because I heard voices and I wanted someone to play with and to talk to. I’m very lonely as I have no siblings and because I travel all the time I can make no friends. Yes, I do like playing games. I played a few with my parents when I was younger, but they grow more distant from me now. And I was staring at your sister because I think she’s beautiful.”

At his last remark, Chimalsi snarled. That made everyone stare at him – it was so out of his character.

Dafina walked up to him. “Stop being so jealous Chimalsi. It’s not like I’m your mate or anything.”

Those words cut Chimalsi deep as if a knife had gone through his heart. He felt his cheeks go warm and his eyes begin to water. He didn’t want to cry in front of Dafina so he fled. He ran back up to Pride Rock, into the cave and cried silently.

Meanwhile, the cubs got into a brilliant game and spent ages chasing each other, all thoughts of Chimalsi gone. It was only later, when the exhausted cubs were collapsed on the ground did Dafina think she needed to see him.

“Ajali, you seem really, really nice and I’d love to meet your parents. I’m sure they will be welcome up on Pride Rock.” She said.

“What about Chimalsi? He didn’t seem to like me and what if your parents don’t like my parents?”

“We’ve learnt not to judge people without getting to know them. If you don’t want to come, that’s fine, but please ask your parents!”

“Okay, wait here.”

Ajali ran off into the grass, heading for the cave he was currently staying in. He knew he loved Dafina and just hoped she’d accept him. A short while later, he reached the den.

“Mother? Father?” he called. There was no reply.

Ajali walked round the cave and suddenly heard sobbing. He ran towards the sound. He saw his father leaning over his mother. His mother wasn’t moving.

“Father? Why isn’t mother moving?”

He walked over to his mother and saw she wasn’t breathing. She had awful gashes down the side of her body and Ajali knew that she was dead. His father kept muttering “Dikeledi” over and over again as if hearing her name would bring her back to life.

“What happened?” Ajali cried.

Dakarai acknowledged his son for the first time. “She took on an antelope calf, but the mother came charging in and hit your mother with her antlers. I carried her home, but she died before I could save her.”

Ajali started to cry. Why did this have to happen to him now when he’d almost found a Pride for them.

“Leave.” He heard his father say in a low growl unusual from his normal calm self. “Leave now. You remind me of her too much. I can’t cope. LEAVE!”

And to make his point, he lunged for Ajali, teeth bared and roared. Ajali was terrified so he turned and fled. That was the last time he saw his father.

When he reached the others, he had to laugh as he saw Dafina’s hair tuft. She had obviously let them style it to keep them occupied. However, his happiness was short lived and tears came to his eyes as he remembered what had just happened.

“What happened Ajali?” Asked Dafina, who then started crying during Ajali’s sad tale. Even Wema and Kabili, who probably couldn’t understand how bad it was, had glum looks and a tear or two in their eyes.

“So, will you come and live with us?” Kabili asked.

Ajali nodded and the group promptly left for Pride Rock.

Ajali was really nervous when he met King Simba, Queen Nala, King Kovu and Queen Kiara. They were staring at him inquisitively and asking him questions about his family. They had learnt not to judge people before getting to know them, hence the reason why they came up with the rule to let newcomers stay for about a month before deciding whether they can stay permanently.

Ajali was overjoyed to be welcomed in, even if it was temporarily at the moment, but he knew that on his best behaviour he could stay forever.

Finally that day came and Ajali was presented in front of the entire Pride. The rulers agreed he could stay. Ajali ran towards Dafina and licked her cheek, not noticing the evil look Chimalsi was giving him.

 

Chapter 2 – Illness and Prophecies

It seemed to be the season of love at Pride Rock. Ajali and Dafina were inseparable, much to the dismay of Chimalsi. He began to keep in the cave, sulking and wishing that he was with Dafina, not Ajali. Chimalsi never thought of himself as the jealous type, but he was. Wema and Kabili also spent more and more time away from the others, enjoying their own company and not caring about what their siblings would say. However, nothing would stop the group’s rough and tumble times with the addition of Ajali and the loss of Chimalsi.

However, something was wrong with Kabili. It seemed he was getting weaker and weaker in their games, lost his appetite and had to remain in the cave under the careful nursing of his mother Vitani and father Kopa.

A few days later, Wema decided to go and pick a flower for Kabili to show her feelings for him and try and make him feel better. She had gone to a beautiful part of the Pridelands, a place buzzing with insects and colourful with the hundreds of flowers scattered around in the grass. Finally, Wema found a lovely bright blue flower to match Kabili’s eyes and picked it up in her teeth being careful not to tear its precious petals.

She ran up to Pride Rock and almost into Rafiki. She stopped just in time to see Simba and Kopa supporting a weak Kabili. She dropped the flower and ran to her love. His eyes were barely open.

“Rafiki! What’s wrong with him?” She cried.

Rafiki just shook his elderly head and wiped a tear from his eye. He hated seeing a lion in such distress as this.

Wema then confronted Kopa and Simba. “Where are you taking him? I want to come too!”

They were about to say that she should stay inside, but the look that she gave them stopped the words from coming out.

“He is gravely ill, Wema, and he needs to remain away from us. We don’t know what he’s got or whether it’s contagious.” Said Simba.

“We are taking him to a small cave in the Pridelands to recover. He’ll need you to support him Wema. Come with us.” Said Kopa.

Wema peered into Kabili’s face. “Don’t worry.” She whispered. “I’m coming too.”

Rafiki led them to a tiny cave. The view from the entrance allowed Kabili to see Pride Rock and there was a small river running through the back where he could drink. It wasn’t too cold and there was enough sunlight to supply vitamins. Simba and Kopa lay Kabili down in the sheltered area and went about explaining to him where he was and why he was there. Then they got up and left, leaving Wema alone with Kabili. She went and lay down next to him.

“Kabili, I want to tell you that I love you and that you shouldn’t give up. Fight whatever is hurting and keep going. I will be here for you as will everyone else. Just don’t leave me…”

By the end, Wema was in tears. Her heart felt like it was going to explode and she felt like cursing the Great Kings for what had become of her love.

She went outside to Simba and Kopa. Rafiki had gone, so the three of them walked up to Pride Rock in silence.

The mood suddenly dropped at Pride Rock over the next few weeks, but everyone was doing their bit to help.

Some had set up a guard rota to protect Kabili from other animals. They would sit atop the cave keeping watch, but not disturbing Kabili from his rest.

Dafina and Ajali would go down and offer tons of support and comforting words.

The huntresses brought food down and left it in the entrance of the cave for him to eat.

Wema would bring flowers and stones as gifts and go inside and sit and talk with him. Sometimes, she’d go down with Kopa as he told Kabili and Wema storied from their ancestors.

Some days, Kabili seemed fine. He’d even managed to request some of Rafiki’s paint to draw pictures in the cave from all the stories, but other days he was very ill. He wouldn’t eat or drink and his fur looked like it hadn’t been washed for weeks. He would start shaking uncontrollably and there wasn’t anything they could do to stop it. His eyes became glazed and Wema didn’t know whether he was attentive or not. It was taking all her self-control not to cry in the cave in front of him.

Meanwhile, things were tense between Ajali and Chimalsi. Chimalsi had started bullying Ajali and was making his life miserable. Then Dafina confronted him.

“Why Chimalsi? What do you have against him?” She roared.

“He took you from me.” Chimalsi said, plainly and without a hint of the raging beast inside him.

“You weren’t mine, Chimalsi!”

“But you could’ve been!” He yelled. “Do you remember what we were doing on that day Dafina?”

“We were playing tag and other games when he came and joined us.”

“What were we doing just before you met him?” Chimalsi growled.

“You were asking me a question, but you never finished.”

“And what question do you think I was asking?”

Dafina gasped and looked shocked. “You were asking me to be your mate, weren’t you?”

Chimalsi’s anger faded and instead he felt drained. He nodded and began to sob silently. He turned and ran into the cave, ignoring Dafina’s pleas to return.

Wema became a beautiful lioness. She had gone hunting with the other lionesses until it was time for her first hunt. She was so excited and promised Kabili

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