Chapter 11: Tragedy

As the days drew on for Hasini there was no sign of Kutisha or Huri anywhere. He knew it was entirely his own fault. Why had he been so dismissive? Why did he allow Huri to go looking for Kutisha by herself? Questions buzzed around the lions head like a swarm of angry bee's. Even the pride at this point knew they would not be coming back. Although they did wonder if they were still alive or not. It didn't matter now though whats done had been done...

Safa asked the question which so many of the other members had been itching to ask.

"Hasini?" She began shyly. "Now that both Kutisha and Huri have gone, who will reign instead?"

The sleep deprived lion looked up. "You." He replied

"Why me?"

"Because you had the guts to ask in the first place." Answered back Hasini.

Murmers of approval and disapproval echoed in the back ground.

Kutisha woke, it was still quite early in the morning as she tried to get up and stretch, the chain around her back leg tugged hard. She angrily pulled hard on it making a big clank. Huri lifted her head.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Kutisha turned her head round "Trying to stretch. Where on earth did they get these chains from any way?" She growled.

"God knows." Yawned Huri flexing her paws unsheathing her claws.

Kutisha sat down roughly moving her chain to the side. She spotted pus coming from Huri's ear. The herbs! Laduma made signs of awaking . He stretched lying down before getting up still half asleep. He walked over to the two friends.

"Whats wrong with her ear?" He demanded eyeing Kutisha supiciously.

His supicions were confirmed.

"I bite her ear last week before you took us from our rightful home!" Defended Kutisha.

Laduma slapped Kutisha across her face cutting her lip

"Don't talk to me like that you stupid bitch!" He growled.

Kutisha tensed her shoulders and licked her bloody lip. She hated him with a passion. He yanked off her chains making he grunt loudly in pain. The skin had been rubbed raw where the chain had been. He hit her again making her fall onto the floor.

He pulled off Huri's chain and shoved her by Kutisha.

"You and Tamu go and hunt!" He hissed.

Kutisha got up then both Her and Huri ran out the cave. As they looked at their surroundings they were astonished. This place looked amazing. They spotted a large pool of water. Kutisha turned to Huri.

"Lets go and wash our wounds and maybe we can do something about your ear." She began.

Huri nodded and followed enthusiastically. They spotted a herd of grazing antelope near by. They washed their wounds including Huri's infectid ear. Afterwards they thought about a strategy for the hunt. After an hour of arguing they thought out a strategy. At the back of the herd, a antelope with a broken leg and a calf were grazing. Perfect. Huri went for the mother, Kutisha stalked her calf. They ran, the mother noticed limping away, Huri landed on her back digging her claws deep into the anelope's back. Kutisha already had the calf on its side sinking her teeth into the calf's neck. To Huri's suprise, the mother antelope threw her self backwards landing on top of Huri. She screamed in pain as its horns dug into her stomach. It rolled of her trying to limp away. At the sight of this kutisha slammed into the antelope. It fell on the ground gasping for breath desperatly as kutisha locked her jaws on its neck. Seconds later it was all over. She rushed over to her best friend.

"Huri are you okay?"

Huri moved her paw off her wound making blood slide down her stomach. She stood up in pain.

"I'll be fine lets get back before i get more wounds." she said half heartedly.

The lionesses dragged the carcasses back to the cave. Laduma and Rehema were impatiently waiting.

"Here!" said Kutisha throwing the dead carcass before Laduma who didn't bother to thank her.

He ripped furiously at the carcass swallowing some pieces whole. Rehema did the same to the baby antelope as Huri walked past collapsing by her chain. Kutisha lay by her injured friend. Fresh blood was still pouring from her open wound. She grunted in pain. Kutisha felt helpless. There was nothing she could do for he friend now. Kutisha could only sit and wait. A few hours later, the lions finished their meal leaving small pieces of meat and skin. Rehema chained Kutisha up again. As he turned to Huri, she moved her back leg in front of her wound hiding it from him. He chained her other leg up. Before evily grinning at her. He forcefully kissed Huri making her cough.

"You'll be all mine tomorrow." He smiled. Rehema turned just in time for Huri to fall on the floor gasping for breath.

As the the sun began to set, Laduma appeared at the entrance and thre the scraps at Kutisha and Huri. They Forced theirselves to eat it all. They didn't know if or when they would ever eat agian. Now it was dark and the two lions padded back into the cave. Content with their day they closed their eye's and fell asleep. Huri's breathing had deteriorated rapidly. Finally she spoke with a croak.

"Kutisha?"

Kutisha sat up concerened over her injured friend.

"I don't think i'm going to make it..."

A tear rolled down her cheek as her friend closed her eyes falling asleep. Her sides heaved heavily as she slept. Kutisha fell asleep. She woke the next day as the light shone in the cave. She turned to her friend and nuzzled her.

"Huri?"

The lion lay still on the stone floor her mouth hung slightly open. The fur under her eyes was a darker colour, she must have been crying. Her body was stone cold. Kutisha wept loudly on her friend.

Laduma woke up and thundered over.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you!" Roared Laduma.

Kutisha stood sobbing over her friend. Laduma realised what was wrong.

"What now!" Snarled Rehema storming over.

He met Laduma's gaze on the still lioness. Fury filled inside his body.

"WHY IS SHE DEAD!" He focused his eye's on Kutisha.

"I don't know." She stammered.

"Wrong answer!" Rehema slammed his paw into Kutisha's face.

She tried to scramble away but the chain around her leg stopped her. Rehema threw her up against the wall. Kutisha waited again for him to kill her. The taste of her own blood was sour. She heard sounds of struggling. Hearing this she opened one of her eyes. Laduma had actually pinned his brother on the floor and was snarling at him.

"ONLY I HIT HER!" He roared throwing his shocked brother across the floor.

Kutisha looked at the sight astonished he had actually stood up for her, Laduma yanked Kutisha to her feet and held her face between his two soft paws tears filled her eye's. Laduma licked the blood off her face before wiping her tears away. He ripped her chain off her foot making her flinch in pain. He picked her up throwing her on his back and walked past his knocked out brother.