entire pride. We have a chance."

            "But you know what I mean right?"

            "We didn't mean to trespass. We've been searching."

            "For who?"

            "Our family." That solemn tone returned to Sarafina's voice. "We all separated. I was with my brothers, Abrafo and Gacheru, but Gacheru's gone, and we didn't find our older sister, Rena."

            "I'm... sorry to hear that."

            "Let me tell you something." Zareb leaned in to listen closely. "I've been thinking lately... just to escape, and find another lion pride. Abel's insane."

            Zareb gave a cold chuckle. "That much is obvious. But you wouldn't make it far, not with Ashiki and Mawusi keeping watch."

            Sarafina frowned. "I like Mawusi. He's very nice to me."

            "Really?" Not once in his memory could Zareb recall a time that the pair were even spotted with one another.

            Seeing what he was thinking on his face, Sarafina clarified, "He's come to me when no one's awake. He's a really nice lion."

            "Why does he go to you?" Realizing what he had said sounded too defensive, Zareb attempted to add, "I mean, why only you?"

            A sly smile crossed Sarafina's face, but she did not say anything to deliberately embarrass him. "He said he felt bad for me the most, not to be arrogant about it."

            "Really?" Zareb's eyebrows stitched together. "That doesn't make any sense. Maybe he has a crush on you?"

            "He's too old for me. Anyways, I'm not interested."

            "Oh, good."

            "Has Abel put you back on guard duty to watch my brother?"

            Zareb shrugged. "Sometimes. It's mostly the three girls who do his grunt work."

            "Ishonda, Yejide, and Katura."

            "Exactly."

            "They're dark lioness," Sarafina added. "I overheard them talking on why they were serving Abel."

            Zareb's attention perked at that. "Oh yeah? Why?"

            Her head tilted back in consideration, Sarafina said, "Ishonda wants to be strong because she wants to kill her family-"

            "Wait, I thought she said that she did-"

            "No, she only told Abel that so he would let her join. I heard her tell Yejide the truth - she attempted to kill them, but she got banished by her father. Yejide joined because she wants an adrenaline rush..."

            "A what rush?"

            "Adrenaline. She wants to feel alive."

            Zareb frowned. "That's an odd reason to side with Abel."

            Sarafina nodded her head in agreement. "And then Katura, who was kind of the same as Ishonda, but she wants to kill a lion pride for killing her mother."

            "Really?"

            "Really."

            "Wow... Now I'm really scared to be around them."

            Sarafina chuckled, and even Zareb smiled. "Yeah I know. Mawusi said he wasn't too crazy about them either, but he won't do anything about it."

            "Why not? He's a big lion, and Abel's small. He could overpower him!"

            "He's not interested." When Zareb gave her a look, she clarified, "I mean that he feels he has to owe Abel. Because of Defir."

            "Abel's father who isn't doing anything?"

            "He's grieving." Sarafina cast him a sharp look.

            Zareb challenged her by glaring back. "So what? Yeah, the queen's dead, but he was still a king. Even he has to know that Abel's kind of crazy."

            "Look I don't know, okay? All I'm telling you is what Mawusi told me."

            Sighing, the pale lion turned his head. "Sorry, didn't mean to get mad."

            Likewise, the tan lioness averted her own gaze. "No, it's okay. I didn't mean to get worked up either."

            The pair sat in an awkward silence, neither raising the courage to look at the other. They stewed in their own thoughts, of Abel and their growing fear and worry of him. When he finally chanced it, Zareb looked over at Sarafina, who was once again lost in thought. He had never met a lioness who challenged him so quickly.

            Finally, Sarafina stood up, her eyes landing on his. "Ready to go? We still need to catch something to eat, and Abel might think something's up."

            He agreed, mumbling a quick 'fine', and allowing himself to follow her. However, this time he was really beginning to notice Sarafina.

            The pair were successful in treading down a small gazelle, and were on their way back to Pride Rock when they noticed a small circle not far from the watering hole. Abel was there, they realized.

            Dropping the leg he had been carrying in his mouth, Zareb said, "Wonder what's going on?"

            "You two!" It was Yejide who greeted them, her eyes cold as she inspected the food they had brought back to them. Her ears twitched. "That's all?" she asked.

            "You only sent two of us out there, what more can you ask for?" Sarafina snapped before Zareb could let the words tumble from his mouth.

            Yejide snorted. "Fine. Just bring it to the dens."

            "What's going on?" asked Zareb.

            "Not your priority. Take it back to the dens. Now."

            "Here, we'll help." Behind Yejide stood Sanaa and Duka, an older pair who had lived in the Pridelands well before Abel's birth. That was all Zareb knew about them, other than the fact that they weren't supporters of Abel.

            Yejide, however, seemed offended by idea. "No, I asked these two to bring it back," she snapped, raising her voice to show her superiority over them.

            Sanaa ignored her and reached down to grasp a limp leg in her mouth. Duka followed, taking the other leg. Sarafina and Zareb were both bewildered by the act, and they had no doubt that Abel would hear about this later. But shaking off their initial astonishment, with the pair's help, they managed to bring the gazelle over to the dens faster than they had been when it was just the two of them.

            Not another word of protest came from Yejide's mouth.

            "Thanks," murmured