Nakala

Chapter 93

For most of the Pridelands, the day was rather comfortable. The hot sun was offset by the steady breeze rustling the grass and leaves. Kiara was especially enjoying the weather. She was coming back from a successful hunt with Tiifu and Zuri. As the lioness walked through the savanna she carried a thick zebra leg in her jaws. Humming a little tune to herself, Kiara approached the hollow belonging to Rafiki. She was told by her mother that Nakala would be there with the mandrill.

"It was a fearsome battle. Hyenas surrounding me on all sides. But ol' Rafiki had a few tricks to get them running," Rafiki chuckled. He was telling Nakala the old story of Scar's reign and his defeat. All the while Nakala was listening intently. He had never heard the full tale, only bits and pieces that lead to the defeat of his uncle. The lion's ears twitched and he looked to the entrance of the hollow.

"Hey, Kiara," Nakala greeted awkwardly. He stood up and smiled at her. His gaze lowered to the thick leg held in her jaws. Seeing it left the lion paralyzed. He still had yet to eat something and the smell of the flesh made his mouth water.

"Don't worry, Nakala. This is for you," Kiara mumbled around the catch. She took a step forward and dropped the thick leg on the ground in front of her brother.

"T-thanks," Nakala smiled. "Something like this could feed five of us."

"Five of who?" Kiara asked, tilting her head.

Nakala blinked in confusion and chuckled again. "Sorry. Five hyenas. There's not a lot to hunt in the Outlands. If we do catch something we have to make sure everyone in the clan can get enough to eat. That includes me. Janja used to say that I needed the most meat to be strong... But how could I just take as much as I wanted when everyone else would go hungry?"

"That is a very selfless way of thinking," Rafiki smiled, placing a hand on the lion's shoulder. In a swift motion the mandrill swiped the zebra leg and held it away from the lion.

"H-hey!" Nakala whined, reaching out for the leg. His stomach could be clearly heard rumbling.

"This is a great opportunity for a lesson," Rafiki grinned. "Nakala, what does it mean to hunt?"

That question made the lion blink in confusion. For a moment the feline thought about the question and sighed. "Hunting means tracking something down and killing it. That's the way it is in the Outlands."

"Is see..." Rafiki hummed. "That is a way to look at it."

"But hunting is more than that. When a predator hunts they are using the body of another to nourish themselves. It is a truth that all prey animals must face; there is a lifelong risk of being eaten. But it is not as bad as you may think. Even if they are hunted, they could have children that live on through them. And when predators die their bodies become the grass that gives food to prey. Eventually everyone eats each other. Everyone gives back to each other."

"Huh... Guess I never thought about it like that," Nakala admitted

Rafiki smiled and tossed the lion the leg. Nakala eagerly caught it and was about to dig in. But there was something stopping him. He couldn't help but think of his clan all the way back in the Outlands.

"But in the Outlands when a hyena dies there's no grass to give life to. There's no animals to eat the grass, either. So, what does that mean for them?"

"Nakala..." Rafiki sighed, lowering himself to the lion's level. "The Outlands is a land that encourages death. When one dies there, that's it. There is no circle of life there. The Outlands waits to take everyone one by one. But do not worry. You brought life from this land to the Outlands. You gave them a chance to live. There could be a chance to make a cycle there."