Zazu was getting on in years, having served Mufasa, Simba’s father, Simba himself and now Kovu and Kiara but that did not stop him from doing his job efficiently.

Zazu looked up at the duo and sighed, “Oh it’s just you, young Master Jino and Master Mkali.”

“I never understand why he calls us that,” Jino whispered to his friend.

“Mkali does not understand either,” Mkali muttered, “Perhaps is a hornbill thing?”

Jino simply shrugged in response.

“Why are you here?” Zazu interrupted their chatter, “Are you going to tell stories in exchange for food again?”

Mkali shook his head. “Jino and Mkali hoped to get some shade here.”

Zazu glanced back behind him and his normally squared shoulders hung down. “It’s better you didn’t for a while,” he said, his voice low. “You see here at Pride Rock we’ve been having some… problems.”

“What sort of problems?” Jino asked curiously.

“I don’t have to tell you,” Zazu snapped. He waved his wings, “Now go on, get going.”

Jino and Mkali stayed put and Zazu sighed again. “You’re not going to leave unless I tell you what’s going on…” he guessed. “Fine.” he stood up straight again, “Someone has been stealing food from here.”

Jino and Mkali’s eyes widened. They both knew how scarce food was in a time like this; lions could go for days without eating but that didn’t mean they did not have to eat at all.

Jino blinked, “But we didn’t do anything,” he said, “so why can’t we stay?”

“Because,” Zazu replied, “everyone is on edge. If someone sees you two hanging around they may get suspicious.”

Jino opened his mouth to complain but Zazu quickly added, “I don’t suspect you for a moment, young master, but with everyone hot and hungry they may think irrationally. Just be careful and stay away for a while till we can get this sorted out, alright?”

Jino and Mkali nodded obediently.

“If you need shade and cool ground beneath your paws, might I suggest The Gorge? There are plenty of cracks and small caves to hide in around there.” With that, Zazu flew off.

The two friends took the bird’s advice and travelled the short distance from Pride Rock to The Gorge. Jino had heard the heart-breaking story of how Simba, as a cub, had been lured to this Gorge by his evil Uncle Scar.

Scar’s hyena troops had created a stampede that had killed Mufasa when he had tried to save his son.

Jino had never seen Mufasa’s final resting place but he had been told that a thick patch of grass had grown over where the great Lion King had fallen.

Jino and Mkali found a nice sheltered spot in a split in two great rocks at the edge of The Gorge. Jino and Mkali sat down to wash their sore, hot paws.

“Who do you think stole the food?” Jino asked.

Mkali shrugged and he spoke in-between licks, “Mkali not sure. Could be other lions, could even be other hyenas. Vultures maybe; they known for stealing food,”

Jino had not thought of vultures. He knew they often picked clean carcasses left from hunts by other animals, but he did not realise they would also steal fresh meat.

They discussed some other likely culprits of the theft until Mkali decided to take a short nap. Generally, Mkali was more of a creature of the night rather than the day and technically so was Jino but Jino preferred the morning and Mkali had happily adopted this trait so he could keep up with his friend.

Today had been busy though and Jino decided to leave his friend in peace. Instead he walked off to stretch his legs and decided to try and find Mufasa’s grave.

He found a surprising amount of patches of grass, but he couldn’t tell which one was Mufasa’s. Eventually Jino sat next to one patch which was near a small tree, broken in half by some long ago and mysterious accident. The tree was dead and had clearly been like that for some time.

Jino stretched his claws to the top of one half of the trunk and sharpened them, noticing with surprise that it appeared another lion had down the same thing further up.

He could tell by the size of the scratches that the lion was probably younger than him but was confused as to how such a small cub could reach up so high.

Before he could think any more into it he heard the flapping of wings and looked up; a vulture had landed on the top of the broken tree and was preening his wings.

He had smooth black feathers on his body and fluffier white feathers around his neck and chest. On his head was a thin and small amount of more black plumage, giving the bird a very regal look.

He glanced down at Jino. “You’re not one of the Pridelanders, are you?” he said, looking down his beak at the young cub.

Jino shook his head. “I’m a loner- Jino’s my name. Who’re you?”

The vulture shook out his feathers before smoothening them down with one wing. “My name is Kuruka. And I’m glad to hear you’re not one of those stuck-up Pridelanders. They chased me away just now from a perfectly good carcass; what does it matter to them? They were finished with it, after all.”

Jino frowned, “Those ‘stuck up’ lions are my friends, you know.”

“Then I suggest you make better friends,” Kuruka replied.

Jino’s fur bristled. “They are good friends!” he insisted, “They’re just going through some rough times right now, that’s all.”

Kuruka snorted, “And they think that makes them special? We all have bad times to go through, lion cub, that doesn’t give us the excuse to throw our weight around. What has them so bothered anyway?”

Jino opened his mouth to respond but Kuruka answered his own question. “Ahh, I’d wager it’s the food thefts, am I correct?”

Jino bared his teeth. “How did you know about that?!” he spat.

“I can fly,” Kuruka didn’t seem fazed by Jino’s angry display and he continued talking in a calm and posh voice. “I see all around the Pridelands every day. I even know who stole the food.”

“It was you, I’ll bet!” Jino growled. “How else would you know about the problem in the first place?”

“How did you know?” Kuruka countered.

“Zazu told me,” Jino said, unsheathing his claws.

Kuruka drew his beak over a feather casually. “I only have your word for that. But regardless, I do know it wasn’t you, Jino.”

“Then who was it, if you’re so smart?” Jino’s ears had been flat against his head but they now perked a little with interest for what the vulture had to say.

“Mwezi,” replied Kuruka. “A cheetah who lives just behind Pride Rock; he just moved here from the Outlands. Yes, Mwezi is to blame.”

 

Chapter 3- A Horrible Mistake

 

Jino spat angrily, the fur on the back of his neck standing on end. “No way! Why would a cheetah steal food?”

Kuruka shook his head. “Just like the other lions; you only see things through tunnel-vision, cat. I’m telling you, Mwezi is the culprit and if you don’t believe me, that’s your loss.”

Jino clawed the ground, thinking of pouncing up and batting some manners into the bird.

“Why would I believe you?” Jino shot back, “Vultures are known for being thieves and liars.”

“So it is with hyenas.” Kuruka said flatly. Jino blinked in surprise. “You’re friends with a hyena, despite what others told you about them.” Kuruka went on, now he realised he had Jino’s attention, “Oh yes, I’ve heard the tale of you and Rangi; without you trusting your hyena friend that little bird would have drowned in the floods.”

Jino looked at the ground and said nothing.

Kuruka flapped his wings and took to the sky. “Trust my information, or let the Pridelands suffer.” he said simply and flew away.

Jino looked at patch of grass below his paws. He knew Kuruka was right; he closed his eyes and made a decision.

Quick as his paws would carry him he ran back to Mkali and woke his friend up.

“We have to go and see the King and Queen,” he said.

“What, why…?” Mkali replied sleepily.

“Just trust me; I’ll explain on the way!” Jino took off and Mkali quickly followed behind.

“Mkali does trust Jino!” Mkali called behind him, “That what friends do!”

Jino smiled back at him. “And sometimes, you gotta trust what a stranger says too!”

 

* * * * *

As they approached Pride Rock for a second time that day the sun was beginning to set and finally the atmosphere began to cool down.

“Is Jino sure Kuruka is telling the truth?” Mkali panted.

Jino nodded, “My instincts are telling me he was. I have to trust them; if I thought for even a second he was lying I wouldn’t be on my way to tell Kovu and Kiara.”

Mkali nodded. “It good to trust instincts; listen to what Jino tells himself, not what someone else says.”

Jino twitched his whiskers, “Ndiyo! We’re nearly there now,”

Jino and Mkali charged up the rocks, panting heavily. Jino quickly called out, “Kiara! Kovu! Anyone about?”

Kiara was sunning herself on some of the rocks ahead. There were other lionesses with her, and both Jino and Mkali noticed how tense they looked at their approach.

Kiara stood up,

Previous Page

1 2 3 4

Next page