New Beginnings

Chapter thirty seven

At dawn exact, Kovu and Kiara woke up and immediately started preparing for the two day trek into Kurusha. Nala, Simba and  Marisa stood on the platform with Vitani, Kion, Diana and Burnt Eboney. Muuaji, Mkali, Nia, Haraka and Siri stood next to Kovu as he gave last minute instructions to Kion and Vitani.

"Umakini, Kimya, Ajabu and Timamu will be here to patrol the borders and to stay on guard. You and Vitani shouldn't have much to do except for the daily duties that Kiara and myself usually take care of,"
"Why don't you take Mom and Dad with you Kovu?" Vitani asked.
"I need them here to help watch over things, I'm already making a big mistake leaving the Pride Lands unprotected. But I need to do this," Kovu said.

"Don't you think we should eat before we leave?" Kiara inquired.
"Muuaji you and the others go hunt a buffalo. We'll eat and leave in a little while," Kovu instructed.
"Yes my lord," Muuaji bowed respectfully to Kovu, and she Mkali, Nia, Haraka and Siri bounded off the platform and into the savannah.

Once they had eaten enough and had drank some water, Kovu, Kiara, Simba, Nala, Marisa, Muuaji, Mkali, Nia, Haraka and Siri left and after bidding Vitani, Kion, Diana, Burnt Eboney and Kovu's four followers goodbye, they departed on their journey to Kurusha.

They walked through the quiet savannah and crossed the Northern border and were out of the Pride Lands. Kovu led the way through a shortcut that skirted around the Elephant Graveyard and to a long, desolated underground tunnel that could be used to leave the outlands unnoticed.

It was late evening by the time they left the outlands and were passing through a swampy marsh just on the outskirts of the outlands, one that would get them to Kurusha tomorrow. If they took an hour's rest and travelled through the night, they would make it to Kurusha by noon tomorrow. The swampy marsh was hard to thread through since the water in the marsh was thick and was up to their torsos.

"So what do we do once we get to Kurusha?" Marisa asked Kovu as they continued to thread through the marsh, not much conversation exchanged since they left the Pride Lands.
"Once we get there, we hide and wait for nightfall then we move in for the kill. Wazimu, Kichaa and Hifadhi stay in a cave in a high cliff, we climb it from the back and while they're asleep we kill them," Kovu replied.

"But how can you be so sure? What if they've transferred to another land? What if they're not sleeping when you go to kill them? What will happen then huh?" Marisa asked insistently.
"I'm not a fool to just make plans without testing it for flaws Marisa. I know what I'm doing," Kovu said rolling his eyes.

"Over confidence gets a person killed if they aren't careful," Marisa declared.
"I'm not over confident," Kovu said, clearly irritated by his sister's nagging.
"What's the plan then?"
"I just told you the plan," Kovu said through clenched teeth. "We go into Kurusha, hide until nightfall, then we kill the three of them while they're asleep."

"Why are you getting so irritated? I'm just asking a question," Marisa said with a scoff.
"Exactly! You're questioning me. I hate people questioning me, then when they're aware of the plan, they nag and it gets on my nerves," Kovu said angrily.
"You just have anger management problems," Marisa said rolling her eyes.

At this point they were out of the marsh. Kovu shook out his fur and Kiara did the same. They then waited until everyone else had gotten out and pushed on.
For a while no one spoke. They just continued to walk. The sun was gone by the time they reached this large rock formation and piled exhaustedly on the ground.

"Oh Kings my feet are killing me!" Nala groaned as she laid on her side, her heart beating a mile a minute and her breathing erratic.
"We'll rest here for a couple hours, eat something and be on our way. No one lives here really, but it doesn't hurt to be careful," Kovu said as he laid on the ground, his head in Kiara's back.