That night, Gur’bruk and Kambra crept quietly and sullenly across the savanna toward Pride Rock, tall and forbidding in the moonlight. They stalked to the base of the stone, already having scented what they were after. The smell made their hackles raise. Kambra in her ambivalence walked slowly and stiffly, everything in her begging her to flee, and everything in her being tugged forward by an okash’s love. Gur’bruk came to her shoulder and leaned upon her. His presence was comforting, and she found the strength to make the last few steps.
At last, the grass parted, and lying on the ground before them in a broken huddle were all their hopes and fears.
“Gur’mekh!” Kambra nearly collapsed. “Oh gods! My precious little boy!”
“Courage,” Gur’bruk said, tears streaming down his face. He nuzzled her, but then turned back to his only son. His paw ran tremblingly over Gur’mekh’s face, tracing down his neck still potent with Ahadi’s scent. “Roh’kash has staked her claim on him. He’s at peace now.”
Kambra tried to mumble a prayer, but she broke down and began to sob uncontrollably. “Oh Gur’bruk! Our son! Our son!”
Some lionesses emerged from the grass. “This land is off limits to your kind,” Uzuri said. “King’s orders.”
Nearly unaware of their presence, Kambra fell across the torn and battered body, howling pitifully.
“His wife?” Uzuri asked.
“My wife,” Gur’bruk said. “He was our only son.” He slumped, his ears and tail drooping. “Can’t you please just go away and leave us alone? We’re not hurting anyone. Please, for God’s sake, just go away?”
The lionesses looked at the faces of extreme pain and grief, then looked at each other. “We did not see you here,” Yolanda said without asking any leave. “We will be back in a few hours, so do what you have to do.”
“He’s too big for us to move,” Gur’bruk said. “We were banned, so no one else will help us.”
Kambra asked, “What will happen to my boy?” She looked around at the lionesses one by one. “I know he’s dead anyway, but his bones need to rest with his fathers. His spirit can’t rest if he’s left here!” She fell before Yolanda. “Haven’t you lost a cub before? That could have been your son!” She crawled to Yolanda’s feet, kissing them with her eyes tightly shut. It was the most humiliating of hyena pleading gestures.
“Don’t do that,” Gur’bruk said gently but firmly. “Can’t you see we’re lucky to be here at all?”
Kambra moaned, reaching up with a paw and gently rubbing Yolanda’s forearm. She kissed the lioness’ foot again, anointing it with her tears.
Yolanda cleared her throat. “Go on without me, sisters. I’ll be detained.”
The hunting party moved on, and when they were out of range, Yolanda reached down and tenderly nuzzled the sobbing Kambra. “Stand up, honey. I’ll carry him for you.”
Kambra slowly rose to her feet. She looked searchingly into Yolanda’s eyes. “Yes, you DO understand. Somehow, some way, I’ll repay this debt. I swear it.”
“No debt, hon. Your son was very brave. You would have been proud of him.” As gently as if she were moving a cub, Yolanda took Gur’mekh’s battered body by the scruff of the neck and followed the hyenas back toward the eastern meadow. From there, Gur’bruk and Kambra went into exile. Yolanda last saw them heading across the desert. Whether or not they would make it, she did not know.
Of course that same night the Makei was without a home, and he sought someone else to cling to. Someone who would voluntarily accept him. Shimbekh was too wise to take him in. But that was a momentary handicap. Somewhere out there was someone that would let him in.
He began to wait on a hard-bitten and hard-biting female who was full of repressed rage, sorrows, and bitterness.
Fabana stirred in her sleep. She was overwrought from the events of the day. She worried that she would grow old in destitution and ruin, never enjoying the life she’d heard told about by the clan members. Her heart began to fill with bitterness, a bitterness that was sweet incense to the Makei.
Fabana heard something and looked around. A bright golden light appeared next to her. Staring from the bright light was a beautiful female hyena.
“Are you a ghost??” Her hackles raised and she trembled.
“No,” the form said in almost a dreamy lullaby. “I am who I am. Okash of all, child of none.”
Fabana fell at her feet and kissed them. “Roh’kash ne nabu! Roh’kash ne nabu!”
The Makei reached down and kissed her gently. “The Lord your God has come to rescue your people. I have anointed your unborn daughter to become the next Roh’mach at the time I have chosen. You will name her Shenzi, a name that will come to mean salvation for the race.”
“I am yours!” Fabana fell on her back and reached up with a paw. “I am yours! Use me!”
“I shall,” said the Makei. “Oh, I shall.”