A Path Unwinding Chapter 3

A PATH UNWINDING

CHAPTER 3




Full night had fallen by the time they returned to Pride Rock, and by this time, Nuka was feeling very pleased with himself. In fact, he felt so confident that he decided to further add to his list of successes by entering the den, ready to cosy up to Kiara and begin his secondary campaign of seduction. However, he’d only taken two steps before Simba came charging up to him with a snarl, and he backed away, startled. “And just where do you think you’re going?” the golden lion snapped, eyes blazing in the darkness. “You just stay out here, Outlander. I don’t trust you.”

Nuka sneered. “What, you don’t think I can keep my paws to myself around your precious lionesses?” he taunted. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have them if they were offered to me on a silver platter.”

Simba glowered at him, but made no answer, instead, turning and stalking inside, still growling. Nuka grinned after his retreating form, before turning and seeking shelter somewhere else. He soon spotted a standing stone and flopped down in its shadow, sighing as he got comfortable on the rock. Well, his arrival at Pride Rock hadn’t quite gone to plan, but at least he was here, and he could do plenty still. He just had to bide his time.

The sound of soft steps on the rock alerted him to the presence of a lioness, and he lifted his head, hiding a smirk when he saw Kiara approaching with a hesitant smile. “Hey,” she greeted him. “Thanks for saving me.”

Nuka rose lazily to his feet. “And just what kind of a hunter are you anyway?” he taunted. “You nearly got yourself killed today.”

Kiara recoiled, stung. “What?” she snapped, looking hurt. “I was doing fine, even before that fire.”

“Hah, you wouldn’t last three days on your own, princess,” Nuka retorted. “Any prey you did catch would have you for breakfast.”

“Oh, and I suppose you could teach me?” Kiara asked sarcastically.

Nuka considered. Now that would be an interesting twist, teaching Kiara to hunt. It would get him closer to her, for starters, and allow him to work on gaining her trust. “Sure, why not?” he agreed.

Kiara smirked. “Alright then,” she practically purred, turning. “Impress me. We start at dawn.” She sauntered off, unaware of the grin Nuka threw at her as she walked into the den. He’d been ready to exert all the charm he could to win Kiara over, and now she’d practically placed herself in his paws for him to soften up and do with as he would, with hardly any effort at all on his part. Oh, I’ll impress you alright he thought, his grin widening as he flopped down again. Just you wait and see, pretty Kiara.




Dawn broke with golden light spreading slowly over the sweeping grasslands. As the rising sun touched Pride Rock, Simba emerged from the den, yawning and stretching, before giving his mane a shake. He was still feeling a little on edge with Nuka’s arrival, but after a good night’s sleep, had decided to take the dark lion on his own merits, and not pass judgment too quickly. If Nuka proved himself false, then he would act.

Making his way down to the waterhole, he was completely unaware that, up on a hill, Nuka was watching, crouched low and growling, claws bared as he prepared to strike. Having figured out that a quick attack was the best, Nuka had slipped away before dawn, already knowing that Simba would come down for a drink, as he did every morning. This is it, Simba, the dark lion thought, crouching low to the ground. This is the moment where I take you down.

So focused was he on his impending attack that he never noticed Kiara till it was too late. Subsequently, he jumped out of his skin when she suddenly appeared before him, grinning from ear to ear. “Good morning,” she said cheerfully. Nuka shook himself as she bounced around him, very frisky. “I’m ready for my first lesson.” She grinned wider. “Looks like you were already getting yourself in hunt mode. What were you stalking?”

“Uh ...” Nuka had no suitable answer for that. Your father, he thought resentfully, glaring down at the waterhole. His anger deepened when he saw that Simba had taken his drink and was gone, thus costing the dark lion his chance for an early attack on the king. Damn it, he thought in frustration, as he turned back to Kiara, who was standing close by, watching him with a big smile. You won’t be smiling for long by the time I’m done with you, he vowed.

“Well, c’mon, what are we waiting for?” the princess wanted to know. “Let’s go.” She turned and trotted off, and after one last glance at the waterhole, Nuka turned and followed her sullenly. Next time, I won’t fail.




Full morning cast its light over the grasslands, and Nuka lay at his ease, tail swishing gently as he listened to the sounds of distant birdsong. But more importantly, he was focused on the sounds of rustling and grunts coming from behind him, and he shook his head in bemusement. So far, his attempts to teach Kiara the art of stealth had failed spectacularly, and as the sounds drew closer, Nuka once more readied himself for yet another failed pouncing attempt. Here we go again, he thought, rolling his eyes as he ducked, just as Kiara came sailing over his head. She hit the ground in an ungraceful sprawl, before rolling onto her back with a sigh. “Ugh. I’m never going to get the hang of this.”

“Not if you keep crashing around like a wildebeest on heat,” Nuka taunted, as he came to stand over her. “Good grief, no wonder you failed at your first hunt. Any lion worth their stripes knows that the best way to catch your prey is to be totally silent. You’re breathing too hard, for one thing, and for another, you’re clomping around, as if that’s going to help you.”

“I’m not clomping around!” Kiara protested. “I’m stalking. There’s a big difference, you know.”

Nuka rolled his eyes and decided not to argue the point. “Okay, look, here. I’ll show you a few pointers that might help you succeed next time, okay? First up, you gotta relax. You’re too tense.”

“How do you know?” Kiara asked sarcastically.

“Just trust me on this one,” Nuka told her. “By the time I’m done, you’ll be a pro. Well, sort of. At least, you’ll be able to sneak around without making a noise fit for an entire wildebeest herd.”




By the time midday came and went, Nuka was fairly confident that Kiara had progressed far enough in her lessons to warrant another test. But instead of setting her to stalking him, he instead told her to stalk something fairly small. Finding a hill to watch her progress, the dark lion settled down, tail curled up around him as he studied the grasslands. Small game, like mice and other small creatures, was plentiful here, and it was the perfect way to test Kiara’s new skills.

Presently, he saw a mouse emerge from the grass, sniffing the air. Nuka grinned to himself. A puny start, but better than nothing, he thought, watching as the mouse relaxed, nibbling on a bit of grass as it settled down for an afternoon snack. The only sound apart from the mouse was the wind rustling in the grass, and Nuka relaxed more, feeling a bit sleepy. Maybe a quick nap, he thought lazily.

Then, from out of nowhere, a lioness bounded out of the grass and pinned the mouse securely beneath her paws. Nuka sat bolt upright, startled. Where on earth had Kiara come from? She’d been so silent, he’d completely missed her. Woah, I guess she’s not so bad after all, he thought, as he rose and padded down to meet her. “Nice catch,” he commented, grinning. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

Kiara certainly looked surprised, but soon grinned back, a cocky tilt to the way she held her head. “Told you I could do it,” she said proudly, looking down at the mouse again before letting it go. “Think I can take on big animals now?”

Nuka refrained from making a very suggestive comment. “Oh, sure,” he said carelessly. “Just gotta convince your dad to let you go hunting again. Hey, you think I can put in a good word for you?”

Kiara looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Daddy doesn’t even trust you,” she said. “You don’t possibly think he’d listen to you, do you?”

“Hey, I’m part of the pride now,” Nuka protested. “Of course your dad’ll listen to me.”

“For now,” a new voice said, and Nuka yelped, spinning around to confront Simba, who’d appeared seemingly from out of nowhere. “And you’re only in my pride on sufferance,” the king added, giving the dark lion a stern glance. “So don’t think you’ve earned your place just yet.” He switched his gaze to Kiara, eyes softening as he smiled at his daughter. “I hear you’ve improved on your ability to sneak around, if the way you caught that mouse was any indication. In light of that, I think I’ll let you go hunting with the other lionesses. They’re about to start, so off you go.”

Kiara beamed and embraced her father. “Thank you!” With a gleeful shout, she ran back towards Pride Rock, her entire carriage one of pride and relief. Nuka watched her go with a sullen frown. So much for more time alone with her. He was going to have to find another way to corner her. But there was time aplenty to do that. Provided he could win Simba over.

“I was wondering where she’d disappeared to,” the golden lion commented, not looking at Nuka as he settled down. “If Timon hadn’t told me he’d seen you teaching her how to hunt, I might have thought something bad had happened to her.” There was the faintest note of warning in her voice, letting Nuka know that nothing bad was going to happen to Kiara. The dark lion immediately assumed a nonchalant stance.

“Oh, no, nothing’s gonna happen to her,” he said. “I mean, look at her now! She’s a total pro! Don’t worry, your Majesty. Kiara’s gonna be a good hunter now, thanks to me.”

“You’re an expert on hunting?” Simba commented. “I didn’t think you’d get much practice in the Outlands.”

Nuka huffed, giving the king a sidelong glare. “Oh, we have plenty to hunt in the Outlands,” he said defensively. “Don’t worry; we know how to take care of ourselves.”

“I daresay you do,” Simba said, throwing Nuka an equally unfriendly glance. “I know your habits very well.”

A tense silence held them for several minutes, before the king spoke again. “Just remember your place,” he said, rising and glancing down warningly at Nuka. “If you cause harm to any member of my pride, you’ll regret it, dearly. I had no hesitation in ending your father’s reign of terror, so don’t think I’ll hesitate when it comes to his son.” With that last threat hanging in the air, the king turned and walked back to Pride Rock, leaving an angry and upset Nuka staring after him. Yeah, you ended my dad’s reign by killing him! Well, soon I’ll get to avenge him by killing you! Then I’ll stand on top of Pride Rock, with Kiara as my queen!




Several days passed, during which time Nuka barely got any chance to be within sniffing distance of Kiara. Following their “discussion” the morning of Kiara’s first successful hunt, Simba had made Nuka very aware of his place in the pride. Though they were never seen, Nuka was always aware of the two lionesses Simba set on his path. They shadowed him wherever he went, and before long, Nuka began to grow annoyed. How on earth was he to get close enough to Kiara to win her trust?

Matters were made a little easier by the fact that the princess was clearly warming up to him. Simba’s presence made it difficult for her to get close to her rescuer, though, and her obvious frustration warred with her gleeful delight at being able to hunt as often as she wished. Which was very often. But somehow, two lionesses were within shouting distance, and Kiara was growing just as frustrated as Nuka, but for very different reasons.

Nuka, for his part, was secretly pleased that Kiara desired his company. It would make winning her over that much easier. But all the plans he made were forced to be discarded. Simba would not let his guard down one inch, not so long as an Outlander was around. So how in the devil would he, Nuka, get his chance to get close enough to Kiara to start defrosting her further?

Then it hit him, one lazy afternoon as he lay dozing by the waterhole. His two guards were there, sleeping on the other side, but Nuka was fully aware of the fact they were not asleep. As usual, one would be keeping a discreet, but close eye on him, and the dark lion had had it up to his neck ruff. But as he lay there, seething, he began to wonder. Would it be possible to maybe, just maybe, start subverting these guards? If he could do that, then he could win them to his side, and get the perfect chance to spread his poison. After all, what lioness would want to be in a pride whose king was a murderer?

Nuka rose, all casual ease. Inside, though, he was tense as he padded around the waterhole, putting himself closer to the lionesses. The lighter coloured one opened one blue eye, regarding him as he began to drink. He made it a point to very carefully ignore her gaze as he made his plans. It would have to be a very carefully formulated plan. He didn’t want to make any mistakes. And his rumours would have to be planted with extreme care. If they spread too far too fast, they wouldn’t take hold. Much cunning would be required, and by the time he’d finished his drink, he’d made up his mind as to how best he should go about his smear campaign against Simba.

“Hey, I’m going for a walk. Would you lovely ladies like to accompany me?”

The paler lioness raised an eyebrow as she stood. “You make it sound as if you’re our guest,” she retorted, flexing her claws all too casually.

Her darker companion snorted. “And guest you are not,” she reminded Nuka. “But if you’re minded to go for a walk, we’ll come with you.”

“Then follow me,” Nuka invited, baring his own claws long enough to remind his guards he was not an easy bit of meat. “I know just the place where we can take some shade from this sun.”

The lionesses exchanged glances, before falling in with the dark lion. Nuka, for his part, was exultant. Step one down, and many steps still more to go. But he had these two in his paw. Before nightfall, he’d have them in his thrall, and ready to do anything to help him get that much closer to his goal of revenge.




“Well?” Zira snapped impatiently, tail lashing as she paced back and forth. Sheltered beneath a tree close to Pride Rock, she waited with barely concealed nerves. Nuka had been accepted into Simba’s pride, but reports from Vitani indicated that his welcome had been less than warm. This bothered Zira not at all, but the lack of news since then had been galling. Now, though, the notch-eared lioness was finally on the verge of getting a fresh idea of just how far Nuka had come since the fire rescue several days ago.

“I’ve been talking,” the dark lion said casually, his tail swishing contentedly as he reclined under the stars. Nearby, his two guards also reclined, but their watchfulness was of an entirely different nature. Two days ago, they’d been ready to tear his throat out at the first sign of treachery. Now, however, they were ready to tear out the throat of any who dared harm him. Nuka had done his work well, Zira had to admit. “These ladies,” he continued, “are now starting to question their benevolent king. In fact, I’ve even gotten them to talking with their pridesisters. The rumours are spreading, Mother.”

“Don’t go too fast,” Zira warned, her heart in her mouth. “You’re placing yourself in an incredible amount of danger. If these rumours fail to take hold, you’ve wasted your time. Worse, if it’s discovered you’re behind them, you’ll be killed. I lost Kovu; I won’t lose you.”

The tremble in her voice caused Nuka’s ears to prick up, and his grin went unseen in the darkness. Zira was finally displaying a more motherly inclination towards her eldest. She was as fanatically devoted to him now as she’d been to Scar, and the dark lion new he’d had his mother well and truly won over. She’d slit the throat of any who dared suggest he’d been behind Kovu’s death several years ago. Once, Nuka’s own throat would have been slit. It was a tremendous turnaround. Zira was as firmly in his paw as his two devoted consorts, ready to spill her blood as easily as they should he wish it. It was perfect.

“I’ll be careful,” he promised. “It’s Simba who has to watch out. Once the word reaches his top lionesses, they’ll start wondering, and they’ll begin to question. After all, Dad’s body was burned beyond recognition after the fire died out, and a fall that heavy would leave anyone on the edge of death. Fire would take him before he could even have a chance to draw breath.”

Zira grinned, a bloodthirsty sight in the darkness. “And everyone who was there that night thinks the hyenas responsible,” she agreed.

Nuka lifted his head. “Pardon?”

“Simba claims the hyenas killed Scar,” his mother explained. “I know better. Shenzi tells me that they were going to rip him apart after he blamed them for his supposed crimes, but the fire was too strong. Scar was dead when he hit the ground. Or at the very least, close to death, and if so, the fire would take him in an instant, as you say. The hyenas never got close enough to betray him. And they can consider themselves lucky they fled. I’d have killed every last one of them!” She reined herself in with an effort. “But they did not kill Scar. In any case, it was too late. His injuries from the fall did for him before the fire ever did. And he didn’t jump off the top of Pride Rock.”

Nuka went tense in the darkness. “Simba really did kill him,” he said.

“He did,” Zira said. “He is a murderer. And he must be brought to justice!”




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