Queen of the Jungle

Episode IV

Tufts of fur had started to grow around Resilient's neck. His mane was starting to grow. He was still slightly smaller than her, though. Brilliant let out a roar to signal him. A white flash skimmed across her vision. A panicked bray came from a gazelle. Brilliant felt adrenaline rush through her veins as she counted down her seconds to pounce. Now! She soared forward, claws outstretched and tackled the gazelle down. A quick bite to the throat made it a clean kill.

Resilient bounded over to her. "It always feels exciting!" he exclaimed.

She nodded. "Never gets old." Over the time, Swift has come to spend time with Resilient more often. She had been grudging at first but slowly started trusting him. The truth of Swift being Resilient's father hadn't taken long to come out. But the cub still viewed Brilliant as his mother. She didn't have the heart to tell him, so she'd asked Swift to play along. He'd been good about it but suggested she tell him.

Brilliant watched his muscles bunch as he crouched down to pick up the limp body. He was no little cub anymore. They made their way back to the den as the sun went down in the sky. The familiar rocky scape came before them. Brilliant leaped up, instinctively turning around to help Resilient up. Instead, she watched him bound up the rocks as if they were mere pebbles. She padded into the den, sighing at the relief of the coolness. Even in the rainy seasons, the sun was blistering, even more now the rainy season was coming to an end. The amazing smell the meat overwhelmed her senses. She sank her teeth into the soft neck meat.

Resilient licked his lips after he finished and got up. She glanced at him in confusion. "Where are you going?"

He shrugged. "I'm taking a walk."

"By yourself?" Alarm went off inside of her. Hyenas. Other lions. Trampled in a stampede. A blur ran through her head of every way Resilient could get hurt. "How about I come with you?"

His blue eyes looked to the side and then back to her. "I can go by myself. You look tired anyways." She had to admit, she was tired. But it was just a feeling. It would pass. She started to get up but Resilient didn't move. "Brilliant, I want to go by myself. I'm not going to get hurt." She looked at him in concern. Then she saw the lion in front of her. He wasn't a cub anymore. He was big and strong, lean and stealthy. Resilient had grown from the defenseless cub to a sturdy lion.

"Alright," she whispered. "I don't want you to get hurt, though." She murmured under her breath. Resilient bounded down the steps and seemed to fly across the stretch of grass until he was unseeable. "Keen would quite literally murder me." Brilliant laughed softly at herself. She started to lick her bloody paws, cleaning the meat shards in her claws. The moon was a bright orb in the sky. Brilliant listened to the chirp of small animals.

"Maybe I should go for a walk too." She climbed down the rock face and padded through the grass. The sounds blended into a faint humming as she walked alongside the trees. A small pond surrounded by reeds reflected the moonlight. The ground around it was starting to crack, showing signs of the coming dry season. Brilliant lowered her head to drink from the pool. Cool water washed her face and muzzle. She almost wanted to take a dip in the water. I wonder how many lionesses would give up pride life to have this freedom. She followed her impulse to flash a paw in the water. A laugh echoed from somewhere.

Instantly, she tensed. "Who's there?" she growled. The air was unfortunately blowing the other way—she couldn't smell the other animal, but they could smell her.

Brilliant snarled loudly, trying to scare off the animal. "Hello," a voice spoke behind her. She jumped, flipping around quickly. "Jumpy much?" he muttered, leaning down to take a sip of water. Brilliant felt her fur bristling slightly. The lion looked up, droplets on his whiskers.

A wave of distrust rolled off of her. She hadn't caught a single scent while she was walking; how did she not notice him? The lion was around the same age as her, his mane a golden-brown color. His muscles looked defined, even behind his thick pelt. "What do you want?" she growled.

A twitch of his tail told her that he was amused by her hostility. "A sip of water...in peace." Again, he graciously dipped his head to drink the water. Brilliant kept her claws unsheathed just in case. The strange lion advanced a step towards her. A guttural snarl built in her throat. He backed up again, sitting down on his haunches and wrapping his tail neatly around his paws. He doesn't seem like a threat. But then again, I can't trust him. Brilliant forced herself to relax a smidge.

"What do you want?" she repeated, her tone just as mistrusting as before.

"Nice to meet you, too. My names Stunning." She eyed him warily. Could she trust this strange lion? Maybe. Maybe not.

"I should get going," she murmured to herself.

"What's your name?"

Brilliant hesitated, then she sighed. It couldn't hurt to tell him. "Brilliant."

***

It's so hot outside. Her paws ached as she stepped onto the parched savannah The ground was cracked and desperate for water.

Dry season was never good. Prey was scarce, water was limited, and the sun was so intense it hurt. Even the wide river where the crocodiles and hippos swam was a pitiful stream. Any animal that came near the water would become the defensive crocodiles meal. "There's a puddle over there!" Brilliant called. Hope fluttered in her chest as she dashed forward. Plunging her muzzle into the water, she lapped at the water. It was warm, but still satisfying. The relief of the water washed over her.

Resilient drank near her, his whiskers dripping. When she lifted her head from the water, she saw Resilient dipping a paw in the water. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"My paw pads hurt, the water is sealing them up." Brilliant dipped her paws in the small puddle. Instant alleviation met her paws. The water seemed to seep in to her paw pads and heal the scratches and blisters. A soft sigh left her. "See, it's nice." Brilliant took her paws out of the water and started to lick the cuts, helping the moisture lock in.

"We need to hunt." She lifted her nose to the air, trying to catch a scent. All she could smell was the burning dry sand. Her throat scorched at the feeling. Resilient flicked his tail back and forth. His ears perked up.

Brilliant glanced at him. "I smell something!" he informed. How could he smell anything? She couldn't catch a whiff of prey. Confusion spread through her. She ignored the feeling. "Come on, it's over here."

Walking quietly, she followed him through the stretch of land and into a small shrub. Sure enough, a den was in the shrub, too small for the lions to squeeze through. The strong scent of a warthog was around the den. Brilliant crawled to the side entrance, ready to pounce. Resilient growled from the other side. A squeal came from inside and a small warthog darted out. Brilliant jumped onto it and pinned it down, making a quick bite to its neck the end.

Dragging the body back to the cave was a misery, especially because of the hot sun. The animal was only sufficient for a little while. Resilient tore off his piece, leaving the body for her. "You need to take more than that," she growled.

"No, I'll be fine, you eat."

"Resilient, eat your share, I'm not very hungry anyways."

That was a lie. She was ravenously hungry but she wouldn't watch Resilient starve himself for her. He was her cub after all. Even if Keen birthed him, he was still her cub.

A patter of paws caught her attention. A throaty growl built in Resilient's chest. Brilliant warily asked, "Who's there?" The smell of blood filled her nose. Alarm coursed through her. She stepped cautiously forward. A groan came from the animal, and a thud followed. Brilliant dashed forward.

Shock rolled off her in waves. Before her was the body of her sister. "Mischief!" she yowled.