and weariness. Also they were begging for a draught of water. Paws of guest were cut thanks to long way and sharp rocks and on lion’s back lioness noticed a spots of blood. Black-maned had to fight with sandstorm on open air.

“Ow, Arista!” yelled Kota and run to support hobbling wanderer.

She didn’t make it – black-maned had already fallen on soft and golden sand of square, hitting it with muzzle. He unwittingly opened his mouth and a trickle of blood flowed from it.

Desperate lioness understood that stranger was dying. Without hesitation she clang with her mouth to his lips, trying to support him with that portion of moisture. Then she draught motionless body of unconsciousness male into a shade of cactuses. She extended her claws and cut plant’s stem. In spite of pain in pricked paw-pod, she excised a juicy fragment of trunk and put it in mouth of guest. Black-maned started to suck a cactus juice. Seeing that he was able to independent swallowing of wet pulp, Kota instantly returned to wounded cactus and covered a cut in stem with few stones. Even one drop of plant’s moisture couldn’t be wasted. And in that moment came Dhalimu with lionesses.

“What a mess! Have you done it alone?” asked giant brown-maned male. “Not bad!”

“No, sir. That is...” started golden-furred, but then she realized that he had no idea whom she was introducing. “I don’t now, sir. We found him with Raia. He is exhausted and probably he was marching through the Great Desert.”

Apart of ruler all fourteen of lionesses (counting Raia and Kota) were outside the cave. Just behind monarch was standing Niva – light-furred, gentle lioness, recently crowned mate of Dhalimu. Raia run to wanderer and stood between him and king, like he was ready to defend lion (almost twice big as she) from exhausted and barely awake stranger.

“What we should do, my lord?” she asked.

“He resemble me someone...” murmured Dhalimu. “Don’t kill him, I want to interrogate him.”

That last sentence got to dimmed mind of Taka and forced him to open his eyes. Eyelids reluctantly obeyed the order of brain, but lion managed to notice a giant lion and his court in light of fading sun. For few seconds he was wondering if that wasn’t a dream, but then he came to conclusion he had to act like that dream was real.

“I am Taka the Second.” Whispered tood him. But declaration of lying one came at least to ear of ruler because he went to wanderer and bended down to him with curious smile.

“What? My cousin and prince of Prideland? Don’t you mind... if I don’t believe you?”

“My brother, Dahabu is king of Prideland.” Replied black-maned, trying to stand up, or just to raise his head. When he failed he just moaned quietly and Kota went to him. She lifted his head and pointed his muzzle on monarch.

“Hmm... maybe. You even look similar to my family. But what are you looking for here? This pride already has its lion!” he finished with hostile tone.

“I came...” started Taka but after few seconds of effort he burst with dry cough. “Water!” whispered.

“Sir?” asked Kota. “Should I give him a gourd from source?” Dhalimu just snorted with irritation and look on subject with nervous stare.

“No! Not until he tells us, why he came here. Then I decide if he is a guest... or an intruder.”

“Sir, if we don’t water him, he will tell us nothing.” Noticed golden-furred.

„Silence! King is speaking!” gasped Raia, with stare pointed in muzzle of ruler.

“Niva...” whispered Kota with desperate pleading and turning to sister of friend.

„Silence, I said!” repeated sandy-furred with furious tone.

And Taka, supported by Kota, carefully stood up or better to say: he unbent his paws and based on them, still nestling to Kota’s side. Although he was looking like a living dead, he mustered a fresh portion of energy. He turned his sure stare on Dhalimu and said aloud.

“Lions of Golden Sands. I came to my aunt Kiara, to announce her a sad news. Her brother, king Tanabi is dead.”

“So you are late, stranger.” Replied monarch. “My mother...” he instinctively lowered his head and lionesses (all, even Kota) followed him. Taka, devoid of support, hobbled and almost fell on the sand next to cactus. However golden-furred managed to quickly stoop up and support him. “...went to the Stars in previous season. You have nothing to do here.”

“You won’t shed a tear for your uncle?” asked black-maned with bitter voice.

“Maybe in better times.” Said king. “But now we are saving water. Good...” he estimated guest with curious stare. “...let it be. Akra! Bring one gourd of water.” Young lioness went into cave and Dhalimu was talking still. “You will drink and you will go away... go back to new king of Prideland. You tell him, we are sorry about Tanabi’s death and that we wish him and Prideland to live long and prosper.”

“Darling, he is exhausted!” Niva wsoNormal">“What? My cousin and prince of Prideland? Don’t you mind... if I don’t believe you?”

“My brother, Dahabu is king of Prideland.” Replied black-maned, trying to stand up, or just to raise his head. When he failed he just moaned quietly and Kota went to him. She lifted his head and pointed his muzzle on monarch.

“Hmm... maybe. You even look similar to my family. But what are you looking for here? This pride already has its lion!” he finished with hostile tone.

“I came...” started Taka but after few seconds of effort he burst with dry cough. “Water!” whispered.

“Sir?” asked Kota. “Should I give him a gourd from source?” Dhalimu just snorted with irritation and look on subject with nervous stare.

“No! Not until he tells us, why he came here. Then I decide if he is a guest... or an intruder.”

“Sir, if we don’t water him, he will tell us nothing.” Noticed golden-furred.

„Silence! King is speaking!” gasped Raia, with stare pointed in muzzle of ruler.

“Niva...” whispered Kota with desperate pleading and turning to sister of friend.

„Silence, I said!” repeated sandy-furred with furious tone.

And Taka, supported by Kota, carefully stood up or better to say: he unbent his paws and based on them, still nestling to Kota’s side. Although he was looking like a living dead, he mustered a fresh portion of energy. He turned his sure stare on Dhalimu and said aloud.

“Lions of Golden Sands. I came to my aunt Kiara, to announce her a sad news. Her brother, king Tanabi is dead.”

“So you are late, stranger.” Replied monarch. “My mother...” he instinctively lowered his head and lionesses (all, even Kota) followed him. Taka, devoid of support, hobbled and almost fell on the sand next to cactus. However golden-furred managed to quickly stoop up and support him. “...went to the Stars in previous season. You have nothing to do here.”

“You won’t shed a tear for your uncle?” asked black-maned with bitter voice.

“Maybe in better times.” Said king. “But now we are saving water. Good...” he estimated guest with curious stare. “...let it be. Akra! Bring one gourd of water.” Young lioness went into cave and Dhalimu was talking still. “You will drink and you will go away... go back hispered to ear of monarch.

“Silence!” gasped brown-maned quietly, but loud enough for Taka to hear. “If he stays here even for one night, he will be treated as a rival and claimant. And I guess we don’t want to do it. Right, my sweet?” King raised his right paw and extended his claws. Evening wind caused few clouds of dust and shivered with it lions gathered on square. But desert lionesses knew what that blow was meaning. A sandstorm was nearing – a storm so powerful that previous winds seemed to be just a cubbish entertainment.

“So let him at least to rest in cave...” started queen, but seeing the stare of mate, finished. “I mean: in shade of our rock...”

“He stays, I count it as a challenge.” Replied proudly ruler.

“Bu he’ll...”

Pong!

Without any warning, Dhalimu hit his mate’s muzzle with right paw. If his claws were extended, he would probably cut her severely, maybe even wounded her eyes. Claw were hidden, but punch was powerful anyway – white-furred faltered and based on acacia’s trunk, in last moment repressing the scream of pain. Then she fell on the sand, holding with paw her hit muzzle. Golden Pride, just like someone gave an order, turned theirs stares away, pretending they don’t see that disgraceful scene. Only Taka clenched his jaws and instinctively extended his claws.

“Are you staying, my cousin?” asked Dhalimu with venomous voice. He went closer to guest and...

“No, sir!” replied shivering Kota. “He will just drink a little and go away.” She pushed wanderer to Akra, holding a vessel. Lioness put a gourd before black-maned and humble got back to rest of the pride. With amaze she was looking on silent lionesses and lying queen – she was too scared to ask what had happened.

Taka was judging with his stare a vessel with live-giving liquid but then came to it. He lifted it up and went to crying Niva. He sink a wounded paw in vessel and sprinkle with few drops hit muzzle of queen. She opened her eyes and instantly opened her lips, trying to stop him. But Taka ignored it and bedew a bruise of lioness with almost all water. She shook her head and run from gentle black-maned’s hug, she went back to pride. So wandered dropped an empty vessel on the sand and without a word turned south and started to walk. He was clenching his jaws hard and with remnants of his will was repressing the body’s call for water. Whole organism was begging him to return to the vessel and to lick it dry from rest of moisture – it was probably, that it had been his last drink in life.

“Sir...” yelled Kota. “Your cousin won’t survive the way back home.”

“Should I announce a bereavement also after him?” murmured king with burning irony. He was looking with angry stare on slowly standing mate.

“But he’ll...”

“King said!” growled Raia.

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