“But she’s Taka’s!” Mufasa’s feelings stemmed from much further back than he would admit. Never before had he given them a name and dared to say it. “Sassie! I love you! Oh Gods, I’m in love with my Brother’s fiancee!”
With a spring, he launched himself into the icy embrace of his reflection. “Ooooh! Aaaaah! Eeeeee! Ooohhhe!” Splashing about in the shock of the incredibly frigid water, he forgot about romance for the moment.
Isha was passing by the cistern. She looked down at the soggy lion paddling about and shook her head. “Didn’t your parents teach you better?? We have to drink that stuff!”
“Yes, of course, Ma’am.” He grinned sheepishly and swam to the edge. “Sorry.”
DUMA AND OBADE:
“He ain’t heavy. He’s my brother.”
The fur rose in hackles along Togo’s neck as he glared at his brother. “Idiot! Why did you blame ME for it, Beebee?? Now Mom’s mad at me, too!”
“Hey, I didn’t hear you complaining while we were sneaking up on her.” Kombi grinned smugly. “Admit it, you enjoyed it.”
“Did NOT!”
“Did too.”
“I did NOT, Kombi! And Vianga laughed at me, too! Why did you tell her about the song I was trying to make for her?! It was a secret!”
Kombi burst into fresh laughter. “‘Oh, Vivi,’” he said, eyes fluttering. “‘Your fur is like the sun to me, that sets my heart on fire! Your eyes are like two sparkling pools that fill me with desire!’”
Togo’s vision doubled. “SHUT UP!” he cried suddenly. “I HATE YOU!” He buried his head under his paws, for a moment his sobbing the only sound in the shocked stillness.
Kombi felt something stick in his throat. “Well I hate you too, then!” His chest hitched, and with a choked growl he swatted blindly at Togo. A sudden flurry of paws exploded at him, and the two rolled about haphazardly, squealing and growling epithets that would have shocked their mother.
A loud snarl ripped the air, and they separated abruptly. Sarafina stalked quickly toward them, her eyes flashing in anger. “Stop it right now, you two! What’s going on here?”
“Komb-b-bi’s making f-f-un of me!”
“He said he hated me, Aunt Fini!”
“I DO hate you!”
“ENOUGH!” Sarafina shook her head. “I’ve heard all I’m going to listen to of this. You two apologize to each other.”
Togo’s lip stuck out and he set his shoulders. “No.”
Sarafina stared at him disbelievingly. “What?!”
“I’m sorry, Aunt Fini, I’m not being disrespectful...but I can’t.” Togo looked at Kombi venomously. “I’ve had it with him. He always makes fun of me when I say what I mean.”
“Oh yeah? Well you always make me feel stupid with your fancy-tail songs and poems.” Kombi looked ready to burst into tears again. “You think you’re better than me. Well, you’re not!” He looked at Sarafina. “I’ll never apologize to him! I swear!”
“Don’t say that.” The lioness sighed and lay down, motioning to them to approach. They did, warily keeping her bulk between them as they drew close to her. “I’d like to tell you two about two brothers who had the same problem.”
“N’ga and Sufa?” Kombi made a face. “I know about them already.”
“Me too.” Togo shook his head. “We’re not like them, Aunt Fini. We’re SERIOUS.”
“And so were these brothers. It is not N’ga and Sufa of whom I speak.” Sarafina settled back, remembering the long ago lioness who had held her in her paws and told her the story of two brothers who never forgave...
Duma and Obade were brothers and were fond of each other. They had a sister, Asherati, by their father Jadi’s remarriage. Obade lusted after Asherati and went to great lengths to seduce her, though it was an unholy thing. He finally forced her and she ran sobbing to her father.
“Forced her?” Kombi asked. “Forced her to do what?”
“Something naughty,” Fini said. “Then King Jadi set out to punish Obade, but the punishment--that he would not be King after him but would defer to Duma seemed too weak a punishment to Duma. Duma wanted blood. Duma argued with his father, but Jadi told him that the judgment was final and sufficient, and that in good lion fashion, he should forgive his brother.
But Asherati kept inciting Duma to hate Obade. “You must kill him to avenge my lost virginity.”
Togo shuddered, and crept close to his aunt, who laid a forepaw across his small shoulders, covering him in welcome warmth. Kombi paused uncertainly, then did likewise on Sarafina’s other side.
“Oh, I get it!” Kombi said. “Kind of like Taka and Elanna were doing the other night.”
“Kombi!” Sarafina was all huffy. “I ought to tell your mother!”
“I was just passing by,” he said. “I mean, they were at the spring. Anybody could have seen em. Please don’t tell Mom! Please??”
“Well, I guess we’ll let it slide this time. OK, I won’t tell her. Still, once you knew what was going on, I hope you didn’t hang around.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know! He was saying, ‘Come out, you naughty little bunny. There’s nowhere else to go.”
Sarafina began to giggle nervously. “Naughty little bunnies?? Don’t you tell another living soul what you just told me, understand??”
“I promise.”
“Uzuri is going to die. She’s just going to die!”
“Please don’t tell my mom! You promised!”
“Oh, that’s right. Darn it, I got the scoop of the year and I can’t tell my own sister!” She tried to regain her composure and go on with the story. “Duma swore a mighty oath by Aiheu that he would avenge her. Then Aiheu appeared suddenly from the clouds. “What is this evil thing which you have done?”
“And he was afraid but said, ‘Milk and mud are easily mixed, but once together, who shall separate them? Thus is the oath mixed with my blood, and only spilling my blood can release me.’
“Aiheu rebuked him saying ‘I am the Lord who made the soil and made the mother’s milk. And to those I anoint comes the power to separate mud from milk, that they may also separate foolishness from righteousness. What mother would vow to give her cub mud instead of milk? How then shall you vow to slay your brother when it is evil?’”
“But Asherati came to him day after day, rebuking him and accusing him of having no love nor courage. “You must kill him to avenge my lost virginity!”
“Duma plotted Obade’s murder. He lay in wait for him. He successfully overwhelmed Obade and then as he was about to strike the fatal blow, Aiheu came to him angry and upbraided him. “Did I not tell you this was an evil thing??”
“He felt ashamed that he tried to kill his brother and begged Aiheu for mercy, which he received.
“But Aiheu also upbraided Obade and told him that he was banished into the Big World there to be a rogue until he had learned forbearance and duty.
“Obade went out into the Big World and he was gone for five years, the time of bitter wandering foretold by Aiheu. Finally when he was allowed to return, gaunt and worn but much wiser, he found that his father was dead and Duma was King in the land.
“’Much have I suffered, brother. Much have I learned. May I stay here?’