Ni was pacing. Back and forth he walked, between the two trees where his mother and Zira’s mother lay. Zira and Nyonda were sitting next to Penda, feeling guilty. Penda was starting to worry that he would wear a path in the grass with all this pacing.

“When I get my paws on that little twerp,” Ni growled, “I swear, I’ll…I’ll…”

“Squash him to a pulp?” Zira suggested.

“Yeah, that. I’ll squash him to a pulp! What was he thinking? He could get seriously hurt!”

His mother wasn’t doing anything to calm Ni down. She was stressed herself. She fidgeted in the grass.

“Are you feeling alright, Koli?” Penda called over to her.

“A few days ago I wouldn’t have been worried,” Koli moaned, “since he goes missing so often. But he’s never been gone this long…”

“How long has it been, again?”

“Four days,” Ni answered bluntly before his mother could respond.

“Well, you wouldn’t really squash him to a pulp,” Nyonda mused. “Because, I mean, you’d technically be killing him, and you wouldn’t kill your brother…”

“Yes, I know that, Nyonda,” Ni snapped. “I wouldn’t physically squash Malka to a pulp. That would just be disgusting.”

He paced in silence for several more seconds, but then spoke up again. “I feel like I should be out there looking for him or something. I feel useless here.”

“We all do, Ni,” said Zira.

Ni turned with a huffy breath and paced the other direction, faster than before.

Nyonda whispered in Zira’s ear. “I don’t think that helped.”

“I was just trying to…”

“I know you meant well. But maybe we should just…you know…be quiet for a while.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll be quiet.”

For many minutes nothing could be heard except the quiet rustling of grass as Ni walked back and forth. Penda turned her head away and soon zoned out. Zira and Nyonda were too anxious to follow suit. Malka was missing, all because they hadn’t been paying attention to him when they were by the river. They hadn’t told anybody exactly how Malka had disappeared. It was their guilty secret. When they nuzzled each other, they felt a little better. Even if Malka was gone, they still had Ni…and each other.

Presently they heard someone approaching. Zira and Nyonda looked up to see none other than Tipu trotting briskly through the grass. Koli looked up a moment later, and the cubs saw her dip her head in recognition of the princess. Tipu nodded back, not changing her course. She slowed to walk and strode straight up to Ni. He jumped when he saw her.

“T-T-Tipu!” he stuttered, wide-eyed. “I…I wasn’t expecting to see you. What’s up?”

Tipu’s face was stern. “I need to talk with you in private.”

“What? Oh…uh, sure.”

The young gray lioness turned away and began to walk away from the others. Ni trotted after her. Zira made to stand up, but Nyonda stopped her.

“What part of ‘I need to talk with you in private’ don’t you understand?” he hissed.

“I dunno, I guess I just wanted to…”

“Eavesdrop?”

Zira hung her head. “You’re right.”

“Ni’s our friend. We shouldn’t betray his trust.”

Zira looked back at Ni. A hint of a smile flickered across her face. “I’ll bet he likes her.”

“Huh?”

“Did you even see him when she came up to him? Don’t tell me he’s not into her.”



Once they were out of earshot, Tipu abruptly stopped walking. Ni almost ran into her. She turned around and looked him in the eyes. Her expression was much less formal now. His throat stuck. How could her yellow eyes be so deep, so powerful...so beautiful?

“Ya know how we’re all technically adults now, right?”

“Yeah?”

“And since my mother’s so…well…”

“High-ranking?”

“Yeah. Since Mother’s so high-ranking, she spends lots of time talking with the males. Who’re the leaders of the pride and all. Your father's one of them.”

“Yeah…”

“Well, that means I’ve got an insider’s perspective. I found out last night.”

“Found out what?”

Tipu gave a strained-sounding sigh. “They’re going to exile you at sundown.”

Ni didn’t say anything. Had he heard correctly? “Huh?”

“When guys come of age, they leave the pride. You know that.”

“Oh…right…”

“Yeah. So you and Tai and Kipanga are going to have to leave tonight to go find a pride of your own. I wanted to give you a heads-up, ya know, so you won’t be taken off guard tonight. So you'd have plenty of time to say your good-byes and all.”

Ni felt numb. He’d almost forgotten that new adult males had to leave their home prides. He’d thought about it before, sure. But he’d never realized its seriousness. Here it was now, plain as day: he’d never see his family and friends again.

A lump formed in his throat. A list began to form in his mind of all the people he would miss. His mother Koli, for one. Sometimes he’d thought of her as a nuisance, true. But she’d always been a shoulder to cry on when he was a cub. She’d been a source of unconditional love. He would miss her guiding, soothing voice very much.

Then there was his little brother, Malka. Tears began to burn in Ni’s eyes. Why did he have to go missing now, of all times! He wouldn’t ever get to say goodbye to him. He’d loved Malka like a father when their real father was gone, which was pretty much all the time since he was one of the pride rulers. Malka may have been bothersome, but Ni had always loved him.

Zira and Nyonda. He’d only known them a few months, but they’d imprinted his heart in a way no one ever could. They were like siblings to him. He cared for both of them, from Zira’s occasional temper to Nyonda’s bothersome mane. He’d miss them.

Then there were his peers. Together with Ni, they made a quintet that had never been broken. Tai and Kipanga had been his buddies since cubhood. He was comforted that they would be traveling with him. He wouldn’t want to leave the pride utterly alone. There was Kisa, the quiet and unassuming one of the group. She was the pride’s best storyteller. Even as a cub she’d entertained her friends at night: her tales about the Stoneyards were pride favorites. He’d miss Kisa’s stories. And then there was Tipu…

Lately he’d been having dreams about Tipu. He couldn’t help it. Whenever she spoke to him he clammed up. He’d thought he was done for when he’d seized up in front of Nyonda and Zira a few days ago. Those yellow eyes…

“Ni?”

He snapped back to his senses. “What?”

Tipu was staring at him. “You looked like you spaced out.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“Okay, good. I was starting to get a little worried there.”

Worried about him? His heart fluttered. “No, I’m okay. Thanks for telling me about tonight. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. The pride’s meeting at Shadow Gate at sunset. See ya there.”

“’Kay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He watched her run gracefully away through the grass, presumably to find the guys. He sighed. Oh, yes. He would miss Tipu.



“Finally!” Zira huffed as Ni turned around and began to walk their way. “I was afraid he’d never stop staring after her.”

Nyonda gave Zira a disapproving look.

Ni slowly walked back to the two of them. He looked dazed. When he reached them he sat down in front of them and just looked at them for a long time. After a minute he spoke.

“I’ve got something to tell you guys.”

“Well, duh,” Zira said. “Why else would Tipu have come looking for you?”

Nyonda elbowed her in the side.

Ni continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “This is hard for me to say. But I’m an adult now, and that means I have to leave tonight.”

Nobody said anything for several seconds. Zira and Nyonda looked stunned. Ni hung his head. “I wish I could have given you more warning. Surely you knew that when a lion’s mane comes in, he has to find another pride?”

Zira and Nyonda shook their heads slowly.

Ni sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to leave, you know I do! Guys…” He pulled the two of them into a hug. He realized with a twinge of embarrassment that he was crying again. Oh well. “Don’t be mad. I’m going to miss you guys so much.” He pulled away and looked at them. They’d grown so much since he’d first met them. All three of them had. Ni smiled weakly.

Nyonda noticed. “Ni, what is it?”

Ni gave a small chuckle. “I was just thinking about the night I rescued you guys from the Stoneyards. You were so little back then!”

Zira glared at him. “You were younger too.”

“Well, yeah. But I haven’t grown as much as you. Look! You’re almost caught up to me now.”

Nyonda snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“No, seriously. Look.” Ni moved over so that he was sitting at Nyonda’s side. The latter actually wasn’t all that much smaller.

“He’s right, Nyonda,” Zira commented. “You’re bigger than you think.”

Ni smiled, but then sadly looked Zira in the eyes. “I want to apologize to both of you.”

“Apologize?” Nyonda asked. “For what?”

“For being boring so often. I realize Malka was a much better friend to you two than I was. I wasn’t there with you often enough…I was always either alone or with my buddies. I wanted to say I’m sorry, and that I wish I’d spent more time with you.”

Zira rubbed his chin with her forehead. “That’s okay. We understand.”

Ni blushed and purred a little when Zira rubbed him. You just had to love these two. “I’m glad.”



The sky was turning red. As the glistening celestial orb touched the horizon, bolts of crimson light gilded the land. A roar echoed across the valley. The pride knew what a single roar at sundown meant: a coming-of-age ceremony was about to take place. The various pride members abandoned their current endeavors, whether they be napping, nursing or prowling, and began to drift towards the western end of the pride’s territory, where Shadow Gate lay.

Shadow Gate was a pair of boulders on the very edge of the pride’s land. They stood in a wide pass between two of the mountains that ringed the valley. Passing between them was like passing through the gate to the valley. It was called Shadow Gate because the coming-of-age ceremony was always performed here at sunset, when the boulders cast long shadows stretching eastward. It was here that the Valley Pride congregated. A male lion stood on each of the two boulders, and another paced in front of them on the ground. This pale grey lion was the one that had roared.

Kahawia, Kijivu, and Kimanjano were the three brothers that ran the pride. Ni recognized his father, Kahawia, who stood on the rock on the left. He had Malka’s pale brown fur and ear tufts, but his mane wasn’t much darker than the rest of his fur, about the same color as Ni’s mane. Because of his unimpressive coloring, he’d only scored with one lioness: Koli. Yet even though he had only one mate and two sons, he’d never had much time with them. Ruling a pride, the lands around it, and the other animals that inhabited those lands was demanding, after all. The three males split the workload evenly.

Kimanjano and Kijivu, who had darker manes, had been noticeably more successful with the lionesses. Their offspring were easy to tell apart: Kimanjano’s cubs had his dark, yellowish fur while Kijivu’s cubs were more silvery.

There was a sort of round clearing forming in front of Shadow Gate. The pride formed a ring around the stones, with only the males inside. As the friends reached the edge of the clearing, Ni stopped and turned to Zira and Nyonda, who had been walking with him on his right.

“From here I go on alone,” he told them quietly. “Stay here with Penda.”

“I guess this is goodbye,” Nyonda muttered dejectedly.

“Maybe when it’s your turn to find a pride, you can visit me.”

Zira pouted. “You guys keep leaving me. Soon I won’t have any friends left.”

Suddenly Ni swept them into an embrace. “Don’t worry, guys,” he whispered. “I’ll be fine. Things will work out, I know it. I couldn’t have had better friends.” He pulled away from them, shot them one last sorrowful glance, and walked towards the boulders.

Zira and Nyonda walked along the edge of the crowd until they saw Penda. They sat down next to her without a word. The older lioness looked at them questioningly for a moment, but then turned her attention back to the scene before them.

Finally the last of the pride had arrived at Shadow Gate. Ni, Kipanga, and Tai sat down in front of Kijivu. When everybody was in place, the older male stopped walking back and forth and stood directly in front of the three younger males. The crowd hushed.

“Tonight we honor these three young lions’ successful transition into adulthood,” Kijivu recited. His tenor voice reverberated through the still evening air. “They have survived for three years in this pride, learning what there is to know about life in the outside world.”

And Zira’d known him for less than four months of those years. Ni was right. They hadn’t nearly had enough time together…

“Youth is a simple, preparatory time of one’s life,” Kimanjano contributed next. “But adulthood isn’t so easy: they won’t have their families to support them.”

Or vice versa. Right now she felt like she was the one losing all her means of support, one friend at a time.

It was Kahawia’s turn. “Tai, Kipanga, Ni,” he called, addressing the youths, “the time has come for you to set out into the world to find your own pride. Go forth with the blessings of your pride.”

First Malka. Now Ni. Would Nyonda be next? It was as if the ground was crumbling away beneath her feet, soon to give way to a deep black hole of loneliness that threatened to swallow her up…

The entire pride spoke as one:

“May your journey be successful. May your destination be fruitful. May your future be joyful. Amani!”

Amani. Peace. How about anything but peace. The pride members were now cheering loudly as the three young males stood and passed between the rocks. She put her paws over her ears, closed her eyes and hummed loudly. She had to drown out the sound. It was too happy…Why couldn’t they realize that she couldn’t be happy? How could she be happy when life was ripping at her heart, piece by piece?

She crouched down and huddled on the ground, wishing that the world would just disappear, or else that she would disappear from the world. She ignored Nyonda’s paw on her back. She might as well get used to being alone. She heard someone crying close at hand, but it took her a while to realize that it was her.

The applause gradually died down to a murmur as the pride began to dissipate again. Zira didn’t see this; she heard it, barely. The paw on her back had started stroking her gently. The action was unbelievably soothing. She found her clenched paws sliding off her head as her body subconsciously settled into a more comfortable position. She felt Nyonda pull her closer. Gratefully she consented and curled up next to him, placing her head next to his other forepaw. His arm was nestled surprisingly comfortably over her back. He understands, Zira thought. At least she had Nyonda for a little while longer.

He leaned down over her head. She could tell because her neck suddenly felt warmer and his bangs tickled her eyebrows. He leaned in closer…and she felt his tongue on her forehead.

That was unexpected. All of a sudden Zira felt funny. Many thoughts rolled through her mind at once. She was wildly joyous that Nyonda was there for her. For a fraction of a second she was happy. But Ni and Malka appeared in her mind’s eye, and just as quickly she became utterly distraught. She felt a new wave of tears leak out from beneath her closed eyelids. What was wrong with her?

She felt something small and wet land on her head. Then another. With a shock she realized Nyonda was crying too. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He sniffled a bit and rubbed his nose.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “Got a little emotional.”

“No. Really?” She turned away and looked out between the two great stones. The sun was already gone, though the sky was still red. They were alone.

She heard Nyonda sniff again. “I’m gonna miss that guy,” he muttered. “If only it didn’t have to be this way.”

Suddenly it clicked into place in Zira’s mind. They were alone.

“It doesn’t,” she said, turning back to him.

“What?”

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” she hissed. “We can hunt, right? We’ve already lost one friend, and there’s no way we’re losing another one!”

Nyonda’s eyes widened. “Did you seriously just say what I was secretly thinking just now?”

In a flash the two were on their feet, bolting through Shadow Gate.



Ni suddenly stopped walking. “Did you guys hear something?”

Tai gave him a questioning look. “Uh…no?”

Kipanga pricked his ears. “I don’t hear anything.”

“No, no, wait. There it is again!” He was positive he’d heard something. Someone was calling his name.

“You sure?”

“Shush, I’m trying to hear. Yes…yes, I do hear something. Tai, listen.”

Tai followed his brother’s lead. “Hey, yeah! There it is!”

Ni said nothing. He was positive now that somebody was calling him. Was he imagining things? He thought he heard two distinct voices now…two very familiar voices…

Just then all three males fell silent, staring at the crest of the hill behind them.

“Tell me this isn’t happening,” Kipanga groaned.

Two cubs were running down the hill; one was dark tan, the other almost black. They were about the oldest cubs could be before you stopped calling them cubs: the darker one had a mane already growing.

“Ni, wait!”

“Ni! We’re coming with you!”

Kipanga and Tai looked accusatorily at Ni. He looked dumbfounded for a moment. After a second he came to his senses.

“Uh…no,” he said loudly. “You’re not.”

“Yes we are!”

The two younger lions skidded to a stop in front of Ni. The black one shook his insanely long bangs out of his face.

“You’re the last friend we’ve got,” the tan female said. “We’re not giving you up. We aren’t afraid to contribute with the hunting, either, if you’re worried about more mouths to feed.”

“Ni, tell these kids to haul tail back home,” Tai whispered in his friend’s ear.

The female stood up straight. “I heard that.”

“And besides,” the male put in, “if I stay, I’ll be stuck with Tomo as my exile buddy when that time comes.”

Tai tensed. “Worst half-brother ever.”

Ni looked thoughtful. “So if Tomo doesn’t have an exile buddy…”

“He’ll be stuck at home with the girls!” Kipanga concluded triumphantly. “Ooh, he’ll hate that.”

“Kid, you’re a genius!” Tai exclaimed, slapping the black cub on the back. “Welcome to the club!”



The sound of grass rustling made Koli look up. She could barely see a lioness coming towards her. She could tell from the lioness’ dark pelt that it was Penda.

“Hey, Penda,” she called. “Over here.”

The darker lioness emerged from the grass. She was walking extremely slowly. Her head was close to the ground. When she looked up, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Koli was startled. Since when had she been like this?

“Yes, Koli?”

“How…er, how have you been doing?”

Penda plopped down heavily next to Koli. “Funny. You’ve lost both your kids too, yet you don’t seem affected.”

“Wait…what?” She hadn’t been expecting such a brusque greeting.

“I haven’t seen Nyonda or Zira since last night.”

“Yeah, so? They probably just wanted some alone time after the ceremony. They were really good buddies with Ni.”

“Exactly that. I think they followed him.”

Koli gave her a blank look. “Huh?”

“I believe that they followed Ni through the Gate last night.”

She had to be joking. “But…oh, come on, that’s ridiculous. They’re not that crazy.”

Penda glared at Koli. “You don’t know my daughter.”

Stubborn, eh? “Oh, I don’t?”

“No, you don’t.”

“Well, excuse me! You have one night without your kid and you go all teary-eyed. I go five days without my youngest. I know he’s not coming back or he would have come home by now. Now my eldest is gone forever to find another pride. How do you think I feel, knowing I’ll never see either of my sons again?”

“Oh, so you think you’re so special, losing both your children! Well, guess what? I’ve lost mine too! They’re with your precious eldest, so don’t expect them to be coming back any sooner than yours! Which, if my calculations are correct, is never!”

“Yeah? Yeah, you know what? I’m not talking to you.” Koli stood up quickly and began to stomp away.

“Sure, you do that!” Penda called after her. “I’m not talking to you either.” She turned her face away from where Koli had disappeared. She didn’t understand. Penda knew that the only thing that would make Zira and Nyonda run away from home was the loss of their last friend. The three of them weren’t coming back. Malka was still a questionable case; he could technically still come home. Surely she herself had the worse deal…

“Excuse me, madam.”

Penda looked up at the sound of the strange, proper-sounding voice that seemed to have come from above her head. Was she losing her mind? A flash of blue crossed her vision, and the next second there was a small blue bird with an enormous orange beak sitting on the ground in front of her. A bird addressing a lion? She’d never heard of such a thing.

“Er…can I help you?”

“My apologies for intruding. Would you happen to be acquainted with a young lion cub known as Malka?”

What timing. “Why, yes. I just saw his mother go that way.” She turned her head in the direction Koli had taken.

“Thank you, madam,” the bird said, sweeping into an elegant bow. “King Mufasa sends his regards.” He leapt into the air and flapped off after Koli as quickly as he’d come. What a nice, courteous little bird. Too bad she hadn’t caught his name.

Anyway.

Now that she’d gotten a little distracted, she could look on the issue with more logical eyes. Much as she wanted to go after Zira and Nyonda, she knew it was illogical. The two of them had been making much headway with their hunting lessons, and they would be well taken care of if they were in a group with three others, especially if those other lions were older than them. Why was she worrying?

Maybe she just needed somebody to give her affection to. Her blood daughter and adopted son were both gone now. There was nothing for her here anymore. She was no longer bound to this valley where she had never belonged.

She began to walk through the grass, slowly at first, then faster. Soon she was running. Her legs seemed to know where to take her. Before she knew it she found herself before the Gate. She dashed through it without stopping. She wasn’t chasing after her cubs. Only one thought, one word, one name, echoed in her mind.

Ninaku.