Chapter 9

In the swampy marshland to the north of the Pridelands, there was far less firm earth to be found than one might have first expected. They were near the edge of the Great River. Eastward it formed a firm barrier between the Pridelands and the Outlands, but here the distinction was far less clear. It melded into the ground and formed many damp channels and rivulets. The air was damp and fetid, there were a great many flying and buzzing insects, and it smelled. Inti wasn't sure he trusted the water either. It was probably safe to drink, but he didn't like to test it.

According to his mother, the swamplands were usually much wetter and wider than they now found them: the famine that had begun to take ahold of the Pridelands since the fall of Pride Rock and the destruction the Shai'tan had wrought, had caused the Swamplands to constrict in size as they had during Scar's reign.

He hopped from islet of dryland to islet trying to avoid the mud and water as best he could, until he finally came across the person he was searching.

"Sara! Hey, Sara!" He called out to his sister. Sara turned to him, apparently not hearing his approach.

"Hm? Inti? Sorry. I didn't hear you."

"I was looking for you. Kion and Jasiri wanted to continue our training, but Mom said you were out here. I don't think we are supposed to be this far out, does Mom know?" He asked her.

"Probably not." Sara admitted. "I just don't want to talk to anyone right now." She said. She was lying down on the grass encampment, by herself. Inti frowned in concern.

"Hey, we've got to keep at it. Can't just be moping around –"

"I said no! Go away Inti!" She snapped. Inti paused.

"Sara. Listen." The red maned young lion nudged his sister until she turned to look at him. Inti gave her an encouraging smile. "I know it seems hopeless, but we'll rescue Danyal. You know we will. We won't abandon him or Sundar." He said firmly. Sara sniffed.

"You can't know that. We might never see him again and I never told him…"

"Never told him what?" He asked. Sara shook her head. There were tears in her eyes.

"I just want him back. The two of them. I was upset but don't care about any of that so long as they're safe. Its not fair. Danyal and Sundar deserve a chance to be together, and after everything they've done… What if we never see him again?"

"Hey. You can't think like that." Inti told her, gently. "We've had tough breaks before, but they didn't stick, did they?" He tried to encourage her. "Besides. We can't do anything for either of them like this. Come back with me, let's get training. Koron and I have been working on a new move. Jasiri thinks it has some promise –"

"Would you just stop? It's not going to make a difference; we can't make a difference. We're just kids, remember?" She told him. Inti sighed.

"I know. Believe me, I am well aware. But I'm not going to just stand around doing nothing, sis. I need to do something; I need to be doing something. I can't just stand around waiting for the adults to tell us what's going to happen. I can't… I won't be powerless."

"We are powerless." Sara said quietly. Inti looked annoyed.

"Keep telling yourself that if you want to." He snapped and looked agitated. Then his expression softened. "Look, sis, I don't want us to fight over this."

"I'm sorry." She said immediately. "I didn't mean to…" She trailed off looking for the words. "I just feel so… hopeless." She admitted. Inti nodded.

"I know." He said.

"She really cares about him, don't she?" Koron asked him later, when Inti relayed the conversation to him. The darker cub had stayed and been practicing with Talib and Calin, two of the other cubs near their ages. The leopard and cheetah cub were wrestling with each other under Kion's watchful gaze, and Koron had broken away to speak to Inti, who nodded slowly.

"Of course, she does. He's family." Inti said, firmly, sighing. "At least, we've always seen him as family. At least have since this whole thing started." Inti said. It sounded flat even to his own ears when he said it aloud, but Koron nodded and seemed to know what he was trying to say. "And Sundar has been a good friend to us too." He added.

"I can understand that. But I think Sara feels a little different about him. She's got a thing for Danyal, that's been obvious from the moment she first mentioned him." Koron muttered.

"Jealous?" Inti asked him. Koron swiped at him in annoyance. "Yeah. I used to tease her about that. I wish I hadn't." He admitted. "You've met him. What did you think of him?" he asked him. Koron froze, and thought back. True, he hadn't spoken to Danyal as much as he probably should have, especially since he was masquerading as the King. But he had to admit, the older lion had made an impression on him. As Sara had predicted, Koron had been taken aback to see the lion who had defeated a Shai'tan.

"I liked him. He clearly cares for you both, and he protects the ones he loves. When I saw him and the scars he had, I knew right then that Sara hadn't been exaggerating. I thought he was a bit moody though." Koron said. Inti stared at him.

"From you? Seriously?" He asked him. Koron looked at him, blankly with his dark red eyes from behind his dark furred fringe.

"What?" He asked. Inti shook his head.

"Never mind." He admitted. He looked over at where the others were training. There was a strained, agitated expression among some of the lions. He saw Yhodda, one of the Asaitics trying to get the attention of Lukaan, but the white furred lion was desolate, and didn't quite seem to see her. It was worrying to see. "But Sara just needs to hold things together for a little while, whilst we work on a plan. Then we'll get them back." He said confidently.

Koron didn't immediately reply, and Inti's smirk cracked slightly when he saw his dark expression. "What?" He asked.

"It's nothing." Koron said.

"No, it isn't. You've got something to say." He said, crossly. "Say it."

Koron sighed, and studied Inti's expression for a while.

"What possible plan could Vitani have?" He asked her eventually. Inti cocked his head. He wasn't entirely sure, and he opened his mouth to say so, but Koron continued. "Danyal killed Sekhmet, you said. You think once they know that they won't…" He trailed off. "Even if they don't kill him, they'll hurt him for that. You know they will." He said. Inti looked away.

"I know…"

"I think the chances are that Danyal is already dead. Once they know he isn't the King of the Pridelands, they'll certainly kill him, and if they find out he killed Sekhmet, they'll kill him first. I just… I'm just worried about what gonna happen to you and Sara if the worst happens." Koron admitted. Inti looked as though he had walked into a rock.

"Don't you start too! I'm not going to give up on him until he's actually dead! Or Sundar! She's a Shaman remember! If they wanted him dead we'd have found a body!" He said. "You and Sara both seem to think –"

"Sara is grieving, Inti! She's worried and she's scared. You acting as though everything is fine isn't going to help her is it?" Koron said.

"Shut up!" Inti snapped, angrily. "They didn't give up on us! Why are we giving up on him?" He challenged him.

"I…" Koron trailed off. "I'm just not every good at this hope thing. In my experience, the worst happens more often than it doesn't, and I just want to be ready for that."

"So you can gloat, and tell us you're right and remind us all how awful and terrible the world is all the time?" Inti snapped. "Well congratulations. You're right. The world is screwed up out of shape. Happy?" He asked. Koron blinked at him.

"That's not fair." He said. But Inti was shaking and he scowled at him.

"I am fed up with everyone acting as though it's a done deal! It isn't! It can't be! I can't lose anyone else. We've already lost Kiava and Zuri; we've already lost so much. We can't keep losing people." He said, shaking. Koron stared at him, his eyes calculating. Then he moved in and nuzzled Inti. Inti paused for a moment, not expecting the motion or the affection.

"This is a hug, right?" Koron muttered after a moment. Inti snorted.

"You know damn well what a hug is. You were imprisoned in Golgorath, not born there." Inti said after a moment. Occasionally, he thought Koron leaned into the perception that he was a savage wild thing, and didn't want to be seen doing things like hugs.

"Does it help?" Koron asked him.

"… Yeah." Inti said after a moment. "It helps." He admitted.

"Vitani!" Lukaan growled. "Vitani! Where are you!?" He called out. It wasn't Vitani that answered him, but Damu. The former Outlander seemed to be managing things slightly better than Almasi, and unlike Vitani, Lukaan had no trouble tracking her down. The white lion sniffed when she approaching him though.

"Lukaan. Vitani is not here. She's –"

"Where is she?! I must speak to her. I need to…"

"Lukaan! Stop. Listen to me!" The white furred lion looked furious and the great king growled in annoyance.

"Get out of my way. Where is she?"

"Right now, Vitani is busy. She's… interrogating… the captured wilddogs." Damu said carefully. Lukaan snarled.

"Excellent decision. Let me in there. I'll rip them to shreds until I find out what has happened to my daughter!" He snarled in anger.

"That's why you can't go in there. We need them alive, Lukaan."

"I won't hurt them."

"If I thought they might know where my Zuri is, I don't think I could make that promise. You aren't in any fit state to be interrogating anyone, my friend. Have you even slept since the battle?" Damu asked him. Lukaan growled.

"How can I sleep when my Daughter has been taken, and could be anywhere?! When Helio is dead, dead and gone and Sundar could be next!"

"I know how you are feeling, Lukaan. But leave it to Vitani. She knows what she is doing."

"How long can it talk to ask them some questions! If they aren't cooperating, let me in there and I'll rip a few of the less important ones into tiny pieces, and then we'll see how cooperative they want to be! Get out my way, Damu!" Lukaan roared. His voice was shaking in anger. Damu didn't so much as flinch. She shook her head.

"You'll do no such thing." She told him. "To begin with, we're better than that. Not to mention that I doubt Vitani is putting a plan together based on screamed ravings. He will rescue your daughter, Lukaan. I promise you that. You're a part of this Pride now and so is she and we are not going to leave anyone behind." Damu said. Lukaan hesitated, slowly he sank to his knees.

"I can't… I have… I have got to do… something!" He said. He was breathing heavily now. She thought he was about to hyperventilate. Damu paused.

"Rafiki!" She called out. "Get over here!" And the mandril came leaping over. Lukaan shook himself angrily.

"I am not wounded I don't need a Shaman!" He protested. She might have asked for Makini, but Rafiki seemed to have a better connection with the White King of the Asiatics. Lukaan was receptive to Rafiki's calm soothing baritone, and his occasional bouts of philosophy.

"I know how you are feeling. I know you want to. I know you want to do whatever it takes. But the best thing you can do to help Sundar right now is hold yourself together even though every part of you is flying apart. You can only help Sundar by doing what you can here. By doing what you can to hold this fragile alliance together." Lukaan stared at her.

"Some rest, you need." Rafiki said as gently as he dared. Lukaan scowled. He hadn't spoken to Rafiki much since he had been unable to help Helio. Upon finding the young lad's body he had tried to have Rafiki revive him, but the young lion's spirit had long since departed.

"How can you even breathe? Your daughter is gone too so how aren't you…" He trailed off. "I don't know how." He asked her. His pink eyes were filling with tears. "She's gone. She hates me right now. That might… Oh Great Creator – that might be the last thing she ever says to me. Spirts save me –"

"Lukaan. Take a breath." Rafiki urged him and reached out a hand to him. Lukaan steadied himself.

"She's my rock, Damu. All that's left. The Shai'tan have killed so many of my family… My friends… My Brother… if I lose here too, I couldn't bear it." Lukaan said. Damu took a short intake of breath.

"I know Lukaan. I know." She told him. Lukaan almost seemed to diminish before her eyes. He seemed to be almost in tears.

"They killed Helio. I keep thinking about him, about that lad. But when I do I think of him when I first met him, that cub. Younger than Calin. He was like a son to me, and he's gone. I can't lose her too. I thought… I thought I was doing the right thing… I thought that I was making her life secure. She just has me. I wanted to give her a home and family. I wanted her to have something of her own…" He looked up at Damu. "What father wouldn't want to give their daughter a crown? Was that so wrong?" His breath caught.

"Lukaan…"

"But she saw it as me selling her to the Pride for the rest of our sakes. As if I'd do something so cruel as to force a life, she didn't want… And before… before I could show her…" He broke off. "Damu, how do you go on? Zuri is gone! I've never met your daughter! She's been missing for months. Day upon day. She could be anywhere in the Pridelands, she could be in the Imperium and we wouldn't know it! How do you deal with the not knowing? How do you know she is alive?! How do you live with yourself knowing that she is out there and that you are stuck here! She's your daughter!" Lukaan almost burst.

Damu stepped back as if stung. For a brief moment, Lukaan knew he had gone too far as Damu recoiled as if in pain.

"Lukaan… Come with me." She said softly. Without another word, she turned around, and moved away from where the other rebels were staying. She made her way across some of the grass to where a short hill jutted out of the swamplands. It was deserted this time of day, and completely calm. Around them, the air was becoming greyer as the afternoon drew on. The buzzing of insects was slightly lessened and air seemed clearer. They moved the watering hole to a short hill, and beyond that, she stopped, and invited Lukaan to join her. When she turned around, she could see the older lioness was in tears.

"Look around, look at the horizon." She told him. Lukaan did as he was bid and looked around. They could see the long green stretches of savannah and grasslands, for as far as the eye could see. The Pride Lands at its richest. Green and verdant… though there were of course darker patches, where the Shai'tan strength was more keenly felt. They could see trees and a faint shimmer some distance away. The edge of the Great River. He could even make out some of the herds.

"What am I looking for?" Lukaan asked softly.

"Zuri." She said. Lukaan blinked and turned to Damu.

"What?"

"One day, she'll be there. One day I will see my little girl again. Coming over those hills or across the river. One day, I'll see her again. Maybe it will be tomorrow, or the day after, I don't' know. Perhaps I won't see her again until she is a lioness grown. If I live long enough, I might not see her again until she is an adult, and had cubs of her own! Can you imagine that? But I will see her… And I look for her everyday… Because my worst fear is that she'll come this way, and miss us… and our only chance at being reunited passes us by."

Lukaan stared at her. Damu sighed.

"My daughter is alive. That is enough for me. She fled the Shai'tan, when I couldn't protect her. If she had stayed, she might have died. That is my greatest regret and my greatest shame. But I know that whatever happens. I know that I can see her again." She looked at Lukaan. "You ask me how I can live with myself? Because I have to live, so that I have the chance to see her again." She broke off. "I can still do some good. I can make the Pridelands a safer place… for her. I can do that better here, then if I was out there by myself trying to find her on my own."

"But Sundar isn't safe. Zuri is out there by herself, but Sundar… They could be doing unspeakable things to her." He whispered. Lukaan's expression almost broke. "When you last saw your daughter she was scared, but you were together. The last time I saw Sundar she was cursing my name! She hated me. She thought I'd betrayed her. I was wrong… so very wrong. Now I have nothing to hold onto." Lukaan said, his voice breaking. Damu sighed.

"You have to, Lukaan. You have to hold on to the fact that you can make it right. But only if you survive. You need to keep yourself going." She assured him. Lukaan nodded.

"We'll find Sundar and Danyal… And we'll find Zuri and Kiava. We won't give up." She promised him.

Kion approached Makini, whilst she was busy binding the wounds of one of the panthers. It was Ras, the sister. Sash was sitting nearby, watching solemnly.

"There you go." Makini told her and stood up. "If it gets infected, make sure you speak to Rafiki or Yessen."

"Why can't they see her now?" Sash asked, looking worried. Kion couldn't blame the young panther cub for his worry. The poor cub had lost his elder brother when their scout has been caught by the Shai'tan. He could remember how worried Danyal had been to give that order, and new he would be feeling guilty about it, if he hadn't been captured as well.

"The Shaman are resting right now, Sash." Kion reminded him. "In case we need to leave in a hurry. We can't afford to be caught by the Shai'tan unawares again. Most of us have to make do with Makini or Damu for now, and the old-fashioned way of healing. With herbs and roots and the like. They taste awful but they get the job done." He said, trying to sound cheerful. The young cub looked worried at that. "Don't you worry though. Makini is one of the best healers there is." He assured her. "She took care of me and the Lion Guard, back in the day. Your sister couldn't be in better hands."

"Thank you, Makini." Ras said, as she stretched her paw. She looked tired though, tired, and drained. The loss of her brother was weighing on her. Kion couldn't blame her for that either. Still, she put on a brave face. It made him think of Kiara. She nodded.

"Sir?" She asked, looking at Kion and it took him a moment to realise she was addressing him. "Has there any word as to what we will do next? About the King?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." Kion assured her. She seemed satisfied by that. Makini watched them go.

"We're going to have to tell them something eventually. If they know Kiava isn't really captured by the Shai'tan –"

"Then we'll have to tell them that we lied to them in the first place, and that we don't know where Kiava is. Danyal was right, this has come back to haunt us, I wish we'd listened to him. If we had he might still be here. They were hunting the King of the Pridelands, they knew to look for him. We painted a massive target on his back." Kion said grimly.

"I thought that was the point. To keep the Shai'tan's attention fixed on us, and not young Kiava, where ever he is."

"It sounds so noble when you put it like that." Kion muttered. "Who decided that Danyal's life was worth so much less than Kiava's? If Kiava was here, we could protect him without putting anyone else at risk." He said. Makini looked at him, and reached a hand into his mane as she had heard Rafiki did to Mufasa.

"Firstly, if Kiava was here, we'd still all be at risk Kion, you know that. Secondly, Kiava being out there by himself is not your fault." She told him, disapprovingly.

"I had him. He was right there. I should have brought him back." Kion said forlornly. Makini sighed. She wished Bunga were here. Or Rani. Or Fuli, Ono or really anyone who could speak sense to Kion when he was like this. He wasn't meant to be alone.

"If you had brought him back, then Kiava might have been the one to be dragged off to King's know where and Danyal might be lying dead next to Helio." She told him, gently. Kion paused. He hadn't considered that.

"You don't know that for sure." He said feebly.

"Maybe not. Perhaps the Kings have designs of their own that we just can't see yet. We don't know anything for sure, we can only guess. What I do know for sure is that it wasn't your fault. And you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Danyal and Sundar either. For all we know, the fact they thought he was the Prince of the Pridelands is the only reason he is still alive: which means we can rescue him." Makini said fiercely. "I helped Danyal learn to walk again. He is tough like you wouldn't believe, I've only ever known one lion even remotely like him. He will hold out for us. As for Sundar, she has power; enough that even I can feel it." She said wistfully, then shook herself. "And more than that, they have each other. So long as we don't abandon them things are going to be alright." She assured him. Kion sighed and nodded. Perhaps she was right.

"Can you come with me for a bit?" he asked her. Makini blinked but nodded.

"Sure thing!" She said, leaping to her feet, and grabbed her stick. It looked much more like a Bakora staff now, closer in appearance to Rafiki's staff than Yessen's, and nothing like the thornwood staff that had once belonged to Marsade that Yessen kept away from nervous eyes. Its tip had a gnarled, rounded bulb at the top that made it vicious club when it needed to serve as one.

They strode away from the others, Makini keeping a gentle hand on his side as they walked, trying to stay on the dry land as much as they could.

"You know." Makini said, "I have some wonderful salves and ointments that'll keep away these flies and mosquitoes, if you wanted some." She suggested.

"I might take you up on it." Kion muttered. "I'm not used to being at this end of the food chain." He said, his tail swishing. He could recall having once seen Zebras swat swarms of insects out of the air with their tails. He had never been jealous of prey animals before, but that particular adaption was work of genius by which ever creator spirit had designed his favorite meal. His own tail wasn't nearly as effective at suc things.

"That's the circle of life for you." Makini said. "So. What is it you didn't want to ask about back there?" She asked him, arching her eyebrows. Kion wasn't the first to be nervous about asking healers for help with embarrassing ailments. He saw her expression and snorted at what she was implying.

"Nothing like that, Makini. I've ran out of Tuliza, that's all." He told her. Makini blinked.

"Really? That shell was filled to the brim." She said.

"It must have been knocked during the fighting." Kion admitted.

"Well, I'll try and find some. But we aren't at my Tree, I don't have my stores. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Kion said, gratefully.

"How is your neck?" Makini asked him. Kion froze. Not many knew about the vicious wound under his mane. The wound that had taken him out of action during his very first fight with the Shai'tan. The waters of the tree of life had healed it to some capacity but…"

"That's the other reason I was hoping you'd have some more Tuliza." He said. "It… hurts." He admitted. Makini inspected the wound. It was scarred, scabbed and still tender, even after all these months. To her eyes it should never have healed in the first place, and there was no telling what being so far away from the Tree of Life and its healing waters would do to it.

"Well, it doesn't seem to be getting any worse." She muttered. That was something. When Kion had first departed to seek after Kiava, she and Vitani had been dreading the possibility that without the waters it would continue to deteriorate. That hadn't happened. But it didn't look like it had healed much in that time either. It was as if the wound had been frozen in time somehow. Kion sighed in relief.

"I'll take it." He said. "Some good news at least." Makini patted his side.

Then Kion sniffed.

"What's the matter?" Makini asked him, cautiously. Kion frowned in worry. Makini looked around, but couldn't see anything. They were near the edge of the River now and there was no sound except for the droning of insects and the gentle flow of water.

"There's something here. Or there has been." He muttered. He inhaled again, deeply, then his eyes widened. "Blast it." He turned and looked to Makini, whose eyes were wide with concern.

"What is the matter? Kion?"

"I have a horrible nasty feeling that… Yeah. I think we've set up our dens right next to crocodile territory." He muttered. Makini gasped.

"Like Pua and Maku?" She asked, looking worried.

"I'm not sure." He muttered. "That's what I'm worried about. Pua and Maku's floats of crocodiles were subservient to Pride Rock. But that's not true of all their kind." He said darkly. Makini looked at the opaque water and shuddered.