"Well I am going to say everything that needs saying in this little section. Very sorry for any spelling or Grammar errors – its late for me, and if any are glaring out at me when I check this again tomorrow, I will fix it immediately.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and there is a little bonus for readers of Judgement in this. Also, next chapter will feature the first Song in the series so far. These will be few and far between, but I think they will add to the story. They will however be added after the chapter is finished, so you will get a full chapter alongside the song – I will not count the lyrics in the word count.

Enjoy! And if you liked this, please leave a comment!

Cheers: Haradion."

Chapter 11: Stories, Stars and Secrets

Kiava looked around the clearing. Bleeding leopards, four still wilddogs, and a crying leopard cub. Danyal was panting hard, his paws and mouth stained with blood. Kiava gulped again.

"Aunt Vitani!" he said. "Hey! Uh – this is nowhere near as bad as it looks!" He tried to explain. Vitani ignored him and strolled over first to Danyal, looking furious, as though she would strike him. The two leopards began to growl softly and Danyal cringed in anticipation of an angry blow. Instead she glared at him, before moving over to Kiava and looked him up and down for injuries without a word. When she was satisfied he was safe she turned and growled at Danyal again.

"What on earth were you thinking?" She asked him. He stepped back cautiously.

"Would you mind being more specific?" He asked her. She stiffened and glared back at him.

"Would you mind explaining just what you were doing, taking Kiava out of the tree, straight into a skirmish with Wilddogs?" She said. Danyal twitched in annoyance.

"I did no such thing! I was going out on patrol at we planned. I was half a mile out before I even knew he was following me!" He protested.

"Then why didn't you bring him straight back?" She asked him.

"We heard a scream, so we decided to investigate!"

"We?"

"Okay, I decided to investigate. I found this family of leopard in trouble and leant a paw! That was all!" He said. If he thought this would please Vitani, he was mistaken. She was incensed.

"And you didn't think that if someone was in trouble, it was all the more reason to take Kiava back immediately, rather than go head first into it? What if something had happened? What if he had been killed?"

"He wasn't – there was nothing to worry about!" Danyal protested.

"Ma'am, if I may?" The male leopard interrupted. Vitani glowered at him.

"What?"

"If I might add, everything the boy said is true. We were in some distress. My name is Haran and this is my mate Serina. We were until recently, living in the Pridelands until the Shai'tan took control of them. Lord Rish'ut imposed his will upon everything that lives, and anything that resists, dies. We defied him – and for that we were nearly executed. What the young lion has not yet mentioned was that when he attacked those wilddogs, they had me at their mercy, and my cub as hostage. We would not have survived another minute. I ask that you bear that in mind when before you make any judgements on him. If it were my son who had just –"

"Thank you Haran – and he is not my Son." She said. She turned to Kiava.

"And what do you have to say about this?" He asked him. Kiava looked down, ashamed.

"I was bored so –"

"Oh how wonderful. The Prince was bored. At least you two were nearly killed for something worthwhile! Honestly!" She said angrily. She rounded on Danyal.

"Next time – you do not fight. The safety of the Prince must come before everything else. On top of everything else. If you can secure the safety of the Prince with the lives of strangers, with my life, or with your own, you pay the cost understand me?" She said. Danyal could see that she was angry, and understood her objections to him endangering both himself and the prince but even so, her willingness to sacrifice complete strangers who needed help, was shocking. He growled defiantly.

"Saving them was worthwhile. You would have left them to die? Why am not surprised!?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked her eyes narrowing.

"Just that you seem to be good at running away whilst others to the fighting and dying for you-." He snapped. Vitani roared and struck out. The blow caught him on the side of the head and sent him reeling. His vision blurred and his head swam. He struggled to remain upright, his ears ringing, and Kaiva yelled out.

"No matter who can be saved – you must never endanger the life of the Prince with own recklessness! Never again! No matter what the temptation!" She snapped. Kiava stared at the two of them.

"You, listen to me, if you are truly thankful for this rescue, then you can repay it: tell no one of this meeting." Vitani ordered the leopard, Haran.

"We will keep our silence, have no fear of that." His mate told her calmly, but her eyes told of a hidden rage as she watched Vitani angered at their rescue. As if sensing her bitterness, Vitani sighed.

"Look – it's nothing personal. I am glad you are alright and I am glad Danyal saved you."

"Could have fooled me..." Danyal muttered

"But I need to look out for my Pride first. If something had gone wrong -" Vitani continued. Serina nodded.

"I understand. Thank you all the same." she said, stiffly, and taking her mate and cub, the family left the clearing.

When Danyal, Vitani and Kiava returned to their camp, the cubs looked visibly relieved.

"We heard sounds of a fight! We thought those tigers had you for sure – I've never seen Vitani so frenzied!" Inti told them when they had returned. Kiava spent the next hour retelling the story. By the time night had fallen, the story had developed so that now, it was ten leopards, against thirty wilddogs – and army of the Shai'tan sent to destroy them. Danyal had bravely lead the leopards into battle and crushed the wilddogs. By this point, Danyal had had enough and got up to leave the cubs to their imaginations, but the cubs pressed him.

"Your turn Danyal – tell us a story!" they said. Danyal groaned – he wanted to go to sleep – yet cubs could be so irritating when they wanted to, and he knew that they would keep pestering him until he told them. He tried anyway.

"I don't know any good stories." He tried, but they ingorned him, and kept pestering him, until finally, he gave in.

"Alright then... What story do you want to hear?" he asked them.

"Mohatu and the Exodus!" Inti said.

"The three little Hyenas!" Sara demanded. Kiava rolled his eyes.

"No, Kings no! Tell us something true. Not a fairytale... A proper story – with Kings and battles!" He said. Danyal sat down.

"Kings huh? Battles?" He racked his brains.

"Alright then. A story. About Kings and Queens and battles..." the cubs drew up close and he began.

"Along time ago, deep in the Pridelands, there was a wise and powerful King. His name was Ahadi. He was strong and powerful, clever and wise. But he also had a temper, and was known for being harsh with criminals and murderers. Now this wise King had a mate, who was gentle and kind, and above all loved her home and her family. And he loved her back. The King and his Queen, had two sons. Prince Mufasa, and Prince Taka. They were the best of friends when they were cubs and got on like all cubs should. They had many friends, but it was five of them who would have many adventures when they were cubs – and did things no one would ever have thought a set of cubs capable of. But this story is not about that. Taka was clever and cunning, and he was a skilled stalker and hunter – but when he hunted with a group, he was not as skilled. He was sluggish, and slow to manoeuvre, slow to adapt, and tried to keep track of everyone at once instead of trusting people to do their own.

So Prince Taka, asked his father, the Great King Ahadi to teach him how to hunt in a group. The King agreed, and asked his mate to accompany them to spend a day away from the Pridelands, away from the pressures of ruling, just to enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately, he was kept busy all day long by animals, who came from all over Africa for his help in solving disputes and arguments. So when the time came to meet his son, he did not keep the appointment.

However. A Hyena, by the name of Caliban the Cruel arrived. Now Caliban was a vicious creature. Petty and wicked. He took pleasure in pain and enjoyed inflicting suffering. He stole many kills from the lionesses until the King intervened. Angered, his pride stung, Caliban attacked the Queen when she was in the Pridelands. Taka, warned by some friends of what Caliban intended to do, and ran to stop them and save his mother!"

The Cubs waited eagerly in anticipation.

"He was too late. Uru was killed." The cubs looked downcast. "Caliban had been injured however, and when Taka arrived, he killed Caliban where he stood. But he grieved for his mother, and when Ahadi found out that the love of his life was dead, he wanted revenge. But there was none to be had – Taka had already killed Caliban, and the remainder of the Hyenas were fled, dead or dying."

"That's so sad! So what did they do?" Sara asked. Danyal smiled.

"The two lions argued amongst themselves, each blaming the other. So Ahadi and Taka fought atop Pride Rock itself, with the entire Pride as witness to their folly!"

"They blamed each other? That's stupid!" Inti protested. The other cubs agreed.

"Aye – it was. But the two were both maddened by grief to see it. Taka fought Ahadi, the despite the advantage of strength being with Ahadi, Taka was faster and struck many cuts and wounds against his father." Danyal said. Zuri looked shocked.

"Did he actually mean to kill him? His own father?"

"Yes – and the Father wanted to kill his son as well. But please, be quiet, and I'll finish the story."

"So who won?"

"Just listen." He said impatiently. Danyal continued:

"Eventually Ahadi took a wound that nearly killed him, but at the last second, Ahadi changed course, the fatal below missed, and Taka was left wide open!

Ahadi slashed him across the face, and Taka fell to the ground, his neck bared for the death blow. But then, his friend, a lioness intervened, threatening to kill the King if he harmed the prince, or die trying. Her defence caused others to stand by him, and when his other son reminded him that a King who enforces his will with fear and brutality is nothing, he relented, and Taka was spared. The Prince however was disinherited, and it was said, that Taka would never be King of Pridelands."

"But that's so sad! Did they ever make amends?" Zuri asked. Danyal hesitated.

"That's a story for another time I think." he said.

"At least tell us what happened to Taka and his friend!" Sara protested. Danyal sighed.

"They died." Danyal said simply.

"What! How?" The cubs asked in shock.

"Madness." Vitani said. The cubs jumped, and turned around and sure enough Vitani was there, her expression a mystery, her eyes far away.

"They were driven mad by grief. After that attack, Taka was never the same. He became obsessed with destroying his father, and his father tried to destroy him, before he vanished under mysterious circumstances. They when things began to look up, for the duo – tragedy after tragedy struck them. Blinded by greed, envy, grief and loss, the two slipped into madness, plotting and scheming, until they made their move, and murdered Mufasa, Taka's brother. They claimed the throne, and ruled with an iron fist for almost a generation. The Good lion the Taka had been, and his friend, Zira, died. They were shadows of their former selves. Twisted by evil and madness." She told them. The cubs stared in awe.

"I don't like this story." Inti decided.

"How do you know that?" Zuri asked. Vitani gave a wry smile.

"You should remember your history girl. Zira is a common enough name, but Taka isn't, nor is the Lion he became. Taka became Scar – the Scarred Tyrant. Mojakovu. You must have heard of him." Vitani said. Then she sighed again.

"As for how I know, that should have been obvious. He was my father." She said. Kiava looked dumbstruck.

"Now go to sleep, cubs. Danyal, I want a word with you." She groaned and stood up, coming over to one side where she waited patiently.

When the cubs were a long distance away, Vitani turned to Danyal but Danyal got there first.

"How long had you been lurking there?" He asked her. Vitani smiled.

"Long enough to here a well told story. But something bothers me. Tell me where you heard that story. Damu and Almasi are not the type to say that aloud. The names Mufasa and Taka became a death sentence to utter under Scar. There are even a few who do not remember Prince Taka, and Prince Scar are one and the same. I once heard a retelling in which Mufasa was one of three brothers and Scar betrayed and murdered both Taka and Mufasa." He said.

"Hardly anyone knows that story – who told you it?" She asked. At first Danyal thought she was angry about it, but now he realised she was curious, and more than a little shaken over it.

"It's a story my mother told me. A long time ago..." He told her. Vitani raised an eyebrow.

"Your mother told you stories as a cub?"

"Yeah. To help me sleep. Histories really. She'd point to the stars, to Judai, Mohatu, Ahadi, Mufasa, Taka, and tell their stories. Simba and Kovu too. All of them."

"Why did you tell the cubs that one?"

"It doesn't matter."

"No, really."

Danyal paused for a moment.

"Because is that story, no matter how much suffering the Pride endured, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though that story is just the start of a long stream of tragedies and evils, it was ok. No matter how twisted and broken Scar became, no matter what atrocities he inflicted, the Pride recovered. The King returned. Simba killed his uncle, and the Pridelands healed, despite the damage. I just pray we can do the same."

"They were my parents Danyal. Cruel, evil and driven only by greed, lust and wrath. But they were my parents all the same. Perhaps I am more like them then I care to admit... Danyal – I am sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have blamed you, and I shouldn't have been angry when you helped someone who needed help. It was selfish and cruel of me." She said. Danyal only nodded. "It's okay. It's fine. Now if I may Vitani – I am tired, I wish to sleep." He told her. Vitani had said all she was going to, so she nodded in agreement.

"Of course. Good night Danyal."

Vitani was left alone, thinking. Was she turning into Zira? A lioness so hopelessly addicted to a single cause, she abandoned everything else? Even a couple in trouble? No. No. She was going to save these lions in her pride. Damu, Almasi, the Cubs and Danyal. No matter what. She didn't want revenge, she wanted freedom. She sighed. She had not told Danyal, but she had heard the entire story, and it was one she new well. She had heard it from both Zira, and Pridelanders, but she had not thought to the story in some time.

Danyal passed the cubs where they were sleeping, dreaming of dark lions and battles. He climbed the tree truck until he found his normal sleeping place, but instead, he passed it and climbed higher, looking up through the branches as the silent stars went by.

Far away, across grasslands and river and ash and dust, back in the highest spire of Golgorath, Rish'ut roared in anger.

"YOU ARE SURE OF THIS! DRAGON'S BURN ME IF YOU ARE LYING!" He bellowed at the dishevelled creature before them. Sekmet stood next to him her own mouth wide open with shock.

"That is impossible! He must be lying!" She said.

Grimspite shook his head timidly. He was covered in injuries, but he had somehow dragged himself back east when the cats had left him for dead. He had been lucky and chanced upon a vulture. The bird had carried a message to Golgorath. A message so urgent that a few hours later, when the Shai'tan had received it, a rift appeared in front of where he lay and Marsade himself dragged him through – saving his life with his magic.

The Shai'tan Rish'ut glared down at him from where he previously lounged, but now, he was bolt upright and attentive. Grimspite's voice came out in a terrified whisper.

"I am certain of it your eminence. She called him Prince! I am sure she is Vitani, the Lady of the Night! The cub was Kiava – Son of Kovu son of Scar! The Royal line is not broken! Prince Kiava is still alive!"