CHAPTER TEN
The following morning, Annalina woke up Linka.
" Where going for a walk," she told him.
" Where to?" Linka asked yawning sleepily.
" I'm going to take you somewhere." Annalina stood up and stretched.
" Where?" Linka repeated.
" It's somewhere you've never been before." Annalina smiled at the intrigued look on her son's face.
" Is Kayla coming?" he asked her.
" This has nothing to do with her. She can stay here and hold the fort." Annalina nudged her son, " Now get a move on."
A while later, Kayla walked back into the den to find her sleeping mother and brother gone. She had woken early to go to the waterhole to bathe since her mother didn't bathe her anymore.
" Mom?" she called, " Where are you?" there was no answer and Kayla wasn't surprised.
Alone again. What else is new? She asked herself.
Linka was gone too.
It gives me time to go and explore the Heartlands again. Kayla told herself. She was sort of hoping to see the male cub again.
Kayla nosed her way through the grass just as she had done a few days again. A familiar scent wafted passed her nose and she crouched low, waiting.
" It's you again." A voice said and she looked up to see the male cub a few feets away.
" Yeah, it's me." Kayla wasn't afraid of him anymore. He couldn't hurt her.
" Wanna play?" the cub asked her.
" Okay but what's your name?"
" Jahari. What's yours?"
" Kayla."
" You're not from the Heartlands." Jahari said, " Where do you live?"
Kayla hesitated. Her mother always told her never to tell strangers about where she lived. If she did, she might inadvertently invite unwanted prides home.
" I can't tell you." She answered at last.
" Why not?" Jahari demanded.
" I just can't that's all." Kayla leaped up suddenly and touched him on the shoulder with her paw, " Tag! You're it!" she started running away from him and Jahari followed in hot purist.
They played tag for a while until Kayla grew tired of the game.
They lay in the tall grass and looked up the bright blue sky. Kayla shivered a little. The wind was getting colder, which mean the rainy season was almost upon them.
" Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Jahari asked suddenly.
" One older brother named Linka." Kayla confirmed, " He's a pain. Mom is always spending time with him and never with me." She didn't mention he was blind.
" Bummer. I'm going to get a new brother or sister soon." Jahari told her glumly, " and I'm gonna hate him. Or her."
" Your Mom and Dad will spend all their time with it," Kayla predicted, " and in the end, they'll forget all about you."
" That's what I'm afraid of." Jahari admitted, " But your brother is older. Isn't he old enough to look after himself?"
" He's…blind." Kayla sighed, " Which is one of the reasons he takes up her time."
Jahari was frowning, " Linka is your bother?"
" I just told you he was. Why?"
" I met him the other day and we played around the lake." Jahari said, " and he fell in and your mom saved him. She was angry with me."
" You met them?" Kayla was surprised, " I didn't know that."
" Linka's kind of a wimp. I'd rather play with you any day." Jahari hesitated,
" And we better not let your mom find out that we're friends."
" Why not?"
" Because your mom does not like me. She blames me for Linka's accident."
" It'll be our secret." Kayla grinned at him, " Friends?"
Jahari nodded solemnly, " Friends."
* * *
" Are we there yet?" Linka was wining and it was grating on Annalina's nerves. She could see Pride Rock in the distance.
" Yes son, we are here." Annalina replied.
" Can we stop? My paws hurt." Linka complained, " and there's dust in my eyes."
Annalina let out a long-suffering sigh and told her son to sit while she cleaned him. She wondered how Kayla was doing on her own. She felt slightly guilty for not telling her daughter of their whereabouts, but what she was planning to do shouldn't take long.
Once Linka was clean, they rested for a few minutes until she stood up and stretched, " I want us to be home before dark." She said to Linka and nudged him in front of her, " Can you smell anything?"
Linka sniffed the air, " I can smell a scent of a male lion." He told her, growling a little.
" Don't be concerned, we are not in any danger. We're going to see this male lion."
" Why? Do you know him?" Linka queried.
Annalina didn't answer and continued heading for Pride Rock.
" Mom?" Linka persisted.
" Yes, I know the lion. He's King Simba."
Linka gasped, " I'm going to meet the King? Wait til Kayla heres about this!"
His mother whirled around to face him and he shrank back, " Don't tell Kayla!" she warned him, " Our meeting with the King has to stay a secret!"
" Okay," Linka murmured, knowing better than to ask her why. He was going to meet the King! This was a day he wasn't going to forget.
" Nala, take Kiara." Simba told Nala urgently. There was a familiar scent in the air; Annalina was back and she had someone with him-a male.
Simba growled and his teeth bared. His young daughter looked frightened as she asked, " Daddy?"
" Go with your mother." He ordered her, " I have to deal with unwanted visitors and this no place for a young cub."
" Simba?" Nala tilted her head, " Is that lioness coming back?"
" Yes." Simba said, " Take Kiara home." His wife and daughter left him in the open plain and they headed for Pride Rock.
Simba had been out walking with his family when that familiar scent wafted through the breeze.
She's got a male with her. What do they want with me?
When Simba was younger and mated with Annalina, he didn't know where she had come from. She never offered any information about herself except she had liked him and he was attracted to her and then…
Simba sighed. He'd been young and stupid enough to mate with a stranger. And now it looked like he was going to pay the price.
He sat down on his hunches and waited. A few minutes later, Annalina appeared and following close behind was a male cub that was about a year or two old.
" Greetings King Simba," Annalina purred and bowed her head. The cub followed suit.
" What do you want?" Simba growled at her.
" I want you to meet my son." Annalina nudged her son forward, " Linka, say hello to King Simba."
" Hi." Linka squeaked, staring up at him. Simba frowned down at him. There was something wrong with the cub's eyes-they were glazed over.
" What does your son have to do with me?" Simba demanded the lioness. The expression on her face looked cunning.
" He has plenty to do with you," Annalina replied, " Look at him Simba." She urged and he did.
Linka had a brownish-gold coat with a reddish-brown mane. He had blue eyes like his mother. In fact, Linka looked an awful lot like him when he was younger.
He closed his eyes for a moment as realization set in. No! It couldn't be!
" Tell me it isn't true." He whispered.
" It's true Simba. This cub that stands before you is your son."
The following morning, Annalina woke up Linka.
" Where going for a walk," she told him.
" Where to?" Linka asked yawning sleepily.
" I'm going to take you somewhere." Annalina stood up and stretched.
" Where?" Linka repeated.
" It's somewhere you've never been before." Annalina smiled at the intrigued look on her son's face.
" Is Kayla coming?" he asked her.
" This has nothing to do with her. She can stay here and hold the fort." Annalina nudged her son, " Now get a move on."
A while later, Kayla walked back into the den to find her sleeping mother and brother gone. She had woken early to go to the waterhole to bathe since her mother didn't bathe her anymore.
" Mom?" she called, " Where are you?" there was no answer and Kayla wasn't surprised.
Alone again. What else is new? She asked herself.
Linka was gone too.
It gives me time to go and explore the Heartlands again. Kayla told herself. She was sort of hoping to see the male cub again.
Kayla nosed her way through the grass just as she had done a few days again. A familiar scent wafted passed her nose and she crouched low, waiting.
" It's you again." A voice said and she looked up to see the male cub a few feets away.
" Yeah, it's me." Kayla wasn't afraid of him anymore. He couldn't hurt her.
" Wanna play?" the cub asked her.
" Okay but what's your name?"
" Jahari. What's yours?"
" Kayla."
" You're not from the Heartlands." Jahari said, " Where do you live?"
Kayla hesitated. Her mother always told her never to tell strangers about where she lived. If she did, she might inadvertently invite unwanted prides home.
" I can't tell you." She answered at last.
" Why not?" Jahari demanded.
" I just can't that's all." Kayla leaped up suddenly and touched him on the shoulder with her paw, " Tag! You're it!" she started running away from him and Jahari followed in hot purist.
They played tag for a while until Kayla grew tired of the game.
They lay in the tall grass and looked up the bright blue sky. Kayla shivered a little. The wind was getting colder, which mean the rainy season was almost upon them.
" Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Jahari asked suddenly.
" One older brother named Linka." Kayla confirmed, " He's a pain. Mom is always spending time with him and never with me." She didn't mention he was blind.
" Bummer. I'm going to get a new brother or sister soon." Jahari told her glumly, " and I'm gonna hate him. Or her."
" Your Mom and Dad will spend all their time with it," Kayla predicted, " and in the end, they'll forget all about you."
" That's what I'm afraid of." Jahari admitted, " But your brother is older. Isn't he old enough to look after himself?"
" He's…blind." Kayla sighed, " Which is one of the reasons he takes up her time."
Jahari was frowning, " Linka is your bother?"
" I just told you he was. Why?"
" I met him the other day and we played around the lake." Jahari said, " and he fell in and your mom saved him. She was angry with me."
" You met them?" Kayla was surprised, " I didn't know that."
" Linka's kind of a wimp. I'd rather play with you any day." Jahari hesitated,
" And we better not let your mom find out that we're friends."
" Why not?"
" Because your mom does not like me. She blames me for Linka's accident."
" It'll be our secret." Kayla grinned at him, " Friends?"
Jahari nodded solemnly, " Friends."
* * *
" Are we there yet?" Linka was wining and it was grating on Annalina's nerves. She could see Pride Rock in the distance.
" Yes son, we are here." Annalina replied.
" Can we stop? My paws hurt." Linka complained, " and there's dust in my eyes."
Annalina let out a long-suffering sigh and told her son to sit while she cleaned him. She wondered how Kayla was doing on her own. She felt slightly guilty for not telling her daughter of their whereabouts, but what she was planning to do shouldn't take long.
Once Linka was clean, they rested for a few minutes until she stood up and stretched, " I want us to be home before dark." She said to Linka and nudged him in front of her, " Can you smell anything?"
Linka sniffed the air, " I can smell a scent of a male lion." He told her, growling a little.
" Don't be concerned, we are not in any danger. We're going to see this male lion."
" Why? Do you know him?" Linka queried.
Annalina didn't answer and continued heading for Pride Rock.
" Mom?" Linka persisted.
" Yes, I know the lion. He's King Simba."
Linka gasped, " I'm going to meet the King? Wait til Kayla heres about this!"
His mother whirled around to face him and he shrank back, " Don't tell Kayla!" she warned him, " Our meeting with the King has to stay a secret!"
" Okay," Linka murmured, knowing better than to ask her why. He was going to meet the King! This was a day he wasn't going to forget.
" Nala, take Kiara." Simba told Nala urgently. There was a familiar scent in the air; Annalina was back and she had someone with him-a male.
Simba growled and his teeth bared. His young daughter looked frightened as she asked, " Daddy?"
" Go with your mother." He ordered her, " I have to deal with unwanted visitors and this no place for a young cub."
" Simba?" Nala tilted her head, " Is that lioness coming back?"
" Yes." Simba said, " Take Kiara home." His wife and daughter left him in the open plain and they headed for Pride Rock.
Simba had been out walking with his family when that familiar scent wafted through the breeze.
She's got a male with her. What do they want with me?
When Simba was younger and mated with Annalina, he didn't know where she had come from. She never offered any information about herself except she had liked him and he was attracted to her and then…
Simba sighed. He'd been young and stupid enough to mate with a stranger. And now it looked like he was going to pay the price.
He sat down on his hunches and waited. A few minutes later, Annalina appeared and following close behind was a male cub that was about a year or two old.
" Greetings King Simba," Annalina purred and bowed her head. The cub followed suit.
" What do you want?" Simba growled at her.
" I want you to meet my son." Annalina nudged her son forward, " Linka, say hello to King Simba."
" Hi." Linka squeaked, staring up at him. Simba frowned down at him. There was something wrong with the cub's eyes-they were glazed over.
" What does your son have to do with me?" Simba demanded the lioness. The expression on her face looked cunning.
" He has plenty to do with you," Annalina replied, " Look at him Simba." She urged and he did.
Linka had a brownish-gold coat with a reddish-brown mane. He had blue eyes like his mother. In fact, Linka looked an awful lot like him when he was younger.
He closed his eyes for a moment as realization set in. No! It couldn't be!
" Tell me it isn't true." He whispered.
" It's true Simba. This cub that stands before you is your son."