CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Linka knew the way to the Heartlands. That was where he wanted to go. His mother didn't know about the Heartlands and would never find him…he hoped.
He left the Outlands and was walking down hill, which lead him into a rocky gorge. He walked through the rocky gorge and found himself walking uphill when he heard a low growling noise.
A male lion was standing on top, looking down at the cub. He growled at the cub again, making him stop in his tracks.
" Who's there?" the cub asked.
" It is King Simba and I order you stop." Simba commanded the cub.
" Why?" the cub asked.
" I am the King and you have to do as I ask." The King paused, " And you're in my territory so I order you to leave."
Linka squared his shoulders. He wasn't afraid of the King, " Make me." He challenged.
Simba growled at him, ready to pounce but something stopped him. The cub was helpless and alone…and blind. Simba's son was blind. How could Simba attack him?
" Go back home." King Simba said finally, " You are not wanted here." He turned to leave but the cub scampered up the hill.
" Please sir, but there's something I have to tell you."
" What is it?"
" Mother may want me to be the next King, but I have no desire to be King. So I'm running away from home."
" You don't want to be King?"
" No." Linka shook his head resolutely, " I'd rather die than be King."
Simba pondered on this. " If what you tell me is true then I cannot let you go wandering off by yourself. It'll be dark soon and the night gets very dangerous." He paused, " You're coming home with me."
" Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather not."
" Where were you planning to go then?" Simba demanded him.
" I know a place. I'm not going home with you King Simba. You won't accept me as your son, so why should your pride accept me?"
Linka had a point.
" All right. But make sure you find this place before dark." Simba warned, " The predators come out at night."
" Okay. Thanks King Simba." Linka turned around and scampered back down the hill and ran along the gorge until Simba could no longer see him.
And Simba hoped he wouldn't see him again.
* * *
" Look at that," a hyena stepped out of the shadows, " I see a cub running and he's alone."
The second hyena licked his chops, " I'm so hungry…let's get him!" the two hyenas gave chase, startling the young cub.
Linka ran… he had smelled those two hyenas and they had come out nowhere. He ran towards the forest and something grabbed him by the ankle. He tripped and landed on the ground with a thud.
Some vine had wrapped itself around his ankle and the more he struggled, the worse it became.
The hyenas were close and he tried begging them.
" Please don't eat me!" he said, " I'm…not big enough for the two of you!"
" Sorry cub, but you are ours." The first hyena replied. Linka closed his eyes as the hyena pounced on him, biting hard into his flesh.
A hot searing pain coursed through his small body, then everything went black.
Linka knew the way to the Heartlands. That was where he wanted to go. His mother didn't know about the Heartlands and would never find him…he hoped.
He left the Outlands and was walking down hill, which lead him into a rocky gorge. He walked through the rocky gorge and found himself walking uphill when he heard a low growling noise.
A male lion was standing on top, looking down at the cub. He growled at the cub again, making him stop in his tracks.
" Who's there?" the cub asked.
" It is King Simba and I order you stop." Simba commanded the cub.
" Why?" the cub asked.
" I am the King and you have to do as I ask." The King paused, " And you're in my territory so I order you to leave."
Linka squared his shoulders. He wasn't afraid of the King, " Make me." He challenged.
Simba growled at him, ready to pounce but something stopped him. The cub was helpless and alone…and blind. Simba's son was blind. How could Simba attack him?
" Go back home." King Simba said finally, " You are not wanted here." He turned to leave but the cub scampered up the hill.
" Please sir, but there's something I have to tell you."
" What is it?"
" Mother may want me to be the next King, but I have no desire to be King. So I'm running away from home."
" You don't want to be King?"
" No." Linka shook his head resolutely, " I'd rather die than be King."
Simba pondered on this. " If what you tell me is true then I cannot let you go wandering off by yourself. It'll be dark soon and the night gets very dangerous." He paused, " You're coming home with me."
" Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather not."
" Where were you planning to go then?" Simba demanded him.
" I know a place. I'm not going home with you King Simba. You won't accept me as your son, so why should your pride accept me?"
Linka had a point.
" All right. But make sure you find this place before dark." Simba warned, " The predators come out at night."
" Okay. Thanks King Simba." Linka turned around and scampered back down the hill and ran along the gorge until Simba could no longer see him.
And Simba hoped he wouldn't see him again.
* * *
" Look at that," a hyena stepped out of the shadows, " I see a cub running and he's alone."
The second hyena licked his chops, " I'm so hungry…let's get him!" the two hyenas gave chase, startling the young cub.
Linka ran… he had smelled those two hyenas and they had come out nowhere. He ran towards the forest and something grabbed him by the ankle. He tripped and landed on the ground with a thud.
Some vine had wrapped itself around his ankle and the more he struggled, the worse it became.
The hyenas were close and he tried begging them.
" Please don't eat me!" he said, " I'm…not big enough for the two of you!"
" Sorry cub, but you are ours." The first hyena replied. Linka closed his eyes as the hyena pounced on him, biting hard into his flesh.
A hot searing pain coursed through his small body, then everything went black.