Frodo

The day opened grey and without sun, as if the sky collapsed in ashes. Cold winds came from the West and powerful storms were unleashed on the southern coast. "I shouldn't have woken up too early" was the first thought that came to his mind. But damn, that fruit of baobab really deserved it. Sat on the top branches of the tree, the Pridelands were completely visible to him. He pulled a lock of hair out of his sight and rested his shoulders against the trunk. What a peaceful morning it seemed to be. Until Fuly interrupted.

"Prince Kopa" she called on earth, "what are you doing up there at this hour?"

He took the remains of his food and threw them to the cheetah. What a pathetic aim. The feline avoided with elegancy the consumed fruit and smiled, only to bother him. He turned his look away from her and returned to the landscape. But again, she shouted from below.

"Koppernicus, if you don't climb down right now, I'll make sure you become the hyenas' breakfast".

Frodo descended with anger, who in the world did Fuly believe she was to give him orders? He was the oldest son of Simba, prince of the Pridelands, and never should someone try to discuss with him, not even his subjects. With a frown and an accelerated rhythm, he walked to the King's Rock, trying to avoid Fuly's green eyes and sarcastic expression. The wind crashed against his back and left a cold sensation that made him tremble. Sometimes, he envied the fur, especially during winter. His hairless, exposed human back made him suffer, just as his feet.

Supposedly, he was a hobbit, one of those extraordinary little creatures that inhabited the north of Minhiriath, just a few kilometers away from the Pridelands. He once saw them, while hunting with Nala near the crossroad that connected the Shire with Tharbad. On that occasion, he hesitated between joining his own kind or staying with the lions. But he made his choice. They were the only family he had ever known. He convinced himself of it when he first saw his younger brother, Kiongozi, being born. He was born two years ago, when the scarlet comet cut the skies as a bloody knife. Kion's mane was also red as ruby, or at least it was supposed to be according to the few locks that grew from his head.

Rafiki said that this was a sign of the Valar, an announcement of joy. He prophesized that Kion would grow up and become a leader of nations and races and would inherit the Roar of the Ancestors. Kopa didn't give credit to it. The Roar was a legend and hadn't been seen since, what? seventy years ago? When Scar betrayed the kingdom by killing his own Lion Guard. In theory, as the heir of the Roar, Kion should make his own guard, but he was only two years old. He didn't even know how to speak properly. And who on the entire planet would join him? Fuly, the unbearable cheetah? Or Ono, the neurotic bird that followed him everywhere?

He laughed at the next idea that came to his mind. Jasiri, the hyena that was left by her pack in the Pridelands and was condemned to be a social stain, no matter how hard she tried to convince everyone that she wasn't as bad as the other ones. Would she join Kion's Guard? There were left no male lions to restore the team and most of the population was composed of herbivores and the only carnivores that were left apart from the lions seemed to be a joke. Constantly the group of idiots led by Janja assaulted the savannah and provoked Simba's anger. The king tried to prevent them by offering honorary titles to any creature with sharp teeth that would bring him their heads. In part, that's why Fuly was walking beside him right now. The title of "protector of the prince" gave her status upon others of her kind. She was only two years older than him, but her cleverness knew no comparison.

When they reached the King's Rock, the first thing they saw was Nala trying to teach Kion how to walk. The poor cub fell down and sneezed.

"No, baby brother, not that way", he said, taking him by the chest and lifting him up. He took Kion's right paw and moved it to the front. Then the left one and the back ones. After two rounds, the younger prince stumbled and, accidentally, gave a step on his own. Nala smiled, such as him, while Kiongozi finally began to walk. He suddenly took the challenge of jumping and achieved it. The little hobbit clapped, and Nala roared, those little moments of happiness made him believe in beauty and the Valar, the same gods that saved him from the furious waters of the Brandywine River.

Kion approached to him, touched his shoulder with his head, and said "Kopa". The boy's eyes filled themselves with tears. That one was the name that the lions gave to him. It meant 'heart'. But it also was a crude abbreviature of his real name, a reminder of the past that the Ancestors saved him from. 'Frodo Koppernicus B.' said the little reliquary he carried on his chest since he had memory. It was the only article that, apart from the skin skirt he wore, made animals aware that he wasn't a lion.

"Finally, the spoiled boy returns" Simba replied, entering the cave.

"Your Majesty" Fuly bowed respectfully in front of her king and left.

"Father" he gave him a knee too "I was just going to hunt my breakfast."

"Kopa" Simba looked at him with seriousness "We've talked about this; your first hunt won't take place until you reach 18."

"But I don't want to stay just there, doing nothing, as always!".

"My dear" Nala's voice smoothed his heart "We just want to make sure you're okay, whatever we do is because we love you".

"Kopa stays safe" Kion joined his parents, for shame.

"I want to go with Jasiri. And Kiara" he clearly preferred their companion to Zazu's. Of course, he had always been a loyal servant to the Aslans, but always appeared to be a little bit too old and grumpy.

Two hours later, he found himself watching the hyena try to hunt an impala and fail, more than twice. Bored, he started to cut grass from the soil and make a drawing with it. Kiara wasn't too patient. Indeed, she was playing with a butterfly, trying to catch it. Suddenly, she interrupted herself and hit with her paw Frodo's arm to catch his attention.

"What?" he reprehended her for distracting him.

"She won't look at us" she answered, whispering.

"And…?"

"And we could go away to hunt on our own."

Frodo laughed softly. "Yeah, of course, a kid and a little cub who hasn't developed yet strong teeth or claws."

"As you want." She said, disappearing into the high grass of the savannah.

"Kiara, no!" He called her, still whispering. He couldn't believe she practically forced him to follow her. If she got lost, he and Jasiri would find themselves involved in great trouble by the afternoon. He quickly took another look at the hyena. As his sister said, she wasn't watching.

So, he ran rapidly into the grass, squatting himself to avoid Jasiri. Desperate, he tried to find Kiara in the middle of the meadow, but the most probable thing for her was to have left the field a long time ago. Indeed, she was quicker than him and could have easily left him behind. He was about to call for help, but a soft, innocent voice whispered behind him "Go for her". He turned back but saw nobody.

Perhaps he finally went mad. Or perhaps not. Perhaps it was an elf, or an Ainur hidden in the grass, telling him the divine will, or even just his own imagination. What should he do? Well, he was already in the meadow, the only thing he had to do was to get out of it without Jasiri noticing. And so he did. He tried to follow the poor number of footprints she left. When the tall grass ended, a plain field followed. Then a dark, old forest. And finally, a swamp.

At some point between the swamp and the forest, a dense fog started to interfere with his vision and the footprints vanished. Thanks to it, he got lost. But he didn't care. The only important thing at that moment was to find his sister and bring her back to the King's Rock. Not the pain he felt on his feet because of the hard path he took or the immense hole that was opening inside his stomach, claiming for food. And certainly not the fact that he spent hours in the search and probably it was already afternoon. His mind only had space enough for her. "Kiara, Kiara" he whispered her name like a prayer. But the prayer got interrupted by the sound of a childish, but even though, evil voice. "Just look who we've got here".