Chapter 14: Marked by the past
"Rafiki!" Sarabi called. The old shaman slowed and then turned to look at Sarabi. He smiled warmly as she caught up and caught her breath. "Something is troubling you?" he inquired. Sarabi sighed and looked up to him. She turned to look back toward Pride rock and then back at Rafiki.
"Let's walk and I'll tell you." She said. Rafiki nodded and began to walk once more. Sarabi stood and walked beside him. She told him about Scar's reign, and about Sarafina's death. She told him of how Scar had lied to Nala, how Scar had raped her. Then she told him about Kitoko.
They were almost to Rafiki's tree by then. Rafiki stopped. "He told you to kill her?" he asked. A few tears had slid down Sarabi's cheeks. She nodded. "Did you?" Sarabi shook her head. "No, I-I hid her in your tree." Rafiki nodded. "Yes, she would be safest there." He said.
"Come, let's have a look see." He slowly climbed up into his tree. Sarabi was hesitant. She sighed and then bounded up the tree. With two short bursts she was in the tree and watching Rafiki make his way over to the hole she had put Kitoko in.
Rafiki smiled as he peered down into the hole. Sarabi walked over. "She has her father's pelt," Rafiki noted to himself. Sarabi nodded. The baboon reached in and picked up the little cub. Kitoko smiled and batted at him. Rafiki smiled again and then chuckled. "She is a spunky one." He said. Sarabi smiled and licked her cub. Then Rafiki cocked his head to the side. "Peculiar markings this one has." He said.
He carried her over to where he had some mashed fruit. Then he sat and cradled her. Kitoko however did not want to be cradled. She gave a squeak and rolled, landing on her side in Rafiki's lap. Rafiki gasped as he saw the paw print on her shoulder. "What's this?" he asked as he put a finger on the paw print. Sarabi walked over and sat down beside him.
"What does it mean?" she asked. Rafiki put one hand on his hip and the other under his chin as he thought. A wind swept by, ruffling the white fur around his face. Sarabi smiled. Rafiki nodded. "She has been marked by the Great King's of the past. She will have wisdom beyond her years." Sarabi smiled once more.
"The cuffs on her wrists will give her speed, she will be fleet of foot." Rafiki said, as he spread a bit of fruit over her paws. "And what about her forehead? What does that mean?" Sarabi asked. Rafiki looked up. "She will be smart, and cunning. She will be a great queen." Sarabi gasped. "Rafiki, I-I can't," Sarabi turned away, refusing to cry.
Rafiki rubbed a bit of fruit over Kitoko's forehead before turning to Sarabi. "What are you going to do then?" he asked, already knowing what she was talking about. "I can't tell Simba about this, I think I'll just leave. I'll take Kitoko and we'll go. The pride lands are so full of bad memories now," Sarabi shook her head. "It would be better if I left. I've wanted to leave ever since it first happened," Rafiki nodded, knowing she was talking about Scar raping her.
"It is your choice, but if you leave, you must come back. Kitoko's true place is the pride lands, she is destined to be queen, else she would not be marked by the paws of the past Kings and queens." Sarabi nodded. "I just need to get away, perhaps I will return when the pride lands are lush with green once more and Kitoko has grown." Rafiki nodded. "Do as you wish Sarabi, it is up to you what happens. But do let the King know of your departure?" "I will, thank you Rafiki, and please don't tell him," Rafiki chuckled once more. "Sarabi, that is not for me to tell, when the time comes, you will be the one to tell him." Sarabi nodded.
"Now go, inform you son of what you are planning. I will watch Kitoko for you until you return." Sarabi nodded. She licked Kitoko once more and nuzzled her. Then she smiled at Rafiki and then turned and climbed down out of the tree. Once on the ground, Sarabi gave one last glance up at the tree before running back toward Pride rock.
"Rafiki!" Sarabi called. The old shaman slowed and then turned to look at Sarabi. He smiled warmly as she caught up and caught her breath. "Something is troubling you?" he inquired. Sarabi sighed and looked up to him. She turned to look back toward Pride rock and then back at Rafiki.
"Let's walk and I'll tell you." She said. Rafiki nodded and began to walk once more. Sarabi stood and walked beside him. She told him about Scar's reign, and about Sarafina's death. She told him of how Scar had lied to Nala, how Scar had raped her. Then she told him about Kitoko.
They were almost to Rafiki's tree by then. Rafiki stopped. "He told you to kill her?" he asked. A few tears had slid down Sarabi's cheeks. She nodded. "Did you?" Sarabi shook her head. "No, I-I hid her in your tree." Rafiki nodded. "Yes, she would be safest there." He said.
"Come, let's have a look see." He slowly climbed up into his tree. Sarabi was hesitant. She sighed and then bounded up the tree. With two short bursts she was in the tree and watching Rafiki make his way over to the hole she had put Kitoko in.
Rafiki smiled as he peered down into the hole. Sarabi walked over. "She has her father's pelt," Rafiki noted to himself. Sarabi nodded. The baboon reached in and picked up the little cub. Kitoko smiled and batted at him. Rafiki smiled again and then chuckled. "She is a spunky one." He said. Sarabi smiled and licked her cub. Then Rafiki cocked his head to the side. "Peculiar markings this one has." He said.
He carried her over to where he had some mashed fruit. Then he sat and cradled her. Kitoko however did not want to be cradled. She gave a squeak and rolled, landing on her side in Rafiki's lap. Rafiki gasped as he saw the paw print on her shoulder. "What's this?" he asked as he put a finger on the paw print. Sarabi walked over and sat down beside him.
"What does it mean?" she asked. Rafiki put one hand on his hip and the other under his chin as he thought. A wind swept by, ruffling the white fur around his face. Sarabi smiled. Rafiki nodded. "She has been marked by the Great King's of the past. She will have wisdom beyond her years." Sarabi smiled once more.
"The cuffs on her wrists will give her speed, she will be fleet of foot." Rafiki said, as he spread a bit of fruit over her paws. "And what about her forehead? What does that mean?" Sarabi asked. Rafiki looked up. "She will be smart, and cunning. She will be a great queen." Sarabi gasped. "Rafiki, I-I can't," Sarabi turned away, refusing to cry.
Rafiki rubbed a bit of fruit over Kitoko's forehead before turning to Sarabi. "What are you going to do then?" he asked, already knowing what she was talking about. "I can't tell Simba about this, I think I'll just leave. I'll take Kitoko and we'll go. The pride lands are so full of bad memories now," Sarabi shook her head. "It would be better if I left. I've wanted to leave ever since it first happened," Rafiki nodded, knowing she was talking about Scar raping her.
"It is your choice, but if you leave, you must come back. Kitoko's true place is the pride lands, she is destined to be queen, else she would not be marked by the paws of the past Kings and queens." Sarabi nodded. "I just need to get away, perhaps I will return when the pride lands are lush with green once more and Kitoko has grown." Rafiki nodded. "Do as you wish Sarabi, it is up to you what happens. But do let the King know of your departure?" "I will, thank you Rafiki, and please don't tell him," Rafiki chuckled once more. "Sarabi, that is not for me to tell, when the time comes, you will be the one to tell him." Sarabi nodded.
"Now go, inform you son of what you are planning. I will watch Kitoko for you until you return." Sarabi nodded. She licked Kitoko once more and nuzzled her. Then she smiled at Rafiki and then turned and climbed down out of the tree. Once on the ground, Sarabi gave one last glance up at the tree before running back toward Pride rock.