Zeke stumbled back into the Isu Keeney territory, his mind burning with confusion and clouds. What had just happened in the last 24 hours? Where had he just come from?
The power of Lagiza's mind weaving and hypnosis had taken over most of his memory and he had forgotten the recent past events .
Zumaridi found him first.
"Hey, woah! What's going on? You okay?" Zumaridi said, patting Zeke's back to help him cough out the rest of the sand." You look like you've been through a sandstorm! Are you alone? Where's -?"
"Roscoe!"
There came the frightened voice of a lioness and Princess Rin ran up towards them, followed by Prince Jot
"Where is he?" cried Rin, looking desperately about. "Where is my son?"
"S...son?" breathed Zeke, looking up with a confused expression.
The Prince looked as worried as the Princess but held his emotions in as he tried to keep her calm.
"Zeke. What happened?" he began." You took Roscoe yesterday and that was practically a day ago now. We searched all over the pride territory. Is he still with you? Is he tagging behind? Where is Roscoe, Zeke?"
Zeke stared up at his Prince as if he hadn't a clue what Jot was talking about.
"I don't know. . . " he whispered.
*********
This scene shows half the pride gathering as they listen to Prince Jot question Zeke.
" . . .You say you can't remember anything that came to pass?" asked Jot, stroking his daughter, Kira's head to reassure her.
"Yes," Zeke answered quietly.
"Can you explain to us the red marks on your paws?"
Zeke looked down at his paws. He hadn't noticed the antelope blood smothering in Roscoe's scent that Lagiza has smeared on his paws before and for the moment he went silent.
"Is there nothing you can tell us?" continued Jot.
"N...no."
Jot sighed and looked at his queen, who put her head down in sympathy.
"Then until you can and do," decided the Prince, getting up from where he sat, his face stern." You will be guarded by the Auni. We'll give you a day to think things through and I hope you will choose to do what's right for you - and your family . . .Zumaridi! Ave! Take Zeke to the lower chamber of the South cave."
As he was led away Zeke glanced back at his parents, I and Fey, who were looking at him with pleading and distressed expressions.
"I fear," said Jot sadly later on that day, when he was alone with the leader of the Auni, Comoros (who had returned to hear the terribly news).
"I fear we have a murderer in our midst."
(Okay, I decided to throw this one in too lol)