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Sarabi smiled as she lay back, looking out over the Pridelands' restored resplendence. Yes, Simba truly was his father's son, and all the land and the creatures that dwelt on it showed that. That wasn't to say life was easy of course, food still had to be chased down and caught, but at least there were no hyenas, no mouths to feed that took without contributing. The peace of the moment was not to last however, for after a few minutes the former queen sensed a movement behind her, and turned her head to see her friend of old, Sarafina, "oh good afternoon Sarafina."

"Afternoon," Sarafina replied, a touch coolly, "Sarabi, we need to talk."

"What about," Sarabi asked, standing up and turning around to face her friend.

"You," Sarafina replied, "seriously, haven't you noticed how lazy you've gotten lately, fat and lazy at that?"

"Fat, lazy," Sarabi asked, "I'm not fat, and I'm certainly not lazy."

"No," Sarafina asked, "how many hunts have you been on recently?"

"Well, um..." Sarabi tried to cast her mind back over recent days, "not...not that many that I can recall now I come to think about it."

"Try none," Sarafina replied, "you haven't been out with us once in the last half moon at least, and some are wondering if you ever will again."

Sarabi wasn't able to speak for a moment, the shock of being accused of the very actions she most despised left her speechless. Finally though, she found her wits again, and asked, "th-that's how they all feel?"

"Oh no," Sarafina said, "some are much less kindly in their thoughts, and words."

"Zira," Sarabi guess.

"Her, yes," Sarafina replied, "and she's trying to bring some of the younger ones over to her way of thinking, and in one or two cases it's working."

Sarabi shivered at the thought, Zira had never been someone she'd considered a friend, she was too...too slimy, more interested in her own gain than the good of the pride, and desperate to gain power by any way possible. Under Mufasa that hadn't been a problem, since he'd had no interest in slime, but Scar, he'd been happy to accommodate her, for no-one else wanted to associate with him, and he'd been quite eager for an heir. Of course, then Simba had come back and put paid to that plan, but even without being a queen, if she had followers... "do you have any suggestions?"

"One or two," Sarafina replied, "but on a matter like this I'd be disinclined to give them, after all, it's your neck that's going to be in her jaws."

That was true, Sarabi thought, not what she'd have done, but Sarafina had always been a bit more private like that, "well, thank you for the warning Sarafina, I'll think about it."

"You do that," Sarafina replied, wheeling around, "I've got to get back to keep an eye on that bitch."

"Farewell then," Sarabi said as Sarabi started to leave, "and thanks again." She did think about it, and the first thought she had was that she wanted to be quite some distance away while she was considering her options, Zira was slimy indeed, and slime tended to get into any crack it could find. Yes, some time alone, not just away from the pride, but well away from it was likely to be a good idea.

It took Sarabi until she'd reached the foot of Pride Rock to remember that Sarafina had also mentioned an accusation-no had accused her herself of being fat. Looking back over herself the former queen struggled to see the issue, but soon realised it was likely an exercise in futility, her own perception was colouring her judgement, if she wanted to test the accusation she'd have to find a different way. The way, or the idea of it at least, was simple, she'd need to race. Obviously not against another lioness of course, since she suspected few of them would oblige her, but a simple speed trial ought to be doable. The opportunity to do so was also easy enough, just find two acacia trees about the right distance apart.

A few minutes later, Sarabi found to her displeasure that Sarafina had been right, she had grown lazy, and maybe a bit fat, for although she's pushed herself to the point that she was gasping for breath and her heart was pounding in her chest, the speed she'd managed to achieve was something between mediocre and disappointing, and rather closer to the latter. As well as the surprise, perhaps even shock at her diminished capabilities came feelings of shame and sorrow at her loss of self control, but also a feeling of determination, she would put this behind her, she would get back into shape. Of course, even amidst the shock and shame of her failings, she still had a touch of pride, many in the pride were disdainful of her, so she wouldn't return to them until she was fully fit again, capable of contributing as much as any of the others, at least, for her age. The question them became, where would she stay during her retraining, where could she go that had plenty of space, but little possibility of meeting any of her pride-sisters unless they actually sought her out?

Eventually, Sarabi decided the ideal place would be to the south-west it was an area that rarely got visited by the pride because...well come to think of it, she wasn't actually sure why, but regardless it would make the ideal spot.

---

Sarabi became more watchful as Pride Rock disappeared behind her, this area to the south-west was indeed not an area that was well frequented, so she'd best be watchful. Not for threats of course, for she was confident in her ability even now to see off or escape any threat, but to make sure she could find her way back to her chosen sleeping spot, if she even found one. Also, she was beginning to feel a little thirst, and so she was looking out for waterholes.

After a time, a strange smell caught Sarabi's attention, blood, something had been killed nearby. Following the scent, she found indeed, a carcass beneath a large acacia tree, though the way it had been killed was odd, and the animal that had died was one that wasn't one she'd ever seen before, which raised her suspicions, as did the other smells around it carcass, something was definitely off here. Being unsure of what precisely was going on, she decided to do a bit of testing first, probing the carcass with a paw. This proved to be perhaps a lifesaving move, for after only a little probing, the former queen suddenly found herself taken off balance as something suddenly wrapped itself tightly around the lower part of her right foreleg and dragged it skywards, prompting her into a startled roar, which quickly turned into a pained one as the constriction on her foreleg found itself fighting against her weight, and compromised by beginning to biting into her flesh, merely painfully at first but quickly becoming agonising, and then moving beyond even that, though she had no time so consider another word as the pain finally overcame her.