we enter the beach, stay submerged and wait, until we start. Then strike at random, until they all surrender.”

“Or die.” Replied Msaka with quieter voice. “Anyway, we’ll do as you wish.” Then he wagged his tail to give a sign to his family. Reptiles started to enter the river.

“Mom, please, don’t do this!” yelled Dhahabu, nudging Vitani’s side.

“Why do you assume I have any choice?” replied lioness with question. “I can’t give up. I could do it as myself, but I’m also your father’s mate and your mother. I’m queen of Prideland.”

“So you can’t hurt your subject!” cried cub. “You can’t stand against grandma… You can’t stand against Anasa’s mother!”

“I have no such a dilemma.” Replied monarchess. “They stand against me.” She hugged Dhahabu, but then pushed him aside with gentle, yet decisive move. “Stay here, on this shore.” She turned to Kucha, Maitha and Umeme. “Are you still with me?”

“I hate to say that, but I am.” Replied Kucha. Others nodded.

“So there will be no touching speeches.” Said Vitani. “Because of simple reason – what you do is not some feat, but your duty. You are the few who read your duty properly…” she pointed on the other bank. On range of River Hills they all noticed incoming Pridelandresses. “…when most read it wrong. But there is no time to think over what went wrong. We will, but later, when we secure at least basics of order that was broken recently.” Then she added with quieter voice. “Forgive me, I allowed on that. I will sorry you with every day of my life from now on, but we must get back home. We are not the wind of change. We are the wind of constancy, who brings the things on their places. Go, my Windies!”

To her surprise, three lioness roared with conviction, giving sound much louder than one could expect of three throats. In it sounded a tone of decisiveness and loyalty. Something grabbed heart of Vitani. “I didn’t deserve it! Stars! Let me live and make it up!”.

Retinue of queen entered the water.

*

“They are cherishing they betrayal.” Snorted Bidii with distain. She was carefully looking for Anasa, expecting to see her in first line, taken as hostage for usurper. But there was no cub in sight.

The morning was clear and sunny, however not hot. Sun shone fromyour title.” Dhahabu nodded even with more decisiveness. “So tell me, my young lord, if I obeyed you because of that, what would make me disobey the queen of Prideland.”

“Eee…” replied Dhahabu with sudden confusion.

“Believe me – due to the same reason I listened to you, now I’m listening your mother now, my prince.” Then he turn back to Vitani. “You son is smart, but you still have to work over him. Now, give your orders.”

“Just follow us, crossing the river.” Instructed queen. “When we enter the beach, stay submerged and wait, until we start. Then strike at random, until they all surrender.”

“Or die.” Replied Msaka with quieter voice. “Anyway, we’ll do as you wish.” Then he wagged his tail to give a sign to his family. Reptiles started to enter the river.

“Mom, please, don’t do this!” yelled Dhahabu, nudging Vitani’s side.

“Why do you assume I have any choice?” replied lioness with question. “I can’t give up. I could do it as myself, but I’m also your father’s mate and your mother. I’m queen of Prideland.”

“So you can’t hurt your subject!” cried cub. “You can’t stand against grandma… You can’t stand against Anasa’s mother!”

“I have no such a dilemma.” Replied monarchess. “They stand against me.” She hugged Dhahabu, but then pushed him aside with gentle, yet decisive move. “Stay here, on this shore.” She turned to Kucha, Maitha and Umeme. “Are you still with me?”

“I hate to say that, but I am.” Replied Kucha. Others nodded.

“So there will be no touching speeches.” Said Vitani. “Because of simple reason – what you do is not some feat, but your duty. You are the few who read your duty properly…” she pointed on the other bank. On range of River Hills they all noticed incoming Pridelandresses. “…when most read it wrong. But there is no time to think over what went wrong. We will, but later, when we secure at least basics of order that was broken recently.” Then she added with quieter voice. “Forgive me, I allowed on that. I will sorry you with every day of my life from now on, but we must get back home. We are not the wind of change. We are the wind of constancy, who brings the things on their places. Go, my Windies!”

To her surprise, three lioness roared with conviction, giving sound much louder than one could expect of three throats. In it sounded a tone of decisiveness and loyalty. Something grabbed heart of Vitani. “I didn’t deserve it! Stars! Let me live and make it up!”.

east-northern sky, giving savannah tone of deep green, especially even for rainy season. Air was calm and just few clouds on sky sometimes cover sun to uncover it just after. The weather was almost perfect – much too absurdly nice for day of wrath.

“Don’t worry, we will find her.” Assured friend Nala. “And we will find Dhahabu. Just let’s stop that madlioness and all will be right.”

She believed that, or at least hoped that. She took a last look on her “army”. It was eight lionesses, not counting herself. They went against Vitani and two possible traitors of pride. Ex-queen was very uneasy about that – if Outlandress wanted to fight, she had to hope for success. But how she could hope for it, with almost no force? “There must be some deceit in that.” Thought regent. “She wants to use Anasa.” Concluded and shivered inside, still uncertain how to act in such situation. But then she froze, seeing four silhouettes entering water. Not three. Four.

“Umeme…” whispered Nala.

She closed her eyes to open them again and again scan the landscape. But she was right – goldenfurred lioness was swimming just next to Vitani. In that seconds their stares crossed. In her grey eyes Nala read a fear mixed with guilt. But there was no hesitation. She seemed lost for the cause. Regentess sighed with pain.

Umeme was someone closer for her than other lionesses. Maybe close as daughter, especially after Kiara was gone. Only member of pride who so boldly disobeyed Vitani and for most time stayed with exiled ex-rulers. “She always was <against>.” Thought Nala with tone of motherly tenderness. “But Stars! Why she have to be against me now?”

“Ma’am!” called Mto, probably seeing Umeme too.

“Carry out your orders.” Murmured regent with shivering voice. “Vitani is not allowed to enter our soil.”

Pridelandresses ran thought beach and stopped on the bank of river. Msaka and others crocodiles were waiting - almost totally submerged - for Vitani’s moves.

*

Running after almost four days of coma was not as simple as Tanabi initially thought.

Hurrying, he ignored Thamath suggestion to eat something and he just set of to run, followed by Simba and Pumbaa (carrying Timon). Zazu was already in the air, flying to intercept assumed unit from Mighty Jungle. Shaman tried to run as fast as lions and warthog, but they have to overrun him and leave soon.

King was speeding as fast he could, but with any waterhole he spotted, he stopped to spit out bloody saliva from his mouth and drink. Because in rainy seasons there was many waterholes, you must get the point – generally they weren’t travelling too fast.

“Son, I will carry you.” Called Simba, seeing as Tanabi laid down to pool, coughing with blood and remnants of dirt from his throat.

“I think I’m a bit too old for that!” replied lion and submerged whole muzzle in water. After few draughts he almost jumped up on four paws and set of to farther running.

“Just thinking aloud.” Replied Simba and followed his son and king.

Tanabi that time felt a bit stronger and decided not to search for any excuses for a break. He climbed a hill from where he looked north. He cursed his lost eyes, because his visual imparity really disturbed his ability to estimate distances. So he had no idea, how much more he had to run.

“Go, faster!” hastened Tanabi and jumped ahead.

He wanted to jump over tree trunk, lying on grass. But as we noticed before, with just one eye he couldn’t judge distanced properly. Despite of almost year of his injure, he often forgot about that. Most of those cases were very painful.

“Tanabi!” called scared Simba, coming to lying son.

King opened his eye to learn that he hit with muzzle into trunk and overturned. Bronwmaned helped to stand up and said.

“Maybe we’ll try…”

“Dad, they will see me!” gasped redmaned, but then he turned his stare to the ground. “But… if you take me for a while and we stop before hills.”

“Of course, my boy.” Said Simba and lowered his body. King uncertain climbed on parent’s back.

*

Vitani sensed a bottom under her paws, so she based on it. She was fording ahead, slowly emerging from water. She heard as Umeme at her side also touched the ground. On beach already waited a welcome-party. Nala was on lead.

“You shouldn’t have come here.” She shouted. “You chose our Outlands as a home, so be consistent!”

“I have two homes.” Replied lioness. “Place where I was born and place where I’m queen.”

“Ow, you go straight to the point.” Smiled Nala with bitter smile. “I hoped for little more courtesy. But very well – as a regent of Prideland I forbid you to enter the land, unless you return prince Dhahabu here and promise to drop any action offending our pride.”

“Only action offending pride is disobedience!” growled Vitani.

“Grandma!” called Dhahabu from the other side. Heart of queen froze – she wondered if her son was determined enough to warn Pridelanders about ambush. But no, he tried something different. “Let mom in!”

“Ow, Dhahabu!” replied regentess. “You are all right…” she sighed with genuine relief, then added. “Should I let her exile me again? You know what means if she rule again. But don’t worry, you are my prince anyway.”

“Let

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