•
And I don't need the fallout of all the past that's in between us,
I'm not holding on, and all your lies weren't enough to keep me here.
And I want to get free, talk to me, I can feel you falling
And I wanted to be all you need, somehow here is gone.
—The Goo Goo Dolls, "Here Is Gone"

Vitani slammed the ash-furred lion against the ground, noticing the way he curled up as if punched in the gut. "Talk while I'm still in a talking mood. Viridian Plains, I know you know the name."

"It was a peaceful occupation," gasped the lion, one paw clutching the spot underneath his rib cage. "We didn't kill anyone that time."

"Oh, so you just felt like switching it up, huh?" she scoffed. "Your horde doesn't seem big enough to conquer an entire kingdom without fighting. Those animals on the coastal island — who are they?" Out of the corner of her eye, Vitani saw a sandy-furred lioness dash out from around the bend with a russet male, and she jeered, "Nice try on the decoys, but I always find who I'm after. One of you really should've stayed with him."

The sandy lioness charged forward. Vitani leaped up to meet her in midair, feinting at the last moment by spinning to one side and using the motion to strike her opponent in the back of the head with one paw.

The russet lion was not so rash, marching toward her with measured purpose. "If we can't outrun you, then I suppose we'll have to kill you."

"That is the only way you're stopping me." Vitani closed in on her opponent, and as he braced for her to make the first move, she swiped a pawful of dust up at his face, prompting him to duck back.

But it was another feint. In the same movement, Vitani back-pawed the russet lion and lunged in to bite him at the base of his neck. He thrust one foreleg up and her teeth sank into his shoulder instead. Clenching in pain, the russet lion rolled over and grappled her to the ground, pressing down with his shoulder in an attempt to force her jaws apart.

Thinking fast, Vitani grabbed his extended foreleg with both front paws and pulled hard, freeing her teeth from her opponent along with a few strands of fur and flesh. She headbutted him under his injured shoulder, and seeing him flinch gave her the chance to scramble up as the sandy-furred lioness moved for her again.

I've seen these lions somewhere before, I'm sure of it, thought Vitani, blocking the lioness' strike before sidestepping the russet lion who rushed her from behind. Her gaze briefly dwelled on the ash-furred male staggering away from the fight. Well, not that one.

In one deft move, the russet lion ducked her retaliatory swipe and pinned her against a nearby boulder. "Go help him," he grunted to his companion. The sandy-furred lioness hesitated, though she did as he said upon seeing that he was able to hold Vitani in place.

Vitani strained to wrestle herself from his grasp, though his foreleg was only pressing harder against her throat. "We can still... do this... the easy way," she gasped out.

"I won't be making anything easy for you, spawn of Zira," snarled the russet lion.

Even as she struggled for air, she managed to narrow her eyes at him resentfully. "Zira's dead... if you think... you hate her... " She half-laughed, half-choked. Overhead, the sunny morning sky darkened in an abrupt convalescence of clouds.

He did not budge. "We know what became of Zira. And we know your brother is to be the next king."

"That's right," rasped Vitani, now remembering this lion by name. "You got a problem with that, Sajin?"

"Yeah," Sajin said stiffly. "We do." A crackle of thunder prompted him to look up.

The Roar of the Elders blasted him directly in the face, sending him flying away over the canyon walls. Vitani rubbed her neck with a wince and swiftly gave chase to the sandy-furred lioness, who was leading the young ash lion away as quickly as he could manage. Once again she could feel the Roar rise up from within her as another roll of thunder rumbled ominously — and in that moment the sandy lioness placed herself between Vitani and the injured male.

Her name was Taya, as Vitani now recalled. The Roar quelled in her throat when she remembered just how many lions had left the Pride Lands after Janga did. They couldn't have been looking for her, she was barely an adolescent at the time. How is it they all ended up following her?

Taya bared her teeth at her in defiance. "What are you waiting for? I know what you're like."

"What I'm like?" repeated Vitani, not moving from where she stood. Neither did the ash-furred lion.

"I've heard about you, after your family was exiled to the Outlands. How you were Zira's perfect yes-lion, until you saw the opportunity to cross to the winning side."

Vitani laughed bitterly. "That's how you think it happened? That I somehow fooled Zira all those years since I was a cub?"

"No, but you're good at adapting," Taya said. "From what I can tell, you pledged fealty to Simba and now you have it all."

Once again, Vitani's thoughts drifted to Kopa. "Not yet," she murmured, almost to herself. "But I'm close, I can feel it."

The ash-furred lion edged his way forward so that he was beside Taya. "Are you going to kill us?"

Vitani frowned, perplexed that these lions were not at all the way she had imagined them. Could Kion be right? Maybe not everyone solves their problems like Zira. It was a precarious thought, and certainly one that she was not comfortable entertaining. "My job is to protect, not intimidate or threaten. But someone tells me you people have done both, which means I'm more than happy to speak your language."

"We prefer to do things peacefully," Taya asserted.

"Of course," snorted Vitani. "The moment it's someone else's turn to threaten your ill-gotten peace."

The sandy lioness scowled. "Take a look in your reflection. Zira was always a hypocrite too."

This time, the Roar came out of nowhere. Taya and the ash-furred male were flung head over tail into the air, and soon disappeared from view as well. Vitani gritted her teeth as the echoes slowly faded around her. I can't make a habit out of doing that. Especially not every time someone says something to set me off. Well aware that she had gained almost nothing in the way of information so far, Vitani listened for any indication of which way the lions had fallen — when the sound of rapidly approaching pawsteps came from the opposite direction.

Before she even had time to turn around, Vitani heard a faint whistle, almost like a mosquito's whine, and felt a sharp sting in the side of her neck. Just then, no fewer than six lionesses appeared out of the rocks, their fur painted with extensive, wildly vibrant strokes. She ducked behind a barren tree as they spit mouthfuls of small black thorns at her, sending them clattering against the trunk; however, Vitani's abrupt movement caused her to lose her balance, and as she flopped onto her front, she realized she had been drugged.

With her limbs becoming increasingly sluggish, Vitani clumsily slapped a pawful of mud onto her neck, trying to slow the effects of the poison. She tried without success to get up as painted paws surrounded her on all sides.

"Hapa, Nia," came one of their voices. "Ana alama ya Lion Guard. Tulisikia ya Roar of the Elders."

"Haiwezekani," growled the lioness named Nia. "Ya Roar of the Elders hazijawahi kutolewa kwa dada."

"I have no idea what you people are saying, but it sounds like you're talking about me," Vitani slurred from where she lay. She grunted as the others rolled her over onto her front.

"Get up," Nia ordered. "I want to see the Roar for myself."

"Seriously?" groaned Vitani. "You couldn't have asked before you drugged me?"

"Now, outsider."

Vision swimming, Vitani managed a surly gurgle as she pushed herself up into an unsteady upright position. "Last time I listen to Rafiki..." she grumbled, heavily slapping one front paw against the ground in a lumbering attempt to plant herself. She reared her head back and took a deep breath.

The ensuing Roar threw her backward in a heartbeat, sending her slamming into a tree with its piercing sonic wail still spilling from her paw. A long line cut through the ground as Vitani rolled across its surface, launching the painted lionesses in every direction away from her as the effects of the poison finally took hold of her. Unconsciousness took hold of her before the others even hit the dirt.

•••

The sun had slipped into its afternoon position by the time Kopa reached the end of the canyon. Mount Kilimanjaro's titanic figure dominated the distant northeastern skyline, even above the more immediate mountains; in the opposite direction, the desolate terrain stretched on into an even more sterile landscape to the rest.

Chumvi stepped up beside him, staring into the unwelcoming region with apprehension. "The Outlands," he muttered darkly. "I'd steer clear if I were you."

Kopa's gaze did not leave the uninviting territory. "Is it the quickest way to the Serengeti?"

"Not with all the hostile life in there, especially the Shadowlands," warned the older lion. "We're better off going around."

"We don't have time to go around."

Chumvi winced. "I know you're eager to see your parents, but do you really want to risk venturing in there?"

"That's not it," Kopa said tersely. "Janga's not gonna go around, so we can't."

"He's got a point," Kumi chimed in, joining them as well. "We're gonna have to chance it."

Chumvi groaned softly. "As you wish, my lieges."

Kumi turned toward Malka, who had caught up just then with Fika close behind. "You could come with us. It might be safer there than The Hollow."

He regarded her warily. "Why? Do you have reason to believe Janga knows about it?"

"Yeah, I do," she responded, looking a little taken aback at his animosity. "She somehow lured you all out of Mount Tempest — you want to tell me how that happened?"

"I think you already know," growled Malka. "Seeing as you were conveniently absent during the attack."

"Hang on," Fika began, but she fell silent when Kumi raised a paw.

The ochre lioness' eyes were narrowed, and they were fixed intently on her mate. "Be careful, Malka. As usual, you don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"I didn't before," he hissed. "That's over and done with, so look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Now."

She obliged, glaring at him with such ferocity that Kopa involuntarily took a step back. "I promised I'd never lie to you the day we took our vows. We've made a lot of missteps since then, but I have always stuck by that."

"Then why did you leave?"

"I left because of you!"

Malka reared back as if stung. Kumi's chest heaved with pent-up rage, and Kopa noticed that the others' eyes were averted as if this was something they were well familiar with. And the more he heard, the more it all started to make sense.

Kumi turned her head to and fro, taking in their sparse numbers contemptuously. "Look around, Malka, you're a king who's abandoned by his own people because you abandoned them first. Our family has crumbled into ruin and you're asking me why I left? You think I'd betray the entire pride just to spite you, when you don't even care one bit about them?"

The claws unsheathed from Malka's paws. Kopa nimbly stepped between them, realizing that this wasn't going anywhere good. "Both of you stop, alright?"

"You might want to listen to him," Kumi growled to her mate. "Fujo isn't here to protect you right now."

Kopa saw Malka angrily open his mouth to respond, and whirled on him so that she was obstructed from his view. "Kumi and I came across some wounded lions in the mountains, okay? We found out they were Janga's, but we helped them anyway. Kumi wanted information, and I saw her threaten to kill the lion we saved in order to get it." Now turning to face Kumi, he told her, "I don't know if I trust you. I don't even know if I like you, but I don't think you're a traitor."

"You'll be taking a risk by bringing her to your pride," cautioned Malka.

"You worry about yours and I'll worry about mine, Your Majesty," Kopa said irately, his patience now well and truly running thin. "Now I've wasted enough time, we need to keep go—"

He broke off when he noticed Bidi's rapidly approaching form. She stumbled to a halt next to Fika, turning her head away from the small dust cloud she had left in her wake. "Found some tracks..." she gasped. "Belonged to... Tembea..."

"I don't believe it," murmured Malka, suspicion melting into incredulity. "She actually made it away."

"Yeah, not for long," Bidi responded in consternation, still a bit winded. "Janga's lions are following her trail — and the big one is after her."

A shiver ran instantly ran down Kopa's spine. "Jeraha?"

She nodded briskly. "That's him."

"We have to help," interjected Chumvi. "She'll never outrun them, never mind make it up the mountain on her own."

"She might not be," Bidi added. "I spotted two other sets of tracks heading in that direction. I'm pretty sure one of them is Siri's."

Kopa's heart began to race. Amidst the cavalcade of thoughts that crashed down on him like a waterfall, his mind managed to wrap itself around a single thought. Tumaini.

Malka peered around him to look at Kumi. "Well? Are you coming?"

"I thought you didn't trust me," she scowled.

"So prove me wrong."

She scoffed abrasively. "That's easy enough."

"I'm coming as well," said Kopa.

Malka gave him an appraising look. "What happened to 'you worry about yours and I'll worry about mine'?"

Remembering how easily Kumi had read him while they were on the mountain, Kopa did his best not to fidget or avoid Malka's gaze as he responded. "I met your brother, he's tracking her right now. I just want to make sure Siri's okay."

He could hear the tension in his own voice even before he saw the mystified looks from the other lions. Kumi was definitely not fooled, given how she was staring at him again like she did earlier. But all she said was, "Then let's move. I wouldn't mind picking off the ones that fall behind."

I'll have to keep up, thought Kopa, not trusting himself to speak aloud again.

•••

Vitani opened her eyes, and to her surprise, her senses returned to her almost immediately. She bolted upright, and her mouth and vision filled with leaves as she entangled her face within the hanging canopy above. With an aggravated growl, she wrestled her head free and stumbled away from beneath it, blinking and spitting out leaves — and halted when she saw the twenty or so painted warriors, all stopped where they stood and staring at her.

It was then that she realized that they were on the side of a mountain, and quite high up if the surrounding peaks were any indication. The clouds were still above them but only barely, and as a chilly gust blew by, it occurred to Vitani that the coat of paint worn by the lionesses probably served as an extra layer of insulation as well.

Nia bustled forth from the crowd, her red-brown eyes hawkishly fixed upon Vitani. "Do not try anything, outsider."

"You mean with the Roar?" Vitani asked sarcastically. "Cause that was your fault for darting me first."

"How did you come to possess the Roar of the Elders?" demanded Nia, clearly not one for making small talk.

In other words, my kind of people. Vitani tilted her head, wondering what this could be about. "It was passed onto me by the previous leader of the Lion Guard. Why do you care?"

Nia opened her mouth to answer when another voice came from behind Vitani. "This tribe has faced the Roar of the Elders in generations past. Always it was wielded by warmongers, used to threaten us and those we protected."

A stern-faced lioness strode into view from opposite Nia, her aging but not quite elderly face painted more colourfully and elaborately than the others'. Upon her forehead was a long thin crest that matched her eyes, a peculiar mix that was neither green nor guessed that this had to be the chief of the tribe. "And why would the Lion Guard decide to threaten you?"

The chief wordlessly motioned for Vitani to follow her, and led them toward a quieter part of the camp. "Because we took in the lionesses who fled their kingdom, and the Lion Guard believed they were entitled to demand their 'return'." Her voice took on a scornful edge. "We believed otherwise."

So much for "The Lion Guard doesn't threaten", huh, Kion? Vitani suppressed the thought for the time being and peered back at the warriors, who had silently returned to their tasks. "Your tribe has defeated the Lion Guard before?"

"No, we killed them. Along with anyone else they sent to retaliate."

"My mother would've liked you," muttered Vitani.

The chief fixed her with a long look before she spoke again. "I didn't instruct Nia to bring you to our camp. Know that you're here on her invitation, so if I were you, I would refrain from saying or doing anything unwise."

"Don't worry, I'm not looking to get poisoned again." Vitani cocked her head, noting that the other lioness hadn't so much as introduced herself. "You don't want me here, do you?"

"Your very presence is a risk, regardless of what your intentions may be," the chief said brusquely. "My warriors have told me troubling things about your conflict in the mountains."

"It isn't our conflict," Vitani grunted.

"Not yet. But make no mistake, they are coming for your kingdom. They have already taken the one belonging to the Mtera Pride."

"So why am I still here?"

The chief scrutinized her, though Vitani couldn't tell if she was impressed or annoyed by her directness. "Nia believes you may be of aid to us. We were not aware that the Roar of the Elders belonged to you."

"And what is it you want me to do with the Roar?"

"To keep my people and their borders safe. The invaders intend to control this part of the mountains so their allies can reach your kingdom unhindered. This will be a problem for both of us."

"Agreed," replied Vitani. "Alright, chief, I'd be a lot more annoyed about getting hauled up here, but you're lucky I was already on my way to you."

"And what is it you want with me?" the chief asked warily.

"I'm looking for someone, and an old monkey told me your tribe might know something."

The older lioness growled irritably. "Rafiki."

"Yep," affirmed Vitani. "And if you're right about all this, then you say jump and I'll say how high. Sound good to you?"

The two of them stopped before a lone mkukusu tree at the centre of the camp. The chief peered up the length of its thick, immovable trunk before turning back to Vitani. "Very well, I accept your terms. What's your name, child?"

"Vitani."

The chief paused for a moment, then used one claw to carefully scratch something into the dirt at the base of the tree.

Vitani peered at it closely, not recognizing the pattern of lines and shapes as any sort of writing. "What is that?"

"Your name, written in the lion's native tongue." With a disdainful flick to shake the dirt from her paw, the chief went on to explain, "The kingdom prides abandoned their language in favour of kila, so that the animals would understand them. They chose to tie their identities to being rulers rather than lions. Do you know what your name means, Vitani?"

"No."

"It means 'at war'. Perhaps you are more like your predecessors than you know." The chief expertly scratched something else next to Vitani's name. "This is my name, Safina. I now make an oath before the mkukusu tree to honour my agreement with you. What oath do you make, Vitani of the Lion Guard?"

It was Vitani's turn to peer skyward, though the clouds were a lot closer to eye level than usual. "I swear upon my brother, Nuka, my spiritual advisor and witness in all things. I will protect your tribe as I have protected the Pride Lands." She drew one of her claws as well and scratched the symbol of the Lion Guard above their names.

Everyone craned their necks as the nearby clouds parted in a dazzling array of golden light, and Nuka smiled briefly down at them before his visage faded once more into the sky. Satisfied, Safina gave an authoritative roar, and within moments the entire tribe was gathered before them once again.

"Sisters! Vitani of the Lion Guard has made an oath to protect our borders so long as these invaders threaten them. She may not be one of us, but she bears a gift from the Tree of Life that has long been denied to us — the Roar of the Elders." The chief stifled the ripple of murmurs with an austere look, and the warriors fell silent once more. "In exchange, you will provide whatever help she may ask of you, for in doing so you help your people. Milima ni mifupa yetu!*"

"Mto ni damu yetu!**" roared the Nami tribe in unison.

Having spoken her piece, Safina stepped to one side before nodding to Vitani, who realized that everyone's eyes were now on her and promptly cleared her throat. "I'm searching for a lion in these mountains. An adult male, goes by the name of Kopa — gold pelt, brown mane, same eye colour as..." She trailed off as she indicated Nia, who for some reason was now avoiding her gaze. "...you. Yeah, the one that darted me. What do you know?"

The others glanced at Nia, who remained as silent as she was still.

"Answer her, Nia," ordered Safina sharply.

"A lion entered our territory yesterday," Nia confessed, without a trace of her usual boldness. "I didn't hear his name, but he fit your description and he wasn't much younger than you."

"Yesterday?" the chief repeated. "And you withheld this from me?"

"Forgive me, chief," Nia said abashedly. "He was aiding a wounded lion and promised to be gone quickly."

Safina's brow was arched in disapproval. "Our law is clear, and the tribe is safe only so long as we all uphold it. Why did you disobey?"

Nia lowered her head in earnest, and she murmured something indiscernible.

"Speak up," growled Safina, "and look me in the eye when you address me."

The other lioness obeyed, and with just a hint of defiance in her penitent demeanour, she said, "He looked like my father."

The rest of the tribe whispered among themselves once more. Vitani's eyes shifted from Nia to Safina and back, and when neither of them said something, she decided to do so instead. "If that lion is who I think he is, then you'll be glad you let him go. Which way was he headed?"

"Northwest," Nia told her quietly.

Vitani sighed. "Great. He could be anywhere in the mountains by now."

"Then Nia will accompany you until you find him," Safina informed her. "If this lion is the one you seek, then his fate is for you to decide." Turning to Nia, she said, "And if he is an enemy, then you will kill him yourself. You may not return until one of these things has come to pass."

Without prompting, the other warriors stepped back from Nia in near-unison, so that she stood apart from the tribe. She bowed her head again.

Vitani couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at having singled Nia out. "Is this really necessary? The oath was between me and your tribe."

Nia nodded resolutely. "My judgement was selfish and I've endangered my sisters. I must atone."

"Wow, you people are intense," muttered Vitani. "Fine, we should get going. Especially if I'm going to find him before the invaders do."

One of the warriors hurried to Safina's side just then. "Chief, the elder's awake, She's asking about the Pridelander."

"Let her rest," the chief replied. "Tell her I'll explain everything shortly." She stopped and cast Vitani one more sidelong glance. "I expect we'll meet again. In the meantime, tell no one about this place — not even your pride."

"You got it, chief," Vitani said curtly. As she followed Nia out of the camp, she noticed that the other lioness' eye colour was not similar to Kopa's like she initially thought — it was identical, in an uncanny way not even shared by Simba's eyes.

Maybe Nia will get more out of this arrangement than she thinks — or maybe she's already hoping she will. Guess I'll see soon enough.

•••

"You're moving faster now," Tumaini remarked, squinting against the dusk's piercing sunlight through a scarce canopy of trees.

Siri eyed Mount Kilimanjaro's towering form, still easily visible in the fading light given that it was not much farther now. "I just hope I'll be okay to climb. That's a long way up."

"You won't have to go all the way to the top," he assured her.

She raised an eyebrow at how certain he was. "I thought you didn't know where the hideout was."

"I don't," he stammered. "I've just... heard about it. Vaguely."

"Tumaini," said Siri firmly, "I don't need to know everything about you. But this is my pride we're talking about, and there's something about them you're not telling me."

Tumaini bit his lip. "This is not something I usually ask people I met four days ago, so don't get the wrong idea. Do you trust me?"

"With my life," she told him without falter.

"Okay." He exhaled, now gazing wistfully at Mount Kilimanjaro as well. "I did something terrible to your pride a long time ago. I don't want to be that person anymore."

"Is that why you helped me?"

"No. I don't think I can ever fix what I did."

"Maybe not," she conceded, slowly trying to work everything out in her head. She had a nagging suspicion about him now, one that somehow fit everything she already knew from her own end. "But if you face it, you might finally find some peace with yourself."

"I doubt that's an option for me," Tumaini murmured resignedly.

Siri made a disgruntled noise. "Yeah, you definitely remind me of someone from my pride. You're never gonna guess who—"

"Tembea," he uttered abruptly.

"Tembea? No, I was gonna say—"

Tumaini rushed past Siri without another word, and she turned to see Tembea slumped against a leaning tree. Did she limp all the way here from Mount Tempest? I thought she was... after the attack... Surprised at the emotions welling up within her, Siri rushed to the other lioness, who tensed for a moment before recognizing her.

"Siri? Oh, thank the Great Spirits. And..." Tembea blinked, looking as incredulous as Siri felt. "Wait, it can't be. Tumaini?"

"Hi, Tembea," said Tumaini tersely. "What happened to you?"

Tembea grimaced. "Accident. My fault, really, I got careless. I shouldn't be walking with my shoulder messed up like this, but it was either that or letting the big scary lion get me."

Siri instinctively peered around at the mention of Jeraha. "Is he nearby?"

"Probably. I wasn't gonna lose them trying to hobble up the mountain, so I thought I'd lay low until they gave up."

"That won't work, he's an excellent tracker," Siri informed her grimly.

Tembea gave her an inquisitive look. "You've met him?"

"We've got history. Let's get you on your paws."

Tumaini unsheathed his claws as he bared his teeth at the foliage nearby. "Too late."

Siri tensed up at the sound of rustling nearby, and a heartbeat later Jeraha burst out of the bushes. She immediately positioned herself in front of Tembea, raising her front paws to catch his; she pushed against him with their claws caught against each other, though her back paws were slowly sliding back as he pressed forward.

Jeraha was sent rolling away by Tumaini, who was also shielding Tembea as she struggled to stand. The burly lion smirked at the three of them taking position around him. "You're too injured to make this a fair fight. My lions are coming."

Tumaini slammed a clenched paw against the trunk of a kihambie tree, sending a shower of small hard fruit raining down on Jeraha. Siri took the opportunity to close the distance and throw her weight upon Jeraha, sinking her claws into the sides of his abdomen while Tembea fought to push him neck-first against the ground.

Jeraha swiftly headbutted Tembea under the chin, and she landed a short distance away in a dazed state. Siri stubbornly held on as he tried to buck her, trying to keep her face out of the way of his wildly kicking hindlegs. As Tumaini rushed in to help, Jeraha whirled on the spot and managed to hurl Siri back-first into him, dislodging her and sending her rolling away in a heap with Tumaini.

Shaking her head, Siri managed to chase the ringing from her ears as she stood up, and was dismayed to see Husuda and Saka appear out of the trees just then. Jeraha straightened as they joined him on either side. "Where are the others?"

"I didn't see them," admitted Husuda. "They must have fallen behind."

The burly lion growled in displeasure. "Focus on her, got it?"

Tumaini raised his hackles, having recovered his wits as well. "Bring it. I'll make you bleed for every drop of blood you spilled in my forest."

There was now an uncharacteristic twinkle in Jeraha's eye. "Says one killer to another. It took me a while to remember where I had heard your name before." He gave a rumbling, mirthless chuckle upon seeing the black-maned lion stiffen. "There's a certain wild dog who's eager to make your acquaintance again. Surely you remember him."

"Bane," hissed Tumaini, with a contempt Siri had never heard in his voice before. His expression darkened. "I'd never forget."

"Then you should know what he wants. An eye for an eye."

"If Bane wants to kill me, he's more than welcome to try." Tumaini's voice was level, but his eyes glimmered with an icy coldness that did not belong. "He's not the only one who believes in revenge."

Jeraha laughed. "For killing his son? No, it won't be your life he wants. It'll be that kid you're so precious about — Kopa."

In the blink of an eye, Tumaini leapt at him once more, seized by a newfound rage. Siri caught Jeraha's smirk a moment before the two of them were joined in battle once more, and she found herself watching Tembea's back as the other enemy lions moved in toward them. However, her eyes did not leave Tumaini as he pinned Jeraha upright against a rock, clawing and swiping at him in a frenzy. The two of them snapped viciously at each other's snouts, limbs, anything that strayed too close to their teeth.

Siri grabbed a piece of fruit that had dropped from the kihambie tree and smashed it open against the side of Saka's head, spraying its contents into her nostrils. The other lioness reared back, snapping at empty air before Tembea grabbed her in a headlock in an effort to crush her windpipe. The two of them rolled off to one side, and as Siri made to follow, Husuda leaped in front of her, claws and teeth raised to meet her.

Something dove out of the foliage without warning, sliding under Husuda and sending him flying into the air. Her opponent crashed into the kihambie tree, and amidst another hail of falling fruit, Siri finally saw who had come to her aid. "Kopa?"

Kopa did not slow down, and instead bolted straight for Jeraha. The burly lion had Tumaini pinned against the ground, and dealt him a hefty strike across the snout. Tumaini thrashed about with a roar, blood trickling into his eyes; even still, he managed to spit a wad of dark liquid into Jeraha's eyes, and in that moment Kopa dealt him a decisive strike under the chin amidst another spray of blood.

Tumaini staggered up, wiping his eyes. Kopa rushed to him in concern. "Tumaini!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," his friend assured him. "Glad you made it, Kopa."

"I had help. They won't be long, they took down two lions on the way here."

"Finally, some good news," exhaled Tumaini. "Who's 'they'?"

Kopa suddenly looked visibly uncomfortable. "Uh, about that..."

Siri cleared her throat to get their attention, noticing that Jeraha and Husuda were getting back up. Likewise, Saka had managed to overpower a feebly stirring Tembea. "Guys, can we talk about this later?"

Before anyone on either side could make a move, another figure pounced out of the trees and collided with Husuda. The sound of rapidly approaching pawsteps prompted Jeraha to turn about, ears standing upright as he took in the numbers coming his way. Siri could see it, he was deliberating whether or not to take his chances — and then Husuda tumbled to a stop, limp and unmoving.

Atop him was Kumi, who withdrew her teeth from the back of his neck with a faint squelch. She locked eyes with Jeraha, who snarled at her but was met with no reaction. And for the first time, Siri noticed an unnerved look cross his face before he turned and ran, followed promptly by Saka.

Kopa made to gave chase, Kumi raised a foreleg to stop him. "Let him go. He'd cost us more blood than we can get out of killing him, even now."

"What are you doing here, Kumi?" asked Siri, not having expected to see her anywhere near the pride after her falling out with Malka.

Kumi gave her an appraising look. "Clearly here is where I'm needed. Kopa tells me you know who we're up against."

"Yeah," Siri admitted ruefully. "I wish I said something sooner."

"So do I, but that's a conversation for another time. I found some of your friends, by the way."

As if summoned by her words, Fika and Bidi dashed in to join them. "Siri!" they chorused simultaneously.

Siri couldn't contain her cry of joy as she rushed forward to nuzzle them. "Fika! Bidi! You got away!"

"All thanks to Hamu," replied Bidi, withdrawing though she was still grinning. "She really outdid herself when she buried the pass."

"I knew that was her," said Siri exasperatedly. "Is she alright?"

Fika scowled. "She'd better be. I saw them surround her after she tumbled out."

Siri's misgivings were momentarily alleviated upon catching sight of Malka, who looked like he had aged a year in the last few days. He smiled with relief as she approached and nudged their foreheads together. At that moment, Siri couldn't help but feel as if everything was meant to work out after all. "Thank the Great Spirits," she said weakly. "I thought you were—I thought Janga—"

"I was afraid for you too," Malka murmured. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Siri wasn't sure whether to laugh or sob. What ended up coming out instead was a sort of wet, trembling squawk. "Thanks to some new friends I made. I guess you already know Kopa, and this is—"

It was only then that Siri noticed everyone else staring at Tumaini. His gaze was downcast, the confidence he normally exuded now completely evaporated. There was something distinctly uncomfortable in Kopa's expression that told her he knew exactly what was going on, and in that moment, Siri's earlier ruminations all came flooding back. Her eyes widened, even before their words confirmed what she all but suspected.

"Tumaini," growled Malka.

"Son?" Kumi whispered.

At last, Tumaini's amber eyes turned upward to meet hers. "Mom. Dad."

* Milima ni mifupa yetu: "These mountains are our bones"
** Mto ni damu yetu: "The river is our blood"