" Dad?"
" Yes Jahari?" Zenka looked up from his nap. It was late afternoon and the lionesses had gone out hunting for their dinner.
" Why doesn't Mom want us to go to the Pride Lands?"
Zenka sighed, " You're still asking about that?"
Jahari looked down at the ground, " I just want to know a bit more about the King."
" Well, I truly don't know much about him son. Rashid told us he has a child of his own, a cub named Kiara. She'll be about the same age as you and will be our future Queen."
" Oh." Jahari paused, " And does Kiara have any brothers and sisters?"
" Not that I know of." Zenka replied, " Tell me, why the sudden interest?"
Jahari shrugged, " I just don't think it's fair that I can't meet the King that's all."
Zenka had to smile, " I think it's great you have an interest in the monarchy, but the King hasn't got much to do with us. He does not come to these parts of the savannah. In fact, I think he doesn't even know the Heartlands exist."
Jahari couldn't think of anything to say to that.
" Anyway, there's no need for you to be concerned with the Pride Lands. Enjoy your life in the Heartlands. This land is just as beautiful as the Pride Lands…maybe even more so."
" I'm glad I don't live in the Outlands." Jahari commented.
" Yes…count your blessings Jahari."
" How did you and Mom meet?" Jahari changed the subject abruptly.
" You are so curious Jahari." Zenka laughed.
" Rashid won't tell me. He says it's not his place to tell me." Jahari rolled his eyes, " he sure is one weird mandrill."
" He is our healer and you must respect him." Zenka chided him gently.
" I know." Jahari sighed, " So, how did you and mom meet?" he asked again.
" Well…I met her when we were young cubs like you." Zenka reflected.
Jahari couldn't imagine his father being a cub.
" I found her lying near the river banks. She was badly injured from a-from a fall she took. Your grandfather took her home and Rashid healed her."
" Is that why Mom has a limp?" Jahari realised. His mother walked with a slight limp from a broken bone that never healed properly.
" Yes son."
" Then where she did that scar from?"
Another unique feature about his mother was that she had a scar above her left eye that formed a triangle whenever her eyes were closed. It was ugly, but Jahari doesn't say it aloud. He didn't want to hurt her feelings.
" She got from a fight she had with another lioness." Zenka recalled but failed to say who. When she was a cub, she and her sister got into a fight and Annalina had swiped at her eye, causing that scar.
" Wow. Mom's a fighter." Jahari grinned, " I always kind of knew she was tough."
" She is tough. Perhaps tougher than me." Zenka admitted, " and she's a survivor."
" I hope I get to meet somebody one day." Jahari said, " and then you can be a grandfather."
Zenka laughed. " Son, you have a long way to go before any of that happens."
Jahari frowned at him, " Not really. My mane is starting to grow!" he lifted a paw and patted his tuft of black mane proudly.
The small group of lionesses were standing in a tight group chatting. They've caught two antelope and were ready to take them back to the den.
" Two antelopes aren't enough!" Alani told them, " We need to catch a wildebeest."
Zenka's older sister Nadira scowled at her, " Who died and made you boss huh?" she always resented the fact Alani had been accepted into her family when she was a small cub and Zenka gave Alani the role as leader of the lionesses. Nadira had been their leader and Alani took the job away from her.
Nadira looked a lot like her mother; powerfully built with rippling muscles, golden coat and big brown eyes.
" You are fully aware I'm the leader now Nadira." Alani glared at her rival, " You've never accepted it."
Nadira walked right up to Alani until their noses were almost touching. Nadira stared hard into Alani's green eyes, " I'll be leader again someday. Just you wait." She then turned and joined the others.
Alani shuddered. It was if Nadira could see right through her.
Nadira has picked the wrong lioness to mess with! She told herself. She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders, " Get to it then!" she commanded the group. She watched as they broke up and began to stalk the wildebeests. Alani saw a big one nearby and crouched in the tall grass. She wanted that big one; her son would definitely benefit from it.
Alani had to admit; she couldn't hunt as well because of her permanent limp she received from her broken leg. She was slower now and this frustrated her.
Especially since I have to compete with Nadira. She added to herself. The big wildebeest was in close range. She counted to five before springing up and pouncing…but she was too late.
Nadira had caught the wildebeest by the neck with her powerful jaws. She dragged the wildebeest down to the grass and held it by the neck until it stopped squirming.
Alani ran over to her, " I almost had that one!" she shouted at her, " Why did you interfere?"
Nadira looked up from the dead animal, her brown eyes gleaming cruelly, " It looked to me as if you wouldn't have handled this big beast by yourself. Your limp is more…pronounced today."
Alani was so frustrated she could have screamed. Instead, she counted to ten and remained calm, " Fine." She said, " take the wildebeest back to the den. If you can't handle carrying it by yourself, don't come crying to me for help." She smirked and stalked off hearing Nadira mumbling curses under her breath. Alani felt triumphant that she had the last word.
This war between Nadira and I is far from over. Alani thought as she followed the lioness's home, I just hope it won't tear this pride apart!
" Yes Jahari?" Zenka looked up from his nap. It was late afternoon and the lionesses had gone out hunting for their dinner.
" Why doesn't Mom want us to go to the Pride Lands?"
Zenka sighed, " You're still asking about that?"
Jahari looked down at the ground, " I just want to know a bit more about the King."
" Well, I truly don't know much about him son. Rashid told us he has a child of his own, a cub named Kiara. She'll be about the same age as you and will be our future Queen."
" Oh." Jahari paused, " And does Kiara have any brothers and sisters?"
" Not that I know of." Zenka replied, " Tell me, why the sudden interest?"
Jahari shrugged, " I just don't think it's fair that I can't meet the King that's all."
Zenka had to smile, " I think it's great you have an interest in the monarchy, but the King hasn't got much to do with us. He does not come to these parts of the savannah. In fact, I think he doesn't even know the Heartlands exist."
Jahari couldn't think of anything to say to that.
" Anyway, there's no need for you to be concerned with the Pride Lands. Enjoy your life in the Heartlands. This land is just as beautiful as the Pride Lands…maybe even more so."
" I'm glad I don't live in the Outlands." Jahari commented.
" Yes…count your blessings Jahari."
" How did you and Mom meet?" Jahari changed the subject abruptly.
" You are so curious Jahari." Zenka laughed.
" Rashid won't tell me. He says it's not his place to tell me." Jahari rolled his eyes, " he sure is one weird mandrill."
" He is our healer and you must respect him." Zenka chided him gently.
" I know." Jahari sighed, " So, how did you and mom meet?" he asked again.
" Well…I met her when we were young cubs like you." Zenka reflected.
Jahari couldn't imagine his father being a cub.
" I found her lying near the river banks. She was badly injured from a-from a fall she took. Your grandfather took her home and Rashid healed her."
" Is that why Mom has a limp?" Jahari realised. His mother walked with a slight limp from a broken bone that never healed properly.
" Yes son."
" Then where she did that scar from?"
Another unique feature about his mother was that she had a scar above her left eye that formed a triangle whenever her eyes were closed. It was ugly, but Jahari doesn't say it aloud. He didn't want to hurt her feelings.
" She got from a fight she had with another lioness." Zenka recalled but failed to say who. When she was a cub, she and her sister got into a fight and Annalina had swiped at her eye, causing that scar.
" Wow. Mom's a fighter." Jahari grinned, " I always kind of knew she was tough."
" She is tough. Perhaps tougher than me." Zenka admitted, " and she's a survivor."
" I hope I get to meet somebody one day." Jahari said, " and then you can be a grandfather."
Zenka laughed. " Son, you have a long way to go before any of that happens."
Jahari frowned at him, " Not really. My mane is starting to grow!" he lifted a paw and patted his tuft of black mane proudly.
The small group of lionesses were standing in a tight group chatting. They've caught two antelope and were ready to take them back to the den.
" Two antelopes aren't enough!" Alani told them, " We need to catch a wildebeest."
Zenka's older sister Nadira scowled at her, " Who died and made you boss huh?" she always resented the fact Alani had been accepted into her family when she was a small cub and Zenka gave Alani the role as leader of the lionesses. Nadira had been their leader and Alani took the job away from her.
Nadira looked a lot like her mother; powerfully built with rippling muscles, golden coat and big brown eyes.
" You are fully aware I'm the leader now Nadira." Alani glared at her rival, " You've never accepted it."
Nadira walked right up to Alani until their noses were almost touching. Nadira stared hard into Alani's green eyes, " I'll be leader again someday. Just you wait." She then turned and joined the others.
Alani shuddered. It was if Nadira could see right through her.
Nadira has picked the wrong lioness to mess with! She told herself. She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders, " Get to it then!" she commanded the group. She watched as they broke up and began to stalk the wildebeests. Alani saw a big one nearby and crouched in the tall grass. She wanted that big one; her son would definitely benefit from it.
Alani had to admit; she couldn't hunt as well because of her permanent limp she received from her broken leg. She was slower now and this frustrated her.
Especially since I have to compete with Nadira. She added to herself. The big wildebeest was in close range. She counted to five before springing up and pouncing…but she was too late.
Nadira had caught the wildebeest by the neck with her powerful jaws. She dragged the wildebeest down to the grass and held it by the neck until it stopped squirming.
Alani ran over to her, " I almost had that one!" she shouted at her, " Why did you interfere?"
Nadira looked up from the dead animal, her brown eyes gleaming cruelly, " It looked to me as if you wouldn't have handled this big beast by yourself. Your limp is more…pronounced today."
Alani was so frustrated she could have screamed. Instead, she counted to ten and remained calm, " Fine." She said, " take the wildebeest back to the den. If you can't handle carrying it by yourself, don't come crying to me for help." She smirked and stalked off hearing Nadira mumbling curses under her breath. Alani felt triumphant that she had the last word.
This war between Nadira and I is far from over. Alani thought as she followed the lioness's home, I just hope it won't tear this pride apart!