A Dark Secret

Chapter 10

Fuli blinked open her eyes. She looked around, scared. This place was unfamiliar to her. She was in a rocky den with grassy flooring underneath her. The roof was high, about ten pawsteps high. Some dim sunlight drifted from the opening.

I'm alive?

She saw a cheetah, just like her, walking around the den. Then, an important thought hit her.

Kion! Is he okay?

"Erm, excuse me," she asked the cheetah. "Have you seen a young lion with golden fur and a bright red, still-growing mane?"

"Ah, yes I have! It tried to kill you! We saw it standing next to your body before we carried you out of the ravine," the cheetah replied.

"What you do mean? He didn't try to kill me. I saved him," Fuli told the cheetah.

The cheetah's face turned to shock. His eyes widened."What?! How could you save a lion! Their species are enemies to ours! Lions are nothing but cruel, vicious, savages!"

Fuli's eyes widened at the cheetah's statement. "What do you mean?! It doesn't matter what an animal is on the outside, it's the inside that counts!"

"Lions have destroyed many of our kind. They forced our clan, Swift's Clan, to leave our home and travel here."

"There are other cheetahs?" Fuli asked.

"Oh yes there are. About forty of them in this cave network," the cheetah replied, motioning to the opening of the den. "Also, my name is Ghafla, the healer of Swift's Clan." There was a brief pause. "Also," Ghafla continued. "There's two cheetahs who told me they want to see you."

Fuli was confused. Someone wanted to see her? Who was it? Then, two familiar golden furred and black spotted cheetahs walked into the cave, blue and red eyes glowing with joy.

Fuli had to do a double take. She couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked multiple times and they were still there. "Mom?! Dad?!" She immediately tried to get to her paws, but felt a stab of pain rush through her. It didn't matter though, because they ran over to her and embraced her. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what we were going to ask you!" Her mother, Endesha, exclaimed, nuzzling her.

Her father, Mwepesi, backed out of the embrace. "Thank goodness you survived that attack from that lion!" He spat the last part out in disgust.

"He didn't attack me," Fuli told them. "I saved him."

Ghafla leaned over to her father. "She told me that earlier, Swift Mwepesi," Ghafla said in a low voice.

Her father looked confused. "Did you bump your head or something? Why in the name of the Bright Stars Above the Savanna would you save a lion?"

"He's my friend," Fuli explained. Her parents eyes widened. Her mother, father, and Ghafla exchanged nervous glances.

"Well," her father began. "We'll shape you up into a real cheetah yet."

Um, excuse me?

Fuli heard her father mutter something under his breath, but she couldn't tell what it was.

"Uhum, okay?" Fuli said awkwardly. Then her father and mother on each side of her, supporting her, they walked from the small den straight into huge cave with a tall roof and lots of other mini-caves  like the one Fuli was in. About a hundred pawsteps away from the original den was a huge entrance to the den about twenty cheetah-lengths high.

"It's time you learn our way. The way of the cheetah!"

"Yeah!" her mother agreed.

All alone
Without your own kind
I'll bet you don't know our way
Let us show you and you will find
The way cheetahs are meant to be, the way they are designed