he’d better cut the ‘niceties’.

 

“What do you want? I’m sure Kovu didn’t just send you here to piss me off, so spit it out and leave.”

 

Vitani sighed profoundly. She had envisioned this meeting to be a bit more… a bit more what actually? They were enemies, after all, and Vitani’s pride had only just killed two of their friends. She decided it be better if she gave in a bit, reluctantly.

 

‘Ok, ok, I’m sorry, let’s… Let’s try starting over. Kovu sent me over here to negotiate,” Vitani explained.

;" lang="EN-US">“What makes you think I’m some kind of ‘boss’?”

 

“Negotiate what? Getting more of us killed?”

 

“Try dropping that negative attitude, I like you much better when you’re only mildly gloomy. He has a proposal to avoid certain… unpleasant situations, like what happened tonight.”

 

“Keavy and Nya.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re unpleasant situations, they got names, you know. And Nya’s cub growing up without a mom, if she grows up at all… real unpleasant situation indeed.”

 

“Hey, drop the pathos already, will ya? Look, I’m sorry for you loss, but I had got nothing to do with it; I’m just trying to make sure it don’t happen again. Just try being a bit constructive, if you please? Jeez, you weren’t even half the jerk you are now the first time we met.”

 

Vincent considered responding first time they met, they hadn’t butchered two of their clanmates, but he changed his mind. He knew he was acting like a jerk a little too often nowadays. He tried to smile without looking mean, or sad.

 

“I know, I’m sorry… It’s just… everything... the clan, tonight, you’re lineage. It’s kinda hard to talk to you as if I nothing were wrong, you know. It would have been a whole lot easier if you weren’t a lion…”

 

“Eh, Vincent…” Vitani suddenly asked, a bit confused. She was looking at something behind him. Vincent turned around. Three hyenas had appeared out of nowhere, Vincent immediately recognized Kiuma, one of Kali’s subordinate’s. He turned to Vitani again. Four other hyenas had appeared behind her, Kali being one of them. Vitani turned around, saw Kali, then turned to Vincent again.

 

“What’s going on?” she hissed, suspicious. Vincent couldn’t answer; his mouth had turned dry all of a sudden. He feared he already knew what was going on.

 

“Kali, what in the Spirits' name do you think you’re doing?” he uttered, at the verge of panic. Kali grinned.

 

“I don’t do the thinking, from now on I’m leaving that to our sly friend Seko. Turns out he’s good at something after all…” Kali growled, “Don’t worry, Vinnie, Seko explained it to me: it’s a win-win. I take my payback, and your girlfriend here takes the blame. That ought to give old Shenya something to get worked up about, and if we're lucky, she’ll even smash her own skull on a lions’ paw in her fury, good riddance. But first things first…”

 

Vitani didn’t need Vincent’s explanation on this one: she had engaged in enough plots to know one when she saw one. It didn’t take a genius to see they were about to get rid off Vincent, and she was to get the blame. Needles to say that involved both of them getting killed, Vitani considered.

 

“Turn around, and just run like hell…” she whispered, and before Vincent understood what she said, Vitani already leapt forward whilst uttering an incredible roar, landing on one of the hyenas in front off her. But in stead of finishing the job, she jumped forward and took a run for it, closely followed by Vincent. As they ran, neither knowing nor caring where they were going, Vitani noticed Vincent was gaining on her, he even passed her. That could only mean his clanmates were gaining on her as well. But as they ran forth through all sorts of sharp grass and thorny bushes, Vincent suddenly came to a clumsy, hasty halt. Vitani didn’t react fast enough and slammed right into him. But in stead of feeling the sharp fangs of Kali and her gang gnawing into her flesh, she tumbled down a steep, rock-riddEN-US">“I know, I’m sorry… It’s just… everything... the clan, tonight, you’re lineage. It’s kinda hard to talk to you as if I nothing were wrong, you know. It would have been a whole lot easier if you weren’t a lion…”

 

“Eh, Vincent…” Vitani suddenly asked, a bit confused. She was looking at something behind him. Vincent turned around. Three hyenas had appeared out of nowhere, Vincent immediately recognized Kiuma, one of Kali’s subordinate’s. He turned to Vitani again. Four other hyenas had appeared behind her, Kali being one of them. Vitani turned around, saw Kali, then turned to Vincent again.

en slope, pushing Vincent out in front of her. She tried to get a hold, to no avail: she kept sliding faster and faster. Then, suddenly Vincent disappeared, and only moments later, so did Vitani as she fell down from the white-pass cliff, into the roaring stream below.

You did what – act one

 

“You did what?”

 

Kovu smiled casually, or at least that was what he tried. Anyone who‘d have been carefully watching him could have told he was nervous. But Simba didn’t watch him carefully; he didn’t even bother to look in his general direction. He just kept staring north. Then, suddenly, he turned to Kovu, who further reinforced his smile. The aging but still very intimidating lion seemed to pierce Kovu with his bright eyes.

 

“Well, I have to say I didn’t really expect that much initiative from you, but I like it nonetheless. It’s about time we had some eyes at the border again, we’ve heard way too little for way too long about that area…”

 

“Indeed, I couldn’t agree more. And Vitani was more than eager to do her duty for the pride,” Kovu added, smiling still.

 

“Yes, I have to admit her services to the pride have been admirable, she fitted in better than I expected. And now she even scouts the border, on the lookout for our enemy… Quite frankly, I thought those scruffy mongrels had long since disappeared…”

 

“One can only hope,” Kovu interrupted.

 

“… but we have to keep our vigilance, and I’m glad you did,” Simba continued, “A king could not wish for a better son, and a pride could not ask for a better king.”

 

By now, Kovu’s jaws began to hurt from his deliberate smiling all the time; time for a serious remark so he could give his facial muscles some rest.

 

“Please, father, do not talk as if time had already caught up with us, the only king our pride needs, the only one it has, is you. I just do your bidding to the best of my abilities.”

 

Simba stared at Kovu again, and for a moment, he thought he had overdone it. But Simba averted his gaze again, this time to Kiara who was sitting nearby. He then addressed Kovu again.

 

“Well, anyhow, you did a good job and if you keep this up, I’ll die a happy lion. But now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking some time alone with my daughter: I’m still not used to the idea of having to miss her for weeks on end.”

 

Kovu nodded, and Simba strode towards Kiara, who, before she acknowledged her father, turned to Kovu and silently formed the word ‘liar’ with her mouth. Kovu grinned, winked and took off, out of hearing distance.

When Enyi and her gang had given the rest of the pride their pathetic story about a leopard attacking their friend, absolutely no-one believed it, but only Kiara had been bold enough to confront Kovu. As always, it didn’t take long for her to squeeze the truth out of him, after which she had agreed to join the little ‘conspiracy’. After all, since she had helped reunite the prides Kiara was convinced a little bit of subtle diplomacy could about settle about anything, unless her father joined in on the party that is, as diplomacy wasn’t his strong point (though he had certainly been making progress).

Kovu spotted Enyi, who looked around suspiciously first, after which she addressed Kovu, her face locked in a seemingly everlasting expressionless stare.

 

“I’m glad you’re a better liar than I am.”

 

“Yeah, but you’re still the best eavesdropper of ‘em all. Private conversations are supposed to be private, if I’m not mistaken,” Kovu grumbled.

 

“You’re not mistaken, sir, but I was overly curious.”

 

“Now that’s something new, Enyi actually caring about something…”

 

Of course, Enyi didn’t move a muscle or emitted a single sound that could indicate the slightest form of amusement.

 

“I just like to keep track of things. The game you’re making me play here is not at all without risk, especially now that you’ve been lying to Simba square in the face.”

 

“Talking about risk,” Kovu sighed, “Vitani didn’t return yet, did she?”

 

“No not yet. But it’s only been a night, maybe she got delayed.”

 

“Delayed how? The hyenas asking her out for lunch? Or brunch maybe?”

 

“Maybe she is lunch,” Enyi suggested without the faintest sign of humorous intent.

 

“Not funny,” Kovu frowned, fearing she was probably right. How long could it take to give the hyenas limited hunting rights to parts of the pridelands without asking anything (or very little) in return? They didn’t even have to agree, she only had to inform them they got the day-shift all to themselves, without lions coming over to confiscate their kills. Only thing they had to do was steer clear of pridelanders, which they undoubtedly already did.

 

“I didn’t intend it to be funny,”

 

***

 

Strange. Stranger than usual anyhow. I mean, it’s not unusual for something to wash up on the riverbank every now and then, but why oh why does it always have to happen at my drinking spot? Every time I need

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Next page