departing Golden Queen. Finally even she got her position in rank, just after Kovu. She for the last time turned back to Prideland to catch the glimpse of Tanabi face. One-eyed saw an expression of fear on his sister’s face. He just whispered, hoping she would read from his lips.

“Go ahead! You will do it, I believe in you!” Then whole columns started on north-west, accompanied by roars of Pridelanders. All who stayed were looking for long minutes in formation disappearing behind one of dunes.

“So, they are gone.” Said finally Tanabi. Vitani came to him and cuddled to his side.

“Finally.” She said. “Let’s thank Stars they found their own way.”

“I know that it was how it should to be.” Said king, carefully touching mate’s belly. Her pregnancy still wasn’t visible, however shaman assured royal couplwas a real phenomenon, but one-eyed king of Prideland had earned a real likeness among former Outlandresses. It was obvious that lionesses would miss Vitani (what they showed night earlier on official farewell of their pridesister), but warm feeling about Tanabi wasn’t so obvious. However Prideland king was high-esteemed among departing pride. It was because of gratefulness for what he did about Zara’s and Scar’s memory? Partially yes, but it surely wasn’t all. With bolt of absurd humour Vitani thought that Golden Ones should leave Prideland before they make her jealous.

“No, I don’t. That’s why I’m asking.” Said Kovu hastening his sister.

“Since day when Tanabi lost his eye… He somehow sees more. I know it sounds stupid, but he has dreams about future, a strong hunches… It happened that some of them came true.”

e that they are already parents. Funny, when Tanabi’s paw stroked Vitani’s fur, they both thought the same thought: “If boy: we’ll name him Dahabu. If girl: Amali”. But then king continued. “But that dream is still haunting me.” He looked on mate. “You said about it Kovu, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Replied lioness. “But I still think it just a dream. If you really were scared about it, you would warn your sister.”

“It’s not so easy.” Said king carefully. “Sometimes the knowledge of coming danger is making it even more serious. I decided that she must face it alone. But I’m scared anyway.”

“Pridelanders!” murmured queen, faking distain. “Just shivering over own shadow. She is the Golden One now and she just can’t fear.” Then she once again looked on horizon over the desert and whispered. “Girls, I will miss you.”

Meanwhile column of Golden Ones came deep in desert, where no sign of green savannah was seen. Kiara was going just after Kovu, feeling end of his tail in her mouth. It wasn’t really necessary in normal march, but king decided to train his lionesses in oldest way of his pride to keep the formation in storm. If sand blizzard had broken out, physical contact between members of expedition was vital to survival. Who was lost on desert was most likely dead. So Kiara was keeping Kovu’s tail, gently grabbing him by teethes. Her tail was secured by Tetesi’s mouth. Then was going Tetesi’s mother – Dotty, farther sisters: Ukungu and Kauta. Queen didn’t remember who was in centre and on back.

Just a for someone’s wish, a gentle wind started, turning first part of journey into desert drill. Blows of hot air started to cause small clouds of dust. For real Golden Lioness it should be just funny view, however journeying pride was terrified at first.

“Come on!” called Kovu from lead. “A little breeze didn’t hurt anyone!” In fact he was scared as well, but his assurance worked – lionesses silenced their uneasy murmurs and just were marching, still keeping progresses tails in jaws. Only Kovu was still afraid, because there was no one to comfort him.

“That should be, my nephew.” Whispered unseen ghost of sandymaned lion. “I summoned that wind just to try your will. You have to stand this, it’s only beginning. From now on you must act like desert lion.” Sparthi marched next to column, looking with curiosity on his successor. “I wish to tell you I’m and your mother are close. But we can’t interfere. You must do it at your own.”

Wind grew a bit, making any talk in rank very hard. Because of tails in mouths no one talked anyway, but thanks to howls of sand-blows somehow appeased Kovu. He didn’t need to tall to his lionesses, didn’t have to soothe their fears.

Kiara was barely repressing herself from chewing her mate’s tail. She didn’t know that was actual problem for many generations of desert lions – when one is marching on desert without vision or firmness where one is going – it is natural nervous tick to chew what one has in mouth. So when Pridelander was saying: “bite my tail!” it meant: “leave me alone” or “no way!”. But when Golden One said that, it was like he or she was saying: “Trust me! I won’t let you down and get out from this storm”.

So unaware of that all Kiara was walking and silently crying. She had been going just for few hours but she was thinking she was dying. Her paws seemed kicking with constant pain and throat burning with fire. Queen felt she was at the edge of her endurance. She tried to convince herself that it can’t be, it was just a start, a tiny fraction of whole way. But when she understood she had maybe thirty times more to go, she almost tripped. Almost. Kovu didn’t notice, but Tetesi did.

“My queen!” said lioness. She probably shouted that, but to goldenfurred it came as a quiet whisper. “It’s no time… We will stop, when we could. Be strong… You have to find the strength inside.”

“I can’t!” sobbed queen. “My paws are burning.”

“Mine too.” Replied Tetesi. Kiara wasn’t sure if lioness behind her had heard her answer, or just guessed her complains. “But I’m going.”

“You are stronger, you are desert lioness.”

“Since you became Kovu’s mate, you are desert one much more than I.” Said brownfurred. Because of wind Kiara didn’t hear that in her voice sounded some sudden and aggressive tone. “Do it for him, do it for your king. Be strong.”

“But I just can’t.” called queen. Because they were marching against the wind, she was sure that Kovu couldn’t hear her words. “Tetesi?” Asked Kiara, when lioness was silent for a longer while. “Help me, please!”

She didn’t see the face of brownfurred. If she did, she might have wondered about it – lioness seemed to fight something inside, narrowing her eyes and tensing her lips. Finally she replied with a bit hollow voice.

“Right. Tell him I got a scratch and I ask for a stop.”

Queen sighed with yelp of joy and bit Kovu’s tail. She didn’t see how Tetesi quickly raised her left paw and scratch the left one. Tough Outlandress didn’t show any pain on her face.

 

And it was that way during all the journey. You probably can’t imagine what I was through. I was nursing the big kid, almost four-year kitty, that Kiara actually was. She wasn’t prepared to desert life at all. I had to convince Kovu to change our plan of march to adjust to queen’s abilities. I had to share my water with her, because portions of cactus-pulp we were eating as water-supply were too small for her. I had to massage her swollen paws and stretched muscles. And doing it all in so discrete way, that Kovu couldn’t see. Later I learned that he knew from the start. So after all I didn’t lose anything on that. But that afternoon, when I was asking for stop, for Kiara but on behalf of myself, I was thinking that I’m making an idiot and weakling from myself, just to cover Kiara’s inabilities.

You could ask why I did it? Honestly I don’t know. Maybe I was trying already to gain some power over her? Get close, observe and look for opportunity to act in my quest. But I doubt – even if I did it completely subconsciously. It might sounds funny, but I rather think I did it because of duty. After all Kiara was my queen. I am just a subject, I have no right to judge on my rulers. That is my part to serve them and their to guide me. Whatever Kiara was doing her queen’s duties I wanted to do my job well.

But maybe it was the third reason. I love now and I loved Kovu then with so firm and fierce love that any way to support him, serve and protect I took as my sacred duty. And if Kovu’s shine was reflecting in his mate, I was bound to watch over her, whatever was the cost. Then I was still able to restrain my will and even fool myself about my real wants. But maybe it failed even on that evening when we were resting after my “accident”.

Let’s go back to that time. Kovu instantly stopped the column and ran to me with fest beating heart (his fear and concern was clear). When he noticed my wound – small, however making a possibility of infection – he called to pride about need of stopover. Then he – although I protested – just ordered to put me on his back and carried me to nearest oasis. We sidetracked from route to get there and we probably lost totally about eight hours of march, including the break and way astray. But he didn’t say a word about it.

When we get to that cluster (I called it <oasis> giving it much more credit that it deserved) he put me on bushes bedding and carefully examined my paw. “We are camping here tonight.” Said, however it was about hour before the dusk. “Just lay yourself to sleep.” Then he took my paw, looked it with concerned stare and sighed. That sigh was the drop that broke the dame. Since that moment I confessed inside that I loved him and I want him to be with me, whatever it would took. It wasn’t (yet) direct idea to rid off (all right, I don’t want to sound like a hypocrite. To kill.) Kiara, but if one step was made, another seemed to be unavoidable.

Then he cleaned my wound. Just bended down and started to lick my pawpad. I know, it could be just an ordinary concern of ruler about his subject. Perhaps it was, but I read it as a chance, a spark of hope.

“Does it hurt?” asked finally, when finished.

“After such a treatment it

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