Chapter 1

Moving in the dead of night, silent as the stars was a large male lion, dark in his aspect with brown mane streaked with black. He slipped quietly down a hill covered in tall rustling grass to the barren earth at the bottom and paused to sniff a large paw print in the earth. A lion had been there, possibly female . . . old, at least a generation older than himself . . . and a younger male – no, two males! Two males and their sister . . . a family of lions and yet they were not a pride. Rogues.

The lion lifted his head and gazed a long moment at the mouth of the cave. But the scents were old. The family of rogues lived in the cave no more. He sniffed again at the air and perceived the scent of other lionesses . . . more tracks in the dirt, several tracks in fact, as if the entire group had suddenly marched to . . .

The lion followed the tracks and paused at a large rock which stood jutting at an angle from the earth. He climbed it to the edge and breathed in surprise through his nose. The Pride Lands. That's where the rogues had gone only days before . . . and yet they hadn't returned!

The male lion went back to the cave, and sniffing around inside he found the scent of yet another lion, a scent which he knew!

"Father?" the lion whispered brokenly.

He followed the scent on until he reached a little place near the edge of the Outlands: a pile of rocks beside a stream set against a single, barren tree. It was a wretched sight, the grave, a place heavy with misery. The lion went to the pile of rocks and sniffed again. Yes, it was his father's scent – would that it weren't! He bowed his head.

"You there!" demanded a voice. "What do you think you're doing here?"

The lion looked around. Standing over the mouth of the cave, looking down at him with indignance and rage, was a young lioness. She was lovely with bright vicious eyes and a dark stripe running down her light brown back. Her coat was dusty, as if she'd slept the night at the cave, and her cheeks were wet with dried tears.

"I might ask you the same question," said the lion, turning toward the lioness.

The lioness paused, startled by the lion's familiar appearance. She shook the image of her father from her head and sneered. "How dare you! This is my father's grave and you are nothing but an intruder!"

"Your father?" said the lion sharply. He paused to do some quick thinking, then asked, "What was your father's name, if you don't mind my asking? I think I may have known him, you see."

"Known him?" said the lioness suspiciously. She narrowed her eyes. "How?"

"He was an old friend," said the lion but she noticed the misery in his eyes when he spoke.

The lioness came down slowly from the top of cave, careful to keep her eyes fixed on the intruding lion. "I can see he meant a lot to you," she said, halting some feet away on level ground. "He meant a lot to me too. I am Vitani, his only daughter. You are?"

"Tojo is my name." The lion sat on his haunches and watched her gloomily. "Tell me please . . . how did he die?"

A menacing light shown in her bright eyes. "It is a disturbing tale. His name was Ni . . ."

The lion stirred at the name but went unnoticed but the lioness, for her bright eyes were fixed now in sorrow upon the grave.

"He was killed by the actions of my mother and another combined. My mother now is dead and it were better she was . . . the things she's done, the lives she's taken. It was because of her my best friend at childhood was killed . . . a cub named Kopa. And it was because of her and . . ." Vitani fell into silence and began to sob, remembering that dreadful day.

"Go on," said the lion eagerly. "Your mother and who killed Ni?"

"You are eager to avenge him," said the lioness, taking a step back.

"And you are not?" snapped the lion. "He was your father!"

"But it wasn't his fault!"

"Who?" the lion demanded, standing suddenly.

Vitani took a frightened step back. "Simba," she whispered, watching the lion with wide, baffled eyes. "Why?"

"Because I've journeyed these long years in search of my father to find him dead – and at your mother's doing!"

Vitani took several more steps back. "No . . . you're lying . . ."

Tojo laughed coldly. "You seemed startled when you first laid eyes on me. It's understandable – I look just like Ni and the reason is this: I am Ni's son! And Simba . . . Simba is going to be joining him very soon."

Vitani shook her head in disbelief. "No! I won't let you --" She lunged at Tojo and the two went down in a grappling heap, rolling across the dusty ground, biting and snarling. When the dust cleared, Tojo was standing the victor and Vitani lie motionless on the ground, dead.

"That was for your mother," Tojo panted, snarling at Vitani's still body.

He turned and moved up the rock again, pausing at its edge to behold for the first time since he was a cub, the eternal lush grasslands of the Pride Lands.

"And now for Simba," Tojo whispered.

He leapt down from the edge of the rock and moved quickly and silently into the tall grass.