V. The Truth to be confronted

It happened that Greenlanders and theirs strange guests set off back in last moment. About hour after that Mshauri – second in lead in the gerge – found that clearing. He was too experienced scout and tracker to ignore a plenty of alarming signs there. He quickly determined that thirteen lion females and three males had been there recently. Then he recognised all prints as made of Green Pride... apart of five others. Four, made by unknown lions and fifth made by Masafa.

“Masafa...” he whispered, sniffing a dead scent from bushes.

He ran to wall of plants to find lifeless body of companion, laid in shallow grave. The surprising fact that killers were kind enough to bury enemy seemed to be burning mockery comparing to the death of rouge. Mshauri closed his eyes and breathed slowly. He wasn’t a completely heartless machine – he felt serious pain in chest, reminding lion with whom he had talked just day earlier. But in that particular moment he was focused not on fate of friend but own and his living companions fate. And what would happen when Keme get know about that.

A whistle sounded – that was a special hunting-sign of gerge. Scout shivered, because he recognised who whistled – it was boss himself.

“Mshauri?” called rouge-leader. “Are you there? I’m waiting for report...”

Scout slowly came out from bushes to meet his superior with unusual, feared expression on face. He had never seen Keme looking like that.

“Kiunda and Fumo haven’t found him... even any trace...” was talking leader with emotional, extremely feverish tone. “Something went wrong... Horen tricked us... Damn! Where is Masafa!?” finished with breaking voice. Mshauri was standing still, with no idea what to do. After a while of silence, nervous leader noticed his fear and asked with inquiring tone. “What? What did you see?”

When Mshauri made no move, Keme looked behind lion to notice squished bushes nearby. Without any more word, he walked slowly to exhumed grave of dead scout. Then a ear-piercing roar sounded.

Mshauri gathered his courage and after about two minutes turned to chief and came closer. Old lion was holding dead body in his paws, looking with hollow stare on lifeless face. When he noticed that his stand-in is near, he just growled.

“Go away.”

“Sir, they still could be around... They could hear you. Let’s go back... We will come here tomor...”

“AWAY!” roared Keme, even louder than before. Although night was warm, scout felt as if temperature in front of him suddenly dropped to level long not recorded on that latitude. Mshauri said nothing just turned back and started to quickly marching in beach direction. When he disappeared from chief’s sight, he started to run, intending to warn others as soon as possible.

And Keme stayed there, still holding Masafa’s body. Although it was hard to believe, from eyes of rouge were floating tears. Lion sobbed and bended down to lick motionless face of scout.

“Masafa...” he whispered. “It can’t be... It can’t be, my boy... My son...”

Horen heard both of roars from rouge-leader, but even he didn’t fully understand what whose meant.

*

So strange family (we could call it family, because Horen was somehow joining all lions together) reached the cave. Redmaned was still shocked and was paying a minimal attention to whole chaos around. He was automatically responding on questions, smiling when was talked away by Chanua or Spotty. He even completely ignored a pain in front-right paw until it grew so intense, that redmaned overturned and fell to the ground.

“You are so alike and...” was still talking Chanua. “Horen? HOREN!?”

“Damn!” gasped lion.

“Ow, Stars!” yelled queen. “Your leg!”

“No, it’s nothing.” Replied Horen, but he was still gasping with pain. “Just...”

“Let me help you, father.” Said Spotty and supported redmaned. She lift him up, however regent was to injured to stand by himself. “Let’s go. I will hold you.” Added lionesses, still supporting him set off ahead.

“My dear... maybe we stop?” asked queen with fear in her voice.

“No, we must get back home.” Replied lion. “It’s much better if we sleep tonight in our keep. Those rouges are much more aggressive that we thought.”

“So there is now other way, father.” Whispered Golden One. “So we must resist them.”

“E... we?” surprised regent. “Spotty, I must talk with you... But not now.”

“As you wish... daddy.” Smiled lioness with some mysterious expression on her face.

During way back Horen and Spotty were told about events that had happened in pride’s keep. When hunting team had returned from expedition, some to huntresses noticed odd tracks in cave’s vicinity. So Golden Ones decided to left their cover in last honourable moment. They came to queen Chanua and tell her true. Since that moment the chain of surprised had started. Danti had a tears in eyes, saying this, but she reported to Spotty what he had discovered. Windy Rouges had come to Green Valley and stayed there. But Daki and Laki were long dead for then. Hearing that Spotty felt perfectly what were feeling her friends – a lost chance. Theirs fathers were no more, so lionesses had no chance to confront lost parents. And they... deceased Daki and Laki had no chance to make up for error from past. Golden Lionesses were mourning not only their loss, bur loss of their fathers – then unable to apologise and reconcile with past. Lionesses didn’t know the real events behind twins departure from Prideland. The only living testimony of that was Horen himself. And Spotty had own, others matters to do with him. “And what I should do with you, dad?” she asked in minds. “You have a chance that Daki and Laki had not. You have to use it. I must make you to do that!”

They got to Green Cave about midnight, when moon was in it’s zenith. Pride and guests filled the main chamber almost completely, so Chanua had a difficult task to laid all her household members and newcomers. Kwini quickly took initiative and ordered lions according to her own idea. It could be a coincidence, but it could be not – it happened she was to lay next to complete confused Yakta.

“Don’t worry.” Smiled princess, looking on lion. But when redmaned was still looking on  her with uncertain stare, she added. “I’m terribly sorry for my behaviour today. Just forget all nonsense I said today, right?”

“I’m afraid I’ve already forgot.” Replied Yakta, shocking Kwini a bit. “It’s shame to confess, but your presence both delights me and distracts my mind so much that I hardly analyse what you are talking about, ma’am.” She looked on him with eye-pupils extended in extreme amaze, as she was thinking what he had said. “But I’ll try to correct myself.”

“Yakta... you are most weird creature I’ve ever met.” Confessed lioness honestly. Then she smiled.

“Thanks for a credit, ma’am.”

“Are you serious with all those fla... I mean juridical objective statements about me?” asked with mixture of perversity and curiosity.

“I think I’m not able to lie about that.” Replied Yakta. “And even if I could, in that particular case I have no reason to do that.”

Meanwhile Horen and Spotty went before cave. Redmaned hobbled with fast tempo to hear sooner what his new-found daughter wanted to tell him. She was both in hurry, but also she was extremely scared by this talk. She was afraid by old, wounded lion who was supporting on her side. When they reached a small pan with waterhole, redmaned sat heavily on the grass, waiting for her to start. But she couldn’t say a word.

“All right... so I will open it.” Murmured Horen. “I know it’s a bad time for that. Every time is bad for such a matters. I think that in spite of all that comedy you played in front of Chanua and kids, you are here to judge me for what I’ve done to you and Doria.” She nodded her head, but in her eyes some tears appeared. “Listen, I won’t play fool before you. You could name me whatever you want, curse me with every curse you think is proper... but give me just three days. For now I have to solve that rouge crisis and...”

“WHAT!?” gasped lioness with amaze and sudden bolt of hope. “Are you not going to escape?”

Horen wanted to reply: “Of course I have to escape, because I have no chance to survive here. Keme won’t let it go... and I’m unable to defend pride. All I want is to take Chanua, Kwini, Jino... and you with me.” But he just again took a trickster-pose and replied with firm voice.

“Believe or not, but I’ve changed for all those years.”

“You will stay...” whispered lioness with smile of her face.

“I will do what is necessary.” Said redmaned and however it wasn’t exactly the confirmation, Spotty took is as confirmation. “And when it all is over, we will talk about all thing I did in past. Just give me three days.”

“It doesn’t matter, dad.” Sobbed Spotty. “I’m not here to judge you... I have no grudge against you... just now I see...” she stopped for a while and suddenly hugged her father tight. “I love you, whatever you say about it.” Finished with cry.

“I would say I don’t deserve it.” Said absolutely honestly Horen. This time he felt that impulse of lioness was true and it shook him hard. It was something hypnotizing in touch of daughter that regent for one second wished that all what he was saying was real.

“You won’t leave me... you won’t leave them...” added Spotty with delighted voice. It wasn’t a question but a informing statement. Horen felt something similar to watching Chanua’s reaction. Another lioness trusted him so much that she ignored the obvious truth.

“So go rest, daddy.” Whispered Golden One. “But tomorrow remember that you could count on me... as your faithful child... In anything you intend.”

They stood up and once again redmaned had to support on Spotty’s side. Marching back to cave regent felt as if – however it was impossible – fur on his neck was strangling him.

*

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