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“No!”
“No, WHAT??”
Tears sprang to Ela
Ela
Ela
“And where is your husband?”
“Dead.” A tear ran down her cheeks. “He was ripped alive.”
The other lionesses drew in a quick gasp. Even the queen was a little nonplused.
Mabongo wiped her tears with a paw and gave her shoulder a pat. Then he turned to Ujuzi. “There. You see! Nothing wrong with that.”
“Yeah, right.” Ujuzi looked about uncomfortably. “So we have royalty among us.” She turned her gaze on Ela
Ela
“Well let’s hope not,” Ujuzi said, touching Ela
Mabongo frowned as his wife disappeared into the grass. “Don’t let her intimidate you. She will warm up to you with time--she’s just mistrustful. Come...meet your new family.”
Ela
Ela
“I bet you were a very good mother,” Wehu said, admiringly.
“I never got the chance. I came close once, but I....”
“You’re shy?”
“No, dear.” Ela
Wehu took her paw and gently lifted Ela
“Don’t be.” Ela
Wehu smiled. “I’m glad you came. I’m sure they will be too, even my mother.”
She motioned to a lioness with two cubs huddled around her. “That’s Kiesi...and her cubs Inwiena and Ibura” She turned to another lioness with three cubs around her. “That’s Tetesi and her cubs Asuri, Kirizi and Machosi” Finally she turned to the last lioness in the group, a younger lioness and much darker than the rest. “That’s my daughter, Gamaiusi...but we just call her Darky.” She smiled softly to Ela
“MOTHER!”
Ela
“We have some meat left over from last night’s hunt. We won’t hunt again till tomorrow, so we can let the cubs get to know you better before we leave them in your care.”
Ela
“You have a pretty smile. Use it often, my friend. With my mother going through one of her phases, someone has to be in a good mood.”
Silently Mabongo walked up to her, before lying his massive body down. “I’m sorry about my wife...she gets like that sometimes. I do hope you have a better impression of us now. Her moods scare away most new pride members.” He looked to her, “I hope she hasn’t driven you off.”
Ela
The king nodded. “I know what it’s like to be alone...”
Slowly, the cubs started to make their way away from their mothers towards the king and Ela
There was a moment of initial hesitation, but a light seemed to come from Ela
The cubs mobbed her, biting at the tuft on her tail and tugging at her ears with soft giggling. Ela
CHAPTER: FITTING IN
Kiesi was the first lioness to approach Ela
“So are you, Kiesi. You are, Kiesi, aren’t you?”
“Yes ma’am,” the lioness said shyly.
“You don’t have to ma’am me,” Ela
“I’m Ibura. She’s Inwiena.”
Ela
Tetesi came up. “Honey Tree, I hope you know star lore. I’ve run out of stories.”
“I love star stories,” Ela
“Oh thank the gods! I’m telling you, Hon, you just might know enough to keep Asuri busy for a week. I warn you, he’s like dry earth--he’ll soak up whatever you give him and come back for more. And always ‘why.’ Why this and why that!”
“I’m so glad!” Ela
Gamaiusi, an adolescent lioness, came up and said, “Star lore? Do you mind if I listen in too?”
“Sure, Honey Tree! Your mother is welcome too.”
Wehu smiled broadly. “I’ll take you up on that. But we’ll also cover the lands too. You need to learn this place if you’re ever going to hunt here.”
Ela
“Dad really likes you, I can tell.”
“He’s a dear old thing.”
Wehu laughed. “You add a touch of elegance to our pride. You know, I love mother to death but sometimes she can be so....”
“Wehu!” Ujuzi shouted, “hike your buns over here and help me drag this carcass! We have a visitor!”
Wehu smiled and nodded in the direction of her mother. “That’s my mom, all right.”
Wehu and Ujuzi pulled in a large wildebeest carcass. The lionesses came around with their cubs by their side and began to tear at the flesh. Ela