was strangling him.

*

The next morning on Border Beach was a continuation of recent nightmare. Five remaining lions were looking on their leader with stares full of pain. Keme returned just before dawn and laid sleep without a word. But his silence was more scary that every roar. For instant: he hit Fumo, who was waking him – so hard, that if scout wouldn’t have dodged, the blow could broke his neck. Then leader went to river, swill himself from sweat in cold water and got back on beach. There he laid in indifferent lay with hollow face. But from time to time he was repeating some murmurs.

“I will rip his eyes out and fill his sockets with sand... Or no... I will cut his tendons and leave his swirling, yelling body in a termite colony... or I...”

“Boss, shouldn’t we go on hunting?” asked Mshauri carefully. Leader looked on him with madness in his eyes.

“Do you know erka-plants?” asked with dreadful tone. “In wet area small sprouts grow about two feet per day. I wonder if I rip Horen’s belly... you know, not to damaging his arteries...” explained lion with voice of true expert.  “...and put some erka spout inside of his stinking bowels, would it blow his body out after few days?” he stopped for few seconds and added. “But he had to outlive those few days. Well, it would be interesting...”

“Boss!” called Mshauri with fear. “Drop it! We need to hunt.”

“On lions, in particular.” Smiled leader with malicious smile. “Call boys, it’s time.”

Mshauri understood that his chief had something more on mind that just getting next meal, but he followed that order. Scout knew what sort of relationship had been between Keme and Masafa. From few scattered rumours he even build a whole theory explaining it. He heard that Keme, before he joined to his first gerge, was living next to some established pride and had even mate there. Of course – in secret. But when his lioness gave birth to a cub, furious king of that land killed it and almost killed also Keme. And some said that this event turned young and simple-hearted rouge into monster he was in those days. With death of his newborn son Keme lost every feature of kind and sympathising creature. He left mourning mate, joined the first gang of rouges (he also met Horen there) and quickly became a leader of gerge, thanks to his mercilessness and aggressiveness. But his group one found a strange prey – a newborn male cub. Shocking all old and brute rouges, Keme decided to keep that child and raise it in pack. Not surprisingly it was Masafa. Lion became leader’s favourite and it had been well known that he was destined to become Keme’s successor. Outsiders like lions of gerge seldom use words like <family>, and , because the merry world where those terms are common is unavailable for them. But with his sixth sense Mshauri felt that relation between his chief and orphan could be described only by such a word. That meant Keme was kept on the edge of basic moral instincts (and also sanity) thanks to presence of growing ward. But when his bond was cut, Mshauri wasn’t sure if he still had a lion being in charge of him. When he brought pack to chief, Keme called with decisive and loud voice.

“Gentlemen, our plans have changed. We are not to conquer that pride.” Rouges looked surprised on leader, expecting words of mourning after deceased friend. But what they heard was too confusing to easily believe it. “With death of Masafa we are weaker. And now we can’t just attack that pack, kill Horen and force the obedience of lionesses.” In his voice – at the first hear – wasn’t any tone of sadness nor anger. But careful auditor would have already detect a madness creeping through tongue of chief. “So we won’t get a pride this time, we are not here for that. As I say, we won’t enslave them. We will...” he didn’t changed melody of his voice even for one note. “... eradicate every single of them, leaving nothing but cold bodies behind us. No questions?” asked with airy tone. “Good! Let’s go hunt.”

*

Yakta woke up before most of pride. He used this advantage to discrete withdraw back, because he noticed that Kwini’s paw somehow found itself on side of redmaned during the night. Then he stood and noticed that there were neither Danti nor Ostasi. He took a look around and seeing he can’t find them in main chamber, he exited the cave.

Both of them were in the bushes just next to entrance and both of them were crying, holding each other in tight hug. Yakta would have return to cave for sure, but in spite of loud sobbing, skilled huntresses heard him instantly.

“It’s... nothing...” whispered Ostasi with breaking voice. “Go sleep...”

“I guess I showed lack of my manners already.” Murmured confused lion. “So maybe I use that pitiful situation and anyway ask you, what has happened.” In one second redmaned became pressed by hug of two Golden Ones who were indeed seeking any support in that moment. Lion felt uncertainly and it was completely different kind of uncertainness he felt in paws of Kwini. “I don’t know if everything will be all right...” started with his natural honesty. “...but I’m ready to everything I’m able to, to make things better.”

The case was simple – lionesses were mourning death of theirs fathers. It wasn’t any jealousy towards Spotty, but because Spotty succeeded to find her parent, she was no longer person appropriate to talk with Danti and Ostasi. From sobbing and whispering tale Yakta concluded that both his friends felt in one moment not only miss for dead fathers, but also long muffled guilt because of them.

“Zira would beat up any lioness who remind us betrayal of our fathers.” Sobbed Ostasi. “But it was, is and will be the truth – thanks to Horen, Daki and Laki, Amini died and our pride starved for years... And mister Horen is on the best way to atone for that...”

“What it can’t be said about ours...”

In that moment Yakta understood that caring about females is ten times harder than caring about cubs.

“I heard they died standing for their new family.” Said infirmly. “I’m sure it was the sign of their true, noble nature.”

“But we have no way to confirm that.” Sobbed Da careful auditor would have already detect a madness creeping through tongue of chief. “So we won’t get a pride this time, we are not here for that. As I say, we won’t enslave them. We will...” he didn’t changed melody of his voice even for one note. “... eradicate every single of them, leaving nothing but cold bodies behind us. No questions?” asked with airy tone. “Good! Let’s go hunt.”

*

Yakta woke up nti.

“Mister Horen know everything... if he only say us whole story, he...”

Horen didn’t hear that talk but if he heard, he would have thought something like that: “Well, it nice to be a father again, but if that meant to confess about my others secrets, I prefer to stay silent.”

*

Horen’s paw was hurting like hell, but redmaned paid limited attention on that. He was more concerned on doing something completely without purpose – on training Green Pride. “We won’t stand a chance.” He thought. “The sooner they will give up, the greater is the chance Keme will restrain his rage... But they will surrender, right after they notice that they defender... ran away. Stars! Why it has to go the same way over again!?” yelled in mind.

Training looked weird. Three Golden Ones plus Yakta were more deadly fighting force than rest of the pride. Skilled in combat, especially lion-to-lion combat, former Outlandresses and natural-gifted male were equivalent of ten Greenlandresses. Horen quickly mixed both groups and tried to continue the training, but then his daughter took him aside and whispered to him.

“Dad... Please, do not take it as a lack of respect, but I think that we: Danti, Ostasi and I should be in command. We have a fresh experience from...”

“You lead.” Interrupted her redmaned. “But just try to play my adjutant. It would be better for morale if I’m still considered as a chief.”

“Sure, dad!” smiled lioness and licked lion’s cheek in bolt of enthusiasm. “Do we will do something like... hm... just you have to repeat aloud what I will whisper to you, right?”

And exercises were going in new way, up to midday. Then Horen decide to do a break and sent lionesses on hunting. Of course on the most directed east part of jungle to avoid danger from rouges.

“Dammit!” gasped regent to Chanua and Jino, standing next to. “I just can’t find a good way. We all should be here, do be ready. But if we don’t hunt we will starve.”

“Don’t you even think about that.” Said queen. “With your paw you have to stay here. We will be all right.”

“Jino, could you go with them?” asked regent.

“Sure, Horen. I will make sure we all make it.” Chanua went back to hunting team and prince came closer to redmaned. He whispered on his ear. “I have some... quite difficult matter to cope with.”

“Go straight.” Replied regent. “I hope I could help.”

“It’s about... your daughter.” Said prince in so awkwardly way that it sounds almost funny. In fact Jino and Horen knew each other for two years. Spotty and Horen know each other for about twelve hours. But still... his carer was Spotty’s parent. “Do you have something against if I would try to... know her better?” asked with almost breaking voice.

“Definitely not.” Replied Horen, but in the same time he felt that new circumstance made his situation even harder. “Ow, Stars! Not now! In any other time I would be delighted... But for now I will be happy if I get Jino alive from this mess! If she eventually convince him to stay and defend pride...” he added quickly. “I think she will be glad of that... but boy, not now, please!”

“All right, all right.” Replied prince, but he was in the same time smiling like a tiny cub.

Horen returned to cave and laid himself on brushy bedding. He was unable to sleep, but he had to have some time to gather his thoughts and