping onto me to hug "Don't scare my mum like that again please. If she gets scared, then I do too. She needs me to be brave so that she can be." Nala explained to me. I didn't say anything, but it sounded like Sarafina's way of keeping her daughter's spirit up. It explained why Nala had given me her little idea of punishment.
Using my forelegs, I was able to put a bit more distance between us to see her face. It had a genuine smile on it. I couldn't help but join her "Okay, I won't scare her. I'll do my best to." I offered as good a deal as I could. "How long have you been awake?" I asked, realising how quickly I slipped out of consciousness. I looked to the mouth of the den, seeing the sunlight was still harsh, suggesting I hadn't been asleep for long.
She wandered around the empty den, keeping her eyes on me as she spoke "Well, I've been awake for a while, but I didn't move because I was thinking about Simba. That made me upset, but then I noticed you were with me and remembered how I got upset thinking about you gone as well. I knew mum was scared too, so I woke you up." She didn't seem to add much emotion to her words, with the exception of when she referred to the fallen prince. That was something that she wouldn't get over for a while. "But I feel a bit better now." She approached me once more, a curious glint in her eyes as she pressed against me enough that I started to back away a little bit "Where did you go though? Why did you go? Do you remember Inja saying it isn't safe for cubs to go alone?" I nodded. "Then why did you do it?"
I couldn't help but give away how uncomfortable those questions made me feel, looking almost scared to answer the other cub, my body language anything but confident in front of her. "Well, I went to the gorge where Simba was." Both of us shared a sad look when thinking about him. Just the mention of the name was enough "I went there…" I paused and looked around even though I knew that no one else was around to see or hear me. "I went to see if Scar was lying and Simba was alive. You can't tell anyone though, it's a secret!" I was quick to finish, making sure to emphasise that it really mustn't be repeated. I didn't want to face any consequences from elders who may think I was having a cruel joke at others' expense. "Promise to keep it secret?" I asked, once again trying to make sure I wouldn't be rumbled.
Another worry of mine was that even if I did gather enough evidence, I wouldn't be believed because of my age, though it would only be worse if it came from a conversation between two cubs. "I promise. I'm the best at keeping secrets." Nala replied, starting to smile more as she was intrigued by this "And…is he still alive?" She asked, appearing more optimistic.
I took a moment to respond, caught off guard as I didn't think I would have to answer something like that. "I don't know for sure." I watched as her enthusiasm left her at that and she became the depressed figure she had been earlier. It broke my heart to see her like that, wanting to keep her happy any way I could "B-but there is a chance that he might be alive!" I quickly added, seeing the reaction I wanted, the cub starting to perk up again.
Moments after that, we both looked to the entrance, hearing someone enter. Sarafina came over to us "Have you two behaved?" She asked, both of us nodding. "We have food, but there is a bit of a problem." Sarafina tried to hide her frown, gesturing for us to follow her out the den where we would find out what the issue was. We looked at each other and followed, walking side by side into the sunlight.
A/N: There you have it, another chapter at long last! I realise this took longer than any other to release. I simply had to prioritise my degree for a time period. My next update will either be before 22nd June or after 9th July as I will be away in between those dates. I will be able to respond to messages though, so please, keep them coming. Please, I ask you to leave an honest review of what you thought, I would appreciate it. As always, I do not own Disney's The Lion King. It is their property, obviously. Another thing to note is that I had this all planned out. However, I realise that some of it may not be entirely good as a read, so I am considering a time skip at some point, as the characters are never meant to stay as cubs. Either way, I am glad to give you this update. Thank you for being so patient with me, and until next time!