Chapter 13

Nyimba felt like an idiot for the next couple of days. Asani still allowed her to stay in the den, and acted like everything was normal, but Nyimba couldn't forget the things she said. She acted horribly to the friendly prince, even though he saved her life twice.

Maybe he should have let you die. Everybody would be better off, the voice nagged. She shoved it aside and concentrated on her assignment for the day – she was going hunting for Kefentse and Asani.

She sniffed the air and caught the scent of a nearby antelope. Surprisingly, she sensed that it was alone, when they usually grazed in herds. Nyimba staked through the grass silently, but sensed danger. Her eyes saw the antelope for the first time, but it was already dead. She sniffed the air again, and caught something that she didn't recognize. It wasn't the scent of lion, or even hyena, but it was a carnivore.

Suddenly, a strange animal appeared from some of the tall grass. It growled, flashing yellow fangs, "What are you doing here, lion? It's not your business to be here."

Nyimba looked at the orange and black spotted creature with shock. "I am a huntress for the Southland pride. This is our land, and I can hunt here if I wish," she hissed, showing off her dangerous teeth.

"What are you, a newborn cub? Every Southlander knows that the end of the swamp leading into this grassland belongs to the wild dogs. We may work for your King, but we have boundaries," the dog snarled.

Nyimba was completely confused. She was never informed about these wild dogs. In fact, she never knew these creatures existed. She didn't want to fight the dog because it was smaller than her, but she also wanted to hunt.

As if something read her thoughts, another dog appeared. "What are you doing, Ndegwa? We have to carry this antelope back before the hyenas smell it," a female dog barked.

"We have a stray lioness in our territory trying to steal our food," the male dog, Ndegwa, growled.

"Well if we take it now, like the original plan, than she can't have it. Has she attacked you?" the female asked with annoyance.

"No," Ndegwa mumbled.

"Than obviously she doesn't want to hurt us in any way. Let's go now – that's an order!" she snapped.

Ndegwa grumbled something, and ran off with the female to retrieve the prey. Nyimba took that opportunity to run back to the swamp, in Southlander territory. She then ran to another grassland, and made sure no wild dogs were there so she could hunt peacefully.

"Asani," Nyimba asked while they were eating, "What are wild dogs?"

Asani finished a bite, then spoke, "They work for my dad. They're smart, but not very good at defending themselves against hyenas. They help hunt for us, and we provide protection." He then looked at her with curious red eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"When I went hunting, a wild dog made me leave. He said that it was their territory. I was lucky that he left, because I really didn't want to fight. The poor thing was so small compared to me," she explained.

"Was the dog almost black?" he asked.

"Yes, he was. A prettier one fetched him away from me," she replied.

Asani smiled. "You probably met Ndegwa and Maua. The female, Maua, is the heiress of the pack, but Ndegwa is a pain in the tail."

Nyimba laughed. Asani said, "I'll talk to Akida, their leader. I'm sure Ndegwa's hostility was nothing to worry about. He is just very proud…in fact, he and my father got in a fight the first time we met. He should know better than to fight his King."

"When you go, can I go with you?" Kefentse asked. He was sitting next to Asani while they ate.

Asani looked down at him with worried eyes, but Nyimba answered, "I'm sure he's healthy enough to travel. We can all three go."

When they finished eating, they set out to the wild dogs' territory. They traveled slowly and took breaks often. Asani gave Kefentse a tour of different parts of the territory as they traveled. Occasionally, Asani would carry the brown cub on his back when he got worn out, which let them travel a bit faster.

"Okay, stay close to me. I'm sure they don't like the idea of three lions on their lands," Asani instructed. Kefentse stood next to Nyimba, who stayed close behind Asani. Soon after they walked into the territory, an orange, white, and black spotted dog appeared. Fortunately he had bright blue eyes, and his tail wagged.

"Hello Prince Asani," he barked.

"Hello Musa. Can you bring us to Akida?" Asani asked nicely

"Gladly," Musa said, and walked in front of the group with his tail still wagging. They walked into a rocky clearing, but Nyimba almost vomited at the smell.

"What stinks?" Kefentse whispered. Musa's large ears heard his comment, though.

"This used to be hyena territory before the King gave it to us. Unfortunately, their stench still lingers," the dog explained. Then, he halted. "I'll go get Akida now." He ran off into a den, and when he emerged, another dog appeared. He seemed a bit older, with grey furs growing on his snout.

"Hello young Prince. For what do I owe the pleasure?" the older dog, Akida, asked. He then looked over at Nyimba and Kefentse. "I also see you brought companions. Are they your mate and cub?"

Nyimba's face got very hot. "No, this is the princess of another pride that is staying with us. I adopted this orphan cub," Asani explained. Nyimba was puzzled at the amused look in Asani's red eyes. "I came here to warn you of hyenas. They have pushed into our territory, and have been causing some trouble."

Akida dipped his head. "Thank you for warning me. I have suspected that the hyenas were returning for some time now, but this confirms my fears," he sighed.

"If you need any help, feel free to send a messenger to us," Asani offered. "We'll be going now, but first, your dog Ndegwa needs an attitude adjustment. He nearly attacked Nyimba here just because she accidently strayed into your territory. If it weren't for your daughter, there would have been a pointless fight," Asani growled, and walked off. Nyimba and Kefentse followed silently. She had never seen the aggressive side of Asani, and she didn't really want to see it again.

As they walked back, they heard an awful laughing noise. "Hyenas," Asani whispered, "Take Kefentse back, and tell my father to send back-up."

"Please don't go alone," Nyimba pleaded. She didn't want Asani to go out and kill himself. After seeing exactly what hyenas were capable of, she knew he didn't stand a chance alone. "I can help…"

Asani cut her off. "You can help by taking Kefentse back and getting the other lions. Please just go and get somewhere safe," he said urgently and ran off. Nyimba thought of following after him, but she decided against it for the sake of Kefentse. She put the cub on her back and sprinted back to the Southland territory.

Luckily, King Shani, Kondo, and Kiume were patrolling the boundary. She ran up to them and said, "Asani is attacking some hyenas in the wild dog territory. He told me to get back-up." King Shani simply nodded and the trio ran off into the direction where her scent trail came from.

"Nyimba," Kefentse mewed, "Is Asani gunna be okay?"

Nyimba didn't want to worry the cub, but she also didn't want to lie. "I'm sure four grown lions can take down some hyenas, but he may get hurt." She almost wailed at the thought of Asani getting hurt. She didn't want someone so close to her getting injured, or worse.

Ahhh suspense may be killing my few readers :D Anyways, reviewwwwwwww

~Skyy