#zainabu

[lifeofdamu-tlk-fanstory]

This blog is put in order of chapters

Just so followers know I have edited this blog to show chapter 1 first all the time. It is not abandoned I just want it in the order you would see a book in. That is all

[lifeofdamu-tlk-fanstory]

Chapter 5: Misplaced Trust

"Please be quiet tummy," Damu groaned as she trudged along the river, following as the water was coated with red along the edge. She had already put some clay on her leg to help heal it as her mother had instructed her to do with her ear, but she didn't bother with that. She stomach was growling yet again as the few mice she had caught didn't do much compared to what she was used to eating on a daily basis. She slowed down a bit when she heard some rustling in the grass ahead of her and saw a gazelle walk up to the water for a drink. Where is its herd? It's all alone. She didn't bother hiding because the gazelle clearly didn't see the small cat as a threat. Damu noticed the herbivore was keeping weight off one of it's back legs and as it drank. As soon as she tried to keep walking the gazelle stopped and became very attentive, ears turning in all directions and nostrils flaring. If there was a predator other than Damu in the area then it clearly could smell it. The small cub ran into a nearby bush and watched. The gazelle seemed to contemplate going across the water or back into the grass, its hooves tapping frantically as it looked all around for the threat. In a blink of an eye there the gazelle had fallen into the water without so much as a squeal; the lioness above it still pinning its broken neck down in the water. She dragged the carcass out of the water and plopped herself down to eat, only then did she seem to notice the small pair of eyes watching her. "Why hello little one. Where did you come from?" Damu knew not to talk to strangers, but her stomach growled so hard that she was sure the young lioness even heard it. Apparently she did and found it humorous, along with Damu's decision to stay in the bush. "Don't be afraid sweetie, I won't hurt you. You want some?" She took a single claw and started to rip some of the soft furry hide off her kill, lettling Damu smell the fresh juicy blood and tissue. Damu poked her head out and looked around for any other lionesses. "W-where's your pride?" Damu licked her lips as she saw some of the inner meat exposed. "Oh there a bit of a ways away. I am traveling back to them now after visiting some allies. Been a bit lonely actually." Damu slowly stepped out of the bush and cautiously approached the young lioness. She had to be about two or three years older than Damu and she had such a color pattern that she had never seen before. Her face was a dark brown which accented her rich blue eyes, her top all the way down to her tail and back legs was a honey yellow and her upper cheeks, chin,and chest were that of a pale grey; her belly and sides a stone grey coloration with the brown dabbed in various places along her shoulders and rib cage. She is really pretty, and she seems nice. Damu's stomach interrupted their conversation. "S-sorry." "Oh don't be you poor dear. You look like skin and bones! Have some." She nudge her kill closer to the cub and gave her a reassuring smile that let her know she could eat first. Maybe it was the softness of her voice or the light smile on her bloodied lips but Damu felt safe, like the many times her mother would treat her after coming back from a successful hunt. Damu wasted no time ripping into the meat, shaking her head rigorously to pull a chunk of meat off. The female laid there in a relaxing manner, smiling and watching the small cub eat. "Mmmm. This is so good!" Damu called up from her head deep inside the animal. "My my you certainly are hungry aren't you little one. When was the last time you ate? And where is your mother or sisters? Surely they hunt for you." "My mama's in trouble, so I am trying to get help." "Oh dear. What kind of trouble? Is she sick?" The lioness seemed really concerned and proceeded to cut back more skin so Damu could get to the better parts. "Our pride has been taken over by this really mean lion. Says he is my baba but he is so mean. He bit my ear!" Damu pointed at the small piece of missing ear with a pout on her face. "Ouch that looks painful. And what happened there?" The lioness pointed to Damu's back leg that was covered in thick red clay that had dried and was cracking in some places. "That was from Wild dog. He worked for the mean lion." Damu's appetite lessened not so much because of the food but the conversation. Guilt filled her heart that here she was talking and eating while her mother could have been dead. "I have to get help." Damu got up and went to leave, but the lioness stood in her way. "Wait no! I mean- it is dangerous for you to be traveling alone so young, especially injured. What pride are you looking for?" "Well my babu is a member of it. He is from the Blood Pride." "The Blood Pride! What a coincidence! I am from the blood pride too!" "Really?" Damu's smile grew with all the hope that filled her. "Yes, and I would be happy to take you with me, since I am heading that way myself." the lioness bent down and licked some of the blood off of Damu's face before turning to walk along the river with her, nodding forward with her head for her to follow. "Oh thank you! thank you!" Damu ran up along her and ran between her legs playfully like she would her mother when they traveled before settling beside her, always looking up at her new heroine. "My name's Damu. I wasn named after my babu." "Damu, what a lovely name. I am Kuibia, but you can call my Kui or just call me your dada." "Okay dada Kui." Damu smiled up at Kui, not knowing that under the smile and kind words was a lioness that hated her and wished for her suffering. Too Easy. Now I just need to move away from the river and back track without you knowing you little shit. She smiled down at the cub who splashed around in the water as they kept along the trail. Meanwhile, back at the Amani Pride, which wasn't so peaceful anymore, the seven lionesses and their cubs are huddled together, eyeing the three lions who were sitting down on top of the clay mound that was at the entrance of the den, whispering amongst themselves. Kuua looked down at the females in disgust, growling or snapping at them to shut up if he thought they were talking too much. His brothers were also eyeing the the group as they spoke. Sumu was the smallest of the three but that didn't make him any less intimidating, not with his dark red eyes that seemed to glow even in the day. His mane was pulled back with no bangs and was a faded dry grassland yellow and faded down his chest and belly to a dark rock brown. His fur was a mud brown and decorated with black jewel spots along his hips and his cheeks. Perhaps it was his dark fur that made his red eyes shine so much. Uozo wasn't so much staring at the lionesses but at the small cubs that huddled behind amongst them, wondering how many Kuua would let him eat and how the would taste. He licked his lips when he saw the one male cub that was curled up against his mother asleep. He may have been the largest of the three, but he was far from being on par with them in intelligence. His faded red fur and pale yellow stomach was filthy with patches of bare skin scattering his unkept body. His shaggy brown man with grey streaks was also matted and clumped that made his side mane almost look like dreadlocks framing his face and shoulders. His angel blue eyes were far from matching his personality.  He wasn't so much as talking so much as nodding along and "yessing" to anything Kuua said. "What do we do now?" Tisa whispered to her sisters, hiding her lip movement in her grooming of her son Bwana who was snoring away. "If the dogs weren't involved we could run all three of them out." Hasira growled. "Don't be foolish young one," Tufani hissed at her, "Those three are well seasoned. And those dogs are no laughing matter either, look at how Tisa turned out. Hell look at Zainabu." Tisa looked down in dismay with her good eye since one had been closed by the swelling around it. Hasira looked over at the one lioness who wasn't in the huddle, who was also covered in cuts and bruises. Zainabu seemed to be searching the distance for something, almost like she was waiting for something, or someone. "Plus they are not alone," Tisa added, eyed the entrance of the den, where many young males were sleeping away. "They are young, but I don't think they are anywhere near as innocent as our little ones." "Hey! Enough squabbling you lot!" Kuua called out, making Tisa flinch and huddle closer to her son. "We should take watches while we rest. For now the den is off limits. I will take first watch." Hasira ordered. "You are not the head of the hunters yet young one. Mind your-" "No, she is right Tufani," all seven lionesses looked up as their leader Zainabu finally joined them, laying next to Hasira who quickly lowered her head in respect. "Wake me for next watch Hasira, we all need rest." Hasira nodded and got up from the circle and sat at the edge between the group and their invaders, not caring if the males knew she was glaring right at them and the den. "Zainabu, are you-" Tisa couldn't bring herself to ask. She could never imagine the pain and fear she would feel if anything like what happened to Damu had happened to her little Bwana. "Rest now sisters, we will survive this." Zainabu had an air of calm around her that let everyone remember why she was in charge. Meanwhile a storm raged within her of questions. Please be safe my little Damu.

[lifeofdamu-tlk-fanstory]

Chapter 2: Fight or Be Taken Out Alive

"Baba?" Damu asked, slowly creeping out from under her mother's jaw to get a little closer to the male lion that was smiling down at her. "But my Baba is King Matope?"    "Really?" The large male looked back to Zainabu with a vicious smirk, "Is that what she told you?"    "Kuua," Zainabu growled in warning, "Don't you dare!" She had long tried to forget him and that foolish irrational decision she had made. The only good thing that came from it was her precious daughter, who was too close to the cruel lion than she liked.    Damu went to get closer to the male named Kuua, but her mother's paw wrapping around her and pulling her deeper under her.    "Oh come come come," Kuua said with a sad pout,  which Damu took seriously while Zainabu knew he was being his two faced self, "I haven't seen Damu since, well actually I never got to see her. How cruel of you to keep this precious little one away from her Baba."    "You are not her father!" Zainabu snarled, just about fed up with hearing his voice, but then Tufani and Tisa took their places in front of Kuua in a defensive stance against Zainabu. "S-sisters..." she gasped, horrified that they would turn against her.    Ah, but you should take a hint from your sisters." Kuua took a step forward and rubbed his head against each of them affectionately. "They know a female's role when it comes to their king." Zainabu didn't miss the shudder of fear Tisa gave when she was touched by him nor the look of disgust Tufani did when it was her turn. "Sure they needed a little, training, from my brother's and I but hey that is what happens when you take over a pride; you need to squash insubordination before it even has a chance to grow."    "And what of them?" Zainabu nudged her head to the wild dogs that were watching intently, “Did you have them kill Matope for you or did you actually have the guts to do that yourself?"    "Silence you danguro!" Kuua snarled. It was too fast for Damu to really see, but after a quick blink she saw her mother laying on her side a few inches away and Kuua's paw raised in the air and she realized he had struck her mother with the back of his paw.    "You can't hurt my mama!" Damu cried before running up to the large lions other paw and biting down hard, running her tiny claws down his arm as she wriggled her head around to try and tare his flesh like she had seen her mother do to her kills. Kuua looked down with a 'tsk' and lowered his head and caught the little cub’s ear in his teeth. Shrieking in pain Damu pulled away and gripped at her ear in pain, causing her mother to find the strength to rush to her aid. Pulling her paw away for her mother to get a clean look, she knew it was bad by how her mother's face scrunched with rage. A few stinging licks later and the pain was brought to a dull throb.    "I admire your bravery cub," Kuua chuckled, licking her blood off of his lower lip, "and I don't blame you for your brash actions." Lowering his head to meet with her face, Damu shrank into her mother, wrapping herself around her thick muscled front leg and eyeing Kuua with frightened soaked eyes. "After all, respect must be taught." Damu couldn't bear to look at him.    "You’re not my baba." she sniffled, rubbing her face into her mother's leg for comfort. A dark chuckle was her only reply. Zainabu wanted so badly to rip Kuua's throat out, but she knew that if she even tried her sisters or the wild dog pack would have her dead before her teeth could squeeze his breath out of his body. Looking down at her sobbing cub she knew she would never forgive herself if her Damu was forced to see that.    "Njaa," Kuua called to the leader of the wild dogs, who had been watching attentively for orders, but not without eyeing the juicy carcass his whole pack was drooling for.    "Ah, yes Lord Kuua!"    "Help us escort these two ladies back to my new territory would you? Well, I should say our territory; after all my brother's also have been dying to see your lovely face Zainabu." All the courage she had, all of her hate, was washed away with gut wrenching fear. So he had brought his brother's, and maybe even their sons? Nightmares flooded her mind; visions of being bitten, beaten and used, and young males watching and "learning" how to "properly" handle a female. Looking down at her poor Damu she couldn't bear the thought of her seeing that, or worse the fact that she could, no would grow up to be treated like that herself. Pure maternal instinct overcame her, adrenaline pumping new life into her body. Lowering her head she rubbed Damu affectionately, a single tear falling down as she spoke to her daughter for what would probably be her last time.    "Run for the river Damu. Cross it and don't stop until you see the water edge turn red and the red clay we use for wounds is all around you. Make sure to put it on your ear. Remember-"    "Move it!" Njaa growled at the two, right before squealing in fear as Zainabu pinned him to the ground.    "Remember I love you," Zainabu smiled down at her before baring her fangs to the pack charging at her, "Now. Run!" The wave of dogs hit her mother's side hard enough to throw her to the ground.    "Mama!" Damu cried out, but was bushed back by the back leg of Tufani; Tisa was already in the pile pulling dogs off her sister.    "You heard your mother. Go!" She growled before jumping in to combat the dogs. Damu turned and ran to where she remembered she and her mother drank last and ran as fast as she could away. In the chaos, Njaa was pushed out of the party, right into the legs of Kuua, who looked down at the scene with rage.    "You fool! I want them both alive!" He looked up and saw his young cub running away. "Damn it, after her you fool, and if you don't bring her back alive-" A deep growl resonated in his throat, making Njaa gulp in fear before running after the cub who was making her way deeper into the long grass.    "Get back here you little brat!" Njaa called out, panting to keep up with the young cub, who had much more energy than the old dog.   Hide! Hide! Hide! Damu tried as hard as she could to remember her mother's teachings. The grass was tall enough for her to hide in, and she watched its movements to see if any animals were coming at her, but she could only hear the dog behind her. She turned at the scent of her mother's marking, hoping to hide in the makeshift den they had slept in the night before. Running to it in full force, she ducked in and covered her mouth with her paws to stifle her panting. All I have to do is wait till fur brain to lose my trail. Then I can go to Babu's home for help... Or I can go see if Mama is okay...    "AAH!" Damu screamed in pain as her back left leg was caught in the sharp grip and was being dragged out of hiding from it. Clawing at the dirt and dead roots slowed the process down but her bottom half still got pulled out. She kicked at Njaa in the face and he released her, only to grab her on her upper flank with less precaution, tearing into her flesh as he shook and tore her skin open. She kept crying and wriggling to get away, but it did no good as she was brought back into the sunlight.    "Yer cumin wif me" Njaa said through his teeth as he kept pulling her by the leg with no sign of letting her go. I'm gonna die. Thought Damu, while her heart pounded into her ears. I'm gonna die. Mama's gonna die. I need to run. I need to fight. I need to.    "Get off of me!" Damu lashed out with her front claws, slashing straight across Njaa's face with enough force to knock him off of her, his teeth dragging across her skin in the process. So much adrenaline was flowing through her body, the pain didn't even stop her from running as fast as she could to the water. The growls and threats behind her only pushed her further on. The splashing of water caught her ears, but she had to screech to a halt when she realized that the water was next to her and the ground in front of her was ending fast. She stopped just next to a waterfall and at the edge of a cliff. She went to turn around and Njaa was there, three blood oozing scars across his face with one going across his closed left eye.    "Nowhere to run brat. Hehe," Njaa stared her down, inching closer just as she backed up closer.    “Now come with me and I promise the lashings will be less painful by me than by Kuua. He actually likes whooping those weaker than him." Damu winced, not doubting the truth in that with the pain of her ear still fresh. Still backing up she felt her right leg slip off the edge and in instinct she went to put her weight on her left leg, which was a big mistake. With the deep wound her leg couldn't support it and collapsed, her lower body dropping over the edge. It was so fast that she couldn't grip the ground with her front paws in and she slipped of the edge with a shriek, Njaa gasping and running toward her.    Njaa's feared the worst and that fear only gripped his heart harder when he saw the echoing ripples on the water of something falling in. Kuua had made it very clear he wanted Damu alive and he was on a thin log with the injury he had put on her back leg. At this point he might as well jump of the edge as well. Turning back to walk to his doom he failed to notice a small lion cub clinging to a small ledge with her full body, especially since a large chunk had fallen off when she initially landed there.    Damu shimmied to a larger ledge and took a breather. It was short lived though as the ledge failed to support her weight and she slid with it down the thick muddy slope and into the water. The rush of the waterfall's hitting the rest of the river pulled her under, knocking the little breath she had in her tiny lungs out of her and barreling along the river bottom. She nearly lost consciousness before realizing she was floating up to the surface again. ~~~~~ Back at the top~~~~~~~~~    "Kuua! P-please!" Njaa whimpered as he felt more and more weight press down on his ribs. He should have known that Kuua would have followed them, and with the blood trail he and Damu left it was probably easy. Kuua had a smile that seemed so casual that it was like he admiring something beautiful, not a suffering animal that was soon going to have his ribs break under pure weight. Kuua noticed the new scars on his victims head, and that his eye was caked in blood. Sitting down to take some of his weight off Njaa's chest he used two claws on his other paw and used them to open the squeezed lids to look at the eye, soaking in the squeals and cries for mercy. The top lid was cut clean horizontal more than half the length of the socket and seemed to only be kept from flopping around by the scrunch of the lower lid and eyebrow. The eyeball itself was cut as well, oozing blood and inner fluids into the socket. Seems Damu had nearly hooked her claw into the eyeball and could have ripped it out if she had hit a bit harder.    "That's my girl." Kuua proudly stated in awe of the gory sight. His girl, who was now gone because of the incompetence of this filth. The weight was back on Njaa's chest and he wriggled to try and get his voice heard.    "Boss I swear she slipped and fell. I would have tried but she never surfaced!" Kuua tsked and shook his head in fake shame and was stopped when his superior hearing picked up distant hacking splashing. Grabbing Njaa's neck he dragged him over to the edge with him, and saw the miraculous sight of Damu splashing and reaching for the opposite side of the river and flopping down onto the shore, the only knowledge of her still living was the loud coughing from her lungs pushing water out and bringing air in. Kuua looked down and Njaa and saw him sigh in relief and look up at his boss in expectant hope of mercy.    "Well, you did say if she surfaced you would go get her." Njaa's smile dropped to a look of horror while Kuua's widened. "Well, GO GET HER!" He hollered, throwing Njaa across his body and straight into the waterfall. He watched in fascination as the body vanished into the foam and waves, especially when the rich red of the dog’s blood dyed the foam. The scream Njaa gave before he hit the water seemed to get his little girl's attention and they had a deep eye to eye stare down. He smirked as he stared right back at Damu's frightened eyes, her soaking wet face panting mouth, drool dripping off her bottom mouth from her fight for air. She was a fighter and with enough training she would be an excellent breeding female for some of the young males who he and his brother's fathered and would survive the training in store for them. But first was to get her.    "Don't worry Damu!" Kuua called out, "I will get across and bring you back to your mama." He turned and starting running up river to where the current wouldn't be strong and he could cross. But before that could even happen, Damu was already trying to move down river, to where the red in the water was not actual blood. To Be Continued....