base of the boulder path she saw the elephants, all of them. She recognized Kudlavu, who knelt before her. The others clustered closely, all kneeling.

“Falana, they’re waiting for you. You’d best not keep your Nengwalamwe waiting.” She looked back blankly before walking on. Kudlavu called after her, “And don’t forget your mother told you she will see another king on this great rock. She’ll keep her word, but remember: don’t go looking for her.”

‘She’ll keep her word. Keep, not kept. She will see another king. Will see.’ Falana smiled and after a few moments quiet reflection climbed to the promontory.

***

“Ok, Mtundu, so where are they all? I can’t see anyone...”

Mtundu stopped Nengwe mid sentence by holding the stick up vertically in front of him and shaking it, the shadows dancing on the rock in the silence of dawn. He lowered it to horizontal and pointed to the overhanging tip of the promontory. Nengwe looked towards the eastern plain. Mtundu shook the stick again,

“You want me to go over there? OK, OK.” The lion stepped forwards, and Mtundu motioned him on. Nengwe smiled and looked back to see Falana climbing on to the promontory. She returned his smile. Nengwe beckoned her forwards. She shook her head. Mtundu bowed before her, a shallow bow made all the more significant by the pain she knew he must be feeling.

“Come on, don’t just stand there. Join me! Please Falana; I’m not doing this alone.”

Mtundu almost doubled up with pain. He took a few deep breaths, the pain subsided somewhat. He drew himself back up, supporting himself on the stick.

“Me Nengwe? They don’t want to see me, they want you. You’re the king.”

“What? I’m not the one who was born here. You belong here. I’m just an overner.”

“Eh?”

“From over the mountains. You, Falana, you belong here. This is your moment more than it’s mine. We’ll just go to the tip, look out and come straight back. That’s all.”

Falana nodded a little dubiously, “Well, if you’re sure….” She walked forward to Nengwe’s side; he tracked her with his eyes all the way. He nuzzled her. She pressed her flank to his. They walked forward together.

As they reached the tip Nengwe forgot about the turning and for a moment lost his sense of balance. He felt the world begin to sway as if he might fall as all around are the animals. He felt a steadying arm around his neck and a warm body pressed to his side.

“Just remember who you are.”

Mtundu came forward to the very tip of the rock and fussed about in front of them. “Er, I don’ know how this goes. I gotta smear this stuff on you… and, err… well, it’s meant to be for cubs she said.”

“What are you blabbering about Mtundu?”

“I still can’t stand so close to ya mouth Falana. It’s not natural, ya know?”

Falana stretched her head forward and flashed her swiping tongue along Mtundu’s outstretched arm. “There, does that make you feel any better?”

“Not in front of this lot. Please, I have rep ya know.” He crept forward and reached up to Nengwe’s nose; the lion dropped his head. Mtundu smeared the juicy concoction on his forehead as Falana watched on proudly. Mtundu then turned and nodded to her. She blinked in surprise, but Mtundu held his gaze, she too dropped her head.

“All you two have to do is roar and they’ll all go away, but make it good. They are expecting a king and queen not a pair of cubs.”

 “Just one roar?”

 “Yes Nengwe… one is enough, from both of you mind.”

Mtundu stepped away leaving them alone at the tip of the rock. Nengwe looked around, marvelling at the throng below. He looked to Falana by his side, smiled at her broadly, a twinkle in his eye matched in her’s. “Together?”

“Oh yes Nengwe. Together.”

“Look everyone! We’re here, and don’t you forget it!” The pair roared strongly and louder and more together than ever before.

***

As Nengwe walked unsteadily back down the rock he felt light headed and distant as though all of the events of the morning had happened to someone else and that he had just been an onlooker: one of the crowds caught up in the euphoria of the moment. Yet in all of the excitement he felt a void, Shaha had not lived to see a lion king presented once again. He stopped and, amid the tumult rising up from below, closed his eyes to see Shaha once again. There she stood, serious as ever, on the rock before him. She had never to his knowledge stood on the rock, yet there she stood over the point where the rocks had once covered the entrance to the cave. Two others came from the shadows behind to stand beside her: Melakwe and Talashi; all three lost, gone from his life forever. He smiled gently, remembering, then they were gone and the rock was empty once more. He knew that they would never leave him; he could recall a vision of them whenever he needed to remind himself of who he really was - Nengwe, plain old Nengwe. His smile slipped as they left him.

“Are you all right Nengwe?”

“Yes. I was just remembering.” He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment more but only darkness covered him.

“Are you sure? Look, I’ll go back now, if you’re OK. Mtundu’s looking pretty shaky. I’ll go and see how he’s doing.”

“Of course I am. It’s all so incredible, all this, the animals down there.” Nengwe stood as Falana walked off into the cave. Then he turned and ran to the tip again and looked down. The animals were beginning to disperse, but some saw him and up came a wave of sound. He surveyed the scene for a while, then turned to head back to the cave. He was momentarily blinded by the full glare of the sun on the rock of the cave mouth. Something caught his eye. Below, on the boulders leading to the promontory was another vision, a young lioness that he had thought he might never see again. Her presence filled him with a warm feeling of pride. He thought that she must have seen the short ceremony; the origins of which Nengwe could not even begin to comprehend. Then he realised that at last she could meet Falana who was just a few lengths away in the cave.

“Yali! What are you doing here?” he called joyfully. “It’s great you could come!”

“Nengwe? Who are you talking to?” asked Falana from within.

“Yali, she’s just over there,” he said pointing his nose towards boulders.

“No she’s not. She’s… Look, just come back in here. I think all this is going to your head. Come down before you fall down.”

Nengwe stared at Yali who just smiled back at him.

“Go on Nengwe, go to Falana. I saw you back there. You don’t need me anymore. And hey…”

“Yes Yali?”

“Falana is what all this is about. Right rocks Nengwe, just the wrong river.  You said it yourself.”

“Nengwe? Come on!” called Falana. “You can’t be talking to her. My mother’s gone, don’t you remember?”

Nengwe glanced at Falana and pleaded with her with his eyes. She replied with an agitated flick of her tail and an unsubtle twitch of her left ear as she stared back at him. He was uncertain as to what to do. He turned away from Falana and back to Yali, dropping his head to show his mane flowing over his shoulders. She called gently to him.

“I’ll be just fine. I’m a big cub now. I can’t stay, I’ve got to go.” Then she turned and bounded away down the boulders. Nengwe smiled, lifting his head and drawing forward to go to Falana. A few seconds later he was back by her side.

“What was that all about? Who were you talking to Nengwe?”

“Oh, just that cub Yali, you know the one who found me and brought me here to you.”

“Yali? Oh, I though you said a cub.”

“Yeah, of course she’s a cub. Surely you’ve met her. She knows you.”

“Met her? A cub called Yali? You got to be kidding me? There are no lion cubs here… yet, but I know a Yali.”

“You do?”

“You do too: my mother. She wasn’t always called Shaha you know.”

Nengwe looked at Falana incredulously. The unbelievable thoughts that flooded him made him feel unsteady once more.

“She was born Nyala. Her family always called her Yali. She was the last of the great pride that lived here, on this rock, in this cave. She was born here, right here.”

“She was here Falana. She saw it all, she said so.” Falana looked puzzled. “Your mother was here to see our presentation.”

“Yes Nengwe, I think she was. I think that’s what she came here to do: to make you king.”

“Me? I’m no one. She couldn’t have known I would come along. I know it’s not me that matters: it’s you. This is your land, not mine. She told me so. I just came along for the ride.”

“Wait the pair of you! There’s load o’stuff your mother knew, tons o’stuff she did. Did ya ever stop to think about what she didn’t tell ya?” Nengwe and Falana looked blank. “Come on you two; let’s get out of this sun. I don’t feel so good.”

“Falana?”

“Yes Nengwe?”

“If, and I just mean if, we have cubs, will they be