Prince Baliaha’s life was flowing away in a crimson river. Remnants of his once splendid mane lay scattered on the ground, and he gasped for breath. He looked up with eyes that strove to focus. “Are they gone? Brother, have we driven them off?”

“Yes, we have.”

“Good,” he said with a sigh of resignation. “They’ll come back, you know. And I’m afraid you’ll have to handle them alone.”

“You’ll recover, but there will be scars.”

Through his pain, Baliaha managed a smile. “You always were an optimist.” His eyes closed tightly, and he went into a seizure. The king looked away in horror and did not see his dying breath escape.

There was a quiet moment, and a couple of lionesses peeked out of the brush. “How is he?”

“He’s gone.”

They bowed their heads low. “We will see to him. I’m sorry, but there’s another rogue male to the east by the termite mounds.”

He was tortured by grief, but the grief became a terrible rage. Whomever this lion was, he would kill! “A life for a life!” he shrieked, foam on his heaving nostrils as he ran like a thing possessed across the grassland.

CHAPTER: THE CONFRONTATION

Unwittingly, Baba was heading right into the eye of the storm. He was a gentle-natured soul and knew nothing of what he would face in The Big World. He kept a piece of advice that Isha had given him in the forefront--let Aiheu be your landmark and he will lead you home.

Baba came to a stream. Under the searing sun, he sought to slake his thirst in the cool, clean water. He dipped his muzzle in and drew out refreshment, then he reached in with a paw and threw the cold, invigorating drops in his face, heaving a sigh of relief. A nearby acacia tree offered some shade, and he crossed the stream and settled down for a moment to rest.

For a moment, all was deceptively peaceful. Then in the distance, he saw the powerful charge of a male lion. He felt his stomach knot up and rise into his chest.

“Now you pay!” the King snarled, coming to a halt in front of Baba. “Defend yourself!”

The youth cowered back and bared his teeth. “Leave me alone! You may kill me, but I’ll leave some scars on you!”

The old yet powerful lion looked down at Baba. “What is this?? You’re just a boy!” He softened. “Are you lost, son? Are you looking for your mother?”

Still cowering, but with a trace of pride, he answered, "I'm a lion now. I've been given my mantlement, and what's more, I've taken a mate."

"Wfff! A lion you are! But a very young one, my lad. Drink, have something to eat from our kill, and remember that I was kind to you when you say your nightly prayers."

"Thank you." He drank again from the stream and followed the old lion to a zebra kill. Famished, he looked at the half-eaten kill and wondered that so much food could possibly be in one place. Desperately, he tore pieces from the haunch and downed them, feeling the warm meat comfort his empty stomach. “Oh gods, you must be wealthy!”

The king laughed. “I do all right.”

After the edge was off Baba’s hunger, they talked.

"What is your name, son?"

"Mabatu."

“Then we are both the same name! Do you have a nickname?”

“They call me Baba.”

"So who drove you off so young, Baba?"

"Scar."

"Scar??" He looked at him intently. "By any chance, do you know Kako?"

"Sure. She’s my mother."

A look of tenderness warmed the old king’s face. “Kako’s son?” He reached out with a paw and fondled Baba’s cheek, then turned his face with it from side to side as he saw the resemblance. “So you are.” Purring deeply, King Mabatu came forward and nuzzled Baba very gently. "The shaman spoke truly. If Kako is your mother, then you are welcome here. My brother died today, but Aiheu has sent me a son. Welcome your new father, Prince Baba!"

Filled with wonder at his good fortune, and moved by the gentle lion’s plea, Mabatu nuzzled him and pawed his right shoulder. "I touch your mane! Aiheu make long and happy your days."

King Mabatu sat down in the shade of some acacias and heard Baba’s story. He nodded solemnly and mused that even though his son had bad luck, perhaps Aiheu meant it for good. He introduced one of his lionesses--his youngest daughter Umande. “Mandy dear, show the new prince around his kingdom. If he’s going to rule someday, he needs to know the boundaries.”

CHAPTER: SETTLING IN

Umande was in very high spirits. “Mabatu?”

“Maybe I should go by Baba. It’s less confusing. Besides, that’s what my friends call me.”

“I’d like to be your friend, Baba.” She smiled broadly. “You don’t know what your coming has done for us. You’re the son my father never had. You’re our hope for a future.”

“Whoa!” he said. “Really?”

“Would I joke about a thing like that?” She nuzzled him playfully. “You think you’ve had a run of bad luck, but you’re really very lucky, you know?”

“I don’t think I’ve had any bad luck. God has been very good to me. Your King is the second one who asked me to be his son. I never knew my real father, but I've known a lot of love in my life.” He nuzzled her back. “So your Dad knew my Mom?”

“I suppose so. They hit it off well, I’d say.”

A few clouds passed in front of the sun giving a moment of blessed respite from the mid-sun heat. A cool wind began to blow with the promise of moisture for the thirsty land. A drop fell, playfully teasing the end of Mabatu’s nose. Then a couple more fell. “Hey, it’s going to rain!” He almost danced. “Imagine that! Rain at last!”

“What’s so great about that? It rains all the time.”

“It does??” He remembered something his mother told him long ago and sighed. “I guess she was right. It’s only back home that it never rains. It’s been many moons since we’ve had any rain.”

“Many moons, you say? What’s happened to the grass? It looks like that would ruin hunting.”

“Hunting? Half-rotted fish trapped in pools as our beautiful river dries up to nothing. Dead birds, snakes, lizards. Do you realize that zebra is the first thing with hair on it I’ve eaten since I was belly-high to my mother?” He sighed. “Some day I’m going back for her, hyenas or no hyenas, and I’m getting her out of that hell hole. There will be a lot of scores settled that day, I promise you.”

“Poor Baba!” She trotted in a lope that was easy and looked casual but moved a lot of ground beneath her. “These trees form one corner of our land. Note the scent, Baba. Note it carefully--it’s my Dad’s, and it’s all that comes between us and danger.”

Baba sniffed of a tree trunk, closed his eyes and grimaced. The fragrance of his father’s urine was a safe smell, one that he would remember and respect. Then he lifted his leg and marked the tree. “There! You try to touch that old lion, you’ll have to kill me first!” His face lost its cublike timidity and he was the lion that made love to Isha once again. “I wish I’d known my Uncle Baliaha. He sounds like a decent sort of lion.”

“He was more than decent. He loved us with his whole heart. He was a lot like you--he said they’d have to kill him first, and they did. Don’t take foolish chances, Baba. You’re our only hope.”

“But I’m young. At least I have a chance.”

“You have more than a chance. Aiheu sent you to us, and he never does anything halfway. I believe you are blessed, our little Nisei.”

Baba smiled. That’s what Isha had called him so tenderly as they made love under the moon. He reached over and touched Umande with his tongue.

It was a long trip from the copse to the termite mounds, or so it seemed to Baba who had never had to walk boundary lines before. As a lion, short-legged or no, he had to satisfy the mandates of lionhood laid down by Aiheu to the first Baba many generations ago. Again, he added his mark to the termite mounds, then turned to face Boundary Kopje. Another long walk, and another scent mark later, they followed the creek from Boundary Kopje to Bontebok Copse, and then back to where they started. It was part of his leonine heritage that he remembered the border vividly after one trip, even as he remembered his new father’s scent. He looked out into the lands beyond his domain, raised his muzzle and uttered a loud, deep roar. “This land is mine! Baba, son of Mabatu! Trespass at your peril!”