Chapter 16: Famine
Adia smiled at Zira and at the rest of the lioness's, "Thanks all of you." She said.
Scar called out to all of them and told them to get meat. Sarabi sighed, "Lets go." Sarabi told all of them. Sarabi led the others to find food for the whole pride, as the group continued their search for food, they have noticed that the Zebras, and Hippos have vanished and no where to be found; the group have stopped in their tracks and were eager to find food.
"Sarabi." Zira called out. Sarabi turned her attention to Zira, she opened her muzzle to speak.
"This doesn't look very good, the zebras and hippos have left the pridelands, what if the rest of the animals decide to move on?" Zira asked. Sarabi sighed, "Well thank the gods that hasn't happened just yet, if that does happen we must leave Priderock." Sarabi said, worried that might happen.
"Famine," Sarafina said. The group looked at her. "Look at the grass, it is dying, we may be able to survive a little longer, but we must not give up hope, Tojo can save us." Sarafina said. Zira pawed the ground, "But he can't stop famine." Zira said. "I know that, but when Tojo becomes king, the Pridelands will come alive again with a good king." Sarafina said.
Zira nodded her head. "Mother, I want to help hunt." Nala said. Sarafina gasped, she saw her daughter standing next to Zira. "Nala how did you get here?" She asked. "I followed." Nala replied. "I'm sorry Nala, but you must go back." Sarafina said calmly. Nala whimpered. "The Hyenas frighten me." The young lioness said. Sarafina smiled warmly at her daughter, "Very well, you can stay here. But next time we go on a hunt you must stay behind with another lioness." Sarafina said.
"Ok." Nala answered. "Now we must go and find food for Scar, we must not waste time." Sarabi said.
Meanwhile at Rafiki's tree
Tojo was whimpering and stirring in his sleep on the grass bed, the poor lion cub was having a nightmare. "AHHHH!!" He screamed, shooting straight up. He was gasping for breath, his chest heaving. Small beads of sweat dripping off his fur. "Mom." He called out. Tojo looked around frantically, his ears flattened against his head. He forgot his mother wasn't there.
The young lion cub got on all fours and sighed, a painting nearby on the tree trunk caught his eye. Tojo walked over to the painting, and realized it got smeared, and it was a young Simba.
He frowned, he missed Simba and Mufasa terribly. He tried to stop thinking about it and not being depressed. He smacked his lips, his mouth was dry, he was thirsty for milk. A noise behind him scared him and he jumped.
Tojo saw Rafiki with a gourd in his hands, the mandrill broke it in half and placed it on the ground. He then grabbed a bag like leaf, and tilted it over the other half of the gourd, milk poured out of the leaf, and splashed in the gourd. Rafiki placed the leaf near the tree trunk and took the gourd with milk toward Tojo.
Rafiki placed the gourd in front of Tojo, and smiled. "Drink dis, young one." Rafiki said.
Tojo wasn't so sure about it, he did not know what the milk could have in it. Tojo with caution moved toward the gourd, he sniffed it and placed his two front paws in front of the gourd.
Tojo sniffed it again, "Drink, you mus' keep your stamina up." Rafiki said. "It won't kill ya." Rafiki finished. "Ok." Tojo said, afraid of dying from drinking the milk.
He stuck his small pink tongue out, and started lapping up the milk, he closed his eyes, it was his mother's milk. He thought her milk tasted so good.
A few minutes later.
Tojo smiled at the wise mandrill, "When are you going to train me, I don't think I can wait any longer." The lion cub said impatiently. Rafiki shook his head, "One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life." Rafiki said.
Tojo cocked his head at Rafiki, "What does that mean?" Tojo asked. "Be patient, young lion." He retorted. Tojo sighed, "I'll try." Tojo said.
Wack!
Rafiki cuffed Tojo's head with his stick but not hard enough to give him a concusion. The lion cub wasn't expecting that to happen, and he rubbed his head. "Ouch!" Tojo exclaimed. "You will do, not try." Rafiki said. "Yes." was only the cub's reply.
Rafiki grinned at the young lion cub, "Lets begin your training." The mandrill said. Tojo was nervous that he wouldn't do well; he tried not to look like it, fearing that the mandrill would hit him on the head with the stick again.
Rafiki sat down and closed his eyes, Tojo did as the mandrill did, and relaxed. "Listen to your surroundings." Rafiki murmured. Tojo could barely hear the mandrill say that, but did as he was told. He thought that this was absurd, he wanted to attack something as to train, but no he had to listen to something he had no idea what.
Tojo strained his ears, "Don't try to hard, relax." Rafiki said. Tojo relaxed his muscles again. Silence was all that he could hear... but wait, rustling up above him, it was faint but his cubby ears could hear it. He tried not to open his eyes and looking up to see what he was listening to.
He remembered hearing this certain noise before while playing with Nala once, it was the sound that ants made. "Ants." Tojo whispered while smiling. Rafiki got up and walked over to the young lion cub. "Aye Tojo, ants." Rafiki said. Tojo opened his eyes and looked up, it was ants.
"You did ok." Rafiki said. Tojo frowned, "just ok, I heard the ants I thought I did great." Tojo thought. "Next time do harder then that, young lion." Rafiki said. "But I heard the ants, and you say I did ok?" Tojo said. Rafiki blinked. "Well I couldn't have said that you did a terrific job, because you did not, but you didn't to a terrible job either, so you did ok." Rafiki said.
"You must learn to hear everything around you, you do not want your enemy to attack you, so you must listen." Rafiki said. Tojo frowned. "You did well, for a lion cub." Rafiki said while smiling. He petted Tojo, and pointed to a carcass of a young antelope. Tojo realized what Rafiki meant, and the lion cub walked over to the carcass and began eating it. Truthfully, Tojo did not mind Rafiki teaching him, but will it be enough to defeat Scar?
To Be Continued...
"One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life." Is a Chinese Proverb. I did not think of that, someone else did.