In the Grass, a lion king fanfic

Welcome back in my show. Tonight We are going in a visit to my friend and one the best TLK-authors here, MinisterSweetGoodKid. I hope You follow her great "Love is Blind". If You are not, instantly go to my favs, find her profile there and enjoy her tales. You must read LiB, at least up to 14th chapter to understand my story.

But I assume You are familiar with that tale. So We all know that happened one sad afternoon of Pridelands savannah. Remember, what MSGK is surely true, as it's her story and her characters. But I decided to ask, if given events are the only possible outcome of Saada-Akase conflict and if given story is only logical explanation of that tragedy. It could happened in completely different way.

There is always the Truth to find. But are all animals ready to discover it? Secretary bird Swafi and cheetah Dhan found themselves in very troubled position. Do they really want to investigate all the circumstances of princess Akase's death?

Obviously the title isn't a coincidence. I took my inspiration from Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Akira Kurosawa, namely from "Yabu no Naka" story and "Rashōmon" film.

In the Grass

Sun was slowly rising and shining over the grass of Pridelands. Usually at this hour most of animals wake up to another joyful day. Swafi and Dhan were exceptions among diurnal creatures – they had been over twenty hours awake and their moods seemed to be a perfect mix between hopelessness and rage. Especially Dhan was furious and - Stars witness! – he had a reason.

"A suspect!" Yelled for a thousandth time a lean, sandy-furred cheetah. "Me, a loyal servant of the kingdom… With such ridicules charges!"

"You were released." Noticed Swafi, gray-feathered secretary bird, sitting on predator's shoulder. "I'm not saying that was the best night in your life, but admit: it could have been worse. Kahuni quickly found out that you have nothing to do with that assault." He paused, looking on back of his pal. "But tell me: if you are so enraged, why did you offer our assistance in looking for the suspect?"

"I offered MY assistance." Replied the cheetah. "I guess Kahuni took you as my takeaway lunch. Yet…" His voice became softer for a few seconds. "…it nice that you want to help me."

"Please, appreciate it. Currently I'm sticking with a criminal." Replied Swafi and burst in his scratchy laughter.

"Shut up!" Snorted Dhan, returning to his previous mood. "Just watch the track."

Strange duo was walking on waking savannah, from direction of Priderock almost due west. Track they have been following was just a patch in grass, a blurry line for one who was not a good tracker. Yet the bird and the feline were excellent in this stuff, keeping the way from the very place of accident.

They met on Baraka's court, both making some errands for the royal family. The cheetah was a neighbor of royal advisor Kahuni and he used to relief his kin in necessity. Swafi simply came to the king due to boredom and was used few times before to announce some decrees. Since they both were looking for lost princess Njozi few weeks back, they started that weird acquaintance. They like each other, showing that by constant arguments and Dhan's threats that he would eat Swafi on the nearest meal.

It was just few minutes after the sunrise, yet their way became much easier. Then the cheetah easily could follow the trail and even if he lost it, in daylight the flying bird could find it in a blink of an eye. The savannah started to wake up, joyfully as ever, not aware what a drama had taken place on the rocks next to Priderock.

"Hey, you haven't told me, what do you think. What really happened there?" Asked Swafi, still sitting on shoulder of his friend and watching their track.

"All I can say for sure – I didn't do it." Replied the feline. "I hope I don't have to explain why."

"Were you with Kengee whole afternoon?" Asked the bird.

"Thanks, pal!" Snorted Dhan. "I hope that you say something like that 'You are too good animal to attack anyone without a need and besides, such sworn monarchist would never ever think about outraging any member of royal family…'"

"Yet being with Kengee is a steel alibi." Interrupted him Swafi. "If You told them from the start, they would let you go instantly."

"I doubt that." Replied the cheetah. "She is Kahuni's cousin. Lions would let me go, yet I doubt if Kahuni would." Secretary bird again burst in laughter. "Shut up! What? Is this so funny?"

"You haven't told them, scared of Kahuni?" Asked amused bird. "And you let them interrogate you for few hours simply because you didn't want the guy know about you and Kengee? Your pathetic…"

"I would beat that dandy out of his spots…" Replied Dhan. "Yet he is a royal advisor… and besides, Kengee would not be pleased."

"I hope she was pleased with yesterday's evening…"

"It's none of your business." Snorted the cheetah, yet he smiled unwillingly.

"So… how have you made them to believe you?" Asked grey bird.

"I just proved them I was unable to deal such wounds." Explained Dhan. "I asked Kahuni to show me madame Saada – may Stars let he recover quickly – and proved him, that damages are beyond ability of a cheetah. I used my old magic and made Kahuni idiot in front of lord Baraka."

"So, you saw her!" exclaimed Swafi. "Tell me…"

"She is all right… as for giving circumstances." Replied the cat. "She looks like a mess on the first glance, but actually there are no wounds endangering her life. It just… painful event. Whoever did it, he or she was close to kill her, yet he failed and also failed to cripple her. Thanks Stars!"

"So…" Hastened him the bird. "Tell me more. How it looked?"

"Well…" Dhan didn't stop, yet he shut his eyes for a moment to recall every detail of observed scene. He was known to have a perfect visual memory. "I saw her for just few minutes, but I quickly discovered that the answer for their questions is simple."

"You found out who it was?" asked surprised bird.

"I found that it was not a cheetah, most likely neither a leopard and rather nor a male lion. It was another lioness." Swafi grunted, what in his private language meant 'details, please'. "Right… so wounds were numerous, mainly on the back. According to the shape of marks, I quickly proved that it was not a cheetah. My kind has simply shorter paws and narrower placed claws. Even Kahuni admitted that the biggest cheetah would never do most of these scars. In case of leopard it would be possible, at least in theory. Yet still it would be extremely hard for leo to simulate such damages. Mature male lions are totally out of option. Marks are too narrow and couldn't be done by lion's paw. So, after we dealt with a species and a sex, I examined the pattern of injuries. Few of the cuts ran close to the right armpit and neck. Thanks Stars, no artery was damaged. I suspect that madame Saada was surprised – she made no evasive action on the beginning and later it was… too late. The attacker came to her from behind. He… or – if my theory is right – she slashed Saada thought the center of the back, dealing extremely painful wound. That gave the attacked few seconds of total shock and paralyze of the victim. He or she hit with paw in occiput, maybe not knocking Saada out, yet making her half-stunned and vulnerable to incoming blows. Then he or she inflicted more than dozen cuts on the upper part of back, while attacked lioness had no chance to retaliate. Then the attacker left the victim about three kilometers from the Priderock, near Grey Rocks. It took place – in my opinion – just before or just after the dusk."

"And then?"

"And then what?"

"What happened?" Asked Swafi. "Don't you see it looks odd… not odd… stupid, I would say. Why any lioness – if that was a lioness – would wound madame Saada, not killing her?"

"A warning?"

"I would understand such sublimed suggestion after the first cut." Replied the bird.

"The happening could be interrupted by some factor…"

"A witness?" Guessed Swafi.

"Not necessarily." Replied Dhan. "Maybe it was pang of conscience of the attacker? Or awareness what she has done…"

"You have your suspect." Noticed the bird. "You talking about 'her' like you know her name."

"Everyone has a suspect. And everyone knows her name." Replied the cat. "No one told it aloud, but most of pride is sure that was lady Akase's work."

"Akase!" Yelled Swafi. "Have you lost your mind? She is princess of the kingdom, mother of Pridelands' heir and…"

"…a lioness unhappy in her marriage?" Finished Dhan. "I'm not sure, how much do you know about the current situation on the rock, but… I hate to say that… she had a reason to start a fight with Saada."

"Continue…" Asked grey bird.

"Oh, you know nothing…" Sighed the cheetah. "I told you a week back that lady Akase moved away from the Priderock? She did it for a reason. There were serious problems in her marriage with sir Afir."

"Problems? He is a shaman…" Noticed the bird.

"Not such problems…" Growled irritated cheetah. "Lady Akase claims that her mate spends all his time in work, therefore he is neglecting his family."

"And she moved out, leaving kids? Talk about fighting fire with fire…"

"It is much more complicated." Replied Dhan. "After the pride so quickly started to suspect lady Akase, I understood more. She was a rogue once… and I guess in a way she still is. The pride hates her as an outsider. Almost everyone was disappointed when Arif took her for a mate, instead of his long-time friends, Saada. I don't want to judge anyone… distrust towards outsides is on some level a justified reaction. Yet… it could cause a tragedy, like it caused recently. Lady Saada felt lonely, disliked and distrusted…"

"Yeah…" Nodded the bird. "I understand that it's easy to snap in such condition. Yet still…" They stopped, as their thought came to the very same point. Dhan turned his head back to look on his friend. "Did you think about the same question?" Asked Swafi.

"I guess…" Confirmed the cat. "If that was lady Saada… she did very, very stupid thing. Her marriage lies in ruin from now on… You know? I just thought that somehow it would be better if lady Akase killed Saada…"

"WHAT?!" yelled Swafi. "Are you mad?"

"Easy…" Replied Dhan. "In just thought that. Saada is in a way very guilty of her state. She should have respect the mate-bond between our shaman and Akase. You know… the death of one lioness is a tragedy… but at least it would fix that marriage problem."

"Until some other 'Saada' comes in…" Noticed the bird. "If there is a real problem in shaman's family, it wouldn't disappear. Besides, even thinking about that is gross. It's a murder, after all."

"A challenge." Replied Dhan. "We have all this feminism equal rights stuff those days. Why can't lions let lionesses to deal with each other using the Rule of Challenge?"

"You have very progressive views as for 'loyal monarchist'." Noticed grey bird.

"Don't get me wrong…" Continued the cat. "If Saada took down Akase it would have its advantages too…" But he added instantly. "Yes, it's still a murder, unless they are both feminists."

"Just shut up…" Interupted him Swafi. "We even shouldn't talk about such sick scenarios." Yet it was clear that curiosity of secretary bird wanted that. "Besides, for such bloody, yet happy ending, the winner of the duel should cover her crime, for not to be hated by the pride and punished by the king."

"Maybe the winner did that?" Said Dhan laughing. "After all, we still haven't found lady Akase's body." They both laughed.

And then Swafi got silent.

Dhan was still laughing.

Swafi got even silenter.

Yes, it was possible.

"What?" Asked the cheetah, looking back on his friend.

"Du… dude…" Stammered the bird out. "And they say I tell bad jokes."

"Huh?" Murmured the cat. But then he looked ahead and yelled.

"STARS!"

He rushed to the motionless lioness, but before he touched her body he understood it was much too late. Lady Akase was dead and had been laying there for many hours. She looked as she was sleeping. Beautiful lioness simply overslept to the morning. In the silent grasses, she laid on her belly with paws stretched before and after her. In the place when she stopped the track was over – the path made by lioness led only to the point where the mortal coil of princess was found. Carefully, for not to touch the body, Dhan came around to look on lioness' face. Yes, it looked like an expression of sleep. Yet careful observer like the cheetah could find some other traits of that scene. Akase's countenance showed him a great effort that the lioness did just before she passed away. On her front paw there was a oedema with two parallel marks on.

"A snake." Said Swafi. "So much for a murder theory…" Then he added with softer voice. "Dude… if we have a bad day, what would say Arif?" The cheetah didn't answered, still looking on the body. "Hey, Dhan… what do you think, what happened?"

"She died." Replied shocked feline.

"Yes, but how?"

"Does it matter?" Asked Dhan. "She is dead anyway."

"Yes, but we were sent to find the truth." Noticed grey bird. "It is our duty to find that out."

"And what is the truth?" Whispered the cheetah.

"I believe it's a compatibility of what we know and say with the facts." Replied confused secretary bird.

"So… the truth is in words…" Replied Dhan. "Therefore we won't lie, if we don't tell anyone."

"Dude!" Yelled Swafi. "We should examine this tragedy. Do you have any idea, what really happened here?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Asked Dhan.

…

Since Saada's words "But I do love him" Akase wasn't herself. And she didn't want to be. In just a short moment of clarity, triggered by a careless confession of her enemy, she understood that her life was over. Not biologically, of course, but in every other aspect. She lost her mate, her cubs and even a self-respect in the moment she heard Saada. What she did next was not a decision, but a consequence. The free will is a possibility of choosing given options. Yet in some cases, there is but one option.

The small bout of rage now spread all through her body. Her blood was boiling. Her vision became blurry, then sharp a moment later, and clear the next. Her lips curled into a soft snarl. Her front claws emerged and her tail lashed in fast strokes. Akase had no idea what happened next. She found herself running at Saada.

…

Akase walked around at mid-moon. To her relief, the weather was cool. She loved the cooler evenings, especially out here. Everything was peaceful but she was not out from her shelter for the peace. She couldn't sleep. She'd been having bouts of sleepless nights ever since she arrived in this part of the kingdom. But in her sleepless nights she had no inkling to go home. She just couldn't. Not with Arif there. She could never face him again without feeling angry.

The question was who was she really angry at? Arif – for doing his job, and for keeping a message, or herself – for being hardheaded and all but driving an irreparable wedge in her marriage…?

Was there an answer to the question? Akase wasn't so sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. But there was one thing she was sure of: She hated being in the dark, she hated secrets with a passion. To her, that's what Arif was keeping. Not a message but a secret.

(…)

In all her time in the Pridelands, the past – her rogue life – was completely washed away. Being in a place where you thought of others before yourself was overwhelming but Akase had fallen into it quite well. But now, it seemed her old life had caught up with her. How she wanted to go back, apologize to her mate and daughter, apologize to her parents-in-laws and brother-in-law for her behavior! Was there a chance? Could she go back?

Would Arif accept her again?

Without warning, Akase growled and shut her eyes. No. There was no way he would, not after what she did. Her heartbeat skipped. Did he know? Surely he must by now. She was surprised that he had not come to her, angrily demanding an explanation. What was there to explain? How could she explain it?

She looked down at her paws. Though in the dark she could not see the faded remnants of blood, she did feel it. No matter how many times she licked her forelegs or washed them in a waterhole, the feeling was still there.

What she had done was a crime. She had brutally attacked an innocent lioness and left her for dead. Worse, it was a lioness her mate had deep feelings for. She had worried for the rest of the day that the Prince would find her. But to her relief, he had not sought her out. Akase wondered how he was, and then mentally cursed herself. He wouldn't be alright. He was probably angry and worried.

She couldn't make amends now. She had crossed the line. There was no returning. No going back.

Akase stopped and looked around. Had she really walked this far from her cave? She was standing in tall grass, the tips of the blades coming up to her shoulders. She never realized what beauty the night could produce out here this far into the Pridelands. In the darkness and so much grass surrounding her body, she failed to feel something touch her foreleg. Suddenly, she hissed a bit in pain and stared down at the ground.

…

"Crap!" That was the only review Swafi could give to friend's story. "This is… I don't know how to name it…"

"It's a disaster." Dhan had a proper term. "When we were talking about… such odd scenarios, I thought it was fun. But I would never expect that even part of it could came true. It a worst possibility…"

"No." disagreed the bird. "If you look closely, that is a better story."

"I don't feel like I wish to her that worse."

"But you have too." Replied Swafi and started his tale.

…

She couldn't make amends now. She had crossed the line. There was no returning. No going back.

"And I cannot enjoy it anymore." She thought. "Even if I go back and ask Saada, Baraka and Arif for forgiveness it would be… just forgiveness. Whatever I will do, I will show it was my fault from the start. A fault of being weak. A fault of being outcast. Once a rogue, always a rogue… I guess it is my destiny. I should have understand it long time ago…"

Then she thought about her family. Her rage and grudge toward Arif disappeared. The lioness didn't come to conclusion that her mate was doing right – with every fiber of her heart she felt that Arif's behaviour was not only cruel, but also stupid ("Would our Ancestors punish him for loving me more than them?"). Yet her complains had no point at all. Akase still considered her cause as right, but from then on she realized that cause is long lost.

"Now… there is very little I can do." She thought. "I could go back and everyone will suffer. With a legal mate, Arif will be unable to live with lioness he loves. Kids will have a family… that doesn't exist in fact. Saada is a b***h, but even I can see that living the way she will live, having Arif aside, but away is painful. I have to go." She made another step towards the western border of Pridelands. But she stopped instantly after. "And what does it change?" She asked. "A little, in fact. Or it would be even worse. Whatever Arif feels, Baraka won't let him mate with Saada. It would break their tradition and crush the sacred mate-bond. So… my mate and that hag will be just lovers… A great example for my kids… Growing up without mother, next to lioness they can't name that way. No, I must find something else."

It wasn't a long premeditation, just acting. Akase noticed a snake in the grass. Tiny gray viper, sleeping on cold night, happened to be on the rock in front of her. "And how have you got here?" she asked in mind, curious, why the creature usually living on rocks came to open savannah. "But it doesn't matter. You will do your important part in the Circle of Life. You will give your service to the king and country." She smiled and carefully lifted the sleeping reptile.

Akase was shaman's mate and she knows much about healing. As for unavoidable consequence, she also knew a bit about poisoning and how the poisons work. She shivered, because grey viper was not the best agent for the quest she decided to fulfill. The bane of the snake was indeed deadly, but lioness was relatively giant creature, compared to a tiny reptile. She know that poison would work maybe even an hour to kill her. "That's just a little advance for the punishment I will get after." She smiled and press the snake. It woke up and in primal impulse plugged its fangs into lioness' paw. "A punishment for being weak and alien."

It wasn't a pain that lioness expected. A sting seemed almost pleasant and then lioness feel nothing, save for a grasp in her chest. She couldn't tell if that was due to muscles-spasm or just due to fear. It hurt, but in acceptable way. She laid down on the grass.

She cried silently. With her every heart-beat her blood was distributing the poison into the tissues, closing the moment of death. And with each beat she realized how much she was losing. But she didn't regret her move. "I'm just cleaning after myself." She thought. "I never fit in here. Good bye, Arif. Please, take care about our kids… and don't let Saada raise them hating me…"

For the very last time she looked up to the sky. There she saw silhouette of her mother and other Ancestors. Mom was looking on her with sadness in her eyes, but also with motherly love and care. She was promising the pain would be over soon. Other spirits had more stern faces, yet not as enraged, as Akase feared they would. She committed suicide, a deed forbidden by law and reason. A sin. Yet if that was a greater sin than letting her mate leave her? Was that a greater sin than born weak? Ancients looked sad. They didn't approved, but did understand.

…

"No…" Whispered Dhan. "You don't…"

"Just thinking." Replied Swafi. "In my opinion, the suicide version is much more probable than 'it_was_just_an_accident'. But still, there are numerous gaps of this story."

"Dude!" Yelled the cheetah. "Do you know that does it mean? We can't tell it to the king." He shook his neck so rapidly that the bird barely remain his balance.

"But if that's true, we have no other option than tell it to Kahuni and lord Baraka. They will decide how much they tell Arif and his cubs."

"There is another option." Noticed Dhan. "We can go away and tell we find nothing. Maybe scavengers eat the body before anyone finds it."

"Eh…" Sighed Swafi. "Didn't you hear me? If my version is correct, even Akase herself would wish us to tell the story. If the pride thinks she went away… that has some consequences for all involved persons. The truth is hard, but just we arenoticing the facts. We can't change the past by pretending it didn't happen. We must just gather more evidence to have better probability that was a suicide, then we will tell Kahuni about our theory. Shaman will see the body…"

"It was a suicide." Interrupted him Dhan. "Let's go, we will tell them." And he turned back into Priderock's direction.

"Hey, wait!" Yelled Swafi from his back. "What's wrong with you? Just a minute before you didn't believe me and now you are sure? We must examine the body closer…" And then the bird noticed that his friend was examining the body closer. Most likely that was why he change his mind. "What have you found?"

"No, nothing." Replied the feline, looking carefully on Akase and grasses nearby. "We must tell about it. I think it's the best way."

"Dhan…" Said Swafi harshly. "I sense you are up to something… You don't believe in suicide… Tell me, why? If she didn't die from her own hand, why should we announce that, defaming her?"

"If she died from her own paws…" Replied the cheetah with grave tone.

"WHAT!?"

"Just think a while." Said Dhan feverishly. "It has no sense! A grey viper here? So unlikely that everyone should ask: how that guy came here? Or maybe: who carried him here…"

"No, wait, are you suggesting that…"

"Now you know, that suicide version is nice after all…" Replied Dhan.

…

Saada watched Prince Arif and his cubs from a respectful distance. She was feeling isolated but wanted to give her friend time alone. After all, she wasn't part of the family. It made her emotionally sick. She wanted so much to spend more time with Arif and the cubs. She had no other family, aside from Mabaki.

"And why?" She asked herself. "Because I was too weak and scared. I didn't tell Arif what I really feel. Then, when I still had my chance. Now, that stray is with him. She stole him from me!" She felt an urge to go away. She set off at random, not even noticing she went in direction of Grey Rocks. With every step her inner rage was stronger. "I should be Arif's mate. I love him and care about his cubs ten times more than Akase. She left them! Just moved away from her family, when they need her. Why should I look on this peacefully? Akase is wasting the treasure I would never lost."

Then she thought that pride dislike Akase. And everybody likes her. And in that silent conflict between her and Akase, the moral right was on her side. Yet even tremendous amounts of moral right didn't make her lose any less. She wasn't Arif's mate.

„Yet." Called a voice in her head and she felt scared of its tone. She looked around, but it was just a peaceful afternoon on Grey Rocks. No one was there – she just heard a calling from her very mind. "How far could I go to become his mate?" She asked herself. In fact she didn't want to answer that, but then she noticed a snake. "The dusk is coming." She thought. "Soon it will go to sleep and it would be easy to take him and…"

…

Akase was wandering west her temporary shelter next to Grey Rocks. She was furious and still couldn't deal with view of Saada playing with her cubs. "I must interfere the next time." She thought. "If I let it go, she would use to that situation." She clenched her jaws in rage.

She, not Saada was the mother of cubs. And she was Arif's mate. And in that silent conflict between her and Saada, the moral right was on her side. Yet even tremendous amounts of moral right didn't make her enraged any less. "I must show her the rules." Thought lioness. "Next time she harasses my family, I will go with that to Baraka. And if Baraka doesn't react… I will warn her myself! Stars… I wish to warn her even now… That's not the most elegant way, but I want to have her here now and…"

"Akase?" Sounded the least expected voice.

"Saada…" Growled lioness, turning back.

It was late afternoon and Saada came to Border Bushes from the west, coming with rays of sinking sun. That's why Akase was half-blinded and failed to notice that the other lioness was carrying something on her paw. And even if she observed anything wrong, she would be totally unprepared for what came next.

"Hi, Akase." Said incoming lioness with shivering voice. "I wish to say I'm sorry. But in fact I'm not."

Through the red rays of sun princess of Pridelands noticed that her enemy threw something in her direction. She instinctively covered her face with right paw and…

…

"WAIT A SECOND!!" yelled Swafi. "You can't be serious!"

"Why not?" Asked Dhan. "That's very probable. Look on the place where the snake bit her. More or less in the half of forepaw. Too high to be caused by accidentally stepped creature. And the angle is strange too. Akase was shaman's mate. Stars dammit! She had enough of anatomic knowledge to hit the vein and die quickly. Why she would aim at muscles, if she knew that poison would go to capillaries and will be slowly released for about next hour? She wanted to suffer so much?"

"Yes, I know that suicide theory has its gaps… but…" Swafi was still shocked. "You are going much too far. First of all: we found Akase here, not on Grey Rocks. Then: have you any theory, what happened to Saada? She beat herself? Maybe she wanted to suffer?"

"It happened here." Interrupted him Dhan. "Here Saada threw the snake on Akase. It came as she planned – creature bit her rival. However a later things got out of her paw…"

…

"You… you…" Akase was gazing on her paw like hypnotized. In the chaos the snake managed to crawl into the grass, leaving just two rivals in their last confrontation. "You… killed me!"

"As a mate of shaman, you could judge if I chose the best snake." Said Saada. She didn't want to say anything, yet some force inside her urged her to spit out her triumph. "The grey viper. One of the most deadly and still small enough for me to catch and carry here."

"It's about Arif…" hissed Akase. After the shock passes she understood that she was lost. The snake injected a solid portion of poison. In spite that bane didn't contained an artery, there was no use to stop it. Maybe in shaman's keep, with Rafiki's agile fingers. He would cut the muscles around the bite and suck the poison away. Yet it was too far to get help and Saada was close. Akase learned that she had maximum an hour of life, if she was going to lay still. But she wasn't.

"I must say that I underestimated you." Said poisoned lioness, looking in enemy's eyes. "I would never suspect that such stupid hag would came across something such sophisticated."

"I learned that in every case love will find the way." Replied Saada with merciless giggling. "Oh, shouldn't you die already?"

Akase was shaman's mate and she knows much about healing. As for unavoidable consequence, she also knew a bit about poisoning and how the poisons work. With her every heart-beat her blood was distributing the poison into the tissues, closing the moment of death. She could slow it down a bit, by breathing slower, but it was running from unavoidable. So she made a deeper breath, pushing the toxin deeper inside. But she need the strength for the very last time in her life.

"So, now you are going to be with Arif and my cubs?" She asked and Saada unwillingly nodded. "A happy murdered by the side of my family? You seem to think about everything."

"Yes." Agreed overjoyed Saada. "I could have thought about some more brutal way of riding you off, but I know the problems. First of all, it would be not so easy to convince Arif it was an accident. A snake fits to the pattern perfectly. Then I'm well aware that your barbaric education gave you some… advantages I can't counter."

"If you got in a brawl with me, I would beat the living flesh out of you." Said Akase.

"Yeah, that's right." Admitted murdereress. "That's why you must die this way. For that I can even apologize you. I didn't want you to suffer. Just to disappear." She wanted to burst in laughter, so she turned back to Priderock and started her pace. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm in hurry to get my alibi. Adieu!"

"Wait!" gasped Akase. "I think you missed something." Saada stopped. "You think I'm so primitive and disgusting… but am I stupid to the point I would leave my mate and cubs on the mercy of cold-blood murderer?"

"I think you have no choice now." Noticed Saada, not even slowing down.

"You are wrong." Replied Akase. She took a deeper breath and moved her paws. She was weak and dying… but not that weak and not dead yet. She couldn't change her own fate but still was able to punish the wicked. "Everyone and always has some choice." Then she rushed towards surprised lioness.

…

"Saada was simply lucky." Concluded Dhan. "Akase lost her breath before she inflicted any serious wound. So bleeding Saada just left her body here and started to crawl to the Priderock. She made it only to Grey Rocks… ironically, that was where she found a tool of the crime. So, what do you think – maybe our first version is the best after all?"

"I'm afraid not." Replied the bird. "It was possible, but the second option was more probable. Then… it's hard to admit… your idea sounds even better… I mean worse. I think we must face the fact that Saada is a murderer."

"Yeah." Nodded Dhan. "But look on it from brighte… I mean: not so dark side. In her last moments Akase did very selfish and stupid thing. She almost killed Saada and in that case she would leave her family heartbroken, without caretaker and mate. She failed and that gave us the moderate positive outcome. By wounding Saada, Akase gave her almost undeniable alibi. When scavengers eat the body and careless Kahuni stomp on the evidence, the true version will be establish only by Saada's made-up testimony and secured by intolerance of the pride that turned it against the deceased. But that is far in some way. Akase was full of hatred…"

"…the same as Saada is…" threw Swafi in.

"…but she has a chance to amend her errors. For good of royal family, we should…" Then the cheetah noticed as his fried was staring on the grass next to body. "What? You found something?"

"I… I… don't know…"

"Know what?"

"If what I'm seeing is true."

The cheetah also looked on the grass. If the theory about Akase attacking Saada in last fit of fury was true, the path in the bush should be marked with blood of wounded lioness. Also blades of grass should be pressed to the ground and pointing east – a direction where Saada was crawling. But they were pointing west and instead of being blooded, were clear. Only few marks of saliva and foam could be seen, as it was a poisoned lioness crawling that way to the border.

"Stars!" Whispered Dhan.

"So… you know how it was?" Asked Swafi. The cheetah nodded, but his friends told it anyway.

…

Akase was wandering nearby her temporary shelter next to Grey Rocks. She was furious and still couldn't deal with view of Saada playing with her cubs. "I must interfere the next time." She thought. "If I let it go, she would use to that situation." She clenched her jaws in rage.

"Akase?" Sounded the least expected voice.

"Saada…" Growled lioness, turning back.

It was late afternoon and Saada came to Grey Rocks…

…

"Grey Rocks?" Yelled surprised Dhan.

"Yes." Nodded Swafi. "It happened there. Akase got here later… It is obvious. Saada would never carry the snake on so long distance. That would be dangerous and difficult. But listen."

…

It was late afternoon and Saada came to Grey Rocks…from the west, coming with rays of sinking sun. that's why Akase was half-blinded and failed to notice that the other lioness was carrying something on her paw. And even if she observed anything wrong, she would be totally unprepared for what came next.

"Hi, Akase." Said incoming lioness with shivering voice. "I wish to say I'm sorry. But in fact I'm not."

Through the red rays of sun princess of Pridelands noticed that her enemy threw something in her direction. She instinctively covered her face with right paw and felt a bolt of pain on just below the knee. She threw a small object away, too late understanding what happened. Saada stepped back, trying to extinguish her proud smile.

"You… you…" Akase was gazing on her paw like hypnotized. In the chaos the snake managed to crawl into the grass, leaving just two rivals in their last confrontation. "You… killed me!"

"I must say that I underestimated you." Said poisoned lioness, looking in enemy's eyes. "I would never suspect that such stupid hag would came across something such sophisticated."

"I learned that in every case love will find the way." Replied Saada with merciless giggling. "Oh, shouldn't you die already?"

"So, now you are going to be with Arif and my cubs?" She asked and Saada unwillingly nodded. A happy murdered by the side of my family? You seem to think about everything."

"If you got in a brawl with me, I would beat the living flesh out of you." Said Akase.

"I think you have no choice now." Noticed Saada, not even slowing down.

"You are wrong." Replied Akase. She took a deeper breath and moved her paws. She was weak and dying… but not that weak and not dead yet. She couldn't change her own fate but still was able to change other's. "Everyone and always has some choice. You did yours. Now I have to make mine." But Saada was still walking. "Wait!" Called Akase. "Do you understand, what have you done?"

"I killed you." Replied the other lioness. "I just removed a nightmare from my life."

"No, you just invited it." Said Akase with weak voice. The murderer stopped. "If you had to kill me, why did you do it in so flawed way? They will know instantly, what happened to me." Saada turned back and their stares met. Akase noticed something she would never expect to see in her rival's eyes. Overwhelming and paralyzing fear."

"They saw you were not on Priderock today's afternoon." Continued Akase. "And they will find me here. Grey vipers live on such terrains, but during the night they hide in dens. You should have chosen a plain snake, what would make your story more probable."

"I… know only that one… from poisonous kinds."

"Yes." Akase smiled, in spite that she felt a strong grasp in her chest already. "After all I am shaman's mate, not you. And I guess you won't become one. They will find you killed me and punish. Beg Stars for it would be just an exile…"

"But… but…" Voice of Saada was trailing. "They love me and hate you. No one would believe in this theory. Arif won't."

"He will have to." Noticed Akase. "Hasira will do anything gain some points on Baraka's chart and catching a murderer is a nice way to get it. She will make sure that the investigation won't be finished prematurely…"

"Hasira is my friend!" Yelled terrified Saada.

"Once I was your friend as well." Said Akase. In that moment the sun set.

"No… no…" Whispered murderer. Then she ran to shaman's mate and yelled. "Lay down and give me your paw. I will suck the poison. You won't die!"

"Oh, how noble…" Smiled Akase. "You think that I also won't tell Arif?" Saada stopped. "Don't worry, you don't have to make this choice. It is too late and too much poison intoxicated me. I'm dying… as you planned."

Saada burst in tears. She laid down next to her victim, sobbing uncontrollably with great pain and fear – just as if she was dying. In a way she was – the lioness learned that her errors would betray her soon. She was going to live… as a murderer and traitor. "Stars!" she thought. "If I didn't do it… Arif would be happy. I wouldn't be his mate, but still I could see him and care about his cubs… Now it's me that has to die as well." She turned her stare aside, looking for that snake.

"No, you won't." Said Akase with sudden bolt of decisiveness. "There is another way."

She was lost. She was lost by all her life. Her father was taken from her in early cubhood, mother two years later. She never had home and what she painfully learned that evening, not even a safe place to stay. So she was beaten anyway. Yet her mate and cubs were not.

"Will you take care of them?" She asked with quiet voice. She didn't want to sound dramatically, but the poison started to work on her nerves. She barely managed to open her jaws.

"They will find out… they will kill me!" Repeated Saada in panic frenzy.

"WILL YOU?!" gasped Akase. The other lioness nodded her head. "So you will live."

"What?" yelled Saada.

"Turn around and try not to scream." Ordered the victim. "They must be convinced that I beat you much earlier than I got the bite."

"What…"

"Just turn around!" And Saada turned. "It will hurt." Added Akase. "And it should be. If you don't be good for my family, I will find you on the other side. I swear it!"

"Akase, what…"

"Tell them I attacked you and you lost your consciousness. That won't be a lie in fact." Smiled lioness. "Just don't mention about snakes. And remember! You killed me to get Arif. Be worth of living for him!"

"Akase, that's…"

Those were last words Saada uttered that day. Soon after the air over Grey Rocks became filled with screams of pain. Akase was shaman's mate and she knows much about healing. As for unavoidable consequence, she also knew a bit about hurting. She knew how to inflict a wound that won't kill, but looks like it would. She used all that knowledge on her rival.

But when she finished with Saada, she still got something to do. She had to draw any suspicions away from her murderer. That was why she turned west and started her slow pace ahead. The poison started to burn her nerves, but still she had a strength to go. Love has found the way.

Looking on her face one could be scared or shocked. The poison stretched her muscles to deform her once beautiful appearance. From her mouth a saliva mixed with a foam was dripping, as she marched thought savannah. But if ignorant would take it as a sigh of ugliness, we know more and see the genuine beauty in it. Because that distorted lines of face were hiding the most striking prove of love that anyone would ever see. That open mouth, with saliva dripping from bared fangs would be taken as a sign of hatred and rage. Yet it was an ultimate expression of care and tenderness about mate and children. We must be very carefully to judge on the first glance.

In her slowly dimming mind she kept a picture of her beloved mate. On whom she was angry, but not enough to cover her love and devotion. In her heart was no room for hatred towards Saada. I believe she forgave her. Wounds she inflicted her rival were proves for that. She also put an enormous effort to crawl away from Grey Rocks. She got almost to the border, giving Saada much more time and an opportunity to lie in most convincing way.

"Once a rogue… always a rogue." Thought dying lioness and for the very last time she looked up to the sky. There she saw silhouette of her mother and other Ancestors. Mom was looking on her with sadness in her eyes, but also with motherly love and care. She was promising the pain would be over soon. Other spirits had more shocked faces, yet not – a deed condemned by a reason, but praised by everything that noble in us. And she did it in smart way. Not bad a just a stray, am I right?

"Arif…" Whispered Akase and fell down in the grass.

…

Friends were silent for a longer while. After few minutes Dhan managed to utter just: "Crap!" Swafi agreed by nodding. Meanwhile the sun got higher on the firmament. Some decision had to be make – soon the body could be discovered by someone else.

"I know it sounds cruel, but we must tell the king whole truth."

"And… and what is the truth?" Asked Dhan with trailing voice.

"As I said: a compatibility of what we know and say with…"

"I think that Arif don't want the truth." Interrupted him the cheetah. "Neither the king nor the pride. We should let it go." Swafi looked on him with stern eyes. "I'm serious… Let's go to Kahuni, distract him for few hours. Meanwhile some hyenas will cover all traits. As Akase wished."

"We must tell them how it really was!" Said the secretary bird decisively. "I know that it will be hard for the royal family and the kingdom itself, yet you can't support our monarchy by telling lies."

"Because…"

"Because it's unfair." Replied Swafi. "The aim can't justify such means, whatever the aim is. A country, a family, even a personal memory built on lies won't stand long. Shouldn't last. Besides…" He flew down on the ground, stopping right in front of his friend. "Every lie could be discovered. We know the truth."

That's right." Nodded Dhan after a long pause. "We know the truth. Only two of us. I'm so sorry…"

"What the heck…"

Quick blow of Dhan's paw killed Swafi before he even managed to finish his question.

Kahuni found the body just half an hour later. Before than Dhan managed to clean up a little. He gathered Swafi's feathers and hid these. Then he carefully dealt with the body. He closed Akase's eyelids and straightened her limbs. After this operation she looked much better, almost as she felt no pain. The cheetah knew it was mainly because rigor moris, but the effect mattered. The feline cleared neared vicinity of two deaths. Then he grabbed motionless body of Swafi and lift it up. He was on the edge of cry. Then came Kahuni. He greet his species-mate with usual portion of scolding, then he asked about searching. That time Dhan lied for the first time in this case.

"I dunno…" Said, hiding tension in his tone. "I'm just tired and hungry. Will you let me eat my breakfast?"

With careful move he pretended that he bit Swafi. However Kahuni watched him carefully. The cheetah yelled in mind, then actually bit the body of his friend. "I'm so sorry, dude!" Whispered in mind. "That all went wrong… but I had to kill you. You would tell them all… and the kingdom would be much weaker due to scandal in the royal family… You was better than me, yet I did what I had to do. It wasn't the truth, but the duty."

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" growled irritated Kahuni. He was on the edge of his temper, so Dhan prefer not to watch him finding the body. "What's wrong with you anyway? You hunt for secretary birds? You must eat a dozen of them to feel the breakfast."

Sandy furred cheetah knew the truth – that meal he would feel aching to the very end of his life. It's not an easy thing to kill your best friend, especially knowing that he was right in every aspect. Then eating him was beyond might of any sane creature. Dhan – with kind of relief – noticed that he was losing his mind. He laughed, trying not to sound crying.

"You have no idea." Said to Kahuni. "He is a good bird. The best."