Chapter 4: Kovu's Challenge
Kitoko nodded. "Let's go," she replied, feeling refreshed. Watching the pride bring down a kill was fun. But actually hunting and bringing down a kill on her own was exhilarating. Kitoko licked her lips and followed the group of lionesses.
Her feet padded softly on the freshly dewed grass. They stopped at the watering hole and all drank. Kitoko took two quick sips and then lifted her head. She gave a brisk nod and the party started forward again.
Kiara walked close to Kitoko. It was clear that she was not one of the hunting party. She moved easily, but not quietly. She didn't regulate her breathing so that it was quiet and near soundless. Her feet did not sink into the ground, nor bounce lightly off it. Rather pushed into the earth, scrunched and then came off. Kitoko sighed. She hoped the queen would stay still while Kitoko hunted.
"Does Gazelle sound like a good fit for you?" Nala asked, her tail twitching. They had reached the same knoll Kitoko had sat on and watched the hunt from the day before. Kitoko peered down at the herd. She scanned over them quickly, picking out the healthy, the young and the aging or sick.
"They'll do me just fine, stay down and watch me at work," she said. Almost instantly she went into hunt mode. Her ears tipped back as she crouched low to the ground. Her tail twitched and then she moved forward. Everything in the world disappeared except for her, the earth beneath her and the gazelle in front of her.
She stepped lightly, letting the earth touch her paws lightly before lifting them again. She moved quickly, yet silently. Soon she was within ten feet of the gazelle before her. She licked her lips hungrily. Quickly she scanned the herd again. None of the sick ones were near, nor the aging. There were youngsters, but almost anyone could take down a calf.
She smiled as she saw an adolescent bull not far from her. Perhaps twelve feet away at most. She nodded in satisfaction. He was big enough to be considered a hard catch. But she felt confident she could take him.
With agile steps she moved in. Now everything but the bull in front of her fell away. She moved in quickly. Within seconds she was close enough to touch the gazelle. Instead she ducked lower and moved with deadly stealth. When she was at his side, with perfect aim for his neck, she pounced. The gazelle didn't have time to react. He slipped as Kitoko put her full weight against him. She heard a deafening crack and knew the young bull's leg had snapped. Tightly she pinned her ears against her head.
She had already latched onto the gazelle's neck; already delivering the bite that would seal the poor bull's fate. She heard thundering hooves behind her and knew the herd was running off. But she had the one she wanted so she was unfazed.
It took only seconds for the bull's life to end. Kitoko let up and stood over him with pride.
She looked up and saw the lionesses coming down to congratulate her. She smiled, her tail swaying back and forth. Kiara bounded down and bumped heads with her. "That was amazing!" she cried. Nala seemed awestruck. She stared down at the gazelle in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like it," she said. Kitoko smiled.
Vitani and Flora each bumped heads with her and congratulated her. Nala turned suddenly and let out a long, low bellow calling for the pride. She then turned and smiled at Kitoko. "That was truly wonderful. I thought you were bluffing, but truly you weren't. Perhaps you could become part of our hunting party?" Kitoko was awestruck at the idea. She knew it would be for the pride, and that it would most likely gain her respect by all, but at the same time. What if she couldn't do it? She had never hunted with a pride before. She was so used to hunting alone, what if she messed up and cost the pride a meal?
Finally Kitoko sighed. "I'll think on it," she said. Nala nodded, after seeing the look on Kitoko's face she seemed to know what Kitoko was thinking.
The five lionesses looked up to see the pride descending down the hill. Kovu was in front, followed by Simba. The other lionesses followed close behind. Nala bounded forward and nuzzled Simba. Kiara smiled at her parents and then walked over and licked Kovu on the cheek.
"You should have seen her, it was so amazing!" Kiara said. Kovu smiled. "You mean Vitani? I know how good she is," he said. Vitani smiled, Kiara laughed. "Yes, yes I know Vitani is a good hunter, but I was talking about Kitoko." Kovu frowned. "Oh," he said, his voice doubtful.
Kiara giggled as she brushed against him. "I think she was even better than you," she said playfully, rubbing her tail tuft under his chin. Something snapped and Kovu whipped around. "NO!" he roared.
All eyes turned to him, but Kovu was unaware. Kiara frowned. "What's your problem?" she asked. A deep, threatening growl erupted from Kovu's throat. He turned and faced Kitoko. "Better than me?" he growled. "Better than me?" He turned and shot a glare at Kiara. The queen tipped her ears back.
Kovu then returned to face Kitoko. "We'll see who's better," he growled. "No one here is better than me," his voice was filled with venom. Kitoko tipped her ears back and frowned. What was wrong with him? What did it matter if someone excelled at something he didn't?
The King growled low and menacingly. Then, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A HUNT OFF!" he roared. "Whoever wins is the better hunter," without thinking, Kitoko added, "or huntress," Kovu growled louder.
"OR huntress," he added grudgingly. "Do you accept?" he asked. His eyes told her that it was either accept or leave the pride. A growl erupted from her own throat. "I accept," she growled. I I'll show you, you chauvinistic pig /I, she thought.
End of chapter 4
Ok I know I'm making Kovu look really bad and mean and stuff, but don't worry, it'll get better...err what am I saying...no it won't...grr... well just wait and see. I will say this, his problem with her is nothing to do with Scar, cuz as far as I'm concerned, he didn't know Scar, he was to young.
Kitoko nodded. "Let's go," she replied, feeling refreshed. Watching the pride bring down a kill was fun. But actually hunting and bringing down a kill on her own was exhilarating. Kitoko licked her lips and followed the group of lionesses.
Her feet padded softly on the freshly dewed grass. They stopped at the watering hole and all drank. Kitoko took two quick sips and then lifted her head. She gave a brisk nod and the party started forward again.
Kiara walked close to Kitoko. It was clear that she was not one of the hunting party. She moved easily, but not quietly. She didn't regulate her breathing so that it was quiet and near soundless. Her feet did not sink into the ground, nor bounce lightly off it. Rather pushed into the earth, scrunched and then came off. Kitoko sighed. She hoped the queen would stay still while Kitoko hunted.
"Does Gazelle sound like a good fit for you?" Nala asked, her tail twitching. They had reached the same knoll Kitoko had sat on and watched the hunt from the day before. Kitoko peered down at the herd. She scanned over them quickly, picking out the healthy, the young and the aging or sick.
"They'll do me just fine, stay down and watch me at work," she said. Almost instantly she went into hunt mode. Her ears tipped back as she crouched low to the ground. Her tail twitched and then she moved forward. Everything in the world disappeared except for her, the earth beneath her and the gazelle in front of her.
She stepped lightly, letting the earth touch her paws lightly before lifting them again. She moved quickly, yet silently. Soon she was within ten feet of the gazelle before her. She licked her lips hungrily. Quickly she scanned the herd again. None of the sick ones were near, nor the aging. There were youngsters, but almost anyone could take down a calf.
She smiled as she saw an adolescent bull not far from her. Perhaps twelve feet away at most. She nodded in satisfaction. He was big enough to be considered a hard catch. But she felt confident she could take him.
With agile steps she moved in. Now everything but the bull in front of her fell away. She moved in quickly. Within seconds she was close enough to touch the gazelle. Instead she ducked lower and moved with deadly stealth. When she was at his side, with perfect aim for his neck, she pounced. The gazelle didn't have time to react. He slipped as Kitoko put her full weight against him. She heard a deafening crack and knew the young bull's leg had snapped. Tightly she pinned her ears against her head.
She had already latched onto the gazelle's neck; already delivering the bite that would seal the poor bull's fate. She heard thundering hooves behind her and knew the herd was running off. But she had the one she wanted so she was unfazed.
It took only seconds for the bull's life to end. Kitoko let up and stood over him with pride.
She looked up and saw the lionesses coming down to congratulate her. She smiled, her tail swaying back and forth. Kiara bounded down and bumped heads with her. "That was amazing!" she cried. Nala seemed awestruck. She stared down at the gazelle in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like it," she said. Kitoko smiled.
Vitani and Flora each bumped heads with her and congratulated her. Nala turned suddenly and let out a long, low bellow calling for the pride. She then turned and smiled at Kitoko. "That was truly wonderful. I thought you were bluffing, but truly you weren't. Perhaps you could become part of our hunting party?" Kitoko was awestruck at the idea. She knew it would be for the pride, and that it would most likely gain her respect by all, but at the same time. What if she couldn't do it? She had never hunted with a pride before. She was so used to hunting alone, what if she messed up and cost the pride a meal?
Finally Kitoko sighed. "I'll think on it," she said. Nala nodded, after seeing the look on Kitoko's face she seemed to know what Kitoko was thinking.
The five lionesses looked up to see the pride descending down the hill. Kovu was in front, followed by Simba. The other lionesses followed close behind. Nala bounded forward and nuzzled Simba. Kiara smiled at her parents and then walked over and licked Kovu on the cheek.
"You should have seen her, it was so amazing!" Kiara said. Kovu smiled. "You mean Vitani? I know how good she is," he said. Vitani smiled, Kiara laughed. "Yes, yes I know Vitani is a good hunter, but I was talking about Kitoko." Kovu frowned. "Oh," he said, his voice doubtful.
Kiara giggled as she brushed against him. "I think she was even better than you," she said playfully, rubbing her tail tuft under his chin. Something snapped and Kovu whipped around. "NO!" he roared.
All eyes turned to him, but Kovu was unaware. Kiara frowned. "What's your problem?" she asked. A deep, threatening growl erupted from Kovu's throat. He turned and faced Kitoko. "Better than me?" he growled. "Better than me?" He turned and shot a glare at Kiara. The queen tipped her ears back.
Kovu then returned to face Kitoko. "We'll see who's better," he growled. "No one here is better than me," his voice was filled with venom. Kitoko tipped her ears back and frowned. What was wrong with him? What did it matter if someone excelled at something he didn't?
The King growled low and menacingly. Then, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A HUNT OFF!" he roared. "Whoever wins is the better hunter," without thinking, Kitoko added, "or huntress," Kovu growled louder.
"OR huntress," he added grudgingly. "Do you accept?" he asked. His eyes told her that it was either accept or leave the pride. A growl erupted from her own throat. "I accept," she growled. I I'll show you, you chauvinistic pig /I, she thought.
End of chapter 4
Ok I know I'm making Kovu look really bad and mean and stuff, but don't worry, it'll get better...err what am I saying...no it won't...grr... well just wait and see. I will say this, his problem with her is nothing to do with Scar, cuz as far as I'm concerned, he didn't know Scar, he was to young.