CHAPTER ONE
The wind whistled eerily through the grass, buffeting their fur and throwing dust in their faces. The rain had eased, but it was still strong enough to have their pelts drenched within seconds.
At first, Mufasa seemed to enjoy himself. He stuck out his tongue to collect the rain drops, shaking out his coat so it splattered all over his little brother, making him sneeze.
Taka, however, wasn't having such a great time. Every time any animal made a call or rustled through the grass, he would stop dead and have to have Mufasa comfort him until his legs stopped shaking. He was freezing and scared and wanted to go home. He didn't want to die out here.
He could see almost perfectly in the pitch black darkness, but that gave him little reassurance. The rain stirred up all the smells that had clung to the ground, confusing Taka's nose and sense of direction.
Eventually, Mufasa too began to grow cold, though he tried to hide it. "Maybe we should start heading home," he suggested finally.
"You think?" Taka muttered sarcastically, eyes flicking from side to side nervously.
Just then, lighting flashed, lighting up the sky with a deafening crack. Both cubs jumped, pressing against each other for safety. Then Mufasa urged his brother forward, making him stumble and fall over when the larger lion's head crashed into his flank. He pulled Taka to his paws, teeth imbedded in his scruff. "Head for that Acacia tree," he mumbled urgently around a mouthful of hair, "We'll be safe there,"
Pulling free of Mufasa's grip, Taka bolted clumsily towards the tree, almost crashing into the thin trunk as he slid on some mud. His brother followed closely behind him, backing Taka up against the tree. Taka crouched low to the ground, Mufasa huddled next to him protectively, tail draped over his bony shoulders. "Don't worry," he assured in a low voice, mustering up all the courage he had to make it seem like he wasn't terrified. He risked a look back at his brother, whose eyes were squeezed shut as though he could block out everything around him. His small body was rigid and shaking, cold to the touch. "I'll to anything to protect you,"
They stayed there for what seemed like hours, when, in reality, it was only a few minutes.
Just when they were ready to give up, two glowing white orbs appeared, slicing through the darkness like daggers. Taka, who had half-opened one eye to peek out, held back a scream. Mufasa too drew in a sharp breath, then grew more relaxed as he sniffed the breeze that was being carried towards them.
"It's dad!" he announced, relieved.
Taka blinked a few times, looking up at him uncertainly. "Dad?"
"Yes." Mufasa got to his paws, gripping Taka's tail between his teeth and dragging him up.
Taka snapped his tail away from him, letting it sink to the ground. He followed his brother as he walked slowly towards the huge silhouette. Mufasa looked half what confident, while Taka was the exact opposite.
Their father said nothing as they headed towards him, just turned and stalked away, expecting his sons to follow obediently.
Taka swallowed uneasily, his voice catching in his throat. "D'you think he's mad?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Mufasa didn't say anything for a handful of heartbeats. "Just remember what I told you: I'll take the blame. Just let me do the talking," He didn't look up, just continued to stare at the ground.
Exhaling a deep, silent breath he didn't even know he had been holding, Taka nodded once then fell silent. Who was he kidding? He would never be king. He didn't have what it took, unlike his brother. Mufasa was perfect: brave, strong, always knew what to say in any situation. Taka would just turn tail and flee at the first sign of danger. He was just a scared, little cub in comparison.
The three walked in complete silence for a while, only the sound of rain breaking through the awkwardness. It was as though the rest of Africa had stood still and was waiting to see what would happen next.
Then their father stopped below Pride Rock, the huge rock formation blocking the rain and the brute force of the unforgiving wind that continued to ravage the Sarangheti. It probably wasn't a good idea to go out trekking at night during the Rainy Season.
The brothers both shook our their fur in unison, spraying the water everywhere. But their father remained still, glaring down at his sons, rain dripping from his chin. Yet he didn't seem to notice it.
"What were you two thinking?" His deep voice boomed, echoing in the confined space. His eyes were ablaze with fury.
Taka heard his brother's heart begin to race. "Dad—" Mufasa began, but was cut off by his father.
"You could have been killed – don't you understand that? Not only if a predator picked you two off, but if you caught your death in this weather. You two aren't indestructible, you know. Any animal can kill a little cub like this," He slammed one of his huge paws on the ground, making the cubs take a small step back. "I could have lost you. And another thing that I thought you would have known by now: never stand under a tree during a lighting storm. It attracts it," He shook his head, closing his eyes.
"I'm not little," Mufasa muttered under his breath.
His father's eyes snapped open, focusing now on his eldest son. His chipped ears flattened against his slicked back, soaking wet black main. "What was that?"
Before any of them could continue, a sweet smell wafted towards them. Taka turned his head to see his mother padding gracefully down the path that lead from the top of Pride Rock, her haunches bouncing with every step. She walked towards them, stopping beside her mate. "That's enough, dear," she rumbled soothingly. "You can see just how scared the poor things are," She held her gaze level with his, unwavering.
Their father's glare remained plastered on his narrow face for a few more seconds, before he slowly let it disappear. "They need to know this is unacceptable. It's embarrassing for the children of the rulers of the Pride Lands to have to be saved," His voice was still gruff.
Their mother shook her beautiful head. "Children make mistakes. You can't expect them to be perfect when they're so young. You've placed the whole world on their shoulders,"
Taka looked over at Mufasa, but his brother didn't look ready to protest again. He was just gazing up at his parents. Then, feeling Taka's eyes on him, he turned his head slightly, locking eyes with him. He shrugged, and then looked at the floor.
The other lionesses of the pride had been awoken by the raised voice of their king, and some were poking their heads around the rocks to get a better look. But with a glance from the queen, they quickly retreated, leaving them alone once more.
She twitched an ear, the only sign that she was a little upset. She padded towards her sons, standing over them as though daring her husband to try anything. Then, seeing he wasn't going to say anything more, she gently picked Taka up in her strong jaws and walked back up the path, Mufasa trailing behind her.
Back in the sleeping den, where the rest of their pride was pretending to be asleep, she set her child down on the slightly raised slab of rock where the royals slept. Mufasa clambered up to join him.
Their mother let out a shallow breath. "Oh, my sweet babies," She settled down on the rock, gazing down at them lovingly. It was obvious to anyone that knew her well and was able to see past her dignified mask, that she had been just as terrified for their safety as the next lion, possibly more. "What would I do without you?"
Her warm breath enveloped them. Their pudgy stomachs nearly touched the stone below as they slunk over to her, curling up next to her shoulder.
One of the other tiny, female cubs dragged a chunk of meat almost twice her size towards them. "Thank you, Sarabi," The queen smiled.
The cub grinned goofily before walking back towards her friends and flopping onto her side exhaustedly. Then, prompted by her mother, Akirfa, she got back to her feet and dipped her head respectfully. The queen nodded back, and, with a relieved sigh, the cub once again lay down to sleep. She was far younger than the future kings.
The two sons had only just begun eating meat, but had already developed a taste for it, and the rare, delicious piece of water buffalo made their mouths water hungrily. Taka hadn't even realised he was hungry until his stomach growled, and he quickly lowered his head to eat. But his brother growled deep in his throat and snatched the food away for himself.
Their mother scowled at him and broke off a chunk of the meat with her jaws, dropping it in front of her younger son. He smiled shyly in thanks and tentatively began eating, turning his back on Mufasa.