Power of Lions

Death's Bed

The sun peaks through the window and blinds Nile as he slept. He grunts in displeasure and rolls onto his side. His arm swings over to hold his wife but touches an empty space. The empty space alerted him to awake. Opening his eyes, Nile saw he was indeed alone.

When he sits up, soreness ran through his body. Looking at his body, Nile finds his body littered with bruises too dark to be defined as black or blue. Small crescent shape scratches were on his thighs and stomach. Dried up, crusty blood was stuck to his neck from a bite mark. He begins to rub it and could feel how deep he was bitten.

She certainly doesn't hold back, Nile thought with an amused smile.

Soft gurgles came from the other side of the room to the crib. It was the familiar sound of hunger. (Being the older sibling of three younger kids taught him how to take care of babies.) Nile stands up and wraps a zebra skin pelt around his waist. He walks to Nyah's crib and scoops her up in his arms.

At that moment, someone ran inside the hut.

Nile spun around to see Sanyu standing there. She looked like she ran across the desert. Sweat ran down her brow and her skin was slightly red from the sun. But there was worry laced in her eyes. "Where is Assaggi!?" she shouted. Her shout made Nyah begin to whine in distress. Nile tried to shush her but with her being hungry, she'll continue to cry.

"I haven't," he said. "Is she not in the village?" he asked.

"Her scent is faint. I think she left during the night."

The color drained from Nile's face immediately. He almost dropped Nyah but kept a grip. "Do you know where she went?" he asked. Shaking her head, Sanyu says,"The wind got rid of any trace. All I know is that she headed south. In the direction of Imamu's village."

"Crud." Nile growled.

Quickly, he runs passed Sanyu and out of the hut. Holding his child close to his chest. It ceased her crying, and she just made started making sounds each time she was lightly jostled. Sanyu caught up to Nile and ran beside him.

"Mesi! Kondo!" Nile called out.

Almost immediately, his sister and Assaggi's cousin appeared out of separate huts. "Is something wrong, brother?" Mesi asked worriedly. She noticed the distress on her brother's face, and quickly takes Nyah out of his arms as she continued to cry. "Where is Assaggi?" Kondo demanded. "Gone." Sanyu said.

"WHAT!" Mesi and Kondo shouted simultaneously.

"Tell me she didn't run off to kill Imamu." Kondo demanded, but knew the answer.

"For all we know, she could be dead. Facing an entire tribe by herself . . . she won't be leaving the fight without injuries." Nile said.

A sudden smack to his face woke him up but startled him completely. He shoots his head to who hit him. Finding Sanyu. "What the hell?!" he shouted. "You should've stopped her! She could be bleeding out just like Ekon!" Sanyu yelled heartbrokenly. Tears were running down her stunning face and brightened her scars. Nile was dumbstruck at the sight of Sanyu's crying face. For as long as he knew her, she wasn't one to show her emotions so openly.

Kondo pulls Sanyu in to his arms and holds her close. He pats her back and allows her to cry into his shoulder. Murmuring comforting words into her ear.

"Sanyu–"

"Stop!" Mesi cut Nile off. She glared at her brother. "Enough arguing! We need to find Assaggi. Now." she shouted.

The three grown ups stared at her. She glared at them with her dark brown eyes. "I'm taking Nyah to Mother, and then we are going to search for Assaggi." she said seriously. A determined look on her face.

"No need." said a hoarse sounding voice.

Everyone turned around to see Assaggi standing there wounded and bloody. Her left arm was dislocated and blood dripped from her right hand. A long cut dragged down her right thigh. Her right eye was swollen shut and her top lip had a tear that split it in two. It looked like she went through Hell and back.

"ASSAGGI!" Nile cried out in relief. He ran to her and couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around her. But he was careful to not harm her.

When his arms wrapped around her, he felt a small dent in her back. He pulls back to look at Assaggi in the eye. A tired look was in her dull green eyes. "Assaggi?" he asked worried.

Without a word, she collapsed into his arms.

"SHIT!" Nile screamed as he caught her. Quickly, he picks her up into his arms and starts running. "Mesi, take Nyah to Mom and come back to the medical hut!" Nile ordered as he ran full speed to Doctor Dziko's hut. Tears blurred his vision but he continued running.

He runs into the medical hut. There was no one inside except for Doctor Dziko. He was in the middle of making some soup when Nile bursted through his door. "Doctor Dziko! I need assistance now!" Nile yelled. Doctor Dziko immediately stopped what he was doing and grabs his medical bag. "Put her down on the mat!" Doctor Dziko orders.

Nile sets Assaggi down with care. A deep pain poked at his heart as he stared at his unconscious love. "You should've stayed. We could've fought him together." he whispered. He slowly ran his hand down the side of her face. His hand halts when he felt that her skin was growing cold.

"DZIKO!" he cried out.

Before he knew it, Doctor Dziko had pushed Nile aside and got to work. Nile became frozen as he watched his wife fight for her life.

*****************************************

The day died and the moon was out. The villagers went to sleep while a few remained awake.

Nile sat outside the medical hut. Blood had dried to his arms and chest. He stared at the ground, his eyes dull with emotion. It has been an entire day; and Doctor Dziko refused to let Nile see Assaggi. The surgery was a success but not without losing a lot of blood. Assaggi had barely made it through.

Scouts left to Imamu's village to see if what Assaggi said was true. They returned with cheers. Announcing that Imamu was dead and the rest of his village had fled in fear. The news barely brought up Nile's spirits.

"Nile . . . "

Barely acknowledging the tiger, Nile only grunted to show he heard Tau.

"It's been nearly two days, and you have barely eaten anything." Tau said worriedly. He sat down beside Nile and placed a paw on his shoulder. "I understand what you are going through. My mate died by Imamu. But unlike me, you still have your mate." Tau said. There was a strain in his voice as Tau spoke. His one eye began to stream tears. But he refused to show emotion in his face. 

Finally, Nile glanced up at Tau. The tiger had certainly grown wiser since they have last seen each other. (When they tried to kill each other.)

"Assaggi is strong, Nile. She'll fight her way to leave the fields up in the sky and return to us all." Tau said.

"That's what I'm hoping as well."