refusal to speak to her son. That was his own doing. 

He remembered how terribly he’d felt when Areesa had left, and El came to the realization that if it had been his mother that was gone, he would be hysterical. 

He should have done better. He could have done better. The guilt surged through him so quickly that he felt like he was choking on it. The lion shook his head to clear it of all thoughts, and leapt out of his hiding place to where the two cubs were sitting. 

“Back away!” The grey pelted one screamed, immediately going to shield Lapin from the intruder.

“Relax, furball.” Elewisa snapped. 

“Adan….?” Lapin asked, eyes blue with tears. 

“It’s actually Elewisa. There is no lion in the pride lands with that name.”

Lapin stayed quiet, only the occasional hiccup coming from him. 

El sighed, padding closer to the pair of cubs. “I promise you little rabbit, you have nothing to fear from me any longer. I mean you no harm.”

“Did you mean me no harm when you sent me to get stung for a tradition that you made up?”

Elewisa shook his head. “That time I did. But that time I wasn’t thinking clearly. Still, I wanted you to know that I will no longer trouble you.” 

Lapin slowly nodded, still hiding behind the other cub. 

“A piece of advice,” El added before he took off. “I may no longer bother you, but I would stay away from Gainell if I were you. He has had an awful idea implanted into his mind that you need to be taught your place.” 

“An idea by you?”

The little scrap was smart, and El was very tempted to give him props for it. Instead, he nodded. “Yes, I tend to have a lot of awful ideas.” 

And with that he left. El wasn’t really sure where he was going at first, but then the thought struck him. He thought about the only other lion that he got along splendidly with. The only lion who did not judge him for his misdeeds or made him feel guilty for what he’d done. 

As the sun began to climb up the sky, Elewisa decided that he was going to find Areesa, and the whole of the pride lands be damned. 

END OF PART ONE