body of her mother. She also never asked Outlanders what happened near Elephant Fort. But when she imagined dead mother, sight of triumphal queen’s stare also came to her mind.
*
When queen and her retinue woke up, it was already two hours after dawn. All were sleepy and tired after events of night, but Vitani seeing how late it was, cheered them to stand up.
“How are you doing, my lady?” asked Kucha.
“Better, much better.” Replied blue-eyed. “I think I will no longer slow you down nor be the weak spot. However I must ask you to hunt for me. I have a lot to do today.” Lioness nodded her head, then asked.
“But what?”
“Something you can’t help me with.” Queen replied. shout. Even Anasa, still sleeping then opened her eyes. “That is not exactly your matter, so leave me here alone until dusk. At night we all will salute Zira, Queen of Prideland and tomorrow we will reclaim her land.” Both Kucha and Maitha put much effort to hear it with calmness, but made no comments. Vitani noticed that and addressed to lionesses. “Girls, understand me – I’m not leaving tradition of Prideland’s Line. I’m reviving it… in its all complexity.”
“As I said – I step your every pawprint.” Said Maitha. “But do not expect to praise each one.”
“But if we leave you…” asked Kucha. “What will prince and Anasa do?”
“Just…” Vitani looked on cubs. “…play somewhere here.”
“In the Outlands!?” called scarred Kucha and Maitha.
“I grew up here and I’m still alive.” Snorted Outlandress. “They will be fine. Right, my dears?”
“I guess we have no choice.” Smiled Dhahabu.
“But don’t leave paths, don’t climb on too sloppy walls, don’t enter cracks…” Started to specify Vitani.
“…don’t play with avalanches, don’t wrestle on cliffs and don’t talk with strangers if we somehow find any.” Finished prince with laughter. “Mom, I know what you mean.”
“So, now go.” Ordered queen. “I need some time for myself and my old pride.

*

It was already well in the afternoon once Vitani reached her intended destination; the gleaming, red sun was already starting to set in the west. The Outland's terrain had never displayed a lot of variation, only barren and dull wastelands for as far as the eye could see, riddled with chasms and ridges, bones and termite-mounds. The place where Vitani stood now wasn't much different from any other place of the Oulands, really: just another huge, hollow mound.
But this former termite home was different; at least, to any decent Outlander it was. Only they could tell it from other termite-mounds, and only they knew what rested inside.
Vitani carefully entered through the rather small opening, into an equally small space. The Outlander's 'Mausoleum'. It wasn't a real mausoleum, of course, no bodies were kept there. The place was obviously to small for that. And besides, that wasn't the Outlander's way.
But that didn't mean the room couldn't serve as a place of remembrance, to the contrary: the Outlanders had their own rituals and customs for that, fitting the small room perfectly.
For each pridemember fallen, they kept in the small room a small token. A symbol, a reminder, a statement. The first token was just a piece of wood, taken from Border River. On the log, all living members of Pride had made their scratch to leave some sort of trace at least. It was a meant to recall Hawaa, the last one to have fallen before the Battle of the Reunion. Just next to that were the other 'shrines' – bones of an antelope, to recall Cheka, who died on the hunt. A few steps further: a bunch of dried Prideland grass, taken from place where Rama died, fighting Pridelanders. And another piece of wood, found in the river, to remind of Amini’s death during the crossing of the border.
It was a sober, clean and efficient way to remember the fallen; just the way Outlanders liked it. Nothing fancy.
Nothing Pridelandish, Vitani smirked.
But there was still something missing, an almost tangible emptiness in the room. Vitani carefully revealed a small piece of rock. She'd kept it secret for a long, long time, her own little totem. But she knew it belonged here. It was a small shard of rock from the cliff of Gorge River. She'd taken it from around where Zira had made her last stand, where she'd lost her last battle – that against gravity. Vitani placed the small relic next to the others; finally, Zira had the shrine in the Outlands she deserved. She was, at least symbolically, among her sisters once more.
A single tear slid dh Kucha and Maitha put much effort to hear it with calmness, but made no comments. Vitani noticed that and addressed to lionesses. “Girls, understand me – I’m not leaving tradition of Prideland’s Line. I’m reviving it… in its all complexity.”
“As I said – I step your every pawprint.” Said Maitha. “But do not expect to praise each one.”
“But if we leave you…” asked Kucha. “What will prince and Anasa do?”
“Just…” Vitani looked on cubs. “…play somewhere here.”
“In the Outlands!?” called scarred Kucha and Maitha.
“I grew up here and I’m still alive.” Snorted Outlandress. “They will be fine. Right, my dears?”
“I guess we have no choice.” Smiled Dhahabu.
“But don’t leave paths, don’t climb on too sloppy walls, don’t enter cracks…” Started to specify Vitani.
“…don’t play with avalanches, don’t wrestle on cliffs and don’t talk with strangers if we somehow find any.” Finished prince with laughter. “Mom, I know what you mean.”
“So, now go.” Ordered queen. “I need some time for myself and my old pride.

*

It was already well in the afternoon once Vitani reached her intended destination; the gleaming, red sun was already starting to set in the west. The Outland's terrain had never displayed a lot of variation, only barren and dull wastelands for as far as the eye could see, riddled with chasms and ridges, bones and termite-mounds. The place where Vitani stood now wasn't much different from any other place of the Oulands, really: just another huge, hollow mound.
But this former termite home was different; at least, to any decent Outlander it was. Only they could tell it from other termite-mounds, and only they knew what rested inside.
Vitani carefully entered through the rather small opening, into an equally small space. The Outlander's 'Mausoleum'. It wasn't a real mausoleum, of course, no bodies were kept there. The place was obviously to small for that. And besides, that wasn't the Outlander's way.
But that didn't mean the room couldn't serve as a place of remembrance, to the contrary: the Outlanders had their own rituals and customs for that, fitting the small room perfectly.
For each pridemember fallen, they kept in the small room a small token. A symbol, a reminder, a statement. The first token was just a piece of wood, taken from Border River. On the log, all living members of Pride had made their scratch to leave some sort of trace at least. It was a meant to recall Hawaa, the last one to have fallen before the Battle of the Reunion. Just next to that were the other 'shrines' – bones of an antelope, to recall Cheka, who died on the hunt. A few steps further: a bunch of dried Prideland grass, taken from place where Rama died, fighting Pridelanders. And another piece of wood, found in the river, to remind of Amini’s death during the crossing of the border.
It was a sober, clean and efficient way to remember the fallen; just the way Outlanders liked it. Nothing fancy.
Nothing Pridelandish, Vitani smirked.
But there was still something missing, an almost tangible emptiness in the room. Vitani carefully revealed a small piece of rock. She'd kept it secret for a long, long time, her own little totem. But she knew it belonged here. It was a small shard of rock from the cliff of Gorge River. She'd taken it from around where Zira had made her last stand, where she'd own Vitani's cheek as she lay down the stone

“Bye, mom. I hope Kovu has taken the time to remember you, as I did. I'm sure he has, he's a good kid. Almost everything he's done recently has been in an effort to find forgivingness. I hope he got it...”

The lioness sighed profoundly, kneeled down solemnly kissed the cold shard of stone, then got back up. She glanced at all the other totems.

“Are you all listening?”

She didn't wait for a response, nor would it have made any sense to do so.

“I know it's been long. I don't know if I've been here nearly as much as I should have... But I need your help. I stand here before you an Outlander again. And I stand alone, alone in the defense of all we Outlanders believe in. alone in the defense of my mother's name, alone in the defense of my father's reign. But even now, I won't even think about betraying my name, or my history. And I sure as hell won't allow Nala to defile it some more. That's why I need my throne back, and that's why I need help. But I don't know who to turn to... please, tell me!”

Vitani waited, but she knew no answers would come. After a while, she got back up, disappointed even though she hadn't really hoped for a solution to present itself.

“Well, thanks anyway. Sorry for your time...”

She looked at the shrine again. Somehow, it still felt as if something was missing. There was still some room left next to the rock-shard she had just placed there.

“Dad's token should be there,” she mumbled, “But it can't. He never was a real Outlander... just a Pridelander with good tastes.”

Vitani giggled at her own remark.

“Besides, what to put there? How did he die again...?”

Suddenly, Vitani felt as if she was thunderstruck. A lightning bolt of idea's had just hit her, and her mind was working at it's full capacity. A smile formed on her face.

“Bye, mom. I hope Kovu has taken the time to remember you, as I did. I'm sure he has, he's a good kid. Almost everything he's done recently has been in an effort to find forgivingness. I hope he got it...”

The lioness

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