replied.

“No, of course not. You are not so old, after all. That I’m who deserve for retirement... But anyway... Your illness comes not from body. Maybe it comes from your heart.” Lioness narrowed her eyes and shaman was inquiring. “Is something troubling you, recently? Worries, memories?” she shyly nodded. “Well... that is beyond my skills to heal it. Only you could restore yourself peace of mind.”

“And if that is impossible?” asked Sarafina with doubt.

“Is this all about someone, who’s dead?” asked mandrill, but seeing fear in lioness’s face, added. “Ow, don’t answered me. Only you could resolve this problem.” He sighed, like he was heavy worried himself. “I know something about it. Sings... from ones we wish to see... But sings not easy to read... I’d better go now.” Finished with wondering voice. “Just... If you can’t sleep, go on walk. Effort is much better healer than me.” Rafiki went out from cave and started back on to his keep.

*

Hawaa was hunting with Nuka. In fact, it wasn’t exactly a only a hunt, but also joyful play. After satisfying first hunger with mongooses, caught on Outland’s skirts, they went to Border River, to catch some fishes. Usually, it was hard work, especially for Hawaa, who didn’t like to swim, but fishing in shallow floodplain was great. They didn’t care about fishes, just enjoying common fun.

“Get this!” called Nuka, throwing caught one into air. Hawaa jumped and grabbed it in jaw. Lion went out from water with laugh and got helping hand to Hawaa, climbing on bank. “Come on, my lady. Time to get dry.”

Lioness went out, put fish on rocky shore and looked on river.

“Wow... For those few day in year, just after rainy season starts, it is so fertile, full of preys... If it were by whole year, we would live here as kings.”

“Hm... I live like king.” Replied Nuka. “Maybe, something hungry king, but with real queen.” He licked her in cheek. “And who knows, what tomorrow would bring.”

Hawaa looked on him with inquiring stare.

“Nuka, please, tell me... You are up to something, but you don’t want to tell me. Am I right?”

Lion, who was swallowing first bite of fish, almost gagged. He quickly swallowed his portion and replied with innocent voice.

“You are always right... But, please, don’t ask me for such a things.”

“But tell me, at least, if this is something dangerous?” asked she, with concern on her face.

Lion stood and started to walk nervously around. His eyes narrowed and voice became uncertain.

“Well... life itself is dangerous. Living in Outlands is. Hunting in Border River too. I’m doing nothing new for Outlander, that I can tell you. But no more questions, please. This will be a surprise.” He smiled and looked in Hawaa’s eyes. She returned this smile, but she felt serious fear in her heart. Yes, Nuka was going to kill Simba. Alone, in challenge.

“I must help him... and guard him, whatever would happen.” She thought.

*

Night had came on Prideland’s savannah and Simba’s pride was falling asleep. King passed the idea of night sentinel, but just in case, he laid just next to cave’s entrance. Although, he had rather poor ears (maybe, because of carefree youth in jungle, where he feared no one and had been threaten by no one), but he hoped, that he would discover any trespasser, who stopped too close. Nala, much better gifted in senses, decided to lay there too. Of course, royal children were sleeping in dead end of chamber, as far from entrance, as it was possible.

Sarafina slept maybe an hour. Then those vivid dream came to her again. Blackmaned lion was telling her something important and speaking about coming disaster. Then came pictures of Hawaa, wandering alone on Outlands. And this made lioness awake.

She carefully stood and silently went out from cave. “Well.” She thought. “Our defence isn’t perfect.” She almost stepped on Nala’s tail, but queen didn’t wake up. “Strange night. Like someone cast sleepy spell on everyone, except of me.” She stopped on Priderock’s ledge and took a look on savannah. Night was clear and quite light, because of moon in full. In darkness, she noticed silver reflection of moonlit in Border River. There she had to go there. She felt, that Hawaa would be there, waiting.

“And will she?” asked Amini to his friend.

“There is high probability that they will meet.” Estimated ghost of Sparthi. “I know, it’s risky, but maybe it’s our last hope to forward our warning. Let’s go there.”

*

Nuka went out silently and Hawaa almost missed this moment. But she heard a quiet sound of stomping on rock floor and she opened her eyes. She waited about minute and followed her beloved. Her heart was beating fast in painful anxiety. She had no idea, what Nuka was intending to do. Again, come to Priderock? It would be, most likely, suicide, after recent alarm between Pridelanders, but lioness couldn’t exclude it. Maybe Nuka was trusting in his scout skills so much, that he would took a risk.

Lion went to river and swam it quickly and lioness followed right after him. Hawaa sighed with relief, when she noticed, that Nuka wasn’t walking in Priderock’s direction. He just went on path, he made day before. Lioness saw, that he stopped next to old, already inedible carcass of some antelope, and dragged it on track. For some time, he was doing something with fallen creature, then just turn away in river’s direction and started.

“Ow, Stars... it’s over!” sighed Hawaa in mind. “Just another trick... another puzzle of his trap. So it won’t be tonight.” She crouched down, to wait, until Nuka went to river. When she heard splash of water, she stood... to see another lion’s silhouette on savannah. “They are tracking us!” she exclaimed in mind, but then he discovered, that she was seeing only one lioness. Well known lioness.

“Are you waiting for me?” asked Sarafina with hope.

Hawaa didn’t want to speak with former caretaker, but she forced herself to, just to give Nuka time for easy return. She still wasn’t sure, if old lioness was alone.

“Maybe, maybe not.” She replied and came to Sarafina. Lionesses hugged her. “I have insomnia. But why did you come here?”

“The same. Uneasy sleep.” Said older one and sit on grass. “And I really hoped, I would find you.”

“Did you reconsider decision about give up?” asked Hawaa, with mix of irony and hope.

“I was about to ask you the same question.”

Younger lioness sighed with irritation. It was useless, she wasn’t able to worry about Sarafina, having Nuka in mind. Her priority was to prevent him from doing any stupid thing and this task was hard enough. “If she want to stand against us, let it be. I’m really sorry about that, but she had her chance to...” then sudden idea came to lioness mind. “Yes! That maybe is it! Last chance to stop the war. Convince Nala’s mother to bow before name of Scar. After that, Pridelanders surely would reconsider theirs claims.”

“Sarafina... I want you to do me a favour.” Said Hawaa.

“Yes, my dear?”

“Go... go with me on Outlands. Tonight. I will guarantee you safe return.” She asked with pleading voice. “Please.”

“But... now?” amazed old lioness.

“Why not?” replied Hawaa. “We don’t have to wake up whole my pride... and to draw attention of yours. You will see us, how we live and who we really are and decide, if you tell it your pridemates. I know living on Priderock, but you have no idea, what means to live in Outlands.”

Sarafina felt strange feeling, like someone was whispering to her ear words of spur. For one second, picture of lion from dream, showed before her eyes. She uncertainly started to Hawaa.

“Yes... I will go with you.” Then she reminded herself about one, but serious problem. “But river is high. I don’t know, if I made it through.”

“I will help you, aunt Sarafina.” Asserted Outlanderess. “I know this river well. Much better than anyone.”

*

Nuka turned not to home, but in Elephant Graveyard’s direction. He was sure, that his trap was about to work, but he had to be sure, that would work perfectly. Decoying Simba to graveyard wouldn’t be so hard, but there... Lion had to win this duel without anyone’s help. But none on challenge rules said about place of fight. Nuka decided to make battlefield his only, but deciding ally. Just like once Scar decided to kill Mufasa by well planned trap. It was fair – a struggle between muscles and brain. Nuka choose the stronger player in this game.

Scar would be surely proud of him.

*

“We must stop them, Tarki.” Yelled Scar with pleading voice. But greeneyed cub repeated for maybe thousand time.

“We can’t. Now there is Mufasa’s turn.”

 

10 – The New Pride

 

First day on the Outlands passed in heavy effort for everyone. Golden Lioness and rouges discovered all area nearby, to find no other sources of fresh water and to determinate, how hard was hunting there. Outlands were one, great valley, divided from three sides with mountain ridge. Only on west, those heights weren’t so high, so they could without problems go... to another valley, called Elephant Graveyard. On east, between Outlands and Mighty Jungle were real mountains.

Only preys available there were small rodents and birds. Zira estimated, that they won’t survive, without hunting expeditions to jungle or hunts on Prideland’s savannah. First solution was too hard for small pride, raising cubs. The second was dangerous, but this kind of risk queen was able to take. For time, because they were about to reclaim their land.

“Ha!” She though, laying herself to sleep, next <throne>, serving as cradle for Vitani and Nuka. “And what I will do with Pridelanders then? Simba must be killed, he is an usurper. But I can’t prove any lionesses crime against the king. And I can just kill them all, they should have a chance to atone they errors. But how? With us? Will Prideland afford feeding over twenty... and now maybe twenty five

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