too; we'll drown!"

Mkali slipped down the muddy bank and to the edge of the river, "Look," he nodded his head to a nearby tree. The recent large amount of water had washed away the dirt at its base, exposing its roots and making it loose in the ground.

The tree itself was dead, the bark patchy and the branches bare. It was directly opposite the rock where the bird was.

Jino and Mkali grinned at each other and nodded- again no words were exchanged but they knew what they had to do.

"Hey, bird!" called Jino, "Don't worry, we're comin’ to help!"

The bird looked up and flapped her wings; Jino realised close up that the bird was quite young; only a hatchling.

Jino rushed to the old tree and put his paws against the dead bark, pushing hard. The tree creaked but didn't budge.

The river was moving faster now.

"Mkali help me!" Jino shouted over the wind.

Mkali eyes were on the water. He stepped back the water suddenly reached his paws. Mkali's ears drooped and his eyes widened, "Uh-oh..."

He quickly ran over to Jino and began shoving the log hard with his forepaws, "Quickly!" he shouted, "Jino, there is going to be flash-flood!"

"'Flash-flood'?!" Jino repeated between shoves. He gritted his teeth, “How can you tell?”

"Water is rising," Mkali explained.

Jino hissed in frustration as the tree still refused to move. “There’s a dam further upstream,” he said, “it musta broken because of the rain.”

Mkali nodded, “When water reaches here all banks will be covered with water. Mkali and Jino must hurry!"

Jino put all his strength against the log. With their combined efforts the tree began to creak and the trunk to snap. With one final heave the tree crumpled beneath their weight and slammed on to the rock in the centre of the river.

The bird hopped out of the way and Jino leapt up upon the wet bark. He crawled along, sinking in his claws to keep a hold.

"Hey!" he called. The bird poked her head up from beyond the log.

Jino stretched out his paw, "Grab my paw!" he said.

The bird looked unsure, staring at his claws which could surely tear a small creature like herself in two.

"I won't hurt you!" Jino cried; the situation was getting urgent now. He could hear the roaring of approaching water, like an angry lion coming towards them.

The bird's eyes moved from Jino's claws to his own eyes. The bird must have seen some kind of flash of truth there because she whispered, "Okay," and hopped on Jino's paw.

Jino placed the bird carefully on his head, "Hold on to my mane." he ordered and began to make his way back along the log.

"JINO!" Mkali's bark made Jino freeze. "No keep moving!" Mkali cried, "The river!"

Jino looked upstream and sure enough a surge of water was coming towards them, faster than a herd of charging wildebeest.

Jino picked up the pace but in his haste he slipped on the slick wood. The bird on his head squeaked in panic and flapped her wings.

Jino scrabbled desperately as the current dragged his lower half into the water. Mkali quickly leapt to the top of the trunk and grabbed Jino's scruff, tugging him hard and pulling him to the bank.

The danger wasn't over yet; Mkali and Jino quickly scrambled back up the muddy bank and to the higher ground where it was safe- just in time as the water crashed up around the edge of the bank and splashed around their faces.

Jino looked up at the little bird, "Close call!" he smiled, "So little dude, how did you get into that kind of predicament?"

Chapter 6- Make Up Your Own Decision

 

The bird began preening the water from her wings, "I was practicing flying when the storm hit." she explained. She hung her head, "Mama did say not to practice in the rain."

"Sometimes parents make good points." Mkali nodded.

"We should get you home." Jino sighed, "I'm soaked to the bone and I hate being wet!"

"Me too," the bird replied, "I won't be flying for a while until I dry off! Thank you for saving me; what are your names?"

"I'm Jino," Jino replied, twitching his ears.

"Mkali's name is Mkali." Mkali grinned widely, showing his sharp teeth but the bird did not seem afraid of him nor Jino anymore.

"My name is Rangi," she said, fluffing up her feathers against the chilly air. "My home is that way," she pointed with her wing deeper into the jungle and Jino and Mkali set off.

"Mama always said all hyenas and lions were bad animals." Rangi said as they walked, "But you guys are nice."

Jino paused, "That's always what I was told about hyenas." he replied. “But Mkali turned out to be nice.”

Mkali grinned, “Mkali was told all lions were bad; but that turned out to be wrong. Jino is friend now.”

“I guess,” said Jino, “we can’t believe everything we’re told, can we?”

 

* * * * *

 

Back at Pride Rock the sun had just set beyond the horizon. The sky was a beautiful mix of the different shades of blue and a few stars were just twinkling in the sky.

"Mkali and Jino got Rangi back safely." Mkali was completing the story after taking over from Jino, "Rangi's parents were very happy to have her back and even Mama was kind."

"We've seen Rangi since," Jino picked up, "she says her Mama has been a lot less judgmental on lions and hyenas since the rescue."

Simba, Kiara's father and the previous Lion King, sat up and nodded, "I think this goes to show that we shouldn’t judge someone by their stereotypes.”

"Stereotypes?" A younger lion cub and part of the Pridelanders' Pride repeated in puzzlement, "What does that word mean?"

"A stereotype is a view of a particular group.” Simba explained, “Like saying all crocodiles are vicious. That is a stereotype, but it's not a true one; many crocodiles are gentle."

“Or assuming that all the Outlanders were bad because of Scar’s reign," Simba added with a meaningful look at Kovu. Kovu nodded in agreement.

"If I had listened to the rumors about hyenas and not made friends with Mkali neither of us would have found Rangi in the river, and even if we had neither of us would have been able to push the log down alone."

Around them, the lion's eyes widened in amazement. Mkali nodded at Jino's words, "The Circle of Life can't exist with only one species; Circle must be diverse to survive."

Kovu nodded, "Well said Mkali.”

Jino stood and stretched, "Well, it's getting late; Mkali and I better be getting home to our rock."

Mkali got to his paws as well, "Rock in story where Mkali and Jino met," he clarified, "is home now." “Did you ever name the rock?” Kiara asked.

Jino and Mkali chuckled. “Named it Home!” Mkali replied, “Admittedly, not Mkali’s most creative name.” He bowed his head to Kovu and Kiara, "Mkali thanks you for meal."

 

Jino did the same and Kiara and Kovu returned the gesture. "You're both always welcome here." Kiara said.

Jino gave a final farewell before he and Mkali bounded away down Pride Rock and towards Home.

Kiara and Kovu watched them leave. Above the stars twinkled brightly as if the great Kings and Queens of the past approved of the friendship between hyena and lion and of the story it had brought that would be passed down for generations to come.

 

Fin!

 

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