IX
A Nomad in the Sunlight
Tanabi yawned loudly as he sat quietly in the grass. He smiled proudly at his new mane, though it was still small and thin, running only to his upper chest. Several locks fell over his eyes as he ran a paw over his chest, grooming it down. He suddenly flicked his ears back and sighed annoyedly.
"Three...two...one..." he mumbled.
"EEEYAH!" came a loud screech as Tanabi ducked to the ground.
The figure flew over him and hit the ground with a thud. It rolled for several seconds before coming to a stop, belly up. Tanabi trotted over and bent his head to meet eyes with his sister.
"Wow, your best yet," said Tanabi sarcastically as he rubbed his tail tuft under Kiara's chin, grinning.
"Hey! C'mon Tanabi I'm trying my best!" she countered as she got to her paws.
"Well your best isn't good enough sis, sorry to break it to ya," he replied. "If you wanna do well on your first hunt you really need to be able to stalk quietly! That means slow movement, and being able to pin me without me knowing."
Kiara sighed and turned to leave. Sometimes it was embarrassing that Tanabi, a male, could hunt better than she. She growled low in her throat, frustrated at the thought.
"Hey," Tanabi said as he bounded in front of Kiara. "Don't take this so hard on yourself. It takes practice. I'm sure mom and bibi had their ups and downs before they became good at it! And I know one day, you'll be good at it too!"
Kiara sighed and smiled at her brother. He might have been annoying, but he was certainly encouraging when he saw it was needed.
"Besides, you'll be the leader of the hunting party one day....just like mom is, and bibi was," he said.
Kiara smiled again and the two bumped heads.
"Ready to try again?" he said meeting her eyes.
"How bout you let an old pro try giving her a few pointers?" came a voice.
The two lions whirled their heads just in time to see Sarabi leap from the grass and tackle them to the ground. They stared up at her surprised as she grinned down at them. For an old lioness like her, she certainly still had some life left in her.
"Hey bibi," Tanabi said as he strained to breathe under her weight. "Nice to see you too...but it'd be nicer if we could breathe."
Sarabi smiled and leapt off them, landing gracefully to the side. Kiara shook herself free of the dirt on her shiny gold pelt before smiling up at her.
"You wanna help me out bibi?"
"Of course!" Sarabi said with a smile. "I helped your mother when she was learning the art of the hunt."
Kiara sighed. "Was she as bad as I was?"
Sarabi smiled. "Worse."
Kiara pricked up her ears at this, as did Tanabi. "Really?"
"Yes, really! Your poor mother. Oh she used to step on twigs all the time, breathe loudly, and pounce too early! Oh one time when food was still scarce, the poor dear took off after a gazelle without even stalking closely first! Ran after it from about 100 feet away! The poor dear got a good kick in the flank for that one!"
The two laughed at the thought of their mother doing such things. She was the top huntress in the pride, and the leader as well. Sarabi had given her the title shortly after Nala was christened the Queen.
"Come now Kiara," Sarabi said. "Let's go work out your skills."
"I'm gonna head back," Tanabi said. "Pride Rock is a good walk back and I'm sure the hunting party will be back soon."
Sarabi nodded and the two lionesses headed off into the grasslands.
Tanabi trotted quietly up the rolling hills as the sun warmed his pelt. He welcomed the slight breeze that ruffled his mane and relieved him of the searing heat of the day. He thought of his father, and the wonderful King he was as restoring the beauty of the Pride Lands. He remembered the tales his mother told him of his father's insecurity and doubt at being a King, and how he really did stand for what a King really was. A lion burdened with the hearts of many.
Tanabi smiled at the thought of his father. Sarabi told him that Simba had been just about his age when he returned home, became King, and had his cubs, only a tad bit older. His mane was now fully grown, but he did not bear Mufasa's great and regal mane, but a scruffier one. It was always in his ruby eyes, several auburn locks drifting softly. He still carried a youthful expression. Sarabi said Simba had just turned one age younger than his own father was when he was born.
Hearing a rustle in the grass, Tanabi turned his head. He rolled his eyes, thinking it was Kiara taking another stab at pinning him down. He sighed deeply and pretended not to notice. The rustling grew steady before suddenly, everything went quiet. Tanabi was confused at this, wondering why Kiara would try something like this. Had Sarabi taught her a new trick?
Suddenly, something emerged out of the brush that definitely was not Kiara. It was a young male a little older than him, with an orange pelt and a black mane. He had bright blue eyes that pierced into his own. The fur on Tanabi's back bristled at the realization that there was a stranger in the Pride Lands.
"What are you doing here?" Tanabi growled as he bent low.
The lion looked unfazed. "I'm in search of someone. I'm not here to fight anybody. Just looking for some answers."
"Who are you?" Tanabi asked gruffly.
The lion smirked. "Give me your name Pride Lander. And I shall give you mine."
Tanabi snorted. "My name is Prince Tanabi, son of King Simba and Queen Nala, the future King of the Pride Lands."
The young lion raised his brow at this. So, this was the son of the great King Simba. "Oh," he said simply. "My name is Kamau, I'm a rogue who has traveled far and long to come here."
"What business brings you here?" Tanabi asked curiously.
"That is my business, and mine alone," Kamau replied. He did not want to let off so easily what he was doing, for fear that he might be denounced as a liar and killed.
Tanabi growled. "Then I'm afraid you've stepped as far as you're gonna go. Unless that is, you wanna try getting past me."
Kamau growled as well. Tanabi was clearly younger, but not by much. It would be a pretty even battle if they fought.
"I just want to talk to someone. After that, I'll just go and leave you in peace."
"Liar!" Tanabi growled. "You think I'm lowly enough to just lead you to the King? We're all alone out here you'd kill me in an instant!"
"That's not true!" Kamau insisted.
"Then who are you looking for?" Tanabi asked.
Kamau sighed. "I'm looking for the one they call Sarabi."
Tanabi bristled. She wanted to see his bibi? No, he couldn't tell her who she was. If he found out she was the ex Queen, it could spell disaster. He might kill her and then go after the King. He did not feel obliged to surrender Sarabi's title to this stranger.
Kamau waited patiently for an answer. He hoped so desperately that she was still alive, that she was still around to answer so many unanswered questions for him. His life was a whole mystery to him, and maybe his true mother could shed some light where it needed to be shed. Kamau instantly felt uneasy with the look of the hostile prince.
"You can't see her," Tanabi said gruffly.
Kamau's heart instantly fell. "Why?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt her. I just want to speak to her."
"I said NO!" Tanabi roared as he leapt at Kamau.
Kamau gritted his teeth as he collided with the other male. They rolled in the grass grunting and snarling at eachother, Tanabi swiped him viciously, roaring loudly. Kamau managed to buck Tanabi off and the two raised themselves onto their hind legs, swiping angrily.
The roars and snarls attracted the attention of Simba, and he shot down the promontory of Pride Rock towards them. His mane flapped wildly as he ran towards his son's roars, and the roars of a stranger. Simba took a deep breath and roared as loudly as he could, trying to tell his son he was coming.
From where they practiced, Sarabi pricked her ears up hearing the roars. Kiara stood up as well, and the two shot after the noise, roaring loudly as they went to say that they too were on their way.
Simba arrived on the scene first to see Tanabi with a stranger pinned under his paws, striking him repeatedly. Seeing the stranger Simba could see he was making no move to attack. His paw was raised in a form of surrender. Noticing Tanabi's reluctance to give up the fight, the young King stepped in and managed to pull him off.
"Enough Tanabi!" Simba shouted. "Can't you see he surrendered?"
Tanabi growled. "He's looking for Sarabi! I don't know...I thought he wanted to kill her."
"No," Kamau said as he got to his paws. "No your majesty, please understand that I had no intention of doing anything like that. I just want to see-"
Instantly two new roars echoed onto the scene, and Sarabi raced up along with Kiara. The two screeched to a halt in front of everyone and Sarabi looked at Simba eagerly.
"What's going on here!?" Sarabi asked urgently. Suddenly, her heart stopped at the sight of the lion before her.
Her eyes went wide with astonishment as she met eyes with the lion, and the two stared at eachother for the longest time. Those blue eyes...that face...she knew it instantly. There was no doubt in her mind. He was so beautiful. He looked nothing like his father, the cruel, vicious lion she had once loved who had raped her and forced her into bringing him life. Tears welled in her eyes as she set eyes upon him for the first time since he was an infant nestled in her paws. The memories unfurled on that fateful day...when she surrendered her cub to Yetunde, in the hope of delivering him from the spite of the Pride Lands.
Kamau stared as well, and in the very fiber of his being he knew who this lioness was. Her indomitable figure, the light of her eyes, the warmth of her voice. He was suddenly thrown back in time, to a time when he was nestled warmly in the paws of this lioness. He looked up curiously her as she smiled at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. She hugged him close to her and licked his head before rocking him to sleep, her soothing voice the epicenter of his most pleasant dreams. As he came back to reality, tears began to stream down his muzzle, realizing he may have very well found the lioness who would give him what he needed most. A family.
Kamau stepped forward, speaking hesitantly. "S-Sar-Sarabi?" he stammered, as his tears continued to fall.
Sarabi stepped backward, her mouth wide in astonishment and disbelief. But within it was joy, joy that it was true. It was him. Kamau was alive. And he was home. She couldn't believe it. It was so sudden. She continued to step backwards, her paws trembling. Suddenly she turned and shot down the hills and into the endless plains with the shocked expressions of everyone at the scene.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Simba called after her, but got no response. He just watched her go, and restrained himself from going after her. Simba then turned and looked back at the stranger.
"His name's Kamau dad," Tanabi stated noticing his father's inspection of the lion.
Simba sighed. "Well Kamau, I'm sorry for what happened. If it is business that you have, you're welcome to stay until she returns. Please feel free to stay as long as you like. I don't know what's gotten into her."
Kamau's expression changed from excitement to hurt as he saw Sarabi run away from him. "Neither do I," he said.
"By the way..." Simba added, noticing Kamau's tears. "Are you ok?"
Kamau looked up quickly and wiped away his tears. "Oh. Yes I'm fine. Sorry."
Simba smiled and motioned towards Pride Rock. "It's this way. Follow me. Hakuna Matata! No worries! We'll get you sorted out!" Simba then turned and made his way to Pride Rock with Kiara at his left, and Tanabi his right.
Kamau also turned and followed Simba, Kiara, and Tanabi back to Pride Rock, but not before turning and looking in the direction Sarabi had gone. Tears slid from his cheeks and fell to the ground, as he realized that his mother did not want him there. He sobbed quietly to himself as he followed a distance behind the trio, thinking his mother did not love him at all.
A Nomad in the Sunlight
Tanabi yawned loudly as he sat quietly in the grass. He smiled proudly at his new mane, though it was still small and thin, running only to his upper chest. Several locks fell over his eyes as he ran a paw over his chest, grooming it down. He suddenly flicked his ears back and sighed annoyedly.
"Three...two...one..." he mumbled.
"EEEYAH!" came a loud screech as Tanabi ducked to the ground.
The figure flew over him and hit the ground with a thud. It rolled for several seconds before coming to a stop, belly up. Tanabi trotted over and bent his head to meet eyes with his sister.
"Wow, your best yet," said Tanabi sarcastically as he rubbed his tail tuft under Kiara's chin, grinning.
"Hey! C'mon Tanabi I'm trying my best!" she countered as she got to her paws.
"Well your best isn't good enough sis, sorry to break it to ya," he replied. "If you wanna do well on your first hunt you really need to be able to stalk quietly! That means slow movement, and being able to pin me without me knowing."
Kiara sighed and turned to leave. Sometimes it was embarrassing that Tanabi, a male, could hunt better than she. She growled low in her throat, frustrated at the thought.
"Hey," Tanabi said as he bounded in front of Kiara. "Don't take this so hard on yourself. It takes practice. I'm sure mom and bibi had their ups and downs before they became good at it! And I know one day, you'll be good at it too!"
Kiara sighed and smiled at her brother. He might have been annoying, but he was certainly encouraging when he saw it was needed.
"Besides, you'll be the leader of the hunting party one day....just like mom is, and bibi was," he said.
Kiara smiled again and the two bumped heads.
"Ready to try again?" he said meeting her eyes.
"How bout you let an old pro try giving her a few pointers?" came a voice.
The two lions whirled their heads just in time to see Sarabi leap from the grass and tackle them to the ground. They stared up at her surprised as she grinned down at them. For an old lioness like her, she certainly still had some life left in her.
"Hey bibi," Tanabi said as he strained to breathe under her weight. "Nice to see you too...but it'd be nicer if we could breathe."
Sarabi smiled and leapt off them, landing gracefully to the side. Kiara shook herself free of the dirt on her shiny gold pelt before smiling up at her.
"You wanna help me out bibi?"
"Of course!" Sarabi said with a smile. "I helped your mother when she was learning the art of the hunt."
Kiara sighed. "Was she as bad as I was?"
Sarabi smiled. "Worse."
Kiara pricked up her ears at this, as did Tanabi. "Really?"
"Yes, really! Your poor mother. Oh she used to step on twigs all the time, breathe loudly, and pounce too early! Oh one time when food was still scarce, the poor dear took off after a gazelle without even stalking closely first! Ran after it from about 100 feet away! The poor dear got a good kick in the flank for that one!"
The two laughed at the thought of their mother doing such things. She was the top huntress in the pride, and the leader as well. Sarabi had given her the title shortly after Nala was christened the Queen.
"Come now Kiara," Sarabi said. "Let's go work out your skills."
"I'm gonna head back," Tanabi said. "Pride Rock is a good walk back and I'm sure the hunting party will be back soon."
Sarabi nodded and the two lionesses headed off into the grasslands.
Tanabi trotted quietly up the rolling hills as the sun warmed his pelt. He welcomed the slight breeze that ruffled his mane and relieved him of the searing heat of the day. He thought of his father, and the wonderful King he was as restoring the beauty of the Pride Lands. He remembered the tales his mother told him of his father's insecurity and doubt at being a King, and how he really did stand for what a King really was. A lion burdened with the hearts of many.
Tanabi smiled at the thought of his father. Sarabi told him that Simba had been just about his age when he returned home, became King, and had his cubs, only a tad bit older. His mane was now fully grown, but he did not bear Mufasa's great and regal mane, but a scruffier one. It was always in his ruby eyes, several auburn locks drifting softly. He still carried a youthful expression. Sarabi said Simba had just turned one age younger than his own father was when he was born.
Hearing a rustle in the grass, Tanabi turned his head. He rolled his eyes, thinking it was Kiara taking another stab at pinning him down. He sighed deeply and pretended not to notice. The rustling grew steady before suddenly, everything went quiet. Tanabi was confused at this, wondering why Kiara would try something like this. Had Sarabi taught her a new trick?
Suddenly, something emerged out of the brush that definitely was not Kiara. It was a young male a little older than him, with an orange pelt and a black mane. He had bright blue eyes that pierced into his own. The fur on Tanabi's back bristled at the realization that there was a stranger in the Pride Lands.
"What are you doing here?" Tanabi growled as he bent low.
The lion looked unfazed. "I'm in search of someone. I'm not here to fight anybody. Just looking for some answers."
"Who are you?" Tanabi asked gruffly.
The lion smirked. "Give me your name Pride Lander. And I shall give you mine."
Tanabi snorted. "My name is Prince Tanabi, son of King Simba and Queen Nala, the future King of the Pride Lands."
The young lion raised his brow at this. So, this was the son of the great King Simba. "Oh," he said simply. "My name is Kamau, I'm a rogue who has traveled far and long to come here."
"What business brings you here?" Tanabi asked curiously.
"That is my business, and mine alone," Kamau replied. He did not want to let off so easily what he was doing, for fear that he might be denounced as a liar and killed.
Tanabi growled. "Then I'm afraid you've stepped as far as you're gonna go. Unless that is, you wanna try getting past me."
Kamau growled as well. Tanabi was clearly younger, but not by much. It would be a pretty even battle if they fought.
"I just want to talk to someone. After that, I'll just go and leave you in peace."
"Liar!" Tanabi growled. "You think I'm lowly enough to just lead you to the King? We're all alone out here you'd kill me in an instant!"
"That's not true!" Kamau insisted.
"Then who are you looking for?" Tanabi asked.
Kamau sighed. "I'm looking for the one they call Sarabi."
Tanabi bristled. She wanted to see his bibi? No, he couldn't tell her who she was. If he found out she was the ex Queen, it could spell disaster. He might kill her and then go after the King. He did not feel obliged to surrender Sarabi's title to this stranger.
Kamau waited patiently for an answer. He hoped so desperately that she was still alive, that she was still around to answer so many unanswered questions for him. His life was a whole mystery to him, and maybe his true mother could shed some light where it needed to be shed. Kamau instantly felt uneasy with the look of the hostile prince.
"You can't see her," Tanabi said gruffly.
Kamau's heart instantly fell. "Why?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt her. I just want to speak to her."
"I said NO!" Tanabi roared as he leapt at Kamau.
Kamau gritted his teeth as he collided with the other male. They rolled in the grass grunting and snarling at eachother, Tanabi swiped him viciously, roaring loudly. Kamau managed to buck Tanabi off and the two raised themselves onto their hind legs, swiping angrily.
The roars and snarls attracted the attention of Simba, and he shot down the promontory of Pride Rock towards them. His mane flapped wildly as he ran towards his son's roars, and the roars of a stranger. Simba took a deep breath and roared as loudly as he could, trying to tell his son he was coming.
From where they practiced, Sarabi pricked her ears up hearing the roars. Kiara stood up as well, and the two shot after the noise, roaring loudly as they went to say that they too were on their way.
Simba arrived on the scene first to see Tanabi with a stranger pinned under his paws, striking him repeatedly. Seeing the stranger Simba could see he was making no move to attack. His paw was raised in a form of surrender. Noticing Tanabi's reluctance to give up the fight, the young King stepped in and managed to pull him off.
"Enough Tanabi!" Simba shouted. "Can't you see he surrendered?"
Tanabi growled. "He's looking for Sarabi! I don't know...I thought he wanted to kill her."
"No," Kamau said as he got to his paws. "No your majesty, please understand that I had no intention of doing anything like that. I just want to see-"
Instantly two new roars echoed onto the scene, and Sarabi raced up along with Kiara. The two screeched to a halt in front of everyone and Sarabi looked at Simba eagerly.
"What's going on here!?" Sarabi asked urgently. Suddenly, her heart stopped at the sight of the lion before her.
Her eyes went wide with astonishment as she met eyes with the lion, and the two stared at eachother for the longest time. Those blue eyes...that face...she knew it instantly. There was no doubt in her mind. He was so beautiful. He looked nothing like his father, the cruel, vicious lion she had once loved who had raped her and forced her into bringing him life. Tears welled in her eyes as she set eyes upon him for the first time since he was an infant nestled in her paws. The memories unfurled on that fateful day...when she surrendered her cub to Yetunde, in the hope of delivering him from the spite of the Pride Lands.
Kamau stared as well, and in the very fiber of his being he knew who this lioness was. Her indomitable figure, the light of her eyes, the warmth of her voice. He was suddenly thrown back in time, to a time when he was nestled warmly in the paws of this lioness. He looked up curiously her as she smiled at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. She hugged him close to her and licked his head before rocking him to sleep, her soothing voice the epicenter of his most pleasant dreams. As he came back to reality, tears began to stream down his muzzle, realizing he may have very well found the lioness who would give him what he needed most. A family.
Kamau stepped forward, speaking hesitantly. "S-Sar-Sarabi?" he stammered, as his tears continued to fall.
Sarabi stepped backward, her mouth wide in astonishment and disbelief. But within it was joy, joy that it was true. It was him. Kamau was alive. And he was home. She couldn't believe it. It was so sudden. She continued to step backwards, her paws trembling. Suddenly she turned and shot down the hills and into the endless plains with the shocked expressions of everyone at the scene.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Simba called after her, but got no response. He just watched her go, and restrained himself from going after her. Simba then turned and looked back at the stranger.
"His name's Kamau dad," Tanabi stated noticing his father's inspection of the lion.
Simba sighed. "Well Kamau, I'm sorry for what happened. If it is business that you have, you're welcome to stay until she returns. Please feel free to stay as long as you like. I don't know what's gotten into her."
Kamau's expression changed from excitement to hurt as he saw Sarabi run away from him. "Neither do I," he said.
"By the way..." Simba added, noticing Kamau's tears. "Are you ok?"
Kamau looked up quickly and wiped away his tears. "Oh. Yes I'm fine. Sorry."
Simba smiled and motioned towards Pride Rock. "It's this way. Follow me. Hakuna Matata! No worries! We'll get you sorted out!" Simba then turned and made his way to Pride Rock with Kiara at his left, and Tanabi his right.
Kamau also turned and followed Simba, Kiara, and Tanabi back to Pride Rock, but not before turning and looking in the direction Sarabi had gone. Tears slid from his cheeks and fell to the ground, as he realized that his mother did not want him there. He sobbed quietly to himself as he followed a distance behind the trio, thinking his mother did not love him at all.