Most of these beasts were his friends. One or more times he had gone through an exciting or dangerous experience with each one of them. He had hunted on the backs of some of them, he had fought other beasts with some of them, he had even fought some of them. For all of them, that was a nostalgic meeting.

"Ochieng', I don't think I will live my life here peacefully without you, I will go with you." That was Sibuor Ratong', Mudho's younger brother.

"You will go with me??" Ochieng' was confounded with Ratong's request.

"I will follow you too." Another lion interposed.

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

And just like that, almost all the elders wanted to follow him back home. He knew he couldn't go with them. These were bizarre beasts and would scare his tribesmen to death. They were of the forbidden land and there is where he thought they should remain.

"I have a lot of things to do back at home, it will not be convenient for me to take all of you there. I will always come back and see you." He consoled.

"Will you?" This time it was the tribe head who had been quiet the whole time who questioned.

"I will." Ochieng' answered gravely.

Mudho was quiet for the rest of the meeting. It was the saddest lion since it was closest to Ochieng'. After the meeting, he decided to head to his cave to his cave to prepare a few things for the next day's journey.

"Ochieng'." The head called the moment he walked out of the cave they met in.

"Is there anything the tribe head needs my help on? "

"It is nothing much, " he produced a pouch out its mane and continued, "I'm giving you this on behalf of the tribe this time round not to reward you but to present it as a parting gift. "

He couldn't reject its goods the second time, right? He stored the pouch in his backpack without looking its contents and thanked it. He then rushed to his cave to be with the love of his life.

He found the lady sitting with her back facing out of the cave. He saw the cicatrices of a whip on her soft back. He remembered he had five 'hono' fruits in his bag.

"Here." He removed one and tossed it to her the moment she turned her head over.

"What is this?" she looked at the fruit with a bewildered expression.

"Just try it." He didn't want to waste his breath unnecessarily trying to explain.

She bit the fruit in a piecemeal. She was concentrating on the fruit's taste and medicinal efficacy. She felt warmth that was initiated by the fruit spread into her whole body. The feeling she was having she had never had before. When she saw her skin metamorphose and all her scars and lesions disappear, she was flabbergasted. She had never seen something like that in her life.

"What kind of fruit is this?" She asked, her breathing gradually becoming heavy.

"It is called the 'hono' fruit. We found it by stroke of luck while we were wandering in the woods of the forbidden land." He replied at once.

"I wanted to be avenged with scars on my back..." she said regretfully.

He didn't say anything. He only helplessly nodded with a smile. When he remembered he got his ability to regenerate through the fruit, he told her and she jumped in shock when she heard about it. She couldn't believe she could have such power just by consuming a fruit.

She immediately went to Ochieng' and hugged him tightly. This truly elated her. She couldn't imagine herself being pierced by a sword to her death then resurrecting and healing as if nothing happened. Ochieng' loved it when they were in each other's embracement. He prayed for that moment not to end.

That could not go for long. She let go and sat down. Ochieng' followed suit and sat next to her. They started talking. They talked and laughed until evening when he and Mudho left the homestead to go hunt for supper.

They found quite a large amount of food. Ochieng' could not eat raw meat like Mudho and therefore as Mudho ate after capturing an animal, he carried his with the fruits he got to his cave. Inside there they roasted the whole animal. When it was ready, he invited Jakony to join in the party. The three of them ate to their fill.

By the time they finished, night had already fell. His heartbeat increased when he thought of going home the next day. He knew his father was already old and his clan had changed. He could not remember the names of his brothers and sisters because they were so many. He wondered whether the tribesmen would receive him warmly or not. Emotions rose the more he thought about home.

"What is the problem?" Inquired Apeleka who saw him distressed.

"I am missing home my dear." he answered with a soft voice.

"You will get there tomorrow, do not worry... will you take Mudho with you? "

"No"

"No? Why?"

"It will only cause tumult among the humans."

"I see..." the lady nodded in realization.

The two of them did not sleep. They spent the night sharing their experiences in the tabu land. At some points they laughed, at some they wept. They hugged at some points, nodded at others. The night was the best each one of them ever had.

At the first c.o.c.k crow at dawn the next day, the excitement they felt only them knew about. The time had come when they had to leave for their domiciles.

Ochieng' ran to all his lion friends to bid them goodbye. Mudho and Ratong' even decided to accompany them to the exit of the land.

Ochieng' and Apeleka rode on the horse while the bird rode on Mudho. They left when the sun was just rising and by noon they were at the exit.

"Live well my brother and sister." Mudho extended its paw to greet them as he wished them well. Ratong' said nothing, it only remained glued on the ground with a sad expression.

Ochieng' and Mudho said a few things things before they finally parted. Mudho and Ratong' you stood where they were until they saw the two fellows disappear.