The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 41: Tenderness

The Lion King: Dawn Of The Nations

Episode 41: Tenderness

"Everything seems clear and bright." Juzare nuzzled Javara's snout, they were both still refreshing their legs in the river. "I never felt like this before." He licked her face. "Until you saved me."

A tear ran down Javara's face. "I did what I had to do...help a comrade in distress."

"A comrade back then." Juzare licked her snout, she licked him back. "Now, your loving mate." He stroked her forehead with his. "A crippled...damaged mate."

"Crippled on the outside." Javara nuzzled his face. "Whole on the inside."

Juzare sobbed. "Not whole...my soul is damaged as well."

"All we got is the now, my beloved." Javara looked deeply into his eyes. "What wonders could wait for us ahead?"

"Is there any space left for wonder, if the first thing I see every morning is your sweet and beautiful face?" Juzare spoke with gratefulness and shame at the same time. "Isn't it enough goodness for this black heart?"

"All darkness can fade away." Javara said. "Just a bit of light can make that happen."

"You are that bit of light, my...be..." Juzare cried softly. "...my beloved."

"Oh, my Juzare, strong and fragile...keen and callow." Javara stroked his face with hers. "There's light in you as well...let it grow and reign inside you." She licked his snout. "Let it shine."

After a couple of minutes, Javara got her legs out of the water and gently got Juzare over her back. She gasped and got onto her paws. "Let's go for a swim." Javara walked away from the river.

Juzare's eyes widened. "A swim? Do you think it's a good idea?"

Javara chuckled sweetly. "Trust me, it is."

"I trust you." Juzare stated. "But I don't trust myself."

"I'll be with you." Javara walked down a sloping path. "You'll be alright."

They arrived at a small glade, the rays of the sun hit directly at the pool in the middle. "Woah." Juzare expressed. "This looks nice."

"And wait until..." Javara suddenly rushed towards the pool.

"Hey! What you doing?! Javara, wait, n..!" Juzare got thrown into the pool by his mate. He dived to the bottom, which wasn't deep at all. He opened his eyes in the water, looking upwards, seeing the distorted figure of the sun, the water waving above as a strange, peaceful ceiling. The water was warm, cozy and comforting. Juzare was holding his breath with calmness, confident on the words of his mate, who submerged afterwards and swam towards him, licking his snout and stroking his neck with her forehead, then she got under him and got him over her back again. Javara swam upwards, reaching the surface rapidly. Juzare took a deep breath while his eyes widened, he breathed in and out with relief, chuckling while Javara brought him to the edge of the pool, laying him gently over the grass.

"How was it?" Javara smirked at him.

"It was fun." Juzare smiled back at her. "Very...soothing."

Javara chuckled while nuzzling his forehead. "I love you."

Juzare licked her face. "I love you too."

Meanwhile, in Ferezan, Jantu and the four cheetah cubs, Faeze, Niri, Aozo and Tizei, walked between the trees and the large green bushes, following no path, just looking around them, cautiously. "Uhm...Faeze?" Jantu inquired.

"Hush, you'll scare our preys." Faeze said.

"Aren't you all supposed to be with your parents now?" Jantu inquired with worry.

"It's fine, Jantu, they probably think we are still asleep or something." Aozo opined. "I just hope they don't go to the lair and...well...find out we're not there."

Jantu gasped. "It still hurts a lot. What am I supposed to do in this state?"

"Observe." Niri looked at him over his back, smiling amicably. A set of bushes shook gently ahead them. "And the fun begins..." He mumbled while walking cautiously towards the bushes. A pair of rats jumped from the bush all of a sudden.

"Breakfast is served, guys!" Tizei shouted and ran towards the rats along with his comrades.

"Don't let them escape!" Aozo hurried and hid behind a tree. Niri followed him there and adopted a cautious position. Both of them waited for the rodents to get closer, then they jumped at them, holding them against the grassy ground with their paws, already puncturing them with their young and sharp claws, making them squeak with pain and fear.

Niri killed the rat he held with a quick bite on the head, while Aozo did so with several blows. "Hunting...successful!" Niri celebrated.

"And what have we learned today?" Faeze looked at Jantu with an eyebrow raised.

"Uhm...teamwork?" Jantu inquired, smirking at him.

"Close, but no." Faeze said. "We learned that rats are the main prey of our tribe."

"O...kay, got it." Jantu responded.

"Yeah, and the only one so far, aside from some insects, because one day we tried to hunt lizards but they're so elusive and fas..." Niri got interrupted.

"Niri, Don't expose our limitations!" Faeze's eyes widened and glared at Jantu while chuckling with embarrassment. "Well, we're cubs, right? Imagine what Karu-Karu will be capable of when we are bigger and stronger."

Jantu nodded, without knowing exactly what to say. "That's...good, I mean, you do know how to hunt."

"Of course we do." Tizei said arrogantly.

Loud chirrups began to sound all of a sudden. "Aozo!" Saisa's voice sounded from afar.

"Oh no...mother." Aozo looked at his comrades. "Uhm, I gotta go, I'll see y..."

"Tizei!" Tombe yelled.

"Maybe we all should go back." Faeze glared at Jantu. "We'll come back later, okay?" He gestured at the dead rats. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Jantu raised an eyebrow. "But...aren't you gonna..?"

"Don't worry, we'll eat with our parents." Faeze replied.

"Besides, you need it more than us. You're still very thin." Niri added.

Jantu sighed while lowering his head. "Thank you."

"We take care of our members, remember?" Aozo said. "That was the first lesson."

"Yes, I remember." Jantu smiled gratefully.

"Aozo!" Saisa shouted again

"Tizei!" Tombe chirruped strongly afterwards.

"Okay. I'm going now." Aozo said with fear and rapidly hurried towards the voice of his mother.

"Same." Tizei followed him. Niri and Faeze rushed behind them.

Jantu watched them leave, with a friendly smirk and thankful eyes. He turned and headed to the pair of rats then he began to eat them, taking big bites, expressing satisfaction and delight, enjoying the warm sun of Ferezan heating his back.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Aozo?!" Saisa was yelling at his son while they walked between the caverns. "Answer me!"

"I don't know." Aozo replied with disdain.

"Oh you don't?" Saisa hit his face with her paw, making him gasp. "You don't know anything, you never know anything."

Tombe was looking at his own son. "Did you have have fun?"

"We did, it was a pretty normal night to be honest." Tizei replied.

"Good." Tombe smiled at him. "You know what we're having for breakfast today?"

Tizei's eyes widened. "Meerkat?" He inquired with emotion.

"Mhm." Tombe nodded.

"Awesome!" Tizei celebrated.

Faeze walked with his father while Niri did so with his mother.