Naomi stared up into the face that was exactly her grandfather's, wrinkle for wrinkle. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, no. It can't be you. You're no my grandfather. He's dead."
Lord Arthur's look alike laughed at her. "Silly stupid girl. Of course I'm not your grandfather. I'm not yet a grandfather."
Naomi stared up into his blue eyes, so much like her own grandfather's eyes. "Then why do you look so much like my grandfather, you slave."
The look alike growled. "Master told me to take care of you and that's just what I'll do." From deep pockets inside the cloak, he pulled out the dagger which had been left in her room the night someone tried to kill her. He raised it above his head, ready to plunge it into Naomi's. Then something white dashed out from the shadows and leapt onto the look alike's middle. Simba sunk his claws in, opened his mouth as wide as it could, and bit him.
The look alike howled in pain. He let go of Naomi. Simba jumped off. Naomi struggled to lift him into her arms. That cub was getting big. Once she was almost sure she wouldn't drop him, Naomi ran as fast as she could out of the graveyard.
Naomi thought she remembered the way back, but she didn't. She was willing to admit that after she had found a cave at the foot of a mountain. Naomi let Simba go and he ran inside the cave. Naomi looked around for the look alike, when she didn't see him, she followed Simba.
The cave was dark and cold and wet. Naomi shivered, wishing she still wore her cold clothes. She sat down on the damp floor and curled up. Simba lay beside her and purred. Then she was aware of purring that didn't come from Simba.
Naomi sat up and looked over her shoulder. A large grown up male lion with a full bushy black main lay just beyond Simba. Behind the male lion were female lions and scattered around the female lions were other lion cubs. She and Simba had wandered into a wild lions den!
Naomi did the one thing you should never do in a lions den. She let out a shrill piercing scream.
The male lion jumped up, shook his main, and looked for intruders. His yellow eyes focused on Naomi. She started backing away to the exit of the cave, then Simba ran forward and rubbed up against the male lion's front legs. The male lion sniffed Simba, then bent his head down and licked him.
Naomi had no idea what was happening. Then she saw the engraving on the side of the cave wall. The Nibrue crest was engraved above the message that said that these were the lions of the Nibrue House. She was in a den of domesticated lions, not wild lions. Naomi breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to be mauled after all.
Simba ran in and out of his father's, Naomi guessed, legs. He tugged on his main and playfully batted his tail. The male lion licked Simba whenever he was still enough to. Then Simba ran back to Naomi and rubbed against her. He tugged on her dress and playfully batted her right foot. The male lion came over. Naomi realized that Abir may have had a point with his fear of lions. The one before her would tower over Trad, he must be close to eight feet tall. The great lion bent down his head and nudged Naomi gently.
After the great lion did this, the females, who were as tall as Trad, came over and each one nudged her. One of the older females bit the hem of her dress and pulled her towards where the cubs lay staring at the new comers. Naomi thought you probably shouldn't disobey a lion so she went along.
The old female lay down. The male lion put a heavy paw on her head and pushed her down. Simba lay besides her. Naomi realized that these lions saw her as family. She was sleeping with lions, she had been adopted by lions. Her grandfather had no idea how right he was when he called her a little lion.
A normal little lion cub, younger then Simba, crawled up to her and lay his head down on the end of her dress. Naomi realized that there was no way that the look alike would come into a lion's den. She lay her head down on the back of the old lion and closed her eyes. Lion cubs were vary warm. Naomi fell asleep thinking that this was the craziest thing that ever happened to her.
ESTÁS LEYENDO
Daughter of the Nibrue House
FantasíaNaomi looked over her shoulder as she ran through the graveyard. The skeleton man was chasing her and gaining. She held on to the one shread of proof she had. She had to get to her grandmother. Her foot cought on a root and she tumbled to the ground...
