Powerful Words

The last straw

The search party was on. Every hole, crevice, pool and cave- everywhere! Pricilla was nowhere to be found. Tifu and Zuri took care of the cubs while everyone else fanned out and searched for the little cub. Aina, Jaribu and Shinda arrived a little while after the search party commenced and when asked, denied having seen Pricilla.

"She's gone and we don't know where she is," Kiara cried as she hugged Kovu. "She was right there, she was on the platform asleep next to Zalika. Kovu and I heard a female crying and went to look. When we came back, Pricilla was gone."
Shinda and Jaribu expressed worry and sympathy for Kiara and Kovu's dilemma and offered to help look. Aina simply scoffed and turned away.

"It's a possibility she woke up when you and Kovu had gone and went off to explore. Cubs have a natural curiosity when they're small like she is," Shinda said.
"Yes that's true. But even if she did go off to explore, the only way off the platform is down the steps, and Kovu and I were there," Kiara protested.
Then at that moment, Nala, Diana, Burnt Eboney, Vitani and Marisa came and stood next to Kiara and Kovu, sad expressions on their faces.

"We just came back from the Northern waterhole, she isn't there," Diana said.
Kiara gasped and dropped down on the ground, holding her head and crying loudly.
"M..my baby, my sweet...innocent little cub. Where are you? Kings help us, I want my baby back, I want my baby back!" Kiara screamed.
Kovu held her shoulders and she leaned against him, her lips were quivering as she cried.
"Sweetheart calm down, you'll hurt yourself. Calm down," Kovu said as he stroked her fur and patted her back.

"B..but she's just a cub..she doesn't..she's innocent..she can't tell the difference between a prey and a predator! What if something tried to eat her? She could be dead for all we know!" Kiara was shaking and looking around, her eyes were red and her breathing was hard and strained as the horrifying possibilities plagued her mind.

"Don't you dare say anything like that! She's not dead, she's fine, I won't let anything happen to our baby, do you hear me? I won't let anything happen to Pricilla," Kovu said sternly.
Kiara swallowed hard and rose up off the ground and looked Kovu directly in his eyes.

"Promise me that nothing will happen to her. I won't be able to live if anything happens to our baby. Swear if you have to," she said softly. Kovu sighed and leaned his forehead against Kiara's.
"I swear on our love that I won't let anything happen to our daughter. You trust my love for you don't you?" Kovu asked.

"I trust your love more than I trust myself," Kiara murmured.
"Good. Nothing is going to happen to her, we'll find her and then everything will be alright. This I promise you my darling," Kovu said brushing his lips on Kiara's.
"Wait a minute where's Tamu? After you four left, I can't recall having seen her when we were searching for Pricilla," Diana said to Shinda.

Shinda hesitated a moment, not wanting to repeat the bitter words spoken by his wife and daughter. Instead he shrugged his shoulders saying he hadn't seen his daughter.
"Okay so we searched the four borders, the waterholes, the perimeter of Pride Rock and the little spaces she likes to play. Where else to look?" Vitani asked.

Just then Tamu came and saw everyone standing there and smiled brightly as though she were the happiest lion in the savannah.
"Hey everyone, how goes?" she said perkily.
"Pricilla is missing, I'm sure you've seen the search parties roaming the savannah," Kiara said bluntly.
"Oh no that's simply awful! Have you looked everywhere?" Tamu asked worriedly.

"Obviously we've looked everywhere Tamu, otherwise we would've found her by now don't you think?" Vitani asked sarcastically.
"Please do not speak to my daughter that way Vitani, she's asking a simple question. No need to be rude," Aina said.
"She's always sticking her nose where it doesn't concern her, I would've guessed she'd already know of Pricilla's disappearance,"  Kiara said with a smile.