Outsiders Looking In

"I'm not so sure about this." Borris whined.

"Will you stop worrying?" Colt demand as he snuck around with his small cohort. "This'll be as simple as falling asleep. You got this, no problem." The wolves, after traveling with their feline cohorts, had tracked down and followed the same herd of wildebeest to a more greener part of the savanna where the wolves would have more cover. The herd had found some better grass to munch on. But little to their knowledge, they were about to be pounced upon by a new kind of predator. Everyone in the pack had took up positions as best they could without trying to give away much of their scent. As the others were set in position, Colt and Borris were sneaking up behind the herd through a large patch of tall grass.

"All you need is a good helping of confidence." Colt whispered as they were now getting closer.

"How do we go about that?" asked Borris as he too whispered back.

"Oh trust me, there's always a way. Like stirring up the herd for instance."

"But how would that-"

"Shhh! Less questions, more action." Colt hissed. Now for those who aren't aware of how wolves hunt, this author more than happy to educate you readers once more about such subject matter.

Wolves will chase and test their prey looking for weakness. Hunting in this manner helps to improve the overall health of their prey population by removing the disadvantaged, thereby allowing the healthiest animals to create future generations (wolves also take down healthy adults that are often at some disadvantage, such as a moose on ice), in a biological sense. As predators, they serve to help keep the ecosystem in balance by hunting primarily on prey that is weak, sick or elderly, leaving stronger and healthier animals to survive and produce viable young.

Wolves chase and test their prey, looking for the animals they can kill while expending as little energy as possible and decreasing chances of injury. When hunting large game, the wolf pack separates out and surrounds its prey. Wolves usually bite the shoulders and flanks. While some pack members would approach the prey from the rear, other wolves would seize the prey by the nose. As hunters, wolves have a low success rate. Wolves are built for a feast or famine diet and can "wolf" down up to 20 pounds at one feeding. All the more important for this pack to not mess this up.

"Now, all you gotta do is start stirring up the herd. Just get these critters spooked enough to get 'em running and the rest is history. Think you can handle it, little buddy?"

"Right. How do I do that?," questioned the little wolf.

"Ugh! Anything!" Colt groaned. "Just do it." Not wanting to upset him further, Borris relented and decided to peek out to have a look.

Unbeknownst to him though, one of the wildebeest was munching closer to them and was about to reach over to grab another bite of the tall grass when Borris was peeking up to have a look. When both made eye contact, both bellowed and screamed in surprise. The noise was enough to spook the herd and send them running.

"Well, not bad, little buddy. Now let's get these bastards a-going. But first,-" With a deep breath, Colt unleashed a loud howl that really got the herd moving.

Meanwhile, Duke, Meika and Radolf were waiting at a pile of rocks for the herd to get moving. It was for some time until they finally heard a howl. "That's the signal," said Duke. "Get ready."

Colt kept barking and yipping, whooping and a-hollering as he nipped at the heels of the wildebeest while Borris kept up trying to do the same. "Ain't this great, man?!" Colt yelled over the pounding of hooves.

"A little I guess!" Borris yelled back. "Actually, I kind of love it!" Going from worried to happy and excited, Borris soon had a smile on his face as he was beginning to enjoy this. With a laugh, Colt flung his head back and howled a second time.

Duke focused his ears and soon heard the second howl from Colt. "There's the second howl. Let's do it, guys!" With a grunt of agreement, Meika and Radolf soon joined him in a sprint towards the large herd. Not too far off were Achak and Elda just waiting for them to break off one of them from the herd. In a matter of moments, the group went for a not-so juvenile wildebeest and began leading it away from the herd. Seeing this, the other two wolves sprung from their hiding place and made their way to intervene.

The wildebeest tried to steer away from them, but it was too little to late as they already were closing in on it. Taking this opportunity, Colt and Meika took to its hind legs whilst Elda took to one of its front legs just as Achak was going for its snout. Latching on good, he tackles the beast down as it went head down into the dirt.

The wolves held the wildebeest down as Achak tried to go for the throat all the while Duke, Borris and Radolf kept an eye out for any other wildebeest that may be coming back for their fallen comrade. When a few tried, the boys snapped and snarled at them while avoiding the horns and hooves. Achak waited for just the right moment for an opening to go for the throat of the struggling wildebeest. When he saw it, he took it upon instinct and went for the top of its windpipe near the head and clamped his canine teeth down hard on it. Latching on, he didn't let go until life from their target slowly subsided and went completely limp. The seasoned gray wolf let the head drop and with blood on his jowls, he lifted up his head and howled as the whole pack followed.

As they were gathering, the lions watching were curious about their canine acquaintances took down their wildebeest. "How curious," said Sikara. "They're more selective about their prey and yet they plan out their strategy that's most effective."

"Too bad they're not about our size," said Zuri. "They'd be able to assist us with some of the larger prey, much less the antelope."

"I think they did a wonderful job." Zuri said. "In their defense, I don't think we ever planned as well as they did. All we did was sneak up as best as we could and prayed that we could get a kill."

"We are good at what we do. Their method is just different from ours."

"I'm surprised the little one was able to do well," said a slightly concerned Rashmi. "I was getting a little worried about him trampled by the wildebeest."

"I'm sure the pack wouldn't have let him do so if it was dangerous, Rashmi," said a reassuring Nala. The queen looked over the wolves with their new kill as they were now feasting upon it. "What do you think, Sikara? Do you think they're capable hunters?"

"Own their own, yes. But with us, I have yet to see what that would be like," said her old friend. "Still, it would be interesting to see."

Back at the carcass, the wolf pack were enjoying their fresh kill, savoring the taste. "Ya know? Aside from the fact the meat's a little tough, it ain't half bad," Colt said as he tore away at a hind leg of the wildebeest.

"Indeed," said Achak, working through the belly. "Thank goodness it was a good day for this. It's not a good hunt if it's too hot for us."

"There is one thing that bugs me," Radolf pondered out loud.

"What's that, Raddie?" Meika asked.

"How are we going to get any extra food back if the heat gives us trouble?" All the wolves stopped eating as he asked this.

"Good question, Radolf." Duke said in agreement. "I haven't quite thought about that." The wolves pondered in thought as slowly gnawed at their lunch. Almost no one said anything until Colt's lightbulb of thought glowed bright.

"I think I may have an idea!" Colt said grinning.

Later that same day, Duke, Pumbaa, and Achak were patrolling around the jungle area when they came across the rest of the pack putting something together. Curious, they trotted over to investigate. "So is this the little project you had in mind, Colt?" Duke asked.

"You betcha. This here contraption is gonna help us carry what we need to and fro without any worry about going hungry." Colt said. Laid out before them was the makings of a hunting tarp that was a tool humans use to have when carrying home their kill. On the account of the wolves not having opposable thumbs, they asked for assistance from some of the monkeys and Timon in tying the vines to the sticks. The canvas was made up of multiple thick leaves and bark.

"You really think this little contraption is going to work?" asked a questionable Achak.

"Mustn't waste what we can't finish," said Colt. "Besides, we'll still have some food in stock in case food gets scarce. Just as long as it doesn't spoil."

"You sure that's wise? Like that might disturb the balance of nature or something?" Elda asked. "That's why we have scavengers, you know."

"Yeah, that's true. But don't forget, we're still wolves. We need the meat to sustain us for who knows how long," said Radolf, overlooking the whole project. "Hopefully with enough sap and mud, this thing should last us until we go home. Hopefully."

"How long until it's ready?" Meika asked.

"Um, another hour or so. Dunno, depends on when we'll get this done. Let's just hope it holds together."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Well then, it was worth the try." Hours later, the device was finite as the pack gathered around to inspect it. Laid out, it was five feet wide and seven feet long with three makeshift harnesses made for three wolves to help pull it, one on each side and one in the front.

Skeptical at first, they tested it out on their next hunt with the lions with Kiara this time tagging along with them. They too were curious by the strange contraption the wolves put together but could understand why they did it. This time, they decided to make things interesting and try mixing the team up together. Giving it some thought, everyone agreed and gave it a shot. This time it was Borris and Rashmi who were to stir up the herd with Kaya tagging along to make sure everything didn't happen between the two of them. Duke, Meika, Radolf and Kiara played the role of the wranglers while at the end to go in for the kill were Colt, Elda, Zuri and Sikara. Rashmi flirted with the small wolf, making small little gestures like playfully nudging him with her paw and giving him nice little compliments. Borris, on the other end, got more nervous and awkward as she did so (like Kif Kroaker with Amy Wong kind of nervous) while Kaya had her rope it in.

At the end of it all, the hunt went nicely as both wolves and lions were able to bag them five kills; one water buffalo and four wildebeest. They feasted together and enjoyed each other's company. It wasn't long until Zazu flew up to interrupt their little get together to let them know that they were summoned to patrol the Pridelands. The ladies said goodbye to their canine comrades and walked off, but not before Rashmi and Zuri complimented Colt and Borris for being skilled hunters.

Zazu stayed to oversee the wolves pile on some extra meat onto their hunting tarp. As they were accompanied by the hornbill, they sang a particular tune that Zazu had introduced them to. A small bit of a song known as "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" (and yes, that is an actual song sang by a man of Merv Griffin for those of you who remember the small bit of music from the first film but didn't bother to look it up. But I encourage you all to do so, it's a fun song.) and soon the pack was singing. Later that night, Colt got a strange idea that just might work.

Early one morning, two days before Kiara's hunt, Colt woke up before everyone in his pack. He carefully made his way to the leftover meat from the hunt they did prior and carefully pulled it away with the front harness. He got just to the edge of the jungle when he heard a voice from behind him. "And just where are you heading off to with that?" Colt looked behind him to see that Elda and Radolf followed him.

"Now fellas, it's not exactly what you're thinking." Colt tried to explain.

"And what exactly is this?" Elda questioned their southern cohort.

Colt hesitated for a moment and finally answered "I…was thinking about sharing some of this food with the Outsiders."

"You're wh…you're what?!" Radolf asked, remembering to keep his voice down to not wake up the others.

"I know it sounds like a stupid idea,-"

"A very stupid idea."

"-but it's worth a shot. If we could make friends with these Pride Landers, who says we can't do the same thing with the Outsiders?"

"Yes, but how do we know they're friendly at all?" Radolf asked, trying to be reasonable with Colt. "For all we know, they could try to kill us the moment they see us."

"True, you are right about that. In case that does happen, I figured I'd bolt and make a run for it back here."

"And what if something happens and you're not able to make it out of it alive?"

"Look, I'm just winging this as I go. If y'all are so concerned, why don't you come along with me and make sure I don't get into trouble?"

Hesitant, the two wolves looked at each other. They knew Colt was too stubborn for his good, and he probably won't stop until he learns the hard way. Sighing, they grabbed each side of the tarp and helped their cohort drag the leftover meat. "If we don't find these guys, we eat the meat and come back here right away. Agreed?" Radolf asked.

"Agreed." They both said in agreement. The trio continued on to the one spot where they heard Kiara first came across the Outlands. They hit a slight snag when there wasn't a log or flat plain there and remembered that it was croc infested. Searching along the bank, they did come across a small bank with dried mud and carefully dragged the meat across into Outland territory.

Twenty minutes into their search, they were starting to get bored from how quiet things were in the Outlands. Figuring they do something to pass the time, Colt had an idea. "Say uh, how did that coconut song go again?"

Seeming to take the hint, Radolf cleared his throat as he started singing first and mimicked Zazu:

🎼Down at an English fair, one evening I was there

When I heard a showman shouting underneath the flair

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

There they are, all standing in a row

Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head

Give them a twist a flick of the wrist

That's what the showman said

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

Every ball you throw will make me rich

There stands my wife, the idol of me life

Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch🎼

Getting into the feel of it again, Colt and Elda joined in with equal pleasure with the chorus:

🎼Roll a bowl, a ball, a penny, a pitch

Roll a bowl, a ball, a penny, a pitch

Roll a bowl, a ball, roll a bowl, a ball

Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch🎼

Now if this was an actual Disney musical, there would be a little bit of a dance sequence during the musical interlude, there'd be a little bit of dancing with these wolves. But let's not ask what can't be given, in writing or otherwise. Anyway, the wolves sang the main verses again with Radolf interjecting as you'll soon see.

🎼I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

(They're lovely)

There they are all standing in a row

(One, two, three, four)

Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head

(And bigger)

Give them a twist a flick of the wrist

That's what the showman said

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

Every ball you throw will make me rich

There stands my wife, the idol of me life

Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch

(All together now)

Roll a bowl, a ball, a penny, a pitch

(Harmony)

Roll a bowl, a ball, a penny, a pitch

Roll a bowl, a ball, roll a bowl, a ball

Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch

Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch!🎼

The wolves chuckled a bit as it was quite a charming song. As the sun was beginning to rise above the earth, the wolves used their noses to smell out the outcast lions. About twenty minutes later, the boys still had no luck finding them as they came across a rocky canyon with boulders, ledges and everything. "Anything?" Radolf asked.

"Nothing yet." Colt answered. He looked up along the rocky formations twelve feet above them. The further they walked, the more mountainous the area was looking. So far, they still found nothing leading Elda to say "Let's just get back to the Pride Lands, Colt. We're obviously not having luck finding these guys."

Colt sighed with disappointment. "Yeah, you're probably right, Elda. I was really hoping we'd find them."

"A valiant effort, my friend. But it doesn't seem like it's gonna happen."

"Seems like it." Taking one more look around, he nodded to his buddies and said, "Alright, let's head back. Before Achak gets upset." They started to turn back and Radolf suddenly shifted his head to look up at the rocky ridge. "What's up with you?"

"…nothing. Sorry, thought I heard something move over there," said Radolf hesitantly. He slowly turned away from the ledge and continued walking. "Just speaking out loud here, but do you guys think we might ever see these Outsider characters?"

"I don't know, Radolf. But I'm sure we'll come across them eventually." No sooner had he said that, they all suddenly heard a chuckle and some growls echoing throughout the canyon.

"Okay. You guys heard that too, right?" a concerned Radolf asked, his fur starting to bristle.

"No, I heard it too," growled Elda as he looked around for the source of the noise, his fur also started to bristle. "Looks like you'll get to meet them after all, Colt." Circled around the hunting tarp, the three wolves took a defensive stand in case of an ambush. In a few moments, they were greeted by several scraggly-looking lions with front claws unsheathed. They circled the wolves and paced around them, their eyes not leaving their bodies.

The wolves held their ground and pondered what to do next until Colt finally spoke up, much to Radolf and Eldas' dismay. "Howdy! Nice to meet y'all! Hope you don't mind, we're new to the neighborhood and we just thought we-"

"Who are you, vermin?" growled one of the lionesses that had dark coloration to Colt. Her fur was grayish-tan with a cream muzzle, underbelly, and paws. A tuft of hair sat on her head and freckles on face, blue eyes with dark eye rims, a dark pink nose, and a less prominent jaw with her ears that were striped with black. She leered at him, making him flinch back a little.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Colt said, caught a little off guard by the abruptness of her response. "My name's Colt, and this here is Elda and Radolf. And this is a little something we brought for ya."

The lioness squinted at him, making Colt nervous. Thankfully, another voice spoke up and it belonged to a lioness with dark coloration. Just like the lioness talking to Colt, her fur was grayish-tan with a cream muzzle, underbelly, and paws. Her distinct features included red eyes, black eyebrows, dark brown upper eye patches, eyelids and white under patches, a black, pointy triangular nose, one notched ear, and a dark stripe down the center of her head.

"Now, now Vitani. That's no way to greet such generous newcomers." Alongside her was supposedly another male lion looking extremely mangy and is apparently infested with termites (probably due to living in a termite mound). He had brown fur and a black mane and seemed somewhat slightly neurotic. "Welcome, dear friends. And who, may I ask, are you gentlemen?"

"Well, someone who's polite. I like her already." Colt said feeling a bit relieved.

Radolf mumbled under his breath to Colt. "You just keep quiet. Let me and Elda handle this." Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to her. "My apologies, madam. I'm Radolf, this is Elda and the idiot next to me is Colt."

"Hey! Who the hell you calling an idiot?" a flabbergasted Colt demanded.

"Shaddup! Anyway, we wanted to be neighborly and thought about giving you some of this meat from our latest kill." Colt huffed in dismay. He felt like he could have done that with no problem.

"Really? And just where are you three from?" She slowly began to circle them and inspect them.

"Well to be honest, we aren't exactly from these parts. We wolves hail from the other side of the world. We…only got here because of a incident we had. It's a real long short and the short of it is-"

"Too late!" Colt interjected.

"-we were traveling to a different country, we got into a storm, and we ended up here."

"Is that so? And is there more of you, or am I to assume that it's just the three of you?"

"Others?" Radolf asked slowly. "Oh there are, but they're not here with us at the moment. We three just volunteered to be the welcome wagon."

"You mean there are more of you fleabags?" the mangy lion asked.

"Guy looks like a mess and he has the gall to call us flea bags?" Colt said as an aside to his comrades.

Radolf hushed him as Elda piped up. "Seven of us actually. We're only here until we find a way back home."

"And just where are you all staying at? It wouldn't happen to somewhere in the Pride Lands, would it?" A sly smile crawled upon the lion's smile, trying to make them give something away.

Radolf was starting to get some uncomfortable vibes from this big cat, the kind that would tell any lupine/canine or any animal that something wasn't right at all. "I…don't think we're at liberty to say, miss…"

"Zira."

"Zira, right. Of course. Anyway, we should probably get back to our friends. We'll just leave you to it and bid you all a very civil adieu. C'mon, fellas."

They started walking away, but were stopped as two lions stopped in front them. The circle of lions started to close in on them, all of them bearing intimidating grins at the three wolves. The male's smile wasn't that helpful either, as he seemed way to eager to be a part of whatever was about to happen.

"Oh, there's no need to leave just yet," said Zira. "We'd love to have you stay a little while. And for dinner too." The smile on her pus now turned into a sinister grin, showing off her large lion teeth.

Feeling more uneasy, the wolves' fur was bristling more and more. Radolf made the call as he said "Riiiight. Would you just give us a moment to talk, please?" He and his buddies huddled up to think of a plan. "Colt, you know that little voice in your head that tells you that something might not be a good idea? You don't have that!" he hissed at his southern compatriot.

"Well sorry for wanting to show some kindness!" Colt hissed back at him.

"We need to get out here before they decide to make us part of the meal we brought them. How do we get out of this?" Elda asked.

"We could fight our way out." Colt suggested.

"Are you nuts?! We'll be butchered alive!" Radolf reminded them.

"Well, we have to do something!" Elda said eagerly.

Colt thought for a moment, then got an idea flashbulb in his head. "Alright. Hear me out on this one, guys. I have a plan."

"Is it any better than your 'let's share our food' plan?" Radolf asked sarcastically.

"Trust me, okay? Wait for my signal." The wolves turned back to patient lions, waiting like ravenous jackals waiting to strike. Clearing his throat, Colt addressed their unfriendly-looking friends. "Well ladies, and whatever his ugliness is," he said indicating the male lion, "after much deliberation we decided to say…~Be. Our.~ Go! Go! Go-go-go-go-go-go!!" He immediately burst into a run, passing the confused and stunned lions. Looking confused for a moment, Radolf and Elda suddenly realized what he meant and immediately followed suit.

A few minutes ahead of them, Zira smiled a wicked grin. She had hoped for a good hunt today. "Get them!" she ordered her pride. And so the chase began.