Ukweli lay quietly on the ground, eyes closed as he saved his strength. Near his head he could hear Viza crooning softly. The falcon had brought leaves to press against the wound on his back but the old seer knew that they would do him no good. Time was already against him, and he had been tempting fate by running straight into a battle with a lion much much younger than him. His falcon had probably been a better choice to send into battle while Ukweli fought Machafuko's bird. What a pitiful thought, but it made him chuckle weakly. Viza was instantly more alert, pressing her break to his side as though to reassure herself that he was still breathing. "Save your strength, you'll need it to get better," she whispered, as she adjusted one of the leaves to better press against his wound.
The old seer gave a small sigh, opening one red eye to look at his companion. "Viza you know I won't last—" "Do I?" She snapped back, glaring at him with her green eyes. "Do you? Have you Seen it? If not then how can you be sure it is so?' There was an air of defiance around her, as though simple denial would be enough to stall death. As though if she believed in her own thoughts that the inevitable would not come to pass. "How can you be so sure if you have not Seen it?" She whispered again, a slight tremor in her voice betraying her fears. Ukweli wished he had the strength to raise a paw and pat her on the head. Instead, he simply smiled, and closed his eyes once more. He had to wait, wait long enough for them to gather at the site of the horrible bloodshed. He had to save his strength until then, so he could share with them what he now knew. It was sad how being so close to death made things so much clearer. He had had time to think as he laid waiting about the visions he had seen, about the cubs and about the interlopers. Ngao had been wise not to trust them from the start; however it seemed that they had all underestimated their cunning. Ah well, their scene was over for now. It was time to move on to the next act.
He focused on his breathing as he waited, listening for the sounds of approaching paw steps. They would come, he knew, to look for him. Peke would be safe in the end, and he would return. As if on cue, Viza raised her head, green eyes watching as lions began to gather. She said nothing, but touched Ukweli again to let him know they had arrived. He waited until they had all gathered, and then opened his eyes. The old seer let his gaze drift down the line, from cub to adult. For a moment he hesitated when he reached Ajili, however her markings gave her away. She must be the mother of the third seer. When it appeared that those around him would be the only ones who would listen, Ukweli decided it was time to speak. He needed to tell what remained of the pride what he knew. It would be up to them once he was gone.
"There is much I wish to tell you," he started, after clearing his throat to get the words out. It would have been easier to sit up and speak, but Ukweli knew it would be a waste of strength. He needed to preserve what he had in order to last out what he had to say. "And yet very little time to tell it in. I am afraid that I cannot answer any questions, for fear that the time I have will run short and I will not be able to tell you all that you need to know. But listen to the old fool ramble, I am already wasting time." His chuckle sounded weak even to his own ears. "Darkness no longer clouds the sky; the rain of blood has stopped. You no longer must fear for your bondeds, for the vultures have made their last stand. They will trouble you no more. Use your companions to help you search out those who remain in the valley that were lost during the earthquake. More are alive than we once believed. What you must watch now instead of the sky is the shadows." Ukweli turned his gaze to Umoja, directing the next words to the lion. "Msiba and Mchawi are not dead, and while their numbers are reduced they are perhaps even more dangerous than they were before. They have a motive now, to seek revenge if they so wish it. Be mindful of outsiders, and always trust the judgement of Peke."
His gaze moved to the cub now, and he smiled. "For the price of one seer you have gained three very strong seers, who have abilities that I have never encountered in this pride before. They will aid the pride in times yet to come. Peke, you are the truth seer. You will see through the lies of others and know when to trust their word. If any servants of Msiba or Mchawi come seeking entrance to this pride, you must accompany the one who questions them, for you will know the truth when you hear it." Next was Ubele, a surprising choice for a seer. Ukweli had not expected her to be one of the ones he spoke to now, but fate always seemed to throw a little twist. "Ubele, you are the when and the where seer. When your visions come to you look carefully, for you will find you will always be able to identify when and where what you see occurs. May you grow up to be a strong guide and a protector of your pride." The final seer was not there, but his mother was. When his eyes stopped on Ajili he dipped his head ever so slightly, as though greeting her. He would not get to meet this one, but from the visions he had seen of her son she was a good mother. An asset to the pride, should she choose to join them. "Ingi is the map seer. He is gifted with a map of the world in his head, and will always know where he is. Let him help those who are lost from the pride and bring them safely back home."
Talking was taking more out of him than he had initially imagined. Ukweli had to pause to regain his breath, each intake reminding him of the wound on his side. Just a little longer. He needed just a little longer to tell them what they had to do. Taking a deep, shaky breath, the old seer plunged forward. "I am not the one you must spend your time healing to guide these cubs. I'm afraid my time has already come, as we all knew it would. The old can only exist for so long. Now, you must let this seer go and seek out my counterparts, Busara and Aminisha. Though old, they are well, and you must pass on what you know to them so they can help the new pride seers take their rightful place." The next breath was more painful than the last and Ukweli coughed, claws flexing against the earth as he forced himself to keep breathing. He was very short on time, it seemed, as he felt his vision begin to darken again. Just long enough to speak to them. Then he could go. He could only put off the inevitable for so long.
"Umoja, I wish I could have been in a better state to welcome you back, but some things are not meant to be. You will unfortunately have to pick up the pieces of the mess, but I have faith in you. The same for you, Mapatano. Your heart is in the right place, where it has always been. Mistakes of the past can be corrected in the future, so do not dwell on them. My old friend Hifadhi, it seems I have beaten you in the race towards death. I will leave it up to you to reward the Captain for the most excellent spirit and willpower I have ever seen in my lifetime. She has done you more service than you can imagine. Ngao, shield of the pride, may you never second guess your judgement. Without you we would have surely met our end at the hands of our enemies." It was too had to keep his eyes open now, and he let his lids slowly slip shut as he continued speaking. "Hisia, you perhaps have suffered the most, and will continue to suffer even after the skies are no longer dark. Believe in yourself, and the goodness that you thought you saw. You may have seen something that the eyes of the jaded could not. Ufunuo, watch over your sister, and the rest of the cubs that remain. They will need someone they can trust to keep an eye on them when they are Seeing things beyond this realm. Ficha," it was very strange to say that name aloud, but this was not the time for secrets. She was out of her cave now anyways. "The pride will need your courage and your wisdom. Be a pillar of strength for those who have lost heart in this struggle."
At the next shaky breath, Viza crooned softly. Ukweli turned his attention to his bonded, and smiled gently at her. "You will find another," he whispered, and for a second she looked as though she might frown. Instead, she shook her head slowly. "I am not sure I want another." The older seer lifted his paw to gently pat her on the head. "Be safe, Viza. May Hestia... protect you all, her most...beautiful pride..." Ukweli closed his eyes, and smiled one last smile.
With a final exhale, the seer was gone.
