CHAPTER THIRTEEN
" You can't hurt me," Alani told her, " how can you hurt someone carrying an unborn child?"
" I've been wanting to get rid of you for years." Nadira went on, ignoring Alani, " and now the time has come!"
" You're bluffing," Alani, replied, " You're not going to do anything."
" Oh, am I?" and Nadira smiled, her eyes glittering evilly. Alani noticed Nadira's claws were extended and they looked sharp.
A memory swept over Alani so suddenly, that Alani gasped with surprise…
" You know what I think? I think you are jealous. Jealous of me becoming a Queen and you'll won't be anybody! You'll be a nobody!"
" I wouldn't want to be a Queen if I had the chance," Alani shot back, " Being Queen sounds boring. All those responsibilities."
" Being the Queen will not be boring. And you'll never boss me around again because I get to tell everyone what to do." Annalina grinned slyly, " in fact, I could even force you to stay here in the Outlands while Mom, Dad and I will go live in the Pride Lands."
" You wouldn't. Daddy won't let you."
" He probably won't," Annalina had to agree with that one, " I might be the one to be Queen, but you're daddy's favourite. Daddy's little girl. Goody-two-shoes!"
" You take that back!" Alani shouted, her temper getting the better of her.
" Make me!" Annalina countered, " You are goody-two-shoes and a wimp. Just like dad."
" Leave me alone." Alani said and ran. She heard her sister run after her.
" Get back here!" Annalina screamed. Annalina pounced on her sister's back, forcing her to collapse to the ground under the weight. Alani used her legs to kick her off and rolled onto her back.
Annalina was coming for her, claws out. Annalina swiped at Alani's face and Alani winced at the searing pain. She felt blood trickle down her face.
Alani was jolted back into reality when she heard growling, " Alani? Are you still with me?"
" Huh?" Alani glanced over at Nadira.
" I'll be fair. I've decided to give you a head start."
" Nadira, I don't want to fight. Lionesses don't fight, only male lions."
" This particular lioness does fight. I'll count to ten and you run." Nadira started counting. She was up to two when Alani released Nadira was serious. She turned and started to run.
Nadira was a fast runner and was easily catching up to Alani. Up ahead, Alani could see a cliff that had a sharp drop to the rocky gorge down below.
Nadira was hot on her heels, she was so close, and Alani could hear her panting. She swerved to avoid going over the cliff; but Nadira didn't see it-she fell over the edge and somehow managed to grab onto it with her claws.
" Alani, help me." She whispered her face growing pale. Her claws slipped a bit and a few loose rocks fell into the rocky gorge. Alani winced. Another memory swept over her…
Alani ran down the path and skidded around a bush and kept going. She was puffed already but wasn't about to stop and get eaten.
Alani felt betrayed. Here she was worrying about betraying her father when all along, he was plotting to betray her. Well, she wasn't sorry about heading to Pride Rock.
It looked like she wasn't going to make it anyway.
She ran through a small thicket, the thorny branches giving her scratches. She heard the two hyenas behind her. They were getting close and were relentless.
Alani ran on and came to a sudden halt. She was at the edge of a cliff. She looked down and saw a very sharp drop into the river below. It was either die here or drown….
" Alani!" Nadira cried out, " What are you doing, sleeping? Help me for pete's sake!"
Alani looked down at her. Nadira was slipping every few inches and it wouldn't be long until she will plummet into the gorge below…just as King Mufasa did many years ago.
" Why should I help you?" Alani challenged her, " After all, you wanted to get rid of me. Why should I save you so that you can finish the job?"
The cold hatred that had been in Nadira's eyes in all the years they had known each other was now replaced by fear.
Nadira's claws slipped again, " I'm gonna loose my grip!" Nadira's legs kicked as she tried to pull herself up. Alani crouched and reached down and sank her claws deep into Nadira's paws. Nadira yelped with pain and looked up at Alani, " What are you doing?"
" Helping you." Alani said but deep down was thinking: so you can see what it is like to be in pain, and with all her might, pulled her sister-in-law upwards. Nadira yelped as Alani's claws sank in deeper into her paws, but it was the only way Alani could grab a hold of Nadira.
Nadira was now safely lying on the ground, trembling with pain and fright. There were four small puncture wounds on each paw that were bleeding.
" Let's get you home and cleaned up." Alani said, " I'm sure Rashid would have something to for those wounds."
Nadira got up painfully, " You won't tell anyone about our little…chase will you?"
" Well, how are we supposed to tell them how you got those holes?" Alani demanded, nodding at Nadira's bleeding paws.
" I'll just tell him a porcupine attacked me." Nadira thought quickly, " Thanks Alani. You saved my life and for that, I owe you."
Yes Nadira. You do owe me-you owe me your life.
" You can't hurt me," Alani told her, " how can you hurt someone carrying an unborn child?"
" I've been wanting to get rid of you for years." Nadira went on, ignoring Alani, " and now the time has come!"
" You're bluffing," Alani, replied, " You're not going to do anything."
" Oh, am I?" and Nadira smiled, her eyes glittering evilly. Alani noticed Nadira's claws were extended and they looked sharp.
A memory swept over Alani so suddenly, that Alani gasped with surprise…
" You know what I think? I think you are jealous. Jealous of me becoming a Queen and you'll won't be anybody! You'll be a nobody!"
" I wouldn't want to be a Queen if I had the chance," Alani shot back, " Being Queen sounds boring. All those responsibilities."
" Being the Queen will not be boring. And you'll never boss me around again because I get to tell everyone what to do." Annalina grinned slyly, " in fact, I could even force you to stay here in the Outlands while Mom, Dad and I will go live in the Pride Lands."
" You wouldn't. Daddy won't let you."
" He probably won't," Annalina had to agree with that one, " I might be the one to be Queen, but you're daddy's favourite. Daddy's little girl. Goody-two-shoes!"
" You take that back!" Alani shouted, her temper getting the better of her.
" Make me!" Annalina countered, " You are goody-two-shoes and a wimp. Just like dad."
" Leave me alone." Alani said and ran. She heard her sister run after her.
" Get back here!" Annalina screamed. Annalina pounced on her sister's back, forcing her to collapse to the ground under the weight. Alani used her legs to kick her off and rolled onto her back.
Annalina was coming for her, claws out. Annalina swiped at Alani's face and Alani winced at the searing pain. She felt blood trickle down her face.
Alani was jolted back into reality when she heard growling, " Alani? Are you still with me?"
" Huh?" Alani glanced over at Nadira.
" I'll be fair. I've decided to give you a head start."
" Nadira, I don't want to fight. Lionesses don't fight, only male lions."
" This particular lioness does fight. I'll count to ten and you run." Nadira started counting. She was up to two when Alani released Nadira was serious. She turned and started to run.
Nadira was a fast runner and was easily catching up to Alani. Up ahead, Alani could see a cliff that had a sharp drop to the rocky gorge down below.
Nadira was hot on her heels, she was so close, and Alani could hear her panting. She swerved to avoid going over the cliff; but Nadira didn't see it-she fell over the edge and somehow managed to grab onto it with her claws.
" Alani, help me." She whispered her face growing pale. Her claws slipped a bit and a few loose rocks fell into the rocky gorge. Alani winced. Another memory swept over her…
Alani ran down the path and skidded around a bush and kept going. She was puffed already but wasn't about to stop and get eaten.
Alani felt betrayed. Here she was worrying about betraying her father when all along, he was plotting to betray her. Well, she wasn't sorry about heading to Pride Rock.
It looked like she wasn't going to make it anyway.
She ran through a small thicket, the thorny branches giving her scratches. She heard the two hyenas behind her. They were getting close and were relentless.
Alani ran on and came to a sudden halt. She was at the edge of a cliff. She looked down and saw a very sharp drop into the river below. It was either die here or drown….
" Alani!" Nadira cried out, " What are you doing, sleeping? Help me for pete's sake!"
Alani looked down at her. Nadira was slipping every few inches and it wouldn't be long until she will plummet into the gorge below…just as King Mufasa did many years ago.
" Why should I help you?" Alani challenged her, " After all, you wanted to get rid of me. Why should I save you so that you can finish the job?"
The cold hatred that had been in Nadira's eyes in all the years they had known each other was now replaced by fear.
Nadira's claws slipped again, " I'm gonna loose my grip!" Nadira's legs kicked as she tried to pull herself up. Alani crouched and reached down and sank her claws deep into Nadira's paws. Nadira yelped with pain and looked up at Alani, " What are you doing?"
" Helping you." Alani said but deep down was thinking: so you can see what it is like to be in pain, and with all her might, pulled her sister-in-law upwards. Nadira yelped as Alani's claws sank in deeper into her paws, but it was the only way Alani could grab a hold of Nadira.
Nadira was now safely lying on the ground, trembling with pain and fright. There were four small puncture wounds on each paw that were bleeding.
" Let's get you home and cleaned up." Alani said, " I'm sure Rashid would have something to for those wounds."
Nadira got up painfully, " You won't tell anyone about our little…chase will you?"
" Well, how are we supposed to tell them how you got those holes?" Alani demanded, nodding at Nadira's bleeding paws.
" I'll just tell him a porcupine attacked me." Nadira thought quickly, " Thanks Alani. You saved my life and for that, I owe you."
Yes Nadira. You do owe me-you owe me your life.