FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Afternoon, Shani!" said Hoggish McGheed as the lioness sat down at his desk, "My; you look lovely in that outfit."

_ "Thank you, Mr. McGheed," said Shani Uzuri, who was wearing a plain white t-shirt, a pair of cargo shorts, and hiking boots, "I thought it would be appropriate for the trip."_

_ "This must be very exciting for you;" said Hoggish, "If I remember correctly, you haven't had time for something like this in a long time."_

_ "I know;" said Shani, "Riyo and Kijana are so excited; they couldn't stop talking about it for the past several weeks."_

_ "Well I guess that's to be expected; isn't it?" said Hoggish,_

_ "I guess so;" said Shani. She then paused a moment and asked, "Are you sure you'll be able to manage without me for a week?"_

_ "Absolutely;" said Hoggish, "I told you not to worry; we can take care of things while you're gone. Besides, you're a mother now; Riyo and Kijana aren't going to be young forever. Though it must feel like that sometimes."_

_ "I know..." said Shani. She stayed silent for a moment, and then said, "Hoggish... do you think I'm good enough for them?"_

_ "Hmmm... you pose a very interesting question;" said Hoggish as he leaned back in his chair, "So let me answer it with a few questions of my own. Do you love Riyo and Kijana...?"_

_ "Of course I do;" said Shani._

_ "Do you tuck them in at night and sing them to sleep?" asked Hoggish._

_ "I certainly do." said Shani._

_ "And do they ever say that they love you in return?" asked Hoggish._

_ "They do..." said Shani, "All the time."_

_ "Then I'd say you're more than good enough for them." Hoggish smiled,_

_ "Well..." said Shani, "I guess you're right. I really do love them, and I'll do my damndest to raise them right into kind-hearted hardworking citizens."_

_ "That's the spirit, Shani;" said Hoggish, with a smile, "By the way... don't you have somewhere to be right now?"_

_ "What?" asked Shani; she looked down at her watch... and leapt out of the chair! "Crap!" she cried, "I forgot I'm picking the cubs up early today! And our plane leaves in two hours!"_

_ "Go to them, Shani;" said Hoggish, "Give them an adventure they'll never forget."_

_ "Thanks, Hoggish!" said Shani as she dashed out the door, "I'll see you in a week!"_

*****

_ _ "Huh...?" Shani Uzuri shook herself awake; trying to re-orient herself. She then remembered that she was aboard an Airbus A380, the latest in mass inter-continental travel; and the voice over the intercom told her that they were a few minutes from touching down in Kampala, Uganda. Shani yawned and got the oxygen flowing through her lungs; she couldn't help but wonder why she was dreaming about events that had transpired only a few hours prior. She then glanced to her right to gaze at the two lion cubs seated next to her; they were her cubs. In the middle was her son, Riyo, a courageous boy with great energy and impressive vocal skills. Nearest to the window was her daughter, Kijana; who boasted strength, speed, and a penchant for landing herself in trouble. Shani couldn't help but glow as she gazed at her children; even at age nine, they were so adorable when they were asleep. There was a whirring noise as the flaps on the jet's wings started to come down, and Kijana blinked her eyes and woke up.

"Oh..." she moaned.

"Nice to see you awake, Kijana;" said Shani, "Did you sleep well?"

"I guess so;" said Kijana, "Are we there yet?"

"We'll be touching down in roughly ten minutes;" said Shani, thoroughly impressed with how well Kijana and her brother had handled their first long distance plane ride, "Which reminds me, we should probably wake up Riyo so he can get in position for landing." She gently rubbed Riyo's shoulder, and the male cub began to stir.

"Huh... Mom...?" he asked as he woke up.

"We're almost ready to land, Riyo;" said Shani, "We should put our trays up and buckle our seatbelts."

"Okay, Mom." said Riyo as he sat up and helped prepare for landing. In another few minutes, the Airbus's undercarriage made contact with Ugandan tarmac and carried the big jet to the terminal. Once there, Shani helped Riyo and Kijana get their backpacks from the overhead bins and led them off the plane. After making their way through customs and the luggage claim, the family of three exited the airport and were greeted by a city that had the hint of an exotic African landscape.

"This is it, Kids;" said Shani, "Welcome to Kampala, Uganda, on the mighty continent of Africa."

"It's nice and warm here;" said Kijana, "Kinda like home."

"Luckily for us it's the winter months on this side of the earth;" said Shani, "I wouldn't want to be out in the Serengeti during the dry season."

"Neither would I;" said Riyo, "So, what do we do now?"

"First;" said Shani, "We find our hotel and spend the night there. Tomorrow, we venture into the African bush for our camping holiday!"

"Kushangaza!" Riyo and Kijana said in unison. Shani smiled back at them, proud of how fluent they were in Swahili. After a ride in a taxi and lunch at a local restaurant, Clan Uzuri settled into their hotel and enjoyed one last night of modern luxuries before their journey into the bush.

*****

By noon the next day, Shani and her cubs were well on their way into the wild territory of Uganda in their rented camper van; and by camper van, I mean a dodgy old Land Rover with a platform on top to mount the tent. Shani couldn't help feeling that something was missing as she wrestled with the Rover's troublesome gearbox and worked the machine along the dusty trails; but when she looked back at Riyo and Kijana, somehow it was all worth it. The two cubs had their eyes wide with wonder, staring at the beautiful landscape and the occasional wild animal. Shani knew that as long as they were enjoying themselves, this trip was bound to be what they dreamed it would be. After driving for a good portion of the day, they made camp at the edge of a large jungle. Shani relished the chance to show Riyo and Kijana some practical skills; how to set up the tent, how to find clean water, and how to make a natural insect repellent out of mud. After setting up the bug zapper, Shani built a small cooking fire, and the family sat down for a hearty supper of franks and beans.

"That was delicious, Mom;" said Kijana when supper was finished, "I think I've eaten my fill for the night."

"Me too;" said Riyo as he polished off the last of his beans, "Camping sure makes a cub hungry."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, watoto wangu;" said Shani, "Now, who wants to hear a story?"

"I would!" said Riyo, "Could you please tell us how you met daddy?"

"And if it's not too much trouble..." said Kijana, "Could you please tell us what happened to him?"

"Oh..." said Shani; she suddenly looked very uncertain and nervous at the same time. She wasn't sure her cubs were ready to know the truth about their father, but she didn't want to keep them in the dark for so long. After taking a few moments to think, she finally said, "Well... before you two were born, I was and adventurer."

"But you still are today, right?" asked Kijana.

"Yes I am;" said Shani, "But I did things a little differently back then. I was always on the go and rarely had time to settle down and relax." She drew a pause. "On one of my adventures, I met your father right in the wilds of Tasmania. We... hit it off almost right away, and after some time passed, I was sure I wanted to marry him."

"And did you get married?" asked Riyo.

"Unfortunately no..." said Shani, "He was called away to help some people very dear to him. He told me he would be back, but he never came back."

"Do you think something bad happened to him?" asked Riyo.

"I'm afraid I can only guess;" said Shani, "I never got word about what really happened to him; and I never saw him again."

"There's one thing I don't understand..." said Riyo, "How were you able to have us if you never got married?" Shani's face flushed red and she had to stifle a gulp.

"I... I'm sorry, Son;" she said in a firm but kind voice, "But I'm afraid neither you nor Kijana are ready to learn about those things. Rest assured, when you are ready... I will tell you."

"Okay." said Riyo; he knew better than to talk back to his mother. It was only then that Shani noticed that Kijana was trying to keep herself from crying.

"Kijana, sweetie;" she said, "What's the matter?" Kijana looked up with tears in her eyes and said,

"Mommy... if Daddy were here, do you think he would love us like you do?"

"Of course he would;" said Shani, "He was the most compassionate and adventurous lion I ever met."

"I think he would too;" said Riyo. Kijana smiled and wiped her tears away before letting out a yawn.

"Good idea, Kijana;" said Shani, "It's time for bed. But what do we do first?"

"Put out the fire." Kijana stated.

"And make sure our food is locked away." added Riyo.

"Very good!" said Shani, "Oh I'm so proud of you both." In no time, Shani extinguished the fire by shoveling dirt onto it until it was out, while Riyo and Kijana locked their food in the back of the Land Rover. After brushing their teeth, Riyo and Kijana climbed into the tent on top of the Rover and crawled into their sleeping bags. Shani couldn't help staying up just a little bit longer. She sat on the bonnet of the Rover, mulling over the events that had brought her to where she was today. Ever since she could remember, she had lived a very different lifestyle. I can't go into too much detail, but I can tell you that she was a lot more 'liberal' shall we say. In those days, Shani worked almost all the time, traveling the world and reclaiming treasures before they could be stolen and put on the black market; not always succeeding, but always doing her absolute best. To think it was only nine years ago that her life had changed forever. When Shani had first discovered that she was pregnant, she didn't know what to do about it. She knew that she would have to make some drastic changes in her lifestyle if she was going to be a mother to her cubs. Though she loved the way she lived and didn't enjoy the idea of change, Shani couldn't bring herself to abandon her unborn cubs when she knew she was capable of providing them with a good home and a good life. On a side note, Shani had only been expecting Riyo when she gave birth; Kijana came as an unexpected surprise. But here and now, Shani was thoroughly glad that she had gone through with the pregnancy and had decided to keep both of her cubs. Of course it hadn't been easy raising twins on her own; Shani knew full well that it wouldn't be easy. But after watching Riyo and Kijana grow, go through school, learn great skills, and love her as much as she loved them, somehow it was all worthwhile. On top of that, Shani's boss, Hoggish McGheed, hadn't objected in the slightest to Shani becoming a mother; he even went so far as to pay for the occasional babysitter so Shani could continue her work as a relic reclaimer. Shani sighed as she gazed up at the giant moon looming over the African landscape, then looked back at the tent where she could just hear the cubs' gentle breathing. She smiled a deep loving smile; she had originally thought that having cubs would be the end of her adventures. But in fact, the opposite was true; Riyo and Kijana were her greatest adventure. After another few minutes, Shani gathered herself and climbed up to the tent so she could get some much-needed sleep.

*****

Dawn arrived the next morning, and Riyo was the first one up. Not wanting to disturb his mother or his sister, he exited the tent and played for a little bit in the cab of the Land Rover, pretending to drive it on a safari expedition of his own. In a matter of minutes, Kijana was also awake, but unlike her brother, she stayed in the tent until Shani was awake.

"Good morning, Mom;" she said, "Did you sleep okay?"

"I certainly did;" said Shani, "The fact that we're on a platform of steel mesh does little to bother us since we've still got our sleeping bags." At that moment, Riyo arrived.

"I brought some breakfast;" he said, handing Shani and Kijana each a granola bar, "The rest of it's still locked away."

"Glad you remembered to relock the food chest;" said Shani, "We don't want any animals being able to get at our supply." It didn't take long for all three of them to polish off their granola bars; after that, they all took turns changing out of their sleepwear into their day clothes.

"Hey, Mom;" said Kijana, not long after she had finished changing, "Can Riyo and I explore a bit, please?" Shani took a moment to think about it. One of the advantages of their campsite was that she had chosen a spot where there wasn't heavy wildlife traffic.

"Alright;" she said, "But both of you stay together and keep the campsite within sight at all times."

"We will, Mom!" said Kijana as she and her brother dashed off together. Shani smiled as she watched them go; as much as she loved having them as their cubs, she knew they would grow up eventually; and she would never forgiver herself if she didn't give them room to grow and experience things on their own. Riyo and Kijana ran along the edge of the jungle, playfully racing each other. At one point, Kijana stopped and looked at the beckoning lush jungle.

"Why'd you stop, Sis?" asked Riyo as he caught up with her.

"I just wish we could go into the jungle at some point;" said Kijana, "I really want to see a waterfall pool. Maybe even take a swim in one."

"Maybe if we talk to Mom, we can talk her into it;" said Riyo, "I wouldn't mind exploring a bit of jungle myself."

"Yeah..." said Kijana, "So... wanna race again?"

"Nah..." said Riyo, "Let's play another game."

"Aw..." said Kijana, "You just know that you'll never beat me in a footrace."

"I could so beat you!" said Riyo, "If you didn't run so fast!"

"Yeah right!" said Kijana, "You're just a slowpoke!"

"I am not!" argued Riyo.

"You are too!" Kijana shot back.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Whatever!" Riyo threw his arms up in defeat and folded them as he turned away from Kijana. Kijana realized that she may have actually hurt her brother's feelings, so she came up behind him and said,

"Hey... I... I'm sorry, Riyo."

"No need to be;" said Riyo, "I know I can't run as fast as you."

"You can do other stuff;" said Kijana, "Like... your voice skills."

"And how's that going to help me survive in the wild?" asked Riyo. Kijana thought for a moment before saying,

"Uh... Bird calls?" Riyo turned around and smiled at his sister.

"Maybe..." he said, "I'll bet Mom would be proud of me either way."

"She sure would." said Kijana. Both cubs were about to turn around and head back, when they heard the telltale sound of engines.

"What's that?" asked Riyo, "Kijana, do you hear cars and trucks?"

"No, Riyo;" said Kijana, "I see cars and trucks!" Indeed, Kijana had spotted a convoy of two Range Rovers and a transport truck driving through the long grass towards the jungle. "It's not like a whole bunch of trucks to come this far out into the jungle;" said Kijana, "Not unless they're trying to hide something important; or looking for something important. Let's get a closer look."

"Are you off your rocker?" asked Riyo, "They might not want us to see them! And if we see them, they might take us in or something! Mom would go mad!"

"Then get down and keep quiet!" Kijana ordered as she ducked into the grass. Knowing he would have to be the voice of reason, Riyo also ducked down and followed his sister closer to the convoy. As the two cubs stalked their prey, they saw the convoy draw to a halt. Riyo stopped Kijana from going any further once they realized that they could actually hear the voices of the men who were operating the truck.

"This has to be it;" said one of them, "We enter the jungle from here. The truck will never fit through though."

"Indeed;" said another, "But if we're going to smuggle it out of here, we can't risk carrying it in one of the cars; it would be too easy to find."

"So once we've got the Diamond Spear;" said the first one, "We stow it between the seats of the truck?"

"YOU IDIOT!" shouted the second voice, "I told you not to mention the thing! Someone could be listening in on us!"

"Oh please..." said the first voice, "We're smack dab in the middle of the wilds of Uganda; who could possibly be out here to listen in on us?" I don't know; maybe... two astonished lion cubs who were now crawling away to make a mad dash for their campsite. The run only took a minute, and Riyo and Kijana soon arrived to see Shani sitting in a chair and reading a magazine.

"MOM!" they called out.

"Children!" said Shani as she sat up, sharply, "What's wrong?"

"There's some guys over there!" said Riyo, "They say they're going after something called the Diamond Spear!"

"I think they might be black market dealers!" said Kijana, "We've got to stop them!"

"Now hold on a minute!" said Shani, "We're on holiday here; and there is no way on this green earth that I am going to put you two in danger like that!"

"But if that spear goes on the black market;" said Riyo, "It might wind up in the hands of some money-grubbing collector who might put it on display for his own monetary gain."

"Besides, Mom;" said Kijana, "You've faced men like them before without any guns at all and you still won; multiple times."

"And Kijana and I can help;" said Riyo, "We won't let you down." Shani paused for a moment, looked up at the sky, then faced her cubs and said,

"Start packing the tent up." and set to work doing just that.

"What...?" asked Kijana, "You mean we're leaving?"

"We are." said Shani. Riyo and Kijana's faces fell; a shadow of guilt and shame washing over them. Shani turned back to them and said, "Well come on! If we want to catch them, we've got to move!" The shadow of shame lifted instantly.

"YES!" said Kijana. She and Riyo immediately started helping Shani dismantle the tent and shove it in the back of the Land Rover. In just six minutes, the job was finished.

"I'm not going to lie;" said Shani, "This could get very dangerous; so from here on out, you do exactly what I say without argument. Are we understood?"

"Yes, Mom!" Both Riyo and Kijana answered.

"And if I think things are getting too risky..." said Shani, "We pull out; no questions asked."

"Got it!" Riyo and Kijana resounded. Shani smiled briefly before she said,

"Then let's go!" and she charged into the dense jungle with Riyo and Kijana right on her tail.

*****

Shani effortlessly darted between trees and bushes in her efforts to catch up with the convoy. Riyo and Kijana were right behind her, doing a pretty good job of keeping up. In just a few minutes, they heard the sound of engines.

"We're closing in on them;" said Shani, "We need to get as far ahead of them as possible."

"If we could divert their path," said Kijana, "We'd have an easier time of beating them."

"Divert their path?" asked Riyo; then he said, "Hey, Mom! I've got an idea!"

"What is it?" asked Shani, "It better not involve making yourself seen."

"Quite the opposite, Mom;" said Riyo, "Just making myself heard." He started climbing a tree and made his way up to one of the lower branches. "Okay..." he said, "Now's my chance to do something I'm good at." He took a deep breath and exhaled with a, "rrrrrrrrrr..... Rowr!" Shani and Kijana hid themselves where they could still see the two cars. They noticed the cars stop, and two of the hunters got out Riyo could now clearly see that they were both Hyenas; though one clearly looked younger than the other.

"What was that?" one of them asked, "That couldn't have been a lion, could it?"

"Not this deep in the jungle;" said the other, "More likely it was a leopard; they are quite common in this area."

"Rowr! Grrrrr..." the noise came again.

"So what do we do?" asked the first one, "You think we should shoot it?" A massive chill went up Shani's spine and she nearly leapt from her hiding place.

"No way;" said the second one, "Leopards are endangered enough as it is. The last thing I'd want to be responsible for is contributing to the extinction of a species. If this is leopard territory, we better move further to the south."

"But that will increase the length of our journey by several miles;" said the first one.

"Perhaps;" said the second one, "But we don't want to leave too massive a footprint on this habitat, do we?"

"I guess not;" said the first one. The two hunters got back in the cars and turned away from the area. Once they were gone, Riyo quietly called out,

"All clear, Mom! All clear!" Shani and Kijana got up from their hiding spot and came over to the tree as Riyo began climbing down.

"That was incredible!" said Shani as she helped Riyo down, "Even if I should scold you for risking giving yourself away."

"I guess I just got lucky, didn't I?" said Riyo.

"You certainly did." said Shani, "But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I am very impressed with your vocal skills; you sounded almost like a real leopard."

"I told him those vocal skills would come in handy some day!" Kijana laughed.

"Okay then;" said Shani, "We now have a chance to gain some time on them; let's make tracks!" And the family of three dashed off into the jungle again.

*****

The deeper they went into the jungle, the harder it got to make headway. Shani was wishing she had thought to bring her larger knife; it could have made the going a lot easier. There were actually times when Riyo and Kijana slipped ahead of her, being nimble enough to maneuver through the undergrowth; and Shani would have to remind them to be mindful of their surroundings and stay close to her. After battling the undergrowth for a solid half-hour, they arrived at a temple made mostly of stone.

"Wow..." said Kijana, "I didn't think these temples were real."

"Really?" asked Shani, "Even after all the stories I've told?"

"Kinda;" said Kijana, "I kinda hoped that they were real, and now... I know that they are."

"Okay then;" said Shani, "Riyo, I want you to hide yourself near the entrance and make a bird call if those treasure hunters show up."

"I'll do my best, Mom;" said Riyo as he saluted.

"Does that mean I'm coming with you, Mom?" asked Kijana.

"It does;" said Shani, "And what are the golden rules?"

"Stay close, walk slowly, and step very, very carefully." Kijana answered.

"That's my girl;" Shani praised her daughter, "Let's go." Shani led Kijana into the temple and past some scary stone statues. After skillfully avoiding some booby traps, they came to a high stone ledge; and there was nothing to stand on."

"How are supposed to get up there?" asked Kijana, "There must be some kind of button or something to make it passable."

"There might be;" said Shani, "Unfortunately, we don't have the time to look for it, so I'll have to boost you up so you can see what there is."

"Okay." said Kijana. Shani knelt down and cupped her hands to form a step for Kijana. Kijana climbed up and sat on her mother's shoulder to get herself oriented. She then reached up and grabbed the ledge. "Now what...?" she asked.

"On the count of three..." said Shani, "You pull, I'll push." Shani placed her hands under Kijana's boots in preparation for the big lift, "One... Two... THREE!" Shani pushed Kijana upwards, and Kijana pulled herself onto the ledge.

"I made it!" she said.

"Good!" said Shani, "Now what do you see?"

"I see the spear!" said Kijana, "It's just hanging there on the wall."

"Don't trust anything!" said Shani, "All the odds say it could be booby trapped." Heeding her mother's advice, Kijana gingerly approached the wall and noticed small piece of string tied to the end of the spear.

"There's some string tied to the end of spear!" called Kijana, "I can just see it." Shani pulled her knife out of its holster.

"I'm throwing my knife up!" she called, "Stand clear!" Kijana did as she was told, and when her mother threw the knife, it landed harmlessly on the ledge. "Don't bother with the string!" said Shani, "Cut the head of the spear off and put it in your backpack!" Kijana picked up the knife, and with only two quick cuts, broke the vines binding the diamond spearhead to the wooden staff.

"I got it!" she said, before stuffing the spearhead into her backpack.

"Nicely done!" praised Shani. Suddenly,

"Kieeeeeee!! Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka!!" There was no mistaking it; that was Riyo's birdcall; the hunters were closing in on them!

"Just jump!" ordered Shani, "I'll catch you!" Knowing better than to argue, Kijana paused at the edge, then jumped. As she promised, Shani caught her daughter in her arms and gently set her down. "Let's go!" said Shani, and they slipped out the side through a rather large crack in the wall. Riyo, correctly assuming that his mother and sister wouldn't take the main exit, made a beeline for the side of the temple.

"Did you get it?" he asked once they had been reunited.

"We did;" said Shani, "Now comes the really hard part; we need to escape and get back to the van without them catching us. I think if we follow the river, it should take us out of the jungle close to where we parked."

"Then let's go!" said Kijana. Shani led Riyo and Kijana north by northwest away from the temple, listening to see if the treasure hunters were following them.

*****

All too soon, Clan Uzuri was faced with a big obstacle; a steep slope consisting of mostly loose dirt.

"This is going to be tricky to deal with;" said Shani.

"Should we use the rope then?" asked Riyo.

"I don't think so;" said Shani, "That vine hanging off that tree should do just fine."

"Okay then." said Riyo. He took hold of the vine and began to make his way, rock climbing style, down the slope. In no time, he reached the bottom. Kijana was next, and she made quick work of getting down safely. All the while, Shani was keeping her ears open. Finally it was her turn; she grasped the vine and began to walk herself down the slope. Five feet from the bottom... SNAP!! The vine broke and Shani fell to the ground!

"AAAAHHH!!" she cried out as she landed on her left foot the wrong way.

"MOM!" Riyo and Kijana gasped, remembering to keep their voices hushed as they rushed to her side.

"Are you alright, Mom?" asked Kijana.

"I... I think so..." Shani put on a brave face as she brushed the dirt from her legs; but when she tried to stand up, "AAAHH!" she cried and slumped over onto her knees. "My foot..." she said, "I must have twisted my ankle..."

"I'll get the first aid kit." said Riyo.

"I heard it!" yelled a voice, "It came from over there!"

"No time for that;" said Shani, "If we can make it to the river, we can lose them. I'll try my best."

"Let me help you, Mom." said Kijana as the brave cub helped her mother to her feet and supported her via her left arm, "Let's get out of here!" With Kijana's support, Shani was able to get going again at a brisk pace; even now Shani marveled at just how strong her daughter really was.

"They can't be far ahead!" came another voice, "Don't let them get away!"

"They're gaining on us!" said Riyo, "If only I could find a way to slow them down!" Suddenly there was a buzzing sound from up ahead. Riyo looked up and saw a large beehive hanging from a tree. "Perfect!" he said, "Kijana! Get Mom around that beehive and keep going; I'll catch up with you!"

"You better not try anything stupid!" said Kijana. But she kept Shani going, passing clear of the swarm of bees buzzing around the hive. Riyo hid himself in the bushes just past the hive and fished his slingshot out of his backpack. Finding a suitably large rock, he loaded his slingshot and aimed it at the stem holding the hive to the branch. A minute later, one of the hyenas broke through the foliage.

"There you are!" he snapped as he spotted Riyo. ZING! Riyo released his slingshot, the projectile hit home, and the beehive fell out of the tree, landing at the hyena's feet and breaking apart! "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" screamed the hyena as a massive swarm rose up from the broken hive, buzzing furiously. He then foolishly ran in the direction of his team, bringing the marauding swarm to them as well. Riyo had hightailed it as soon as the rock hit, saving himself from the bees' wrath.

"Better bee careful!" he joked as he ran to catch his mother and sister. Shani and Kijana were relieved that Riyo was okay, and very impressed at how he had slowed the treasure hunters down.

"Mom!" said Kijana, "I hear running water!"

"We made it to the river!" said Shani, "And I think I spy our ride!" She angled herself and Kijana towards a rather large tree trunk that had fallen close to the river; even better, it had come undone from its stump and made a near perfect raft. "C'mon, Kijana;" said Shani, "Help me get this thing in the water." Kijana joined Shani at the side of the tree and began to push. With both lions pushing, the tree began to move and was soon sliding into the water thanks to the wet sand on the river's edge. At that moment, Riyo came back with a few large branches.

"What are those for?" asked Kijana.

"Paddles." answered Riyo as he joined in the pushing.

"Good thinking, Bro!" said Kijana.

"Indeed!" said Shani, "Just... one... more... shove...!" With that final effort, the tree slid into the river and floated perfectly. "All aboard!" declared Shani as she straddled the tree, fighting the pain in her ankle. Kijana got on in front of Shani, and Riyo behind Shani. "Okay;" said Shani, "If we all paddle together, we can make the most of our stick paddles; so both of you paddle with me and we'll be able to steer this thing. Now Left...! Left...! Left...!" Kijana and Riyo followed their mother's instructions and steered the log towards the center of the river. Once there, Shani called out, "Right...! Right...! Right...!" With some solid strokes, Clan Uzuri managed to steer the log into the fastest part of the current.

"I hoped we'd get to do this at some point during our holiday!" said Kijana, happily; she was clearly enjoying herself.

"How soon do you think those guys will be on our tails?" asked Riyo.

"We've got enough of a head start to lose them;" said Shani, "They can't run as fast as the current, and they'll never get those cars through the jungle without bulldozing into just about everything, so I think we're in pretty good shape." Little did Clan Uzuri know, their good shape was about to turn bad.

*****

"Hey, Mom..." Kijana asked five minutes later, "Is it just me or is the current picking up speed?"

"It's definitely speeding up;" said Shani, "We've got to get this thing over to the bank and fast! Left...! Left...! Left...!" Riyo and Kijana paddled for all they were worth in an effort to escape the center current. Suddenly, Riyo's sharp ears picked up the inevitable sound of roaring and tumbling water.

"WATERFALL!!" he cried, "Five hundred yards ahead!!"

"Riyo!" said Shani, "Get the rope and grappler out of my pack!" Trying to swallow his fear, Riyo unzipped the main compartment of his mother's backpack and pulled out a long rope attached to a grappling hook.

"Here it is!" he said.

"Good!" said Shani as she took the rope, "Now paddle! Get us as close to the bank as you can!" Riyo and Kijana put every ounce of strength in their bodies into getting their log as close to shore as possible. Very carefully, Shani stood on her left knee and her right foot and began twirling the hook, building up momentum.

"Four hundred yards!" Riyo warned her.

"RAAAGGHH!!" Shani grunted as she threw the hook. The hook caught on a tree root, causing the log to swing around. Shani kept a tight grip on the rope, however; her fingerless gloves protecting her palms from the pain of rope burn. They had stopped moving, but the current was still tearing at the log like a ferocious liquid beast, threatening to drag them over the falls to certain injury; or even death. "Grab the rope!" Shani ordered. Riyo and Kijana quickly grabbed the rope and held it tight. "Start on the right!" Shani said, "HEAVE...! HO...! HEAVE...! HO...!" Riyo and Kijana joined in.

"HEAVE...!"

"HO...!"

"HEAVE...!"

"HO...!" With every heave and every ho, Clan Uzuri pulled their log closer and closer to the bank. After what seemed like an eternity of pulling (but was only one and a half minutes) the log hit the shore.

"We're there!" Kijana proclaimed.

"You get off first, Kijana!" said Shani. Kijana gently got up and leapt ashore. "You next, Riyo!" said Shani. Riyo also hit solid ground; and now Shani was the only one left on the log. Knowing the current could still possibly take her, she kept a firm grip on the rope as she began to dismount the log. Unfortunately, her foot hit some slippery mud, and she fell off the log into the water! Shani shut her eyes and held her breath, expecting to slip and be carried to the falls, but she kept her grip firm on the rope; and she suddenly felt herself moving in the other direction. Sure enough, her head breached the surface and she was able to breathe. She then looked up to see Riyo and Kijana both holding the rope and pulling together.

"We've got you, Mom!" said Riyo. As soon as she hit the bank, Shani was able to clamber out of the water onto solid ground. The log meanwhile had drifted back into the current and had gone over the waterfall, breaking up as it hit the pool below.

"Mom!" said Kijana, her voice full of worry, "Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine..." Shani gasped, trying to catch her breath, "Just... a bit... damp..." After calming down, Shani looked up at her twin cubs, Riyo and Kijana. "Riyo... Kijana..." she said slowly. Both cubs looked both worried and a bit confused. Suddenly, a huge smile broke out across Shani's face, "WE DID IT!" she shouted!" She pulled both her cubs into a hug. Riyo and Kijana laughed, hugging their mother in return; not even caring that she was still all wet.

"We got the Diamond Spearhead!" said Riyo.

"And we outdid those treasure hunters!" added Kijana.

"And we all did it together;" said Shani, "As a family."

"We should probably get going;" said Kijana, "We don't want those guys to know we survived the falls."

"I agree;" said Shani, "We'll have to get back to Kampala as soon as possible if we want to be out of danger."

"Does that mean we have to cut our holiday short?" asked Riyo. Shani smiled at him and said,

"Not at all, Son. Once we get back to town, I'll talk to Uncle Hoggish. When he hears about how we recovered the Diamond Spearhead, I'm sure we can work something out." Deciding not to take any more chances, Clan Uzuri made their way down the cliff via a small pathway. After that, they followed the river out of the jungle and crossed at a more shallow area to make it back to their camper van. Once there, they started heading back across the plains to Kampala.

*****

The next morning, back in Tasmania, Hoggish McGheed was still in his bathrobe, drinking his coffee and reading the morning paper. As he was perusing the business section, the phone rang. "Hello...?" he said as he answered it.

"Hoggish!" came the voice from the other end, "It's Shani!"

"Shani!" said Hoggish, "How nice of you to call. How's your holiday going?"

"We hit an unexpected snag;" said Shani, "But the kids and I are safe, and we've got something for you."

"Well, that's nice of you to get me a souvenir;" said Hoggish, "But I'm okay with waiting until you get back to find out what it is."

"Actually, it's something different;" said Shani, "The Diamond Spearhead!" Hoggish leapt out of his chair, nearly upsetting the table.

"Are you serious?!?" he asked, "No joke?!?"

"No joke!" said Shani, "I just sent it to you via the mail; it should arrive in your office in a matter of days."

"Shani Uzuri..." said Hoggish as he smiled broadly, "You never cease to amaze me; as a mother and a relic reclaimer."

"You're too kind, Sir;" said Shani, "The problem is, we ran into some opposition and we had to cut out camping trip short; so now we're back in Kampala just wondering how to spend the rest of our visit."

"Oh I have an idea..." said Hoggish with a grin, "Just let me make a few phone calls and I'll call you right back. Tell the kids I said hello; and thank you again, Shani."

"You're welcome, Sir." said Shani before Hoggish hung up the phone.

"Shani Uzuri..." he said, "I knew there was something special about her from the moment she walked into my office; apart from getting my name right." He then redialed the phone and began making arrangements; but for what?

*****

"CANNONBALL!!" Kijana shouted just before she splashed into the crystal blue water and sank to the bottom. She swam back to the surface and took in a fresh breath before swimming away from the spot she had gone in; and for good reasons. Another splash was heard behind her, and after a moment, Riyo surfaced right behind her.

"That waterslide was awesome!" said Riyo, "So how is it?"

"It's amazing!" said Kijana, "It's almost like swimming in a real lagoon!" The water in which Riyo and Kijana were swimming was actually the large outdoor pool of the 'Wild Safari' resort in Kampala.

"I know!" said Riyo, "It sure was nice of Uncle Hoggish to pay for our stay for the rest of our holiday, wasn't it?"

"It sure was;" said Kijana, "I'll bet we'll have the most awesome story to tell when we get back to school next week."

"Hopefully the... you know what will be in a museum by the time we get back." said Riyo.

"Yeah...!" said Kijana, "Then we can see it during our class trip in a month."

"I know." said Riyo, "Hey... I'll race you ashore!" The two cubs quickly swam for the edge of the pool, where Shani was waiting for them, wearing a navy blue bikini.

"I won!" gasped Kijana as she grasped the side of the pool first.

"Aww..." said Riyo, "You always beat me."

"Yeah..." said Kijana, "But there's no way I could pass my voice for that of a leopard; or... whatever that bird call was."

"Having fun, you two?" asked Shani.

"You bet!" said Riyo, "Though... it is getting kinda chilly now." Shani looked up at the star littered sky; the sun had gone down half an hour ago, but the pool area would still be open for another two hours.

"Indeed;" she said, "How would you two like to join me in the hot bath?"

"Count me in!" said Riyo.

"Ditto!" said Kijana. The cubs climbed out of the pool and followed their mother to the hot bath area, where several other furs relaxed in the smaller, pleasantly warm pools. Shani dipped her feet in first, then slid the rest of the way in, letting the soothing warmth of the water wash over her body. Riyo and Kijana followed suit, slipping in on either side of Shani and cuddling up to her. Shani responded by putting her arms around her cubs and bringing them close.

"How's your foot feeling, Mom?" asked Riyo.

"Much better;" said Shani, "It was nothing worse than a sprain, so keeping it relaxed has helped; and the warm water of the hot bath does wonders for it too." She then let out a sad sigh and said, "I'm sorry our holiday didn't turn out the way we thought it would."

"What's there to be sorry about?" asked Riyo, "That was the greatest adventure we've ever had!"

"And we still got to spend some time as a family;" said Kijana, "Just like we're doing now." After a slight pause, she asked, "So, Mom; was this adventure like the ones you used to have before you had us?" Shani took a moment to formulate her answer, then said,

"You know what...? It was. And it was even more special that I got to share it with my little adventure cubs." Riyo and Kijana beamed with pride. "But do you know something?" asked Shani, "I have adventured to all sorts of places when I was younger. I've battled all kinds of dangers, and reclaimed all sorts of treasures." She looked at both her son and daughter before saying, "But I mean this with all my heart; you two are my greatest adventure. You both make me so proud to be your mother, and I love you so much."

"We love you too, Mama." said Kijana as she gently set her head on Shani's shoulder,

"Thank you for teaching us;" said Riyo, "And for helping us experience adventures ourselves. We love you so much, Mama." Shani felt as though she might cry, so she simply pulled Riyo and Kijana closer and nuzzled them both. Just relaxing in a hot bath under a moonlit starry sky, with her precious cubs at her side, Shani Uzuri was happier than ever that this life was hers'.

The End