Journey to the River by UncannyCat on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Sarabi was ten years old. She had traveled far from the lands of her birth. She had taken a great King as mate, given birth to another King, and served as Queen to two Kings. She was a skilled huntress who had lived in the Pridelands for many years. A lioness does not live through many dry seasons without knowing where to find prey in hard times. When the watering hole dried, she had urged Scar to let the pride split up and head north. Simba’s fire had brought rain, but it had not brought the herds her Pride needed to survive.

As the sun dawned over Pride Rock the morning after Scar’s death, Sarabi could make out Simba standing at the top of Pride Rock. Nala at his side, her son stood in the place his father had loved and surveyed his new kingdom. Sarabi could not catch their words, but a purr began in her throat at the sight of her son with his betrothed. Seeing him made her heart hurts as if she had lost Mufasa all over again. His golden pelt and red mane mirrored his father's, although his slighter frame shared more similarities with her. Where ever Simba had been, he was well fed and strong. Even Nala looked better fed than the lionesses who had remained. Her journey had been kind to her. Sarabi's bones protruded from her thinning fur, scraping on the rock she lay on painfully.

Sarabi had not lived six years in these lands for nothing. She knew when to expect the herds, where they would cross the river and how much grass would have to grow before they risked the crocodile to gain it. She also knew that Scar's rule had ruined the lands within reach of Pride Rock for hunting. Getting up took more effort than it should, but her paws knew the paths down the dusty incline into the savannah. Her ears caught the rustling grass which indicated that her sisters had joined her. A glance back assured her that Dwala and Diku had joined her, while Naanda watched her sisters from the place she had lain in the chill of early morning. Naanda was the second-best hunter of the four sisters. In hunts, Sarabi relied heavily on her help to bring down prey. Walking away from her sister felt like leaving her claws behind, but Sarabi did not look back again as she waded into the newly-green grass and ventured toward the faint water-scent.

From the water hole, she could still make out the shape of Pride Rock. The giraffe and gazelle considered them as they came closer, the smaller animals skittering away to give the half-starved lionesses plenty of room to drink. The giraffe observed them with wide eyes, but they had no calves in this drought and no reason to run from three weak lionesses. Sarabi watched them instead. A kick could kill her in this state. The fur which had begun to prickle along her spine settled as her sisters arrived, both diving into the water like cubs.

“Come on, Sarabi! The water’s back, climb in!” Diku paid no attention to the hippos who eyed her crossly as she plunged into the water, even dropping onto her side to begin a half-roll which was quickly abandoned when her head went under the water. Coughing and shaking water from her fur, Diku lay across Sarabi’s back, effectively soaking her sister in the water.

“The herds will return now that there’s grass,” Dwala had been more reserved. She trotted into the center of the watering hole where the water only came up to her belly and drank heavily before returning to lie beside Sarabi. “if we bring Simba along, we might take down a giraffe.”

Sarabi looked across the empty grasslands for a moment, enjoying the cold on her skin but knowing better than to encourage Diku, “Will you follow me?”

Her sisters’s ears flickered back, Diku shifting off her back to collapse in the dust beside her and they exchanged looks. “We followed you across the savannahs when we were young, we will not abandon you now that you are our Queen,” Dwala answered, following Sarabi’s gaze to the horizon. Her sister's ears flicked, her tail reaching across Sarabi to touch Diku's shoulder, quieting her.

“Where will we go?” Diku asked. “They prey hasn’t crossed our borders yet. Zazu would know if they had.

“I don’t want to wait for Zazu's report,” Sarabi pushed herself up, hating the effort it took to stand. She waded across the water, her sisters following. As they came up the opposite rise, Sarabi opened her mouth to scent the wind. “If our water hole has returned, the river will be running. If we go to it, the prey will come to us and we may become lucky while we wait and catch smaller game in the tall grass.”

“If the buffalo come across first we won’t have an easy time of it without Naanda and the others,” Dwala shook the water from her fur, leaving her as ruffled as Sarabi felt. With her fur plastered against her body she looked even thinner.

“We were born in Kusini lands,” Sarabi returned, voice bitter. “Our ancestors would be ashamed of us if we cannot bring down a buffalo calf.”

“At least there will be water at the river, and if nothing else we can catch crocodiles. Isn’t this what we wanted? We told Scar that if he let us leave we would find food.” Diku looked to Dwala, who’s tail flickered.

Sarabi did not wait for their argument to conclude. She stepped away from the water and into the grasslands. Somewhere to the north was the river. The herds would be forced to cross it’s northern curve to return. After the frantic escape from crocodiles and the arduous journey, they would not expect lions.

~oOo~

Sarabi and two of her sisters leaving Pride Rock to trek north to the river, where the herds will cross into their lands. This is the day after Simba returned, and Sarabi is now his temporary Queen. In times of hardship, prides will often split into smaller groups, which is what Sarabi is doing here. She will have fewer mouths to feed and any prey they catch will go farther. They've stopped at the watering hole to drink before leaving.