Chapter nine:

The next dawn came the same as the last, and with it Nala and Zazu left Pride rock for another patrol. She walked along the edge of the outlands, patrolling longer than she had the previous day, going more than halfway around the border.

"Ready to return? I think I spotted Bianca and her cubs hunting on the horizon, you'll have yourself a meal when you get back," Zazu reported. Nala opened her mouth to agree when a scent flowed on the wind across her tongue. She inhaled, her eyes narrowed and ears perked.

"Zazu," Nala murmured. "Do you see anyone? I smell a lion. Not of our pride." Zazu took off from Nala's shoulder, circling above her. After a moment he ducked back down.

"It's a male lion, in the direction of the sunset. The wind is blowing towards us, he doesn't know we're here," Zazu whispered.

"Is he alone? What is he doing?" Nala asked.

"It's only him. He appears to be scouting the area, sniffing prey trails and old scent marks," Zazu replied.

"Let's teach him a lesson then," Nala growled.

"Shouldn't you greet him with sheathed claws? You need a king, after all," Zazu pointed out.

"Shut it, dodo bird," Nala hissed. "The wind carries the scent of other lions on his pelt. He has a pride, and he seems to be scouting our territory for its new home." Nala silently took off in the direction of the lion. She circled around behind him, with him having no notice. When he reached a clearing, she stepped out into his field of view.

"What business do you have in the Pride lands?" Nala demanded, holding her head high like a queen should. The lion whirled around, surprised.

"So we have found it," The lion sounded smug.

"We? There are others," Nala hissed. "Answer my question: What are you and your pride doing on my territory?"

"Yours? You hold all this land for yourself?" The lion asked.

"Me and my pride do," Nala growled.

"Well, put simply, me and my pride are hungry, and our old home had no water. We were forced to leave," The lion replied.

"Sob story, but this land is occupied," Nala snapped.

"I don't think Tamaa is afraid of forcing others out to take it," The lion warned. "We have all heard of the Pride lands, and how it is full of prey and water. With Scar and his army gone, Tamaa thinks his pride can take it, with the hard work done for us."

"Is this Tamaa lazy?" Nala asked, unsheathing her claws.

"Anything but it," The lion hissed. "He's not afraid of a fight. In fact, he intends to fight."

"Oh? You think you can outnumber and outfight one of the largest prides in the area?" Nala challenged.

"Tamaa knows your numbers, and he has taken in every stray he's found to build his numbers. He's coming for you," The lion grinned.

"Then why don't you run along and tell him the Pride lands has a new queen, a queen who accepts his challenge?" Nala snarled.

"You can't order me around, your highness," The lion scoffed. "I haven't finished scouting out the whole area. Perhaps I'll grab a calf or two while I'm at it."

Nala lunged forward and swiped his nose before darting backwards.

"You think you can beat me, puny lioness?" The lion laughed.

"I don't think so, I know I can," Nala spat as she ran in for another attack, bowling into the lion. He didn't fall as she'd hoped, for he was rather large, but rather he stumbled. Nala took advantage of this weakness and lunged for his paws, causing him to lose his balance further and tumble to the ground in a cloud of dust and thrashing paws. Nala raked her claws along his side. She was about to press her advantage and pin him when one of his hind paws came up and hit her hard in the face, with a few of his claws leaving a shallow scratch along Nala's right cheek. The lion pushed Nala away and reared up on his hind paws, looming over her with his teeth bared. Nala rolled to the side and lunged for his hind legs, knocking him over once more. The male turned his head to bite and claw Nala, who batted and clawed his muzzle before he could. Nala leaped away and the male scrambled to his paws. The two lions stood, panting and bleeding, trying to calculate the other's moves.

"Give up," Nala growled. "I have a hunting patrol nearby, I'm sure Zazu will be back with them at any moment."

"You really want me to leave and return tomorrow with a great number of fighters?" The lion smirked. "You have no king, no lion to protect you. Scar may have devastated these lands, but at least he could protect them from other lions."

"Scar did nothing to protect these lands!" Nala roared. "No other lion would come here because of his wretched hyenas and the lack of prey!"

The lion leaped at Nala again, who reared to meet and grapple with him. Nala clawed his shoulders and tried to bite at his throat, though was unsuccessful with her smaller size and reach. The lion overpowered her and pinned her to the ground. Nala clawed his muzzle, but she couldn't get free from his large paws. She was saved from his killing bite by Bianca, who leaped over Nala's head and rammed into the male. Taken by surprise, he staggered off of the queen while Bianca rained blows on his head and shoulders. Nala leaped to her paws and joined the barrage, quickly convincing the lion to flee.

"We will be back!" He yowled over his shoulder. "You and your cubs will never be safe from us!"

"The cubs!" Nala exclaimed, looking around. "You had them with you on your hunt. Where are they? There could be other lions lurking."

"They stayed with Zazu and our kill," Bianca was breathing heavily, her eyes blazing with the fire of the fight.

"We must quickly get them home, and tell the others of this threat," Nala panted.

"Surely one lion isn't a threat to us all?" Bianca asked as they headed for the cubs.

"You didn't hear him before the fight," Nala explained. "He told me he was scouting for his pride. He said their leader, Tamaa, wants our land, and that he has large numbers of lions."

"We drove off Scar and the hyenas, we can drive them off too," Bianca said confidently.

"Only time will tell," Nala shook her head sadly, blood dripping down her cheek and shoulders.

"Lions of Pride rock!" Nala's call echoed off of the great rock face. "I have grave news."

Murmurs spread across the rock as the lionesses gathered.

"Do you know what this is about?"

"Is it the hyenas?"

"Is there a disease among the prey?"

"Why is Nala wounded?"

"Lionesses, cubs," Nala began. "During my patrol this morning Zazu spotted a lone lion. I went to tell him to get off our land, but he refused. He said he was scouting the territory for his pride. He said the pride's leader, Tamaa, wants the Pride lands for himself, and thinks he can easily take it now that we've driven Scar out. This lion may have been bluffing about his pride's numbers, but we can't take that chance. He has warned us that our cubs won't be safe, and I won't take any chances. He says Tamaa has taken in outcasts to build his numbers, and I'd guess that means more lions than usual, meaning our cubs are in great danger. Today Bianca's cubs could have been harmed if the lion hadn't been alone, and I won't have that happen. No cubs are to go more than twenty paces from Pride rocks, and must always be accompanied by an adult."

"Do you know when and where this Pride will attack?" Sarabi asked.

"The lion asked me if I wanted to drive him away today, only for him to come back tomorrow," Nala explained. "I don't know if they will come tomorrow, but until this threat has passed, no lion will go out alone, and we won't have any more than four lions away at a time. Zazu," The queen turned to the hornbill. "Are you prepared to fly between Pride rock and patrols at a moment's notice?"

"Of course," Zazu ruffled his wings and puffed out his feathers pridefully.

"Alright then," Nala sighed, getting to her sore paws. "Everyone must stay on high alert. I want a lion on guard at all times." With this, the lionesses broke up and Nala went into the den to clean her wounds.