Ndio's Narrative - Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Ndio cautiously walked towards Uhuru, who was watching the slowly setting sun. The grey cub sat beside the vibrant orange one.

"Uh, hi..?" Ndio tried to engage in conversation. Uhuru shook his head and turned to Ndio.

"Oh, hello. You're that lioness I bumped into earlier... Are you ok?" Uhuru asked, looking at her leg where the cut was. "It looks like Na gave you a nasty cut..." After some silence, he spoke. "I don't trust him much."

"Yeah..." Ndio nodded and shuffled her paws uncomfortably. She looked back up at the prince, who was still watching the sun sternly. "Is it because he's an Outlander?"

"Yes, partly," Uhuru said, not noticing the fact Ndio was also the offspring of two Outlanders. Ndio drew her ears back. "I don't understand why Simba allowed them to join the pride; and especially that he allowed Vitani and her lionesses to take over the Lion Guard. It'll be better when Haki gets his guard." Ndio had prevented her from bursting into anger until now.

"You can't say much! Your father was an Outlander! And Vitani and her guard were welcomed into the Pride because Kion was on a mission!" She spat angrily. Those were the only facts she remembered Vipi tell her. She turned to the prince, and fell back and gasped, realising what she had done. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to insult you! I'm gonna get-"

"No, I knew all about the history of the Pridelands; I was just testing you. You are friends with Vipi, aren't you?" Uhuru laughed. He had meant nothing from what he said before.

"Y-yes..?" Ndio was confused and stood up straight.

"Thought so. She doesn't shut up about the History of the Pridelands. It makes it worse when Kiara keeps babbling on to me about Kion and Simba and Nala. It's so boring!" Uhuru lay down. "I didn't mean what I said, about him being suspicious cause he's an Outlander. He's just, too aggressive and creepy... I heard he has a daughter. I feel sorry for them."

"Yes, that's me..." Ndio murmured. Uhuru gasped.

"Oh... Sorry for what I said about your dad..." He shook his head embarrassingly.

"No, it's alright. He gave me this scar." She showed him the small wound on her leg.

"That's nasty." He stuck his tongue out. "Anyway-"

"Rukia!" A dark brown lion cub pounced onto Uhuru, pinning him down. "Rule number 1, always check your surroundings. Seems like you failed that task, Uhuru." He teased the prince. The dark lion cub got off the future king and puffed his chest out. "Looks like I'm still top in Vine's class!"

"We aren't training now, Treni." Uhuru dusted himself off and knocked Treni off his paws while he was still gloating with victory. "Rule number 5, don't spend your time bragging, your enemies could still be conscious." He smirked. Ndio raised an eyebrow and turned around, and saw Vipi and her slightly older brother, Cheka come and sit beside them. Cheka was around Uhuru's age, Vipi being the youngest cub there.

"Treni, get up, Vine's coming." Cheka stood up straight; waiting for his mentor to arrive. All the cubs sat in an orderly line and out came Vine, followed by the scrawny Na.

"Kiara and Kovu have made me Uhuru's mentor, and his only." Vine stood in front of the cubs. Treni and Cheka gasped.

"But who'll be our mentor? We haven't reached the age where we can self tutor ourselves!" Treni gasped.

"The king and queen have appointed Na as your new mentor. I hope he'll teach you well..." Vine glared at Na. Uhuru smirked at Treni and Cheka.

"We have a new lion cub who will begin his training!" Na said excitingly. He still acted like a cub at times. "Meet Pas!" A small, dusty lion cub with a small brown tuft came from behind Na. He was the son of Vitani; and Uhuru's cousin. "He'll be training with Treni and Cheka." Pas sat beside his older cousin, feeling very uncomfortable as the lion cubs stared at him.

"Kiara has also informed me that Ndio, Vipi and Droom will begin their training with Vitani tomorrow," Vine said. Droom was another lioness cub; younger than Vipi. The cubs nodded and watched as Vine and Na walked away.

"Hah! I get Vine while you get Na!" Uhuru knocked Treni over, who knocked Cheka over like some dominos. Ndio rolled her eyes as the boy's roughhoused, and turned to Vipi.

"Let's get out of here, before they start fighting us." Vipi nodded and they walked back to their den