"Did you see that Rani? That was so cool!" Baliyo told her excitedly, amazed at Neha's impressive flying skills. "Sure is!" Rani said, intrigued as they slowed down, getting tired. "I can't wait for Ullu to start flying. Then we can play together, and one day she be the next majordomo just like Neha and we'll together to defend our home!" Rani said excited, looking forward to being like her parents and uncle once she was old enough.

"Well that is if we aren't scared" Baliyo said, glancing down as Rani looked at her brother, confused. He still harbored some guilt from what happened yesterday. He nearly lost his sister to that bear and Nirmala nearly got in trouble for it. "You got hurt. And it wouldn't have happened if I didn't get scared and froze like that" he told her upset as his ears went down.

Rani looked at her brother, seeing how it upset him greatly. She walked up to him and nudged his head up to look at her. The young future queen gave him an warm smile. "Come on Baliyo. It wasn't your fault I got hurt. Besides, I was the one who got reckless and thought I can take on a bear head on. Plus, it was my idea to go into the bear's territory without even checking. The faults on me, not you" she explained to him, hoping to cheer her brother up.

He looked at her, listening as he pondered her words. "Look everyone gets scared right? Besides, mama once said that fear is the first step to bravery. You have to be scared of something in order to face the fear and to find the bravery in your heart. Remember that ok little brother?" She advised him, rubbing his little furry head.

Baliyo looked at her surprised, finding her words to be exactly something their parents would say. He chuckled at her. "What?" She asked him puzzled, tilting her head. "You're starting to sound like our parents. No wonder you're gonna be queen" he told her and made them both laugh at that. "But thanks anyway sis. Really" he told her gratefully as Rani nuzzled him. Despite the two being different, the royal siblings would be there for eachother regardless.

Meanwhile, Neha was still flying as her little chicken, Ullu giggled and laughed, enjoying the feeling of the air through her feathers. Neha smiled at seeing her daughter happy. But when she glanced down, her eyes caught something that alarmed her. There was danger present in the Tree of Life  Her eyes moved ahead to see the royal siblings were right close to it.

"Rani! Baliyo! Get out of there! Now!" She yelled down to them, swooping down torwards them. Her voice caught their attention, but also Surak and Nirmala. The lioness woke up alert, glancing up at the owl. Surak was just patrolling around when his attention was caught by Neha. He noticed how urgent her voice sounded and how her wings flapped hard to reach his niece and nephew. Something was wrong.

"Neha?" Rani said confused as she and her brother looked at the owl. Nirmala got up to her feet and a shadow loomed over her. "Huh?" She looked up and saw in the sky a Himalayan vulture. Her eyes widen as she never saw a bird like that before. Whatever it was, it started making a turn and was moving to the royal cubs!

"Rani! Baliyo! Come to me! Now!" She called out to them, running straight to the cubs to protect them. Surak saw from afar and ran to their direction, sensing the danger present in the Tree of Life. The cubs spotted the vulture and quickly ran torwards Nirmala for protection.

Neha was watching them as she kept going. "Behind you! Behind you!" She called out to them frantically. The siblings reached Nirmala as they got under her and she turned around to face the vulture. It stopped in front of her, flapping to stay in the air.  "Go away! Go away! I won't let you hurt them!" She shouted at it, trying to stay brave. She couldn't believe how big it was up close. It looked like it could easily grab one of the cubs. She couldn't let that happened.

Surak started to get closer to them, heading to Nirmala's direction. Rani and Baliyo stuck close to their babysitter, their ears down in fear. Meanwhile, Neha was starting to get close enough to them but something, a white blur, in the bushes, suddenly struck her wings, causing her to lose balance and control in her flight.

"Neha!" Baliyo called out, spotting her falling. "Mama!" Ullu said, scared and concerned for her mom. "Hang on Ullu!" She told her daughter urgently, her right wing stung in pain and she hit the ground, tumbling in the dirt. The impact made Ullu fall out of her protective hold in her wings and out torwards the lions.

The vulture turned its attention to the owl chick and changed targets. It flew over to her and grabbed Ullu with its talons. "Mama!" Ullu called out to her mom, scared as the vulture flew higher in the air. "Ullu!" Neha yelled out to her child, frantically getting up and trying to fly but she fell down as her wing was hurting bad.

"Ullu!" Nirmala said alarmed and for some reason, out of instinct, ran after the vulture to save her. Rani and Baliyo followed after her, wanting to help their friend. "Nirmala wait! That's not the real threat!" Neha called out to her as she stumbled again, feeling weak. "Neha!" Surak said alarmed, running to her to check on her, and find out what happened

"Baliyo! Baliyo, come back!" Nirmala called out to him but the cub was faster than her. He was more focused on his friend as his eyes stayed on her and that vulture. They moved torwards ahead and saw something white. He gasped quietly, recognizing the place. A place his parents told him not go.

But the prince put on a determined face, not wanting to fail in protecting anyone like last time so he kept on pressing forward. Ullu was his friend after all. He couldn't leave her.

"Baliyo!" Nirmala called out to him again as he ran ahead and disappeared from her sights into this snowy white misty place. The lioness stopped in her tracks as she found the green grass below change into something white and soft. She glanced up, finding that vulture and Ullu gone and her eyes moved to something ahead that made her eyes widen in curiosity.

"What is this place?" Nirmala asked, her eyes scanned this new habitat to her. It was this white, snowy landscape right ahead and torwards it, these humongous mountains, covered in snow and ice. Rani caught up to her finally.

"It's the Himalayan mountains. That vulture must be taking Ullu there" Rani explained with a look of concern on her face as the lioness glanced at her before looking back at this wintery place. She placed her paw on the snow only to pull it back at how cold it was, leaving a large pawprint.

"Father and mother says to never go there alone. The mountains are crawling with dangerous predators" the princess cautioned her. Nirmala turned her face to look at the cub, her eyes on the new scar on her paw. She glanced back at the snow where Baliyo's tracks were at trying to get to catch up to his friend.

Nirmala thought about this carefully. She didn't want to put Rani in harm's way again like before. However, Baliyo and Ullu were in much greater danger as they were on their own in unknown territory and no protection. Glancing up at the mountains, she took a deep breath.

"Baliyo and Ullu are out there alone and in trouble. Listen Rani, go get your uncle Surak and tell him what's happening. I'm going to go and get your brother and Ullu back" she explained to her calmly, even though deep down she herself was afraid. "But Nirmala, you haven't gone there before" Rani told her concerned, her ears low. She didn't want to put her new friend in trouble again like yesterday. But she was also worried for her friend and brother.

Nirmala turned back to snowy mountains with thoughts racing in her head. That bird looked nothing she had seen before but it was intimidating and quick on its wings when it took Ullu. 'I wondered if she had to fight it to save Ullu. Heck, I don't even fight at all! Come on Nirmala! You failed once to protect the royal siblings! You can't fail again!' She argued in her head as her eyes glanced down at the snow. Baliyo's tracks were still fresh and clear in the snow, leaving a trail for her to follow

"Baliyo's tracks are still fresh. I can follow them to him, and maybe on the way get Ullu back. Go find Surak, get Neha help and tell your uncle what happened. Maybe he knows his way in the mountains" Nirmala told her, determine to not let her fears get in the way. Rani still looked at her with worry, her ears down.

Nirmala could see how scared she was and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It will be fine. I promise. Now go do as I say" she told her as Rani thought about. She nodded to the lioness, and took off to find her uncle.

Once she was gone, Nirmala turned back to the snowy landscape in front of her. She felt nervous again. But she couldn't let that fear get in the way. Taking a deep breath, and mustering just enough courage, Nirmala entered the snowy mountains, running to help her new friends.

Wow. It has been a long time since I updated this. I apologized for the long wait but rest assured I still plan to keep writing this book until its complete. Hope you all enjoyed this new chapter, next one coming soon and happy new year 2023 to all of you! 🎇🎊