would be in details, but decision was made.

*

Late at night Arista was returning to cave, but he met Masa on the doorstep. Lioness waged her tail, showing that she wanted to talk with king, outside the cavern. Ruler followed her to got just on the other side of acacia alley. They sat on sand, still warm after long and hot day.

“Is something wrong?” asked ruler. “Is Zira…”

“I still don’t know what it was about.” Replied Masa. “I guess she had just a fight with Wivu and got that cut. Strange thing is that Zira got beaten, not Wivu… but anyway. Neither she nor Wivu wants to say exactly what happened. I guess they reconciled already. Zira didn’t complain on sister.”

“That’s good.” Said king. “Even if that was Wivu’s fault, I’m glad that Zira didn’t tell about it. It’s important lesson for her that family always goes first. And this time…” Then he looked on Masa and added with quieter voice. “Family always goes first… Masa, don’t you think that raising Zira is hard for you? I mean – you are going excellent, but doesn’t your relation with Wivu suffer because of that.”

“Oh, my… lord.” Smiled lioness. She told it with so tender tone, that if sounded almost she said <my love>. “Family goes first… and Zira is my family. She is my daughter in every aspect except of blood. We are all one – Zira, Wivu… you, I hope.”

Arista smiled and came closer to Masa. She put her head on his shoulder and they stayed that way for longer. Finally king said with quiet voice.

“I still miss Malkha… but Stars blessed me with you. I just can’t imagine, what would be without your help.”

*

Next day seemed to be cooler. Some dusty clouds were dimming the sky, making walking outside more pleasant that usual in that season. Rains were about to come, but in desert even just before rainy season it was dry and hot as on savannah in heat of winter. But weather was still appropriate for journeys and Zira felt it in her spine. She was desert lioness after all.

“Hey, bro!” she came to Sparthi, who just woke up and was trying to stay fully awake. “I won’t go to Rumble Gorge today.”

“Are you grounded?” asked sandymaned.

“No, not that.” Replied his little sister. “I just want to go to Dried Oasis.”

“What is so interesting in Dry Oasis?” asked lion, but then added. “No way! You won’t go there alone. You must ask dad or wait as uncle Dhalimu returns.”

“…or I use new personnel on board.” Smiled Zira. “Hey, Kauli, come here?” When reptile was creeping to royal sibling, she explained. “He will come with me. That’s not too far and snake would be just fine for that trip.”

“Yessss, my princesssss?”

“Oh, you must work on your pronunciation.” Judged Zira. “I simply don’t know if you meant plural or feminine form.”

“Kauli, would you keep an eye on Zira?” asked sandymaned. “She wants to go to Dried Oasis.”

“Assss you wish, my prince.” Replied snake. “If you think I would be proper carer…”

“So, it’s settled then.” Smiled Zira. “Tell dad I’m going.”

“Will you be back on lunch?”

“Of course!” replied Zira. “But I’m not sure if today’s lunch.” They both burst with laughter – that was their old joke. But in fact Zira was deadly serious about that.

She waited as Sparthi went with Ghera and other cubs (that morning Zira didn’t speak with Wivu, but she decided not to anyway; first she wanted to show few things, also to adoptive sister) and when they disappeared behind corner of Golden Massif, she grabbed Kauli up and put him on her neck.

“Choking or masssssage?” asked confused python. And then he gasped with pain. “Ugh!” Zira coiled snake around her neck and tied him in simple knot. “Are you mad!?” hissed Kauli. “On the contrary to common beliefssssss, my backbone hassss some threshold of flexibility!”

“Don’t complain!” smiled Zira and finished her knot. “That way you have the most comfortable position for our trip.”

“I guess I could crawl to Dried Oasis by mysssself.” Noticed reptile.

“Who said we are going to Dried Oasis?” asked Zira.

“Hm… you?”

“Well… we are going to Dried Oasis and a bit further. I always wanted to know that is south-east from here. And you – as skilled desert creature – will help me survive on the desert.”

“Wait, princessss!” yelled Kauli. “I was meant to be a lawyer! Desert trekking wassssn’t in my contract.” Seeing that Zira was marching straight south-east (what wasn’t so easy – after all snake was a solid weight for cub), he added with desperate voice. “Your father wouldn’t allow on this.”

“You could go and search for him.” Smiled Zira, not slowing down. “But you still have to keep an eye on me. Sparthi said nothing that you can’t be carried.”

“I don’t like thissssss job!” hissed python.

 

IV. Last Oasis

 

Zira left Kauli no choice. Snake could creep back to Golden dent: 9pt;">“Yessss, my princesssss?”

“Oh, you must work on your pronunciation.” Judged Zira. “I simply don’t know if you meant plural or feminine form.”

“Kauli, would you keep an eye on Zira?” asked sandymaned. “She wants to go to Dried Oasis.”

“Assss you wish, my prince.” Replied snake. “If you think I would be proper carer…”

“So, it’s settled then.” Smiled Zira. “Tell dad I’m going.”

“Will you be back on lunch?”

“Of course!” replied Zira. “But I’m not sure if today’s lunch.” They both burst with laughter – that was their old joke. But in fact Zira was deadly serious about that.

She waited as Sparthi went with Ghera and other cubs (that morning Zira didn’t speak with Wivu, but she decided not to anyway; first she wanted to show few things, also to adoptive sister) and when they disappeared behind corner of Golden Massif, she grabbed Kauli up and put him on her neck.

“Choking or masssssage?” asked confused python. And then he gasped with pain. “Ugh!” Zira coiled snake around her neck and tied him in simple knot. “Are you mad!?” hissed Kauli. “On the contrary to common beliefssssss, my backbone hassss some threshold of flexibility!”

“Don’t complain!” smiled Zira and finished her knot. “That way you have the most comfortable position for our trip.”

“I guess I could crawl to Dried Oasis by mysssself.” Noticed reptile.

“Who said we are going to Dried Oasis?” asked Zira.

“Hm… you?”

“Well… we are going to Dried Oasis and a bit further. I always wanted to know that is south-east from here. And you – as skilled desert creature – will help me survive on the desert.”

“Wait, princessss!” yelled Kauli. “I was meant to be a lawyer! Desert trekking wassssn’t in my contract.” Seeing that Zira was marching straight south-east (what wasn’t so easy – after all snake was a solid weight for cub), he added with desperate voice. “Your father wouldn’t allow on this.”

“You could go and search for him.” Smiled Zira, not slowing down. “But you still have to keep an eye on me. Sparthi said nothing that you can’t be carried.”

“I don’t like thissssss job!” hissed python.

 

Sands – but because of tempo of that movement it would take too much time to find some help, stay I Dried Oasis or go with princess. Hoping that flying Hatibu would find them quickly, he decided to stay with cub. So he was carried to most distant waterhole in Golden Sands and then - after short stop and watering – took farther.

Idea of Zira wasn’t clear. She simply wanted to go somewhere far, outside the kingdom. She knew that her uncle Dhalimu was often wandering on desert, visiting outside lands. Straight north from home was wide and seemingly endless, but somewhere there had to be some fertile land, because from there once came Golden Pride. West from cave desert turned to more rocky plain. Rumble Range was also one of many mountain ranges there, but due to still dry terrain no interesting region there. East from Golden Sands was desert too, but Dhalimu claimed that he once got to long and high maintain range and behind it there was a fertile jungle. But in fact no one from lions living on desert never wandered south.

Zira decided to be the first one. It was very bold assumption that one year old cub would walk the desert with skills of experienced lion like Dhalimu was. But princess hoped that endless sands let her survive… if she was worthy of it.

Her decision was mostly subliminal one. She was not fully aware what drove her out of her home, but there was force hasting her to leave her place. Those voices started with her fight with Wivu. Shocking discovery about her old guilt (in spite, or maybe even because Wivu assured Zira that she can’t blame herself for queen’s death) possessed kitty’s mind. On evening before her setting of she was avoiding stares of father and brother. But when she incidentally met one of those, she read them in most suspicious way. Arista and Sparthi were sad – of course sad because lost of Malkha. Zira was sure that they blamed her for queen’s death and only fact she was Malkha’s daughter stopped some kind of ultimate punishment.

The second issue was Wivu and Masa. Grey kitty hated Zira for stealing Masa’s attention. Of course she assured Zira she loved her and had nothing against her being raised by Masa as well, but already obsessed by guilt mind of princess was reading those words in reverse. Both – expression of sadness and expression of fondness – Zira took as Wivu’s signs of envy. Those two impressions made cub thinking she wasn’t welcomed in Golden Sands.

That was a melancholy part. But young nature would be incomplete without forces of life and curiosity. To pangs of conscience, Zira added simple cubbish craving for adventure. She was going away from home, partially to atone some wrong, but also to discover something new. To experience an adventure, to be free and independent as uncle Dhalimu and – what was even more important – to show what great desert traveller she was. In all stories about Malkha, that Dhalimu told, late queen turned out to be skilful and tough wanderer – moreover in times

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