Chapter 9: Heart's Home
Jayden woke on the sunning rock feeling very refreshed. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but it felt like time to get up. Her stomach growled.
She headed toward Pride Rock. When she got there, it was clear a hunting party had already set out and brought back lunch. And…it was already eaten.
Jayden forgot her manners, and dashed into the clearing at Pride Rock's base. "Oh no!" she began looking around the left over bones of a couple herd animals for scraps. "I missed it!"
"That's what you get for not being here when the kills were brought in." Vitani's voice came behind her.
Well I was resting. Jayden thought, but knew not to say it out loud. Footsteps to Jayden's right side approached. It was the dark peach lion, Malowa.
"No one left any?" he inquired. Jayden shook her head, Malowa looked hungry too. "I didn't get anything." he said.
"Me either. Nice seeing you again by the way." Jayden said politely. Malowa's mane was a darker shade of his fur. You could call it light brown. Jayden had forgotten the interesting bright light blue-green shade his eyes were.
"Glad you and your family are back." he smiled. "Though the food went kinda fast."
"We were hungry!" Dayya's voice came from behind Jayden. The red-cream lioness trotted over. "We had a long stressful trip, remember!"
"Not you again." Malowa said, sticking out his tongue at her.
"Yes, me! Get used to seeing my face, Malowa."
"But I just saw you ten minutes ago by the water hole."
"Too bad." Dayya stuck her tongue out at him too.
Jayden smirked. Now those two should be a couple. They were made for each other.
"How's Tempest?" Jayden asked before Dayya and Malowa could get into a bigger fight.
"Come visit her and see." Dayya said, leading her to the cave. Jayden followed, stepping easily up the stone stairs that used to seem so big when she was a cub. When they entered the den, it became quiet. Some sunlight streamed in, but mostly it was dark in there.
In the back on a comfortable looking bed of grass and large leaves lay Tempest. At her side were Mairu, and Mani. Standing nearby were Kivu and Ciara. They were speaking quietly until the sisters walked up.
"Hello Jayden." Ciara said, dipping her head to her.
Woah. Jayden thought when she looked at the orange lioness. Ciara looked like a Queen. Her silky red head tuft shone brightly even in this dimness. She had grown longer and taller since she saw her last. She just looked so mature and pretty.
"It's n-nice to see you again." Jayden stammered shyly.
"Likewise." Ciara smiled. "I'm sorry we couldn't re-meet under happier circumstances." she looked down at Tempest's sleeping form. The gash on her back was now covered with leaves. Jayden detected the strong smell of medicine. Some orange juice leaked out from under the make-shift bandage.
"Is she alright?" Jayden asked Mairu. The old brown lioness nodded. "I believe so. I've cleaned the wound and put the medicine on her back to stave off the infection. She just needs rest and for someone to change the leaves every now and then.
"And the baby? Will it be okay?" Jayden asked.
"A baby!?" Kivu interrupted, looking surprised. "There's a baby?"
Tempest's tired voice came, "It was supposed to be a surprise."
"Oops," Jayden said.
"And they thought I would be the one who would ruin it." Dayya said.
"Well it's only ruined to me and Kivu." Ciara said, nuzzling Tempest's head softly. "Congratulations, Tempest!"
Tempest purred and nuzzled her friend back.
Kivu clapped Mani on the shoulder with a paw. "Way to go!"
"Sorry, Tempest." Jayden murmured.
"That's okay. It can still be a surprise to everybody else. Mairu already knew too."
"Yes, I've had enough experience to know when a lioness is expecting. You should go back to sleep now dear, you need all the rest you can get."
Tempest nodded, and reached out to touch Mani's paw. He stroked her hair with his other paw while she dozed off. Mairu motioned to Jayden and Dayya to follow her. Kivu and Ciara came as well. When they were far enough away, the old lioness looked at them with her red eyes.
"I'm a little worried about the cub." she said.
Jayden's heart sank. Crashed. "Torrent, no!" she whispered.
"Don't any of you say anything to Tempest or Mani." Mairu whispered to the sisters, and Ciara and Kivu. "I've done what I can for the wound, but if the cub was affected by it in any way, there's nothing I can do."
Dayya lowered her head sadly.
"But the cub could still make it, right?" Jayden asked.
"Yes, and I'd like to believe it's a high possibility. Tempest is young and strong. She's got spunk."
"More than she knows what to do with." Kivu added.
"If anyone can make it, Tempest's cub can." Ciara said. "He or she will have a part of Tempest's determination and a part of Mani's strength, so I know the cub will be fine."
"That's what I'm hoping for. Don't look so down." Mairu said to Dayya. Dayya lifted her head a little. "Remember what I said, Don't tell Tempest or Mani. I've already told your parents." Mairu said, looking at the sisters. "I just don't want them to worry over nothing if the cub ends up being okay. I should be able to tell how it's doing with time."
The sisters nodded, and with that, Mairu exited the cave, saying she would be back to check on Tempest in a short time. Kivu, Ciara, Dayya and Jayden left the cave too.
"I hope everything goes okay…" Dayya said, still looking a little down.
"Mairu seemed optimistic." Ciara said to her, calmly blinking her green eyes. "It's not like you to be the pessimistic one, Dayya. You were always happy and lively as a cub."
Dayya made an embarrassed laugh, "Yeah, I know."
"She's still like that." Jayden commented, trying to cheer Dayya up.
"I am, just not when my new niece or nephew is in peril. I haven't even known that long that I'm about to be an aunt, but I've already grown to like the idea. It's so unfair, why did this happen to Tempest!"
"Just keep a positive attitude." Kivu said, patting his younger cousin on the shoulder. She nodded.
Jayden couldn't help be stare at Ciara and Kivu. They both seemed so adult and regal.
"Sorry if this is a dumb question but…" Jayden blurted before she could stop herself, "How come you two aren't King and Queen now? You just seem so…royal."
"I thought the same thing!" Dayya said as Kivu and Ciara shared a smile.
"My father says he may pass the title soon, but not now. I'm not sure what he's waiting for, but Ciara and I are still enjoying our time as Prince and Princess, aren't we?" Kivu nudged the beautiful orange lioness.
"Well I'm not technically…I mean, of course." she smiled.
"Are they doing well? Your parents?" Jayden inquired, figuring it was polite to ask them even though she knew the answer from Zula.
"Oh sure." the Prince replied. "Still spry in their old age." he chuckled.
"They're not old." Ciara said, nudging Kivu's shoulder.
"I know, I was only teasing. Did you hear they have a new cub?" he asked Jayden.
"Oh yes. We…met."
"Afia ran right into Jayden's legs." Dayya reported.
"And didn't say sorry, I bet." Kivu said, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do with that kid."
Jayden just laughed.
"Kivu, we mustn't be late." Ciara said to him.
"Yes, of course, excuse us, we are meeting mom and dad now on the border behind Pride Rock for a stroll." Kivu and Ciara waved goodbye with their tails and exited down the stone steps. To Jayden they seemed like King and Queen already.
"So what have you been up to since we got here?" Dayya asked her sister.
"Zula introduced me to Nundi, Mebala and Taeliss. I didn't talk to Nundi much, but Mebala and Taeliss are really nice and funny. Did you meet them yet?"
"Briefly. Did you meet Ahila?"
"No I havn't seen her."
"Me either, but Dark told me about her. That's where I've been, with Dark." she seemed to cheer up a bit, "Dark is so cute now that he's all grown up! Well he was cute before too, but now he's like…way cute."
"Oh… uh…" Jayden said, not knowing what to say. It didn't matter, because Dayya went on.
"I really missed him. I didn't realize how much I did until I started hanging around him."
"Oh yeah? Well how's his mother doing?" The brown lioness asked, hoping to change the subject. This one had her heart pounding.
"Good, of course. Those scars she had on her back, remember? They're nearly faded now."
"Oh, that's great." Jayden had to think fast. Sanu had scars? Oh yes, I remember the story. Sanu had been attacked and tortured by a black lion named Death a long time ago. That was before even Kivu was born. Jayden didn't feel bad for not remembering at first since it was something that happened a pretty long time ago, and she had only heard the story once before.
"Jayden." A muffled male voice said to Jayden's right. Both girls looked down the stone steps and say Drayden coming up. The light peach lion had a large haunch of meet in his mouth. He set in down on the step below the sisters. "I noticed you weren't at dinner, so I saved you this."
Jayden's stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't eaten. "Wow, thank you."
"You're lucky you got some!" Zula's voice came from behind Drayden. She bounded nimbly past him, and the girls to stand on the top step. "Give me some." Zula leaned down and sniffed Jayden's gift.
"No, it's mine." Jayden said, playfully shoving her grey friend.
"You had some anyway!" Dayay said.
"Yeah! And I havn't gotten any at all." Jayden added, sticking her tongue out at Zula. Her stomach growled again.
"Well fine, eat up." Zula said.
Jayden bent down and gulped down the hunk of meet in just a couple bits. It sated her hunger enough to stop the aching. She looked at Drayden, "It was great, thanks again."
He smiled and his ice blue eyes lit up. "You're welcome."
"Drayden, what have you been up to?" Dayya asked him. "Do you like the place where me and Jayden grew up?"
"We didn't grown up here. We only lived here for a few months."
"Well shush, you know what I meant."
"Well." Drayden said, "It seems nice here, though I haven't seen much of the place since I got here."
Jayden felt a little bad. Of course Drayden hadn't seen the Pride Lands yet. He knew no one here, so he had no one to show him around. Jayden assumed Larne had been resting this whole time, so she couldn't have done it. Vitani and Tome were taking care of Tempest when they first arrived, then were probably catching up with old friends after that. She assumed Koru was doing the same. All Drayden could do was wait around.
"I could show you if you like." Jayden offered.
"Really? That would be nice." he replied.
"Did you even meet everyone yet?" Dayya asked.
"Um…I don't think so.I met Zula." he nodded to the gray lioness standing next to Jayden. "And Mawalo…"
"That's Malowa!" Dayya said, giggling. "We should call him that, it will totally make him mad."
"Oh yes, I mean Malowa."
"I'll introduce you to more as we go." Jayden said. "Come on." Then she turned to Zula and Dayya. "Are you two coming?"
"I'm not, I'm gonna find mom and dad. See ya!" Dayya headed down the steps.
"I'll come." Zula said.
Before Dayya had gotten to far, she turned her head back and shouted over her shoulder, "Be back before nightfall, I heard there's going to be a spar tonight to celebrate our return!"
"Oh! The Pride Lands hasn't done a spar in a while." Zula said. "Since I was an adolescent."
Drayden, Jayden and Zula headed down the stairs.
"Did you participate?" Jayden asked.
"No, I was afraid."
Jayden and Zula explained briefly to Drayden about the Prideland's spars. He had understood by the name that it was a fight, but didn't know about the etiquette that went along with it. I wasn't a solemn, serious event. It was for fun, full of laughing, taunting. And it was quick. A new match must begin quickly after one ended. A match ended when one fighter was pinned or gives up. These weren't serious battles of course. Claws usually weren't used, or if they were, it was never that much. Only once had a match ended in one lion falling unconscious, and that was the spar between Kivu and Kovu when Kivu was just an adolescent. Kivu had been okay, of course.
Zula and Jayden gave Drayden a brief tour of the Pridelands. They walked out to the waterhole.
"This is the biggest body of water in our lands…" Jayden said. "I mean in the Pridelands." she laughed a little.
"Seems like you came to think of the Pridelands as your home while you were here." Drayden said.
Jayden smiled and nodded. "Maybe a little."
My heart sure was home here.