CHAPTER SIXTEEN
" What do you mean he ran off?" Annalina demanded her daughter.
" I tried to stop him Mom," Kayla lied, " I really did. But he's a lot bigger than me and he just…took off."
" I should have seen this coming," Annalina murmured, " After all, he did not wish to become King."
" He told me he'd rather die than to be King." Kayla told her mother helpfully.
" Do you have any idea of where he would go?" Annalina asked her daughter.
" He said he knew a place but didn't tell me the name." Kayla paused, " I'm sorry Mom. I should have tried harder to convince him to stay."
" It is not your fault Kayla." Annalina said but Kayla knew deep down her mother blamed her.
" What are we going to do?"
" I'm going to look for him and bring him back. Then I'll take him to Pride Rock and make Simba accept him."
" What about me?"
" You stay here in case Linka comes back." Annalina said before leaving the den without so much as a goodbye.
Kayla stared after the retreating lioness. What happen to all the attention Annalina was supposed to lavish on Kayla once Linka was gone?
I should have run away too…not that Mom would even notice. Kayla thought then smiled. Why not? She could go and find Jahari. At least he knew she was alive.
* * *
Annalina could smell her son's scent and followed right to the rocky gorge. She walked uphill and looked around. She could also smell Simba's scent mixed in with Linka's.
Had they run into each other here? Had Simba attacked Linka? Annalina wished she knew the answers.
She walked ahead until a something landed in front of her: Simba.
" Get out of my way." Annalina snarled at him.
" Are you looking for your son?" Simba asked her.
" Yes, not that's its any of your business."
" It is my business…especially since you're in my territory." Simba answered,
" Your son was here not that long ago and he told me something that surprised me."
So Simba and Linka had run into each other. " What did he say?"
" That he does not wish to become King…not that it will happen anyway. My daughter Kiara will be Queen."
" Kiara is not your first born, Linka is. Do you know where he went?"
" He went that way," Simba motioned towards the gorge, " He went back into the gorge and headed into the forest."
Annalina glanced over her shoulder. The forest? Annalina felt fear for the first time in ages. The forest was riddled with hyenas...everyone knew the forest belonged to the hyenas.
" Oh no." she whispered, " Linka's in terrible danger." Her face lost its colour and Simba felt worried about his ex mate.
" I'll come with you." He decided, " The hyenas won't attack you with me around."
Annalina paused, " You can come with me on one condition."
Simba was afraid to ask, " What is it?"
" You accept Linka into your pride."
Simba sighed, " I cannot do that."
" Then if you can't accept your son, then you have no rights to help him." And with that, Annalina ran off, into the gorge.
Simba didn't hesitate as he followed her. He was concerned for his son…and even after this, he still won't ever accept him into his pride. Nala wouldn't accept him.
They walked towards the forest and Simba peered in through the trees.
" Can you see anything?" Annalina asked him.
" No…it's a little too quiet in here." Simba walked forward with Annalina close behind him.
After awhile, Simba growled, his teeth bared. Up ahead was a hyena and he had blood around his lips. When he spotted the King, he yelped and ran. Simba chased after him, with Annalina hot on his heels.
" Stop!" King Simba shouted after the hyena and the hyena did so.
" Your Majesty," the hyena said and bowed.
" What is your name hyena?" Simba demanded. He sniffed…he could smell Linka on him.
" Gahiji." The hyena answered.
" Have you seen a young male cub?" Simba asked and glanced over at Annalina. She was crouching low, ready to pounce on Gahiji.
" No." Gahiji lied, " why would a lion travel through here? This forest is forbidden to lions. Even for you King Simba."
" You're lying," Simba growled, " For I can smell his scent and there is blood on your lips."
There was a snarl and a flash of golden fur and before Simba knew what was happening, Annalina had pounced on the hyena and was biting his flesh, " Tell me where my son is!" She shouted at him.
" He's gone!" Gahiji yelped trying to struggle free but Annalina was holding his arm in her mouth.
" My mate and I…we saw him running through here." Gahiji yanked his arm out and howled at the pain, blood was pouring out of his wound, and "We ate him." He told them, his eyes narrowing evilly, " And he was nice and tasty too."
Annalina roared with anguish, leaped off Gahiji and disappeared through some trees.
Simba looked down at the wounded hyena, " We will find you again and avenge my son's death," he told him before chasing after Annalina.
Annalina was standing near something, her head bowed and she was weeping. He walked closer and nearly fainted at the torn and bloody body that had once been his son Linka.
" My poor, sweet boy." Annalina wept as she sank down and nudged at the dead body, " I am so sorry. This is all my fault."
" It's not you fault," Simba refrained himself for not looking away, " You didn't kill him. Those hyenas did."
Annalina wasn't listening to him. She had moved the body closer to hers. The blood was getting into Annalina's fur but she didn't seem to notice.
" Annalina…" Simba couldn't think of anything to say.
" Leave me alone." Annalina whispered.
" But-"
" I said leave me!" Annalina roared, her blue eyes glowing with pain and anguish. Simba turned and fled, his heart heavy with sorrow.
" What do you mean he ran off?" Annalina demanded her daughter.
" I tried to stop him Mom," Kayla lied, " I really did. But he's a lot bigger than me and he just…took off."
" I should have seen this coming," Annalina murmured, " After all, he did not wish to become King."
" He told me he'd rather die than to be King." Kayla told her mother helpfully.
" Do you have any idea of where he would go?" Annalina asked her daughter.
" He said he knew a place but didn't tell me the name." Kayla paused, " I'm sorry Mom. I should have tried harder to convince him to stay."
" It is not your fault Kayla." Annalina said but Kayla knew deep down her mother blamed her.
" What are we going to do?"
" I'm going to look for him and bring him back. Then I'll take him to Pride Rock and make Simba accept him."
" What about me?"
" You stay here in case Linka comes back." Annalina said before leaving the den without so much as a goodbye.
Kayla stared after the retreating lioness. What happen to all the attention Annalina was supposed to lavish on Kayla once Linka was gone?
I should have run away too…not that Mom would even notice. Kayla thought then smiled. Why not? She could go and find Jahari. At least he knew she was alive.
* * *
Annalina could smell her son's scent and followed right to the rocky gorge. She walked uphill and looked around. She could also smell Simba's scent mixed in with Linka's.
Had they run into each other here? Had Simba attacked Linka? Annalina wished she knew the answers.
She walked ahead until a something landed in front of her: Simba.
" Get out of my way." Annalina snarled at him.
" Are you looking for your son?" Simba asked her.
" Yes, not that's its any of your business."
" It is my business…especially since you're in my territory." Simba answered,
" Your son was here not that long ago and he told me something that surprised me."
So Simba and Linka had run into each other. " What did he say?"
" That he does not wish to become King…not that it will happen anyway. My daughter Kiara will be Queen."
" Kiara is not your first born, Linka is. Do you know where he went?"
" He went that way," Simba motioned towards the gorge, " He went back into the gorge and headed into the forest."
Annalina glanced over her shoulder. The forest? Annalina felt fear for the first time in ages. The forest was riddled with hyenas...everyone knew the forest belonged to the hyenas.
" Oh no." she whispered, " Linka's in terrible danger." Her face lost its colour and Simba felt worried about his ex mate.
" I'll come with you." He decided, " The hyenas won't attack you with me around."
Annalina paused, " You can come with me on one condition."
Simba was afraid to ask, " What is it?"
" You accept Linka into your pride."
Simba sighed, " I cannot do that."
" Then if you can't accept your son, then you have no rights to help him." And with that, Annalina ran off, into the gorge.
Simba didn't hesitate as he followed her. He was concerned for his son…and even after this, he still won't ever accept him into his pride. Nala wouldn't accept him.
They walked towards the forest and Simba peered in through the trees.
" Can you see anything?" Annalina asked him.
" No…it's a little too quiet in here." Simba walked forward with Annalina close behind him.
After awhile, Simba growled, his teeth bared. Up ahead was a hyena and he had blood around his lips. When he spotted the King, he yelped and ran. Simba chased after him, with Annalina hot on his heels.
" Stop!" King Simba shouted after the hyena and the hyena did so.
" Your Majesty," the hyena said and bowed.
" What is your name hyena?" Simba demanded. He sniffed…he could smell Linka on him.
" Gahiji." The hyena answered.
" Have you seen a young male cub?" Simba asked and glanced over at Annalina. She was crouching low, ready to pounce on Gahiji.
" No." Gahiji lied, " why would a lion travel through here? This forest is forbidden to lions. Even for you King Simba."
" You're lying," Simba growled, " For I can smell his scent and there is blood on your lips."
There was a snarl and a flash of golden fur and before Simba knew what was happening, Annalina had pounced on the hyena and was biting his flesh, " Tell me where my son is!" She shouted at him.
" He's gone!" Gahiji yelped trying to struggle free but Annalina was holding his arm in her mouth.
" My mate and I…we saw him running through here." Gahiji yanked his arm out and howled at the pain, blood was pouring out of his wound, and "We ate him." He told them, his eyes narrowing evilly, " And he was nice and tasty too."
Annalina roared with anguish, leaped off Gahiji and disappeared through some trees.
Simba looked down at the wounded hyena, " We will find you again and avenge my son's death," he told him before chasing after Annalina.
Annalina was standing near something, her head bowed and she was weeping. He walked closer and nearly fainted at the torn and bloody body that had once been his son Linka.
" My poor, sweet boy." Annalina wept as she sank down and nudged at the dead body, " I am so sorry. This is all my fault."
" It's not you fault," Simba refrained himself for not looking away, " You didn't kill him. Those hyenas did."
Annalina wasn't listening to him. She had moved the body closer to hers. The blood was getting into Annalina's fur but she didn't seem to notice.
" Annalina…" Simba couldn't think of anything to say.
" Leave me alone." Annalina whispered.
" But-"
" I said leave me!" Annalina roared, her blue eyes glowing with pain and anguish. Simba turned and fled, his heart heavy with sorrow.