Sneak Peak

Here is a Sneak Peak into my book, The Lion's Pride! Enjoy!





Chapter One



A warm summer breeze rustled the tall grass, making mile long waves across the savannah. The wind rippled the water in a nearby stream, with hippos silently soaking up the sun into their gray skin. A lone zebra grazed at the tall grass, swishing it's long black and white striped tail. An elephant stomped across the field, approaching the hippos with cation and then stopping to get a short drink from the stream. This was nature. Peaceful nature. But there was always something to ruin a moment like this. Something that was at the very top of the food chain. Something like Shemshi. The small lion cub crouched, hidden by the tall grass. His gaze was fixed on the grazing zebra and he curled his lip back into a silent snarl. Shemshi crept closer, his tail lashing. The zebra flicked it's ear and looked up, startled. Shemshi hesitated, making himself as small as possible. The zebra obviously heard him. As the zebra turned to leave, Shemshi leaped onto it's back and sank his teeth deep into it's striped skin. The zebra whinnied with fear and bucked it's hindlegs, throwing Shemshi off of it's back. The lion cub landed on all four paws clumsily and watched as the zebra galloped away, blood trickling from it's back. He let out a snarl of annoyance and fury. He could have caught that zebra! If only it stood still, Shemshi would have killed it. Then he shook away the foolish thought. Zebras can never stand still! Suddenly, the grass rustled behind him and out stepped a large male lion, His mane blowing in the wind. Shemshi spun around and looked up at the lion.
"Shemshi," he spoke. "Why are you out here,trying to hunt zebras? You know your way to young to even bring down a small zebra." Shemshi scuffed the ground with a yellow-brown paw.
"I wanted to be a big lion! Like you! Your leader of the pride and someday I will too. I just want to be as good as you." Shemshi finished with a mutter. The big male lion touched noses with Shemshi. "Come my son. One day you will be as good as me but not yet. You have much to learn." The male lion twitched his tail and licked his son's ear. Shemshi looked up. "But Haider, please! I just want to learn how to catch a zebra!"
Haider narrowed his eyes at his son and growled. "You will do as I say, Shemshi. I may be your father but I am still your pride leader. You must obey me."
Shemshi looked at his paws and nodded, his whiskers twitching. Haider licked Shemshi's ear and turned to walk away. Shemshi trotted after him, looking over his shoulder every now and then to look at the zebra. It was just a small dot against the setting sun. Shemshi slowed his pace and watched the dot vanish all the together. Atleast he knew the taste of warm zebra blood. It was definentley more tasty then what the other lions brought back for supper. The zebras they brought back were already cold. He loved the taste of the warm zebra blood. Shemshi suddenly realized he had fallen several paces behind his father. The small lion cub raced up to his father and followed, managing to keep up. Haider flicked his tail and without thinking, Shemshi nipped at it. Haider jumped in surprise and spun around.
"Shemshi!" he growled. The lion cub flattened his ears and crouched low to the ground. I might be able to hook my claws onto his mane. Shemshi thought. He leaped into the air and grabbed onto his father's mane. Haider shook his head and batted at Shemshi with his paws. Shemshi held on and dug his claws deeper into Haider's mane, getting a good grip. His father suddenly dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back, squishing Shemshi. The lion cub squeaked and darted out from under Haider. His father let out a snort of amusement and heaved himself to his paws.
"That will teach you to think twice next time you try to pounce on me!" the pride leader said, amusement dancing in his amber eyes. Shemshi snorted.
"Maybe I'll learn better battle moves when I try to pounce on you again!" the lion cub said, lashing his yellow-brown tail. Haider shook his great mane and bent down to touch noses with his son.
"Come on," he said. "We'll be late for supper." Shemshi twitched his whiskers and darted in front of his father.
"Race you there!" he called over his shoulder. The lion cub heard his father's pounding pawsteps behind him as Haider ran after his son, back to his pride.




Chapter Two

Shemshi raced into the pride's camp, followed closely behind by Haider.
"I beat you!" Shemshi said, triumphantly. "I really did!" The lion cub jumped up and down.
Haider nodded. "Next time I'll win!" he said affectionatley, cuffing his sons ears lightly. Shemshi nuzzled his father and suddenly heard loud pawsteps behind him. The next thing he knew, Shemshi was on the ground. A familiar scent wafted into his nose as a paw pressed his head to the ground.
"I finally pinned you!" said the excited voice of Layth, his best friend. The female cub had leaped onto him and knocked him to the ground. Shemshi felt himself regain his strength and he knocked the female cub off of him. Layth let out a squeak as she did a double somersault.
"I'll teach you a lesson for pouncing on me!" he said, playfully. Shemshi let out a play- growl and pounced on Layth and pinned her to the ground.
"Whose laughing now?" he growled. Layth pummeled his belly with her hind paws and hit him on the side of his head with her soft paw. Shemshi staggered and Layth kicked him away. Layth barreled into Shemshi while he was off balance and knocked him flat onto his back. The two cubs wrestled until Shemshi was finally pinned again by Layth. Shemshi pulled back his upper lip into a playful snarl. "Hey!" he growled.
"I guess I pinned you again!" said Layth, triumphantly. Shemshi then smelled another scent coming closer. Stuno. The larger male cub came padding over, his whiskers twitching in amusement.
"Wow Shemshi, I can't believe you were pinned twice by a female cub. You must have lost all of your dignity." Stuno lashed his tail and stared smugly at Shemshi. Shemshi pushed Layth off of him and scrambled to his paws. He thrust his muzzle into Stuno's face and snarled, "We were just playing!" Stuno shook his head. "I saw you. I guess the smallest cub in the pride can actually beat the next pride leader in a fight. Haider would not want that."
Shemshi cuffed the larger cub over his ears.
"Like I said, We were just playing!! Stop being a bully for once and start actually being fun!"
Stuno snarled and pounced on Shemshi, digging his claws into the smaller cub's back. Shemshi let out a yelp of fury and pain. He shoved Stuno off of him and lashed out at the larger cub, nicking his ear. Stuno roared and smacked Shemshi to the ground with one large paw. Shemshi felt blood pulse on the side of his head as he landed with a thud on the ground. Stuno loomed over him and snarled, "You messed with the wrong lion!" Stuno raised one paw and was about to make a killing blow to Shemshi's neck when a loud screech rang in the air. "Stuno! Stop!" Shemshi recognized Haider's roar at once.



Chapter 3

Stuno froze and flattened his ears. His paw fell to the ground and he shrank away from Shemshi. Haider's pounding pawsteps shook the ground where Shemshi layed, dazed. Haider let out a fearsome roar and Stuno scrambled away, right into the paws of Baru, his father. Baru flattened his ears and snarled.
"Stuno! What is wrong with you! How dare you attack the son of Haider!" Baru cuffed his son's ears and shoved him aside.
Haider bent down beside his son and started licking his head. "Oh Shemshi. Are you alright?" Shemshi could hear the fear in his father's voice. It scared him. The lion cub nuzzled his father and then shrank away as pain shot through him. He smelled blood. The side of his head stung with pain where Stuno had hit him. Haider spun around and stalked torward Baru, his lips curled back in a snarl.
"Is this how you raise your cubs! To be blood-thirsty savages!" Haider snarled. Baru lashed his tail angrily.
"I never knew how violent Stuno could be. His sister, Fanka, is so gentle. I never even put one violent thought into my son's head!" Baru snarled back. Haider thrust his muzzle into Baru's face.
"Shemshi will have to suffer because of your son's violent actions!" Baru bared his teeth in fury.
"Shemshi fought back too! It wasn't all Stuno! My son is bleeding too!" Baru retorted.
Haider snarled.
"The only lion that can really tell us what happened is Layth!"
The little female cub shrank back into her den and tried to avoid not being seen.
"Layth!" Haider roared. The little female cub stalked torward her leader, her tail was quivering. She went to go sit beside Shemshi, who was now sitting up. Haider bent down to touch noses with the little female cub.
"Okay Layth," Haider said gently. "What really happened between Stuno and Shemshi?"
Layth flattened her ears and said quietly, "Me and Shemshi were just playing and I pinned him twice. Stuno came over and started teasing Shemshi that he was pinned twice by a female cub. Shemshi told him that they were just playing and that it didn't really matter. Stuno kept on teasing him and Shemshi told him to actaually be fun sometimes. That was when Stuno attacked him. Shemshi was only trying to defend himself!"
Haider nodded and nuzzled Layth. Then he turned to Baru and snarled.
"Your son should learn to use some manners for once!" Stuno shrank back behind his father and shivered. Baru flexed his claws and snarled.
Horror shot through Shemshi. They were about to fight!

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