III

III. Where Lions Dare

It's hard to call two years old lion a mature one, but young Sparthi considered himself as mature enough to understand most of lion's issues. He was training hard to please his father and he believed that one day he would follow his pawprints and replace him. Prince was an independent lion. His actual cubhood finished soon and airy youth ceased with death of mother. Since that time he was partially raised by father, partially by uncle, but mostly by himself, wandering much around Home Grasses and in Rumble Range. He also participated actively in duties of pride. Keeping an eye on the youngest kitties weren't of course his duty, but he did it because of Ghera.

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 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 there liana and prepared himself to submerge into moving sand. But what happened then surprised him in every aspect.

In stead of soft plashing into dry swamp he hit the solid ground. That meant: his paws landed on soft, but still sand. Guided by impulse, Sparthi laid down and spread his paws wide, to make the biggest possible area of his body. But then he opened his eyes to see he was still on surface – and saying exactly – on ordinary sand, while cubs on "shore" and Zira herself were laughing aloud.

"Surprise!" called princess and lifted her paws above the ground.

Then Sparthi noticed as she was in earlier prepared hole (even of digging spoil was simply spread around without any special attempts to hide it) and then she exited it in few moves. Sandymaned was still lying on solid ground, holding liana in his mouth and thinking intensively what was going on.

"That is not a quicksand." Concluded price, standing up.

"Right, ten points for you." Laughed Zira and walked to friends. She left empty hole after her drowning.

"How could you!?" called Ghera with shocked voice and looking on Zira.

"That wasn't so hard." Replied princess. "After all, we all were digging."

"That's unacceptable! Your brother thought…" started lioness, but she was muffled by laughter of cubs and – what she discovered with surprise – also by laughter of Sparthi himself.

Sandymaned came after his sister to four of cubs and they all sat on grass, still looking on hope in sand, laughing. Ghera finally joined that, however she was in fact extremely angry on Zira.

"That was good!" judged lion. "I really thought that was a quicksand! Even that looked completely dry and I don't recall any trap nearby."

"The point is to sold the story properly." Said Epesi. "HELP! Zira is drowning!" she called, faking terror.

"Shhh!" gasped Sparthi. "Someone hear that and would panic as I did."

"Your sister was awful." Said Ghera with stern voice. "She has no right to scare us so much."

"Well… but it all ended good." Noticed princess. "And moreover, look how brave my brother is." She added with proud smile. "He rushed to rescue me… but wait." She paused. "I thought you would just jump to me and then find that was not a swamp."

"I think I did the optimal actions for that case." Said Sparthi. "I knew nothing about quicksand and I need to make some recon. Moreover if I just jumped there, there was a serious probability the marsh was too stiff for me and I would drown as well. I sent Ghera for liana, because I didn't want to tire myself before some serious effort with manoeuvring in sand. And it was safer that I was checking the ground than she…"

"Oh, yeah." Nodded Wivu. "But we thought you would just jump for Zira instantly. That would be more heroic."

"But surely not so smart." Replied prince.

"I guess our idea of presenting by brother as fearless hero was not fully successful." Whispered Zira to Epesi.

"But it was a fun anyway." Replied golden cub.

"Right, come on." Said Sparthi. "You have your fun today. Let's back to Golden Cave."

"Already!?" called all kitties.

"That's not my fault you exhaust my temper so early." Smiled prince. "So go to wash yourselves from this dirt and head home."

Cubs obediently went to lake, then cleared themselves from heavy layer of dirt. Sparthi was watching it from the shore and Ghera came to sit down at his side. For moment they were silent, then lioness said with serious tone.

"I think that your sister deserves some solid punishment for that."

"Perhaps." Replied Sparthi. "But I won't tell father. You know how soft-hearted I am in such things."

"How could I know?" asked lioness.

"I never told him about your pranks." Reminded sandymaned. "And I could say that your ideas were sometime even worse than Zira's." She smiled with embarrassed smile. "But I liked them all."

"That your idea of liana and checking ground… You were very… reasonable today." Said Ghera finally. "I think that is some higher form of bravery."

"Not so impressive, I guess." Replied lion.

"For me just fine." Said Ghera. She took a look around, then came closer and licked his cheek. "My hero. My prince."

"If you say so…" smiled Sparthi. Then seeing that Epesi was already coming out from water, he called to rest. "Right, enough. Let's go back."

Kitties walked to beach, then formed a line and followed two adolescent lions to Golden Massif. The procession was closed by Zira and Wivu. Those two cubs still wished to stay out of keepers attention, because of still visible cuts of their fight.

"So, the deal is simple." Whispered Zira. "Don't tell and I won't."

"Sure. We already set this." Replied grey cub. "And Zira…" added after a while. "Please, forget what I said. I really like to have sister and I believe that mom loves us both."

"I know that." Replied princess. "But it's high time for me to deserve for that."

\/\/\/

Hunt was very strange and game turned out to be even stranger. Lone buffalo seemed to ignore sneaking lionesses and when Masa gave sing to pursue it was too late for bovid. Ten lionesses pinned powerful creature down – but for twenty paws and eighty claws even most powerful animal was no match. Buffalo was dead quick after. Then Masa noticed another trophy of that hunt.

"He wasssss mine!" hissed young ball python, coiled around carcass's neck.

Snake was golden, slightly more metre lengthy, what meant he did managed to circle bovid's neck even twice. His attempts to choke strong game were destined to fail – powerful muscles of herbivore could easily stop clench of reptile. But because buffalo was trying to rid off irritating boa, he simply failed to hear incoming lionesses. That was why it came so smoothly.

"No offence, but I think you had your chance to kill him. Then we had our." Replied Masa.

"That issss not fair!" hissed snake. "It's my kill. You haven't given me a chance!" When he noticed that lionesses ignored him and started to slash game's meat, in desperation he called. "Get off!" and he slid on Masa.

He coiled around her neck and clenched his body with all his might. Whatever strong he could be as for python, he was too weak to choke mature lioness, additionally prepared for that. Grey female tensed her muscles of neck and boa met a steel wall of flesh, that he was unable to squeeze.

"Have you finished?" asked Masa with indifferent voice.

"I will choke you!" called snake.

"Who knows." Replied lioness. "I could die laughing. By the way…" she looked on buffalo. "How did you plan to eat so huge prey? I guess only proper part of it was a tail."

"Ssssshut up!" hissed snake. "That issss mine kill."

"Will he be good for a snack?" asked Rama, looking on neck of friend.

"Can you remove him, without slashing my neck?" asked Masa.

"You broke the lawsssss!" called boa. "I will make a complain to the king."

"Go on, I will forward it." Smiled Masa. "I'm carer of king's daughter."

"You have no right! I want make complain to the king!" repeated reptile.

"Great." Grey lioness looked on kill. "Eat some, then divide it into portable portions. We are returning home."

"With him?" asked surprised Rama.

"And what would you do?" murmured leaderless. "I simply can't rid him off. He wants to complain on us and we are going back anyway. Just let Arista… I mean: king to solve that."

"That is against the lawssss!" repeated snake.

"We heard that." Replied Masa. "And now, would you be so kind and let looser a little. If feel so uncomfortable I will let Rama try to cut you off.

\/\/\/

Hunting team returned to Golden Cave with meat and strange guest. Boa hadn't moved an inch, still coiled around Masa's neck. Arista was napping in the doorstep of cave, but he woke up instantly, hearing returning lionesses. He looked on his pride.

"It's good to see you." He said and then noticed snake on neck of grey lioness. "What is the meaning of this!? This is outrageous!"

"I told her ssssso, ssssir." Said boa. "But sssshe didn't lisssten and stole my kill."

"Let her loose or I will cut you in more parts than you could count!" growled king.

"Yessss, sssir." Said python shyly, although in his voice there was no actual fear of death. It seemed that he was rather surprised that king didn't judge at his thought.

Golden reptile slid down from lioness's neck and Arista came to Masa. He looked on her neck, looking for any injures, but – as we mentioned earlier – moderate snake was too small to endanger huntress in any way. Lion sighed with relief.

"Come on, sir. That's just a snake. Weird one, but still does no harm."

"I will sssshow you: no harm!" hissed python and moved to Masa again, but before he slid to her, he was grabbed by Arista's paw and lifted up.

"Would you be so kind and tell me, why the heck you tried to choke my lioness?" asked king with calm, yet decisive voice.

"And how he wanted to devour our buffalo." Threw Masa in.

"Sssshut up!" yelled boa. "That was my kill."

Arista just raised his paws with snake and then waved it, so reptile's head – driven by centrifuge force – hit the rock of massif. Not hard enough to kill, but surely to inflict serious pain.

"Watch your tongue!" growled Arista. "You are speaking to the lady."

"Or to three…" gasped snake with weak voice, trying to focus his vision on blurred silhouetted of Masa.

"But what did you say about your kill?"

"Sir, it's idiotic story." Said Macheo, one of the youngest lionesses who joined the hunting team. "We found that snake on neck of our kill, as he was trying to choke it."

"I would have done it, if not your pride!" yelled golden reptile. "I want make an official complain on your ssssubjects!"

"I should have cut him in pieces before we got here." Murmured Rama.

"No, wait." Said Arista. "He asked his king for arbitrage about the prey-controversy. I guess we have to hear what he has to say." Ruler looked on python. "What is your name?"

"Kauli, sssir." Replied reptile.

"Why wanted to kill that buffalo?" asked king.

"Just to eat him."

"But you wouldn't eat him whole!" noticed Arista. "I doubt even if you kill him…" but seeing angry look of Kauli, he added. "However we could assume you were able to do it. What would you do with carcass."

"Most likely I would asssssk someone to help in dividing it." Replied snake.

"Lionesses, for instance?"

"Maybe."

"Just ask them?"

"I would propose them to take all the meat I left. That would be…" he looked on several parts of buffalo. "About ninth-tenth of body. Ten percent of his meat would feed me to summer solstice." All lionesses grunted with irritation, but also with amusement.

"So… why don't you – when lionesses killed that bovid – ask them for leftovers? I'm sure they would gave you enough." Said Arista.

"But that issss my kill!" hissed Kauli. "I have right to eat."

"Good… let me judge that problem." Said king, smiling. "Kauli, the kill is your. Would you forgive my pride to steal it? Please, accept our compensation in nearest hunted game. All right?"

"Well… right." Replied a bit confused snake. "Ssssso, you admit that buffalo is mine?"

"Yes, I do." Nodded Arista. "Do you want to accuse any specified lioness for other damages she made to you?"

"Thank you ssssir. That is all what I want." Interrupted Kauli. "If you admitted that kill was mine, I will eat my meal and leave rest for you."

"That's all?" snorted Rama. "You want us just to confirm it was your right?"

"It wassss my right." Replied snake and crawled to meat of bovid. Because lionesses already started to portion it, he chose a long strand of muscles, opened his mouth and started to carefully swallow it.

"I like that guy." Said Arista to Masa. "Didn't he hurt you in any way?" she shook her head. "Would you have anything against I would keep him here? I wish to have someone so sensitive to basic legal matters and him. Hatibu would use some help."

"Do as you wish my… lord." Said Masa.

"Hey, Kauli." Started king. „What do you know about laws of the Desert."

"Enough to judge, when the prey isssss mine." Replied snake, swallowing portion of meat.

"I have a proposition for you…"

\/\/\/

Cubs returned to cave just after Arista persuaded ball python to stay and assist him in legal matters. Sparthi and Ghera just gave short report to Masa, while cubs went straight to the meat. All, except of Zira and Wivu. Those two quickly grabbed their portions of prey and entered cave, leaving pride on acacia alley. They tried to stay away from sight of king and Masa, so that's why they were spotted easily. Grey lioness entered cave just after kitties and followed them to side chamber where they started their meal.

"Is there any particular reason, why you are hiding?" she asked with gentle voice. "Tell me, if it's reasonable, I will leave you." But then she noticed cut on Zira's face. "Stars! What happened."

"No, it's nothing, mom!" called Wivu instantly.

"For you, it's not, but let Zira speak herself." Replied lioness. "So, my dear, what happened?"

"Just accident." Said princess. But Masa catch kitty and pulled her closer, than looked in her eyes. "Really…" She wanted to finish mom, but some force inside her choke that word. She recalled what Wivu had said and tears came to her eyes.

"Zira, my child, tell me what happened." Asked Masa. Wivu turned her stare down, sensing that her involvement would be revealed soon. "Did you fight with your sister."

"No, no… that means… she has nothing to do with it." Wanted to say Zira, but her voice shivered and in fact she sobbed that.

"What have you done to her?" asked grey lioness with stern voice, looking on her daughter.

"I was me!" cried Zira. "I ran away from Sparthi and was climbing on gorge wall… I fell and Wivu just helped me to get back to lake…"

Grey cub sighed with relief, hearing that princess was covering her up, but then another thought came to her mind, that was not so happy. She also had cuts and bruises, but mother was caring only about Zira. Not about her real child, but one who had killed own real mother. Wivu quickly repressed that thought she didn't want to hear, but next events called it back.

"Does it hurt, my love?" asked lioness. Zira wanted to explain more, but she just sobbed again, what Masa took as yes. Greyfurred started to lick fresh cut on cub's face. Wivu was looking at it without word.

But Zira caught her stare. Not directly, because grey cub was not gazing at princess, but on Masa. In her eyes was burning sorrow and envy for mother who seemed to care more about adoptive child than for her own. And Zira felt the pain, not of hurt cheek but of hurt sister. Thoughts that came to her then weren't soothing.

"Wivu has right." She thought. "Masa… I mean: mom, loves me more. But I didn't deserve it! I killed my real mother and if not me, Wivu would have mom just for herself. I… I don't know, what should I do." Masa took Zira to sleeping chamber and put her on brush bedding, then laid just next to and hugged adoptive daughter. Wivu followed them to chamber, but seeing that mother was focused only on princess, she just went out to join other lions in feast. All were so wrapped up by newcomer Kauli – who, by the way, managed already to argue with Hatibu – that no one noticed trails of tears on cub's face. And when Msikizi discovered that her friend had been crying, she simply thought that Masa disciplined her daughter for stupid acting that day and Zira was in progress of similar punishment.

Meanwhile princess was slowly falling asleep in Masa's embrace. She calmed down, although it was hard – none of reason she was crying ceased. Finally she decided that something have to be done. She had to show Masa, she deserved her love. That somehow she is worthy of all that focus and care. Cub hadn't idea what it would be in details, but decision was made.

\/\/\/

Late at night Arista was returning to cave, but he met Masa on the doorstep. Lioness waged her tail, showing that she wanted to talk with king, outside the cavern. Ruler followed her to got just on the other side of acacia alley. They sat on sand, still warm after long and hot day.

"Is something wrong?" asked ruler. "Is Zira…"

"I still don't know what it was about." Replied Masa. "I guess she had just a fight with Wivu and got that cut. Strange thing is that Zira got beaten, not Wivu… but anyway. Neither she nor Wivu wants to say exactly what happened. I guess they reconciled already. Zira didn't complain on sister."

"That's good." Said king. "Even if that was Wivu's fault, I'm glad that Zira didn't tell about it. It's important lesson for her that family always goes first. And this time…" Then he looked on Masa and added with quieter voice. "Family always goes first… Masa, don't you think that raising Zira is hard for you? I mean – you are going excellent, but doesn't your relation with Wivu suffer because of that."

"Oh, my… lord." Smiled lioness. She told it with so tender tone, that if sounded almost she said my love. "Family goes first… and Zira is my family. She is my daughter in every aspect except of blood. We are all one – Zira, Wivu… you, I hope."

Arista smiled and came closer to Masa. She put her head on his shoulder and they stayed that way for longer. Finally king said with quiet voice.

"I still miss Malkha… but Stars blessed me with you. I just can't imagine, what would be without your help."

\/\/\/

Next day seemed to be cooler. Some dusty clouds were dimming the sky, making walking outside more pleasant that usual in that season. Rains were about to come, but in desert even just before rainy season it was dry and hot as on savannah in heat of winter. But weather was still appropriate for journeys and Zira felt it in her spine. She was desert lioness after all.

"Hey, bro!" she came to Sparthi, who just woke up and was trying to stay fully awake. "I won't go to Rumble Gorge today."

"Are you grounded?" asked sandymaned.

"No, not that." Replied his little sister. "I just want to go to Dried Oasis."

"What is so interesting in Dry Oasis?" asked lion, but then added. "No way! You won't go there alone. You must ask dad or wait as uncle Dhalimu returns."

"…or I use new personnel on board." Smiled Zira. "Hey, Kauli, come here?" When reptile was creeping to royal sibling, she explained. "He will come with me. That's not too far and snake would be just fine for that trip."

"Yessss, my princesssss?"

"Oh, you must work on your pronunciation." Judged Zira. "I simply don't know if you meant plural or feminine form."

"Kauli, would you keep an eye on Zira?" asked sandymaned. "She wants to go to Dried Oasis."

"Assss you wish, my prince." Replied snake. "If you think I would be proper carer…"

"So, it's settled then." Smiled Zira. "Tell dad I'm going."

"Will you be back on lunch?"

"Of course!" replied Zira. "But I'm not sure if today's lunch." They both burst with laughter – that was their old joke. But in fact Zira was deadly serious about that.

She waited as Sparthi went with Ghera and other cubs (that morning Zira didn't speak with Wivu, but she decided not to anyway; first she wanted to show few things, also to adoptive sister) and when they disappeared behind corner of Golden Massif, she grabbed Kauli up and put him on her neck.

"Choking or masssssage?" asked confused python. And then he gasped with pain. "Ugh!" Zira coiled snake around her neck and tied him in simple knot. "Are you mad!?" hissed Kauli. "On the contrary to common beliefssssss, my backbone hassss some threshold of flexibility!"

"Don't complain!" smiled Zira and finished her knot. "That way you have the most comfortable position for our trip."

"I guess I could crawl to Dried Oasis by mysssself." Noticed reptile.

"Who said we are going to Dried Oasis?" asked Zira.

"Hm… you?"

"Well… we are going to Dried Oasis and a bit further. I always wanted to know that is south-east from here. And you – as skilled desert creature – will help me survive on the desert."

"Wait, princessss!" yelled Kauli. "I was meant to be a lawyer! Desert trekking wassssn't in my contract." Seeing that Zira was marching straight south-east (what wasn't so easy – after all snake was a solid weight for cub), he added with desperate voice. "Your father wouldn't allow on this."

"You could go and search for him." Smiled Zira, not slowing down. "But you still have to keep an eye on me. Sparthi said nothing that you can't be carried."

"I don't like thissssss job!" hissed python.