what they had heard.

“Dead?” asked Zira with hollow voice. “And you came to warn us?”

“I came too late, ma’am!” sobbed cub. “I’m sorry.”

“Stars! You are...” she was stunned by power of will in tiny cub. “...our hero! You risk your life for us!”

“I guess, in vain, ma’am.” And burst in tears.

“But... your mother was obedient to Simba...” said Zira with surprised voice. “How it could be...”

“SIMBA IS NOT A KING!” cried out Hawaa. “HE IS NOT LIKE MISTER SCAR! HE IS JUST A TYRANT!” called with emotional voice. “I want nothing more to do with him!” added with quieter and calmer voice. “Will you be my queen, aunt Zira?”

Lioness sighed and looked on Nuka. Cub was asking with his stare “Let her stay, please, let her stay!” But it wasn’t necessary. Zira was so intrigued and amazed with Hawaa, that she even didn’t know what to thing. And honest devotion of her cast a enchantment on queen. Small cub was someone special. But Zira had to ask.

“Do you know, that it means? If you stay with us, you will suffer hunger and thirst, because day of our return won’t came too fast...” queen knew, that in few months would born Kovu and cubs of Doria, Vii and Thela. So pride would be grounded until cubs would be old enough. She looked on Hawaa with sympathy and almost mother-like care. “We would take you back on other bank and you will tell Simba, we have taken you by force. So you will be back on Priderock, where you will suffer no hunger. But still, when time of you return will come, we will remember what you have done and do you no harm. I swear it!”

“No!” sobbed Hawaa. “I want stay here, whatever it means. I will be useful to pride, I will try to...”

“You helped us once.” Interrupted Zira. “You already deserved you our gratitude. But I ask you: are you ready to live on this poor soil? We can’t promise you luxury and easy life... Only, that you will be one of us.”

“I like to, my queen!” smiled Hawaa through her tears.

“So, welcome on Outlands, my child!” called Zira and all lioness roared with proud roars. They lost sister and brother day before, but this day they gained new soul on board. Strong soul, able to live theirs hard life.

“Long live the queen!” whispered Hawaa and Zira hugged her to heart.

*

So, this is accual beginning of the story. From that day on, real life on the Outlands started. It was hard and difficult, but in that struggle with the Circle of Live itself was something great, greater than most thing we ever have done in our lives. It was marked with tears, but those were heroes tears. Bravery could be easily seen everyday, if we look carefully.

“Nuka!” called Hawaa with weary voice. “I’m hungry!”

She was lying on the ground before Golden Hall, waiting for lionesses, to back form their expedition. Small amount of food, that Zira left for cubs was gone and Hawaa was feeling terrible pain in her stomach as well as dizziness in her head. But with fading sight, she looked Nuka, coming to her with something in jaw.

“Nuka... I’m so sorry...” she sobbed. “I’m weak... I don’t complain... but I’M HUNGRY!”

Scar’s son went to his friend and put next to her desert mouse.

“Not very delicious, but satisfying.” Said, pretending merry voice.

She almost pounced on pray and devour it with few portions, almost without chewing. When she finally finished this minimal meal, she looked on Nuka with fear in her stare.

“I... I... ate it all! Sorry, Nuka, I didn’t want to...”

“Don’t worry!” he replied. “I have eaten already.” He lied and laughed to cover collywobbles.

“Nuka, I’m so sorry, I will be better in time. I will...”

“Hush.” said Nuka and hugged her friend. “You are very brave. Very!” he gentle licked her forehead. “I will be back soon, but now I must get something for Vitani.”

“Right.” Nodded Hawaa. “I will wait here.”

And Scar’s son went on Outland’s hills under merciless sun of dry season.

*

His mother, as well as rest of the pride, wasn’t far. Just one hill range on west, in the valley called Elephant Graveyard. They had some unfinished bussiness there.

“Run for your life!” screamed some hyena, but in next second received fatal blow from Zira’s paw. Golden Lionesses were slowly moving through gorge, killing every scavenger, they found. Of course, they were sparing smallest pups, what were clearly too young to be involved in killing Scar, but intensively making them orphans. Whole gorge became fulfilled with screams of fear and pain. Lionesses were moving slowly, so great part of clan escaped, but total extermination wasn’t point of raging avengeresses. They knew well that fate of exiled outcast is often much worse that death.

“LONG LIVE THE KING!” were roaring Golden Ones and going further. Lionesses were wounded, hobbling and weak, but even ten of crippled lionesses for surprised clan of hyenas were harbingers of doom. Scavengers didn’t try to resist, just after first attack they went into panical retreat. And that was exactly, what Golden Ones wished to.

“Scar!” called Zira, when they reached to end of the valley and hyenas were already running through thorny bushes to the Great Desert. “Half of your enemies are punished... And we won’t give up, until we punish the other half!” her voice echoed from wall and speeded to the sky. Scar was looking on this from firmament with heart heavy of regret. He wasn’t able to say his mate, that this is not what he was expecting from his subjects.

*

And three months later, when dry season was burning earth with rays of scorching sun, another procession went out from Outlands. Whole pride too, but this time they crossed dried remnants of Border River and came to Prideland savannah. Only Anga stayed with Nuka, Vitani, Hawaa and cubs, born few days before. Rest of Golden Ones were accompanying theirs queen in very special mission. Labour of royal descendant.

Zira was walking slowly and carefully, due to advanced pregnancy. Time of labour was near, so she decided to be then on Prideland – land where her son was to be king. Pride stopped in Cub’s Sanctuary and surrounded den in the ground with iron circle, waiting for enemy. Queen went into shelter and waited for her time.

Simba meet them on hunting. He was only with seven lionesses, also was surprised with that invasion.

“Zira!” called with both anger and fear. “Get out from my land.”

But he was just ignored, only answer were moans of bearing queen. So he called again.

“So you want official sentence? Right: As a king of Prideland, I sentence you and all your pride to be exiled from this kingdom, under penalty of death.” But still, only answer were just deadly stares of lionesses, guarding Zira. “I’m serious.” Added Simba with uncertain voice.

“You are no one!” gasped Zira from den. “Your time will soon end... usurper!”

And then first cry of newborn cub sounded. Simba hesitated, hearing something, he hadn’t been expecting. He looked on his pack and said.

“We must back on Priderock, for reinforcements.” And so they did.

But where they went will all pride, Outlanders were not there. Only Cub’s Sanctuary was fulfilled with fresh scent of newborn cub. Prince Kovu born on Prideland.

*

Zira had to do some break. After few days after born of Kovu, she was fully arranged with caring about cub. She was proud of her child, looking strong and healty. Although Kovu wasn’t son of Scar, somehow, he was similar too him – dark fur and probably, in future, dark mane. Also, he was looking on mother with unusual for a cub, intelligence. Zira hoped, that he would come in her mate pawprints.

But three days from labour, she left him under care of Anga. She had to do something, alone. She went out from Outlands and turned to west. She passed Elephant Graveyard and dried swamps next to Border River. At the sunset she reached desert outskirts, a place where she once had met Scar. She well knew that sandy hill, where she saw her king and mate for first time. Then, sand had overgrown with grass, as after end of Great Drought, desert got back a little. But place was the same, Zira felt it deep inside.

She looked to north-west, towards her old home, Golden Sands. But not the keep of her family was concerning her. She was once again trying to her beloved in whispers of desert wind. For once more, without result.

“But I know that you are here, Scar!” she called to sandy plain. “And you are all the time next to me... I will endure live without you, until I have quest to do. I will raise your cubs, my love and teach them, how to avenge you and restore your glory!” said with firm and loud voice. “I love you, Scar and I always will. But help me... Its’ so hard without you.”

She almost burst in tears, but she represses her cry. There were no time for that, no single tear until her mission would be done. If one day, she told Amini that old Zira had died and new one hadn’t born yet, then it wasn’t true anymore. She truly born to new life, as a mother, as a leader and as an avenger.

She was not Prideland Queen anymore, but for sure she was Golden Queen.

That was obligating to face whole Circle of Life herself. And she was ready to do it.

 

19 – Epilogue (Another round)

“And she was ready to do it.” Finished Taka, looking on his auditory.

Lioness were lying still, inside the Golden Cave, some with closed eyes, but none of them were sleeping. His story, as well as earlier story about Scar, enchanted lioness of Golden Pride with strong spell. It wasn’t merit of his storytelling skill, rather a power of this tale itself. No one remained indifferent to this story, especially there.

[Picture by Sarafina © 2007]

    Taka the Second, called that after his famous grandfather, also known as Scar, was younger brother of king Dahabu and princess Amali. He was moderate built male with sandy fur and black mane, probably heritage of grandfather. Something unusual in his appearance

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