Chapter 1: Trouble on the Horizon
One by one, the stars began to vanish from the cold night sky. Crickets began to cease of their twilit chorus as various song birds began to fill the crisp morning air with their upbeat, optimistic tunes. The red orb of the sun shimmered in the yonder eastern horizon, and its gentle rays began to greet the savanna with its warmth.
The light decended onto a fortress of stone that lay near the western border. This was the most revered of all landmarks in the Misty Valley. This rock was home to the great kings, King Mtundu and King Mohatu, who were loved and feared by all their subjects within the valley. The rock itself even seemed to reflect the majesty and nobility of its residents.
Out of the shadows of the inner layer stepped King Mohatu. He groggily opened his teal eyes, only to be rewarded by the light burning into his eyes. Clenching them shut, he let out a small groan of irritation. Blinding oneself is hardly the proper way to start a morning, he thought to himself. Blinking simultaneously, he was finally able to adjust his eyes to the sun's light.
Mohatu stepped out into the light of the outdoors and let his dark copper pelt soak up the warmth. He stretched fore and aft, then shook his chocolate brown mane. His mane had grown significantly since he began to rule along side his brother Mtundu two years ago. Now it flowed over his shoulders to the center of his chest. All throughout his cubhood, he had longed for a mane of his own as he admired the manes of his father and older brother. A mane seemed to symbolize power and maturity. Now he had one of his own. He had earned it.
Suddenly, Mohatu spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw a light copper figure laying on a boulder a few meters from the mouth of the den. As Mohatu squinted, the figure materialized into his brother, King Mtundu. Mohatu blinked in confusion. What would possess him to sleep outside like that? he asked himself. Taking slow, tentative steps, Mohatu made his way toward his brother. Stopping about a meter short of the sleeping king, Mohatu drew back to look at him. Mtundu was belly-down, letting his limbs and tail dangle indigniantly over the edge of the rock. A few locks of his jet black mane dangled into his face, and a strand of saliva hung from the corner of his mouth. Mohatu covered his mouth with a paw and snickered. If only his subjects could see their king now, he mused to himself. To his subjects, Mtundu was like a living god. Of course, they saw Mohatu in the same way, but Mtundu seemed far more solid than Mohatu. He hardly ever showed any emotions--be it sad, happy or angry--around his subjects. He always looked so certain and proper. He only let his guard down around Mohatu and Mohatu's mate, Mzungu. To all others he was King Mtundu: high and mighty king of the Misty Valley.
The scene was humorous enough, but Mohatu decided that as king, it was his royal duty to preserve his brother's dignity. Leaning in, Mohatu gently nudged Mtundu with a paw. "Mtundu," he whispered loudly, "Mtundu, wake up."
Mtundu peeked an eye open at Mohatu. Suddenly, his eyes opened and he jumped into sitting position. He quickly wetted his paw with his tongue and slicked back the stray hairs of his mane that had been dangling over his eyes only seconds ago. He then curled his tail neatly around his paws and cleared his throat. "King Mohatu," he greeted solemnly.
Mohatu arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by Mtundu's effort. Perhaps that act would have fooled the other lionesses, but it wouldn't fool Mtundu's own flesh and blood. Mohatu casually rubbed the corner of his mouth with a paw. At first, Mtundu just stared at him quizzically, but then got the message and wiped away the strand of saliva that hung from his mouth with the back of his paw. Clearing his throat again, Mtundu returned to his original position. "Rough night, Mtundu?" asked Mohatu.
Mtundu's eyes flicked back and forth, checking to make sure no one was around. Upon realizing that he and Mohatu were the only two awake, he let out a huge sigh. "Ugh, you have no idea," he replied.
Mohatu deduced from the exhausted tone in Mtundu's voice that this was going to be a long story. He sat down. "Care to share?" he asked.
"Well..." Mtundu looked about again, still trying to reassure himself that no one was in earshot. He turned back to Mohatu. "I was, um...patrolling the eastern borders last night," he replied in a nervous voice.
Mohatu raised both his eyebrows. Patrolling borders was dangerous enough during the day! One could run into a hungry pack of hyenas, or be attacked by another lion. But the dangers easily doubled at night. Strong and feared as Mtundu was, fighting would be futile if he met up with a dangerous or hungry enough opponent. "Have you lost your mind?" exclaimed Mohatu. "You can't patrol borders at night like that, you'll be killed!"
Mtundu's face turned grim. "Don't try to tell me what I can and can't do," he snarled back, "you're not my mother!"
As soon as he had said the words, Mtundu regretted it. Even though their mother, Tiifu, had passed away two years ago, it was still a very touchy subject between the two, and even moreso with Mohatu. Mohatu had been closer to Tiifu than Mtundu. While Mtundu was busy trying to live up to his father Onevu's expectations, Mohatu and Tiifu formed a strong bond. A bond that was destroyed when Onevu murdered Tiifu.
Mohatu turned away from Mtundu. Mtundu's eyes grew wide and frantic. "Mohatu," he begged, leaning closer to his brother, "Mohatu, please! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." Mohatu didn't reply. Mtundu swallowed hard. "Brother..." he pleaded.
Mohatu sighed and looked at Mtundu. "It's okay," Mohatu replied finally. Mtundu let out a small sigh of relief. "I shouldn't have started in on you before you even finished what you were going to say. Continue?"
Mtundu nodded, glad that that was aside. "Okay," he replied. "As I was saying, I was patrolling borders last night, and I--" Mtundu looked around again, then leaned in closer to Mohatu "--I came upon a carcass, completely eaten except for half the bones."
Unfazed, Mohatu shrugged. "So?" he replied. "What's the big deal about a carcass?"
"The big deal was that it was a fresh kill," Mtundu stated patiently. "It wasn't there when Ucheshi was patrolling yesterday afternoon."
Mohatu shrugged again. "Well, so what? It could have been ours."
Mtundu sighed and rubbed his temple with his paw. "Mohatu," he started, "what is the law regarding hunting?"
Recalling, Mohatu paused and thought over the question. "Never hunt individually or communally without seeking prior approval from either King Mtundu or King Mohatu," he answered. Mohatu looked at the ground for a moment, trying to remember the previous days events. He hadn't been approached with a hunting inquiry since last week. "I think you've got a point, Mtundu," replied Mohatu, "I didn't give any hunting permissions over the last few days."
"Neither have I," said Mtundu.
Licking his nose apprehensively, Mohatu looked up at his brother. "So, what exactly are you saying?"
"I'm saying," started Mtundu, "that there must have been other lions on the premisis that made the kill. You know as well as I do that I don't have a very good sense of smell, but I know I smelled strange lion all over that kill. And when I can't mistake a scent, you know it's authentic."
Mohatu nodded. Dread churned in his stomach. This meant that there were trespassers. Trespassers, be they hyenas, hippos or lions, were always a tricky subject to deal with. It was certainly not one of Mohatu's favorite duties as king. But a trespasser could pose a threat to the entire kingdom, so it was not a problem that could go unaided for too long. Mohatu shifted nervously. "What do we do?" he asked.
Mtundu jumped down from his boulder and stood practically nose-to-nose with Mohatu. "I'll tell you what we do," he whispered, "neither one of us is to breathe so much as a word about this to the rest of the pride."
Mohatu drew back. How could his brother suggest such a ludacrous idea? Such an idea could result in death--if a pride member came in contact with the trespasser--, or mutiny--if the pride found out their kings were keeping such a dire secret from them.
Reading the disturbed look on Mohatu's face, Mtundu drew even closer. "This could just be a folly, Mohatu," he replied, "maybe a territorial mix-up. The neighboring pride could have forgotten where the borders lie."
"I think we made our border pretty obvious," Mohatu replied.
A bit of impatience flashed in Mtundu's eyes. Mohatu nervously stepped away from Mtundu. "If it happens again, we'll know it wasn't an accident," replied Mtundu in a dire voice. "But until then, we don't want to worry them. Fixing a trespassing problem will be even harder if we have a paranoid pride to tend to. You follow?"
"I follow," replied Mohatu quietly.
Mtundu nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now, promise me."
Mohatu hesitated. Mtundu closed in on Mohatu. "Promise me, Mohatu. The balance of the kingdom depends on it."
"Okay, okay!" exclaimed Mohatu. "I promise."
One by one, the stars began to vanish from the cold night sky. Crickets began to cease of their twilit chorus as various song birds began to fill the crisp morning air with their upbeat, optimistic tunes. The red orb of the sun shimmered in the yonder eastern horizon, and its gentle rays began to greet the savanna with its warmth.
The light decended onto a fortress of stone that lay near the western border. This was the most revered of all landmarks in the Misty Valley. This rock was home to the great kings, King Mtundu and King Mohatu, who were loved and feared by all their subjects within the valley. The rock itself even seemed to reflect the majesty and nobility of its residents.
Out of the shadows of the inner layer stepped King Mohatu. He groggily opened his teal eyes, only to be rewarded by the light burning into his eyes. Clenching them shut, he let out a small groan of irritation. Blinding oneself is hardly the proper way to start a morning, he thought to himself. Blinking simultaneously, he was finally able to adjust his eyes to the sun's light.
Mohatu stepped out into the light of the outdoors and let his dark copper pelt soak up the warmth. He stretched fore and aft, then shook his chocolate brown mane. His mane had grown significantly since he began to rule along side his brother Mtundu two years ago. Now it flowed over his shoulders to the center of his chest. All throughout his cubhood, he had longed for a mane of his own as he admired the manes of his father and older brother. A mane seemed to symbolize power and maturity. Now he had one of his own. He had earned it.
Suddenly, Mohatu spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw a light copper figure laying on a boulder a few meters from the mouth of the den. As Mohatu squinted, the figure materialized into his brother, King Mtundu. Mohatu blinked in confusion. What would possess him to sleep outside like that? he asked himself. Taking slow, tentative steps, Mohatu made his way toward his brother. Stopping about a meter short of the sleeping king, Mohatu drew back to look at him. Mtundu was belly-down, letting his limbs and tail dangle indigniantly over the edge of the rock. A few locks of his jet black mane dangled into his face, and a strand of saliva hung from the corner of his mouth. Mohatu covered his mouth with a paw and snickered. If only his subjects could see their king now, he mused to himself. To his subjects, Mtundu was like a living god. Of course, they saw Mohatu in the same way, but Mtundu seemed far more solid than Mohatu. He hardly ever showed any emotions--be it sad, happy or angry--around his subjects. He always looked so certain and proper. He only let his guard down around Mohatu and Mohatu's mate, Mzungu. To all others he was King Mtundu: high and mighty king of the Misty Valley.
The scene was humorous enough, but Mohatu decided that as king, it was his royal duty to preserve his brother's dignity. Leaning in, Mohatu gently nudged Mtundu with a paw. "Mtundu," he whispered loudly, "Mtundu, wake up."
Mtundu peeked an eye open at Mohatu. Suddenly, his eyes opened and he jumped into sitting position. He quickly wetted his paw with his tongue and slicked back the stray hairs of his mane that had been dangling over his eyes only seconds ago. He then curled his tail neatly around his paws and cleared his throat. "King Mohatu," he greeted solemnly.
Mohatu arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by Mtundu's effort. Perhaps that act would have fooled the other lionesses, but it wouldn't fool Mtundu's own flesh and blood. Mohatu casually rubbed the corner of his mouth with a paw. At first, Mtundu just stared at him quizzically, but then got the message and wiped away the strand of saliva that hung from his mouth with the back of his paw. Clearing his throat again, Mtundu returned to his original position. "Rough night, Mtundu?" asked Mohatu.
Mtundu's eyes flicked back and forth, checking to make sure no one was around. Upon realizing that he and Mohatu were the only two awake, he let out a huge sigh. "Ugh, you have no idea," he replied.
Mohatu deduced from the exhausted tone in Mtundu's voice that this was going to be a long story. He sat down. "Care to share?" he asked.
"Well..." Mtundu looked about again, still trying to reassure himself that no one was in earshot. He turned back to Mohatu. "I was, um...patrolling the eastern borders last night," he replied in a nervous voice.
Mohatu raised both his eyebrows. Patrolling borders was dangerous enough during the day! One could run into a hungry pack of hyenas, or be attacked by another lion. But the dangers easily doubled at night. Strong and feared as Mtundu was, fighting would be futile if he met up with a dangerous or hungry enough opponent. "Have you lost your mind?" exclaimed Mohatu. "You can't patrol borders at night like that, you'll be killed!"
Mtundu's face turned grim. "Don't try to tell me what I can and can't do," he snarled back, "you're not my mother!"
As soon as he had said the words, Mtundu regretted it. Even though their mother, Tiifu, had passed away two years ago, it was still a very touchy subject between the two, and even moreso with Mohatu. Mohatu had been closer to Tiifu than Mtundu. While Mtundu was busy trying to live up to his father Onevu's expectations, Mohatu and Tiifu formed a strong bond. A bond that was destroyed when Onevu murdered Tiifu.
Mohatu turned away from Mtundu. Mtundu's eyes grew wide and frantic. "Mohatu," he begged, leaning closer to his brother, "Mohatu, please! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." Mohatu didn't reply. Mtundu swallowed hard. "Brother..." he pleaded.
Mohatu sighed and looked at Mtundu. "It's okay," Mohatu replied finally. Mtundu let out a small sigh of relief. "I shouldn't have started in on you before you even finished what you were going to say. Continue?"
Mtundu nodded, glad that that was aside. "Okay," he replied. "As I was saying, I was patrolling borders last night, and I--" Mtundu looked around again, then leaned in closer to Mohatu "--I came upon a carcass, completely eaten except for half the bones."
Unfazed, Mohatu shrugged. "So?" he replied. "What's the big deal about a carcass?"
"The big deal was that it was a fresh kill," Mtundu stated patiently. "It wasn't there when Ucheshi was patrolling yesterday afternoon."
Mohatu shrugged again. "Well, so what? It could have been ours."
Mtundu sighed and rubbed his temple with his paw. "Mohatu," he started, "what is the law regarding hunting?"
Recalling, Mohatu paused and thought over the question. "Never hunt individually or communally without seeking prior approval from either King Mtundu or King Mohatu," he answered. Mohatu looked at the ground for a moment, trying to remember the previous days events. He hadn't been approached with a hunting inquiry since last week. "I think you've got a point, Mtundu," replied Mohatu, "I didn't give any hunting permissions over the last few days."
"Neither have I," said Mtundu.
Licking his nose apprehensively, Mohatu looked up at his brother. "So, what exactly are you saying?"
"I'm saying," started Mtundu, "that there must have been other lions on the premisis that made the kill. You know as well as I do that I don't have a very good sense of smell, but I know I smelled strange lion all over that kill. And when I can't mistake a scent, you know it's authentic."
Mohatu nodded. Dread churned in his stomach. This meant that there were trespassers. Trespassers, be they hyenas, hippos or lions, were always a tricky subject to deal with. It was certainly not one of Mohatu's favorite duties as king. But a trespasser could pose a threat to the entire kingdom, so it was not a problem that could go unaided for too long. Mohatu shifted nervously. "What do we do?" he asked.
Mtundu jumped down from his boulder and stood practically nose-to-nose with Mohatu. "I'll tell you what we do," he whispered, "neither one of us is to breathe so much as a word about this to the rest of the pride."
Mohatu drew back. How could his brother suggest such a ludacrous idea? Such an idea could result in death--if a pride member came in contact with the trespasser--, or mutiny--if the pride found out their kings were keeping such a dire secret from them.
Reading the disturbed look on Mohatu's face, Mtundu drew even closer. "This could just be a folly, Mohatu," he replied, "maybe a territorial mix-up. The neighboring pride could have forgotten where the borders lie."
"I think we made our border pretty obvious," Mohatu replied.
A bit of impatience flashed in Mtundu's eyes. Mohatu nervously stepped away from Mtundu. "If it happens again, we'll know it wasn't an accident," replied Mtundu in a dire voice. "But until then, we don't want to worry them. Fixing a trespassing problem will be even harder if we have a paranoid pride to tend to. You follow?"
"I follow," replied Mohatu quietly.
Mtundu nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now, promise me."
Mohatu hesitated. Mtundu closed in on Mohatu. "Promise me, Mohatu. The balance of the kingdom depends on it."
"Okay, okay!" exclaimed Mohatu. "I promise."