CHAPTER THREE
The day was hot. Scar heard Alani panting beside him, " We are almost there." He told her, " Look. Can you see it?"
" No…the sun is too bright." Alani shook her head.
Ten minutes later, they were there. Alani looked at the lake in awe. It was beautiful-big, round and the water was a deep blue. There were shady trees all around it and a few bushes with flowers. She saw two giraffes bending their long necks to take a drink.
Alani decided to do the same. She ran towards the lake and dunked her whole head into the water and resurfaced laughing. She looked back at Scar who was looking at her oddly.
" C'mon Dad!" she encouraged him, " Just do what I did! Dunk your head it in!"
" I don't think so," he shook his head, black mane ruffling in the breeze.
" Aw, why not?" Alani grinned, " It's nice and cool." She dunked her head again and almost fell in. Scar grabbed her by the tail and gently pulled her away from the edge.
" Don't do that!" she spluttered, " You know I don't like my tail being pulled." She frowned indignantly at him.
" Go and explore," Scar ignored her frown, " I'll be resting in the shade."
" Okay." She hesitated, " What if a hyena came?" she shivered. She hated hyenas. She saw plenty in the Outlands. And for some reason, her father tolerated them.
" They won't hurt you," he assured her, " I've warned the hyenas not go to near my daughters or they'll be eaten for dinner."
She looked doubtful. She couldn't picture her dad killing a hyena-or anything for that matter. He was too skinny and always complained of a bad back. He often reminded her that when it comes to the brains he had the lion's share; but when it came to brute strength…he was in the shallow end of the gene pool.
Alani explored the lake while Scar rested under a tree. She was about to take another drink when a large shadow loomed over her. She looked up and gasped. A huge lion with a brown coat, brown mane and yellow eyes was looking down at her with a frown.
" Who-who are you?" She whispered hunkering down to the ground. She felt intimidated by this big lion.
" I am King Mufasa," the lion answered, " And what is your name?"
Alani started to tell him but stopped. Don't talk to strangers, a voice whispered in her ear.
" I have to go," she blurted and ran for her life towards her father. She looked over her shoulder and to her surprise, the lion was gone.
" Dad!" she cried and he looked up. Her daughter looked scared; her eyes were wide.
" What's the matter? Is there a hyena?" he looked around, " I can't see any."
" I saw him," she said.
" Saw who?" Scar demanded.
" King Mufasa." She whispered, " I was drinking from the lake and he sort of crept up behind me."
Mufasa was here? Scar looked towards the lake again but saw no sign of his brother. " Are you sure it was him?" he asked Alani, " because Mufasa never sets a paw in these lands."
" It was him daddy. He told me so. He asked for my name but I didn't tell him. You always told me not to talk to strangers."
" Good idea," Scar paused. It would be a terrible fate if Mufasa discovered his younger brother had a secret pride.
That's it, Scar thought; it's time for me to turn my plans into action!
The day was hot. Scar heard Alani panting beside him, " We are almost there." He told her, " Look. Can you see it?"
" No…the sun is too bright." Alani shook her head.
Ten minutes later, they were there. Alani looked at the lake in awe. It was beautiful-big, round and the water was a deep blue. There were shady trees all around it and a few bushes with flowers. She saw two giraffes bending their long necks to take a drink.
Alani decided to do the same. She ran towards the lake and dunked her whole head into the water and resurfaced laughing. She looked back at Scar who was looking at her oddly.
" C'mon Dad!" she encouraged him, " Just do what I did! Dunk your head it in!"
" I don't think so," he shook his head, black mane ruffling in the breeze.
" Aw, why not?" Alani grinned, " It's nice and cool." She dunked her head again and almost fell in. Scar grabbed her by the tail and gently pulled her away from the edge.
" Don't do that!" she spluttered, " You know I don't like my tail being pulled." She frowned indignantly at him.
" Go and explore," Scar ignored her frown, " I'll be resting in the shade."
" Okay." She hesitated, " What if a hyena came?" she shivered. She hated hyenas. She saw plenty in the Outlands. And for some reason, her father tolerated them.
" They won't hurt you," he assured her, " I've warned the hyenas not go to near my daughters or they'll be eaten for dinner."
She looked doubtful. She couldn't picture her dad killing a hyena-or anything for that matter. He was too skinny and always complained of a bad back. He often reminded her that when it comes to the brains he had the lion's share; but when it came to brute strength…he was in the shallow end of the gene pool.
Alani explored the lake while Scar rested under a tree. She was about to take another drink when a large shadow loomed over her. She looked up and gasped. A huge lion with a brown coat, brown mane and yellow eyes was looking down at her with a frown.
" Who-who are you?" She whispered hunkering down to the ground. She felt intimidated by this big lion.
" I am King Mufasa," the lion answered, " And what is your name?"
Alani started to tell him but stopped. Don't talk to strangers, a voice whispered in her ear.
" I have to go," she blurted and ran for her life towards her father. She looked over her shoulder and to her surprise, the lion was gone.
" Dad!" she cried and he looked up. Her daughter looked scared; her eyes were wide.
" What's the matter? Is there a hyena?" he looked around, " I can't see any."
" I saw him," she said.
" Saw who?" Scar demanded.
" King Mufasa." She whispered, " I was drinking from the lake and he sort of crept up behind me."
Mufasa was here? Scar looked towards the lake again but saw no sign of his brother. " Are you sure it was him?" he asked Alani, " because Mufasa never sets a paw in these lands."
" It was him daddy. He told me so. He asked for my name but I didn't tell him. You always told me not to talk to strangers."
" Good idea," Scar paused. It would be a terrible fate if Mufasa discovered his younger brother had a secret pride.
That's it, Scar thought; it's time for me to turn my plans into action!