Simba sat deep into council with his pride. Quietly, they discussed this white lioness, Kei Tiaret, while she slept on.
"I don't like it..." Kovu said, growling slightly, "I don't like that she just shows up here in our pride, and won't tell us why!"
"I DONT LIKE HER AT ALL!" Anoki roared. Several of the lionesses jumped to restrain her from attacking Kei. Anoki was foaming at the mouth; snarling and growling viciously like some kind of dog. "IT'S BECAUSE OF HER MY SISTER IS DEAD!" Not but a few moments ago, a huge leopard had sliced Dyani's throat, as a price for Kei Tiaret. The two sisters had been going to get Rafiki when the leopard captured Dyani. Anoki spit at Kei and sat back down.
"It's not her fault," Kiara protested, "It's that stupid leopard's!"
"If it weren't for her, we wouldn't even know about the stupid leopard!"
Kiara didn't reply.
"She definitely has some explaining to do," Simba growled quietly, "if she wants to stay here. Suddenly, they heard Kei moaning and muttering in her sleep.
"No! Don't...ye cant.... please, no! Ohhh, no! No, leave them alone! I'm the White One, I'm the one you seek! Don't harm them, please.......................," Kei rolled over a few times, whimpering in pain and fear. Nala dabbed her fevered forehead with a wet leaf and gently petting her neck, which was covered in a cold fear sweat.
"Just look at her, the poor thing," Nala's crystal blue eyes were sad with sympathy, "She can't be much older than Kiara or Kovu. How could such evil befall her?"
"'How could such evil befall her'?! How could such evil befall me!!! Ever since we found her, she's given us nothing but trouble! Not only is my sister now dead because of her, but several lionesses are now injured from trying to keep her from going into shock!" Anoki waved a paw towards the injured lionesses. They nodded in agreement. She spat again, this time hitting an open wound. Kei screamed in pain, spasmed, and went back into fitful muttering.
"NOW THAT'S ENOUGH!" Simba roared, leaping in front of Anoki. "I told you I would deal with her, and I will! When we have a visitor who is of no immediate threat, she is to be treated with respect, like we expect her to treat us! Anoki, you are to sleep outside tonight. Kei Tiaret will sleep in your spot."
"Ou--ou-outside? In the tempest? With that-that-that leopard out there?!"
"Yes. Outside. With the leopard. If you cannot show empathy for a wounded creature, we cannot show empathy for you." The mighty king growled softly and turned to face Kei. Anoki raised a paw, extending her claws, as if to attack Simba, or maybe Kei, but she turned and stormed out of the cavern. Nala nudged Simba gently.
"I think you were a bit harsh on her, Simba," she purred, trying to soothe his shattered nerves.
"Harsh or not, she and her kin have been nothing but trouble since we took them in from the Outlands," Simba growled, pacing back and forth. Nala chuckled.
"Oh, yes. The terrible trio. Anoki, Dyani, and Njeri. Until now, they were almost inseparable."
Simba stopped pacing and looked his wife full in the face. "Together, all three are bad. But there is something about Njeri. She's the most evil of them; I can just feel it. I think there's something going on with her. I think she's up to something. I don't like it."
Again, Nala chuckled quietly.
"Oh, my Simba. You worry too much!"
"Then where was she when the whole incident happened? Why wasn't she there, trying to protect Dyani, the youngest of her sisters? I would have thought she, the oldest of the three, would have been there," the great king countered. Nala had no response. "Come on, let's go to sleep. We're not solving anything by standing here."
*********
All was quiet at Pride Rock. Except...a bit of movement at the very top of the rocks. Slowly, the shadowed form walked down, nimbly leaping from rock to rock without slipping on the rainwater. It stopped on the ledge, in front of the half-asleep form of Anoki. Sensing someone nearby, Anoki was roused into full consciousness. Squinting from the rain, she looked up at the figure in front of her.
"Njeri? Where..." Anoki looked confused.
"Hush, sister. Sleep," the figure of Njeri whispered. She glared into the mouth of Pride Rock, her eyes glowing with a sinister incandescence. Silently, Njeri turned and ran off, into the stormy night. Anoki shook her head in worry. Njeri, her elder sister, had always been somewhat foolish. One day, it would get her in trouble.
********
Njeri ran on through the Pridelands. She had seen the entire incident from the top of Pride Rock, and so she kept her eyes and ears open for signs of the leopard or his cronies, the dogs. Finally, she came to the edge of the Outlands. Looking around to make certain she wasn't followed, Njeri plunged ahead. Suddenly, she skidded to a stop. There in front of her were the sleeping forms of the leopards and the wild dogs. Slowly, carefully, she walked around the group, mentally giving thanks that she was upwind of them, and that the rain covered her scent. She was a fool, but still a master at survival. After another hour of running, she finally stopped in front of a small cave.
"Nuka!" she called into the cave, listening intently for a response. After a minutes wait, she heard a slight, coughing reply.
"Njeri! Is that you?" Nuka gave a faint but familiar insane giggle, "I thought you'd never get here!" Njeri grinned and walked into the cave, shaking water off her fur. "Hey, hey, watch the water!" Nuka scowled.
"It's storming out there. What do you think I'm going to have on me, antelope?" Njeri scowled right back.
"Antelope would be nice. I'm hungry," Nuka whimpered the phrase he had said so many times in the past, managing to sit up.
"Ah, quit your sniveling, Nuka. I brought you your food. It ain't antelope, its only zebra, but it's the best I could do." Njeri threw a zebra thigh wrapped in leaves off her back. "And I can't guarantee the leaves kept it from getting wet. Now eat, and sleep. We have things to talk of tomorrow." She watched Nuka gulp down the zebra meat, and then fall into a fitful slumber. Even in his sleep, he whimpered, kicked, and scratched. Poor Nuka, the lioness thought to herself. Gently, she scratched the top of his head and behind his ears for him. Rejected by everyone, nearly died doing someone else's duty. Huh. He hasn't been the same since the accident. He'll live, but...Njeri sat long into the night, that day playing over again in her mind...
"I'll do it, for you mother!" Nuka had shouted. Finally, he could prove his worth. As he ran up the logs, he could barely suppress his joy. "Mother, are you watching?! I'm doin' this for you, and I'm doin' this for me! This is my moment of glory!" Suddenly, his footing had slipped, causing the logs, as well as himself, to tumble back down to the bottom. Frantically, his mother Zira had dug through the rubble until she found his face.
"Nuka..." Zira said softly. Nuka grinned a loopy grin.
"I'm sorry, mother...I-I tried..." he whispered before succumbing to darkness. Njeri had heard no more of what went on. She, along with her sisters and Vitani, Nuka's sister, could do nothing more than stand around the logs and cry. Njeri did not understand why her sisters Anoki and Dyani cried. They treated Nuka just as Zira had; something to take their anger out on. Only Njeri made friends with Nuka. In fact, as she thought about it, she was Nuka's only friend. They were the same age, and had grown up with many things in common. Hatred for Kovu, for instance. And their moments of insanity were uncanny. Other than her sisters, Njeri felt she was now alone. She turned, snarling, to face Kovu. Kovu! It was that little termite's fault! She saw Zira smack Kovu, and the scar over his eye when she turned back. Njeri was blinded with rage. Vitani, Dyani, and Anoki had to hold her back. There was no doubt in her mind that if they let go, Njeri would kill Kovu.
"No, Njeri. You will have your chance later," Vitani whispered. Njeri slacked a little and watched as her fellow Outlanders stalked off to prepare new plans. Once certain she alone, she turned back to Nuka's body.
"No! Nuka can't be dead; it's not possible! I've survived worse crocodile attacks than that." She plucked a few blades of grass and held it in front of his nostrils, biting the claws of her other paw. Many minutes passed. Njeri had almost given up hope when, could it be?, the grass blades moved with some kind of wind. Quickly, she licked her paw and held it up. There was no wind about! He had to be alive! The lioness frantically dug through the logs, pressing her back up to keep the top logs from falling. It took several hours, but at last she was able to pull Nuka from the mess. She threw his unconscious form upon her back and took him to a small, secret cave they had played in as cubs. There was a small pool of fresh, clean water in it, and no one else knew of it. It would be the perfect place to bring him back to health. She dropped Nuka by the pool, and made sure his head was within easy reach. Before she left, Njeri managed to pour a bit of water down her friend's throat. For the next several months, she would be caring for Nuka, even after she and her sisters were forced to join Simba's pride. No one was to know...
Njeri awoke sometime before dawn. Seeing that Nuka was still asleep, she decided she would wait until later in the day to talk to him. Once more, she scratched behind his ears for him, nuzzled him a bit, and set off back to the Pridelands.
"I don't like it..." Kovu said, growling slightly, "I don't like that she just shows up here in our pride, and won't tell us why!"
"I DONT LIKE HER AT ALL!" Anoki roared. Several of the lionesses jumped to restrain her from attacking Kei. Anoki was foaming at the mouth; snarling and growling viciously like some kind of dog. "IT'S BECAUSE OF HER MY SISTER IS DEAD!" Not but a few moments ago, a huge leopard had sliced Dyani's throat, as a price for Kei Tiaret. The two sisters had been going to get Rafiki when the leopard captured Dyani. Anoki spit at Kei and sat back down.
"It's not her fault," Kiara protested, "It's that stupid leopard's!"
"If it weren't for her, we wouldn't even know about the stupid leopard!"
Kiara didn't reply.
"She definitely has some explaining to do," Simba growled quietly, "if she wants to stay here. Suddenly, they heard Kei moaning and muttering in her sleep.
"No! Don't...ye cant.... please, no! Ohhh, no! No, leave them alone! I'm the White One, I'm the one you seek! Don't harm them, please.......................," Kei rolled over a few times, whimpering in pain and fear. Nala dabbed her fevered forehead with a wet leaf and gently petting her neck, which was covered in a cold fear sweat.
"Just look at her, the poor thing," Nala's crystal blue eyes were sad with sympathy, "She can't be much older than Kiara or Kovu. How could such evil befall her?"
"'How could such evil befall her'?! How could such evil befall me!!! Ever since we found her, she's given us nothing but trouble! Not only is my sister now dead because of her, but several lionesses are now injured from trying to keep her from going into shock!" Anoki waved a paw towards the injured lionesses. They nodded in agreement. She spat again, this time hitting an open wound. Kei screamed in pain, spasmed, and went back into fitful muttering.
"NOW THAT'S ENOUGH!" Simba roared, leaping in front of Anoki. "I told you I would deal with her, and I will! When we have a visitor who is of no immediate threat, she is to be treated with respect, like we expect her to treat us! Anoki, you are to sleep outside tonight. Kei Tiaret will sleep in your spot."
"Ou--ou-outside? In the tempest? With that-that-that leopard out there?!"
"Yes. Outside. With the leopard. If you cannot show empathy for a wounded creature, we cannot show empathy for you." The mighty king growled softly and turned to face Kei. Anoki raised a paw, extending her claws, as if to attack Simba, or maybe Kei, but she turned and stormed out of the cavern. Nala nudged Simba gently.
"I think you were a bit harsh on her, Simba," she purred, trying to soothe his shattered nerves.
"Harsh or not, she and her kin have been nothing but trouble since we took them in from the Outlands," Simba growled, pacing back and forth. Nala chuckled.
"Oh, yes. The terrible trio. Anoki, Dyani, and Njeri. Until now, they were almost inseparable."
Simba stopped pacing and looked his wife full in the face. "Together, all three are bad. But there is something about Njeri. She's the most evil of them; I can just feel it. I think there's something going on with her. I think she's up to something. I don't like it."
Again, Nala chuckled quietly.
"Oh, my Simba. You worry too much!"
"Then where was she when the whole incident happened? Why wasn't she there, trying to protect Dyani, the youngest of her sisters? I would have thought she, the oldest of the three, would have been there," the great king countered. Nala had no response. "Come on, let's go to sleep. We're not solving anything by standing here."
*********
All was quiet at Pride Rock. Except...a bit of movement at the very top of the rocks. Slowly, the shadowed form walked down, nimbly leaping from rock to rock without slipping on the rainwater. It stopped on the ledge, in front of the half-asleep form of Anoki. Sensing someone nearby, Anoki was roused into full consciousness. Squinting from the rain, she looked up at the figure in front of her.
"Njeri? Where..." Anoki looked confused.
"Hush, sister. Sleep," the figure of Njeri whispered. She glared into the mouth of Pride Rock, her eyes glowing with a sinister incandescence. Silently, Njeri turned and ran off, into the stormy night. Anoki shook her head in worry. Njeri, her elder sister, had always been somewhat foolish. One day, it would get her in trouble.
********
Njeri ran on through the Pridelands. She had seen the entire incident from the top of Pride Rock, and so she kept her eyes and ears open for signs of the leopard or his cronies, the dogs. Finally, she came to the edge of the Outlands. Looking around to make certain she wasn't followed, Njeri plunged ahead. Suddenly, she skidded to a stop. There in front of her were the sleeping forms of the leopards and the wild dogs. Slowly, carefully, she walked around the group, mentally giving thanks that she was upwind of them, and that the rain covered her scent. She was a fool, but still a master at survival. After another hour of running, she finally stopped in front of a small cave.
"Nuka!" she called into the cave, listening intently for a response. After a minutes wait, she heard a slight, coughing reply.
"Njeri! Is that you?" Nuka gave a faint but familiar insane giggle, "I thought you'd never get here!" Njeri grinned and walked into the cave, shaking water off her fur. "Hey, hey, watch the water!" Nuka scowled.
"It's storming out there. What do you think I'm going to have on me, antelope?" Njeri scowled right back.
"Antelope would be nice. I'm hungry," Nuka whimpered the phrase he had said so many times in the past, managing to sit up.
"Ah, quit your sniveling, Nuka. I brought you your food. It ain't antelope, its only zebra, but it's the best I could do." Njeri threw a zebra thigh wrapped in leaves off her back. "And I can't guarantee the leaves kept it from getting wet. Now eat, and sleep. We have things to talk of tomorrow." She watched Nuka gulp down the zebra meat, and then fall into a fitful slumber. Even in his sleep, he whimpered, kicked, and scratched. Poor Nuka, the lioness thought to herself. Gently, she scratched the top of his head and behind his ears for him. Rejected by everyone, nearly died doing someone else's duty. Huh. He hasn't been the same since the accident. He'll live, but...Njeri sat long into the night, that day playing over again in her mind...
"I'll do it, for you mother!" Nuka had shouted. Finally, he could prove his worth. As he ran up the logs, he could barely suppress his joy. "Mother, are you watching?! I'm doin' this for you, and I'm doin' this for me! This is my moment of glory!" Suddenly, his footing had slipped, causing the logs, as well as himself, to tumble back down to the bottom. Frantically, his mother Zira had dug through the rubble until she found his face.
"Nuka..." Zira said softly. Nuka grinned a loopy grin.
"I'm sorry, mother...I-I tried..." he whispered before succumbing to darkness. Njeri had heard no more of what went on. She, along with her sisters and Vitani, Nuka's sister, could do nothing more than stand around the logs and cry. Njeri did not understand why her sisters Anoki and Dyani cried. They treated Nuka just as Zira had; something to take their anger out on. Only Njeri made friends with Nuka. In fact, as she thought about it, she was Nuka's only friend. They were the same age, and had grown up with many things in common. Hatred for Kovu, for instance. And their moments of insanity were uncanny. Other than her sisters, Njeri felt she was now alone. She turned, snarling, to face Kovu. Kovu! It was that little termite's fault! She saw Zira smack Kovu, and the scar over his eye when she turned back. Njeri was blinded with rage. Vitani, Dyani, and Anoki had to hold her back. There was no doubt in her mind that if they let go, Njeri would kill Kovu.
"No, Njeri. You will have your chance later," Vitani whispered. Njeri slacked a little and watched as her fellow Outlanders stalked off to prepare new plans. Once certain she alone, she turned back to Nuka's body.
"No! Nuka can't be dead; it's not possible! I've survived worse crocodile attacks than that." She plucked a few blades of grass and held it in front of his nostrils, biting the claws of her other paw. Many minutes passed. Njeri had almost given up hope when, could it be?, the grass blades moved with some kind of wind. Quickly, she licked her paw and held it up. There was no wind about! He had to be alive! The lioness frantically dug through the logs, pressing her back up to keep the top logs from falling. It took several hours, but at last she was able to pull Nuka from the mess. She threw his unconscious form upon her back and took him to a small, secret cave they had played in as cubs. There was a small pool of fresh, clean water in it, and no one else knew of it. It would be the perfect place to bring him back to health. She dropped Nuka by the pool, and made sure his head was within easy reach. Before she left, Njeri managed to pour a bit of water down her friend's throat. For the next several months, she would be caring for Nuka, even after she and her sisters were forced to join Simba's pride. No one was to know...
Njeri awoke sometime before dawn. Seeing that Nuka was still asleep, she decided she would wait until later in the day to talk to him. Once more, she scratched behind his ears for him, nuzzled him a bit, and set off back to the Pridelands.