Chapter 2: A new friend
It had been about two months since Sarabi had left her previous home. Kitoko had grown and had become a very curious young lioness.
The day was clear and a slight breeze swept through the jungle. Sarabi and Kitoko were sitting near the water, Kitoko playing in the water and Sarabi relaxing. Kitoko stared at her reflection, admiring it. She smiled. "Mom, can I go upstream some?" she asked. Sarabi opened her eyes. "Sure, just don't go to far ok? I want to be able to see you, or at least know where you are." Kitoko nodded.
She then bounded up the bank. She rounded a bend and then slipped. "Ouch," she said, examining her paw. She licked it and then looked around. It was a nice spot. She stretched and then crossed the stream to the other side. There she climbed up onto a rock that she found was perfect for sunbathing. Kitoko smiled and then looked around again.
Something in the leaves on the opposite side of the rock attracted her. She got up and peeked over, holding her rump in the air as she investigated it. The leaves were shaking, and she was sure she heard moaning. Kitoko cocked her head and then brushed off a few of the leaves. Sure enough, there underneath the leaves was a cub about her age. He was wet and appeared to be cold. His coat was charcoal gray in color, with beige paws, underbelly and muzzle.
Kitoko gasped. "Mommy!" she yelled. Sarabi's ears perked up and she rose to her feet and bounded up the stream to where Kitoko stood on the rock. She walked around and saw the cub. "Oh my," she said, using her paw to get the cub away from the boulder. "Come Kitoko, let's go to the den." Sarabi said, picking up the cub and carrying it.
Kitoko followed her mother back to the tree trunk known as the den. There, Sarabi lay the other cub down and curled up around him. She licked him and then began to bathe him. After a while he seemed more aware of his surroundings. "Mm-om?" he murmured as Sarabi ran her rough tongue over his wet head.
Sarabi stopped a minute. "No dear, I don't know where your mother is." The cub looked around until his eyes settled on Sarabi. He sighed. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around once more. "You are in a jungle. I'm not sure how you got here though." Sarabi replied. The cub nodded.
Kitoko stepped forward. "What's your name?" She asked. The cub looked over to her. "Raimi." He replied. Kitoko nodded. "I'm Kitoko, and that's my Mom." Raimi nodded. "How did you come to this place? Do you know?" Sarabi asked gently.
"My mom and I were trying to outrun these other lions. They were males and they were trying to hurt me. Mom told me to run as far as I could, and that she would get me as soon as possible. So I ran and ran and ran. I ran up a hill and then I tripped and went rolling down the other side. I landed in a river and almost drowned. The river carried me to your stream, where I curled up beside that rock." Sarabi nodded.
"Well, we'll try and find your mom, if we can't, then you're welcome to stay with us, ok?" Raimi nodded. Kitoko smiled wide. "Yay! I have a new friend to play with!" she exclaimed. Raimi smiled. But he was exhausted and didn't feel much like playing. Instead he curled up beside Sarabi and fell asleep. Kitoko yawned and curled up in between her mother's paws, glad she was still small enough to do so.
Sarabi sighed. It was good to be a mother again. She sighed as she looked up at the night sky, a bright star was twinkling. She knew it was Mufasa, watching over her. Sure, she could find new love, but her heart was true to Mufasa, and Mufasa only. For now, she would watch over the cubs, and she would cross other bridges when she got to them.
It had been about two months since Sarabi had left her previous home. Kitoko had grown and had become a very curious young lioness.
The day was clear and a slight breeze swept through the jungle. Sarabi and Kitoko were sitting near the water, Kitoko playing in the water and Sarabi relaxing. Kitoko stared at her reflection, admiring it. She smiled. "Mom, can I go upstream some?" she asked. Sarabi opened her eyes. "Sure, just don't go to far ok? I want to be able to see you, or at least know where you are." Kitoko nodded.
She then bounded up the bank. She rounded a bend and then slipped. "Ouch," she said, examining her paw. She licked it and then looked around. It was a nice spot. She stretched and then crossed the stream to the other side. There she climbed up onto a rock that she found was perfect for sunbathing. Kitoko smiled and then looked around again.
Something in the leaves on the opposite side of the rock attracted her. She got up and peeked over, holding her rump in the air as she investigated it. The leaves were shaking, and she was sure she heard moaning. Kitoko cocked her head and then brushed off a few of the leaves. Sure enough, there underneath the leaves was a cub about her age. He was wet and appeared to be cold. His coat was charcoal gray in color, with beige paws, underbelly and muzzle.
Kitoko gasped. "Mommy!" she yelled. Sarabi's ears perked up and she rose to her feet and bounded up the stream to where Kitoko stood on the rock. She walked around and saw the cub. "Oh my," she said, using her paw to get the cub away from the boulder. "Come Kitoko, let's go to the den." Sarabi said, picking up the cub and carrying it.
Kitoko followed her mother back to the tree trunk known as the den. There, Sarabi lay the other cub down and curled up around him. She licked him and then began to bathe him. After a while he seemed more aware of his surroundings. "Mm-om?" he murmured as Sarabi ran her rough tongue over his wet head.
Sarabi stopped a minute. "No dear, I don't know where your mother is." The cub looked around until his eyes settled on Sarabi. He sighed. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around once more. "You are in a jungle. I'm not sure how you got here though." Sarabi replied. The cub nodded.
Kitoko stepped forward. "What's your name?" She asked. The cub looked over to her. "Raimi." He replied. Kitoko nodded. "I'm Kitoko, and that's my Mom." Raimi nodded. "How did you come to this place? Do you know?" Sarabi asked gently.
"My mom and I were trying to outrun these other lions. They were males and they were trying to hurt me. Mom told me to run as far as I could, and that she would get me as soon as possible. So I ran and ran and ran. I ran up a hill and then I tripped and went rolling down the other side. I landed in a river and almost drowned. The river carried me to your stream, where I curled up beside that rock." Sarabi nodded.
"Well, we'll try and find your mom, if we can't, then you're welcome to stay with us, ok?" Raimi nodded. Kitoko smiled wide. "Yay! I have a new friend to play with!" she exclaimed. Raimi smiled. But he was exhausted and didn't feel much like playing. Instead he curled up beside Sarabi and fell asleep. Kitoko yawned and curled up in between her mother's paws, glad she was still small enough to do so.
Sarabi sighed. It was good to be a mother again. She sighed as she looked up at the night sky, a bright star was twinkling. She knew it was Mufasa, watching over her. Sure, she could find new love, but her heart was true to Mufasa, and Mufasa only. For now, she would watch over the cubs, and she would cross other bridges when she got to them.