A Mother's Heart
It had been an exhaustingly hot day, and the White mane pride remained restless. They experienced an intense thirst mixed with a sense of lingering shock. Never had the pride faced such a defeat, even after what they believed was a triumphant battle. Losing the young ones weighed far heavier on their hearts than vanquishing their Apex foes. The hyena clan had been driven back for the time being, at least a portion of them. Queen Saharrah had made the right decision in relocating the pride from their ravaged territory.
Word would spread quickly to the hyenas about the battle and their loss. The consequence would rally the King and Queen hyena undoubtedly, to dispatch more to track down the lion's pride. Keeku gathered the lionesses for another hunt, as they needed additional sustenance to maintain their strength. The male lions joined in, as they had always done for their father, but without him, the atmosphere among the pride felt different. Once secure and confident, they now faced an underlying fear. In the distance, Keeku spotted a herd of water buffalo—these formidable animals would provide essential nourishment for the pride. With one less hunter, Keeku and Raya had to collaborate and be more strategic.
Raya moved stealthily, creeping closer to her potential prey. She crouched down, blending into her surroundings. Keeku and the other lionesses kept a watchful eye, waiting for her signal. On the outskirts of the herd, a solitary buffalo limped, its hoof appearing broken or injured from a trap. Despite its struggle to walk, the buffalo managed to stay with the group. Until now, it had avoided detection by predators. The young lioness had keen eyesight and was well aware that she had chosen the pack's next meal. With everyone prepared, she signaled, prompting the chasers to spring into action as the herd scattered in a frantic stampede. The chasers targeted an injured animal, driving it straight toward Keeku. She pounced on the creature, sinking her teeth into the buffalo's neck while raking her claws into its substantial body. Soon, other lionesses joined in, helping to bring the beast down.
The kill was swift and discreet, designed to avoid attracting attention. The lioness warriors feasted first, followed by the males. Keeku dispatched one of the male lions to carry back a piece of meat for the Queen. Meanwhile, the rest of the pack eagerly consumed the remains of the delicious beast. With fresh meat in their bellies, the pride felt satisfied, thankful for the bounty. Kenya the male lion traveled swiftly back to his queen. Soon he approached the Queen with care, tenderly placing the delicious offering at her feet. Startled by her somber looks, he observed her stuck inside of a form of trance, her eyes a shade eerie of gray. Her golden fur a dull pale hue.
"My Queen, I've brought you some food. You must eat to maintain your strength; your safety is our priority. Are you feeling alright, my Queen?" Kenya asked.
The Queen remained silent, her gaze distant and unfocused. Her thoughts were ensnared in the past, reliving memories of her time with King Ezekiel and the deep love they had shared. Now that he was gone, a profound emptiness filled her heart. The only thing that was a piece of him were her little ones. Saharrah had nothing, she found herself thinking of Zarda and the other cubs. Haunted by the horrific images of her daughters twisted, lifeless bodies and the absence of her two sons. She envisioned calling out for them, yearning to hear their tiny voices echoing back to her from afar, but all she could hear was the faint annoyance of a lion beckoning her. She looked up to see a male lion standing nearby, patiently waiting for his Queen to respond, she needed to take action. He noticed her eyes blink and sensed her body starting to move. She turned to eye him with an intense stare. Now it was she who waiting for him to speak. Her toe pads kneaded the ground with impatience.
"I have brought you food, my Queen. The hunt was successful my lady. Here is your favorite." he said repeatedly.
She listened to the sounds filling her mind, though she could no longer comprehend his lion-like sounds, her keen observations and sharp sense of smell told her he had returned with food. She responded with a thank you, but her words felt foreign to him as well. Unlike her, he lacked the ability to vocalize; he could only communicate telepathically. This new skill was both puzzling and frustrating for the Queen. From far away Saharrah could hear the rest of the pride communicating with their roars, yet none could respond to her except for two lionesses. It was clear to Saharrah that Queen Lilith had cursed the pride. Her cruel spell still hung over them, sowing discord and turmoil. She was truly living up to her infamous reputation. A dark queen of malicious magic. She had all her life been acquainted with such practices.
Queen Saharrah let out a low growl of discontent towards the young lion, urging him to depart immediately. While he couldn't grasp the meaning of her words, he distinctly understood her intent and took her warning seriously. Quickly he turned, dashing back to the buffalo carcass to share in the feast. Saharrah gazed down at her own meal, momentarily dazed. She slowly lapped at the blood that had gone cold. Enjoying the flavors, she then sank her teeth into the rich, tender meat. The nourishment filled her body, momentarily clearing her mind of past traumas. Suddenly, Saharrah rose to her feet and sprinted towards the warthog burrows, eager to search for any signs within. She was driven with madness to find her beloved.
Trotting along the burrows Saharrah tasted the air with her mouth open. The ripe stench of hog was all she could discern. Now and then, she heard grunts or faint squeals serving as warnings to keep her distance. She understood that meant she was in the wrong burrow and kept moving. Saharrah pressed on with her search. Stopping at each hole. Some of the tunnels below were completely silent, only bearing the remains of warthog families that had previously occupied them. Anxiety gripped her; how would her sons comprehend her now? If she could no longer communicate with them telepathically as they could her, they might not recognize her voice calling down, leaving her to easily miss them. No one but two could speak her language now. She had no idea if Zarda or Meeku had been changed like she had. With a surge of urgency, she halted her search and dashed back toward the lion's quarters. She had a new plan in mind.
Approaching the newly assigned lioness, who was watching over the five remaining cubs. Saharrah called out to her. Awaken from a slight rest of her eyes, Anola lay peacefully, surrounded by the little ones. She opened her eyes immediately to find Saharrah looming over her, Anola's ears perked up, as she tuned into the Queen, yet she remained calm and still. Understanding that Anola might not grasp her intentions, Saharrah prepared to communicate, nonetheless. She gazed down at the lioness with wide eyes, concentrating her thoughts in an attempt to reach Anola's mind, but her efforts yielded no results—no words seemed to connect. Taking a deep breath, she rethought her approach, the Queen slowly articulated Anola's name aloud. Pointing her paw towards Anola every time she spoke her name. This time, the lioness sat up, visibly startled to hear her name spoken by her Queen and understand what she was saying.
It was a relief to receive a reply from Anola. Excited that maybe there was hope she could finally get through to her. The Queen continued to speak. "Anola, I require one of the cubs," she said, gesturing with her paw towards one of the little ones.
She hoped her words would resonate. Anola glanced at the cub and then back at the queen, relieved to see was understanding her gaze. With gentle care, Anola nudged a male lion cub toward the queen. It was Matiti, Keeku's son—matching in age and size with Saharrah's sons. Matiti had enjoyed many playful adventures with them in their former territory, making him an ideal choice for her new mission. The Queen nuzzled the young cub, placing her paw on his shoulder as a signal to follow. Without needing any words, he understood and had willingly accompanied her. Together, they sprinted back to the last hole she had visited before retrieving his assistance. Saharrah looked down at Matiti, pointing at the hole and then back at him, indicating that he should go. Saharrah sketched in the dirt between them, forming an image of her sons. The drawing depicted Matiti entering the hole to find her sons, with a line extending outward, symbolizing her wish for him to go in and bring them back. Matiti comprehended his mission without doubt. He nodded to the Queen before proceeding cautiously into the hole. If Zarda and Meeku were inside, they would recognize their friend and safely emerge together. If no one was there, Matiti would return empty-handed. For the next hour or so, the two repeated this task tirelessly.
She called into the hole, listening intently for a response, hoping for a sound to resonate back. To her dismay, there was only stillness—no sign that they had been nearby. After many hours of the same disappointing outcome, Saharrah was ready to halt their task and go home. They would return another time. Traveling back home, sadly without her sons. She felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Matiti for his help. To show her appreciation, she gently licked his ear. Together, they made their way toward the lion territory to rest after their exhausting search. Queen Saharrah noticed that the hunting party had returned, comfortably lounging under the branches of the Acacia tree, their bellies full. Keeku noticed their arrival, she quickly got to her feet and approached the Queen and her only son. Not concerned but puzzled by the scene before her, she questioned with her eyes. The Queen spoke openly to Keeku, expressing her thanks, towards her friend.
"Don't worry, my friend. I can see the concern and confusion on your face. I needed your son's help to explore the warthog burrows since I'm too big to fit inside, and my own sons wouldn't be able to hear me calling for them. They would understand only your son. You and Raya are the only ones who truly understands my voice. Matiti is safe, as you can see, but there's no sign of my sons," the Queen said, her voice laden with sorrow.
Matiti dashed over to his mother and pressed his head against hers, showing her respect and love. She welcomed his decision to help the Queen. She was proud of him, wanting to be help in a sad time as this. Keeku's heart went out for her friend. She couldn't fathom the pain of losing not one, but all four cubs with the loss of a beloved spouse on top of it. She longed for Prince Zarda and Meeku to return, for the sake of their queen. They were family, and the two cubs were like little nephews to Keeku. The absence of the lion cubs weighed heavily on everyone's hearts in the pride, creating an uncomfortable silence. Queen Saharrah stepped into the dappled sunlight at the edge of the tree shade, gazing out across the expansive Savannah. Her eyes brimmed with tears, a deep longing to mend the pieces of her shattered heart. She vowed not to rest until she found them, no matter how long it took. She knew she had to summon her strength—not just for her sons, but for her entire pride. It was her duty to protect and provide for them, ensuring her King's legacy endured.