gotten into him? It was as if he returned a different lion. Had he gotten over the death as quickly as the cubs? How was that possible?

            Baraka shook his head. He figured that Arif being a shaman, he had access to the spirits. Did they help him? If so, Baraka was grateful. He’d hated to see his brother in turmoil and now it seemed to be over. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Thank you, grandfather,” he whispered to the night air. “Thank you.”

            “They hear you, Baraka. They hear, and I’m sure they were more than glad to help Arif.”

            A warm smile crossed his mouth. He was hoping to hear her voice at some point when he came out. He turned his head slightly. She was sitting beside him. “I didn’t disturb you, did I?” he asked, feeling a pang of guilt. He’d have hated himself if he tore her from sleep. She needed it after nearly two days of healing.

            He was glad when she shook her head. “No, you didn’t. I knew you’d come out here.”

            He nodded. He didn’t even have to ask anymore. “It’s Arif. He’s different.”

            She put her blind gaze to the skies. “Yes, he is, and for the better I think. They knew what he needed and gave it.” She felt his curious eyes on her. “He needed guidance, advice and they gave to him. It shouldn’t matter how, but he has it, and now he can focus not only on his work, but also on his kids, who now are his top priority. Getting back into work will come.”

            Baraka was so amazed at her knowledge. She wasn’t even a shaman, yet she knew what must’ve happened. Was this a side gift to her foresight, or was she just naturally smart?

            After a moment of silence, he found his voice. “I suppose you’re right,” he said softly.

            “He’ll be fine, and so will the cubs.”

            Baraka gave another nod. When she spoke he didn’t need convincing. He knew she was right, and in her own way, perhaps through her vast knowledge, was trying to tell him that, to clarify it.

            He tried something different. “What about Saada? I know that after what Akase did –”

            Etana shook her head. “Saada is not a lioness who takes revenge. She’s upset, rightfully so, but her…” She stopped, searching for the right word. “…Her bond with Arif and his cubs is far too strong to give in to revenge. And she herself is strong. I felt it when I healed her, and as I said this morning, she has much more to do.”

            He let the words sink in. He had known Saada all his life. And Etana was right. Saada wasn’t the vengeful seeking type. She had the most compassionate heart of anyone he ever met. Maybe that’s a good piece of the bond she and Arif shared throughout their lives.

            “At least, everything is well with Arif again,” Baraka said. “I’ve hated seeing him miserable. And the cubs, Njozi especially…”

            “She’ll be all right too, Baraka. She’s as strong as her father, and like him, as a special gift. And whether she knows it or not, it saved Saada’s life.”

            Baraka couldn’t argue. His niece was special. He smiled. If he was her father, he’d be deeply proud, just as he knew Arif was.

            “Feeling better?” she asked.

            His mouth fell open as he considered the question. He admitted in his mind that he was better, like this morning. She had such a way with words. And her words seemed to heal him in his most sleepless times. They made him think, and hearing her thoughts about Arif sent a large airy wave of relief rolling over him. He embraced it, the cool air now caressing his mane.

            He looked at her and smiled. “Yes, much better. Thanks.”

            She faced him, also with a smile. “You’re welcome. It’s not good for a king to be in worry or distress.”

            He chuckled. “Well, I think I’m free of that, thanks to you.” As much as he fought it, he yawned. “It’s time we rest.”

            Baraka rose and walked back toward the den. Etana followed, as always, right there beside him. In his mind’s eye, he wouldn’t think of any better place to have her walk with him. She had such a soothing, yet mysterious presence. He shook his head with frustration. He’d been over this a million times in his head. There still was no way.

            They stopped at the entrance, and he watched her go to her sleeping spot and lay down. He bowed his head. “Sleep well, Etana.”

            She dipped her own head in the same gesture. “Goodnight, Baraka.”

            He went into the den, and walked heavily inside his chambers. Suddenly the warmth left his body. He was back in the cold. He sank to the ground and buried his head on the stone floor. He was tired and in his own state of emotional pain.

            When would it stop?

            He shut his eyes and put his paws over his face. He choked back a stifled cry.

Chapter 16: Pieces of Truth

One month later…

The cool, damp air hit Baraka in the face as he stepped out of the den. The pride was already out; the guardians performing their duties, the cubs playing with a lioness to watch over them, and Arif was at Rafiki’s tree.

            The king sighed with peace as he sat down on the promontory, looking over his lands, watching a few animals graze. Everything seemed normal. Baraka smiled. He was grateful for the normalcy again. But his smile slowly faded. What was normalcy? Normal lives didn’t seem to run in his family. His life was different, as was his brother’s. When he became king, he promised to protect his pride and keep order among the animals. Hadn’t he done that for almost a year? What changed? And more importantly, what had caused Akase to turn so hateful toward her husband and children?

            He flexed his paws, his mind searching, and then he knew. The message Arif had gotten from the ancestors must have been so important that he was sworn to secrecy from everyone including Akase.

            Baraka closed his eyes. He began to imagine himself in Arif’s place, and trying to talk to his wife. His mind pulled him into the den the day when everything went wrong for Arif and his family. He envisioned himself in his brother’s paws, feeling what he felt, seeing what he saw, and experiencing the painful and dreadful hurt. He imagined himself as Arif talking to Akase and trying so hard to get her to understand the burden he carried.

            The image of himself as Arif was crisp and clear in his mind. In this one moment in time, he would be his brother, speaking like him, moving like him, and to another person’s stand point, looking like him…

“Akase, my love, please, I want to tell you, but I can’t.”

            Through his brother’s eyes he saw Akase in front of him. She addressed him, her words venomous.

            “Yet you can tell Saada your message!” she spat. “Are you two really friends or more? If you are more, why’d you marry me? I got news for you, Arif. She’s not your mate, I