Chapter 3 : Spiraling Down
Sabrea arrived back at the den in the heat of the day. Her father was obviously still out, and probably wouldn't return till early evening.
The young cub collapsed in the entry of the den. She'd run a long way without stopping or ever looking back. The leopards clearly didn't chase her, but it was possible that they might track her later. But what did it matter?
Sabrea knew what death was. She ate, and she knew what happened to her food. It was the way life was, and if you showed pity for your food or spared it's life, you went hungry. Kunda and Cassea had always taught her to respect all life though, and that it must be killed properly with little suffering.
Once, a pack of hyenas had been feasting not far from the den. Sabrea had seen them briefly, and saw how they savagely attacked their prey, eating it alive and prolonging it's suffering indefinitely. That was what the leopards had done to Cassea. It was simply un-feline behavior, and something Sabrea could never fathom. She still couldn't accept reality. Her mother was dead, killed like the prey of a hyena, the most savage of the hunters.
Where would life go from here? She couldn't even think of life without her mother.
After a long time, a single tear slid from Sabrea's eye and soaked into her fur. And then another. The whole idea of being alone began to set in. Sure, she still had her father, but her life was forever changed. It was time for her to grow up, and leave cubhood behind, quickly. Among her sobbing, Sabrea vowed that some day, somehow, the leopards would pay for what they'd done. They would pay.
~
A shadow moved over Sabrea suddenly, and she woke up startled and leaped to the back of the den. It was evening now; she'd fallen asleep in her crying.
"Sabby, relax, it's me," said the figure. Kunda, her father. Sabrea ran to him. "Where's mom?" he asked her. It was unlike Cassea to leave Sabrea alone in the den without being nearby.
"She... she was attacked, by leopards," Sabrea stuttered.
Kunda gasped, taken aback by such a response. "Where?" he demanded. "Where is she now?"
"They let me go... and, and she was... still by the rive..." Sabrea trailed off.
"Sabrea stay here." Kunda said, and turned to leave.
"No, dad. I'm coming with you."
Kunda stopped dead in his tracks. He was in shock by the sudden news, and the command of his daughter. How could everything change so quickly?
"Sabrea you can't," he began, "If they could hurt your mother, they could hurt me too."
"I'd rather be taken by those leopards then starve here by myself." Sabrea snarled.
"Stay here. I mean it." And Kunda took off at a pace Sabrea couldn't follow.
He bounded over the open savanna and into the jungle, following the usual path they'd take. The scent of death permeated the air, only growing stronger as he made his way to the river. Leaves from overgrown plants slapped his face and sticks scratched his skin, but he was numb to it. He began to smell blood, like that of a fresh kill. As he rounded the final bend in the path, he was presented with a sight words could not describe.
Kunda's mind went blank. In that instant he felt nothing. Spread out across the path was the remains of his one true love. He could tell it was Cassea only by the distinct golden spotted patches of fur remaining, unstained by blood. Any of her other traits were hidden in the mess of blood and entrails. She hardly looked feline. She'd been torn apart more savagely then any hyena's kills.
Another scent wafted through the air, not of Cassea. He smelled the blood of another feline. A trail of blood painted the pathway and then turned into the depths of the jungle. Clearly another cat had been drug along the path, removed by its companions. Cassea had not gone without a fight.
Emotions began creeping into Kunda's mind. Hatred, rage, sadness, depression... all rolled into one terrible feeling. He looked away.
Kunda proceeded off the path and into the dense jungle a bit, and began digging. He wanted his love's body to rest in peace. The jungle floor was soft and wet and he could dig into it easily. The dried, caked ground of the open savanna was impossible to dig in. Kunda was able to make a deep enough grave soon. Carefully, he moved Cassea's remains and placed them into the grave. By now the fur on his face was soaked with tears, and the usually kind and proud lion was engulfed in a new kind of emotion; one he'd never felt before.
After Cassea was buried, Kunda walked slowly back towards the den where his daughter awaited.
Night had fallen on the savanna by the time the den was in sight. Kunda's head hung low. It was a cloudy night and there was little to light the way home. Home... it sure didn't feel like home anymore. His Cassea wasn't there.
But yet, Sabrea was still there. She needed him. Kunda sighed deeply. How could he ever raise his daughter alone? The cub would have to give up all her freedoms. She couldn't play when she wanted, and she'd have to keep quiet and well hidden whenever Kunda was out hunting. He worried that Sabrea would become changed for life, and never be the bright, cheerful, intelligent cub that she was supposed to be.
Sabrea had been waiting out in front of the cave. Being alone and outside was against the rules for the cub, but Kunda didn't have it in him to scold her.
Sabrea's eyes followed Kunda's every move, until he finally looked directly at her. He shook his head.
The lion heaved a sigh of depression, and lay down in the back of the cave to sleep. Sabrea crawled under his massive paw. Kunda fell into a shallow sleep quickly, but Sabrea couldn't sleep. She'd slept all day and was not tired.
The young lioness carefully slunk out from under her father's paw and walked to the entrance of the cave. She considered her parent's orders of not leaving the den, but decided that sometimes the rules just don't apply.
Sabrea didn't go far, just outside and up the rocky outcropping of which her family's cave was a part. There she sat quietly and looked up at the sky. The sky was filled with stars, some brighter then others. Off in the distant horizon was a large cloudbank slowly moving away from the savanna. As the tops of the clouds receded, a bright star with a gold tint was revealed.
Sabrea arrived back at the den in the heat of the day. Her father was obviously still out, and probably wouldn't return till early evening.
The young cub collapsed in the entry of the den. She'd run a long way without stopping or ever looking back. The leopards clearly didn't chase her, but it was possible that they might track her later. But what did it matter?
Sabrea knew what death was. She ate, and she knew what happened to her food. It was the way life was, and if you showed pity for your food or spared it's life, you went hungry. Kunda and Cassea had always taught her to respect all life though, and that it must be killed properly with little suffering.
Once, a pack of hyenas had been feasting not far from the den. Sabrea had seen them briefly, and saw how they savagely attacked their prey, eating it alive and prolonging it's suffering indefinitely. That was what the leopards had done to Cassea. It was simply un-feline behavior, and something Sabrea could never fathom. She still couldn't accept reality. Her mother was dead, killed like the prey of a hyena, the most savage of the hunters.
Where would life go from here? She couldn't even think of life without her mother.
After a long time, a single tear slid from Sabrea's eye and soaked into her fur. And then another. The whole idea of being alone began to set in. Sure, she still had her father, but her life was forever changed. It was time for her to grow up, and leave cubhood behind, quickly. Among her sobbing, Sabrea vowed that some day, somehow, the leopards would pay for what they'd done. They would pay.
~
A shadow moved over Sabrea suddenly, and she woke up startled and leaped to the back of the den. It was evening now; she'd fallen asleep in her crying.
"Sabby, relax, it's me," said the figure. Kunda, her father. Sabrea ran to him. "Where's mom?" he asked her. It was unlike Cassea to leave Sabrea alone in the den without being nearby.
"She... she was attacked, by leopards," Sabrea stuttered.
Kunda gasped, taken aback by such a response. "Where?" he demanded. "Where is she now?"
"They let me go... and, and she was... still by the rive..." Sabrea trailed off.
"Sabrea stay here." Kunda said, and turned to leave.
"No, dad. I'm coming with you."
Kunda stopped dead in his tracks. He was in shock by the sudden news, and the command of his daughter. How could everything change so quickly?
"Sabrea you can't," he began, "If they could hurt your mother, they could hurt me too."
"I'd rather be taken by those leopards then starve here by myself." Sabrea snarled.
"Stay here. I mean it." And Kunda took off at a pace Sabrea couldn't follow.
He bounded over the open savanna and into the jungle, following the usual path they'd take. The scent of death permeated the air, only growing stronger as he made his way to the river. Leaves from overgrown plants slapped his face and sticks scratched his skin, but he was numb to it. He began to smell blood, like that of a fresh kill. As he rounded the final bend in the path, he was presented with a sight words could not describe.
Kunda's mind went blank. In that instant he felt nothing. Spread out across the path was the remains of his one true love. He could tell it was Cassea only by the distinct golden spotted patches of fur remaining, unstained by blood. Any of her other traits were hidden in the mess of blood and entrails. She hardly looked feline. She'd been torn apart more savagely then any hyena's kills.
Another scent wafted through the air, not of Cassea. He smelled the blood of another feline. A trail of blood painted the pathway and then turned into the depths of the jungle. Clearly another cat had been drug along the path, removed by its companions. Cassea had not gone without a fight.
Emotions began creeping into Kunda's mind. Hatred, rage, sadness, depression... all rolled into one terrible feeling. He looked away.
Kunda proceeded off the path and into the dense jungle a bit, and began digging. He wanted his love's body to rest in peace. The jungle floor was soft and wet and he could dig into it easily. The dried, caked ground of the open savanna was impossible to dig in. Kunda was able to make a deep enough grave soon. Carefully, he moved Cassea's remains and placed them into the grave. By now the fur on his face was soaked with tears, and the usually kind and proud lion was engulfed in a new kind of emotion; one he'd never felt before.
After Cassea was buried, Kunda walked slowly back towards the den where his daughter awaited.
Night had fallen on the savanna by the time the den was in sight. Kunda's head hung low. It was a cloudy night and there was little to light the way home. Home... it sure didn't feel like home anymore. His Cassea wasn't there.
But yet, Sabrea was still there. She needed him. Kunda sighed deeply. How could he ever raise his daughter alone? The cub would have to give up all her freedoms. She couldn't play when she wanted, and she'd have to keep quiet and well hidden whenever Kunda was out hunting. He worried that Sabrea would become changed for life, and never be the bright, cheerful, intelligent cub that she was supposed to be.
Sabrea had been waiting out in front of the cave. Being alone and outside was against the rules for the cub, but Kunda didn't have it in him to scold her.
Sabrea's eyes followed Kunda's every move, until he finally looked directly at her. He shook his head.
The lion heaved a sigh of depression, and lay down in the back of the cave to sleep. Sabrea crawled under his massive paw. Kunda fell into a shallow sleep quickly, but Sabrea couldn't sleep. She'd slept all day and was not tired.
The young lioness carefully slunk out from under her father's paw and walked to the entrance of the cave. She considered her parent's orders of not leaving the den, but decided that sometimes the rules just don't apply.
Sabrea didn't go far, just outside and up the rocky outcropping of which her family's cave was a part. There she sat quietly and looked up at the sky. The sky was filled with stars, some brighter then others. Off in the distant horizon was a large cloudbank slowly moving away from the savanna. As the tops of the clouds receded, a bright star with a gold tint was revealed.