Updating again sooner than usual because I got a new keyboard that I love and makes it so much easier to type.
Chapter 13: Cute
"Oh!" Jayden had to quickly stop herself. Dark's eyes came open and looked straight at her's. Jayden was so embarrassed.
"I'm sorry." she said. He's here? Why? "I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry." she repeated.
"It's okay, I wasn't asleep." his creamy voice replied.
"Oh good. Pardon me then." she quickly turned away hoping he didn't realize she was just going back the way she came.
"Wait." he said. Jayden halted, her heart thumping. "Just a second." he stood.
She turned to face him. "Yeah?"
"Well I just wanted to say thank you for earlier. I mean, what you said in the gorge about my biological mother." His eye slooked like sad blue clouds. A little like the sky earlier in the day.
"Oh yes, of course."
He was quiet for a moment and Jayden felt the urge to fill the silence. "I don't think she meant to be insensitive."
"Yeah, Ahila sometimes blurts things and they come out in ways she doesn't mean." he chuckled. "It's happened more than once."
"Oh. I see." Jayden smiled. "Despite that, she seems like a good friend."
WHY did I say that? She shrieked in her mind.
"Yes she is."
So they are just friends? Ugh I must stop this.
"So how long has she lived here?" she asked, even though she knew the answer from when Zula told her the first day she was here.
"About a year. She fits right in." he smiled lightly.
Jayden giggled nervously because of his cute smile, not because of the comment.
"I'm glad you're back, Jayden." Dark said suddenly. Jayden's smile dropped. Her heart pretty much stopped.
He's glad I'm back? What does that mean? Is that just something one friend says to another? Well… sure it is. In fact, every night I've been here, I've reflected on how glad I am to have Zula as my friend. If she went away for two years and came back, I'd say the same thing to her.
"Well we're only back for a short time." She blurted, not know what else to say. "We're heading home again after Tempest's cub is old enough to travel. I guess that's as old as I was when I first came to the Pride Lands as a cub. Hm!" she smiled.
"Oh yes. Dayya told me."
"Of course. Well I'm going to head to bed…"
"I will as well."
Jayden turned to leave, she headed toward the underside of Pride Rock where she was supposed to be sleeping. "See you later then." She waved her tail at him as a friend might do. He repeated the phrase, and headed toward the stone steps to enter the den. Once she was out of his sight range, she practically bolted to her bed for the night.
KINGS! she thought What was all that about? Her heart continued to race as she settled back in her spot next to Zula. She could hear Tome snoring now. Dayya was in one of her classic upside down poses.
With her eyes closed, her thoughts raced. I'm so stupid! He must think I'm crazy. I act like a crazy person around him.
Why do I get so flustered around him. Ugh I should have said I was glad I was back too! I was so rude just replying with a report on when I will be leaving again. I need to focus on only thinking of him as a friend. Try not to be so awkward. She put her paws over her eyes in embarrassment. So stupid! Ugh just go to sleep. She told herself. It took several more rounds of 'Why did I say that!?' 'I'm so awkward!' for her to finally calm down and drift off to sleep.
A couple days passed. Jayden spent the days with Zula and her other new friends, or spent time with her family. Tempest was doing much better. Mairu and Tali cleaned her wound and added more medicine daily. The wound looked less inflamed, though it was still red and open. Jayden asked if she thought Tempest's unborn cub was now out of any danger, and Mairu maintained she didn't know. They'd just have to wait and see.
During this time, Jayden saw Dark little. She was getting better at not leaping every time he walked by or spoke. She was still a little awkward when speaking to him, but she told herself to give it time. On the third day since that accidental nighttime meeting with Dark, Jayden was asked to join the hunt. This was her first time hunting with lions other than the ones in her Pride. She was nervous. Kiara was leading and the rest of the group contained Ciara, Toni, Sanai, Vitani and Jayden herself. Hunting with her mother back home used to be hard. Vitani was critical when Jayden was beginning to would halt the young Jayden in the m iddle of the hunt to correct her posture or something else. Jayden used to hate hunting because of it and didn't help that Dayya was better at her, even back when they were first learning. So Vitani would smile and congratulate her while Jayden got scowls and corrections.
One time after Jayden had missed an easy kill during a training session, Vitani even muttered under her breath, 'Why can't you be like your sister.' Jayden didn't think Vitani meant for her to hear it, but she did. She never blamed her though, she assumed her mother had said it out of frustration and to herself, and didn't really mean it.
It still made hunting with her difficult at first. Now as the adult brown lioness stepped out onto the yellow grassy plains with the rest of the hunting group around her, she felt fine. A little nervous, but nothing like when she was first starting.
Jayden's nerves went away the longer the hunt lasted. It was going well. Vitani was doing her part to follow Kiara's directions, and so was everybody else. Here, Jayden and her mother were equals. It almost made her laugh to think about it.
Kiara was an excellent leader, she noticed. And Ciara was a great huntress. When she and Kivu became King and Queen, she would be promoted to lead huntress too. She would be a good one, no doubt. While watching Ciara during the hunt, again she was stuck by her grown-up Royal-ness. It was the only way she could think to describe it. Jayden really admired the older lioness for her beauty and poise. She wondered if she could ever be like her.
Jayden told herself to stop getting distracted and concentrate on the hunt. No wonder she wasn't the best at hunting, she got distracted so easily. Jayden spent the rest of the hunt very focused. She played a small part just as the "Chase Lioness" -one of the ones who jus trun after the prey to scare it into another lioness's path. Soon they caught two zebra. Together, they dragged their prizes home. Jayden felt good inside.
After they ate, a large group of the young lions in the Pride was gathering around the waterhole, so Jayden decided to join them. She was relieved to see Zula there already, and sat next to her. Kivu with his little sister, Afia in his paws, Tali, Ciara, Jai, Mani were there. Even Tempest made it out. Jayden remembered this group would often hang out here together back in the day. Nundi joined them too eventually.
Good. Here's my chance to learn more about Ciara and Jai's younger sibling. Jayden thought.
Nundi, the light orange adolscent walked to his siblings and sat down next to Jai.
"Hey bro." Jai greeted. Nundi only nodded his head. His golden orange mane flopped over one eye.
Nundi certainly is the quietest of the three. Jayden noticed each had very pretty manes. Ciara's bright red, Jai's yellow and Nundi's orange.
Zula noticed this as well, "It's hard to look at all three of them in the daylight like this." she joked and pretended to shade her eyes from the siblings. Nundi rolled his eyes but Ciara and Jai laughed.
"Jai is hard to look at to begin with." Mani said.
"Hey!"
Tempest laughed.
Zula whispered in Jayden's ear, "So which brother is cuter?"
"Um…" Jayden didn't know. They both looked fine… but cute? Maybe. "Nundi I think." Jayden whispered back. Zula giggled and reminded her of Mebala and Taeliss.
"What are you girls whispering about?" Nundi said with a snap in his voice.
"Oh nothing." Jayden said, feeling playful.
"You already got Jayden lying for you, Zula?" he said. The others laughed.
"Ow, Afia, that hurt." Kivu said suddenly. All eyes turned to him and the little orange cub in his paws. She was wrestling and biting his fingers. "Stop that." Kivu chided.
"But I'm bored!" she protested. "Why do I have to stay with you?"
"Because I'm babysitting you."
"I want to go off on my own."
"No."
"Pleeeease?!" she begged with big golden yellow eyes.
"No, I said!" Kivu said, covering the cub with his paw.
"Oof!" she squeaked.
Jayden smiled. Despite being a little spunky and rude sometimes, Afia was really cute.
"I'm just so bored with you!" the cub said after fighting her way from under Kivu's big paw. She hopped in front of Ciara's arms. "Ciara is more fun. You'll let me go off on my own right? Not too far, just a little?"
Ciara smiled at her. "I don't think so, dear."
Afia whined. "It sucks not having another cub in the Pride to play with!"
"There will be one soon." Tali said, looking at Tempest. Tempest smiled.
"That's forever from now!" Afia said, throwing herself into Ciara's arms. "Why don't you have a cub?" She looked up into Ciara's green eyes.
Ciara looked surprised at the question.
"Yes, why don't you have a cub, Ciara and Kivu?" Tali said teasingly, leaning in bringing a paw up under her chin.
Ciara and Kivu chuckled. Kivu a bit nervously.
"Yeah!" Jai added.
"Yeah, Kivu!" Mani said.
"Well it's just not time yet. Soon though." he said, and put his paw on Ciara's. She locked eyes with him and smiled.
"Whatever!" Afia said, defeated and jumped out of Ciara's paws. "I'm going to play 'Over-Under' now."
"Oh no." Zula said and Nundi groaned.
Afia moved herself to the end of the line of lions, by Tempest.
"What is she doing?" Jayden asked Zula.
"It's a game she made up. She goes over and under us as we lay here, then she turns around and starts over. She tries to go faster and faster each time."
Jayden tried to hide a smile. It sounded adorable, though she could see why it illicited a 'oh no' and a groan.
"Here I go!" The light orange cub announced.
"Just be careful with Tempest's back, Afia." Mani warned gently. "You don't want to step in her wound."
"Ew…kay…" the cub replied. "I'll start with under then." she said, and went under one of Tempest's arms. "Under." Afia muttered to herself. Tempest smiled and allowed the cub to slide under her arm. As she hoped out, she came to Mani. She went to his stomach, "Over!" she exclaimed, and tried to hop over him, but Mani was rather large, so she had to scramble up his side, flailing her back legs. She hopped off him some-what nimbly. Next was Nundi, who was in a sitting position, so she went under his tail. Nundi allowed this with a blank look. Then she went over Jai's back with less trouble than she had with Mani.
Next was Ciara, then Kivu, then Zula, then Jayden. Afia decided just to leap over Jayden's outstretched arms. She landed with a smile, turned and posed triumphantly.
"There!" She proclaimed. Jayden wanted to hug her. "Now again, but faster!" she told herself, then starting with Jayden, repeated her performance.
"So is this what she calls fun?" Tempest asked. Afia didn't hear the remark, or chose to ignore it. She was trying her best to go faster over and under the adults.
"She doesn't have other cubs to play with so this is the best way to expend her energy." Kivu explained.
"We just put up with it." Ciara added.
Tempest laughed. "It's cute."
"Not so cute when it goes on and on." Nundi muttered. Afia had reached him again, this time going under him, between his front legs and belly. He had to adjust his position for her to get through. Jayden noticed despite his complaints, he didn't move away like he very well could have. Maybe he has a soft spot after all. Jayden thought.
A few minutes later, Kiara strolled over with Simba at her side.
"Playing 'Over-under' I see." Kiara said as she stopped by Tempest.
"Oh no." Simba muttered. Jayden wanted to laugh.
"Pleaselet me go over-under you, mom and Grandpa Simba!" Afia cried, forgetting her game and flinging herself at Kiara's paws. Then stood and flung herself at Simba's paws, burring her head between them. Simba smiled but shook his head.
"No, Silly, your mom and I are going for a walk."
"Ughhh!" Afia whined.
"Now come on." Kiara said, reaching down and grabbing the cub's neck scruff gently. She put Afia back on her paws and let go. "I'll be coming back to pick you up soon. Stay with Kivu for now."
"Aw…" she pouted.
"Tell you what, Afia," Simba bent down and was saying in her ear, "If I find a grub while we're walking, I'll save it for you."
She lit up. "Really?"
"Daddy!" Kiara protested.
Jayden grimaced, but didn't say anything. Did Afia eat bugs?
Simba just grinned. The Quwwn and her father began walking off.
"Just because you ate bugs in the wild when you were young doesn't mean you can encourage my daughter's bad habit!" she scolded him.
For the millionth time that day Jayden wanted to laugh. Afia was quickly back to her game. Such a strange family, but I love this.
A little later, Drayden and Dayya joined the group. Afia was glad she had two more playmates/victims for her game. Dayya got excited and tried to join in the game. Dayya could go over easily, but under was quite annoying for most everyone. Nundi finally gave in and left for home.
"Dayya can be the cub friend Afia's never had." Kivu said.
The group hung out for the rest of the afternoon. Near night-time, Kiara came by and picked up her cub. By then, the orange cub was exhausted and glad to be going home.
At nightfall, the group went home. Jayden followed Zula inside the cave to sleep. She was tired too. Zula settled next to her sister Zuna, who was next to Sanu. Jayden was glad Dark didn't often sleep by his family. For the first time since coming to the Pride Lands, Jayden went to sleep quickly.
A murmuring woke Jayden a few hours later. Only after opening her eyes did she realize the sound had come from her. Her legs felt restless. She needed to move. She stretched her legs while still laying. She glanced at Zula who was still curled up, asleep. The rest of the cave was too dark to see much else. She heard gentle breathing. Sounds of sleep.
She looked at the mouth of the cave. A glowing blue-ish light was beaming inside. Suddenly Jayden was on her paws and was walking outside. She moved quietly down the stairs and she took an immediate left. Her paws brought her to the one place she had been avoiding the past couple nights.