Chapter 1

"Gather round cubs, gather round. Would you like to hear a story? 'Course you would! So sit down and keep yer 'lil mouths shut!" "Powerstriker! Don't be so rude to the cubs, they're just excited." "Alright, alright - keep your claws in Swiftspring. Anyways, as I was saying, there was once a lion that had a terrible temper and was astonishingly strong."

"That sounds like me!" I giggled, "Grrr!" I pounced on my brother Spark, knocking him over. "No fair! I wanna be that lion! Rawr!" Spark pounced back and we play fought, all the while laughing. I noticed Fire sitting a few paw-steps away, looking at us as if we were both stupid. He never joins in, I thought irritably.

"Cubs! Sit still and listen! Or do you not want to know what happens?" We ceased immediately. Spark and I huddled close together, ready to listen to the pride elder – our grandmother. Fire looked pleased that we'd stopped. We were all siblings from the same litter.

Although we were all born on the same day, Fire seemed to think he was better than Spark and I because he was born first. Powerstriker gave an unfriendly grunt as she looked at Spark and I. We were shivering with anticipation. I loved stories. Although the old lion looked hostile, I knew that on the inside she loved us more than anything.

"Anyhow, this lion was evil!" A smile crossed her worn face, as our eyes grew wider. "He once killed an entire pride of lions." Spark let out a horrified squeak. Powerstrike shot him a look and continued. "They called him the Shadow Killer.

He would sweep through prides, murdering as he went." She leaned in close to us; her dark amber eyes alight with mischief, "He killed Manes, lionesses and…" she paused dramatically, "Cubs, alike." Both Spark and I squeaked at the same time, but Fire seemed to find it funny and laughed under his breath.

Spark and I ignored him, our bodies pressed together. "J-Just like that? He killed them? He killed whole prides?" asked Spark timidly as if he simply couldn't believe that.

"Just like that," whispered Powerstriker. "S-so… he's still out there?" whispered Spark, his gentle blue eyes impossibly wide. "Of course he's not still out there, stupid!" growled Fire as he walked closer with a smirk on his small brown face. Suddenly, a roar sounded from behind us and a huge male lion leapt behind Fire. He gave a terrified squeal as the lion roared again and prepared to attack him. "AAAHHHH! It's the Shadow Killer! Help!"

Spark's entire body begin to vibrate in laughter. I took a closer look at the lion near Fire and realized it was our own father Starmane! Spark and I both broke out into loud, unguarded laughter. "Attack!" I commanded trying to muster up a roar. We all swarmed our father, even Fire.

Starmane was the leader, or Mane, of our pride and he was our father. I batted his tail while Fire and Spark attacked his ears. "Ah! They're too strong for me!" he howled and dropped to the ground, limply. Locks of his dirty-blond mane hung over his face, and contrasted his fairly dark tan body. I climbed up on to his chest, my paws the exact same shade of tan as the pelt that I stood upon.

"We have beaten the Shadow Killer!" I declared, again, trying to roar in victory, but ending up squeaking. "Yay!" yelled Spark triumphantly. All Fire did was let half his mouth curve into a smile. Not much by my standards, but a lot by his. "Glad you're having fun, Starmane. The lionesses and I are going hunting. Watch the cubs, will you? And cubs, watch him for me," called our mother over her shoulder as she, Powerstriker, and the other lionesses were leaving.

"We'll watch him Mommy!" I called leaping on his head. "Dad! Is that lion still out there? Powerstriker didn't say!" cried Spark. Starmane opened one of his calm green eyes, then lifted his scarred muzzle, yawning. I struggled to keep my place between his torn up ears as he moved. "No. Your brother's right. We had a meeting…" "Who's 'we'?" asked Fire loudly.

"We' is every pride in this area." "That means Sunmane was there!!" exclaimed Spark excitedly. Sunmane was practically a legend. There were thousands of stories of the great feats he'd accomplished. There wasn't a cub within 100 river-paths that didn't know his name. "Yes it does. In fact he was the one chosen to…erm…'take care' of the lion." "What happened?" "Neither was ever seen or heard from again…everyone assumes they both died in the battle."

A while later, I'm not sure how long, both Spark and Fire were asleep. They slept too much for my taste. The world is too exciting to sleep away. There is always something going on. Always a new sound, a new smell. Dramas are unfolding everywhere from ants squabbling about a dead caterpillar to the sun and clouds fighting for control of the sky itself.

That left just Starmane and I awake. I was lying down beside him. Spark's sleeping body was keeping me comfortably warm as the sun sank below the horizon and took the heat with it. "Daddy, I want to lead a pride when I grow up." "Sweetie…you can't." "What? Why? I'm a lot better at everything than Fire! And you always say I can do anything if I put my mind to it." "And you can. Anything but that."

"But Daddy! I want to be a Mane like you!" "You can't be a mane." "But why?" I wailed leaping to my feet, my tail swishing in frustration. "Because you won't have a mane." He gestured to his long luxurious mane by shaking it, "But you are the smartest cub I know and you could be the very best hunter in your pride." He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Even better than your mother, but shhh, don't tell her I said that."

"Well I guess…but it's still unfair! Males get everything. Look at me I don't even have a name! Everyone just calls me 'female cub'! I mean..." "Don't worry little one. You'll be called something when you're older. Females are hunters and when elders are organizing hunting parties, they need to know who's good at what, just by their names. Or if you're trying to become accepted into a new pride, they may use your name to decide whether you're needed there or not. We don't know what you're good at yet so how-"

Suddenly a huge roar echoed through the grass. Spark woke up and raced over to stand beside me, his fur puffed up – making him look twice his usual size. Fire made a terrified run for the bushes. "Father who is that?" whimpered Spark in terror. "He's a lone No-Mane." Starmane answered grimly. A No-Mane was a lion who has either never led a pride or a former leader who'd been chased out of his territory by a different No-Mane.

Starmane had told us that most No-Manes were ferocious and unpredictable. He said they are not bad lions but they don't have any territory or lionesses. This drives them to become ruthless in their quests for a pride. A moment after the roar a young No-Mane stepped in front of Starmane.

The No-Mane was thin, but well muscled. He had a red-gold pelt, and a dark red-brown mane. He didn't have the bulk of my massive father, but he looked fast. His pale blue eyes narrowed as he sized up Starmane.

We cowered at our father's feet. The rival No-Mane roared his challenge again. According to pride law Starmane had to accept. He roared back, showing huge yellow teeth. I saw a flash of fear in the No-Mane's weasel-like face, but he held his ground and roared again. I knew my father had fought many battles with No-Manes like this one.

I knew partly from scars that covered his wise face and also because of his stories. But faced with this young, fit, No-Mane my father's years were showing. I suddenly wondered if he had fought too many battles. What if he couldn't win this one?

"Come on sis, we've gotta hide." I heard Spark whisper urgently beside me.

"Okay…" I said in a low voice, while backing into the taller grass to lie down beside him. Hopefully that No-Mane wouldn't see us. If he chased father out it was customary to get rid of the cubs of the old Mane. I watched tensely as they exchanged roars and eventually began circling each other.

Starmane struck first. He jumped at his challenger, but the No-Mane dodged and Starmane flew over him, hitting the ground hard. As he was getting up the No-Mane charged at him and began scratching and biting. Starmane shot up and shot his paw at the No-Mane's chin, claws unsheathed. He hit him straight on the muzzle.

When his attacker's head was down Starmane stood up on his hind legs, stretched his forelegs and dragged them down the No-Mane's back. The claws dug deep, leaving what looked like blood filled rivers down the No-Mane's back.

Howling in pain the attacker collapsed. Starmane had won! But as he turned away the unconscious No-Mane was suddenly conscious. In seconds the younger lion sprang to his feet. Before Starmane had a chance to do a thing, the No-Mane bowled into him, using the sheer weight of his body to throw my father to the ground. Starmane was knocked off his feet. He slammed to the ground, a cloud of copper soil puffed around him.

Then the No-Mane had him. The rival male bit down on Starmane's neck with all the force his mighty jaws possessed. Father roared in pain. He struggled to break free from the No-Mane's deadly grip but couldn't. Seconds ticked by like years as my father's desperate cries died in his throat, and his wise, caring eyes began to glaze over and slide shut. Never to open again. His body went limp. The No-Mane dropped it roughly and sniffed the air.

"Cubs! I know you're there somewhere. Your father's dead and you know what that means. Come out now and I'll make it painless. I can wait all day. I'll find you eventually," he growled heading off in a random direction. Thankfully the wrong one. When I was sure he was gone I crept out of the hiding place Spark and I shared.

"Stop! Don't go out there!" I heard Spark hiss urgently behind me. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't turn back. It was as if I was in a trance. My paws just kept moving me forward. They brought me to Starmane's lifeless body. I sniffed it, scarcely believing the situation I was in.

"Look out!" It was Spark's panicked voice that broke me out of my trance. Swinging my head around I saw the dark figure of the No-Mane looming behind me. He had a cruel grin on his bleeding muzzle as he growled, "Hello. What do we have here? Perhaps the mighty Starmane's cub hmmm? I think so."

I was frozen, as attached to the ground as the tree we were standing under. I was suddenly hyper-aware of everything around me. The baboons howling and laughing from the treetops, the birds calling each other, even the breeze in the grass. I braced myself to die when suddenly Spark charged out of his hiding place. He planted himself between the huge male and I.

"St-stay away from my sister!" He squeaked bravely, even though his whole body was shaking. "Oh? Another, eh? Little male, what can you do to stop me?" "I-I…" he looked afraid and confused.

Then his eyes wandered over to mine and all uncertainty vanished. "I said stay away from my sister!" Spark hissed louder, his whole body vibrating from speaking so loudly. He crouched down, unsheathing his claws and pressing his ears flat against his head.

"You're a brave little cub but…you're not very bright. Sorry." With one painfully strong blow of his paw he sent Spark spiraling through the air. My brother's body smashed against a gigantic baobab tree.

The baboons howled, beating their hands on the branches, their cackles growing louder and several birds took flight as Spark crashed to the ground. He lay motionless. His limbs sprawled out in unnatural directions. I knew then that if he wasn't already dead, he would be soon.

As I stared at him in shock all of my terror evaporated. I was suddenly angry. More angry than I'd ever been in my short life. The anger and hatred pulsed through me, spreading like a fire in the dry season. My claws unsheathed, I turned slowly toward the No-Mane who was still grinning.

"You'll not soon forget me." I promised him solemnly. He looked amused. It fed the growing fire inside me. I knew I couldn't leave a mark if I tried to attack him to kill, so I decided to do something that would haunt him forever.

Without warning, I rocked myself at his face. I began scratching wildly at his right eye. I felt his blood trickle down to my back paws, which I had fastened to his nose. "Get OFF!" He bellowed, tearing me off his face. My back feet had been embedded so deeply into his nose that when I came off I took chips of it with me.

As I wriggled under the tremendous weight of his paw, I saw how badly I'd wounded him. His eye was gushing blood as well as his nose. I knew neither would ever fully heal. I escaped his grip, amazingly unharmed. He swung his massive paws around, unable to find me because of his eye. I dodged easily.

"Hey sis! Over here! Come on!" It was Fire. As I turned to face him, I felt an enormous force hit my flank. I was thrown through the air. I narrowly missed the tree that had proved fatal to Spark. Instead I hit the ground and my left slid painfully over sharp rocks. Everything hurt.

I couldn't see anything but I heard the lionesses returning. I mewled as loudly as I could and heard their pace quicken. As I waited for them to come I thought about how strangely confidant I was that I'd live. I knew the lionesses had arrived when I heard the horrified scream of my mother.

"Starmane! SPARK! FEMALE! You monster!" She shrieked. I thought my mother would lunge at the stranger. But I knew she couldn't attack the male. Not because of fear of losing but it was ritual. All new Manes had to get rid of the cubs of the former Mane. Mothers were not allowed to interfere with it. It has been that way from the beginning of time. Or at least that's what they say.

I could feel pain all around me. Coming from me, from the lionesses, from my mother and from the No-Mane. There was a long silence. It was broken by a roar of pain from the No-Mane who apparently couldn't keep it down any longer. There were only three lionesses in my pride but all of their eyes seared into the male's one eye.

Nobody knew what to do. This No-Mane had been badly wounded by me. A cub. And he certainly didn't have the strength or ability to hunt down and kill Fire. Therefore he had no right to be Mane. But then again, if they drove him out the pride would be left defenseless. Finally I heard Powerstriker speak.

"I have lived many seasons. I have belonged to many prides and seen many Manes rise and fall. But never have I seen a predicament such as this. I feel that for this out of the ordinary situation we need an out of the ordinary solution." She took a long breath. Something was wrong. I could smell it in the air, feel it in the ground.

Powerstriker continued, her ancient voice laced with pain, "Sunce? Are you listening? Though most lions have abandoned you, I know you're here. I know you still watch over us. And I know you can hear me." She took another pause.

I could see perplexed looks on the other lion's faces. What was a Sunce? Why was Powerstrike talking to it? Powerstriker took a long drawn out look at the assembled lions. Her wise golden eyes were solemn and very sad. I wondered why.

First she looked at my mother, Swiftspring, her eyes rested there fondly, then to my mother's sister StealthStriker, then on to me. I tried to look her in the eye but I couldn't find the strength to lift my head. I mewled pathetically as my head thudded to the ground after an attempt at looking up. Powerstriker blinked sadly.

"I will give you my life. There will be no need to take theirs. Curse any Mane who dares murder them. These are my terms. Do you agree?" A moment of quiet followed, for a split second I thought Powerstriker had gone mad, and nothing would happen.

But the icy silence was broken by the terrified screech of Powerstriker. Why she let out such an undignified wail, no one will ever know, but directly after there was a loud thud. My Aunt sniffed Powerstriker and then cried, "S-she's dead….by the stars…Powerstriker is dead!"