lioness. “What a kick! I though only addaxes fight like that!”

“I’m a lion!” called Sparthi, faking offence. “I would tear apart any antelope I catch.”

“So most of them are completely safe…” laughed Ghera. “And by the way, I thought that’s lionesses job.”

“I could hunt. And fight! And pounce farther than you!” smiled Sparthi, crouching to pounce.

Both kitties often played in that way, so that was an invitation to competition. They both turned to open space, wanting to jump farther and that way beat the opponent. But Ghera’s sight – when she was turning to the centre of massif – stopped on tombstone and queen’s skeleton. She stopped her giggling and Sparthi followed her look just after.

“Right.” He said with suddenly saddened voice. “Let’s go somewhere else… Here is… mommy.”

He sat on the ground, and in spite what he proposed just moment earlier, her again locked his started on dead mother. He felt as Ghera sat next to him and gently licking his cheek. That time he didn’t react, at least not in so sudden way. He just cried with hopeless voice.

“Mom… Ghera, I can’t believe she is gone.”

“I know, but we can’t help it.” Replied lightfurred cub. “Just… I want you to know that it’s very hard for me too. She was very good queen.”

After few minutes of silence, both kitties stood up and came down to the cave. There they found that Dhalimu was gone, but rest of the pride was focused on Zira and Wivu, playing with Masa and Arista. But while joy of king and cub’s mother was pure and undisturbed, rest of lionesses was looking on that with some uneasy tone in their hearts. After all bereavement was still on and so loud laughers in late monarchess’s keep seemed somehow improper. For the pride. King – of course – could do anything he decided was right.

*

From those early days Zira remembered little. But she did remember touch and smell of father and that wonderful lioness she considered mother, but someday they told her Masa was not her actually parent. So golden cub from the very started remembered joy and calmness bswer. “Oh, I’m so sorry…” yelled Sparthi, coming to his friend.

“No, no… I’m all right.” Replied kitty, standing up and then falling down to support on sandymaned’s side. “Just… a dizziness.”

“Wait, don’t move…” said Sparthi, putting her on the rock and looking for any bruise. Fortunately his kick wasn’t as strong to many any injure. “I guess that is nothing hard… But I’m sorry.”

Suddenly she burst in laughter. Sparthi was looking on her quite amazed, but then  a wave of giggling took him too. Ghera stoop up, came to friend and playfully pushed his side, sending him to the ground, but none of kitties stopped their laughter.

“Oh, Stars!” finally murmured lioness. “What a kick! I though only addaxes fight like that!”

“I’m a lion!” called Sparthi, faking offence. “I would tear apart any antelope I catch.”

“So most of them are completely safe…” laughed Ghera. “And by the way, I thought that’s lionesses job.”

“I could hunt. And fight! And pounce farther than you!” smiled Sparthi, crouching to pounce.

Both kitties often played in that way, so that was an invitation to competition. They both turned to open space, wanting to jump farther and that way beat the opponent. But Ghera’s sight – when she was turning to the centre of massif – stopped on tombstone and queen’s skeleton. She stopped her giggling and Sparthi followed her look just after.

“Right.” He said with suddenly saddened voice. “Let’s go somewhere else… Here is… mommy.”

He sat on the ground, and in spite what he proposed just moment earlier, her again locked his started on dead mother. He felt as Ghera sat next to him and gently licking his cheek. That time he didn’t react, at least not in so sudden way. He just cried with hopeless voice.

“Mom… Ghera, I can’t believe she is gone.”

“I know, but we can’t help it.” Replied lightfurred cub. “Just… I want you to know that it’s very hard for me too. She was very good queen.”

After few minutes of silence, both kitties stood up and came down to the cave. There they found that Dhalimu was gone, but rest of the pride was focused on Zira and Wivu, playing with Masa and Arista. But while joy of king and cub’s mother was pure and undisturbed, rest of lionesses was looking on that with some uneasy tone in their hearts. After all bereavement was still on and so loud laughers in late monarchess’s keep seemed somehow improper. For the pride. King – of course – could do anything he decided was right.

*

ut those feelings were disturbed by some sense that there was something wrong.

Something was spoiling that joy and happiness and even in gestures of father and step-mother was hiding that shadow. Zira was very intelligent and perceptive cub from the very beginning and soon she discovered that feeling was common among all pride and somehow was strongly connected with her.

 

II. Queen of the Gorge

 

Whatever would be the mourning, the time is unaffected and he forces life to go on. Always, whatever happens. So soon after death of queen, Golden Cave return to normality or at least – to some new norm. Of course life <before> and <after> was divided by clear border, but there were creatures for whom that border was very abstractive. New cubs of that year – Zira, Wivu, Epesi, Busara and Msikizi simply didn’t remember queen at all. For older cubs… or then better to say – young members of pride – Sparthi, Ghera, Macheo, Cheza and Ujuzi of course remembered Malkha (for prince it was obvious), but time did his job and those memories were put in corners of minds.

Not so much changed in Golden Sands. No new queen was announced, but pride knew that Masa was queen via facti. She never joined with king by mate-bound, as for ruler planned no more cubs. Even simple fact they loved each other wasn’t told – at least in loud words. But golden lioness was leading hunts, assisting king in all of his duties and stayed always close to lion she loved. Arista was satisfied with that way.

Dhalimu changed, at least for those who knew him earlier. He become more silent, more secretive and melancholic. He used to disappear for many days, wandering in Western Range and walking the desert to Dried Forest or even further. Sometimes he was taking Sparthi with him, to show prince of kingdom how to survive in that seemingly lifeless land.

Heir to the throne was growing fast, to become strong and handsome adolescent. Thanks to teaching of father and uncle he was discovering all means required to run his land one day. But with age, those lessons started to become more and more tiring for young lion, disturbing his time. And additional duties to pride seemed sometimes unbearable. Those duties were provided by new cubs and his little sister.

“So, what would we do today?” asked Epesi, walking in group of one-year cubs.

“I guess the same what yesterday.” Replied Zira. “Playing in king of the gorge.” Other cubs sighed with mix of irritation and amusement. That was favourite princess’s game. “What’s up? Any of you have better idea?”

“There will be the same as yesterday and day before.” Snorted Busara. “You will win.”

Rules of <king of the gorge> (or queen in that case) were simple. In Rumble Gorge was bed of seasonal torrent, in dry season completely waterless. That was a trench about metre deep and of similar width. It was a space for two or three cubs to stand side by side and wrestle. Two of kitties were upper and defending position. Three were lower, trying to overturn any of defenders. Fallen competitor was going down and joining strike force, but almost each time they were playing, the outcome was the same. Zira was strongest aow. Zira was very intelligent and perceptive cub from the very beginning and soon she discovered that feeling was common among all pride and somehow was strongly connected with her.

 

II. Queen of the Gorge

 

Whatever would be the mourning, the time is unaffected and he forces life to go on. Always, whatever happens. So soon after death of queen, Golden Cave return to normality or at least – to some new norm. Of course life <before> and <after> was divided by clear border, but there were creatures for whom that border was very abstractive. New cubs of that year – Zira, Wivu, Epesi, Busara and Msikizi simply didn’t remember queen at all. For older cubs… or then better to say – young members of pride – Sparthi, Ghera, Macheo, Cheza and Ujuzi of course remembered Malkha (for prince it was obvious), but time did his job and those memories were put in corners of minds.

Not so much changed in Golden Sands. No new queen was announced, but pride knew that Masa was queen via facti. She never joined with king by mate-bound, as for ruler planned no more cubs. Even simple fact they loved each other wasn’t told – at least in loud words. But golden lioness was leading hunts, assisting king in all of his duties and stayed always close to lion she loved. Arista was satisfied with that way.

Dhalimu changed, at least for those who knew him earlier. He become more silent, more secretive and melancholic. He used to disappear for many days, wandering in Western Range and walking the desert to Dried Forest or even further. Sometimes he was taking Sparthi with him, to show prince of kingdom how to survive in that seemingly lifeless land.

Heir to the throne was growing fast, to become strong and handsome adolescent. Thanks to teaching of father and uncle he was discovering all means required to run his land one day. But with age, those lessons started to become more and more tiring for young lion, disturbing his time. And additional duties to pride seemed sometimes unbearable. Those duties were provided by new cubs and his little sister.

“So, what would we do today?” asked Epesi, walking in group of one-year cubs.

“I guess the same

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