Chapter 4 : Forgiveness
Kunda never knew Sabrea had been out briefly. The next day he felt too ill to hunt. Eating today wasn't really necessary, but he would have to hunt the next day. However, he decided to get a drink at the waterhole in hopes of feeling slightly better.
Sabrea was finally settled down after a sleepless night, and Kunda decided he could leave for just a few minutes.
There were few animals drinking at the waterhole. The dry season was approaching, and the water had become rather muddy. One wrong move and one could easily be stuck in the mud where death was certain. Kunda made it out to the clearer water by walking carefully on rocks and not stepping in the mud. He began lapping up the water.
A young leopard was in the process of trying to get to the clear water also. Kunda paid little attention to him at first, however after he'd nearly finished his drink, the scent of the leopard became familiar.
Kunda glared at the unknowing leopard. "You..." He snarled in the leopard's direction.
The spotted cat looked up. Kunda saw the traits immediately. Blue-green eyes, black tuft of a mane... an adolescent Kitisho leopard. He looked at the lion menacingly. "What?" he spat out, slowly.
"You and your kind... you murderers!" Kunda accused.
The young leopard backed away, setting his feet on the rocks carefully so not to step in the mud. Kunda snarled at him and approached quicker. The leopard's hind paw slipped off the rock it was on and he stepped into the mud. The sudden slip threw off his balance and he fell completely. He attempted to get up and keep moving away from the angered lion, but he was stuck fast in the mud. Even if he freed himself, he wouldn't be able to outrun the great cat being covered in mud.
"Ok, ok! I give up!" the leopard cried out. He bowed his head, waiting for death. But it did not come.
The spotted cat opened one eye and looked up at the lion slowly. He was glaring at him. "First, I want an explanation. Why was she killed?"
The leopard looked down, and said quietly, "My father's orders. I don't know who she was."
The lion crouched down and looked directly at the leopard's eyes. "Are you sure you know nothing?" he asked slowly.
The leopard looked away, unable to stand the pressure of the interrogation. "Yes! I don't know why my father made us kill so much! He never told us anything! I'm supposed to be the new leader of the Kitisho but I left!"
Kunda was taken aback. "New leader?" he inquired.
"My father was killed. That leopard-lioness killed him. I'm the oldest; I'm the new leader. But I tried to disband the Kitishos. So I left. I don't want to be one of them anymore."
Kunda considered what the leopard had said for a moment. "And how did the cub escape?"
"I let her go and told my brothers not to chase her."
The lion stared at him coldly. "Why?" he asked, in a deep, menacing voice.
"I don't know! I didn't want to kill her! I didn't even assist in the killing of the other one!"
Kunda moved quickly and grabbed the nape of the leopard's neck. The cat gasped, expecting his life to end in a snap. But the lion only dragged him out of the mud and onto the hard, caked ground. The leopard righted himself, and sat there, cowering, not knowing what to expect.
"What's your name?"
A simple question was definitely what the leopard least expected. "Razuma," he answered quietly.
"Well, Razuma, I want to thank you."
Razuma's eyes rose curiously to meet those of Kunda.
"You saved my daughter. And you have turned from your ways. I commend you for it."
"I don't deserve your forgiveness. I turned too late," said the leopard humbly.
"Pick your fights and live with forgiveness," Kunda murmured. "It's something my father taught me."
"I'm grateful for it." Razuma began to stand for the first time. "Your forgiveness I mean..."
"I'm sure you never heard that from your father."
Razuma was a bit taken aback. "Well... no. Not from him any way."
Kunda stared off for a moment. "Go clean that mud off before it hardens." And with that, he turned and departed.
*
Kunda returned to the cave, finding Sabrea restlessly pawing through the nest of dry grass on the dirt floor. She looked up at her father as his shadow blocked out her light.
"I'm sorry you have to stay hidden in here all day, Sabby," he said.
"I understand." Sabrea replied. She stared at her paws as though they were suddenly more fascinating then anything in the world.
Kunda sighed. He didn't want his little daughter to have to understand yet. She was young. She was supposed to give into her desires of playing and enjoying her life. Instead, she'd met the cold hard reality of death and the dangers of the world before her time. Kunda feared that she might never be the same cheerfully happy cub she'd always been.
"Would you like to go for a walk?"
Sabrea looked back up, and shook her head. "I want to just stay in here."
Kunda bit his lip. Now she was probably afraid to go out walking after what had become of her last walk.
"Would you like to just get some fresh air then?" He tried again. "Just outside the den... for a few minutes at least?"
"I guess," Sabrea mumbled. She followed her father out of the den. The afternoon had reached it's peak, and the light was beginning to fade, and the evening breezes picked up. Sabrea and her father stayed outside until the sun began to set. They did not speak a word, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. The stars began to take place in the night sky, including the gold one of the previous evening.
Sabrea watched it for several minutes. She broke the silence.
"Have you ever seen that gold star, dad?"
"Huh? What?" Kunda had been lost in his thoughts.
"Up there, towards the highest hills. There's a gold star I haven't seen before."
Kunda looked at the hills and followed them up. Sure enough, a brilliant star with a tint of gold shone down on them. He and his family spent plenty of time stargazing in the past. Surely he would have noticed it before then. But he hadn't. It was new.
After studying the star for a few moments, Kunda answered, "No, Sabby, I've never seen that one."
"Oh."
The two cats stared at the star until the last light of the sun glowing on the horizon ceased. They said nothing, as no words needed to be said.
Kunda never knew Sabrea had been out briefly. The next day he felt too ill to hunt. Eating today wasn't really necessary, but he would have to hunt the next day. However, he decided to get a drink at the waterhole in hopes of feeling slightly better.
Sabrea was finally settled down after a sleepless night, and Kunda decided he could leave for just a few minutes.
There were few animals drinking at the waterhole. The dry season was approaching, and the water had become rather muddy. One wrong move and one could easily be stuck in the mud where death was certain. Kunda made it out to the clearer water by walking carefully on rocks and not stepping in the mud. He began lapping up the water.
A young leopard was in the process of trying to get to the clear water also. Kunda paid little attention to him at first, however after he'd nearly finished his drink, the scent of the leopard became familiar.
Kunda glared at the unknowing leopard. "You..." He snarled in the leopard's direction.
The spotted cat looked up. Kunda saw the traits immediately. Blue-green eyes, black tuft of a mane... an adolescent Kitisho leopard. He looked at the lion menacingly. "What?" he spat out, slowly.
"You and your kind... you murderers!" Kunda accused.
The young leopard backed away, setting his feet on the rocks carefully so not to step in the mud. Kunda snarled at him and approached quicker. The leopard's hind paw slipped off the rock it was on and he stepped into the mud. The sudden slip threw off his balance and he fell completely. He attempted to get up and keep moving away from the angered lion, but he was stuck fast in the mud. Even if he freed himself, he wouldn't be able to outrun the great cat being covered in mud.
"Ok, ok! I give up!" the leopard cried out. He bowed his head, waiting for death. But it did not come.
The spotted cat opened one eye and looked up at the lion slowly. He was glaring at him. "First, I want an explanation. Why was she killed?"
The leopard looked down, and said quietly, "My father's orders. I don't know who she was."
The lion crouched down and looked directly at the leopard's eyes. "Are you sure you know nothing?" he asked slowly.
The leopard looked away, unable to stand the pressure of the interrogation. "Yes! I don't know why my father made us kill so much! He never told us anything! I'm supposed to be the new leader of the Kitisho but I left!"
Kunda was taken aback. "New leader?" he inquired.
"My father was killed. That leopard-lioness killed him. I'm the oldest; I'm the new leader. But I tried to disband the Kitishos. So I left. I don't want to be one of them anymore."
Kunda considered what the leopard had said for a moment. "And how did the cub escape?"
"I let her go and told my brothers not to chase her."
The lion stared at him coldly. "Why?" he asked, in a deep, menacing voice.
"I don't know! I didn't want to kill her! I didn't even assist in the killing of the other one!"
Kunda moved quickly and grabbed the nape of the leopard's neck. The cat gasped, expecting his life to end in a snap. But the lion only dragged him out of the mud and onto the hard, caked ground. The leopard righted himself, and sat there, cowering, not knowing what to expect.
"What's your name?"
A simple question was definitely what the leopard least expected. "Razuma," he answered quietly.
"Well, Razuma, I want to thank you."
Razuma's eyes rose curiously to meet those of Kunda.
"You saved my daughter. And you have turned from your ways. I commend you for it."
"I don't deserve your forgiveness. I turned too late," said the leopard humbly.
"Pick your fights and live with forgiveness," Kunda murmured. "It's something my father taught me."
"I'm grateful for it." Razuma began to stand for the first time. "Your forgiveness I mean..."
"I'm sure you never heard that from your father."
Razuma was a bit taken aback. "Well... no. Not from him any way."
Kunda stared off for a moment. "Go clean that mud off before it hardens." And with that, he turned and departed.
*
Kunda returned to the cave, finding Sabrea restlessly pawing through the nest of dry grass on the dirt floor. She looked up at her father as his shadow blocked out her light.
"I'm sorry you have to stay hidden in here all day, Sabby," he said.
"I understand." Sabrea replied. She stared at her paws as though they were suddenly more fascinating then anything in the world.
Kunda sighed. He didn't want his little daughter to have to understand yet. She was young. She was supposed to give into her desires of playing and enjoying her life. Instead, she'd met the cold hard reality of death and the dangers of the world before her time. Kunda feared that she might never be the same cheerfully happy cub she'd always been.
"Would you like to go for a walk?"
Sabrea looked back up, and shook her head. "I want to just stay in here."
Kunda bit his lip. Now she was probably afraid to go out walking after what had become of her last walk.
"Would you like to just get some fresh air then?" He tried again. "Just outside the den... for a few minutes at least?"
"I guess," Sabrea mumbled. She followed her father out of the den. The afternoon had reached it's peak, and the light was beginning to fade, and the evening breezes picked up. Sabrea and her father stayed outside until the sun began to set. They did not speak a word, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. The stars began to take place in the night sky, including the gold one of the previous evening.
Sabrea watched it for several minutes. She broke the silence.
"Have you ever seen that gold star, dad?"
"Huh? What?" Kunda had been lost in his thoughts.
"Up there, towards the highest hills. There's a gold star I haven't seen before."
Kunda looked at the hills and followed them up. Sure enough, a brilliant star with a tint of gold shone down on them. He and his family spent plenty of time stargazing in the past. Surely he would have noticed it before then. But he hadn't. It was new.
After studying the star for a few moments, Kunda answered, "No, Sabby, I've never seen that one."
"Oh."
The two cats stared at the star until the last light of the sun glowing on the horizon ceased. They said nothing, as no words needed to be said.