The Lion King: Break Free

A Mystery

My parents are too kind. I smile liking the thought of them trying to host Jamila a nice little ceremony. She would like that.

"Uncle Kovu, Aunt Kiara!" A small voice calls.

The three of us turn our heads towards Pride Rock's rocky steps seeing my young cousin 'Adia'. After coming up the last step, she rushes over to us.

"Why, hello my pretty little niece!" My mother greets, hugging Adia.

"How may we assist you?" My father asked, with a smile.

Before speaking, Adia had taken a quick few moments to catch her breath. It seems like she has been running.

"Hello! I have something important to tell you guys. I wanted to speak to my dad about it first, but he is not around yet and probably out somewhere with the Lion Guard." Adia said, while sitting down in front of us.

"What's wrong, cousin?" I asked her, sounding concerned.

"I was practicing my hunts earlier alone in the hunting grounds. I was about to ambush an impala until something had ruined my easy chance."

Father looks questionable. "What was it, Adia?"

"At first, I did not know what it was." She replied. "My curiosity told me to follow it. I trusted my full instincts!"

Mother looks impressed. "That's very good sweetie! What else had happened?"

Adia stare down at her paws. Her brows furrow and her face looks stern. "I had found a track of paw prints and a strange scent. I followed it all the way to the gorge..."

I raised a brow. "The gorge?"

She nodded, still staring down at her small paws. "Yes. I have never been there before either. So of course my suspense had driven me inside."

"Did you find something inside the gorge, Adia?" Mother asked, her voice sounding tense.

Adia nodded her head. "Yes, two male lions. They don't look like they are from the Pride Lands. They look different from us. The lions had an impala cornered against the rock wall ready to make the kill. The impala was from our land."

Mother and I both gasp with shock. Father looks annoyed.

"Ugh, not rouges again!" He says, frowning. "I will have to speak to your father about this and see if we can do some more early morning and late night patrol shifts."

Adia finally tilts her head up and met her eyes with our own. "Oh, these aren't rouges Uncle Kovu." She corrected. "They are from a royal Pride too!"

"How do you know, Adia?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Because I heard one of them talking. They said it out loud." She quickly responded.

Mother still looks shocked. "Interesting..."

"Did they see you, Adia?" Father asked.

She nod her head again, "Yes! They almost attacked me, but I had stood up for myself."

I looked stunned. "How?"