The sun was slowly setting over the Pridelands. Kopa and Simba slowly wandered through the grasslands towards the base of Pride Rock. The flakes of grass before them seemed to glimmer, glistening under the lowering sun. As they walked, the two male lions chatted casually...
"It's amazing you're still standing, Kopa." Simba looked towards his young nephew, the cooling, pre-nocturnal breeze brushing through his mane.
The slight change in currents forced the small primordial pouch hanging from Kopa’s belly to wiggle slightly as they walked. The younger lion's fur revealed deep scars and cuts across, like canyons carved into his skin.
"How many fights have you been in exactly?" The king asked.
"No idea." Kopa shrugged his shoulders. His mind seemed to be more focused on the occasional blast of lightning, shuddering from the northern part of the Outlands. Within the normal blasts of bluish-white flashes, a few specks of green seemed to flicker, spread across the horizon with each blast. Its very sight brought a tingling feeling to Kopa's heart. It wasn't the first time he had seen this kind of phenomenon.
But it couldn't be? Could it?
"Seriously though," The king's continuation of their discussion shook Kopa out of his focus. "...the way you handled the jackals back there, pure genius."
"Well, I learned from someone... fierce." Kopa smiled towards his uncle, a look in his brown, fiery eyes seemed to indicate a hidden meaning in his words.
"Who?"
"Who do you think?" Kopa giggled at the rather frozen stance of his uncle as he continued walking towards the base of Pride Rock. As his front paws padded themselves on the surface of the first step, a sudden outburst of shouting and laughing erupted from above.
Cries of "You're worthless!" and "I can't see why Simba allows you to stay!" only increased in volume as Kopa rushed up the monument's steps. A quick flicker of eyesight further down the pathway revealed Simba, slowly leaping up the steps as Kopa continued. The sound of growls and clawing only quickened his pacing, forcing him to shoot up each step, his breath intensifying as his scruff shot up.
As Kopa pounced onto the last steps leading to the summit, all that greeted him was a gathering of lionesses, all quite young. Their attention seemed drawn to the overhang above the Pridelands, with the majority of them staring at a smaller gathering right at the edge. They growled and scratched, rattling through the air as they seemed to attack something or someone.
"Hey!" Kopa leapt towards the gathering of lionesses. The older ones, furthest from the fighting, rolled and leapt out of his way, allowing him past. A couple of younger ones, however, leapt in front of him, blocking his path from the chaos ahead.
"Move out of the way!" A sharp, ground-shuddering growl rumbled through Kopa's muzzle. His long, flesh-piercing, canine teeth brushed through his heated, opened mouth. His large brown eyes darkened as he approached the small group of lionesses, slowly taking his steps steadily.
"Kopa?" A trembling, tear-soaked cry came from the ledge's edge. The lionesses blocking him moved slightly, revealing two more, one at the cliff's edge trembling at the sight at the other. The other, a tanned furred lioness, stood tall and proud. A rather mischievous, demonic smile quickly evaporated off her muzzle as Kopa approached slowly, his back arched slightly towards the ground, forcing his small primordial pouch to brush against the ground.
"Kuwinda!"
"Oh, Kopa!" The other lioness leapt slightly backwards as Kopa managed to push his way through the group. His head lowered to the ground whilst his blackened eyes shot towards her, staring into hers from the tops of his eye sockets.
"What are you doing here?" Kuwinda stood straight but relaxed, acting innocent and gentle as she flickered between a frightened Kuwinda and an angry Kopa.
"What's going on here?" Kopa snarled. By now, most of the lionesses had scarpered back, gathering near the sleeping lair's entrance, far behind Kopa. Their attention focused on the rising tensions before them. The skies above erupted with a light drizzle of rain, darkened clouds hovered above, shadowing the lands below.
The lioness's cheeks reddened, her heart practically ignited as she wandered between Kuwinda and Kopa. "It's really nothing Kopa, nothing at all."
She turned towards Kuwinda, the claws hidden within her paws shot out, scratching inches away from Kuwinda's face. "Apart from the fact that she STOLE MY HUNT!" Her roaring voice rumbled across the Pridelands as she attempted to slash at Kuwinda's face.
Kopa, quick on his paws, rushed towards the duo. His body slid across the ground, only stopping as he crashed onto Kuwinda's side. A sharp, skin-ripping pain ruptured across his side. The air's stinging breath brushed over his freshly scarred flesh, announcing its presence with a fanfare of high-pitched yowls.
"KOPA!" Kuwinda winced at the muscular, boulder-sized lump of fur, bone and flesh tumbling down next to her. His body landed with a ground-shattering thud, even making the lionesses a few meters away rumble off.
The entire pride muted as the young lion fell to the ground, a look of horror brushing through the short facial furs of the older ones. A small number of these lionesses arose to their aged paws, slowly moving towards the injured young male lion. They only stopped as they approached the two younger lionesses blocking them from aiding both Kopa and Kuwinda, their muzzles grinning with a mixture of anger and emotional, hormone-induced rage.
Kuwinda, still shocked at the turn of events before her, crawled up to Kopa as he came to, his rather soft, heart-warming brown eyes glistened in the setting sun. His mane glistened with its ethereal, setting solar aura, slightly burning the rocky ground beneath him. As he arose once more to his paws, a trickle of blood dribbled from his side, boiling as it contacted the cooling African rock beneath him.
As he struggled to regain his posture, Kopa spotted the lioness that had clawed him now approaching him. Her large, powerful body cut the sun's rays off from the injured lion's face. As he stared upwards at her face, he noticed the sharp, void-lit canine teeth at the side of her mouth, ready to dig into his fur. She was within striking distance. This was it.
"Wivu!" A thunderous, roaring voice rumbled through the crowd of lionesses that had gathered around the ledge. Pushing through the crowd, the auburn, reddish mane of the king came into blurred view: a fire burning through the approaching night.
"Your majesty!" Wivu stopped in her tracks, her claws shot back into her paws, hiding their blood-stained surface from the king's view. As he approached, she shrunk back into her fur. A sly, developed look overcame her face. "Fancy seeing you here!"
Simba was not amused.
"Step away from them, Wivu!" The king's head lowered as he approached, his front, muscular legs ready to pounce at the slightest hint of aggression. Knowing that she had no chance against the mighty king, now with rallied lionesses behind him, Wivu surrendered, falling to the ground with a soft thud. What was once a rhythmic ballad of roars and growls had now been morphed into the sound of tears and despair.
"I'm...so...sorry!" Wivu wept, finally coming to terms with her actions. A flicker of her softening brown eyes peeped towards Kopa; his fresh, bloodied scar very visible from where she laid. "I never... it's the heat!"
Releasing a long, struggling sigh, Simba approached Wivu, with two or three of the older lionesses following his lead, in case the situation developed violently. Simba stared down at the young, guilt-ridden lioness before him, weeping in the thought of her wrongdoings.
"It's alright, Wivu." Simba said, gracing a paw near her ear. At these words, the lionesses behind him approached the emotionally imbalanced lioness, rubbing their faces across her body, in an attempt to comfort her.
Within seconds, Wivu had regained control of herself and arose to her paws. The lionesses, along with Simba, escorted them away from the edge of Pride Rock, back towards the lair.
By now, Nala, Kiara, Tiifu and Zuri had exited the lair, curious as to what the commotion was about. They were met by the nervous wreck of Wivu slowly approaching them. A look of sorrow and remorse, with a tint of regret, adorned Nala's face.
Nearing the lair's entrance, Simba looked back to where Kopa and Kuwinda continued to lay. Seeing Kopa staring back at him, Simba smiled. He knew, deep down, that he was fine. The scar that had now formed on the young lion's side was not the first, and certainly not the last most likely. His thoughts returned to the young lioness ahead of him. The king knew the behaviour was quite common among many of the lionesses in the pride, especially at this young, rather mature stage in life.
The only lions left outside of the lair were Kopa and Kuwinda. Both had practically frozen in the aftermath of a potentially deadly situation. Kopa found it hard to walk, the burning pain in his side focusing all of his mind towards its presence. The rustling of fur, mixed with the sound of flowing tears and gasping air, shook his body as a flash of fur sped past his cone of vision. It rushed down the irregular pathway leading to the Pridelands.
"Kuwinda?" In the sudden rush of thought for the young lioness, Kopa ignored his injuries, allowing himself to stand properly, let alone sprint after the scared lioness. As the sun began the final part of its heavenly descent, he rushed down the path in pursuit of Kuwinda.
Unbeknownst to both lions, this would be the start of a whole new journey, for both the pride of the Pridelands and the crumbled ruins of the Uasiland's Pride. The winds were changing once more, bringing otherworldly, heart-pounding bursts of heat across the land.
And nothing would be the same again...
The sun had begun its rapid descent across the horizon of the Pridelands. Beneath it, a lone, stumbling, majestic figure rushed through the thick, windswept plains of tall grass, stopping for naught. His nose stayed constantly glued to the ground, hoping to catch a whiff of Kuwinda's scent.
The trail ahead was faint. A thunderous, moisture-bombarding storm had swept across the Pridelands, the largest flush of water to hit the land since the start of the dry season.
It was clear the season was ending.
The wet season had begun.
The scent trail Kopa followed had now been swept away, diluting Kuwinda's fear-stricken, nervous scent throughout the head height strands of grass scattered ahead. Despite this, the young lion was able to track her, but only barely.
The trail led to a small watering hole located between the majestic, skyward shard of Pride Rock and the rapidly filling floodplains in its lunar shadow. The watering hole's lush, nourishing surroundings softly covered its precious, life-indulging water, as it filled with the constant pitter-patter of rain.
The bombardment of rain was not the only sound rustling through the air, however. At the water's edge, Kuwinda lay with her head strung into its surface. The occasional droplet of salty, fur-drenching water brushed from the side of her eyes, into the clear springs below.
"Kuwinda?" Kopa approached slowly, his newly acquired scar burning as he walked. With each droplet of water that hit its surface, a small amount of blood washed upon the ground, leaving a small trail as he stumbled under the weight of his wetting skin and fur.
"I didn't want any of this to happen." The lioness didn't move her head. Her body convulsed with grief, regret and sorrow. Kopa fell to the ground beside her, a small trickle of blood oozed into the small patch of shorted grass he laid on, providing the slightest pressure to his minor wound.
"It... wasn't your fault, Kuwinda." His words halted as his side was shocked with pain. He dragged himself to the lioness's side, placing a soft, sheathed paw on her front shoulder blade. "Nobody is to blame."
"But I 'stole' her food and she attacked me and I... just... can't!" She gulped at the air, trying to fight back the emotional explosion in her chest and throat. Opening her watery eyes once more, she turned to the soft, dam, darkening fur rubbing against her side. A red stream flowed down the other side of the lion, dying his fur as it flowed.
"You're injured!" Her ears shot up, flinging her cheeks slightly up and in. She moved her head closer to Kopa's wound, analysing the blood flow as it oozed slowly out. The cut wasn't that deep, only a few inches. Now within the appropriate distance, she hesitated. She felt it was her duty to clean his wound, but this was Kopa! A Royal Mlinzi. The heart of the pride. How could she even be in the presence of such majesty? How could she concentrate when the most majestic, good-willed, heroic lion in the Prideland's history nestled before her.
"It's nothing." Kopa crawled away from her, his eyes scanning her face, acknowledging the nervousness in her face and posture. As he did so, she nestled her head back to the ground, facing the water's edge. The gloomy look on her face that Kopa had found her wearing had returned, intensely staring at the water's surface.
"Why did you follow me here?" A questioning, eyebrow-raising tone concocted within her throat.
"Why would you care about me? I'm not important." She arose to her paws, hoping to walk away from the rather embarrassing, heated situation. However, even struggling with the sharp, stinging pain etching its way across his side Kopa was quick to his feet. The lion gently galloped up to the depressed lioness. stroking his side across hers.
"Every lioness is important." He gave a small, brightening smile, hoping it would ignite a warming, caring fire back into her heart. "Especially huntresses." Kopa continued to brush himself against the lionesses' tough, wiry fur. The warming embrace only made her even more anxious.
"But I'm NOT!" Kuwinda suddenly exploded. "I've never been nor will be a good huntress."
Streams upon streams of tears gushed through her facial fur. "I couldn't even hunt a tortoise." Her face slowly dragged towards the ground as she clawed the wet, moisture-rich ground.
"Don't say that." Kopa continued to try to lift her spirits. Continuing to brush against her, he felt every bump of apex muscle in the fit, vibrant, young lioness. Their stored, pulsating power felt ready to unleash at any moment... to sprint and pounce on any prey she may find, or on him for that matter. "You arguably have more potential than any of the other lionesses."
Kuwinda sighed. She knew that Kopa was only trying to lift her spirits, but her heart spoke of different things from what the young lion told her. Her mind flashed through her entire life... all the way back to her troubled cubhood.
"If only my mother was still here, maybe things would have been different."
"Your mother?" Kopa grew intrigued. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, both in fact.
"She… She died Kopa… when I became an adolescent." Her face dropped as she continued to walk away. Kopa tried to keep up with her, but she moved slightly too fast, at least for about the first hundred feet. "She was the best hunter the Pridelands had seen. I... we could have learned a lot from her."
Kopa caught up with Kuwinda, his mind lost in thought as he tried to piece together what she spoke about. Kuwinda had also become lost, remembering the golden, fuzzy moments with her mother, before her untimely death. Even though her mother was gone, Kuwinda always felt like she had the other lionesses in the pride, even if they couldn't live up to her mother's high standards of care and learning.
"I know how you feel." Kopa's voice dropped too, becoming rougher with each syllable. "I... I lost my mother around that age too.." As the duo continued to walk through the heavy downpour of rain, they brushed furs once more.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Kopa." The young lioness sighed, her heart sinking knowing of Kopa's pain. The pair sat there for a moment, softly nuzzling each other as they both relaxed, comforted in each other's embrace. Kuwinda couldn't believe how similar their upbringings had been, despite the sheer distance that kept them apart. Both had been unlucky… but perhaps that would soon change.
Kuwinda continued to brush her slim, soaked head through Kopa's messy, oily, musky mane. Inhaling gently, she started to relax. For the first time in their conversation, she cracked a smile as she nuzzled the young lion.
"And if I've learned anything, it's that no matter where you are, no matter what you do, those you have lost are always there for you, in here." He stroked his paw underneath the lioness' body, resting just a top of her quickly beating heart. After a few seconds, Kopa released his paw, jogging slightly ahead of the lioness as she sat down. Her mind focused on the young lion's rhythmic, bouncy movement.
"I can tell you, hunting... it's in your blood..."
"Wow!" Kuwinda stood in total amazement next to Kopa, his brown, loving eyes glistening in the now rising moonlight, along with the small tuft of brown mane protruding from his neck and chest. "I really don't know what to say!"
"You don't have to say anything, Kuwinda." Kopa responded, a smile plastered across his muzzle. As he looked into her soft killer hunter eyes, his mind concocted an idea. To some, it would seem stupid, if not impossible. They sat down under an acacia tree, sheltering them partially from the torrential downpour of savannah rain.
"Kuwinda?"
"Hmm!" The lioness turned towards Kopa, her eyesight switching from a small group of giraffes nestling nearby.
"Would you like me to teach you to hunt?" Kopa, as best he could, put on his most serious, focused face. However, even with all the concentration, Kopa found that Kuwinda's charm was too much for him, forcing his muzzle to break into a smile.
Kuwinda, on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh at Kopa's offer. "You really think YOU can teach ME how to hunt?" Her chuckle seemed infectious, as Kopa couldn't help but join in, only regaining his previous stern look after a few seconds.
"Oh, you really meant it..." Her ears fell to the ground as she gave a nervous, rather cute giggle. Kopa could only laugh at this moment. It seemed like he had done more laughing with Kuwinda than any part of his visit to the Pridelands.
"Well, yeah." He slowly approached the nervous lioness, softly flopping down at her side, rolling around between her and the tree trunk. "If you want to, of course?"
‘Wait! Was this really happening?,' Kuwinda thought. Was Kopa, arguably one of the greatest, most caring lions to ever step paw on the Pridelands’ soil, now willing to teach her how to hunt?!’
The weight and anticipation of this offer filled herself with pride. After all, it wasn't every day that a young attractive male lion offered to help you improve your hunting skills.
"Of course I would!" The lioness couldn't contain her excitement, pouncing all over the place before pouncing on top of Kopa, their muzzles nearly touching as he fell on top of him. After a duet of uncomfortable, nervous giggles, the pair arose to their paws once more. The tree they had used for cover from the storm had become useless as the wind changed direction.
Peeking around the open plains before him, Kopa noticed a small, recognisable cave etched into a small hillside not far from where they were. The entrance seemed overgrown, tangled with vines and weeds. It seemed much better than spending the night out in the rain or taking the long, soaking walk back to Pride Rock.
"Hey, I think I see my father's old cave up ahead!" Kopa ran forward, his mane and belly fold flapping in the strengthening wind. After a few feet, however, he noticed the obvious lack of a certain lioness at his side. Turning around, he spotted Kuwinda walking slowly towards him, her fur only getting heavier as she walked onwards. "We can spend the night there if you want?"
Kuwinda was at a loss for words. Not only was he willing to help her improve, but now he was asking her to sleep with him! She quickly looked back at the distant but towering monument of Pride Rock. The dampness of her fur was playing with her mind as well. In all of this, she saw no alternative. As she began to sprint towards the lion ahead, now at the cave's entrance, Kuwinda would occasionally blink, as if to test whether she was dreaming or not.
"That's the spirit!" Kopa made his way into the cave, careful not to catch himself on the vines covering the old lair's entrance. The moon shone down into the cave, illuminating it as the lions nestled down, keeping a good distance between them. It was nice to get some sleep, especially after the hectic day both had endured.
But tomorrow would only prove as tiring...
