Circle of Life Ch. 7

Askari laid in his den that night. After catching him in the Outlands, his father had sentenced him to go nowhere without an escort. How could they do this? Even when he tried to explain what the Fox he met that day said, the King did not listen, believing Foxes to be deceitful and untrustworthy. Askari, however, felt different. Perhaps Harige was telling the truth about Gorillas taking over his home, driving him and his Queen out. As prince of the Pridelands, it was his duty to prepare himself for whatever may be in the Outside world. He had a taste today, but tonight was time for the main Course.

But he could not do it alone.

There was also one he did not want to take. Mohatu was the reason his dad had found him in the Outlands, so he did not want to be around her at the moment. So there was one sibling he could turn to.

His brother looked a lot like him, all except the grey in his red mane. Askari crept to where his brother was sleeping and nudged him slightly. "Ahadi?" He whispered. "Ahadi?"

His older brother grunted quietly. "What?" His eyes slightly opened. "Askari?"

"Shh." The younger of the siblings sharply silenced him. "Are you awake?"

Ahadi groaned as he stood up. "I am now. What is it, Askari? Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"Shh." Askari said again. "Yes, I am, but I can't sleep. I need your help."

"What? Did you forget which way the watering hole is again?"

"No." Askari rolled his eyes. "I want you to come with me."

"Come with you where?" Ahadi tilted his head.

"To the Wildlands." Askari answered. "We're gojng to go and get Harige his home back."

Ahadi stepped back as if he had heard some sort of nonsense. "What? Askari, are you hearing yourself right now? You want to leave the Pridelands for some Lord forsaken venture to fight some Mountains of fur to win back the home of a Fox you just met?"

"I trust Harige, Ok?" Askari sounded like what he was getting at was deadly serious. "And I'm not going to fight them right away. I'm going to try and reason with them, and it's not jst me, it's 'we.'"

"We?" Ahadi shook his head. "No, no, Askari, I am not leaving, and neither are you!"

"Yes I am, Ahadi." Askari did not seem to back down. "Remember what dad told us? He was the leader of the Lion Guard. Now you're destined to be the new leader. You, Mohatu, and the others all have made your marks, now this is my turn. I always see you helping your friends, so now it's my turn to help mine. So do what you want, Ahadi, but I'm leaving tonight." With all of that being said, Askari turned around and silently ran out the entrance to Pride Rock, leaving Ahadi to think to himself. As much as he hated to admit it, Askari did have a point. Now that he was in line to be the leader of the new future Lion Guard, what would that make Askari? And he really wouldn't last long in the Outlands by himself.

He silently followed his younger brother.

Both of them were now on the biggest Journey of their lives, but neither one of them knew where their destination was.