on Kota.

“You would better sleep.” Advised. “Unless the storm is over, we must stay here. There is nothing to do with that.”

“Maybe is.” Whispered lioness. „Taka, what happened to you after you left Golden Sands?”

“Ow, you won’t believe me anyway.” He murmured, but she demanded a story. So he told her. And she believed.

*

Dhalimu was leading a mourninrkness. After a longer while she understood that she was in some kind of den and a shadow moving next to her was Taka, securing a entrance to improvised lair.

“Now it should endure a while.” Announced lion. “But after several hours we will have enough of sand above us.”

“Taka...” whispered Kota, feeling burning thirst.

“Yes, me too.” Confessed wanderer. “Unfortunately we have only... a previous resident of that place.”  She put a body of fennec in front of lioness. “This isn’t much, but his blood is a liquid too.”

She greedily plunger her teethes into a carcass and started to suck blood. After a longer while, when she almost drank everything, she froze, looking on Taka.

“I... I left nothing.” Confessed with breaking voice.

“That’s good.” Replied lion, in the same time looking for something in vault of lair. After a minute he pulled from ceiling a root of some herb and started to chew it. “I will satisfy with dry appetizer for now. But it doesn’t matter, the point is to survive the storm. Then we will thing about a better drink.”

“Taka... I’m afraid.” Said lion.

„There is no reason to be afraid.” Lied lion, then he laid next to female. “Now we have just wait.”

After few minutes Kota’s eyes used to darkness in den, so she could see her unexpected saviour better. And that view amazed her. Taka fell asleep, but in spite of that he was still holding Kota with left paw and his left limb was outstretched before him, as if he was ready to fight and defend her any time. For that few months since he left Dry Oasis, he had changed much. Still was skinny and light-built (then maybe even more), but it was just a testimony of his long and exhausting wanders. Under his dark fur a touch muscles were seen, that earlier had carried Kota to shelter. Face of lion was also different – more mature and more serious. Maybe it was because dim in lair, but Kota thought that clumsy adolescent she had been carrying few months earlier, then looked like a king. “Like the Golden King.” Added silently. “He was walking through the desert like ruler of Golden Sands.” But in that moment wandered opened his eyes and with smile he looked on Kota.

“You would better sleep.” Advised. “Unless the storm is over, we must stay here. There is nothing to do with that.”

“Maybe is.” Whispered lioness. „Taka, what happened to you after you left Golden Sands?”

“Ow, you won’t believe me anyway.” He murmured, but she demanded a story. So he told her. And she believed.

g ceremony in Acacia Alley. Golden Pride usually gives their dead to the desert – rulers put bodies on plateau on top of the massif and nearest sandstorm tears earthly remnants apart, spreading those over the dry ocean. That way deceased one was going away, still being in home, at least in certain sense. But in that case body hadn’t been found.

“Kota was a brave lioness, devoted to her pride.” Said Dhalimu. In spite of the best intentions, he couldn’t say: <and to the king> because he felt that is wasn’t true. “Kota had been always plotting against me!” thought ruler, although sorrow of losing his subject was genuine and was almost muffling his anger. “She died, fulfilling her duties as a huntress. She stayed on desert – I believe that spirits of our ancestors were waiting for her. Hailed be brave Kota!” finished his speech, poured a paw of sand to the wind and set off in cave’s direction, followed by sad lionesses. Only Raia remained a while longer, looking on horizon with hollow stare. But when she heard first shout of angry king, she run to the cave.

“I think that is nasty.” Murmured Kota, lying on dune, on side of Taka. “They believe that I’m actually dead.”

“And that is it!” whispered amused arbiter. “I would pay any price to see my own funeral.”

“So how many I owe you for that privilege?” she asked with contrariness.

“A kiss.” Smiled lion and licked Kota’s cheek. They burst in merry laughter, but after a while arbiter narrowed his eyes and said seriously. “It’s time. We must make a good impression. How my mane?”

“Dreadful, as always. And how I look?”

“As for a dead, wonderful.” Replied Taka and when on his muzzle came a playfully smack, he added with smile. “As for a living, of course wonderful too.”

So they set off to the cave. They were a strange couple – she, beautiful, but hobbling on three paws, still based on Taka’s side. He – proudly marching black-maned, also was presenting on his body whole host of marks, a permanent record of his wanders and adventures: numerous scars, much lighter than his dark fur. Those were giving him serious and a bit scary appearance, at least as for four-year-old male. As a first spotted them Akra, when they reached Acacia Alley.

“Sir! Kota is alive!” called young lioness and run to newcomers. “Taka?” asked surprised, but instantly then she felt ashamed of calling arbiter just with name. “You are back, sir!” Added uncertainly.

“Taka the Second, arbiter of Lions Lands.” Said black-maned. “I must speak with your king. This is an urgent matter.”

Seeing the freshly bereaved subject, monarch managed to find a lot of joy in his heart. But it wasn’t enough to warm welcome for Taka. Although Dhalimu let the guest in, he still was looking on him with dreadful stare, as if he was waiting for a pretext to fight.

“An arbiter... Lions Lands haven’t arbiters since generations...” murmured, when he placed guest on rather not so honourable seat, near entrance of cavhat way deceased one was going away, still being in home, at least in certain sense. But in that case body hadn’t been found.

“Kota was a brave lioness, devoted to her pride.” Said Dhalimu. In spite of the best intentions, he couldn’t say: <and to the king> because he felt that is wasn’t true. “Kota had been always plotting against me!” thought ruler, although sorrow of losing his subject was genuine and was almost muffling his anger. “She died, fulfilling her duties as a huntress. She stayed on desert – I believe that spirits of our ancestors were waiting for her. Hailed be brave Kota!” finished his speech, poured a paw of sand to the wind and set off in cave’s direction, followed by sad lionesses. Only Raia remained a while longer, looking on horizon with hollow stare. But when she heard first shout of angry king, she run to the cave.

“I think that is nasty.” Murmured Kota, lying on dune, on side of Taka. “They believe that I’m actually dead.”

“And that is it!” whispered amused arbiter. “I would pay any price to see my own funeral.”

“So how many I owe you for that privilege?” she asked with contrariness.

“A kiss.” Smiled lion and licked Kota’s cheek. They burst in merry laughter, but after a while arbiter narrowed his eyes and said seriously. “It’s time. We must make a good impression. How my mane?”

“Dreadful, as always. And how I look?”

“As for a dead, wonderful.” Replied Taka and when on his muzzle came a playfully smack, he added with smile. “As for a living, of course wonderful too.”

So they set off to the cave. They were a strange couple – she, beautiful, but hobbling on three paws, still based on Taka’s side. He – proudly marching black-maned, also was presenting on his body whole host of marks, a permanent record of his wanders and adventures: numerous scars, much lighter than his dark fur. Those were giving him serious and a bit scary appearance, at least as for four-year-old male. As a first spotted them Akra, when they reached Acacia Alley.

“Sir! Kota is alive!” called young lioness and run to newcomers. “Taka?” asked surprised, but instantly then she felt ashamed of calling arbiter just with name. “You are back, sir!” Added uncertainly.

“Taka the Second, arbiter of Lions Lands.” Said black-maned. “I must speak with your king. This is an urgent matter.”

Seeing the freshly bereaved subject, monarch managed to find a lot of joy in his heart. But it wasn’t enough to warm welcome for Taka. Although Dhalimu let the guest in, he still was looking on him with dreadful stare, as if he was waiting for a pretext to fight.

e.

“Maybe, sir, but the time has come for prides to again work together. If we take care about peace among us, hunger won’t cease but it would be significantly reduced. We won’t scare away the herds each other. A bit of self-control could save us from a disaster.”

“Golden Sands are the most powerful of Lions Lands!” growled Dhalimu. “The biggest: yes.” Agreed Taka in mind. “Most powerful? Well, should we count a hundreds of square kilometres of sands as a proof of power?” “We are managing without your advices.” Finished king.

“I have never said that it is not true.” Replied arbiter calmly, but he looked with a telling stare on wounds of Raia and Kota.

“Good!” added sandy-maned. “We thank you for saving Kota, but you don’t have to worry about or kingdom any longer. The king is leading us firmly and will be, with or without your alliance.”

“So I’m humbly asking you, sir...” started Taka. “...to send two lionesses with me. I would teach them how to...”

“What?” gasped angry monarch. “You want to teach Golden Lionesses how to live on desert?” Taka felt he went too far and wanted to quit his idea, but unexpectedly Niva supported him.

“My king...” she whispered to mate’s ear. “Maybe you will try. Thanks to that we could re-establish a contact with other courts and...”

“<And> what?” hastened her ruler.

“News about welfare of Golden Sands would extol you name, darling.”

Brown-maned was thinking some time, looking on queen

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