XXV

Killing the Killer

The young mother and father barely had any time to mourn together, before Meersha was torn from Zarazu's company, and placed back into her lessons. It was, in fact, the day after Rombu's death that Ahadgna had come to visit the two with her comands at paw.

"Meersha, come." the white lioness demanded with her smooth voice.

Reluctantly, Meersha got up and padded beside the leader, attempting not to burst out crying.

"Izegbe, my daughter," Ahadgna exclaimed as they continued on their way east. "I can sence your sorrow, but you must not let one's death rule your life. It's the way things are. It's the Circle of Life. Nothing can change it. After all, we were born to die."

Meersha glowered inwardly, for all these words could've easily been brought back on Ahadgna. It seemed as if the Broken-Claw was letting the deaths of cubs and males, as well as the murders from them, rule their lives. But Meersha kept silent.

"From the moment you set eyes upon a cub, or a mate, a sister, a brother, a friend," Ahadgna continued. "From the moment you know you love them, you must learn to let go in that very piece of time as well, because one sun, they will die...and you will, too. We all will. Yet we will all go at different times and in different ways...whatever our fate is, we must learn to except it, and the fate of others."

"Then isn't it the fate of the old leader and the cubs to die?" the adolescent finally muttered.

"What was that?"

"...Nothing."

Yet in truth, Ahadgna had heard every word. She's not yet seeing the ways of the Broken-Claw, the white one thought. She's not seeing the ways that life is supposed to be.

After a bit of hesitation, Ahadgna replied, "Your cub is dead. Get over it. Now all there's left to do is save others that are still alive and innocent. Meersha, are you listening?"

She nodded in response, a tear trickling down her face as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

Ahadgna took a deep breath and said, "Maybe it was a good thing he died. You're young, and I have to admit that was a bit more responsibilty than you could've handled...At least, to raise him into a true lion."

"What are you saying?" Meersha choked.

Her "Mother" shrugged. "He probably would've been killed here in the Broken-Claw anyway. As in, once he got his mane, we would have to have put him through tests and training - in fact, he should've already have started his lessons. He hadn't. You had not yet given him the chance to-"

"He was but a couple full moons old!" Meersha blurted out before she could help herself.

Ahadgna nodded solemnly as they walked. "Yes, well, my dear daughter. When you start having cubs of your own, and when you start adopting again, we'll have to see which males are going to be true males. If Rombu had lived long enough, we would've done that to him, too. So far he wasn't a true male. But don't worry, it wasn't a waste of your time. He gave you - you and Kikaru - good training in how to raise a cub. Now when the time comes, it will be more...familiar for you."

The words escaping Ahadgna's mouth made Meersha close to vomiting. How could she say such cruel things? That Meersha and Kikaru were not good parents? That the cub was not a true male? That he would've been killed in his own pride anyway? That the only reason why he wasn't a "waste of time" was because he was used for them to train with?

Meersha pushed out everything Ahadgna was saying after that. Her ears twitched as she listened to chirping birds, the swaying of the grass. She would listen to anything but the ghost lion's words. Anything. And then, she was saved from this humiliation and heartbreak.

"Ah. Izegbe. We're here. For now, you'll just have one teacher. I picked out Gonra, seeing she has done the best to our last bunch of cubs and is still teaching them." Ahadgna exclaimed before she took off, further to the east.

Meersha sat down in front of an old, brown lioness, who's beady, yellow eyes took in the adolescent's mourning hungrily. Soon, after a minute of dull silence, Meersha broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Stop that!" Gonra finally snapped. "Have you not learned anything from your time here? You can't bring back your cub from the dead! You can do practically nothing!"

Meersha looked up slowly, blinking away more tears as she whispered, "Practically?"

With that, Gonra smiled. "The rouge killed your cub. Actually, he is not a rouge anymore. He was, in fact, the new leader of that pride in the south. He did not have to kill that cub - you got the fur ball off his paws. But no, he wanted to, so he did. The only things left that you can do are...?" and she left the sentence open for an answer.

"...Adopt and rescue other cubs?"

"To?"

"To raise and teach them the right ways."

"And what else can you do?"

"...Have cubs of my own."

"To?"

"To raise and teach them the right ways of life."

"There's something else...can you think of it?"

Meersha pondered as she took in her lessons. Yet her mixed mind could not follow what she was being taught.

"I-I dont know," she stuttered.

Gonra growled and began to circle the young lioness, glaring at her. Meersha could do nothing but take this manipulation, and cry out.

"No! No more crying! You've done enough of that! It's time to figure out what you can do, what you should do, so that you will do it sometime soon!" her teacher yelled, still circling.

"No..." sobbed Meersha.

"Yes! Now, name three facts about other hunting strategies!"

"The lionesses work together," she sniffled. "to take down large prey."

"Another!"

"The cheetah uses its claws to dig into the ground while it's running for grip and speed so it can catch the meal,"

"One more!"

"The hyenas usually take from others."

"Now," Gonra was somewhat calmer, just as Meersha was. "Tell me, who are we?"

"We are the Broken-Claw,"

"What do we stand for?"

"We stand for...life?"

"What do we do?!"

"Raise cubs to teach them the right ways of life!" and she glared in dawning rage.

"What are the right ways of life?"

"To not have males around except the true males who will prosper from us, the Broken-Claw!"

"And what must you do?" But Gonra suddenly leapt in front of her and whispered in Meersha's ear, so that a chill ran down her spine, causing the adolescent to quiver slightly. "Not with cubs...What must we do to the males?"

Meersha snarled and narrowed her eyes at nothing before leaping up and roaring out, "We must kill lions!"

"YES!" Gonra said triumphantly and chuckled, taking a step back to examine her work.

Meersha blinked. Had she really said that? But she couldn't help it as it had escaped her lips so fast...Then the image of Rombu's bloody body came into her mind, and she suddenly growled, fur bristling. That lion who killed him...he deserved to die. Ire blanketed any pity for that new leader. Her yellow golden fur began to bristle as she inwardly growled. This choler was so strong, that she hadn't even noticed the teacher disappear for a few moments. Blackness filled her vision as she the pictures of her brother, father and son came into her mind, when suddenly, the stench came to her nose so quick, it almost knocked her off her paws. She blinked, her sight returning to normal, except that, as the teacher now stood in front of her again, Meersha could see something in the lioness's mouth. It looked stiff and red, and the odor made her nose wrinkle. Abruptly, she gasped, now figuring out what Gonra was holding. Rombu.

"What are you doing?" the adolescent choked.

Gonra set the dead cub down and exclaimed, "You will let go of your sorrow and pity by dropping your own son in the water hole beneath the hanging land in the southeast, where crockadiles will help you forget those sentiments. I'll lead you, but you must bring the cub yourself."

Meersha's eyes widened. She would have to pick that dead thing up? That thing that used to her son? There were no questions asked as the old lion turned and started off to the southeast. Taking a deep and shakey breath, Meersha latched her jaws around the small carcass, and lifted it to trail behind her teacher. She wrinkled her nose at the eye watering aroma that was now inches away from her nostrils and her ears lay flat against her skull. Any moment, she could faint, but her jello legs kept her moving. Several times as they walked, she told herself that it was not her son, that it was just a meerkat, so that she could calm herself. But Meersha knew there was no way she could compare Rombu to that creature.

Finally, after forcing herself to pad a half hour or so, Gonra halted on the edge of a large piece of land. Meersha stepped beside her, staring into the water hole below.

"Now. Drop it." Gonra ordered.

How could she do that? How could she drop her own son to be eaten by crockadiles?

"Do it!" she snarled.

Meersha took a step back, only to feel a sharp pain rush into her flank, where her teacher bit.

"Now drop it!" commanded the old lioness.

Suddenly, Meersha let the cub fall, all the way down those ten feet or so, to where it splashed, and was moments later, consumed by those reptiles. They ripped at the flesh and turned it over, rolling around in the water and splashing out in their enjoyment.

"No! Watch! You must!" growled Gonra as she turned away from the sight. "Watch!"

Meersha turned back just as one crockadile finally brought it in its huge jaws and swallowed it whole. She had been holding her breath, and when the cub was gone, she let out a sigh.

"What does this make you feel?" Gonra whispered, still gazing at the water.

Slowly, the young lioness shook her head, also staring down. What had it made her feel? Possible even more fury towards that lion, as well as Gonra right then. Suddenly, Meersha lifted a paw and smacked it in Gonra's face, raking her, and leaving small, long wounds that would soon end up to be scars. Yet, surprisingly, the teacher did nothing but flinch, her eyes still off in the distance.

"You know what you have to do..." the old one uttered.

"Meersha!" Zarazu called as he saw his future mate return to the water hole they always stayed near in the southwest. "What is it?" he then asked, frowning as he saw her wild _expression.

Panting and slowing down as the sun began to set, Meersha shook her head. "I just figured out what I have to do." she stated.

He raised a brow. "What?"

With a grin, Meersha shook her head again. "You'll find out...soon."

"Er, OK?"

Suddenly, Meersha nuzzled him, and the words that came from her mouth almost frightened him. "I'm so glad you're a true lion, Kikaru."

Gatu paced back and forth nervously as he stared at his giant paws and the ground, his almost-full mane swaying as he did so. The evening grew into the night, and he sighed as he sat down, looking up to the north longingly. Meersha's trail was long gone, and it had been weeks since she had left. He heaved yet another sigh.

"Poor guy," Lusala said quietly as she sat by the tree.

Banjija nodded in agreement. "He really misses her, huh?"

"Yup," Lusala was able to say when suddenly Gatu trotted over and said, "You guys. Meersha left a while back and she said she'd be back here one sun."

"Yeah, so?" asked Banjija, bobcat ears twitching.

"So she hasn't come back yet! Something could be wrong!"

"Gatu, she said she would come back one sun, but she didn't say when. She'll probably be back soon to see us." the lioness replied, gently.

"No! Soon's not good enough!..." he paused before saying desperately, "If I just knew she was safe..."

"She is," Banjija growled, annoyed.

When he and Lusala were asleep, just a few minutes later, Gatu was lying near the invisible borders of their small territory, gazing towards the east once more. The young lion seemed to be pondering, when finally, he got up, and headed out into the night, beginning his search.

For a few more suns, Meersha was back in her lessons. She found that she could concentrate on nothing but them. Her teacher's words rushed through her head and mind and brain as she hungrily listened, almost like a cub. She would never talk or inturupt, she would just sit still, ears perked, eyes staring into the distance. Whenever she was asked a question, Meersha would quickly respond.

Her lessons was the only thing that kept her from moping over her killed cub. Not even Zarazu - or Kikaru as she now called him - helped, for whenever she got back, she would almost always stay silent, even when he attempted to start up conversations. Meersha would just gaze at the silky water hole, or out into the savannah behind them. Sometimes even up at the stars. Whenever she did talk, her voice sounded distant, and it was usually an answer to one of the lion's answers. Whenever Kikaru mentioned Rombu, Meersha would snarl and climb into a near den.

Now Meersha called Zarazu Kikaru, and even excepted the name Izegbe for herself, which just worried Zarazu even further.

Soon, she began to arrive at the place where she was taught, even earlier than she was supposed to show. This made Gonra, Yawnda and the others lionesses grin every time they saw her. Occasionally, when being taught, Ahadgna would sit nearby and listen curiously.

One night, after her lessons, Meersha was padding back to the water hole, when she heard, "Oh, look. It's Izegbe! How's it goin'?"

She rolled her eyes and responded, "Much better, thank you, Uhawku."

When the lioness finally got back to the water hole where Kikaru was, she found him sound asleep in a den. With that, she grinned, and turned around to start off to the south.

As the lioness disappeared into the night, two lionesses sat on a grassy, green knoll, watching her.

"Finally," said Ahadgna. "She's ready."

Yawnda nodded in agreement. "Gonra's taught her well I presume."

"Don't be like that, my sister. You did great parts in this as well. That cub wouldn't have just gone and killed himself, nor would the rouge."

"He was big, but the sisters and I brought him down and got the mane," Yawnda smiled. "And it worked. There was no stench of me on that dead one."

Izegbe snarled as her front legs kept reaching out in front of her, her back ones pushing her forward. Her claws were extended now for grip. It didn't take long to pass the borders of the Broken-Claw Empire, yet she continued racing northward. The lioness passed a small herd of zebras, who jumped at the sight, but easily calmed down when she was in the distance once more. Nothing mattered to her anymore, except the killing of that murderer. He deserves what's coming to him, she thought.

Finally, she slowed down, scenting the air after catching her breath, her right side aching slightly while her heart pumped. The territory markings of the pride she had seen before, was now beneath her paws. She raked the ground angrily as she padded further and deeper within the pride's lands. Soon, she stopped, just atop the hill which she had been forced to stay at and watch the murder. Meersha growled slightly, watching some lionesses who slept under the stars, before she jerked her head up to see a lion, standing in the dark, just a few yards away. Grinning, the lioness made her way near to him, before bounding down the other side of the hill. The sound of paw pads on the ground forced her to pick up speed again, now running to the west. She couldn't help as a smile spread over her face.

Soon, she ran over another hill in the distance. The lion snarled as he sprinted through the grass. When he was just over the hill, though, he stopped, and looked around, scenting the air. Before long, he made a challenging grunt. It was right after he called out to her, that Izegbe suddenly leapt from a near tree, claws out. She landed on him and his roar broke out as she dug her claws into his skin. Yet the lion rolled over, and Meersha was forced to jump off. She immediately turned around and smirked.

Gatu gasped at the roar in the distance, and started on again.

He had traveled for a few days now, and got the information he need by gossiping birds. They had talked about a new lioness in a pride where they had three young lions and at least thirty other females.

Now, he was panting, still sprinting into the night.

Izegbe leapt to the side as the lion had tried to attack. She did it again, and again, and again. He snarled in frustration, which only made her laugh. The studying back in her early adolescence had really paid off now.

"You act like a dumb cub," she spat.

The lion roared again, this time in anger as he finally managed to pounce her. She yelped in surprise but was able to roll onto her back and kick her hind legs at his snout. Jumping back, he pawed his nose in pain as the lioness was once again on her feet.

"What are you doing?!" he finally growled.

"You killed my son! Now you deserve to die!" she yelled.

"But you're not even part of this pride!" the lion said in shock.

"I adopted him!" but before he could say anything else, Izegbe tackled him, and they rolled.

The two abruptly stopped and, as Meersha was on top, she lifted a paw, sharp claws out.

"I didn't kill your son!" he choked.

Her other front paw was on his throat, while the back too dug into his stomach.

"Liar!" she snarled, eyes and teeth flashing.

The lion rolled before she could strike him, causing her to fall over. He stumbled up, but she was quicker. Meersha charged at him, and opened her mouth. Yet, instead of just biting him, she remembered how hippos used their tusks to get under the chin, and she ended up biting his lower jaw. Blood rushed under his chin and he could taste it in his mouth as she pulled away. Shocked at this unusual behavior for a lion, he was caught off guard for a moment. This gave her the chance, and she knocked him over again.

This time, as she kept her back paws on his stomach, she buried her claws into the flesh as she much as she could, as well as the front one on his throat. He gagged and struggled, but anger kept Izegbe atop him.

"What are your last words?" Gatu heard a female voice.

The male teen gasped at how familiar it was, and so he followed the voice, only to stop near a bush, half in shock as he saw Meersha on top of a lion, almost killing him. Had it been shock that she was able to keep down such a beast? Or shock that his friend and half-sister would ever do such a thing? If she hadn't been concentrating on his squirming body and fearful - as well as confused - expression, Meersha would've noticed that face, and perhaps would've spared the life. But no. She did not notice.

"I said, what are your last words?!" she roared.

"I..." he choked, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. "...didn't...do it."

"Wrong!" she roared and laughed.

"Please!" he was finally able to blurt. "I have cubs on the way! And my mates and family!"

Gatu stayed near, one eye wide. He didn't know what to do or say.

"Ha! Too bad!" was all Izegbe replied, before she suddenly lifted the same paw, and let it rake down on face.

He roared in pain, and she did it again, this time striking his neck.

"Please..." he pleaded in a whisper.

Izegbe ignored him and, with a bite at the throat, he was dead.

For a moment, the lioness examined him, then shrugged and jumped off. It was all for Rombu. Having done her work, she turned, and padded off silently, still not smelling Gatu's scent as she was too shooken up with rage and her own shock.

Finally, when she was gone over the hill, Gatu's one eye still rested on the dead body. Meersha had killed him. She had murdered someone.

"She's..." he whispered to himself, almost not able to finish the sentence. "a murderer..."