Chapter 8
Kitoko lay in the cave for a long time. Her head sat on her paws and her mind churned with thoughts. Every once in a while her tail would twitch. "The Pride lands," she said to herself. Why go there? Her mother had left the pride lands to get away from, Kitoko stopped herself.
Sarabi had left to get away from Kitoko's father. A shiver ran down Kitoko's spine. It had been a while, but that didn't mean Scar's reign was over. Kitoko ran over her mother's story in her mind. She ran over her mother's reactions as she had told the story.
Why had her mother left right after? Kitoko sighed. Perhaps Raimi was right, there was something in the Pride lands Sarabi had not told them...
The sun rose slowly, the colors blending more vividly than they had previous times. Raimi awoke and stretched. He yawned and then looked around the cave for Kitoko.
"Kitoko?" He called. No answer. Raimi frowned and tipped his ears back. "Kitoko?" He called again. Still no answer. Raimi wondered out of the cave and looked around. Near the river, sitting on a fallen log was Kitoko.
Raimi jogged over to her and sat down. "Kitoko?" he said. Kitoko's tail twitched, but otherwise she didn't move. Raimi sighed. "Kitoko, listen. I'm sad about Sarabi to, but we can't dwell on the past." He said. Kitoko shook her head. "I'm not dwelling on the past Raimi." She said. "I'm just thinking."
Raimi shrugged and then looked at his reflection. He had a small tuft on his head, the same color as his coat. Charcoal gray. His muzzle and underbelly were tan. His eyes were a dark blue and his nose was a pink purple color. Raimi lifted a yellowish tan paw and licked it.
His front legs were odd indeed. It looked as though he had socks. Yellowish tan color went halfway up his legs. On the tip of his tail was a light brown color.
"Kitoko, um, mind if I ask what you're thinking about?" he asked, looking away from his reflection to the other cub.
"The pride lands," Kitoko said idly. She yawned. Raimi nodded. "So, you want to go?" Kitoko jerked her head up so fast that her neck cracked. "Ow!" she yelled, pulling her paw up and holding it on her neck.
Raimi shook his head. "It was just a suggestion." He said. Kitoko gave a lopsided smile as she rubbed her neck. "I'm not sure if I want to go or not." She said.
"Well, let's just head that way, err..." Raimi looked around. Kitoko frowned.
"Yeah, which way is it?" she said.
"No idea." Raimi replied.
Kitoko climbed off the log and then stood, tail curled over her back and thought. She remembered being at the front of the jungle before they'd met up with Raimi.
"Hmm, well let's go back to the front of the jungle and backtrack, I have a feeling the pride lands are somewhere away from the jungle." Kitoko suggested. Raimi nodded.
"Ok, sounds like an idea to me. Now we just have to figure out how to get out of this place." Raimi replied, looking around.
Kitoko shrugged. "Shouldn't be to hard," she jumped into the river and waded across, swimming when it got to deep and then wading again until she reached the other side. The red lioness then shook herself dry and then turned. "You coming?" she shouted.
Raimi shook his head. "Yeah," he mumbled as he waded in and swam over to her.
Raimi shook himself, making sure to get Kitoko wet when he did so. Kitoko growled and then pounced on him, pinning him for a minute. "Gotcha," she said, then turned and ran off, following the shoreline of the river.
Raimi got up and tore after her, not intending to let her get to far ahead of him. They ran on, chasing each other as they followed the river, for Kitoko seemed to feel that the river led into the jungle.
After a while they slowed down to a walk again. Sure enough, Kitoko had been right, the river led them right into the heart of the jungle paradise. Kitoko yawned again. Raimi cocked his head to the side. "Why are you yawning so much today?" he asked. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." She said.
Raimi nodded.
Suddenly, a shot rang through the jungle. Both Raimi and Kitoko jumped. "Oh no," Kitoko said. Raimi, his heart racing, formed an idea. "I have an idea, you head toward the pride lands, I'll head em' off!" Raimi said.
"What? NO! You can't!" Kitoko yelled, but it was to late. "Raimi wait!" But Raimi was already running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
Kitoko breaths' came in short gasps as she debated on what to do. She looked up at the cloudy sky. "Great Kings," she prayed. "Watch over him, don't let them get him to..." Kitoko then turned and ran off, heading toward the front of the jungle, and the Pride Lands...
End of Chapter 8
Yes I know this story is just sadness after sadness, but don't worry, "There's a rainbow after every rainfall." Meaning, things will lighten up! Trust me, I'll make sure it gets better, don't worry.
Kitoko lay in the cave for a long time. Her head sat on her paws and her mind churned with thoughts. Every once in a while her tail would twitch. "The Pride lands," she said to herself. Why go there? Her mother had left the pride lands to get away from, Kitoko stopped herself.
Sarabi had left to get away from Kitoko's father. A shiver ran down Kitoko's spine. It had been a while, but that didn't mean Scar's reign was over. Kitoko ran over her mother's story in her mind. She ran over her mother's reactions as she had told the story.
Why had her mother left right after? Kitoko sighed. Perhaps Raimi was right, there was something in the Pride lands Sarabi had not told them...
The sun rose slowly, the colors blending more vividly than they had previous times. Raimi awoke and stretched. He yawned and then looked around the cave for Kitoko.
"Kitoko?" He called. No answer. Raimi frowned and tipped his ears back. "Kitoko?" He called again. Still no answer. Raimi wondered out of the cave and looked around. Near the river, sitting on a fallen log was Kitoko.
Raimi jogged over to her and sat down. "Kitoko?" he said. Kitoko's tail twitched, but otherwise she didn't move. Raimi sighed. "Kitoko, listen. I'm sad about Sarabi to, but we can't dwell on the past." He said. Kitoko shook her head. "I'm not dwelling on the past Raimi." She said. "I'm just thinking."
Raimi shrugged and then looked at his reflection. He had a small tuft on his head, the same color as his coat. Charcoal gray. His muzzle and underbelly were tan. His eyes were a dark blue and his nose was a pink purple color. Raimi lifted a yellowish tan paw and licked it.
His front legs were odd indeed. It looked as though he had socks. Yellowish tan color went halfway up his legs. On the tip of his tail was a light brown color.
"Kitoko, um, mind if I ask what you're thinking about?" he asked, looking away from his reflection to the other cub.
"The pride lands," Kitoko said idly. She yawned. Raimi nodded. "So, you want to go?" Kitoko jerked her head up so fast that her neck cracked. "Ow!" she yelled, pulling her paw up and holding it on her neck.
Raimi shook his head. "It was just a suggestion." He said. Kitoko gave a lopsided smile as she rubbed her neck. "I'm not sure if I want to go or not." She said.
"Well, let's just head that way, err..." Raimi looked around. Kitoko frowned.
"Yeah, which way is it?" she said.
"No idea." Raimi replied.
Kitoko climbed off the log and then stood, tail curled over her back and thought. She remembered being at the front of the jungle before they'd met up with Raimi.
"Hmm, well let's go back to the front of the jungle and backtrack, I have a feeling the pride lands are somewhere away from the jungle." Kitoko suggested. Raimi nodded.
"Ok, sounds like an idea to me. Now we just have to figure out how to get out of this place." Raimi replied, looking around.
Kitoko shrugged. "Shouldn't be to hard," she jumped into the river and waded across, swimming when it got to deep and then wading again until she reached the other side. The red lioness then shook herself dry and then turned. "You coming?" she shouted.
Raimi shook his head. "Yeah," he mumbled as he waded in and swam over to her.
Raimi shook himself, making sure to get Kitoko wet when he did so. Kitoko growled and then pounced on him, pinning him for a minute. "Gotcha," she said, then turned and ran off, following the shoreline of the river.
Raimi got up and tore after her, not intending to let her get to far ahead of him. They ran on, chasing each other as they followed the river, for Kitoko seemed to feel that the river led into the jungle.
After a while they slowed down to a walk again. Sure enough, Kitoko had been right, the river led them right into the heart of the jungle paradise. Kitoko yawned again. Raimi cocked his head to the side. "Why are you yawning so much today?" he asked. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." She said.
Raimi nodded.
Suddenly, a shot rang through the jungle. Both Raimi and Kitoko jumped. "Oh no," Kitoko said. Raimi, his heart racing, formed an idea. "I have an idea, you head toward the pride lands, I'll head em' off!" Raimi said.
"What? NO! You can't!" Kitoko yelled, but it was to late. "Raimi wait!" But Raimi was already running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
Kitoko breaths' came in short gasps as she debated on what to do. She looked up at the cloudy sky. "Great Kings," she prayed. "Watch over him, don't let them get him to..." Kitoko then turned and ran off, heading toward the front of the jungle, and the Pride Lands...
End of Chapter 8
Yes I know this story is just sadness after sadness, but don't worry, "There's a rainbow after every rainfall." Meaning, things will lighten up! Trust me, I'll make sure it gets better, don't worry.