Before Vitani will take care Dan's learning, he had left the Pride Rock to take a walk before the 'training'. It's not that he didn't like her aunt, but that she was a little… tough. And it was normal, because she had lived far away, fought for her survival, and had become a strong leader of the lion's guard.

As he walked, the doubts in his head made it difficult for him to think clearly. Then, he realized that he had come to a rocky slope, where there was a small but empty watering hole. With some thirst, the cub lowered the rocks and came over to drink a little.

The water was not that bad... although the one from the great springs was much better. While he was drinking, an unusual shadow moved in the water. Dan thought it was just a large fish, so he decided to ignore it. However, something emerged from the water: a crocodile. On instinct, Dan backed up, but ended up tripping on his hindquarters and falling backwards.

"You should be careful boy" said the crocodile, "This is my watering hole and I don't like strangers around here"

"I'm ... sorry," Dan apologized.

"Umm. I could accept your apology, or you could make it up to me by giving me something to replace my food"

"Makuu!" a voice yelled and Vitani appeared on the scene standing between the crocodile and Dan, "Going back to your old ways? Shouldn't you be at Matope Lake? It is not yet the dry season"

"I had come to see if I could find any more food here" Makuu apologized, "But just when I think I have found it, this cub spoiled my fishing, Vitani"

"Well, I sure he was a little lost. Also, if you have any complaints, you can talk to Kovu and Kiara. I don't think they would be happy if you tried to eat her son and my nephew"

Makuu looked down at Dan, as he tried to find some resemblance between Kovu and Dan.

"They are nothing alike" he finally said, "If I see him well, he looks more like Kion or Simba than Kovu"

"He is adopted, but part of the family" explained Vitani, "Besides, I am also in charge of him. And I do not think you wants me angry, do you? "

"Err, no. Well, I have to go continue fishing. Keep an eye on that nephew of yours "

Maku stepped into the water again, and headed for the deepest part of the watering hole.

"You shouldn't come here, this watering hole belongs to Makuu even in the rainy season" Vitani told Dan, "You shouldn't be with guys like him, they get angry easily and it can be very difficult to reason with them"

"I realize ..." Dan replied, "Thank you, Aunt Vitani"

"There is no reason to give them. Nala told me you were out for a walk, "For a moment, I thought you had escaped from your training..."

Dan shrugged his ears.

"It won't be moving rocks again, will it?"

"Not this time. We will do things a little differently..."

(Then...)

The first exercise Vitani had prepared for Dan was traversing a mud puddle near the cliffs of Chekundu. Fortunately, there was not much depth since some animals such as antelope passed by without problems. The real challenge of the young lion was to cross a log that functioned as a bridge.

"Balance" explained Vitani, "Your first challenge is to cross the log from side to side without falling into the mud. Don't look down, use your instincts"

Dan carefully climbed onto the log and began to walk over it, one step at a time.

"Carefully" thought Dan, as he moved one par after the other.

Nearing the end, Dan slipped and nearly fell into the mud, but quickly raised his paw again to complete the path.

"Well done, now let's test your speed and dexterity" Vitani said later.

(Later...)

"This must be a joke" Dan thought as he looked straight ahead.

Vitani had led him to a grassy area full of abundant dark brown thorns everywhere: Maumivu Thorn Patch.

"Just imitate me" Vitani told him before leaping forward.

The lioness darted into the bushes, moving with speed, but also with confidence and flexibility through the field of thorns. Every time it passed through a very small area, she would shrink its ears, tail, paws, and head to enter those paths. Other times, he had to crawl to pass. It didn't take her long to get to the end.

"It is your turn" Vitani shouted, "Since you are smaller you have an advantage, but don't trust yourself too much. Remember: use your instincts"

It seemed crazy to Dan, but if he wanted to be a true lion one day, he had to show more than just his heart: he had to show the abilities of one. Then he threw himself into the bushes.

At the first thorny bush it was easy to go through. Due to its size, he barely had to bend down to pass it. However, he did feel the edge of a needle brush against his fur and, thankfully, not his skin.

"Faster and more careful" Vitani yelled at him.

Dan realized that he had to be fast, so he jumped to the next bush, wagging his tail and crouching slightly to get around a corner. Then, he had to crawl across the ground.

The fourth and fifth bushes seemed more complicated as Dan barely had time to think where and how to pass. On that occasion, a few thorns dug into him. Still feeling a bit sore, he jumped towards the last bush.

But he failed to go through: he got tangled in this last obstacle and could only see ashamed how later Vitani was pulling the thorns out one by one.

"Not bad for a beginner" she said, "But you have to be faster, not only in your movements, thinking is also important..."

"Ow!" Dan yelled as he removed the last thorn.

"Don't yell, you must be stronger than that. Come on, let's move on to your last lesson"

To say that Vitani was a bit harsh on Dan was an understatement. After all, the way Zira trained her wasn't exactly to defend himself. However, she still considered that a lion should be so strong, fast and brave… it was something he had learned when he competed with Kion and his guard.

(More Later...)

Vitani led Dan to a river. A few acacias towered over the side, and the nearby area was filled with fairly tall green-stemmed grasses, with fluffy white heads.

"It is the Urembo River" explained Vitani, "Your next lesson is bravery. I know I've taught you to climb trees before. Now, your mission is to climb those rocks "

Vitani pointed to the huge rocks that loomed next to the river. Dan swallowed hard.

"Wouldn't there be some other less dangerous place?" he asked with some fear.

"The rocks are stable, all you could bring down water is your fear" Vitani said, "Besides, I do not think the Chekundu cliff is good place to climb"

Dan approached the cliffs, staring at them as if the summit seemed unreachable.

"Come on, give it a try" Vitani encouraged him.

Dan put one paw up on the rocks, followed by the other. Before he knew account, he was climbing the cliff holding on with all the strength he gave his claws. However, something ran through the cub's body: fear.

It was very easy to be afraid after what had happened: When the hunters tried to catch him and Simba, the latter had held Dan in his jaws and leaped from rock to rock in the wildebeest valley, and they had both nearly died. It is not surprising that one is not somewhat traumatized from that.

"Come on Dan, you don't want to fall, do you?" Vitani asked.

He didn't know if Vitani was encouraging him or laughing at him, but he didn't want to look back. He feared that if he did, his fears would return.

"Quick" she yelled at him, "A predator may have already reached and eaten you. You have to be determined to do it"

He was almost halfway up the cliff. When he did, a piece of rock gave way and made him slip. Dan had to hold hard not to fall, but accidentally looked down: He seemed to have remembered that night, in which he saw Simba fall off. It seemed to him that this time he was the one who fell.

"Ah!" he screams.

Dan felt his body fall backward until he collided with the river water. Then he felt his whole being plunge into the cold water. As it moved his paws wildly, trying to push itself back to the surface, someone caught him by the neck, and he filled him back to solid ground.

Coughing, the cub could tell that Vitani had come to get him out.

"Thank you..." he said with difficulty.

"You don't have to give them to me" she replied, "What happened? I understand the falling... but I thought you were a good swimmer. When I saw that you had problems, I had to intervene"

Dan didn't know what to answer … he just knew that it was his fear that had thrown him off balance.