The Lion King Chronicles: Vitani's Vengeance

Chapter 13

The light of dawn crept slowly into the cavern where the Pride slept soundly. They were completely unaware the sun had risen, which was unusual, but I guessed it was due to the intense training they were all going through. Every day from dawn til dusk, they trained and only took small breaks to eat or rest. Even Dotty and Spotty participated, much to Zira's delight.

I stood up slowly as to not wake Nuka or Kovu who slept on either side of me. Sometimes, the best time to explore was in the morning before everyone woke up. The second Zira woke, everyone began training whether they wanted to or not. She didn't give anyone much of a choice.

We were warriors, fighting for a cause that wouldn't allow us to rest. I extended my claws at the thought of Simba and Nala, the bloody usurpers who killed my father. Zira nor I would rest until they met their fate at our claws. Out of everyone, I trained the hardest. Kovu often complained about training or simply wanted to play, but I kept him in line. If Mother knew of his dissent, she'd most surely be furious.

I quietly stretched and let out a wide yawn before creeping silently towards the cavern entrance. The pale morning light was my guide as I avoided stepping on paws and tails. If Zira knew I was sneaking out, she'd definitely skin my pelt. Although she sometimes would let us wander away from the Mounds, she never let us go too far.

When I reached the cavern entrance, I needed to squint my eyes for a moment against the rising sun. The world before me was bathed in early morning light which gave the world an ethereal, unearthly feeling. I gave a little butt wiggle before taking off in the direction of King's Lake. It was my favorite place to disappear to since no one really went there. They preferred to get their water from a murky stream near the Mounds so they didn't have to take such long breaks from training.

I, for one, preferred the clear water of King's Lake. Nothing was more refreshing than jumping into the cool, blue water. Sometimes Kovu or Nuka would come with me, but going by myself was my favorite. I loved my brothers, but they sure were annoying.

My paws easily found the worn trail that led away from the cavern and towards King's Lake. For a moment, I paused when my paw fell into a paw print from one of the grown lionesses. Although I've grown a lot in the last moons, I still seemed so tiny compared to them. Would I ever be big and strong?

I shook the thoughts from my head. This morning I wouldn't let those poisonous thoughts planted by Zira to fester. Today I wouldn't let her whispers in my ear. I had bigger things to worry about.

Without another thought, I took off down the trail towards King's Lake. The breeze ruffled my cream-colored fur softly, lifting me as I ran. It felt like I was flying with my paws barely touching the ground.

When I reached the top of the ridge, I could see the land laid out before me. Just down the ridge was King's Lake and to my left were the Smoking Mountains. Beyond King's Lake...the Pridelands.

A growl rumbled in my throat as I dug my claws into the dirt, imagining it was the pelt of Simba. It made me wonder why Mother didn't order an attack now. Our numbers were less, but we were stronger than any Pridelander. We had something worth fighting for, and I wanted to fight now.

But alas, I must obey Zira like I always did. So I focused my attention on the trail before me, leading me to King's Lake. I set my pace at a steady trot since I'd run most of the way. The grass growing alongside the trail was brown and brittle, much different from the lush grass of the Pridelands.

I finally reached the shore of King's Lake, my paws sinking slightly in the sand. It felt cool against my cracked paws and soothed them. The water called me so I answered the call. In a moment, I was swimming gleefully without a care in the world.

After a while, I heaved myself from the water. I climbed onto the rock ledge that sat next to the pool to dry myself in the morning sun. Even though the sun wasn't at its strongest point yet, it still warmed my fur. I closed my eyes to relax, something completely foreign to me.

"Who are you?"

I screeched with surprise, rolling away from the voice and directly over the side of the ledge. Luckily, I caught the ledge at the last moment with my claws, but I barely held on. The owner of the voice stepped forward to stare down at me with moss green eyes filled with curiosity.

Then he snapped out of it and reached down to bite into my scruff. I let out a roar, but he held on tight. With his help, I managed to clamber back up the ledge. At the top, I stood tall and eyed the newcomer with hackles raised.

His pelt was a dark gold and he had a tuft of brown hair atop his head where his mane would eventually come in. He appeared to be maybe four moons younger than me, so he stood roughly half my height. I was certain I could beat him in a fight-he probably had no training.

"Are you okay?" He asked with an inquisitive expression.

"None of your business!" I growled, first noticing the shallow scrapes along my abdomen and flanks.

He flattened his ears against his head, a subtle look of hurt in his eyes. "I'm just asking. You could've gotten hurt."

"Well, it's your fault I fell in the first place!" I retorted with frustration. Secretly, I was embarrassed that he caught me off guard. What would've happened if he was Simba or Nala? I'd be dead.

"Sorry," He dipped his head slightly. "I didn't mean to startle you." Then he offered a grin. "I'm Kopa, by the way."

I hesitated. If he knew my name, then he held power. Mother always said that a name was power, and it wasn't something to give away freely. But he was just a cub, younger than me and naive. What could he possibly do to me?

"I'm Vitani."

~*~

A/N
Thank you to all my readers for your patience! After my iPad died (where I did all of my writing) it was hard for me to get back into my groove. But I'm here now!