asked Zira. She tried to sound normally, but careful listener would detect in her voice some odd tone, remains of sobs quarter earlier.

“We want to help them.” said Msikizi. “Zira, how about helping your brother with picking Ghera up?”

“Personally, I think it looks scary.” Judged Epesi. “They will lick each other in the end, as far as I know. It’s terribly unhygienic.”

“Your mother licked you this morning in order to keep you hygienic.” Noticed Busara.

“Well… she did, but it’s a special case. They both are going to enjoy it.”

“So… do you have any plan?” asked Zira.

“Some sort.” Smiled Msikizi. “Follow me, we need also your help.” And she turned to deeper canes.

 

III. Where Lions Dare

 

Lightfurred lioness, prince’s contemporary, was always best his friends, sticking closest from all five of cubs of that year. She helped him most in hard time after Malkha’s death. Since that time young lions were almost inseparable, what resulted with Sparthi helping Ghera even with so tiring duties as guarding playing cubs. But prince made those surveillances not to tiring after all.

As we learned before, two guardians just let kitties to play in gorge, knowing that usual activities of charges didn’t require any further moves. Narrowing of creek was favourite place of Sparthi just year earlier, so he was almost sure what would his sister and her friends do. Trusting in cubs reason – or at least, laziness – he assumed that they wouldn’t go any further to any danger place. That way he persuade Ghera to stay in Mouth Oasis.

“Sparthi.” Started Ghera, lying on beach of lake. Lion just gently raised his head, still narrowing eyes, due to midday sun and looked on lioness. “I still think we should watch on Zira and others.”

“I know few others view worthy to watch.” Replied prince. “Just believe me, that nothing will happen. There was no older sibling to watch over us, when we were in their age, but – somehow – we survived.”

“That day at the start of rainy season I almost drowned you.” Reminded lightfurred and Sparthi burst in laughter.

“Yeah, but was an exception.” Finally uttered lions, still giggling. “My behaviour was so awful that I was asking for some batch.”

“I didn’t know there were quicksand.” Murmured Ghera. “Good that sir Dhalimu was near.” Then she narrowed her eyes and looked in direction of gorge. “We should watch if they don’t come to quicksand too and…”

“They are in gorge.” Interrupted Sparthi. “Just relax. Why are you so nervous. They have own play, we have our, aren’t we…” Lion moved closer to lioness and gently put this paw at her shoulder.

But Ghera reacted, moving away. Not that she didn’t want what lion hoped for, but her natural shyness and simple fear of mixing into she shouldn’t kept her uneasy and sceptical. She was confused about Sparthi. He was no longer a cub who needs just a helping paw. He became handsome male, very protective and responsible as for his age, but that was dream surprisingly beautiful for Ghera. She was looking for some catch.

“Sparthi… I don’t…”

“What’s wrong?” asked prince, backing with disappointed appearance. But just second later he smiled nervously and added. “I’m very sorry, Ghera. I wasn’t myself. Just… maybe we should look for Zira.” He stood up and turned to gorge.

“Sparthi, wait.” Called lightfurred with shy voice. “I meant… I didn’t want you to spoil something good for both of us.”

“Yeah, I know.” Murmured prince, not turning back. “We are friends, aren’t we? And crossing this line would destroy all good what is between us. Just… forgive me. You are so beautiful that I couldn’t resist to hope that you would one day consider me as someone more than a friend…”

“Really?” asked lightfurred, slowly loosing her own judge on whole situation. “Sparthi, I would love to become some special for you, but…”

“But?” asked lion with tensed voice. He turned back slowly, looking on lioness carefully.

“You are prince.” She said. “You can’t choose a girl simply like that. It has rather serious consequences. And I don’t want to start something I can’t finish…”

“Have you anything against being the queen?” asked Sparthi inquiring and coming closer to Ghera.

“No, it would be wonderful…”

“So, have you anything against being my queen?” asked smiling and regaining his self-assurance. He smiled so radiantly that Ghera replied automatically.

“Of course not!”

“So I don’t understand your scruples.” Said prince and slowly closed his lips to her muzzle.

“HELP!” sounded a cub’s yell. Sparthi and lightfurred jumped back, away from each other, then turned back to see what was happening. Epesi and Busara were standing on path to the gorge and screaming with all their might. “Help! Zira is drowning!”

Prince and lioness set off into desperate run. They passed by Epesi and Busara, who were lying on the grass, panting heavily. When two adolescents entered denser jungle, cubs ceased that show. From loud breaching they turned to loud laughter.

“Oh, Stars! Have you heard that?” giggled Busara. “Have you anything against being my queen? Ha! What a pathetic quote…”

“Yeah.” Nodded Epesi. “If I ever find a boy, I won’t allow him to flood me with such cheap talks…”

Meanwhile prince and lioness got almost to mouth of gorge. They met Msikizi and Wivu, who were waving their paws, calling saviours aloud. Then they got to sandy clearing when they noticed Zira, almost fully covered in sand. Only head of princess was over surface and some moves of light ground showed that she was desperately fighting with her paws. Sparthi kneeled down to pounce but Wivu screamed.

“No! Those are quicksands!”

“Get me a liana!” called prince and Ghera ran to forest’s brink, looking for proper rhizome. Meanwhile Sparthi started to carefully walking on the edge of sandy-square, to sense where dangerous area had its border. “Hold on, Zira, I will soon come for you.”

“Stay there!” called princess, coughing with dust. “It’s stiff!”

“Just don’t move!” called sandymaned. “Try to lay calm. I will be there are friends, aren’t we? And crossing this line would destroy all good what is between us. Just… forgive me. You are so beautiful that I couldn’t resist to hope that you would one day consider me as someone more than a friend…”

“Really?” asked lightfurred, slowly loosing her own judge on whole situation. “Sparthi, I would love to become some special for you, but…”

“But?” asked lion with tensed voice. He turned back slowly, looking on lioness carefully.

“You are prince.” She said. “You can’t choose a girl simply like that. It has rather serious consequences. And I don’t want to start something I can’t finish…”

“Have you anything against being the queen?” asked Sparthi inquiring and coming closer to Ghera.

“No, it would be wonderful…”

“So, have you anything against being my queen?” asked smiling and regaining his self-assurance. He smiled so radiantly that Ghera replied automatically.

“Of course not!”

“So I don’t understand your scruples.” Said prince and slowly closed his lips to her muzzle.

“HELP!” sounded a cub’s yell. Sparthi and lightfurred jumped back, away from each other, then turned back to see what was happening. Epesi and Busara were standing on path to the gorge and screaming with all their might. “Help! Zira is drowning!”

Prince and lioness set off into desperate run. They passed by Epesi and Busara, who were lying on the grass, panting heavily. When two adolescents entered denser jungle, cubs ceased that show. From loud breaching they turned to loud laughter.

“Oh, Stars! Have you heard that?” giggled Busara. “Have you anything against being my queen? Ha! What a pathetic quote…”

“Yeah.” Nodded Epesi. “If I ever find a boy, I won’t allow him to flood me with such cheap talks…”

Meanwhile prince and lioness got almost to mouth of gorge. They met Msikizi and Wivu, who were waving their paws, calling saviours aloud. Then they got to sandy clearing when they noticed Zira, almost fully covered in sand. Only head of princess was over surface and some moves of light ground showed that she was desperately fighting with her paws. Sparthi kneeled down to pounce but Wivu screamed.

“No! Those are quicksands!”

“Get me a liana!” called prince and Ghera ran to forest’s brink, looking for proper rhizome. Meanwhile Sparthi started to carefully walking on the edge of sandy-square, to sense where dangerous area had its border. “Hold on, Zira, I will soon come for you.”

soon.”

Meanwhile he was still carefully taking next steps to the centre of clearing, sensing ground under his paws and in the same time thinking how it was possible he never noticed that quicksand. But that wasn’t so strange – place didn’t look like quicksand at all. Sparthi was steeping farther and farther and with surprise he was discovering that he still had some solid ground.

“Don’t come any closer!” yelled Zira.

In that moment returned Ghera with several metres of liana. Prince jumped back on safe grass and grabbed in jaws a plant. Then jumped back, being careful to step only on checked ground and took a deep breath. Then crouched to gain impetus and rushed ahead to get as close to Zira as it was possible. He clenched jaws, pressing

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