After the stylistic experiment of “The Leonid Saga,” it was comforting to return to something tried and true. But would be unfair to say “The Promise” was not experimental. All of the Chronicles stories have been like exploring new worlds. Even my most devoted fans--and some of them are very wonderful--could not enjoy reading these stories any more than Dave and I enjoyed writing them. I recall with misty eyes the joys and suffering of certain favorite characters. Once in “Under the Acacias” I strove to capture in one short paragraph the way I felt about Uzuri before finishing the main Chronicles series. It was my way of thanking her for all the wondrous experiences she had given me. The sky outside was soft and purple, and the stars were winking into splendor one by one. I sat at the keyboard and typed the one short paragraph:
      “Inside the cave, Rafiki sat bent over with age. In his lap was Uzuri’s head. She was too old and sick to pretend anymore, and when Rafiki put his hand down to stroke her cheek, she took his fingertips in her mouth and gave them a gentle squeeze between her teeth. Tears welled up in Rafiki’s eyes.”
      I wept. Her charm was a two-edged sword that cut both ways. One moment I was Makaka circling her warm, soft neck with my arms and listening to her soft breath. Then I was witnessing an intimate and tender moment of grief. When Uzuri died, I knelt, put my arm around Rafiki and hugged him. “Look at her,” I said. “Isn’t she beautiful.” Only he didn’t hear me or see me. That’s when it really started to hurt, for we had switched roles. I was the imaginary character, the shadow without form or substance.
      Writing another story always seems to help. Depressed, I turned my eyes to The Leonid Saga, and then to The Promise. I hope my simple therapy makes you feel better too.
       -- John Burkitt
       Nashville, Tennessee 1997
 
      Everyone who takes the time to read or write fiction of any sort has favorite moments that they enjoy, things that take on a new meaning and characters that stand apart from the rest of the text.
      How do they do this? It goes beyond the magic an author weaves into his or her work and into the characters themselves. Like us, each of them has their hopes and dreams. And all to often, like us, those are disrupted by forces beyond our control and smashed to lie in pieces at our feet.
      It is those who pick up the pieces and keep on going regardless that earn our admiration. Those that endure the pain because they know that pain is as much a part of life as pleasure, and that pain cannot last forever...but love always endures.
      Those like Mabatu and Isha.
       -- David Morris
       Wilmington, North Carolina 1997

      The anniversary of Taka’s reign was also the anniversary of Mufasa’s death. Taka hated to stand in the shadow of his brother and forbade Gopa the stork to spread the news.
      Still, out of love for Elanna, he celebrated his first wedding anniversary. By tradition he went hunting and what he killed would go to his wife. He was not much of a hunter, and the best prey he could find was an old honey badger too weak to defend itself. Under most circumstances, badgers would not have been considered prey, but this gift was his best effort and a token of love. Elanna would understand. Besides, he felt a certain satisfaction in conquering an old fear from his cubhood days.
      With a cut on his muzzle and still panting, Taka crept up the side of Pride Rock and stalked into the cave, the badger dangling from his jaws. Elanna looked up expectantly. She saw the gift and knew at once what it meant.
      With the excitement of a puppy about to be fondled, Taka closed the remaining distance with ears erect and tail twitching. He dropped the gift at her feet and smiled. “Happy anniversary, my darling Lannie!”
      “Oh look, a badger!” She rose at once and rubbed him sinuously full length. Then she raised on her hind legs and put her arms around his neck, rubbing his face with hers and bearing him lovingly to the ground where she panted in soft leonine laughter. “You didn’t forget!”
      “You’d better eat it while it’s still warm.”
      “Forget the meat, my husband. Have I told you lately that I love you?”
      “Every day. It’s what wakes me up every morning and it’s my lullaby every night.” He touched her with his gentle pink tongue and reached up with a paw to fondle her cheek. “Oh gods, I love you more than life itself!”
      In the midst of their intimate moment, Isha came in. “Sire, there’s a strange lioness that wants to see you.”
      “A strange lioness?? What does she want?”
      “She won’t tell us.”
      He nuzzled Elanna. “I’ll be right back. Remember where we left off.”
      Taka headed to the mouth of the cave. A miserable creature was slowly trudging up the side of Pride Rock. “Who is that?”
      “Her name is Kako,” Isha said. “She came from the east.”
      He could tell that she was expecting cubs, but her face lacked the radiance lions called the “light in the eyes.” She slowly strode before the Pride Sisters, and each one dropped her eyes in turn. She was beautiful and noble in her suffering. Taka felt that he could relate to her somehow. He had known suffering intimately, and realized with a shock that he could almost read her thoughts.
      She walked unsteadily to the mouth of the cave and looked in Taka’s eyes. “Please help me.”
      Taka looked back into her hazel eyes. The sadness in them was overwhelming, but she managed to straighten herself and put forth some pride in her bearing. It was clear that she was used to being respected.
      “My dear, what brings you to my kingdom?”
      “I’m seeking a home.”
      “Why are you homeless?” He looked at her with pity. “You have--you had--a mate. Did he die, or were you a rogue lioness?”
      She looked at him directly in the eyes. “I am a good huntress--one of the best in these parts, and I can prove it. My name is Kako.”
      “Well, Kako, you aren’t guilty of some crime are you? Or--ugh--sick with something catching?”
      Again she looked at him unwaveringly. “If you don’t want me, I can move on. But I am not sick and I have committed no crime.”
      “And you actually want to come here?” He glanced around at the hyenas and back at her. “Why, pray tell?”
      She stood as regal and silent as a statue and kept looking him in the eyes. Taka could not explain it, but he felt a deep shame, a feeling of unworthiness he would have only expected from the white lioness herself. If she needed a home, somehow he must make provide one.
      He glanced about at the other lionesses and could see expectation in their faces. Clearly this Kako had their sympathies. Besides, her blend of pride and sadness put thorns in his heart.
      “Kako, my heart is not made of stone. You do not show me proper deference, but I will not turn you away. Will you accept my authority as your King?”
      She gave a single silent nod.
      Taka looked into her large, sad eyes and regarded the droop of her ears and tail. “I will respect your privacy and require my pride to do likewise. But may I hope to see you smile someday? Your sadness staves me through.”
      Tears formed in Kako’s eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. She did not avert her gaze, though her chin trembled and her breath came in short gasps. Taka struggled to maintain his regal pose, even though silver tears formed in his eyes and worked their way down his cheeks. But after a few moments of exquisite pain, Taka had to look away. “Isha, Uzuri, see to her needs.”
      Taka wandered into the cave where Elanna sat by the badger. “Well, how did it go?” she asked.
      “Lannie,” he half whispered, “I think I just saw a ghost.” He nuzzled her desperately, drying his tears against her sympathetic shoulder. Then he settled next to her, trying to recapture his good mood as she ate.

      Kako was greatly helped by the love and support of her new pride sisters, and she looked for a way to show her gratitude. She offered to join them on the evening hunt though she had not studied the land.
      As the Pride Sisters gathered up, talk centered on the new arrival. The few details they could pry out of Kako’s dark past were tantalizing. She had borne cubs before and had survived an attempt on her life when she was three moons old. She said that she had once seen the white lioness herself, Minshasa the blessed. But the reason for her exile was sealed away behind her soft, enigmatic hazel eyes.
      Kako had many questions herself. She did not understand why Taka put up with hyenas or why he did not require them to hunt for themselves. “You would think he owed them a big favor.”
      Sarabi remembered how Taka had loved her once, and she raised a half-hearted defense for the sake of what he once meant to her.
      “There is a curse on him. I used to deny it. I thought it was foolishness, but I have seen it grow and spread destruction over everything he touches. He despises life, but he fears death, and so he goes on through a never-ending nightmare.”
      “I could see it in his eyes,” Kako said.
      “We were going to be married, but he wanted to leave the Pride Lands with him. I told him that I couldn’t, so he asked me to choose between my home and his love.”
      “And you chose to stay?”
      Sarabi looked down. “Yes.” She sighed. “Kako, you must understand, I loved Taka like a brother, but not like a husband. I loved Mufasa, and if you’ve ever been in love, you know how hard it is to fight your own heart.”
      Kako’s eyes filled with tears and her chin trembled. “It’s almost impossible, but it can be done. It really can.”
      Sarabi blinked. A tear ran down her cheek. “Kako, honey tree, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up painful things!”
      “Don’t be sorry,” Kako said. She nuzzled Sarabi. “Where did the hyenas come into this?”
      “Taka went away to find peace at the bottom of the gorge. Fabana stopped him. She adopted him, and when his mother Akase died, she was his only family. I must admit that her love for him is almost leonine in its strength and I feel she is a good person--for a hyena.”
      “OK. I might have invited Fabana to stay, but her whole clan too? Does he always act without weighing the consequences??”
      Sarabi sighed deeply. “I didn’t say it made sense. I only said he has known a lot of pain in his life, and somehow they make him feel better. It’s strange, but he’s always been a little strange.”
      “A lot strange if you ask me,” Isha said.
      “I didn’t,” Sarabi said with mild irritation.
      Kako quickly nuzzled Sarabi. “Well you girls make ME feel better. I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”
      “You didn’t,” Isha said, nuzzling Kako and then kissing Sarabi. “We have our little scrapes, but we’re a sisterhood.”
      Kako set about to prove herself on the hunt. She was very focused, as intense on the hunt as she was facing Taka. The hunt was a dance between predator and prey, and Kako was a graceful ballerina, a thing of beauty and deadliness. Uzuri gave her wide latitude in choosing her own approach, sure she had another Avina in her care. It proved to be correct, and while the others pursued a group strategy, Kako silently crept up on a bontebok. Her rush was sudden, terrible, and victorious. Isha gasped with amazement at her effortless grace even in the kill, and came to her as she stood over her trophy. Isha nuzzled her warmly and said, “Well done, my sister!”
      “May we be sisters?”
      “Of course. I take some pride in my own hunting skills. It will be a bond between us.”
      Kako nuzzled her back. “Even so. And we are passionate about our beliefs. That is another bond between us.”
      Isha led her away a short distance. “Kako, I wouldn’t dream of asking you in front of the others. But if we are going to be sisters, confide in me.”
      Kako looked away and sighed. “If we are going to be sisters, insist that I say nothing. Turn from me even if I come willingly to pour out my heart. You must give me the strength to bear this awful secret for the love of one I left behind and one I bear inside me. Help me, Isha--a lot depends on it. Help me!”
      “Forgive me,” Isha said quietly. In lion fashion, she put her paw over Kako’s mouth and then kissed her. “I have sealed the secret away. But from this point on, let no new secrets divide us, Sis.”
      “I’d like that,” Kako said, breathing out a sigh and smiling for the first time.

      Kako was always present on the hunt, even the days she was sick with a fever and barely able to stay awake. Her pregnancy was only an inconvenience to her, one she dealt with firmly.
      One night they were hunting wildebeests. Kako’s gait was unsteady, and often gritted her teeth in pain. Uzuri was loathe to order her home, so impressed was she by her courageous dignity, but she winced when Kako held her cries to a stifled moan to keep from alerting the prey.
      Uzuri stalked closer and closer to the herd, excited by the prospect of getting a decent kill for the first time in a long while.
      Fanning out to the full width of the crescent, the huntresses awaited Uzuri’s signal. Kako was on the left tip, a position requiring some skill, but she had proved her worthiness time and time again. Kako was tense and preoccupied, fighting her discomfort with a will only a lioness could muster.
      Uzuri’s ears twitched. She sprang from cover and soared toward the herd like a golden hawk. Sarabi closed in quickly from the right to drive the herd as it blossomed into full retreat. Kako lumbered along on the left, trying to block out her pain and give her best effort.
      Uzuri closed on a wildebeest, locked in a battle of two wills to survive. Three other lionesses swarmed over the unfortunate beast and soon it was gasping for its final breath with Uzuri’s strong jaws closed on its throat. The pride would survive another week.
      On the left flank, Kako let out a shriek of agony. It galvanized the other lionesses who thought she had been gored. Isha and Sarafina came running to her aid.
      Kako was trying to stagger out of the way of an oncoming wall of animals. Isha and Fini rushed to her side. They snarled and clawed, parting the wildebeests the way a large rock in a stream divides the water until she was out of danger. Isha trembled like a leaf. “Whoa, girl, that was a close one!”
      Sarafina said, and without irreverence, “I know how Mufasa must have felt. They look different when they’re running AT you. They’re BIG.”
      “I know.”
      “Oh gods!!” Kako shrieked, her slow, unsteady gait betraying her extreme agony. Isha and Sarafina looked around at their pride sister grimacing in agony. Her water broke, quickly soaking the fur on her leg with blood and humors. She stumbled a couple of steps toward her friends and she moaned. “Help me! Somebody help me!”
      “Lay down! Lay down!” Isha ran to her as she collapsed on her side. “Kako! Honey Tree! It’s going to be all right!”
      “Isha, you’re so good to me. I love you, Isha.”
      “I love you too. Don’t you die on me, girl! Now listen to me--I know you’re in pain, but bear down. Push as hard as you can, and it will be over sooner.”
      “I don’t think I can.” Kako gritted her teeth as a moan of agony escaped her. “Aiheu! God help me! Help me!”
      “Bear down!” Isha said in a commanding voice. “Do it!”
      Kako’s eyes bulged until the whites showed, and sweat popped out, matting her fur. “I’m trying, Isha! I’m trying! I shouldn’t have come out tonight!”
      “I hate to say I told you so,” Isha said, trying to be calm. But the tip of her tail twitched nervously. “Push! Bear down, for God’s sake! Push!!”
      Oh gods!” She gasped. “I think something’s happening!”
      Blood stained the grass near her tail. “Look!” Uzuri said. “Here it comes!”
      “Come on, Honey Tree!” Isha kissed her on the cheek. “You can do it, Sis!”
      A half smile broke through the tense face on Kako. “Yes, I can! I can! It’s happening!”
      With a half-choked-back shriek, Kako expelled a small body still wrapped in its maternal cloak. Excitedly, Isha pulled the sac from the infant and began to clean it off.
      Uzuri came over excitedly. “Oh, look at him! He’s beautiful!” The other pride sisters gathered around in respectful silence before the start of a new life.
      Isha said, “Mother, behold your son.”
      Panting with the effort of bringing life into the world, Kako looked at the small, wet treasure that God had given her. “Come, my son.” She gently nudged the small child against her abdomen and lay exhausted as he took his first meal under the starry sky. With a tired smile, Kako said, “He was born at night. He’ll be a mighty hunter someday.”
      Isha touched the small infant with her tongue. “Isn’t he beautiful! What are you going to call him?”
      “He will be Mabatu, like his father.”

      Kako was worried about presenting Mabatu to the King. She had seen only compassion and kindness in Taka’s eyes, but she had also heard--and overheard--a lot of things about him that distressed her.
      There were always the hyenas. It struck Kako as unnatural that they would be sharing the rock with lions. Certainly Mufasa would never have permitted such a thing. Everyone spoke of Mufasa like some sort of Mano with golden fur. Everyone, that was, except Taka. Once when coaxed to speak of his brother, Taka told Kako that Mufasa was dull witted and more obsessed with popularity than with handing down the hard decisions that a King should make. “He sat watching the wildebeests while I paid attention to my lessons. Alas, cruel irony of fate, he was trampled by them. The one good thing I can say about him was that he loved his son.”
      Kako had noticed that Taka was a little odd. He had a certain intensity when he stared at her right in the eyes, and he possessed a lot of strange mannerisms. But she tried to convince herself that the other lionesses were unfairly prejudiced against him. And of course, she did not dream that Taka had driven out his nephew and murdered his own brother!
      Kako finished Mabatu’s first meal, then she took him gently by the scruff of the neck and carried him gingerly back to Pride Rock to her favorite haunt.
      The king came running down the trail. When Taka first caught sight of young Mabatu, he was elated. “Look at him! Isn’t he a looker!”
      Kako looked up and smiled pleasantly. “They say love makes the child beautiful,” she replied. “I gave up everything for him, and it shows.”
      Indeed, after the hunt was divided, all the lionesses filed by to pay their respects and many of them mentioned his good looks. It was a saying among the lionesses that handsome cubs often grew up to be plain, and sometimes the homeliest cubs grew up to be stunningly beautiful. But it didn’t keep them from hoping he would one day live up to his promise.
      Taka’s sense of duty compelled him at the sight of the proud stranger caring for her child in a strange land. As ruler of the pride, he felt responsible for them and went beyond what was necessary to insure their comfort. During the days of Mabatu’s milk, Taka would save choice portions of the kills for Kako so that her milk would be wholesome and plentiful. And when Mabatu began to try solid food, Taka would bring him tempting tidbits to eat. Baba, as he was often called, found Taka more of a father than an Uncle.
      Despite all the lavish attention paid her by the king, Kako was somehow immune from the prejudice that had tarnished Elanna. It was all right that Taka loved her like a sister and loved Mabatu like a son. All who knew them felt the same way. If anything, it helped Taka’s perception among the Pride Sisters, and while he was never liked as a King, he was tolerated because of his care for little Baba. Even Isha paid him grudging respect when she saw him give up part of his share of the kill for the cub.
      Once briefly Elanna expressed a little jealousy of Kako and the attention she was getting. But Taka kissed her and nuzzled her and said, “In her I see my deepest pains. In you I see my deepest joys.”

      When Mabatu was three moons old, he went to his Auntie Isha for his nightly lesson in star lore. She had to cancel class because the sky was overcast. A bolt of lightning flashed and within moments it was raining heavily. That rain would be remembered for a long time because it was the last one before the drought.
      Hunting had already begun to suffer in the Pride Lands because of the hyenas. Besides taking many of the best resting places, shedding hair and raising a smell that many lions called ‘oppressive’ or ‘downright disgusting,’ the hyenas ate a lot for animals their size. There were signs they hid away some of the prey as well. And while the lionesses never killed rabbits, their small carcasses were found more and more often. The hyenas were eating much better than the lions, and the issue began to raise some angry words among the Pride Sisters who had to hunt for their own cubs.
      Then came the terrible draught that would be known for many years after as ‘Taka’s scourge.’ It seemed like an unfair name, but Rafiki assured them later that One-who-makes-rain was holding back the water because of Taka himself.
      For the first week without rain, no one was alarmed. Two dry weeks seemed odd. Three weeks, and lionesses began to make remarks. But after four weeks without rain, hunting began to become an exercise in frustration.
      Among the first to leave the Pride Lands were the hunters. Timid at first, but progressively more bold, the cheetahs would stand the humiliation of a shamefully long wait to see the king. Then Taka would listen politely to their complaints, say something patronizing, and dismiss them.
      Eventually the cheetahs left, followed shortly by the leopards that haunted the edges of the Pride Lands. Before the drought was over, the foxes, wild dogs, and eagles would desert the land. Only the vultures never left, but they had their eyes on Pride Rock and bigger game.
      Little Baba’s appetite was growing along with his body. His “Uncle Taka” had to work harder to find enough for him to eat. As the river receded, several shallow pools formed along the edges where fish were trapped. The hyenas tended to raid theose as soon as they formed, though the lionesses eventually caught on and would keep a watchful eye along the bank. Those fish were all that stood between them and starvation, and they dared the hyenas to touch them under pain of death. Taka used his royal privilege, however, and brought Baba a couple of large fish. When Baba turned from them, Taka sighed and said morosely, “But I caught them myself just for you.”
      Baba sniffed of them again and tried one. It was not bad, and he quickly downed it with a look of pleasure. Then he started to eat the other, but stopped. “What are you going to eat?”
      “I’ll find something.”
      “Here.” He shoved the fish over to Taka. “You eat this one.”
      Taka looked into Mabatu’s face, stunned. “What a kind thing to do,” he said, giving him a warm nuzzle. “I love you, Baba.”
      “I love you too.”

      Kako was dubious about Taka’s care of her son, but she adored Isha and looked forward to her visits. Isha had endless patience with the boisterous love Mabatu gave her, stoically enduring his pounces at her tail, his tugging at her ears and his snapping at her heels. She knew when the rough play was over he would look to her with unadulterated love. Then she would hold him close with joy, kissing his small face and fondling him with her paw.
      One day when Isha came to take care of Mabatu while Kako went to see Rafiki. Kako told Isha, “You’re the sister I never had. What wonderful thing did I do to deserve you?”
      Isha nuzzled her. “I was just wondering the same thing.”
      “That’s the third time this moon you’ve taken care of Mabatu for me. There must be something I can do in return.”
      “I love the little fellow. I enjoy every moment we spend together. That’s my reward.”
      While Kako was gone, Isha settled down to watch him play until he was ready for sleep. But he was in high spirits and kept challenging her to a fight so they wrestled instead. Mabatu had a size disadvantage, but he’d learned a new move, and he grabbed for her hind leg, pulling her off balance. When she toppled easily, he pounced on her stomach and giggled. “Gotcha!”
      “What a little stinker!” She crawled out from under him, dusted herself off, and said, “I’ll get you next time, you little rat fink.”
      He reached up and kissed her. “I love you.”
      “I love you too.”
      He smiled. “Are you married?”
      She laughed self-consciously. “No. But maybe someday the right lion will come along.”
      He kissed her again. “When I grow up, I want to marry you.”
      “Oh, Baba!” She pawed him and giggled. “What am I going to do with you!”
      “Please don’t laugh at me. I meant it.”
      She paused and looked at the very sincere, sensitive look in his eyes. Indeed, he meant it.
      “I wasn’t laughing at you. It was just such a sweet thing to say. I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”
      “You’re not mad?”
      “No.” She kissed him and rubbed his cheek with her large paw. He looked at her with absolute love and touched her paw with his. A deep warmth spread through, and her eyes shone like stars. “That was the nicest proposal I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard quite a few.” She pulled him over with her paw. “Time for your bath, squirt.”
      Mabatu meekly submitted to the ritual without the usual objections. As she cleaned his fur, he purred quietly and looked deeply into her eyes. Even his own mother could not get him to behave while she bathed him, much less force him to enjoy it.
      Mabatu was sorry to see his mother come back from Rafiki’s appointment so soon. He greeted her affectionately, but was loathe to let Isha go. Isha kissed him more than usual and nuzzled him. “I love you, my special little boy.”
      “I love you too.”
      Later that day as the lionesses gathered for the hunt, Uzuri came to Isha with a broad smile on her face. “Congratulations!”
      “On what?”
      “On the big event. Mabatu just told me the good news.” She laughed merrily.
      Embarrassed, Isha asked her, “Who else did he tell?”
      “I don’t know. But I’d catch him quickly if I were you.”
      “I’ll have a little talk with him.” Isha thought a moment and burst out laughing. “He asked me if I was married. The little rat fink, I should have known what he was up to!”

      Isha did not know if Kako had heard any of the snide remarks. She grimaced with embarrassment as she went to see Mabatu’s mother and clear things up once and for all.
      “Isha!” Kako said with her usual sunshine. She nuzzled Isha and patted her shoulder with a paw. “You’re so sweet taking care of my Baba. He had such a good time last night, he was talking about it on and on!”
      “Oh?” Isha smiled timidly. “Anything I should know about?”
      Kako’s ears twitched, but she made nothing of it as if she didn’t hear the question. Isha was not about to ask it again.
      Baba saw her and came running up, eyes shining. “Isha! Isha!” He pounced on her, kissing her with his soft, warm tongue and rubbing her face.
      “Hello, Rat Fink!”
      He smiled broadly. “Hello, Isha!” Sitting next to her, Baba looked at his mother and said, “Guess what I’m going to do when I grow up!”
      “I like guessing games,” Isha said quickly. “Baba, I have a little secret for you if your Mom doesn’t mind.”
      “A little secret?” Kako said with a grin. “Ooooh, sounds serious!”
      “Oh it is,” Isha said slyly with a wink and a smile. Gently but urgently, she nudged the smiling cub around a few rocks and bushes, then said as calmly as she could, “Baba, I don’t think you should tell your Mom about us yet. In fact, you shouldn’t tell anyone.”
      Mabatu’s ears sagged. “Oh.”
      “Honey Tree, getting engaged is a big step. At your age, you could still change your mind.”
      “But I won’t!” He nuzzled her. “I love you, Isha! I’d marry you right now if they’d let me.”
      “I believe you, Fuzzy Love.” Trying not to hurt his feelings, she nuzzled his small body and kissed him. “Just follow my advice and hold off until you get older, like when you’re approaching your mantlement. Then when you say it, they will understand it the way I do. You see, if you DID happen to change your mind....”
      “But I won’t! I love you! I really do!”
      “I know. But let’s just say IF you did, you wouldn’t have to make it up to me. And I’d understand.”
      “You DO love me back, don’t you?”
      “What do you think, Baba?” She lay down and with her paw easily scooped her small suitor to her side. Fondling him with a paw, she purred, “You’re a special part of me, and if you were taken away, it would leave a wound that would bleed. You’re my little golden treasure.” Mabatu began to grunt with pleasure at her touch. “If you really love me, it won’t be a long two years. The days will speed past, but don’t wish them away. Once you cross that threshold and become a lion, all your free and easy days of cubhood are gone forever. Understand me, Rat Fink?”
      “Yeah.” He pushed out from under her paw and rubbed his face against hers. “I love you.”