Chapter 12
"You idiot!" Kiume roared. "How could you let it go?"
"How can you become king when you can't even keep a grip on a crocodile?" Kondo sneered.
Asani and his friends found a huge crocodile while hunting and almost caught it. Asani was supposed to deliver the final blow, but he became lost in his thoughts as he remembered when he saved Nyimba. He remembered her broken, bloody body, and how he thought for sure she was dead. While he was distracted, the crocodile slipped away. Kondo and Kiume were furious, but they didn't understand. Neither of them had mates.
Well, neither do I anymore, Asani remembered. He honestly didn't care that Zahur requested for their engagement to be canceled. Now, he had the opportunity to get Nyimba.
Asani made all kinds of excuses for the bad hunt, but the other two lions didn't believe it. They were so mad that they probably wanted to ring his neck. Asani really just wanted to hurry home.
"Asani!" he heard an angelic voice call. He looked out and saw an almost-glowing white shape getting closer.
"Oh look, it's the little Northlander princess," Kiume snorted.
"I bet she'd make a nice little sympathy toy for you, Asani. You obvious need a shoulder to cry on since Zahur left you," Kondo purred sarcastically. Kiume roared with laughter.
"Watch it," Asani snarled and snapped his teeth at Kondo. Kiume laughed harder.
Nyimba approached the three lions. Asani could smell fear from her, but he could protect her from anything the other two lions would do. "I need to talk to you alone, Asani," she whispered to him. His heart sped up a few beats and he nodded, following her to a tree in a daze. The other two lions made mocking noises, but Asani ignored them. She's going to say she has feelings for me!
"Asani…Kefentse was attacked by hyenas," she murmured softly. Asani's heart nearly stopped in its tracks.
"Is…is he dead?" he sputtered. The cub had probably followed him and his friends today. Asani had told the cub to stay in the den, but he was very stubborn.
"No, but gravely injured. Your father sent me to get you. We can probably see Kefentse now," she said. Asani sighed with relief. The pair walked off in complete silence to the main rock.
When they reached the den, Asani was in complete shock. The cub that he loved like a brother was mangled, and the only reassurance Asani could get was the faint rise and fall of his little chest.
"Why would they do this?" Nyimba sighed.
Asani couldn't reply because he was in too much shock to speak. He walked over to the cub and laid down next to him, almost like a mother with its cub. He licked the bloody cuts on Kefentse's body softly. Nyimba sat and watched, filled with grief.
"I'll stay with him until he's able to move back into my den," Asani finally choked. His voice was weary, like he was much older.
"I'll get you some food…" Nyimba started, but Asani interrupted with a no. "Then I'll join you." She walked over to the other side of Kefentse. The pair of lions watched over the young cub until they fell asleep that night.
Kefentse woke up the next morning, but it took several days before he could walk, or even stand up. He had trouble eating, drinking, and talking, but he still tried his hardest. He told his stories about the hyenas in a way that made him seem like a hero. He claimed to have killed three hyenas, but the rest swarmed him. Asani and Nyimba listened to his stories day and night with fake interest because they knew better.
"And then a big, ugly one with one eye tried to claw my eye, but I clawed its one eye out instead!" Kefentse coughed while telling his story one night. The other cubs of the Southland and Northland prides had heard rumors, and came every day to hear the stories from Kefentse. Asani and Nyimba acted like his parents, and stayed with him in the den.
"Okay, that's enough. It's time for bed," Nyimba said softly. She shooed the other cubs away and laid down next to Kefentse. Every day, Nyimba hunted for the three of them, and Asani protected the cub. He also tried to help Kefentse recover, but a month had passed and his cuts were just starting to scar up. He could only run and play for a certain amount of time, yet he kept a great attitude. They never let him leave the main rock, either.
When Kefentse fell asleep, Asani whispered to Nyimba, "I think he'll be okay alone for a few hours. I want to show you something." He crept out of the den, and Nyimba followed silently. Asani led the beautiful white lioness down the rocks as the sun began to set, but the deep red sky was beginning to turn black and blue. Asani ran toward the place he knew Nyimba would love. He went there all the time when he needed time to think by himself.
He led her past willow trees into a big, grassy clearing. The sky was completely black and blue, covered in bright, twinkling stars. Nyimba gasped. Asani led her to a grassy patch and laid down on his back with Nyimba at his side. They laid in silence for a few moments, enjoying the view before Asani spoke.
"My mother says that the Great Kings from every species are the brightest stars, and their loyal subjects make up the rest, but they all watch over us," he said. He looked over at Nyimba, who was very silent. Her eyes were clouded with sadness.
"Sometimes I wonder if they're watching us, or purposely trying to hurt us," she murmured and extended her claws. Asani felt relieved when she sighed and sheathed her claws.
"Maybe they want to stop the bad things, but can't," Asani suggested. Nyimba shrugged and got silent. Asani grew worried for Nyimba. She had moments lately where she wasn't acting normal. She'd be fine one moment, then extremely angry the next. After her outbursts she would stay completely silent, and this instance was no different.
"What's wrong, Nyimba?" Asani questioned. "You haven't been acting normal lately." She remained silent. "I can see it in your eyes…what is it?" Silence. "Is it me, because I can go…"
"No," she finally said. "It's not you. If I told you, then you wouldn't believe me. You'd think I'm crazy."
Asani pressed his head to her neck softly. "I'd never think you were crazy," he whispered gently.
She closed her eyes and didn't speak. Asani pulled his head away and waited patiently. "I…every time I see or hear certain things, it reminds me of what happened to my pride. It always reminds me of how Badrani died, and I feel completely guilty for everything," she explained. Asani could tell that she wasn't telling the complete truth, but he didn't press further.
"The past is the past," he said. "You didn't kill him, so you shouldn't feel guilty. You have to learn from the past and move on with your life."
"Do you think I don't know that!" she roared. Asani stood up and looked at her with frightened eyes. She must've realized her mistake because she sighed and apologized.
"Let's go back," Asani said curtly. He padded away with Nyimba following, her head hung low.
No comments really...just the usual disclaimer and read & review. Oh, and I need to go write some buffer pages, because there's still about 4 chapters left before I take a break to work on my other fics.
~Skyy