meal for Pridelanders. Golden Ones were probably exhausted by scouting and...

“I know!” exclaimed Nala. “I know where they will go!” she pointed direction of cub’s sanctuary. “We must go there fast and catch them, before they reach Zira.”

Simba trusted his mate and didn’t ask for anything. He just roared, to catch attention of pride and repeated Nala’s plan. The hunt was on.

*

“Rama!” exclaimed Zira, seeing her friend, wounded and exhausted. Old lioness was stomping heavily, because of cut on her leg. Queen dropped body of caught mongoose ran to wounded. “Rama! Lie down... and don’t move.” She examined wound on friend’s paw and side. “You’ll be all right...”

“Pridelanders!” panted Rama. “We were attacked... I ordered Doria go to sanctuary. I was trying to disrupt them...”

“Hush... don’t speak.” Asked Zira with gentle voice.

“Is Doria safe?” yelled lioness with fear. She was close friend of younger female... she was almost like mother to her.

“I’m sure of that... She know, where sanctuary is. Wait...” she went to dropped prey and dragged it to wounded friend. “Eat, you must regain your strength.” Rama started to devour meat with fire of hunger in her eyes, but after few bites, she stopped.

“It is for your cubs.” She said with tensed voice, barely preventing herself from swallow next portion.

“It’s for my pride!” replied Zira and drew meat to lioness’s mouth. “Eat, I need you alive!”

When Rama partially satisfied her first hunger, she was able to tell what had happened. She found Doria, returning from reconnaissance and told her what happened on Priderock. They started to run in sanctuary’s direction but patrol of five Pridelanderesses made an ambush on them, just like they was exactly knew, where Golden One were going. So Rama charged of persecutors and Doria ran to warn others. Somehow, old lioness was able to escape from ambush, but she lost Doria for good.

“Sorry, my dear... but we must go!” said Zira with breaking voice. She was terrified by perspective of Simba’s hunt. Her cubs were in grave danger.

“I know...” panted Rama. “Zira... Go now... leave me!”

Queen nodded with head and turned to north. But after just few steps she stopped. “Scar left no one behind!” she thought and turned back.

“NO!” she growled. “I won’t leave you here! We are the pride!”

“Save you children.” Whispered Rama. “I will stop them... for a while.”

But Zira returned to older lioness and pushed her in side. Rama stood with serious effort, so queen gentle supported her. They started to move through wet savannah. Slowly, but decidedly.

*

Only Sarafina and small Hawaa remained on Priderock. Lioness was ordered to take care of cub, what was quite obvious. Sarafina was close friend of Kilia and often stood for her, when younger lioness was on hunt. Hawaa called her “aunt” and liked her most from lioness of Priderock. Usually, cub would stayed under protection of Golden Ones, who liked her, especially because she was playing with Nuka, but then... All had changed. Sarafina, as older lioness was left behind to keep younger member of pride. Rest of the hunting pack and Simba were searching for Golden Ones.

[Picture by Sarafina © 2007]

“I wonder, if she understands, what is going on.” Thought Sarafina, looking on cub. She was a tiny lioness, with grey fur and blinking, brown eyes.

“Aunt?” called Hawaa. “Where are everybody? Mommy said, she went on hunting... But I can’t see Sarabi, mr. king and aunt Zira...”

Lioness narrowed her brow in amaze. “Aunt Zira?” she asked herself. “Is this kid became so close with those strangers? Zira is not a <queen> to her... but aunt?” She came to cub and stroked her head.

“They all are on hunting.” She replied. Hawaa as only cub of Prideland, had stayed on Priderock. Kilia refused the proposition of Zira, to take girl with Nuka to sanctuary. “And for Stars sake!” thought Sarafina. “Now, they would have a hostage!”

“When Nuka will back?” asked Hawaa with playfully voice. “That thing called <rain> came...” Sarafina froze in amaze. “This kid sees rain for very fist time in her life!” and cub continued. “So Nuka doesn’t have to stay in this... sanctuary anymore. Aunt Zira said, that he be back, what rain be back. So now...”

Lioness had no good answer to that. She started to lick her charge, just to coved her confusion.

“But aunt... I’m clean already!” said girl, trying to get out from Sarafina’s grip. “I want play with Nuka!”

“You will...” replied lioness. “But now we have to wait... until they back from hunt.”

*

Hunt was unsuccessful. All Golden Ones, wounded, exhausted, but alive, got to cub’s sanctuary. Zira was lying in her den and counting pridemates.

“Rama, Doria... Where is Shakisa?” she asked with anxiety.

“I... I don’t know.” Replied Rama. “She stayed with you... here!”

“Yes, but I told her to go to Priderock...” then she understood, in how danger could be her friend. “Ow, Stars! She took Yakta with her! If they chase her, she won’t stand a chance!”

Lionesses were looking on each other in silence. No one said that, but they all felt, that theirs pride lost a member. But...

“We must go to Priderock... we must free her!” yelled Doria. But in next second she looked on rest of lioness. They all were wounded, weary and sore. They had combat value of a meerkat’s pack. “But we can’t... right?”

Few Golden Ones burst in tears. That was enough – death of their king and benefactor, exile from home and lost of friend. Drought had finished, but another hell had started. Zira wanted to cry as well, but in her eyes were no tears. So she had to think. “Scar... give me your wisdom!” she whispered.

“Listen!” said queen aloud. “We must back on Priderock, to retake our home and avenge our beloved monarch... But not now, because failure is not an option!” lionesses nodded, silently admiring Zira for spirit in this hard hour. “We will find some help... A place where we could rest and some allies. I think, there is only one way to do it...” all froze, waiting queen’s order. “We must find some pack of rouge lions. They will help us to recover, train us in fighting and maybe they will stand at our side. This is not, what we were taught... I know, that pride should care of it’s own business... but our situation is critical and we desperately need help. I hope that Stars will help us!”

There was nothing more to add.

Lionesses laid down in wet ground to uneasy sleep. But they all felt in slumber immediately, because of exhaustion. Only Zira was awaken, holding in her arm sleeping Nuka and Vitani. She was guarding her pride from sudden attack, so she was looking in south direction. But no Pridelanders were coming.

“Maybe you have enough, Simba?” asked Zira. “Enough of inflicting suffering and killing? What keeps you so hungry and unsatisfied? You seem to be just like Mufasa, from Scar’s tale... O, Scar! What we will do without you?”

Dusk became a night, but clouds on sky covered any stars of firmament. So Zira was still alone, without even that kind of her mate’s presence.

“I know...” she whispered in darkness. “There is just one thing we could do now... My dear... as much as I love you, I crave for revenge.

*

Far above the clouds, spirit of fallen king of Prideland was calling to his mate. He was trying to say, that he didn’t wait for any revenge, but wanted only Zira and her cubs to live in peace. But clouds, those on the sky and those in hearts of both prides, made from anger, muffled his voice. Stars were screaming, but no one on earth could hear that.

 

03 – Drums of War

 

Outlanders were training.

Those were not just a skirmish fights, this was a real battle training commanded by Zira. Lioness was standing on the slope of termite mound, looking on her lionesses on plateaux beneath her. Ten Outlanderesses were divided in two teams to practice rank-attack. In final combat, they all should to strike in one rank, except Zira herself, who as commander should be aside and Kovu, who probably would be... closer to enemy, than any other Outlander. Next to Zira was standing Kovu and Vitani, observing training.

“Watch it, my child.” Said queen seriously. “If something happens to me, you will take a lead. Right?”

“Of course, mother!” said young lioness with pride in her voice. But then she wondered about one person, who was missed there. “Won’t Nuka participate in fight?” asked she with curiosity.

“Of course, he will.” Replied Zira immediately. “But no in main attack force. He would be weak point...” She understood, that she said more than she wanted to. “I mean... Not that he would fail... Just as a son of Scar, he is endangered on most furious attacks. It could destroy all plan with rank-strike. He will assist me... when I will go for Nala! You too will be at my side.” Added, looking in daughter’s blue eyes.

“I will.” Agreed Vitani. “We won’t fail you, mother.”

“That is not me, who you could fail.” Whispered Zira and turned to Kovu. “And you, my son... are you feel ready?” lion smiled.

“As never in my life before.” Replied. “Our tactic is brilliant. I just don’t know, why we have to play in those spying games. Under your leadership, we would crush them in open field.”

Zira felt flattered but she looked on him with cold stare.

“No! I know, we are weaker. Simba have thirteen lionesses...”

“Including Sarabi, Sarafina and Sakia.” Replied Kovu with irreverence. “They are too old to fight...”

“Don’t underestimate Sarabi.” Gasped Zira with hatred in her voice. “She is a cruel fighter!” and she added, whispering. “And this Tanabi... He might be a tough one.”

But then queen gave a signal to start. Both ranks moved to centre of plateaux, at first slowly, then increasing theirs speed to almost run. Two lines met and hit in merciless duel. Five lionesses from every team merged in one organism, fighting, thinking and feeling

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