Through her confusion and panic, Sarabi heard a voice calling her name, a voice she now loathed with all her heart. Taka. As soon as she heard it, a million thoughts and emotions rushed to her head. She never thoght that he would let himself do that to her. She'd trusted him as a member of her Pride, as a friend. Now, because of his.....lust, she and him were now trapped together, in a dark secret that they could never completely escape from. Luckily she had managed to save herself before it had gotten too far, but there were all sorts of consequences for the both of them. She closed her eyes and pressed her head back against the rock, hoping he wouldn't see her. But he did. She saw the awful, bloody wound on his right eye and the desperate look on his face.

"Sarabi, please, I'm sorry." Taka pleaded, his voice was far different from the one she had heard a few minutes ago. "I shouldn't have done that, I really shouldn't...."

"If you come any closer to me I'll rip your throat out." She growled. 

Taka stayed a good distance away, not doubting her warning for a second. Considering what had just happened, she probably meant what she said. A few seconds later, through the blurry haze that was his new vision, he saw her shoulders shaking and guessed that she was crying. He felt a slight twinge of guilt tingle through his body, but he dared not go and comfort her, fully aware of how she'd react. "Don't you see?" she sobbed, "It's all your fault. You just didn't think about it, did you? Now I'll be punished for severely wounding a lion of royal blood, all because I was defending myself! I mean, I've blinded you."

"I...I don't know. But Sarabi, think about it. You may be punished, but if the whole story comes out, if you tell them the...conditions...which led up to your attack, I will be punished, no, I'll be exiled," at this point his voice quavered,"and I don't know how I'll manage if that happens. For both our sakes, we have to keep this secret. If I keep my end of the deal, please, you have to keeep yours." Tears spurted down Sarabi's beautiful face as she realised his words were true. She nodded slowly, and turned away from him. "Sarabi...I can't change what happened, but perhaps I can help..."

"No, Taka. You can try and win me over with saying your sorry, grovelling and honey-sweet words, but it'll only make me hate you more. It's too late to apologise." she said coldly. Turning her back on him, she got up and walked away, as far as she could until she disappeared from view, and she could no longer feel his green eyes watching her.

                                          *******

It was good enough to fool the pride. Taka said he'd got the large, crescent- shaped scar fighting a fierce leapord that had wandered into the northern regions of the Pridelands and wanted to claim it for itself. He had finally managed to see it off, but not without getting a few battle-wounds. They were impressed, and Taka had to admit, it felt good. To finally feel all their eyes on him. He couldn't help himself, he looked up into his father's face, and saw, deep inside, a flicker of...approval? It felt so good, it felt like he was flying.

Only two lions who heard his tale could see how fragile his lie was. If anyone decided to investigate it, then it would crumble. Those two lions were Sarabi and Taka himself. If anyone would have dared look beneath its shiny, clean exterior, then they would have seen the truth, in all its ugliness and evil. Taka could pretend and make up all the lies he wanted, but deep down, he knew the truth. And no lie can ever change what is the truth.

Sarabi, too, knew the truth. Ever since Mufasa came back she'd never left his side.

"Sarabi, you've obviously missed me very much wiith all the extra attention I've been getting. I was only gone for a few hours!" He laughed and Sarabi laughed too, but inside, she thought- Oh Mufasa, if only you knew what a difference a few hours could make.

She banished the thought from her head and went to visit her best friend, Sarafina, who was lying in the sunshine.

"hey, Saffie, what's wrong?" She asked the pale, cream lioness who wa looking sadly at her paws.

"You know my litter brother? Sohran? He went off to join another pride when he came of age, and well, I haven't heard anything from him since."

"Oh, you'll get news of him eventually."

"But what if I don't?" Sarafina cried, and she really looked like she cared.

"You will! Besides, if you live your life thinking 'what if?' it's not really worth living then, is it?" Sarabi said brightly. Sarafina smiled bravely and nodded.

"You're right Sarabi. I've got to take life as it comes. I will get news from him eventually. Say, do you want to go on a hunt?" Sarabi's eyes shone with delight.

"Do you think we'll catch something of our own this time?" Every lion knew a sign that you were becoming an adult was killing something on your own, without the help of older lions. It was the vital mark of a mature lion, and was a very special event. The two lionesses went off together, looking for prey that would be possible for them to catch.

A herd of Thomosn's gazzelle grazed peacefully on the ridge of a hill. Their little orange bodies bounded along nimbly on long, spindly legs, as they moved from patch to patch, selecting the juiciest clumps of grass. A large male kept watch as the mothers and calves grazed happily. His beady black eyes surveyed the area, keeping watch for predators. He gave a short scream as a lioness apeared a way infront of him. He alerted the rest of the herd, but didn't move. He had survived for 6 years on the plains and knew the really dangerous lions were the ones that didn't show themselves. The herd bunched closer together, as the lioness walked casually infront of them, 60 metres or so ahead. She put her head back and roared. The young calves were becoming increasingly uneasy, and this distracted the buck who kept looking round at them. The lioness was now trotting slowly towards the herd, her eyes fixed on them. The buck was becoming increasingly agitated, the others were skittering to and fro, and mothers caling their calves close to them. The lioness was now well inside the gazzele's safety zone. Then without warning, she broke into a full-pelt run. The herd scattered, stampeding towards the edge of the hill, bucks, does, calves and all. The lioness had already marked out her target, an old, limping buck who was struggling to keep up. She galloped after it , weaving in and out, trying to carve out a split between her victim and the rest of the herd, but the old buck put up a fight, diving in and out, and trying to get back with the rest of the herd. Then, like a flash of lightning, a second lioness leapt out of the grass and fell onto the buck's back, sinking her teeth into its flesh.It slowed down and the first lioness jumped and grabbed it by the throat. The buck screamed in panic, looked around wildly and tripped. They fell down the hill together, knocking over several other gazzelle and pullling another down with them. The four of them tumbled down together and landed with a massive thud at the bottom of the hill. The gazzelle who had come down with them shot up and bolted away after the rest of the herd, screaming in fright,and leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

Sarabi looked up dizzily around her, and then realised her jaws were clamped around...her first kill! She had killed for real! She and Sarafina looked at eachother and laughed. Sarabi wanted to roar with happiness! Panting with excitement and exhaustion, the two lionesses began to eat greedily, relishing their triumph. It was an odd meal, they tried to eat quickly but still savour every glorious mouthful. There were vultures, hyenas and other low-life scavengers that would  pick up the fresh scent and soon there would be too many for two young lions to fend off.

"This is the best meat I've ever tasted!" Sarabi remarked, gulping down a large chunk.

"Only because you caught it youself!" Sarafina cried and the two of them laughed. They had almost eaten their fill when Sarabi felt another presence and whipped around snarling, ready to defend her prize from a hyena....but it was Taka. "Taka?" Sarafina said.

"Call me Scar." Taka said proudly, puffing out his chest at the mention of his new nickname, which he couldn't do very well. Sarabi was tense, but she didn't know why.

"Taka, err, Scar, you should know that it's only polite to let a lion finish  their first proper kill on their own, because it's a special event. If you're looking for a hand-out you've come to the wrong place." Sarabi mumbled before going back to her meal.

"Oh no, I would never dream of doing something so uncourteous. I was merely coming over to congratulate you on how extremey skilled and finely planned your hunt was, a real masterpiece...."  Sarabi's muscles stiffened and the food she was swallowing caught in her throat.

"Taka, I've warned you..." she muttered through gritted teeth. There was a slight, tense pause. Sarafina was loking at her, puzzled at her friend's uneasy expression.

"Anyway, I'll leave you two in peace." Taka, or Scar, said brightly, and swaggered off. They waited until he was out of earshot.

"....Hmph! Doesn't he just think he's got it all?" Sarabi scoffed as she cleaned her fur. Sarafina was taken aback.

"It's alright Sarabi. He's not done anything bad...." Sarafina said, cautiously. Sarabi snorted in disgust. "Why are you being so rough with him all of a sudden?" Sarifina said. Sarabi paused . She couldn't tell Sarafina the truth. She quickly covered herself up.

"I'm not! Why are you so nice to him? Now he's got that