Breaking the law

I bet he'll try to cross us over again, I'm sure of it… Once you turn into a traitor, there's no way back. Bah… I can't believe Vitani let him off just like that, and that she's following him again too! She's putting herself (not to mention me as well) in harm's way trusting him like that.

"How much longer?" Vitani yawned, slacking behind Kiruhu fatigued.

"Almost there, probably less than an hour, then we'll reach the crossing," the cheetah reassured. Vincent was less than convinced, which he immediately made clear:

"You're sure the 'crossing' isn't just one of your obscure metaphors for getting us killed in one or another gruesome manner?" he sneered.

"Come on Vincent, give him a break already. He got us out past the mountains, didn't he?"

"Yeah, and he almost killed us halfway through…"

Kiruhu tried to ignore Vincent's never ceasing nasty remarks to the best of his abilities, or at least refrain from responding to them: Vincent had a point, after all. Kiruhu was, all in all, very lucky to still be alive after what he had done; he knew that by all accounts, he should have already been dead; no use complaining there. So the party just journeyed on under the setting sun, bickering every now and then over whether forgivingness and atonement were the path to follow, never reaching a conclusion. At a given point they neared a large, run-down baobab, hardly noticing it. Nothing peculiar, although Vitani did at one time spot from the corner of her eyes a green hornbill flying by. She didn't pay any real attention to it.

"Can you hear the river?"

"Nope…"

"No? Oh… Just thought I heard something…"

"Well I didn't…"

"And where are you going?"

All three predators suddenly startled at the sound of the unknown voice which seemed to be coming out of nowhere. Vitani cautiously looked around, until she spotted the baobab.

"No way… Not out here…" she sighed, looking at the tree.

"What's happening?" Vincent wondered, a bit nervous. But Vitani ignored him and casually headed towards the tree. Her companions followed, cautious, but curious at the same time.

"Rafiki? You pothead baboon, is that you?"

Suddenly, an upside-down face appeared out of the leafs, much to Vincent and Kiruhu's surprise; they sprung back in shock. The ape – or whatever it was that had appeared – broke out in laughter.

"Correction – pothead mandrill! Haha! But, the real question is: Whooo... are you?" the ape replied.

"Uh, that one never gets old, does it? Besides, you know who I am," Vitani sighed, "What are you doing out here?"

"What are you doing out here?"

"Just a suggestion, but try to answer her questions in stead of repeating them," Vincent grumbled a bit annoyed.

"Ah, and I smell you've brought some friends with you, young Vitani…" the mandrill giggled.

"Who's the monkey? You know that guy?" Vincent asked Vitani, "Just a question, but does he get hit in the face a lot? He sure sounds like it…"

"Ssh! I'll do the talking," Vitani hushed the hyena.

"Yes, you have a lot of talking to do!"

"Hmmm…" Vitani wondered looking behind her, at Kiruhu and Vincent, "Yeah… I guess this looks kind of peculiar…"

The mandrill, however, burst out in laughter again before Vitani could continue.

" Ha ha, 'looks peculiar'! That's one way of putting it – but I'd go easy on the looking!" he exclaimed as he fluently swung out of the tree, landing just in front of Vitani. He then looked straight at Vitani, who then saw something was out of place: the mandrill's eyes seemed covered in a transparent, white fog.

"What the… You okay?"

"Oh, I'm okay. At least I'm not seeingly blind," the mandrill added a bit mysterious, "And I've got a spare pair of eyes with me anyway!"

"He's not just as blind as a bat, but totally bonkers too…" Vincent whispered. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the mandrill struck out with a large decorated stick he'd been carrying with him. The point of the stick halted only inches away from Vincent's nose.

"But my hearing's still ok!" the mandrill grinned, after which he suddenly thrust his stick forward and hit the hyena on the nose, "Ha ha!"

"Aw, my nose!" Vincent groaned, "You little piece of…"

"Hey, cool it," Vitani suggested as she held back Vincent, "And you, Rafiki, display some sanity! Hitting a hyena in the face won't do your life expectancy any good."

"Aha! You did notice!"

"What?"

"The race of your smelly companion. You have a strange taste in friends!"

"And you have a strange taste in herbs, giggling old fool. What are you doing out here anyway, Simba is worried sick 'bout you not coming to our den. And considering your eyes are all messed up, I'd say he's right to worry."

"Enough, talk to the hand!" Rafiki suddenly exclaimed, sticking out his hand holding the stick, "My face is tired of listening and I'm tired of talking."

"Ain't that supposed to be the other way 'round?" Vincent suggested, earning him another punch of Rafiki's stick. The hyena tried snapping at the mandrill, but Rafiki swiftly swung back into the tree, laughing out loud all the way through.

"That was… unusual…" Kiruhu noted.

"Man, my head… Who does he think he is?"

"Yes, I should probably apologize for that…" replied a green hornbill that suddenly appeared out of the tree. Vitani recognized him as the bird she'd seen earlier.

"Huh, Zazu?" Vitani wondered a bit too preemptive. Then she realized how stupid that question was: Zazu was both blue and deceased.

"Yes and no, with a strong emphasis on the no," the bird noted with a whim of sarcasm, "Zazu is my uncle. Or was. The name's Tiko."

"Oh. Nice meeting you, Tiko. I'm Vitani… Can't say I ever heard of you though... So eh… why did you suddenly take over from the monkey?"

"Rafiki needed some time to contemplate. Thus, he applied some mild pressure to get me to come down to carry on the conversation, lending him some time of he needs to think. Also, I am to turn our little talk into a subtle inquiry... Though he mentioned I should keep the inquiry part to myself. But secrecy is no way to make an acquaintance, wouldn't you agree, madam?"

"Yeah, sure…," Vitani shrugged, "What are you guys doing out here anyway?"

"Me, or him?" Tiko asked, pointing up at the tree.

"I meant why are you out here, I mean, the royal shaman and Zazu's nephew, together on the wrong side of the river, whilst one of you appears to be blind… there's got to be some interesting story behind that, no?"

"Look who's talking... I'm not the one who should be explaining here," Tiko noted, "Though that doesn't mean you don't have a point... but it's kind of a long story."

"Amaze us…" Vincent yawned, whilst sitting down "My paws are too bruised to keep on walking anyway, and my head too dented. Entertain us!"

"Well, if you insist… Maybe we ought to exchange stories, how 'bout that? I'll start. Mind you, this (what lead me to being here now) all began 'bout a year and a half before now, and I''l start there, seeing as you applied for the long version.
Back then, my uncle was starting to feel age weigh down on him, and he realized he hadn't trained anyone to become his successor."

"Jut for those of us not in on all this lion-mumbo-jumbo: what did this 'Zazu'-guy exactly do that needed succession?" Vincent interrupted.

"He alone compromised Simba's entire bureaucracy…" Vitani replied teasingly, pulling Tiko's leg a bit.

"Hmmm, not quite. My uncle was the King's (past and present kings) majordomo, and legal advisor. And as I said, he needed a successor. These kind of professions are usually largely hereditary, pretty much like royalty, probably because it guarantees a lifetime of not-getting-eaten, something one would like to preserve for his offspring. But there was one minor problem: Zazu had not established a family; he was too much of a workaholic. And most of his other relatives were either not bright or not interested enough for the task at hand, so the choice fell on me."

"Talking 'bout blowing your own trumpet... But eh, that relates to you being here and now in what manner…?" Vitani wondered.

"I'm getting there, ma'am. So it turned out I was the only feasible choice to be educated into the new royal legal advisor. Only problem was… our views on life conflicted a little bit, making Zazu rather reluctant at taking me under his wings…"

"Whadaya mean?"

"Taking under his wings? Well, that was pretty much of a pun, albeit I do try to avoid those as they are often very...

"No, I didn't mean that. I'm not retarded, I can get a pun, you know... I meant the views on life part," Vitani interrupted, feeling a bit insulted.

"Ah yes, apologies... Eh... I'll put it this way; Zazu was more of a traditionalist and an idealist. A bit old fashioned really. For example, he put great emphasis on protocol, whereas I do not: I, for one, even discarded my official title and replaced it with something more practical and transparent (being royal legal advisor). So you see, I'm more pragmatic, much to Zazu's horror.
But what put my uncle really off the was that I'm, to quote him, too much of a 'relativist and sophist who wouldn't know good from bad if it bit you in the behind, ate you, regurgitated you and bit you again' …"

"Ahhh… Right…" Vitani mumbled.

"… So he insisted that if I wanted to be instructed in the ways of law, I should also polish up my ethics and morals as well, under his guidance. Unfortunately, after he passed on his legal-knowledge, Zazu didn't make much progress in the ethics area, so he had to transfer me to our herb-sniffing friend over here just before he passed away. Apparently, the mandrill's got some interesting stuff to teach about morals and ethics. I didn't notice much of that, though, as the first thing Rafiki did when I reported to him was drag me all the way down here because some herbs apparently only grow on this side of the river.
And when he then suddenly got that peculiar eye-affliction, he ordered me to stay here and guard him while he meditated on the meaning of his sudden blindness. Apparently, he thinks it's some kind of message from the Kings.
And so I'm stuck here, as he forbids me to go looking for help. My educations hasn't advanced since…"

"Awkward…"

"Indeed. But now, It's your turn too amaze me. Speak up!" the hornbill suggested.

"Bah... Not much to say, really..."

"Really now? Hmmm... Call me prejudiced, but a hyena and a lion-of-the-pride strolling by on the wrong side of the river, headed by a cheetah ranks comparatively high on the unusual scale, not to mention it would probably upset a lot of you kin."

"That's one way of putting it," Vinani mumbled, "But I'd rather not elaborate on that…"

"Why?"

"Look, I appreciate your… 'concern', but to tell you the truth, you seeing us is already enough to get me into trouble as it is, and that's even without you hearing the full story…"

"Ah , I get where your going at, miss. You did something outside of the King's knowledge, and now you're concerned I might rat out on you if you disclose any information, no?"

"Many questions," Kiruhu suddenly noted.

"Ah?" Tiko wondered, faking surprise.

"If she says yes, she'll admit going in against the king. If she says no, she'll have nothing to hide and be obligate to talk. It turns out bad for her either way,"

"Good point. Thanks, Kiruhu," Vitani smiled.

"My pleasure, ma'am."

"Haha, our Fast-runner is a Fast-thinker as well," Rafiki suddenly shouted, balancing above everyone's heads on a tree branch with only one hand, "But what if I said I won't let the rat out?"

"What?" Vincent frowned, "This guy's totally cuckoo…"

"Hmmm, I don't know… You sure you won't tell Simba?" Vitani wondered, actually getting what Rafiki meant, unlike Vincent.

"Is the King better of not knowing?" Tiko suggested, to which Vitani recklessly replied, without giving it much thought, affirmative. Vincent just stared at the ground, hoping that when the whole story came out, they wouldn't be able to deduct whatever he thought Shenya was up to: that would have definitely been something the King might have been better of knowing, and if the hornbill discovered it and decided to take off and warn his king, that could endanger Vincent's clan, something he wanted to avoid. But intervening now, cutting short the conversation, could only arouse suspicion, so he just kept quiet.

"Well, if both you and the King are indeed better off with him not-knowing whatever it is you are reluctant to share with me, why would I possibly want to tell the king? He is better of not knowing, after all… Ignorance is bliss. So don't worry, we'll prove discrete enough," a self-certain Tiko reassured Vitani.

"Hmmm... I can imagine Zazu would indeed find that attitude of yours appalling..." Vitani grinned, "But me, on the other hand, I like it. All right, I'll try starting at the start as well. I guess it all started about three days ago, as I tried taking a nap in the morning sun…"


"... So Kovu sent me to hyena territory to try and make sure things didn't get out of hand, and seeing as how me and Vincent had already met prior to the incident..."

"Ah, so you are Vincent, hyena!" Rafiki suddenly interrupted, to everyone's surprise: they had all gotten the impression he had been sleeping, or at least dazing off. But it appeared he was very attentive.

"Yeah. And you are...?"

"I am none of your concern."

You, on the other hand, are of my concern, hyena.

"Well nice to meet you too, jerk..." Vincent snapped.

"You know him?" Vitani asked the mandrill, signing at the hyena.

"I know a lot, young Vitani. Now, continue!" Rafiki commanded, avoiding her question.

"Right... So I head over to their land, taking the route past the Elephant Graveyard. Then, on the Wasteland plateau, I got ambushed by a bunch off his clanmates. Lucky for me, they weren't particularly aggressive, and after a bit of shouting, insulting and bluffing, I got them to get me Vincent. After they sent for a messenger, I just waited a bit, trying to ignore all those angry stares around me. After a while, I noticed some guy coming over and having a chat with the squad-leader, after which I was told to stay put. So I did, and her squad backed off out off sight. The guy to have come over and talk to the squad-leader disappeared again after that. A few moments later, Vincent appeared. We had a little talk, a bit of shouting... the usual conversation at a negotiation, I guess..."

"Just curious, but what exactly was the deal you wanted to reach?" Tiko suddenly interrupted, "I mean, this is the kind of agreement for which a bit of legal advice would be utmost appropriate, after all..."

"Well, I bet this will come like quite a shock," Vitani replied grinningly, "But Kovu can actually manage without a legal advisor, makes you wonder... Anyway, the proposed deal was we'd give the hyenas the right to hunt in the Outlands and the part of the Pridelands north of Kovu's den, though only during the day. In exchange, we wanted a nonaggression-pact and the guarantee they would not hunt in our lands during the night, and stay away from Simba's Pridelands altogether."

"Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me," Tiko frowned, "From the hyenas' point of view: they don't have to actively do anything in return, nor cough up any land. Say, sir, what was there to negotiate?"

"If you put it that way..." Vincent mumbled, avoiding Tiko's question, "But you have to remember the context: they just killed two of our clanmates..."

"... who were breaking the law, by the way," Rafiki quickly noted.

"Were they?" Vincent wondered rhetorically, "For us hyenas, your lion-rules only include laws, but no rights. Correction, but no protection. I don't see why we should follow those rules."

"He's got you there, Rafiki," Tiko agreed, to everyone's surprise, and Rafiki's annoyance.

"Legal advisors should steer clear from philosophical questions and focus on the law as is," Rafiki smiled at Tiko, though his smile had lost much of its cordiality, "And you, hyena, should remember the laws are those of the Circle of Life, not those of lions alone, they are not yours to ignore."

"Then why don't you spend more time educating the Circle of Life to them as well; you can't live by rules you don't know. And last time I checked, we were the only ones to 'enjoy' your wisdom concerning the ways and the laws of the world..." Vitani countered in Vincent's defense.

"Talking about an aberration towards nemo censetur lex ignorare," Tiko smilingly noted. In doing so, however, he only attracted everyone's ignorant stares. It did help quell the argument that was about to arise, though.

"Never mind... Vitani, you had just come to the part where you and mister Vincent were negotiating your proposal?" Tiko quickly suggested, drawing everyone's attention away from him again, as wondering stares made him quite nervous.

"Right, where was I... Oh yeah... as I was saying, there was some shouting hence and forth, but then we were suddenly interrupted by the hyena-squad that had been guarding me before Vincent had arrived. From what I could deduct from the squad leader's speech, Vincent was about to become the victim of a coup: they wanted to kill him, and blame it on me afterwards. So I didn't wait for us to get torn to shreds, but in stead grabbed Vincent and busted us out of their cordon."

"Because they'd have to kill you too if they wanted to put the blame on you?"

"Yeah, and because I wasn't about to stand by as a friend got eaten alive," Vitani added.

"Thanks," Vincent mumbled in appreciation, in rare sincerity.

"You're welcome. Anyway, as we tried staying ahead of the mob that now chased us, we kinda... took a wrong turn..."

"... And found ourselves tumbling down the White Pass cliff," Vincent completed.

"Right. But we pretty much survived the fall and found ourselves struggling with the wild waters soon thereafter. By the time we got out of the river, we were so beat we spent the rest of the night lying on the riverbank, unconscious. All in all, 't was a miracle we even made it out alive in the first place."

"The Kings must have taken special interest in you and your smelly friend to save both of you twice in a row," Rafiki frowned, "Peculiar..."

"Probably... Anyway, after we got up from the riverbank, at dawn, we met Kiruhu here," Vitani continued, pointing at the cheetah, "And he volunteered to lead us to a crossing not to far from here. He even took us through a shortcut over the White Passes, so we made it here in about two to three days, yet another stroke of fortune."

Kiruhu was both relieved and grateful Vitani managed to sum up their journey in about one sentence. After all, more details would just make things a more complicated, and no-one was really waiting for that to happen. But Rafiki, who had heard every word even though he didn't seem like it, quickly noticed a few gaps in Vitani's story.

"The Fast-runner-fast-thinker is noble indeed to just guide two of his competitors in the Circle of Life over the treacherous White Pass free of charge," the mandrill ironically noted, smiling still, looking at Kiruhu. The cheetah, however, didn't flinch, to both Vincent and Vitani's surprise, but was able to reply with such sincerity they too almost believed what he said.

"I have to admit that sounds strange indeed, and if you'd have told me three days ago that I was soon to lead a lion and a hyena over the White Passes, I would have considered you delusional. But seeing Vincent and Vitani helping each other must have snapped something within me; my whole life had been one of constant and relentless struggle between my kin, hyenas and lions, a degradation of life to kill or be killed, an abomination. As I noticed Vincent and Vitani on the riverbank that day, however, and became witness to their mutual understanding, compassion and even kind tenderness they displayed in spite of their different lineages, I was struck by a vision of cooperation and harmony, a new future I could only dream of becoming part of some day, finally escaping from the clutches of a life of senseless bloodshed and slaughter on daily basis. And faced with such ideals embodied, what else could I do but offer my services in the hopes of becoming part of what, for a moment, seemed like an unlikely miracle? And after miss Vitani even went out off her way to save me when I got into trouble at the White Pass, I became even more confident her way, one of compassion, was the only way to follow should we ever want to reach a better tomorrow. To that end, I have put my life in her paws and at her disposal…"

"Your nobleness knows no boundaries, Fast-thinker. But now that you mention it, I don't recall Vitani testifying she saved you on that White Pass…" Rafiki pointed out, expecting a response from Vitani. The lioness, however, hesitated, fearing her little white-lie to cover up Kiruhu's wrongdoing was about to backfire. Luckily, though, Vincent quickly improvised a fitting response to shut Rafiki up (which wasn't that easy since Vincent too was not at all accustomed to Vitani and Kiruhu's alternative version of history).

"Yeah, Vitani, cut back on the modesty, will ya? A little bit of praise won't kill ya. You really shouldn't be shy to admit you saved someone's life."

"Well, you know how it is, no-one likes to brag…" Vitani replied, gratefully blinking at Vincent. Rafiki didn't seem pleased at all at their explanation, but decided not to question them on it any further, allowing Tiko to move on with the conversation.

"And now you're here on your way to the river-crossing, right. And I guess the plan is that after that, everyone will return to his or hers respective home…"

"… or family," Vincent quickly added, considering the possibility his home had been relocated, as he still suspected Shenya had tried to get him killed because she had been up to something, namely expanding the clan's territory way into the Pridelands.

"… Or family, yes. But won't that get you in quite some trouble, mister Vincent? I can imagine the plotters that tried to kill you are still at large…"

"Well, as I told Vitani before, I have little choice in the matter; the clan is the only place I can turn, as I doubt her relatives will prove as understanding as she is. Besides, the plotters undoubtedly only represent an obscure minority, one with which can be... dealt with by the vast part of the clan still loyal to me," Vincent explained, and by the cold way he said it, Tiko guessed "dealing" with the plotters would involve little to no talking.

"And you Vitani, aren't you afraid that if this gets out to Simba, you conversing and dealing with his enemies and such…"

"I'm pretty sure he won't take notice of it, ever. And if he does… well, then you'd better sleep with one eye open…" Vitani smiled slyly.

"Good point," Tiko grinned a bit nervously, quickly getting the hint.

"You don't happen to be heading straight for young Kovu, do you, Vitani?" Rafiki suddenly asked.

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Because this field trip to the other side of the river is over!" the mandrill suddenly exclaimed, swinging out of the tree again, "Fast-runner, where are you? Come closer!"

Kiruhu was quick to comply, hoping to avoid stick-punches like the ones that had befallen on Vincent. When the cheetah was right next to the mandrill, Rafiki suddenly hopped on Kiruhu's back (after first locating him with his hands; Rafiki had somehow what gone blind, after all).

"You'll be my ride for the time being, just so I don't get lost, seeing as I lack sight. I'll be carried by the Fast-runner, and meanwhile I'll talk to the Fast-thinker. How 'bout it?"

Kiruhu quickly complied; despite his inherent weirdness, the ape actually sounded like he had something to say, and a few new insights never hurt anyone. But serving as transportation for another mammal still felt a bit awkward either way... It was the ape's limited weight that eventually pulled Kiruhu over the line. Vitani, Vincent and Tiko looked with a mixture of amazement and a sense of confusion, but chose not to think about it too much.

"So… I guess you'll be coming with us? Or with me anyway…" Vitani presumed. Rafiki just nodded.

"Fine by me…"

"What, we're leaving already? Damn you, unpredictable old fool… Well, in that case, allow me, sir hyena," Tiko quickly but politely addressed Vincent as he landed on his shoulder, without waiting for his permission.

"Don't you have wings to fly with?" Vincent grumbled, unsuccessfully trying to look back at Tiko.

"Yes, but talking and flying don't combine that well, I find it tiring. Besides, it'll only be 'till you set out for your own kin. After that, I'll continue following Rafiki and the lioness, and you'll be rid of me. And we could always have a chat on the way; being stuck for days on end with that herb-munching old ape has given rise to a strong urge to wage normal conversations."

"Well, if you put it that way… Just don't get used to it too much, I ain't no beast of burden, not even for small, lightweight birds…"

"I wouldn't exactly say 'lightweight'... he is pretty f..."

"Enough with this small-talk, hit the road again already!" Rafiki suddenly shouted, much to the disappointment of Vitani, Kiruhu and Vincent, who had all been secretly hoping for a nap, continuing the journey at the next daybreak. But it seemed as if Rafiki planned on an evening march, and his contagiously good mood proved surprisingly effective at getting everyone on the move again, even if they were tired. And so, an utmost peculiar group of five slowly got moving, heading for the crossing, as dusk set in.


"I knew it, I knew it! They made it here already," Seko whispered to his four companions who lay ducked behind him.

"But that's just impossible: they can't have possibly made it here in what, two, three days? I don't like this… they must have the Spirits on their side…"

"Superstition doesn't bring food on the table," Seko responded a bit irritated, concealing his own fears, "Besides, you also said it would have been impossible for them to get out of the water alive, but they did. And now they made it here in under three days time… I'm pretty sure their odd retinue has got something to do with it…"

Odd was one way of putting it: a lion and a hyena accompanied by a cheetah, a mandrill and a hornbill… Seko and his crew didn't really know what to make of it. Vincent and the lioness sure seemed good at making friends. Not that it would help them a lot: the cheetah nor the mandrill added to their combat ability, and the hornbill could only serve as a scout at best (which it didn't, as it was sitting atop Vincent's shoulder). Nevertheless, Seko wasn't really looking forward to facing and killing them (who would?), as his mind was pretty much preoccupied with Shenya (of whom he knew was carrying his first child) and the endeavor she had embarked upon, being the occupation (or liberation, that'd be for history to decide) of Priderock. Though she had only briefly mentioned her plans to him once, he was pretty sure Shenya would try to attack the Pride, and conquer Priderock while at it. The thought of it terrified him, her having to face all those lions. He knew he should have been with her, but in stead, he was chasing after Vincent, trying to mop up for Kali's mistake (or incompetence). He had abandoned the one hyena he loved to try and save his own skin, and he wasn't proud of it: he felt disgusted at his own actions.
But the disgust for Vincent was still greater, especially now that he had degraded himself to the lowest of all depths: befriending a lioness. No wonder the bastard had been so reluctant to retaliate against the lions; he couldn't just attack his dear friends, now could he? Ha! The monsters that had decimated the clan all those years ago, and butchered Keavy and Nya; to think his 'leader' had actually come to befriend them was simply sickening. And it justified what Seko was doing: sometimes you have to inflict one wrong to undo another, fight fire with fire. Obliterate Vincent for the good of the clan. Though it was pretty annoying he had to do it himself… but Kali's screw-up hadn't really given him much choice in the matter.
Seko had of course hoped the river would have taken care of Vincent, but that hope proved unfounded: whilst traveling alongside the river, Seko and his four accomplices had at one time (must have already been about two or three days ago) been able to spot a lion and a hyena as they had made their way from the opposite shore-bank. It had only been a glimpse, mere seconds, before they had left his line of sight, but it had irrefutably proven Seko's assumptions had been right: Vincent was still alive. And now, days later, Seko's hated enemy had once again appeared on the other side of the river as he was about to cross a shallow part of it towards Seko's position, where Seko had been waiting for some time now: he knew it was the only safe crossing in the immediate surroundings, so after he had seen Vincent on the other side, he had known his foe would have no choice but make it to this particular crossing.

"All right… we can't mess this one up again, got it?" Seko whispered at his henchmen, who nodded affirmatively, "We'll have to ambush them as they come out of the river. We should try surrounding them… You guys take the left, you go right. I'll stay in the center. If they attack us, I'll go after Vincent; you guys take down the lioness. Don't worry about the other rabble 'till she is down."

Seko's pack nodded again, confident at their own abilities; they had trained five years at taking down a lioness, with or without an ambush. The strange companions Vincent and his lioness had brought along of course complicated things, but they shouldn't pose too many problems. The mandrill could even prove to be a nice snack. After one last word of reassurance, the hyenas scattered, creeping under the cover of the pretty dense foliage and through long, golden grass. As he snuck into position for the ambush, Seko continuously kept his eyes on the party he had targeted. His targets, however, seemed utmost oblivious to his presence: the mandrill kept lecturing the cheetah on which he rode, the hornbill, who sat on Vincent's shoulder, seemed to be debating Vincent, and the lioness yawningly kept the lead, casually strolling through the water, seeming perfectly at ease… and why shouldn't she be: she was by now in her own lands after all; the southern tip of the Outlands. Taking down that lioness was going to be the most difficult part, she looked both nimble and in good shape… Seko imagined already smelling her, already smelling lioness. That was, of course, his imagination: the lioness was still too far away. But it still smelt as if the lioness was right behind him…
Seko waited. His targets kept coming closer and closer… now, the last one left the river… almost… almost…


"Now!"

At Seko's command, all five hyenas suddenly jumped forward, out of cover, immediately surrounding the surprised group which had been unaware of their presence. Tiko took to the skies instantly, so shocked he even soiled himself all over Vincent shoulder just before taking off. Vincent, however, didn't even notice, as he tried recovering from a near hearth-attack induced by the sudden ambush. After about one second, when he knew what was going on, Vincent immediately took post in front of Vitani, as did the Kiruhu. Rafiki hopped off the cheetah's back not too long afterwards, firmly grasping his staff, whispering at Kiruhu to ask him what was going on.

"Five hyenas. Ambush. Semicircle. No point running," Kiruhu quickly summarized.

"All right, Fast-thinker, I need you to point my staff precisely in the direction of the nearest hyena's nose. Don't ask, act!" Rafiki commanded hissing, "How far away?"

"What?"

"The nearest hyena! Be precise, measure by my staff."

"Eh… Six-seven times?" Kiruhu stuttered as he shakingly directed Rafiki's staff.

"Precise! Six or seven?"

"I don't know… Seven, no, six times!" Kiruhu gasped in panic as the enemy crept near. Meanwhile, Vincent moved even closer to Vitani, trying to shield her.

"I'm not letting them near you, Sunshine…" he whispered not at all convincing.

"Don't make promises you can't keep…" Vitani replied a wee bit desperate, looking at the hyena who seemed to be in charge as he came closer, snarling with his yellowish fangs clearly visible. Vincent immediately recognized him.

"Seko! You…"

"Shut it, traitor, you're going down, you and your lion-friends!"

"Oh, right, now I'm the traitor! Last time I recalled, I was the one being betrayed, not you, scum!" Vincent growled, by now filled with rage and hate towards Seko, and all of his treacherous friends for that matter. After nearly being killed twice because of it (once by Kali, once by Kiruhu), Vincent had come to consider treason the worst of all crimes, and traitors the lowest of all beings, both of which should be rooted out thoroughly. And he had felt the urge to deal with the traitor Seko accordingly.

'You betrayed your own clan for those filthy lions, and now you'll die with 'em,' Seko had wanted to shout back before attacking, but was interrupted rather brutally before he could do so. He imagined hearing the sound of rustling grass behind him, then a roar, and suddenly, before he could even consider turning around to check whether there was actually something or if he was just going paranoid, he was struck by two enormous paws, each pushing down on him with about two hundred pounds, not to mention the sheer impulse at which they hit. He immediately fell forward, on his face and chest, but was, unfortunately for him, not stunned: he could still feel a set of jaws clamping shut around his neck like a spiked vise, with teeth easily piercing through his skin. But because of the sheer force at which whatever-it-was had hit him, in stead of just being pushed to the ground, before Seko knew it, his assailant flew over him and landed on his or her back, whilst still holding Seko's neck. So when the attacker rolled forward, because of her impact speed, Seko found himself being slung through the air by his neck. When he again hit the ground with a loud thump, he was pretty amazed (though not at all conscious) his neck hadn't simply snapped.
As soon as he realized he was still alive, he tried opening his eyes again, attempting to figure out what the hell had just happened. He smelt lioness all around him. He saw lioness all around him. Conclusion: lioness. A lioness had attacked him after she had ambushed him as he tried to ambush someone else... good show. Seko concluded that the lion pride had probably become aware of his presence in their territory, and had just caught up with him. If so, it would all be over: Seko and his companions were as good as dead, they just didn't know it yet. That was of course what a desperate Seko imagined, his sense of reality somehow what impaired by the fact his neck was still caught in between a lioness' jaws. But as his life flashed by before his eyes, he forgot one detail: he wasn't dead yet, and he didn't hear sounds of skirmish around him. Maybe that meant... just one lioness?


All four remaining attackers, as well as Vitani, Vincent and Kiruhu were of course nailed to the ground, shocked by the sudden and rather unexpected appearance of a skinny but hardy lioness, bearing recognizable Outlander characteristics. Everyone, except for Rafiki: being blind, he only heard the roar of a lioness; he wasn't aware it involved a newcomer. Presuming it was Vitani who had chosen to attack (thus commencing the battle which Rafiki had been expecting), Rafiki too tried to do his part, and instantly leaped forward, with nothing to guide him but Kiruhu's directions. They proved sufficient: with striking accuracy, the seemingly vulnerable old ape hammered down on the hyena in front of him. After four hard hitting blows, non of which as much as scratched his staff by the way, Rafiki struck down his opponent, who lay face down in the dust before she knew it.

Meanwhile, the bystanders didn't know what to be amazed at first or be shocked at most; the warrior monkey or the deus-ex-machina-lioness? Vitani chose to turn her attention to the lioness first, as her arrival had been more critical than Rafiki's acrobatics.
The lioness had, because of the violent way in which she had pounced Seko and the ensuing rollover, come to a halt only inches away from Vitani, who immediately recognized the lioness.

"Enyi!"

Enyi tried to nod as to acknowledge Vitani to the best of her abilities, with Seko still squirming between her teeth (which made a regular greeting rather impossible), after which she swiftly got up and turned around, facing the three opponents still standing, who in turn backed-up a little. As Enyi turned around, Vitani suddenly realized why she didn't munch-down on the enemy still in between her yaws: looking around, she noticed no other lions had appeared; Vitani thus concluded Enyi had been out on her own. So it might prove more profitable not to engage in a direct fight, but in stead keep the enemy at bay some other way. Like using a hostage. While her other companions were still trying to figure out what was happening, Vitani quickly saw through Enyi's plan, and swiftly conformed her behavior to it.

"Ok, back off! Back off! You want your comrade here getting snapped like a twig? Come on, back off... that's it Now, move closer together, where I can see the lot of you!" she shouted at the remaining hyenas, guessing Enyi had planned on this from the moment she had jumped the enemy. One of the hyenas seemed a bit brighter than the others and quickly instructed her henchmen to comply, as putting up resistance now would prove utmost futile: with their leader taken hostage and one of their colleagues temporally knocked out by a freaked-out monkey, odds had clearly turned against them. Meanwhile, the hyena taken captive had again come to his senses and was trying to wrestle his way out of Enyi's grip whilst screaming and cackling franticly, but decided to keep still as soon as Enyi heightened the pressure on his throat.

"All right... now don't move a muscle or that guy gets it," Vitani commanded, after which she looked back at the rest of the party.

"Are you guys okay?"

"I'm a bit confused here... Who's the unlikely savior, and what's she doing here?" Kiruhu admitted.

"What happened? We got 'em already?" Rafiki shouted, still poised to strike out on the faintest sound around him.

"Eh... yes and no. We just got some company: Enyi appeared out of nowhere to help. By the way, nice work with that staff of yours..."

As to illustrate, Rafiki hit the KO-ed hyena in front of him again when she groaned a bit too loud for someone who is supposed to be KO.

"I take it she's a friend of yours?" Vincent asked, still a bit shaken, and not at all at ease with the arrival of an unknown lioness (fearing there'd be more of where she came from, not to mention a grumpy King or two).

"Yeah... I should probably introduce you two… Vincent: Enyi. Enyi: Vincent. Don't touch him, he's one of the good guys," Vitani warned Enyi. If it hadn't been for her mouth full of hyena, Enyi would have replied 'I figured as much'. Now she just grumbled.

"I hope we can... 'trust' her?" Vincent noted with a bit of concern, fearing Simba could suddenly and inexplicably leap out of the foliage anytime.

"Don't worry, she's 'in on it'," Vitani reassured, "It's a good thing having her around."

Especially now that we've been nearly assassinated – again.

"You've got everything back under control, she's one of ours?" Tiko shouted down from safe altitude.

"Yeah, don't worry. You can come on down now."

The hornbill cautiously flew down, taking post upon Vincent shoulder again.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, but you must understand my posture leaves little room for bravery," Tiko apologized.

"Probably... But that's no excuse for craping..." Vincent grumbled, timely interrupted by Tiko .

"Thousand apologies! I will immediately set out to... clean up for my... lack of self-restraint."

"You do that... And now for that other piece of shite," Vincent suddenly snarled at Seko, who was still firmly held captive by Enyi.
Seko, upon seeing Vincent, tried snarling back, but found that somehow what difficult in his current state. Vincent came closer, invoking another struggle from Seko's part. Enyi, however, did not loosen her grip one bit. As Vincent neared their commander, the remaining hyenas looked like they would attempt to intervene, but a violent roar from Vitani quickly changed their minds, and they backed of again, awkwardly awaiting further orders from what appeared to have become their captors. Meanwhile, Vincent had taken post in front of Enyi and Seko.

"I hope you don't mind, miss?" he asked. Enyi looked at Vitani, who had sat down next to her, for an answer, but she just gave her the 'whatever'-look, so Enyi didn't protest as Vincent bowed down to look at Seko.

"I bet you didn't see this coming, now did you, backstabbing rat?"

"Drop dead!" Seko hissed barely audible. To Enyi's shock, Vincent didn't verbally reply but in stead chose to hit his opponent in the face with his blunt claws, resulting in particularly raffled and nasty scratch marks. Seko hollered in pain, now able to squeeze enough air through his windpipe to be audible. Vincent's stunt was immediately greeted by growling from Enyi, who again looked at Vitani to instruct her on how to handle the unfolding argument. Vitani's response, however, surprised her.

"Hey, it's hyena business. And besides, after trying to kill me and Vincent twice, a wee bit of punishment won't hurt…"

Just don't overdo it.

"You heard the lady, scumbag, time for you to meet a traitor's fate. But first, we're going to have a little chat…" Vincent smiled viciously at his victim, "Sunshine, I hope your friend here won't mind helping me out a bit, while you guys watch over the rest of them traitors?"

"Sure…just don't do anything stupid. Enyi, keep it clean, will ya?" Vitani accepted, not one bit concerned, though she should have been if only she had noticed Vincent's gradual change in mindset ever since they had gotten down the White Passes. Ever since his dream.

"All right. Miss Enyi, please take our friend Seko here to the riverbank, if you please?"

With a mixture of reluctance and indifference, Enyi complied with Vincent and Vitani's orders, and dragged Seko towards the riverbank only a couple of yards away, though she wasn't really sure why Vincent wanted her to take the other hyena there. Seko was of course freaking out by now, squirming and cackling along the way, but as his attempts just resulted in bruises and scratch marks, he quickly gave up his resistance once Enyi had come to a halt on the slightly sloped, stony riverbank.

"All right, I've got some questions I'd like to see answered. You're answering them," Vincent commenced.

"Starve and die!" Seko replied.

"Too soon, I haven't posed a question yet. First of all… you were the one who set me up, didn't you?"

"Ain't we quite the detective…"

"I'll take that as a yes. Why?"

"Screw you!"

"Wrong answer," Vincent sighed, "Enyi, you see that big, solid rock next to you? That's why I wanted you to come here. Hit him against it."

'What?!' Enyi communicated nonverbally, finding the order both awkward and repulsive. Meanwhile, Seko voiced his fear and anger in a much more audible fashion.

"What? You psycho! Let me go, I said let me go!"

"Do it!" Vincent commanded, now with a distinct authoritarian touch to his voice. Enyi never quite understood why she did, but for some reason she never really grasped, she complied, even though there was no reason except for Vincent's (non hierarchal) order why she should have. Hesitating, unaccustomed and a bit clumsy, she swung her head sideward, scraping Seko's head against the rock, who immediately cried out in pain. Not because of the physical pain, mind you, but because of the immense fear that action instilled: this wasn't going to be just another inquiry. All those present to hear the piercing scream turned pale behind their fur, and even Vincent seemed a bit startled.

"Are you insane? Stop this! Let me go!" Seko shouted desperately, having lost his defiance instantly as he had come to appreciate the graveness of his situation.

"Vincent, Enyi, what the hell are you doing?" Vitani shouted at them, not actually seeing what was happening because the riverbank was obscured from her sight. She couldn't go check, however, as she was still detaining three wake and one downed hyena. And for some reason, she didn't want to go check, she'd rather just stay inert and oblivious, and so did all of her companions, something they'd often wonder about later.

"It's ok, Sunshine, just a small misunderstanding here," Vincent shouted back at Vitani, regaining his nerve again, though he too sounded a bit shaken, "Now where was I… Your motives for trying to kill me. We'll eh… we'll leave that be for now… Let's in stead focus on who was in on it. You, and your four accomplices over there, obviously. And I also remember Kali, as well as her followers Kiuma and Umwa chasing me. That accounts for all seven thugs who chased me down the cliff. And their motives were obvious: they're all fervent Westclanners, and as such are loyal to Kali. But why did she want me dead?"

Fearing more ensuing mistreatment, Seko figured it'd best to strongly reaffirm Vincent's theory, and complete it as well. But doing so brought him back to an episode of his life he'd rather have forgotten altogether, of when Seko too had been a Westclanner. The Westclanner to betray his clan, and prove instrumental in the murder of his own matriarch, Kali's mother. But that had remained his best-kept secret up until today. What irony, Seko argued, that Kali tried to avenge herself on the son of one of her mother's killers, with the help of the one killer that was still alive… But that is a different Tale to be told.

"It was your dad… Your dad had her mom killed, remember? You'd get annoyed for a lot less than that… She wanted to take it out on you, 'cause you're so like your dad. That's all she told me, and all I needed to know."

"Aha… I knew it! I always figured she was a liability… I should have dealt with Kali way sooner… So you just used Kali's hate for me to get her to try and kill me as soon as an opportunity presented itself? And when you walked up to her and proposed your little scheme, she simply agreed, out of the blue? Sounds way too improvised. There had to be more to it," Vincent reasoned. The irony of it all was that there wasn't anything more to it: Seko's plan had been ad hoc and immediate, set up in a flash of ingenuity and on impulse, and executed likewise. But Vincent wouldn't have that, as it felt too unreal.

"Who else was in on it? Who else worked behind the scenes, like you did?"

"No-one, just me and Kali!"

"Stop lying, traitor! First you try and murder me, and no you're lying to me! Enyi, hit him again! Now!" Vincent snarled.

"No please! I'm telling you the tru…" Seko uttered desperately.

"Enyi, please continue."

This time, however, Enyi hesitated.

"What's the matter now? I take full responsibility for this. Now, I require you continue!"

Enyi still remained inert, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

"Hit the rock! You have no choice, hurt him!"

And once again, much to her own shock, Enyi's will was almost magically overpowered by simple commands. It didn't take more than three lines to turn make her do onto one hyena what she had refuted her former hunting partners from doing onto another (which had, by the way, started the whole mess). This time around, Enyi acted with more confidence than the other time, actually hitting Seko against the rock pretty hard: blood started dripping down the hyena's face as he kept screaming and wrestling, although his paws were quickly pressed to the ground by Enyi. Meanwhile, Vitani was still guarding the remaining hyenas. She didn't address Vincent, nor Enyi, as she had done the first time. Now, she just stared at Kiruhu and Tiko (who had left Vincent as soon as the 'chat' had started, feeling what had been about to happen). They all looked very uncomfortable with the given situation. Strangely enough though, no-one intervened. They didn't even talk to one another. They just stared at the ground and at each other, as the sound of a panicking Seko kept reaching their ears.

"For Spirits' sake, Seko, don't make me do this! Tell me the truth!" Vincent commanded with a mixture of sincerity and anger.

"Please, stop this," Seko sobbed, scared and desperate, "Let me go, I'm begging you!"

"Who betrayed me, Seko? Tell me!" Vincent growled, moving closer to Seko's ear, as to be able to whisper.

"You're not protecting anyone here… I know Shenya was in on it too…"

"No!" Seko suddenly shouted out loud.

"Come on, Seko, it's just too obvious! She wanted to get rid of me so she could fulfill her life-long dream of attacking the lions. That's why you were in on it too, weren't you? You just followed her orders!"

"No! Leave her out of this! She's got nothing to do with it. Please, leave her alone!"

"Go fool the other one. She was behind all this, wasn't she? She thought it all up."

"No! Please, don't hurt her!"

"She'll suffer a traitor's fate," Vincent noted distinctly cold.

"You monster!" Seko yelled, "Don't you hurt my Shenya! Don't you dare hurt me Shenya!"

This 'chat' went beyond his personal well-being now, Seko figured, it became a question of saving not himself but in stead his loved ones. The only thing he could try was tell the truth, even if that would turn out very harmful to himself.

"Please, Vincent, leave her out off it! She's got nothing to with it, I set you up. Me and Kali tried to kill you, and blame the lioness. But Shenya knew nothing of it! She's even out trying to avenge you as we speak, attacking the lions I blamed!"

"What?" Vincent gasped, though he had certainly expected Shenya would try something stupid as soon as he were gone.

"Shenya was really, really upset after we told her you had died. She was hysterical, and enraged! Furious, even to such an extent that, before I came looking for you to make sure you were dead, Shenya told me she'd attack the Priderock in three sunrises time, to avenge you!"

"Three sunrises? But that's…"

That was today, hours ago.

"Sprits give me strength… What have you done…" Vincent gasped, "But you're not telling me Shenya had nothing to do with this… No, she used me… She used me as an excuse to go to war! That's just sick… Clever, but still sick."

"But She's got nothing…"

"Shove it, traitor! Liar! Backstabbing murderer! Do you realize what you have done? Do you? You've lead our clan to the slaughter, cast them into a war! But don't you think you'll get off this easily…" Vincent shouted, but then he suddenly made an effort to sound reasonable, "Look; Seko, it doesn't have to be this way. I know you were just following orders from 'someone' else; you shouldn't heave to pay in 'their' stead. Just give me some names…"

"But I've told you all I know…"

"Damn it, you stupid idiot! You want to die? Well, do you? I'll only ask this one more time: was this all Shenya's doing?"

"No!"

"Fine!" Vincent shouted in frustration, "You're just asking for it! Enyi, finish him. Now!"

Fearing Enyi would indeed comply with Vincent's order, Seko tried appealing to Vincent's emotions one last time, as in an act of despair.

"No wait, please, don't! Vincent, I'm begging you, just let me see my Shenya one last time!"

"You'll meet in the Spirit-world soon enough," Vincent grumbled, though he wasn't really sure whether he meant that: Shenya was still his own sister, after all. He actually meant the remark to be more of a psychological abuse than an actual threat. But to Seko, Vincent's remark sounded dead-serious, a threat not to be misunderstood: Vincent was out to eradicate the only thing which still meant anything to Seko, namely Shenya. The only one alive whose well-being ranked above that of himself. And even if it were the last thing he'd ever do, he wasn't about to let Vincent get away with that. In a sudden rush of strengthening anger, he let loose an incredible cry and tried releasing himself from Enyi, whose bite force had somehow what decreased over time. To accommodate his escape, he successfully tried clawing Enyi in the face (almost dislodging his own paw in the process). The startled (and hurt because of the clawing) Enyi, who hadn't ever seen a hyena fight with that kind of vigor, threw her captive against the rock next to her in panic, releasing him in the process as she leaped back in shock. Seko got smashed against the rock even harder than the two previous times, but this time at least, he was out of the lioness' grasp. He got up to attack Vincent, who was still oblivious to what was happening. But Seko soon noticed his last encounter with the rock had seriously hurt him, critically incapacitating him: he almost fell over when he tried standing on one of his forelegs that had been rendered useless. That didn't stop him, however, from attacking the still flabbergasted Vincent, even though in Seko's current state, his resistance couldn't ever hope to be anything but symbolic.

"Don't you dare touch my Shenya!" he screamed as he hurled himself at the other hyena.


"Damn it!" Vitani cursed as she heard yet another scream arise from the direction of the riverbank, "That's it, I've had it!"

Without giving her companions or captives another look, she leapt in the direction of the riverbank, much to Kiruhu and Tiko's shock: with all lions out of sight, who was to restrain the remaining hyenas? The hyenas themselves seemed to think likewise, but Rafiki soon stripped them of their illusions.

"Going somewhere?" he grinned when he heard one of them moving. The hyenas only needed one look at their still knocked-out companion at Rafiki's feet to convince themselves they were indeed not going anywhere.

Meanwhile, Viatni sprinted towards Enyi and Vincent. She crossed the small ridge that had kept them out of sight. First thing she saw was Enyi, with a nasty scratch on her nose. She sat next to a big, solid rock. The rock had blood splatters all over it, and Vitani thought she could already guess whose it was. Then finally, a bit closer to the river, she saw the two hyenas. It was obvious they had been in a struggle, and it was just as obvious who won: the one with blood dripping from his fangs, who was still sitting upright.

"In the Kings' name…" Vitani gasped, "What the hell happened here?"

Enyi was the first one to respond. And for what seemed the first time in her entire life, she actually looked moved, even righteously angry, and slightly panicking.

"Vitani! I swear, I had nothing to do with this! It was him," she shouted, pointing at the blood-stained hyena who sat looking at them, seemingly pleased with himself, "He made me do this! I couldn't help it, I didn't want to! He made me, I don't know how, but he made me bang the other guy against that rock!"

I've never seen her this upset ever… I've never seen her upset altogether.

"All right, calm down, Please, Enyi, calm down. It's okay," Vitani tried reassuring her friend, "Vincent? Is that you?"

The surviving hyena nodded, defiantly slow. He looked surprisingly calm, and strangely at balance.

"What in the Kings' name did you do here?"

"I questioned him…"

"What? Like this?" Vitani shouted angrily, pointing at the blood stained rock, "What the hell has gotten into you, are you out off you're mind?"

"No, I never saw things clearer…"

Whilst uttering a frustrated sigh, Vitani walked over to Vincent and Seko, who lay motionless below the other's paws. She first looked at the body, and winced at the sight of it . It's face was still locked in a painful grimace. She then looked at Vincent. He was still panting as a result of the previous fight, but looked surprisingly (to a rather scary extent) at ease.

"Please tell me you didn't…" Vitani glowered.

"Obviously I did, Sunshine."

"Vincent, in the Kings' name!"

"It was the only right thing to do, period."

Suddenly, Vitani struck out with her paw and hit Vincent in the face, albeit not very hard. Still, two thin red lines appeared right below his eye. Vincent looked shocked.

"What…"

"Stop! Can't you hear yourself talk?" Viatni shouted. Now, Vincent looked genuinely upset.

"You think I wanted this, do you?" he hissed, "I had no other choice. Who is it you think we're dealing with here? These are no saints, far from it. Why do you think they tried killing me? I'll tell you why, because I was the only one keeping them from storming Priderock."

Vitani gasped, shocked.

What?

"Yeah, you heard me. His accomplices wanted me gone so they'd have an excuse to attack the Priderock. And they did, this very morning. Can't you see, Sunshine, that means war! We're at war. This isn't about me, you or him anymore," Vincent proclaimed, signing at the deceased Seko, "This is about the lives of tens of others, about your pride and my clan now. And I'm not risking their existence to be threatened by the likes of him, no matter what the cost!"


"Finally, there you are. So?"

Tiko seemed to need a minute to catch his breath. It was pretty awkward really, the small bird sitting amidst all those predators, panting his lungs out. After some time, though, he managed to form a handful of words.

"He was right… they were at the Priderock…"

Both the lions and Rafiki paled, Vincent smiled bitterly, and Kiruhu… didn't really care. Tiko continued.

"There were hyenas. No lions. If there has been a fight… It's pretty obvious who won…"

"You saw no lions at all?" Vitani asked in disbelief.

"I couldn't see any. If there were any lions, they were probably kept out of sight, maybe in the caves…"

"Any casualties?" Vincent wondered.

"I didn't see any… but then again, it is doubtful they'd just leave them lying around. I fear the worst…"

"Hate to say I told you so," Vincent noted laconic.

"This is terrible…" Vitani sobbed.

"Why didn't I see beforehand…" Rafiki wondered, clearly placing the blame on himself, "Damn it! Why didn't the Kings warn me, why didn't I see?"

Tiko could only just withhold himself from replying 'You're blind, duh'.

"We have to do something…"

"I couldn't agree more!" Vincent suddenly exclaimed as he got up and started walking southeast without further explanation.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Vitani shouted, as she too got up.

"What does it look like? I'm getting my clan back before Shenya manages to make things even worse…"

"But… you can't just… wait! I'm coming with you," Vitani replied without giving it much thought. Vincent halted, and turned around.

"You can't, that's suicide. The Rock is ours now. Besides, you have other duties to attend to."

"Screw my duties!"

"No, you misunderstood. I can try to stop my clan from committing more stupidities, but that will only work if I've got someone with the remains of the lion-pride to do the same. I need you to talk to your pride in my stead, before this gets even further out of hand. Your pride needs you , Sunshine."

"The smelly hyena's right, young Vitani. We have to talk to young Kovu, and Simba; presuming he is still with your brother as you said," Rafiki confirmed.

"What, we're parting just like this? After all we've been through?"

"Events have caught up with us, I fear, we have little other choice now. The only thing we can do now is react, as this tragedy further unfolds…" Rafiki sighed.

"But we can't just send Vincent to Priderock all alone…"

"In that, young one, you are right. Tiko?"

"Present and accounted for…" the hornbill yawned.

"You're going with the hyena."

"What?"

"He'll need all the help he can get, if he is really to try and correct the situation."

"Forget it. I don't need someone spying on me," Vincent grumbled.

"He wont be spying. To the contrary. He'll be your new legal advisor, and work exclusively in your service."

"Jolly…" Tiko mumbled.

"Bah… All right then… but the moment I catch him spying…"

"Don't worry, I wont. I'll have enough fun advising a hyena… who knows, maybe I might even learn something…" Tiko replied. He didn't really sound that enthusiast. But on second thought, he figured that if the hyenas had indeed beaten the lions, it couldn't hurt to be around the new guys in charge. Lion or hyena, before the law, those differences are but formalities. The same was true for legal advisors.

Maybe that's what Zazu meant when he said I was lacking in the field of morals…