Thanks for the reviews - Sunrise19, who else could the lioness be, but one of Kofi's daughters?

So... this chapter ended up a bit long, but I'm sure it's alright after all. I hope you like it - if you do, please do review. Atrice

Part 8 – A great offer

Scar finally reached the great portal leading into the Shadowlands, and stopped here. Should he really go back? He wanted to go back to Kofi and tell him a thing or two, but knew it wasn't a good idea. He had been thrown out of the Skylands!

"Duchess?" called Scar into the darker parts behind the portal – which lead into a corridor in the rocks. He wasn't sure of the way back to the great hall.

"Scar…" a voice called back from the dark deep, as of a cold current of air suddenly came against him. It wasn't the voice of Duchess, that was for sure. "You did not listen…" the voice whispered, and Scar felt himself stand completely still.

"Did not listen? What do you mean?" he knew by now, that it was his namesake speaking to him from the land of the dead… in the Shadowlands.

"Never did I speak of the Skylands to you… never…" the voice of the late king Scar said to him.

"You told me to travel, and so I did! You never told me where to go!" Scar called back, suddenly feeling a bit strange – here he was, speaking to a dark corridor without any living creatures! And the late Scar couldn't know everything, could he?

"Not beyond the Shadowlands… not beyond…" he sounded more distant now, and the young prince soon found out why. From the shadows inside came a hyena, looking at him puzzled eyes.

"Who were you talking to?" Duchess asked to the bewildered Scar. He shouldn't go beyond the Shadowlands? What did that mean, he wouldn't find a lioness in there! Maybe it was true, that the old king hadn't been quite right in his head.

"Oh… noone…" he said and sat down. Duchess didn't look convinced, but figured this wasn't anything she should ask him about.

"Right… so, what happened up there? Why are you back already?" she asked, sounding very concerned about him.

"Kofi… threw me out! He said I would never get one of his white daughters as my mate, because I was dark." Scar explained to the hyena, who nodded.

"I'm sorry – I thought he might have changed just a little." Duchess put a paw on Scars one paw, to show that she was really sorry about it.

"You were wrong… I'll never find someone to rule with me." Scar said with a sigh, but sent her a little smile. He couldn't stand looking at her sad face, she looked like it was all her fault that it went wrong. And it wasn't. "Duchess… thank you, for standing up for me, up there…" he said.

"Don't think about that, I just didn't want you in trouble. Come, let's go back." Duchess said and together, side by side,they went into the dark corridor.

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x

Soon a light pelted lioness stood where they had just been. She sniffed on the ground and looked into the dark corridor. Who was that lion? He appeared young and handsome -just right for her. And then he was so different, which made him so much more attractive. She had never seen a lion with a black mane, or such a dark pelt. She wanted to know that young lion, and sent a glance backwards – towards the way to the Skylands, which she never left before now. She knew her father would never consider such a different lion as her mate, but there was something about the dark lion… something that made her venture into the Shadowlands, alone but curious.

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x

"There, we're back…" Duchess nodded towards the entrance to the pedestal, and Scarreplied with a sigh. "Listen, I mean it… I'm really sorry that it didn't work out." She said when she saw the still disappointed look on his face.

"I know… I just don't feel up to anything right now." Scar laid down on the pedestal with a bump, and Duchess sat down, thinking about how she could cheer him up.After thinking a bit, her face brightened up in a smile.

"You know what… stay here for awhile, rule with me. Try out your skills as a king!" she said with a smile and poked him with herpaw,sending a true hyena grin to Scar.He looked up at her, as if she was really just joking.

"You're serious?" he said and she just replied with a huge smile. "Well… it's a great offer..." Scar thought a bit about it, looked down over the many hyenas in the hall. It wouldn't be that hard ruling this filthy crowd, he thought – and he didn't feel like going home just yet. Plus the fact that his late namesake told him not to go beyond the Shadowlands… maybe he would find something here after all? "I'll stay… yes, I'll stay." He said, smiled, and sat up next to Duchess. She nodded and stood up on all four, and moved to the edge of the pedestal, getting the attention of the crowd.

"Listen! Everyone!" she called out and they looked up. "Scar is going to stay with us for awhile, and he will help me as the leader. Just thought I'd let you know – he's better than his namesake, I'm sure about that!" Duchess explained to pure silence. After the words stopped their echo in the hall, a loud noice of whispering was heard, but nobody spoke against her. They had accepted it.

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x

In the shadow in an opening into the great hall, stood the unknown lioness from the Skylands. She watched the hyenas, and had heard what Duchess just said to them. So his name was Scar – what an interesting name. And he would be a leader now… she decided to stay too, but hide until she could meet him alone somewhere.