Chapter 6, The First Kill Part I

Sarabi lead the hunting party along through the field of tall grass that covered thee ground which they have hunted for generations. The lionesses each moved so amble, hunkered down beneath the tall grass. Jay was narrowed down along behind the cover of the grass, scurrying on all fours along side his adopted family. In the years of walking on all fours, Jay had become accustomed to it. While he still preferred to run upright on his two feet, moving on all fours had become just as easy.

Crawling along behind his adopted mother, both the young prince followed as she had taught him to do. While it was that the queen was the one who normally lead the hunting party, there would be times that the King would lead the hunt. In the months they had prepared Jay to take the throne, Sarabi had taught Jay to lead in a hunt. Following the examples his mother had shown, Jay learned the ways of which the pride and how one leads with example.

It was then that the pride came out of the tall grass, near several aecia trees. Sarabi glanced back at her son and the others, gesturing her head for them to stop. Recognizing her gesture, Jay, Nala, Kovu and the others stopped. The queen the looked ahead, peering over the field of tall grass. This was where Zazu had reported one of the herds had migrated to. They should have found them by now.

Jay and Nala came up from behind the queen.

"Mother?" Jay asked, curiously.

"Your majesty?" Nala asked.

Sarabi cocked her head, continuing to gaze ahead over the fields. She scanned the tall grass before noticed a herd of addaxes standing in a clearing ahead, grazing. While not the most worthy of kills for any hunter to consider to be proud, it was a good enough to be considered a first kill.

"There," she said, glancing back at them.

"Just where Zazu had said they be."

Jay, Nala and Kovu peered ahead at the herd of addaxes.

"Awe man." Jay said, disappointedly.

Sarabi glanced to Jay.

"What is it, Jay?" The queen asked, curiously.

Jay shrugged.

"Nothing," Jay insisted to his mother.

"I was just kind of hoping for something bigger for my first kill."

Sarabi smiled to her adopted son.

"There is no need to be so hastened, my son," The Queen insisted to her son.

"It is a good kill for you to start from. Sometimes, a hunter must start with something easier before they can hunt something much bigger."

Jay narrowed his head.

"I guess that makes sense." The young male said, rubbing the back of his head.

He then glanced ahead over the tall grass, peering ahead at the addaxes. It wasn't like he was expecting to hunt an elephant or a that of a cape buffalo. The scars he suffered from the last encounter he had with one as something he didn't wish to go through again. Though as his father had said, his first kill would be an example of his strength and will. But he had also said that it would be for the pride as well.

Jay understood that his kill would be for the pride. And if that meant that an Addax would be his first kill to prove himself worthy of being king, then he would do it.

Jay glanced up to his mother.

"Alright," Jay said, nodding his head.

"Lets do it!"

Sarabi smiled and nodded her head to her son. She turned and gazed ahead at the herd. They seemed to still be grazing, unsuspecting that they were there. Now seemed like the time to move.

She glanced back at her son and the others.

"Come," she insisted.

"It is time for us to hunt."

Jay, Nala and Kovu nodded their heads to her. Jay came passed his mother as he and the other lionesses went ahead into the tall grass. Nala was just about to follow after them, when she was then stopped by Sarabi.

"Nala." She said.

Nala paused as she glanced back at the queen. Sarabi glanced to her.

"I want you by my side on this hunt." she claimed to her.

"Your majesty?" Nala asked.

"When you are queen, you will need to lead the hunt."

Nala narrowed her head. She knew that the queen was the one who lead the hunting party. With her now next in line to be queen, she would have to assume all the responsibilities of Sarabi. Just as Jay would with the duty's of Mufasa. Which meant that she would be the one to lead the hunting party, she needed to learn from Sarabi to be as such.

She glanced up at Sarabi and nodded her head.

"Yes, your majesty." Nala said, nodding her head to Sarabi.

Sarabi smiled at her successor.

"Come." she said, as she turned and made her way into the grass.

Just as Nala was to follow after her, she glanced back and saw that Kovu was not there. She paused for a moment, curious as to where he had gone. Only to her concerns to be set aside at the assumption that he might have gone ahead with Jay and the others. Nala then turned and followed after Sarabi, unannounced to her that Kovu was watching her from behind one of the trees.

As she disappeared into the tall grass, he came out from behind the tree. He stared ahead in the direction of the pride before turning to the eastern fields. He thought back at what his father had told him the night before. Nyati's herd was somewhere in to the East. If he could cause enough trouble for the herd, he would draw out Nyati and from there lead him to the hunting party. The buffalo would no doubt be so eager to get revenge on the man-cub who had blinded him.

Kovu narrowed his eyes, the hesitation he felt at the mere thought of endangering his friends. Especially Nala. He glanced back in her direction.

"Nala, I'm sorry." he said.

With that, he then turned and head off toward the eastern fields.


The addaxes continued grazing within the clearing, unsuspecting of the pride which resided in the tall grass. The lionesses slinked below the cover of the long grass, careful not to make any sound. They circled around the Addaxes, staying downwind from the horned grazers. The winds were coming from the east. If they were not careful, the Addaxes would pick up on their scent and scatter.

crawling through the tall grass, Jay remained narrow beneath the surface as he circled around the clearing. Following the example his mother had taught him, the young male stalked his prey vigilantly. He paused for a moment, glancing to the side. He Peered through the strands of grass at clearing where his prey resided. The horned grazers continued to ruminate the small grass below their hooves. All without notice to him or the other lionesses.

Jay continued to stare into the clearing. Reaching down to his side, he then pull his dagger from his side as he held it at the ready. As he stepped forward, it was then that Sarabi and Nala came up next to her son.

"Not yet." she whispered to him.

Jay glanced back to his adopted mother.

"Wait for my word, son." She reminded Jay.

Jay nodded his head to his mother. He then narrowed down next to her as the three peered forward into the clearing. One of the Addaxes wander up toward the tall grass. Narrowing it's head, the horned grazer began eating the lush green grass. Jay hunkered down, placing his hand over over the ground in front of him. He glanced to his mother, who slowly stepped forward as well. All but to signify the time to strike was soon.

The Horned grazer's ears suddenly twitched. It then leaned up his head, cocking it to the side. It almost appeared to be looking over them.

Sarabi then glanced to her son.

"Now!" she advised him.

Jay turned and quickly lunged forward out of the tall grass, startling both the addaxes and the rest of the herd. Just as he tried to gallop away from the young wild man, Jay lunged atop it's back as he was about to use his dagger. Only for the addaxes kick him back with it's two hind legs. Jay was knocked back and landed over the ground. The rest of the pride emerged from the long grass and chased after the herd.

Jay got back up quickly and chased after the Addaxes. Only for it to storm off into the long grass with other members of the herd. Jay slowly came to a stop as his kill became out of reach. He gave a small frustrated growl.

"I almost had it." Jay said.

Sarabi approached her son.

"It's okay, Jay," she insisted to her adopted son.

"It is only the first try. It will take more then the first to make a kill. Remember what Mufasa said."

Jay narrowed his head, thinking back to when Mufasa was teaching him to hunt. He said that hunt would be that of chance. Not just for one self but also for one's prey as well. Even on his first hunt, Mufasa could not make his kill the first try. It took him several attempts before he was able to catch. Even on the hunts he went on after, he could not always make the kill on the first try.

If Jay was going to make a kill, he would need to keep trying. He grinned.

"Right," Jay said.

"I just have to keep trying until I do."

Jay went on ahead as he chased after the herd with the other lionesses.


Overhead in the grasslands, Kovu could see the Nyati's herd. He walked up to a nearby tree, where he peered out toward them.

"There they are." Kovu said.

The herd was massive. There had to be hundreds of them grazing in the field. Even from this distance, he could see why they were they were the most dangerous prey. Seeing how massive they were, they looked like they could trample and crush him. Those two horns atop their head looked sharp enough to impale him if he was not quick enough.

He was suppose to lead the herd leader to where Jay and the others were?

He glanced back in the direction he came before looking back to the herd. He pondered for a moment over what his parents had asked of him. He still felt hesitant about this whole idea, even if it meant putting Nala in the way of danger. But shook the thought from his mind as he hunkered down and approached the herd.


Watching from a nearby hill, Taka and Zira as well as the three hyenas observed as their plans were beginning to unfold. The three hyena's chuckled.

"Is he seriously going to lure out Nyati?" Banzai asked, glancing up at Taka.

Taka grinned.

"Why, yes," Taka insisted to the scavenger.

"And once he does, the Buffalo will make short work of the young prince."

"After all, he has a score to settle with him." Zira insisted on her mate's claim.

The three hyena's chuckled.

"Oh yeah," Banzai said.

"That man-cub is going to be flattened by the time Nyati is done with him."

"Yeah, if he doesn't flatten Kovu first." Shenzi smirked, glancing to the two.

The three hyena chuckled at her remark. Only to earn a scowling glare from Zira, who growled at the scavengers. Their chattering was then silenced as the sauntered back from her. Zira growled as she then turned back and gazed back down at Kovu.

Zira grinned in anticipation.

"Yes, Kovu," She encouraged him.

"Go on!"

Kovu came up toward the fields, slowly hunkering down as he prepared to go forth. To claim all that was truly his.