but she acted like severely wounded. It definitely wasn’t he best way to learn how to became a Golden Queen. Instinctively king looked on Tetesi. Lioness avoided her death by inches, her paw was almost lost due to deep cut (that missed tendons by millimetres), however she was definitely closer to be all right than queen. Kovu thought. “I bet that if I order her, she will stand up now and act like healthy one. Oh, Kiara, you must learn from them to be good leader.” He had to sighed louder, because Tetesi awoke.

“Sir?” she asked with concerned voice. “Is something wrong, sir?” She tried to carefully stand on three paws, but Kovu quickly stopped her.

“Wait, lay and rest. It’s all ok.” Said with airy voice.

“I’m so ashamed sir…” she took a look around and added. “I’m so ashamed, Kovu. In the most difficult time for pride I’m useless here.”

“Don’t back to that .” interrupted her Kovu. “You did much more than I had right to expect. I want you to recover fast not because I want you to hunt, but I just want you to be healthy.”

“I know, sir.” She replied. “Thanks.”

King sat down to look Tetesi’s paw. The wound was slowly recovering, turning to scar. No infection, (“Thank Stars!” thought Kovu) intact tendon. In that rate of recovery, strong lioness would be ready to her duties within two weeks. King wished that Kiara had at least part of toughness of her subject.

“Lady Kiara is already up.” Said lioness. “I should try to walk too.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” snorted Kovu. “She have just few calluses, not an opened would.” He looked in eyes of friend. “And she is not match to your strength and vigour. I wish that…” he stopped for a while, not sure what he wished. “That you could somehow teach her this hard life here. She can’t march, can’t fight, can’t scout. She isn’t gifted with those skills you have.”

“We are learning whole life.” Said Tetesi with some kind of discrete smile on her face. Kovu seemed not to notice it.

“Tetesi… I know I shouldn’t ask you for that, but…”

“But whatever you want, you should order me that.” Smiled lioness. “What is your wish, my king?”

“Would you teach her? Would you make Kiara Outlander… Golden One?” asked Kovu with concerned voice. “I know it’s…”

“Excellent idea, sir!” replied brownfurred instantly. “I’m partially disable now and I can’t run fast enough to hunt. But in several day I will be able to walk. And then…” She measured her ruler with careful stare. “Are you really sure of it, Kovu? Hard, Zira-like training?”

“She needs it.” Nodded blackmaned.

“In several days I would start to show her basics of martial arts.” She said with decisive voice. “I’m not sure how much it would take me to recover to condition I could help her with scouting stuff, but when I’m ready, I’ll try.” She stopped for a while and added with uncertain voice. “You know… I will try. I’ll do my best, but I can’t guarantee…”

“Tetesi… I will be grateful to you for every try.” Said Kovu. “I guess that your convalescence would be even more tiring than normal pride duties…”

“The point is it could be useful.” Said lioness. “If you really think it’s necessary, I will gladly help you. You know…”

“Thank you, Tetesi.” Said Kovu and in impulse bended down to lioness and licked her forehead. Then stood up and exited main chamber.

Lioness smiled with radiant smile and laid her head on paws. She felt in light slumber, not aware that whole scene was carefully observed by Lipizi.

*

Lipizi left her cubs under care of Dotty (lioness was watching her daughter when rest of pride was on hunt, so she was in cave anyway) then went into mountains. That meant – to range of high rock on north-east of Golden Sands. I was big massif, over three hundred metres height, about two kilometres from lions keep. The entrance to that range was long crack in rocks called Rumble Gorge. Lipizi entered it and walked slowly ahead, still up, deeper in massif. When she made about kilometre, she heard sounds of echoed steps. She stopped and looked up on path on slope.

“Angaa.” Said Lipizi, looking on sandymaned lion. Newcomer was moderate built young male, seemed agile and fast. He was heard because he wanted to – for his deft moves it seemed that he was able to walk soundlessly. In his eyes was something deadly, but in the same time he was looking on lightfurred lioness with mixture of obedience and in the same time irritation.

“Lipizi.” He murmured and jumped down to female. “What lured you out from Golden Cave? Bored with Ghibu and Jamaa?” asked with irony, but then asked with serious concern. “How are your cubs?”

“Cubs are all right.” Replied Lipizi with hollow voice. “However someone else is not.” Angaa tilted his head, carefully looking on lioness’s muzzle. “You brother is dead.” Lion narrowed his eyes with amaze. “He was killed by pride that came here.”

“But… but, how?” whispered Angaa.

“What?” asked Lipizi with poisonous voice. “Are experiencing the sudden inflow of brotherly love?”

“Are you serious?” Angaa was really shocked.

“Yes, father of my cubs is dead.” Said lightfurred. “Even if you hated your brother, he was of your blood. You have to avenge him.”

“Lipizi, I will take care about…”

“Me and cubs.” Snorted lioness. “I guess you always see the bright side of life. Thanks, I need your help. But not in particularly living happy ever after, but in killing that rascal Kovu.” She lowered her voice almost to growl. “And that blasted Tetesi.”

So it really happened.

After few more days, when I was able to stand and walk a little, our trainings began. Life in pride became a routine – all pride was hunting, in cave stayed only Lipizi with cubs. Even brownmaned Jamaa was temporally helping the hunting team. Kovu allowed him to stay in Golden Cave till Lipizi decide if she stays or not. So rouge was showing pride the best game-territories and teaching the basis of desert life. At least that mother told me. Girls got liked that strange lion. He was simple-hearted, very kind and really wanted to help. Really – he didn’t mattered that Kovu wanted him to go away (the truth was that Kovu was close to allow him to stay, however it was against customs of pride and also against the basic logic. Kauli successfully convinced him it was impossible.). Jamaa was doing his best to, as he said <thank for hostel to rightful owners of Golden Cave>. Lionesses quickly got crazy about that naïve big child. Even my mother who is rather rational. I guess that we were so shocked by finding on that hostile desert someone who simply liked us, that we had to like him back, don’t matter what.

I successfully avoid that all, because I had own problems. As I said, when I was able, I started first lessons with Kiara. I remember well our first training. Queen was excited from early morning (I wished to sleep a bit more, as Kauli advised me, but she woke me up even before pride went on hunt) so I had to temper that enthusiasm.

“This is not a game, my lady.” I said, when we were going up on Golden Massif plateau. “Are you sure you want he to do it.”

“Of course I want!” she called with cubbish joy. “I promised Kovu I will get touch like you all.” I wanted to reply that I took us over three years of exile and was possible only thanks to sentence of her father, but I remained silent until we were up.

“Come here, ma’am.” I pointed on nice levelled square in centre of top. It was place where in old days bodies of dead pridememebers were laid as a form of funeral. Winds and sandstorms tore them into pieces and blew to the desert. That why lion was returning to Mother Desert and eternally was present in his home keep. When I looked on altar-like stone where bodies where placed, I thought about Kiara lying there. It was third time I want her dead but maybe the first time I wasn’t scared by that thought. “Here will be good place to fight… to train.”

We stopped in centre of free space, looking on each other carefully. I was estimating queen’s potential, she was just waiting for adventure to come. I felt that she wasn’t prepared for real training.

“Are you sure?” I asked. When she nodded, I added. “But ma’am… You are queen and I’m your subject. But if you want to learn anything, you must obey my orders. Just in time of drill. After that you can punish me for every hit I delivered to you, for every shout and scold. But after we finish, ok?”

“Tetesi…” said a bit confused Kiara. “I don’t mean to…”

“Will you follow me I everything I tell you?” She nodded. “I want to hear it!” I added with harsh voice.

“I will.” Said Kiara and in her voice sounded first notes of fear. She started to discover what she was in.

“That’s good.” I smiled and came closer. As I thought, she shivered. “Try… just to stay on paws… and be quiet.” I added and pushed her with side at my might.

She overturned instantly, loudly hitting the rock. She was so amazed, that she didn’t burst in tears, however I knew she wanted to. She was just looking on me with her deep, cubbish eyes, waiting for any explanation.
”Get up… ma’am.” I ordered, although <ma’am> sounded as a mockery.

“Why did you…”

“GET UP!” I shouted.

Let’s explain few thing – I can’t say it wasn’t pleasant to see my rival lying helplessly on the ground, however I did the normal drill of basic martial training. The maintaining balance was the key to every fighting technique. And I, whole outlanders, Vitani, even Kovu were taught in the same way in the beginning. Zira knew she wasn’t immortal so she taught us not only to fight, but also to teach to fight. I was ready to forward that knowledge.

“If you say so…” Kiara slowly raised her body. I gave her several seconds, then again threw her to the ground. I sensed no more resistance that in the first time.

“Stand!” I shouted. “Don’t let me overturn you!”

“But Tetesi… I want to learn how to fight…”

“So first off all learn how to stay on your