I woke up as a lioness, pregnant with cubs I didn’t remember conceiving. To raise them, to keep them alive, I had to lie. I hid my status as a mother and joined a new pride. The pride was in the middle of the great migration, and I spent my nights with a cub in my mouth, stumbling through the dark to keep up, my body screaming with exhaustion. I clung to the tail end of the pride like it was a lifeline, terrified of falling behind. The Lion King, who had been watching me with an unreadable expression, finally spoke. "You travel with such desperation," he said, his voice a low rumble. "What is it you're so afraid of losing?" 1 I prayed the cubs in my belly wouldn't come too soon. At least not during the dry season. But fate, it seemed, had other plans for this lioness. I gave birth on the sun-scorched sand. Three fluffy little cubs tumbled and crawled around me. As far as the eye could see, the great plains were a sea of withered yellow. This land hadn't seen a drop of rain in five months. "Mom, my brother scratched me!" "Nuh-uh, I just nudged her! The rock was hot, I was just moving my feet." The siblings bickered constantly. I rested my head on my paws, my body a cushion on the hot ground. "Mama, look, there's another mama over there." What was he talking about? I followed his gaze and saw a mother musk ox leading her calf past us. "Oh my god, that thing is huge! Kids, run!" A jolt of pure human instinct shot through me. I scrambled up, snatched the smallest cub in my mouth, and bolted. I sprinted headlong, huffing and puffing, my cubs struggling to keep pace behind me. But the farther I ran, the more something felt wrong. I slowly eased my pace. I mentally slapped myself. I was a lion now. I should have been the one hunting the musk ox! By the time I turned around, filled with regret, the mother and her calf were long gone. 2 I was so hungry I could feel the world starting to spin. My cubs, weak from the lack of milk, wobbled and stumbled with every step. The endless, sun-baked savanna stretched out before us, a terrifying, empty expanse. A wave of panic washed over me. If we stayed hungry, it would only take a day and a night for this land to claim us. I had no choice but to mimic the lions I'd seen on nature documentaries. Gritting my teeth against the gnawing hunger, I trekked for miles until I finally managed to catch two small pikas. It was barely enough to fill a gap in my teeth, but at least it meant I could produce milk again. I raced back, desperate to feed my cubs, only to see three furry little heads poking over a sand dune. "Mama, look! So many lions." My second-born stared with envy. "If we were with them, we'd never be hungry." "Don't say that!" the oldest swatted him with a small paw. "We won't starve with Mama either." Gurgle… His own little stomach betrayed him with a loud rumble. I climbed the dune and looked out. In the distance, a massive pride of lions was moving slowly across the vast plain. Behind them, the land stretched to the horizon, where an orange sun was sinking low in the sky. I knew, with a certainty that chilled me to the bone, that my cubs had no future with me alone. I slammed a paw into the dirt. I was staking everything on this. I had to. 3 The grasslands at night were even more vast and desolate. After finding a safe spot and lulling my cubs to sleep, I returned to the dune where I’d seen the pride. I followed their scent, running without pause. Just as the sun began to push its way over the horizon, I finally caught up to them. My approach immediately put the entire pride on high alert. "You're not one of us. I've never seen you before." "Leave now, or we won't be so polite!" The lionesses bared their teeth, their bodies arching into combat stances. "Wait, don't misunderstand!" I explained hurriedly. "I'm not here to challenge you. I'm here to join you." One of the lionesses relaxed her posture slightly. "Can you hunt?" "Yes," I said. A little bit is still 'yes', I muttered to myself, though my only victories so far were pikas. "Have you had cubs?" "Huh?" Was I being interviewed? Had the corporate rat race followed me even into the animal kingdom, complete with questions about my family status? Then, a flash of insight, cold and sharp. In a pride, the king would never tolerate cubs that weren't his own. He would kill them without a second thought. The realization made me stammer. "N-no. None." "What's all the noise?" A deep, powerful voice cut through the tension. I turned to see a male lion approaching at a slow, deliberate pace. This must be the king. He was larger than any lion I'd ever seen. His gaze was piercing, his mane long and magnificent, and the muscles under his coat moved with a formidable, powerful grace. I instinctively took two steps back, a wave of regret washing over me. I shouldn't have come. This lion could kill me with a single swipe of his paw. And I had cubs to raise. My courage evaporated. My knees felt weak. "I'm so sorry, sir. I'll get out of your way right now." I flattened my ears and turned to flee, but before I'd taken two steps, he was in front of me, blocking my path. His words were simple. "If you have nowhere else to go, you may walk with us." I froze, and when his words finally registered, I was so overcome with relief I nearly fell to my knees. "I don't mind! I don't mind at all! I would be honored!" 4 The pride continued its migration. The sun of this dry season was harsher than any in recent memory. The scattered, skeletal remains of trees were a grim testament to the land's fading life. I followed the pride absently, my mind consumed with worry. How were my children? Were they hungry? "Kael, there's a herd of buffalo over there." The long drought forced all animals to migrate, and this herd was no exception. Buffalo were enormous and not an ideal target, but the pride had been starving for days. It was a risk they had to take. "Yes. We hunt," Kael said without hesitation, giving the command. The lionesses surged forward, charging the herd. The buffalo scattered in a panic. But they were formidable prey. The lionesses engaged in one long, draining battle after another, but came away with nothing. The pride's division of labor was clear: the females hunted and raised the young, while the king patrolled the territory and fought off intruders. Kael watched the scene, his eyes narrowed. Then, with a sudden burst of movement, he charged. Dust exploded into the air. Before I could even see what had happened, a full-grown buffalo was down, Kael's jaws locked on its throat, the great beast gasping its last breaths. There was a strict hierarchy when it came to eating. The king ate his fill first, and only then could the lionesses approach the kill. But Kael was no tyrant with his food. He gave a silent nod, permitting the others to eat alongside him. I hung back, ashamed. I hadn't dared to join the hunt. Kael glanced at me. My tail went rigid with fear. He gestured with his head. "Come. There is room here." My eyes lit up. I approached with the most fawning posture I could manage. "Thank you, my king! All hail the king!" I settled down next to Kael and devoured a large piece of meat, my stomach, which had been painfully empty for half a month, finally feeling full. After the meal, the pride rested. Seizing my chance while no one was watching, I sprinted back the way we came. I hoped my cubs weren't scared. I returned to the dune and called out for them. "One! Two! Three!" I quickly heard the voice of my second-born. "Huh? It's Mama!" My oldest was the first to appear, his face ecstatic. "Wow, it really is Mama!" My second cub ran over, circling my legs and rubbing his head against me. "Quick, call your sister. It's time to drink," I said, feeling the familiar pressure in my chest. Finally, my cubs could have a full meal. At the mention of their sister, both boys burst into tears. "Mama, we're sorry! We lost her!" My world shattered. Forgetting all about nursing, I grabbed my boys and began a frantic search. "Three! Three, come to Mama!" "Little sister, where are you?" "SISTERRR—" We screamed until our throats were raw. The sun began to set, and there was still no sign of her. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. I fought back tears, about to give up. Suddenly, a faint voice drifted on the wind. "Mama..." Three! It was her! I followed the sound and found her trapped in a crevice between two large rocks. "Don't be scared, Mama's here," I soothed her, pushing against the rock with all my might. My two boys joined in, using all their strength, their little paws scraped raw. Ignoring the pain, I finally dislodged the massive stone with my head. "Waaah! Mama!" My little girl threw herself into my arms, sobbing. I held my child, who I’d thought was lost forever, and my body shook with the cold sweat of relief. 5 I couldn't bear the thought of something like that happening again. I would have gone insane. So I made a bold decision. I was going to hide my children within the pride. My second-born was thrilled, his tail held high. "Mama, can we really stay with you?" "It's getting dark. I'm a little scared, Mama." My youngest, having just survived her ordeal, was much more timid now. I knelt down. "Three, climb onto Mama's back." And so, with my daughter on my back and my two sons trotting behind me, we walked across the silent, vast plains under the high, bright moon. We caught up with the pride before dawn. The lionesses were sleeping, but Kael was gone, likely on patrol. "Mama! It's that super big..." my second-born cried out in excitement. My oldest son’s fur stood on end. He quickly clamped a paw over his brother’s mouth. "Be quiet! Mama said we're here to sneak food, we have to be discreet." I raised a paw to my lips. "Shhh—quietly now. Don't get caught." The three little ones mimicked me in perfect unison. "Ssshh—we're being sneaky." I knew that to survive the dry season, we had to stick with this pride. If the cubs were discovered, it would be a death sentence for all of us. I warned them over and over. "You must stay hidden. I'll be watching you. Don't be scared, and don't make a sound..." "You're back?" Kael's voice came from right behind me. The cubs scattered like frightened birds, diving under my belly. I immediately dropped to the ground to cover them, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst. "Ah, yes. I'm back," I said, trying to sound calm. He didn't seem to notice the little ones. "Where did you go? I was just looking for you." So he wasn't patrolling. He was looking for me? My mind raced. "I was thirsty. Went to find some water." The cubs, cramped under my belly, began to squirm. My heart nearly flew out of my chest. I pressed down on them firmly and faked a cough. They finally settled down. Kael showed no signs of leaving. "This year's dry season is too long. Water is hard to find. We just have to hold out until the rains come." I was barely listening, just nodding and mumbling "Oh," while silently praying for him to leave. "You know," he continued, "I haven't mated with any of these lionesses." Oh, brother, I thought in agony. Why are you telling me this? Why won't you just leave? "I only defeated the previous king half a month ago." I don't need to hear your life story, please, just go… "We leave at dawn. Get some rest." He finally turned and walked away. I watched him go, only daring to let my cubs out when he was a safe distance away. My youngest gasped for air, her ordeal having left her breathless. My oldest watched Kael's retreating figure with admiration. "Is that the Lion King? He's so cool!" I was in no mood to discuss Kael's accomplishments. I quickly ushered them away from the pride and hid them behind a large rock. 6 The pride trekked across the endless plains, the parched earth littered with the skeletons of animals. For me, the laws of the animal kingdom were a foreign language. In this land, devoid of civilization, I knew I would be quickly weeded out by nature. But I had to survive. At least until my children were grown. "Kael, signs of a wildebeest herd passing through here," said a lioness named Kyra. She had been one ofthe former king's mates. Kael made a quick assessment. "We're picking up the pace. We might be close to the oasis." The pride broke into a trot, but my heart sank. My children were still crawling through the tall grass far behind us. They would never be able to keep up. "Look, a river ahead!" one of the lionesses exclaimed in delight. They hadn't had a proper drink in days and rushed to the water's edge. While they were preoccupied, I seized the opportunity and ran back. My little ones were already exhausted. "Brother, I'm so tired, I can't run anymore," my daughter whimpered, though she kept her little paws moving, trying to keep up. "We can't rest," my oldest urged. "Don't stop, or we'll never see Mama again." "We're hiding so well, Mama must be so happy with us." "Huh? It's Mama!" My oldest son's eyes lit up as he saw me running towards them. Without a word, I scooped up my daughter, let my sons clamber onto my back, and hurried to catch up with the pride. But I immediately faced a new problem. The river had bought me time, but now it blocked our path. I hid behind a dead tree, peering out at the pride. They had finished drinking and were now crossing the river. My cubs were too small to make it across. "Mama, what do we do? You're going to leave us, aren't you..." my second-born asked, his gaze uncertain. My other two cubs drooped their ears and hung their heads in sorrow. "Nonsense! I would abandon anything before I abandoned you." I understood his fear. In the animal kingdom, abandoning the weak in a crisis was a common, brutal choice. The pride was already on the other side. If I didn't follow now, I might never catch up. "We'll wait for them to get further ahead, then Mama will take you across." No matter what happened, I would never abandon my children. I watched the pride move across the vast landscape until they disappeared over the horizon. Then, I let my three little ones drink their fill from the river and play for a while before I carried them across. The plains on the other side were just as vast and empty. Once again, we were alone in this immense land.
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