sure doom for both mother and child. So lioness gathered remaining strength and started to move her legs, in careful attempt to close to bank. But suddenly, she realised, she wouldn’t make it. She was fainting from fatigue. “Ow, Scar... help us!” she yelled in mind and hugged log harder. From cold and exhaustion, she felt in paralysing state. She was unable to move, she could only holding her cub and trunk.

“Zira! Hold on!” awoke her lion’s voice. She carefully turned her head, to see Amini, floating with some other log. Even in that situation, Zira wasn’t able to stop a smile. Blackmaned won in both contests: of bravery and of stupidity.

“Waterfall!” screamed lioness.

“I... know!” replied Amini, trying to get close to Zira’s log. “Loose the trunk! You arcase, we are ready to help you!” encouraged Amini.

“That what I’m afraid!” muttered Horen, but in next second sounded slash of water.

Because of night, lion from other bank wasn’t able to see friends on other. Amini, more gifted in senses, saw only blurred silhouettes of those, who where standing on Prideland’s bank. But in time, he noticed Horen and Daki clearer. In half of distance, they were seen almost clearly, swimming without problems.

But then, Amini noticed some strange shapes, floating the river. Alarmed he ran to bank and gazed in darkness. Those things were closing fast with stream. Big and oblong, carrying by stream... numerous... That were...

“Trunks!” called Amini with fear.

Horen, focused of carrying Vitani, ignored his call. But Daki immediately understood the danger. In few moves, he saw upstream, passing by the leader and the cub. He wasn’t longer backup-catcher, but a living shield. He started to swim parallel with Horen and Vitani, hiding them wiit!” he turned to Laki. “Are you ready?” asked his friend. Laki nodded. “And you?” turned to Nuka.

“Don’t worry sir.” Replied cub. “I saw you swimming, it can’t be so hard. In case, I’ll made it.” He smiled, but Amini’s heart froze in fear. “Ow, Stars, help us!” whispered lion in minds.

Zira came to Nuka and said with tensed voice.

“Listen, my dear... Be brave! Amini will take care of you! Do what he and Laki say.”

“Mom. It’s better that mister Amini says nothing, during this course.” Noticed Nuka. Zira licked his head.

So Amini grabbed cub with his jaw and carefully went into river. Laki followed him and when lion with cub started to swim, twin swam to, but slightly down from there, to be ready for grab lost <cargo>. But Amini was moving e floating too fast!”

Then lionesses noticed, how long distance they had made. They were just next to Mighty Waterfall. “Was I unconscious for so long time?” amazed she, but in next second she obeyed lion’s command. She knew, that this was sentence for her. Maybe, thanks to that, Amini would be able to get cub, but weak lioness was doomed. She just raised Vitani as high as she could, hoping, that lion would manage catch her. And he managed.

Zira felt, that her daughter was grabbing by Amini’s teethes and carrying away. She immediately loosen her muscles, giving herself to river stream. But in next second, she saw frozen stare of blackmaned lion. In his eyes called a silent plead: Fight! Don’t give up! But then he started to swam in Outland’s bank direction. Zira smiled and then all world faded to black.

*

Amini wasn’t too gentle. He almost threw yelling Vitani on small, sandy Outland beach, then he jumped in river once again. He grabbed another log and started to work with his leg, to float faster. After few minutes, he noticed shape of Zira’s unconscious, floating on water’s surface, so he turned his scratched <ship> to her. In minute, he was right next to motionless lioness, so he loosed log and jumped on Zira. Sound of falling water was growing rapidly and lion knew, that water wall was close. He grabbed Zira’s neck with teethes and tried to swam to bank. It wasn’t easy.

Amini was already fatigued with chase also stream was much faster there. He was working with all four limbs desperately but bank was closing much slower that edge of waterfall...

*

“Damn!” yelled Tarki. “Why it always goes wrong?!”

“Do something!” screamed Scar, watching with terror his mate, speeding to certain doom. Both lion ghost were standing on waterfall’s edge.

“You do something!” replied starcub. “You have stronger connection with her.”

Dead king looked on him with amaze.

“But... I can’t! I don’t know how!”

“Just.... do it!” ordered greeneyed one. “Love will find the way.”

Space matters not for Starones, so Scar in next second was next to Zira’s body. He lowered his head to lioness and started to whisper silent spells. Not of magic, just of love.

“My dear... you must wake up!” he begged.

*

“You must get up!” thought desperately Amini. Of course, he couldn’t scream it loud, because he was holding lioness with jaws, all the time. He just prayed to Stars, to anyone, whom might be concerned. He was and outcast, he didn’t know any ancestors to ask for help. Only name he had in mind was those listen from Zira. “Scar... help her!”

And lioness opened her eyes. In first impulse, she shook her all body in fear, but right then she calmed down, understanding situation. Amini was almost sure, he was hearing some strange voiccious for so long time?” amazed she, but in next second she obeyed lion’s command. She knew, that this was sentence for her. Maybe, thanks to that, Amini would be able to get cub, but weak lioness was doomed. She just raised Vitani as high as she could, hoping, that lion would manage catch her. And he managed.

Zira felt, that her daughter was grabbing by Amini’s teethes and carrying away. She immediately loosen her muscles, giving herself to river stream. But in next second, she saw frozen stare of blackmaned lion. In his eyes called a silent plead: Fight! Don’t give up! But then he started to swam in Outland’s bank direction. Zira smiled and then all world faded to black.

*

Amini wasn’t too gentle. He almost threw yelling Vitani on small, sandy Outland beach, then he jumped in river once again. He grabbed another log and started to work with his leg, to float faster. After few minutes, he noticed shape of Zira’s unconscious, floating on water’s surface, so he turned his scratched <ship> to her. In minute, he was right next to motionless lioness, so he loosed log and jumped on Zira. Sound of falling water was growing rapidly and lion knew, that water wall was close. He grabbed Zira’s neck with teethes and tried to swam to bank. It wasn’t easy.

Amini was already fatigued with chase also stream was much faster there. He was working with all four limbs desperately but bank was closing much slower that edge of waterfall...

*

“Damn!” yelled Tarki. “Why it always goes wrong?!”

“Do something!” screamed Scar, watching with terror his mate, speeding to certain doom. Both lion ghost were standing on waterfall’s edge.

“You do something!” replied starcub. “You have stronger connection with her.”

Dead king looked on him with amaze.

“But... I can’t! I don’t know how!”

“Just.... do it!” ordered greeneyed one. “Love will find the way.”

Space matters not for Starones, so Scar in next second was next to Zira’s body. He lowered his head to lioness and started to whisper silent spells. Not of magic, just of love.

“My dear... you must wake up!” he begged.

*

“You must get up!” thought desperately Amini. Of course, he couldn’t scream it loud, because he was holding lioness with jaws, all the time. He just prayed to Stars, to anyone, whom might be concerned. He was and outcast, he didn’t know any ancestors to ask for help. Only name he had in mind was those listen from Zira. “Scar... help her!”

“Be strong! Swim to the bank... left... on left!”

Lion tensed in efford. He started to work harder with all limps and so eight paws were pushing water. Shore became closer with every move and Amini felt spark of hope in his heart. Strange voice was giving him strength and help from Zira increased they speed significantly.

So, in such situation, two meters from the bank, they hit a rock on waterfall’s edge.

*

“Stars!” yelled Doria, seeing pair of lions. Zira and Amini was holding with paws a rock on river edge. Stream was dragging them to the abyss, so their rear legs was helplessly hanging over emptiness. Golden Lionesses were still standing on Prideland’s bank, too far to even think about rescue. Also, stream was much too fast there to wade.

But on the Outland’s side three silhouettes appeared. Rouge lions – Horen, Daki and Lakif Zira’s unconscious, floating on water’s surface, so he turned his scratched <ship> to her. In minute, he was right next to motionless lioness, so he loosed log and jumped on Zira. Sound of falling water was growing rapidly and lion knew, that water wall was close. He grabbed Zira’s neck with teethes and tried to swam to bank. It wasn’t easy.

Amini was already fatigued with chase also stream was much faster there. He was working with all four limbs desperately but bank was closing much slower that edge of waterfall...

*

“Damn!” yelled Tarki. “Why it always goes wrong?!”

“Do something!” screamed Scar, watching with terror his mate, speeding to certain doom. Both lion ghost were standing on waterfall’s edge.

“You do something!” replied starcub. “You have stronger connection with her.”

Dead king looked on him with amaze.

“But... I can’t! I don’t know how!”

“Just.... do it!” ordered greeneyed one. “Love will find the way.”

Space matters not for Starones, so Scar in next second was next to Zira’s body. He lowered his head to lioness and started to whisper silent spells. Not of magic, just of love.

“My dear... you must wake up!” he begged.

*

“You must get up!” thought desperately Amini. Of course, he