Book 1: Chapter 12
"... So Dalia came up with the idea?" Tombie questioned, his voice quiet.
Tombie had spent the past several minutes alone with Kion, the latter attempting to explain to the former Dalia's role in the war. After the hyena asked to speak alone with the leader of the Lion Guard, Kion quickly agreed. Kion didn't exactly know the relationship Dalia had with the red-furred hyena, but he sensed that he was important to her.
Kion tipped his head into a slow nod, careful to watch for any change in Tombie's demeanor. So far, he seemed calm enough. "Yes, she came up with the idea and convinced Imba to tag along."
Tombie was silent for several minutes. Then he turned his head around to face Kion, and the prince quickly realized that Tombie was not thrilled and his gaze had — at some point in this conversation — morphed into a glare.
"And you let her?" Tombie demanded, the volume of his voice rising with every syllable.
"Yes?" Kion answered though it sounded more like a question.
"Do you have any idea what they'll do to her if she blows her cover?" He glared sharply at the prince. "They'd throw her into the volcano, drown her in a boiling hot spring —" he reared his head around so that he was inches away from Kion's face, "— feed her to the piranas bit by bit."
Kion bristled, slightly unnerved. "I wouldn't have allowed her to go if I thought it'd be too dangerous for her to handle."
Tombie let out a dry laugh. "Right," he snorted, "I'm sorry, but how long did you know Dalia before you let her go on this suicide mission? A week max?" He shook his head as Kion winced. "I've known that lioness since she was about the size of a baobab fruit, and I know the impulsive and stupid decisions she is capable of making. And the fact of the matter is: you are not equipped to determine what is and what isn't too dangerous for her to handle."
Tombie swallowed painfully. He should've never let Dalia leave. She was too young, too immature, and had zero guidance with her mother being gone. He was supposed to be the one looking after her. But the fight he had with her (the one he rarely speaks of) and all the unkind words he wishes he could take back eventually led to Dalia suggesting to split ways.
That fight he had with her was his biggest and only regret.
He had wondered for years how to remedy the divide between them, but now he had a pretty good idea.
So when he stood up to his feet and began walking away and Kion asked where he was going, he got the answer ready instantly.
"I'm saving Lia."
And this time, he would do everything in his power to make sure he didn't screw it up again.
Madoa returned to her turf in the Outlands to find Tombie hunkered down by the watering hole, deep in thought. She guessed he was still upset about the whole Dalia being a spy thing, and rightfully so. If one of her siblings wound up in that position, she'd be sick with worry as well. Slowly, she gently approached him.
"You okay?" she asked quietly, taking a seat next to him. He was quiet for several seconds, so Madoa eventually added, "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I always find that talking it out helps."
He nodded after a moment. "Yeah, just working out ways to get her out of Kilio Valley without being spotted."
Maybe for any other creature, Tombie's answer would've satisfied them. But not Madoa. She knew him better than that. But at the same time, she wanted to strike the delicate balance between gently prodding him and upsetting him further.
"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" Her tone was gentle, almost unbelievably so, and it elicited a tired sigh out of Tombie.
He ducked his head down, and his face bore a mixture of remorse and frustration.
Madoa placed a soothing paw over Tombie's, an action that didn't go unappreciated by him. He lifted his head back up and nuzzled her briefly, another sigh slipping past his lips. Their relationship status had been wavery over the past few months, and Tombie wasn't exactly sure how he felt about her and whether or not he should pursue a romantic relationship with her, but he knew that enjoyed her comforting presence.
And she enjoyed his, as well.
He pulled away from the nuzzle, looking straight into her deep brown eyes. "Have I ever told you what happened between me and Dalia that made her want to split apart?"
"She wanted to travel west or something, and you wanted to go in the opposite direction?" Madoa answered, repeating the story that Tombie had told her when she had asked once.
He shook his head. "I wish it had been that simple," he mused with a dry snort. "No, the truth is a lot more messy and complicated. To make a long story short, I said some really awful things to her while we were running away from the Land of the Wazi, and a few months later, she... she told me she needed to find her own way. And I really regret letting her leave that day.
"She was just so young, you know?" he added, "She didn't have any guidance, she had to basically raise herself by herself after I let her leave. And now she's in hot water, but I'm fairly confident that this isn't the first time something like this happened. She really needed someone to guide her and help her through life, and I... I just let her leave."
Madoa was fairly confused, but at the same time, understood him vaguely. But in order for her to truly understand what was bothering him, she needed to know more.
"Tombie, can I ask you something?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Can you tell me what happened? What happened the night you ran away? What you told her during that time made her want to leave."
Madoa studied his expression for any anger or frustration at her prodding but found none. Tombie had told her once or twice that he had to run away with Dalia, but never explained why. She cared for him a lot and would like to understand him better and know more about him.
After a moment, she added, "You're not obligated to tell me anything, and I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries, but I would like to know you more. To understand you better."
After a moment, he tipped his head into a nod. "It's okay, 'Doa. When it comes to you, I doubt there are many boundaries you could possibly overstep — this included. Besides, it's about time I told someone this story."
Madoa's paw once again found Tombie's and gave his paw a gentle squeeze.
"So, I guess I should start at the beginning," Tombie said before clearing his throat. "I was a wanderer before Dalia was. I wanted to travel the world. I never really knew my parents and I guess I didn't really have a place to call home, so I kept moving from place to place. I was somewhat of an outcast, but I enjoyed that lifestyle. It was fun and kept me on my toes.
"I don't think I would ever decide to ever take it up again," he continued, "But I'm proud of that time of my life. Now, fast-forward a little bit. I stumbled into this land that was somewhat barren though certain areas were prosperous. But despite the barren environment, the place felt lively and like what I would've imagined 'home' to be like.
"I soon discovered a small pride of lions, which consisted of outcasts like me. The lions that made up the pride were all either kicked out from their former prides, or rouges from birth. I guess neighboring Prides found it amusing to name us the 'Wazis' and our territory, 'The Land of the Wazi' but we didn't really care.
"I fit right in, quickly becoming an honorary member of their merry band of misfits." He laughed. "We had a lot of fun together, we did. And that's when Nyla came along."
{flashback}
Tombie was lying on his side, peering up at the clouds passing through the blue sky. After a few moments, he bent his head to lap at the water of the oasis. Right in the center of their territory lay a beautiful oasis, complete with big leafy trees and everything. It attracted whatever prey that this barren land had to offer. It had been a few weeks since Tombie became an honorary member of the Wazi Pride, and he was lovin' every second of it.
Suddenly, a ball of fluff rammed into his side hard. "Hey!" he yelped.
He peered down at the source of his annoyance and found a dark-furred lion cub peering right back up at him with her striking blue eyes. The two crescent moon-shaped birthmarks on either side of her eyes crinkled as she squinted against the sun to see Tombie.
"Sorry," she squeaked and shuffled backward. "Didn't see you there, Bee."
Tombie rolled his eyes at the tiny cub, who had been born only a few weeks ago. "I told you not to call me that, Asra. And where's your mother? Little cubs like you shouldn't be out and about all alone."
The dark-furred cub, Asra, puffed out her chest. "I'm not little," she snapped indignantly. "Besides, Mama said that you're just a pup even though you act like an adult!"
As if on cue, Asra's mother popped out from the leafy trees that surrounded the oasis. "Asra," she said sharply. "Care explaining where you've been all afternoon?"
Tombie looked up from Asra to see her mother, Torora.
Torora shared many features with her young daughter: dark chocolate fur and cobalt blue eyes that were almost electrifying. However, Torora's eyes were glazed over with blindness. Apparently, the lioness lost vision in one eye and half of her vision in the other after a mighty bout of disease that racked her former pride.
After she was kicked out of her Pride for her blindness, she met her mate — Tariq — and together, they formed the Wazi Pride.
Thankfully, their daughter — Asra — only suffered from perpetual and chronic clumsiness rather than blindness.
Though Torora was adamant that nobody should address her as 'Queen', she was definitely the matriarch of the Wazi Pride even with her partial blindness.
"Every mother can follow her cub's scent trail," Torora replied dismissively, her nose twitching. The lioness made up for her lack of sight with her other senses, especially her sense of smell. "But that still doesn't give you any kind of excuse to be running off like a no-good hooligan and start antagonizing folks!"
Torora opened her muzzle once more, and Tombie began to stand up. He didn't want to stick around to witness the inevitable tongue-lashing Asra was bound to receive. However, before either could do anything, a crashing of foliage from the other side of the oasis interrupted them. The three of them turned their heads around to find a scrawny lioness bursting through the foliage and crawling toward the crystal blue water.
The foreign lioness had been so weary, that she had apparently not noticed the other three creatures on the other side of the water. Immediately, Torora told Asra to go back to the safe area to hide. Asra scampered off, her little form disappearing in the distance, and Torora and Tombie walked forward towards the intruder.
"Who are you?" Torora called as they neared her.
The lioness jerked her head upward, and her eyes were wide and frightened at the sight of Torora. "Please," she croaked, her voice tired and cracking. "I-I won't be here long. I just need water and I'll be on my way."
Tombie felt a pang of pity for the lioness. She was obviously heavily pregnant and shaking like a leaf. Her scrawny and bony legs were barely supporting the rest of her weight, and Tombie could count every single one of her ribs if he wanted to. Her cheeks were sunken in and her eyes were dull, colorless, and gummy.
Torora frowned and she squinted her good eye to get a better look at the lioness. "You seem... familiar somehow."
The lioness was still trembling, and Tombie couldn't tell whether that was from weariness or fear.
"Please," she repeated. "I'm pregnant, and I've been wandering the sand dunes for weeks. I haven't drunk or eaten anything in days." Her eyes began filling with tears. "I know you may be apprehensive about helping me, Torora, and I'm sorry for what I allowed to happen to you back in Khalid's Pride. But please, for my unborn child's sake, don't turn me away."
To this, Tombie was surprised. So apparently the rouge lioness knew Torora. More than that, apparently they used to be Pride sisters.
Torora stiffened beside him. "Queen Nyla," she murmured. Her good eye widened in surprise. "I never thought I'd see you again after you allowed your husband to banish me. Much less find you banished yourself."
Tombie was young at the time, but even he had realized very quickly the reason for Nyla's banishment: the child in her womb. Tombie guessed the child had been the product of an affair, and her husband — apparently a cruel lion — banished her. Banishing a pregnant lioness in the middle of the dry season was practically a death sentence.
The lioness, Nyla, ducked her head in shame. "I'm sorry, and I beg your forgiveness for what I allowed to happen. As the Queen, I shouldn't have just stood by silently and allowed him to exile you. But my child's due any day now and—" her brow began glistening with sweat, "and — ah!"
She broke off with a mighty cry that shocked both Tombie and Torora. Her body began giving strong, painful-looking convulsions and the trembling from before amplified. Nyla fell to the ground with an agonized groan, and Torora knelt down beside her convulsing form.
"The baby. It's coming," Nyla gritted out through clenched teeth.
"Let bygones be bygones," Torora soothed. "I swore I'd never turn away someone in need, and that now includes you as well." She turned to Tombie. "Tombie, hurry and fetch Mida. This child's not waiting for anyone."
{end of flashback}
Madoa shook her head in disbelief. "That's horrible. I... I could never imagine the Royal Family in the Pridelands doing such a thing. Are other lion Prides really that cruel, Tombie? That they would exile a pregnant lioness?"
Tombie gave a somber nod. "Not all lions are as gracious and fair as the Kings and Queens of Priderock." He sighed.
"Regardless, that's how I met Nyla. And not too long after that, I met her cub, Dalia. I instantly felt close to Dalia. There was just something about her that made me want to protect her. I never had a younger sibling, but Dalia soon filled that role for me. Of course, we would fight and bicker, but we also had each other's backs. So when she would get herself into trouble, I'd be there to help. And she'd do her best to do the same for me when I would get myself in trouble."
"You guys must've been really close," Madoa murmured. She was reminded of her relationship with her younger sister, Jasiri. Of course, they fought like all sisters do, but Madoa was fiercely protective over her as well as Wema and Tunu.
"We were," Tombie agreed with a nod. "Some time passed, Dalia and I were maturing, and everything seemed great." His expression soured. "And that's when he came in."
Madoa raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Kali," he hissed, his voice practically dripping with disgust.
{flashback}
Tombie had been wrestling with Dalia when Kali arrived. Their other playmate, Asra was not present as she had been grounded after roughhousing a little too much with one of the other cubs. Tombie knew the incident was not a result of Asra's malicious, though. For as annoying as she could be, Asra was not cruel. Annoying, stubborn, and clumsy, sure. But not cruel. Her parents made sure of that.
When Dalia delivered an unnecessarily painful nip to his tail, Tombie seriously considered the possibility of her being cruel though.
Tombie was just about to deliver the winning tackle to the lioness wriggling about, trying her level best to pin him to the ground when Nyla's sharp call interrupted them.
"Dalia! Tombie! Come here!"
Immediately, both of them detangled themselves, Dalia giving one last snarl and a sheathed swipe at Tombie's muzzle (which he kindly returned) before running back to her mother.
Her mother's green-gray gaze settled on the two, and relief suddenly washed over her. "You two need to get somewhere safe. Torora just detected a foreign male lion scent along the border."
She didn't need to say anything further; the youngsters knew the implications. Both nodded fervently and began taking off to the designated hide-out for young ones in situations like this. But before they could get far, an unfamiliar voice stopped them in their tracks.
"Please, relax!" the voice had pleaded. "I mean you kind lions no harm!"
Tombie and Dalia both spun on their heels to find an unfamiliar male lion a few feet in front of Nyla. Nyla was, at that point, crouched in a defensive position. Her claws were unsheathed and her fangs were bared, ready to strike.
"Not a step closer," she growled. Tombie and Dalia were only about a yard behind Nyla's snarling figure, and she intended to protect them.
The strange lion blinked, then took a few steps back to show that he wasn't a threat. "Please, I mean you no harm! I swear it on the fire lilies." He glanced between her and her cubs. "I, well, I heard of this place where outcasts were welcome. Seeing as I have nowhere else to go, I thought I'd try my luck."
At this, Nyla sheathed her claws but still kept in her defensive pose. "Tell me your story. Why were you outcasted, and what makes you think we should trust you willingly?"
"My story is one typical of many young lions," he had said smoothly. "My father kicked me out of the Pride when I became of age, telling me to set out and build my own Pride."
"Why haven't you done that?" Nyla asked defensively, though the bite to her voice was no more.
He had looked at her with those charming blue eyes, and a small smile had graced his handsome tanned face. If nothing else, the newcomer was smooth.
"I don't have any lionesses willing to start a Pride with me, and the only other alternative is to battle another lion, steal his Pride from him, and slaughter his children." He glanced at Dalia and placed a hand over his chest. "I simply didn't have the heart to do that."
Nyla stared at him long and hard for a few moments before straightening out. After a moment, she offered him a very small smile of her own.
"Well, I'll have to run it by the rest of the Pride, but I'll take you to them," she said helpfully. "And sorry about nearly attacking you. Everyone's been on edge today." She gestured to the cub and hyena still frozen in place a few feet ahead of them. "That's my cub, Dalia, and our family friend, Tombie. And my name is Nyla."
"My name's Kali. Nice to meet you all." He stopped for a moment to glance down at Dalia. "Hey there, little lady."
Dalia had giggled and ducked behind her mother, but Tombie wasn't fooled. He could see past the charming smile and kind-looking eyes.
Tombie knew then that Kali was more dangerous than he gave off, but he had no idea how much destruction Kali would cause.
{end of flashback}
Tombie shook his head. "I shouldn't have ever allowed Kali to join our Pride. I had that gut feeling about him, you know?"
Madoa's eyes widened a little. "Did he do something awful? You talk about him as if he did."
The red-furred hyena gave a humorless laugh. "He ruined mine and Dalia's lives, Doa. He was the reason we had to run away from the Wazi territory. But he wasn't always like that. At first, he was somewhat normal. Then, as time went on, he began showing his violent side.
"He quickly began conquering new land and new territory for the Wazi," Tombie continued. "I think it was all part of his plan since the beginning. Earn our trust, earn new land, then take over. He began becoming ruthless, honestly. He hunted more than he needed to and shed a lot of blood when conquering new territory for us. The other lions in the Pride tried speaking out, but nobody was strong enough to face him.
"Eventually, I left the Pride and lived on the edge of the Wazi territory. I was fed up with listening to Kali give orders," Tombie finished with a soft growl. "But after I left, it got worse. Much, much worse."
"What happened after that?" Madoa asked.
"I lived away from the Pride for a few months. I visited Dalia occasionally, but not much." His face soured. "Then, one day Dalia ran into my den in the middle of the night."
Madoa had a feeling she knew where this was going.
"It was raining that night," he continued, "I remember because Dalia had been soaked to the bone and sobbing. She told me that Nyla was dead." He turned down his face. "And Kali had been the one to kill her. And what's more, nobody else in the Pride — not even Torora — could do anything about it. Because they were afraid they'd meet the same end Nyla met."
Madoa gasped. "Why... why would he..." she struggled to find the right words.
"I don't know. It was clear Dalia didn't like talking about it, so I never prodded her. With Nyla gone, I knew that Dalia would need someone to look after her. And she was no longer safe back with the Wazi. So we ran off that night, and never looked back." He swallowed thickly. "After Nyla died, Dalia was silent."
"Silent?" Madoa echoed.
Tombie nodded. "Silent. She didn't utter one word for the first several weeks after running away. I gave her time because I knew what she had been through. But as the weeks stretched into months, I became angry. And one day, after she refused to eat and I had to practically drag her to the watering hole to drink, I snapped."
A beat of silence passed between the two before Madoa asked quietly, "What did you say to her?"
Tombie shook his head and stood up. "Things I shouldn't have. I was frustrated and I was angry, and rightfully so. And I guess I took it out on her. But in the moment, I completely forgot how young she was. I completely forgot that she had watched her mother's murder, and lost everything in the blink of the eye."
Madoa sensed that he wasn't going to talk about it in more detail, so she decided not to press it. Instead, she stood to her feet as well and nuzzled him. "Thank you for sharing all that with me," she whispered, "I know it must've been hard for you to talk about."
"It was, but I'm glad I did," Tombie replied, nuzzling her back.
Then Madoa did something that surprised them both. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You're a lot braver and kinder than you give yourself credit for, Tombie," she said lovingly. "And maybe that's one of the reasons I fell in love with you."
Tombie's mouth went dry. "L-love?"
Madoa gave a small chuckle. "I thought I had made it so embarrassingly obvious these past few months. I guess you're pretty clueless in that regard." She relished in the dumbfounded, blushing face Tombie was making for a few moments. She'd be content to spend the rest of the day at his side, unfortunately for her, she soon heard Jasiri calling her name.
"Madoa! I need your help with getting the kids off to bed!"
"Coming!" she called back before turning to Tombie. "Goodnight, Tombie. I'll be right back after I help Jasiri." She was interrupted by Jasiri calling her name once more. "But first, I need to get Wema and Tunu to bed."
Madoa turned tail and left, leaving Tombie speechless. The most amazing girl in the entire world loved him? And more than that — she thought he was some sort of a hero. She thought he was brave and kind and amazing. He could hardly believe it.
Despite the pleasure he felt that Madoa felt the same way about him, he felt slightly guilty as well. The memory of the words Tombie had hurled at Dalia — a young, broken cub — was fresh in his mind.
If only Madoa knew.