A Crocodile's Journey

Chapter 8

The hill she had told Kitwana about was not far from Lake Matope or the waterhole where her flock nested, so she hoped Makuu wouldn't have any trouble with Kitwana coming despite being grounded. Besides, almost everyone was still asleep, so even if he said no, maybe Kitwana could sneak away before they woke up... right?

Dalila waited for about twenty minutes, but just when it looked like he wouldn't come, soon she spotted a speck of black and white running closer towards her.

"Hey, Dalila!" Kitwana cried out.

"Kitwana, you made it!" Dalila said with a happy flap of her wings. "Did you ask him?"

"He said yes! I still can't believe he let me!" he looked at the ground. "Though he said this is the only time he allows it, and now will definitely not go to Kupatana."

"You gave up going to Kupatana for me?"

Kitwana smiled at her, shrugging. "Well, there's still next year."

At that moment, the sun finally started to rise. The once inky-black sky started lighting up in a passionate red as the golden orb started emerging from the line where the plains met the sky, bathing the Pride Lands in its golden light.

"Wow..." Kitwana gasped in awe at the scenery. He had seen the sunrise various times, but never like this.

"Rafiki once told the Pride Landers a story about the sun." Dalila said. "He said that many years ago the sun and water were great friends, and both lived on the earth together. The sun often visited the water, but the water never visited him back."

"When the sun finally asked her why she never came to see him, the water said the sun's house wasn't big enough, so the sun promised to make a large compound so she could visit. When said compound was finished, the water visited, flowing in with fish and water animals, but this eventually forced the sun and his wife, the moon, to go up into the sky, where they have remained ever since."

"Cool!" Kitwana said. "Rafiki knows lots of stories?"

"Yeah. Perhaps we can ask him to tell us a story sometime, he's really nice!"

"Dalila, can I ask you something?"

Dalila turned to him. "What is it?"

"Why are you so nice to me? I mean, I'm a crocodile, and you're an egret. My kind eats yours, and I wouldn't want to... you know..."

Dalila didn't answer immediately. Sometimes she forgot Kitwana really thought of himself as a crocodile, but frankly she didn't care; he was fun to be around, and he liked her for herself, not because of her being the 'prettiest in the flock'.

"Because you're my friend, Kitwana." She said, smiling. "It's what friends do."

Kitwana blushed deeply, smiling sheepishly. "Dalila... Thank you."

XXXXX

"It was nice on your part, you know."

Makuu stirred awake again, this time not by Kitwana, but by his mate. Groaning in annoyance, he half-opened his eyes and saw Akina staring at him from her sleeping spot.

"What?" he asked, letting out a yawn.

"Letting Kitwana go see that girl even though he was grounded."

"I just wanted him to let me sleep." Makuu said simply, laying his head on the ground again, and trying to go back to his slumber. "Now could you be so kind as to let me sleep too?"