He smiled to her, “There you go...you will fit in fine.” She smiled to him softly and followed him through the grasses.
CHAPTER: THE THIRD PRIDE
As they topped a ridge, Mabongo roared and a lioness replied. The king turned to Elanna. “Come...they know we are coming.” Quietly, they walked down the rise. A small group of lionesses and cubs were gathered below, looking at the visitor with great interest. Mabongo smiled and said, “This is my pride.”
Elanna looked over the small group, trying to gauge their mood at seeing her. In the group were five lionesses and a few cubs who huddled uneasily next to them. “Very nice,” she said, scanning the cubs’ eyes for some sign of acceptance. “You must be proud of them.”
Mabongo ran to one particular lioness and nuzzled her. Elanna guessed that she must be his queen.
“This is Elanna. She comes to us without a home. I feel that it is the right thing to do is to allow her to stay here if she wants a home.”
“Flip that mane out of your eyes, babe,” the lioness said, stepping toward Elanna with a pronounced swaying strut. “How do we know this gal is worthy?” The lioness walked up and looked at Elanna’s face. “Pretty enough for two, but who knows what kind of past she might have--or what future.”
Mabongo looked at Elanna uneasily. “That is Ujuzi...my queen. She means no harm.”
Ujuzi pawed Elanna’s shoulders politely enough. “Of course I mean no harm. But Sweetcheeks, if you want to run with this crowd, we gotta check you out. If you got nothing to hide, you won’t mind answering a few questions.”
“I’m willing to answer any of your questions, Your Highness.” Elanna said softly.
Ujuzi looked back at the timid lioness. “You can skip the Your Highness bit. Yes Ma’am and no Ma’am do nicely.”
“Yes, Your--uh--ma’am.”
“Well, for first, what brings you to these parts? You tick off your queen?”
Elanna sighed softly, “I was the queen. I was driven out by my pride sisters...”
“Driven out by your pride sisters?” Ujuzi stared at Mabongo. “I guess you already knew that? And I’m sure she also told you why while you were flapping your jaws, but I want to hear it with my own ears.” She turned back to Elanna and said, “So you’re going to tell me you’re very sorry and you just want a second chance? What happened? Did he catch you crouching in the bushes?”
“No!”
“No, WHAT??”
Tears sprang to Elanna’s eyes. “No, MA’AM!” Her head hung low and tears streamed down her face. “Thanks for the offer, Mabongo, but I won’t stay where I’m not wanted.”
Elanna started to walk off, but Mabongo cut her off with a gentle nuzzle. “Ujuzi, would you calm down and let her finish?” He turned back to Elanna and smiled softly. “Come on, dear. It’s OK.” Mabongo glared at Ujuzi, showing a little tooth. “I’m sure my wife didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
Elanna regained her composure and turned to face Ujuzi respectfully but firmly. “I was driven out because my husband was disposed. My only crime was that I loved him.”
“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 Elanna. “I’m not heartless, honey. Just remember who’s the queen around here, and who’s the subject and we’ll get along real fine. There’s no special treatment here for ladies of leisure. Forget breakfast in bed. You want hard work, clean living, and fair treatment, you came to the right place.”
Elanna went and fell before Ujuzi and kissed her forepaw. “Oh thank you! You won’t regret this, I swear it!”
“Well let’s hope not,” Ujuzi said, touching Elanna’s cheek with her paw. “Welcome to the pride, but remember you’re on probation. I’m keeping my eye on you.” With that, she turned and walked away, disappearing.
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.”
Elanna nodded and walked with him to the group. Another lioness stepped forward, “I am Wehu...hunt mistress.” She sat down in front of Elanna and smiled disarmingly. “Don’t worry about my mother. She’s just grumpy because she missed on the hunt and she keeps thinking she's getting old.” She nuzzled Elanna and half-whispered, “She is, but most people are at her age. She's been keeping the cubs, but we need to get her back on the hunt again. Build her confidence again.” With a chuckle, she said, “Until we get you up on our lands, we might just allow you to stay with the cubs. Then she'd HAVE to hunt!”
Elanna said. “I would love to watch the cubs.” She turned to look at them. “They are so adorable.” One of them smiled back at her, and Elanna broke into a candid grin. “It’s the only time I feel like a real lioness.”
“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.” Elanna nuzzled her softly and whispered, “When I had my miscarriage, I lost my....” Elanna looked down, her eyes filled with shame and tears.
Wehu took her paw and gently lifted Elanna’s chin. She kissed her gently on the cheek, the corner of her mouth, and the tear-stain that flowed from her eyes. Her warm hazel eyes peered into the depths of Elanna’s pain, misty with compassion. “I’m sorry I made you cry.”
“Don’t be.” Elanna returned her kiss. “I have smiled as well. I’ve had a good life, a full life, and every time I’ve needed help, someone like you would come to me. Aiheu has dealt kindly with me.”
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 Elanna. “Mother always said I had a dark streak...and it shows in more than her fur.”
“MOTHER!”
Elanna laughed. It was a pretty laugh that had waited a long time to come forth.
“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.”
Elanna nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”
“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.”
Elanna shook her head, “No. I’ll be hard to scare off. I’m afraid of being alone.”
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 Elanna, helped by some nudging of their mother. Elanna smiled and rolled on her back, patting her chest with a paw. “Come on and see your Aunt Lannie!”