Lioness Tales

Tale 3: Jiwe's Freedom

By Niche Eenhoorn

Chapter 11: Help in Unexpected Places

Jiwe and Mwezi huddled together, as the cheetahs closed in on them. The Rangers didn't look or act threatening, on the contrary, they seemed friendly and at ease.

One of the cheetahs stepped forward, looking closely at Jiwe. He appeared to be the leader of the party, and was smiling warmly at them.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Muhimu, and this is my team. We're always happy to hear that someone has decided to turn their lives around," he said, taking in discretely the battered looks of Jiwe's body, "And your proposal certainly sounds interesting. I think we're all willing to hear what you have to say."

Mwezi and Jiwe couldn't detect any hint of malice in his voice, which confused the addicts further. They had expected insults, taunts, threats, but the Rangers were calm and composed.

Sensing their distress, Muhimu tried to reassure them. "Don't be afraid, we're not going to hurt you. You've offered us full cooperation and we really appreciate that. Right now there's something we're very interested in," he said, "You mentioned something about the Paka Pride being unconscious? Can you elaborate on that?"

Jiwe glanced at Mwezi, who looked absolutely terrified. The cheetah was also shocked at the fact that Jiwe had referred to her as her adoptive mother. In any other circumstances, this would have warmed up her heart tremendously, but for now, that feeling would have to wait. Mwezi tried to make herself as small as possible, and allowed Jiwe to do all the talking.

Jiwe knew the time had come to speak the truth. She might not have had the guts to kill the Bosses herself, but there were definitely other means to bring them down. And one of those means was standing right in front of her, waiting expectantly for her answer.

The lioness gathered up the courage to talk, hoping that the consequences for her wouldn't be too disastrous. "I- I kinda had to herb 'em all up, so Mwezi and I could escape. There was no other way; they would have sent their bodyguards after us and drag us back."

Muhimu nodded. "I understand... And you think they might still be unconscious?"

"The Bosses, totally, yeah. I made their drink nice and strong. Dunno about the rest, but them bodyguards were actin' loopy too, so ya probably can avoid 'em easily."

The male cheetah looked Jiwe in the eye and said, "How can we be sure that you're not luring us into a trap of some sort? What if we walk into the Paka den only to be ambushed?"

Jiwe scratched her head, unsure how to make them believe her. "Dunno what else to tell ya, but ya can sit here talkin' to me, or ya can take action and get them before they wake up."

Jiwe paused for a moment, biting her lip indecisively. Muhimu picked up on it. "Something else you want to tell me?" he asked.

Jiwe looked at him and replied, "Look, I know I ain't nothing but a dirty, hopeless Oil-head. I can't blame ya lot for not believin' me. So, to show ya I mean well and all, I'll let ya in on a little secret. When ya get to the den, follow the red-stone trail. It'll lead you to a tunnel where the Paka herb stash is hidden."

Mwezi's eyes opened wide, clearly shocked at Jiwe giving away all this information. She wanted to knock some sense into her, but with the Rangers staring at them with curiosity, Mwezi froze down on her spot and opted to stare at the ground instead.

Muhimu listened to her every word, and waited until she was done to say, "I don't think you're dirty or hopeless, dear. On the contrary, it takes a lot of guts to leave your comfort zone behind, to try and seek a better life somewhere else. Only, you understand, I also have to take care of my team, and it's happened many times before that members of my group have been lured into traps, under your Bosses' orders."

Jiwe remained silent, unsure of what else to say. But Muhimu gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and added, "This is what we'll do. We'll try and raid the place, and you will wait for us here. A couple of cheetahs will stay behind with you."

"Yeah, that's cool," Jiwe replied.

Muhimu then turned to the other cheetahs. "All right, you know what to do, let's get this over with. Ajabu, you and your party will stay with the ladies here. The rest, follow me."

The Rangers divided into two groups. The one called Ajabu and three others came closer to the two addicts, while the others followed the leader.

With a quick call, several other animals started showing up. There were leopards, wild dogs and a lion or two, all teaming up to finally enter the well guarded Paka territory. They marched away as one unit, leaving Jiwe and Mwezi in the company of the four cheetahs who were keeping a close eye on them.

"If what you said is true, you'll be doing a great service to every animal in the area, even if it doesn't seem like that to you at the moment," Ajabu said. He appeared somewhat younger than the leader, but he looked strong and confident.

Jiwe and Mwezi nodded quietly. There was nothing else they could do for now, so Jiwe went as far as to lie down, to show them that she had no intentions of running away. Mwezi followed her lead, and they snuggled close together, waiting, and preparing for the worst.

The male cheetah smiled at Mwezi. It was clear to him that she was also underfed, and her growth had been stunted somewhat.

"You girls look tired," he said, trying to be friendly and put them at ease, "When this is all over, if our leader is satisfied with your cooperation, we'll go to a place where you can eat and rest. We have water with us, though, would you like to drink some?"

"No," both addicts replied in unison, knowing that the combination of water and pouches could make them throw up unexpectedly. They chuckled at each other's perfectly timed response, and then Jiwe said, "Thanks, we just ain't that thirsty, stud."

Ajabu raised his eyebrow, blushing slightly. "Yeah, well, if you want some later on, don't be afraid to ask."

Jiwe noticed his blush, and decided to jump into her comfort zone, and began joking and flirting with him. "Ya know, ya guys are really nice, for bein' Rangers."

"We aren't the monsters we're made out to be, you know," Ajabu said, chuckling slightly.

Mwezi looked up at him. "Heh, next thing you'll be tellin' us you guys don't have no torture dungeon-caves where you throw us addicts to rot."

"We don't," he said without hesitation. "Those are just lies told to the addicts, to keep them away from us. Our job is to confiscate herbs, and inform the addicts that there are places where they can get help, if they want it. If they choose to accept it, we can escort them to safety. Now, some addicts take the help, but sometimes, they will react to us in a hostile fashion, especially when we try to take the herbs away. That's why we travel in groups, to protect each other."

Jiwe and Mwezi listened intently, while Ajabu went on, "Those dungeons you've heard of are caves where addicts who want to get clean can be locked up, but only if they consent to it. The rehab prides have never locked anyone up who didn't request it."

"Rehab Prides, huh? It sounds far too nice to be true. I call bullshit," Mwezi said, "If you've really dealt with addicts, ya know we just live for our next fix and we'll do about anything to get it. Sometimes we steal. Sometimes we carry out nasty tasks. Some of us will even go as far as to kill for it. Are ya tellin' me that you lot don't punish addicts for those crimes? Tell me, what happened to them addicts that reacted to you in a hostile fashion?"

Ajabu was slightly taken aback by Mwezi's reaction. He hadn't expect the meek, scared cheetah to speak her mind, since up until now Jiwe had done all the talking.

When Ajabu didn't reply, Mwezi said, "Hmmph, thought so already. Offering to help, my tail!"

"It works like this," Ajabu eventually said, "Unfortunately many addicts have not made it after they have tried to launch an attack on us. But we never initiate the attacks, we only act in self defence. We always try to be polite and helpful. If we suspect that someone might be dealing herbs, we will come down hard on them, but we won't go for the throat right away. We always give them the chance to defend themselves first."

Mwezi sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on her paws. She had heard enough. She was sure she and Jiwe would be killed, or thrown into some cell, 'for their own good.'

Jiwe however, seemed very thoughtful, as she recalled all the times that she had met Rangers while working as a herb-mule. "Ya got a point, stud," she finally told Ajabu.

Mwezi opened her eyes and frowned, looking at Jiwe in disbelief.

"I met lotsa Rangers when I was younger and they were never mean or threatenin'. On the contrary, they were trying to be really helpful. It was as if they could see that somethin' was not right, but they couldn't prove it. They never forced me to confess, they never even did so much as touch me. All they kept sayin' was that if there was anythin' I wanted to talk about, I could look em up. I was expectin' ya guys to treat me differently, now that it's obvious I'm a heavy user... But... Ya didn't."

Ajabu grinned. "It's like Muhimu said; hearing that you tried to break free from the clutches of those two lions is music to our ears. Now, I won't lie to you, once the team confronts your Bosses, there probably will be a fight, and the Rangers will go for the kill. Those two have messed up countless lives, and they need to be stopped."

"And then what?" Mwezi grunted, "Them herbs will just grow in the wild again and everyone will have access to them. Us addicts won't go away or disappear just cause the Bosses kicked the bucket."

"Perhaps not, but at least the slavery that comes with their imposed herb-trade will cease. Animals will be free to do as they please. It's up to them to decide if they want to throw their lives away. But at least they won't be ruining someone else's lives either. There will be no more stealing, selling, prostituting or killing, just to get your next fix."

"What about the Fang Gang? Won't they just take over from Shuk and Kiume?" Jiwe asked.

The cheetah hesitated for a moment, not sure he could disclose any information concerning the rival gang, but eventually he replied, "Let's just say that they're not as big and organized as the Paka dealers. They're sloppy and make many mistakes. Their dealers are extremely inexperienced, so I seriously believe that they won't be in business for much longer."

They remained silent, until Mwezi noticed smoke rising in the horizon. "Look at that, seems like something's on fire back at home... Ya think they're torchin' the place down? They be killin' all those other addicts at the party-"

"No," Ajabu interrupted, "That's just probably the herbs they found. We know a couple of monkeys who can make fire; that's how we destroy the confiscated herbs.

"What a waste," Jiwe said sadly before she could stop herself.

Not long after, the rest of the Rangers returned, looking content and satisfied. The information Jiwe provided had certainly paid off.

Muhimu approached the two addicts. "Well, that's done and over with. A few Rangers have stayed behind, to help the addicts that are still unconscious. There are others tending to the ones who are already awake but still not quite in control. We found the secret hideout you mentioned, as well as the plantations, which have been trampled and burnt down. It's over. The Paka Pride and their herb-dealing business is no more."

Jiwe stared down at the ground, sighing deeply and looking sad. She knew that her mother had been the one to come up with the idea of sticking with the Bosses and forming a little Pride. It had been Rahisi who named it, too. And now, it was all over. Suddenly, Jiwe looked up and asked, "What happened to Shuk and Kiume? Did ya kill 'em in their sleep?"

Muhimu cleared his throat. "Well, about that..." he said, "Just what exactly did you use to herb everyone up?"

"Chew-Leaves extract," Jiwe admitted, "I used a lot of it on the bodyguards, since they're bigger, but I wanted to make sure the Bosses would fall asleep and not wake up any time soon, so most of the extract went into Shuk and Kiume's drinks."

Muhimu nodded. "Would you say that you used the same amount for them as you did for a rhino or an elephant?"

Jiwe shrugged. "Yeah, about the same, more or less. Why?"

"Well, the thing is," Muhimu said, trying to choose his words as carefully as he could, "When we got there, the two lions had actually passed away. We didn't have to do anything. We assume that what you gave them caused them to overdose."

"What?" Jiwe asked, pinning her ears down, looking shocked.

"You gave them the same amount you gave an elephant, and the elephant couldn't stand up at all anymore. What would you think would happen to a lion not even half his size? The Chew Leaves make the muscles relax. With the amount of extract they ingested, I think that the heart of your two Bosses simply stopped beating shortly after taking the drink."

"I just wanted to make sure they wouldn't wake up soon, I swear! Mwezi can tell ya, I'm no killer, yo! I've never killed nothing! Not even to eat!" Jiwe said, raising her voice as she began to panic.

"She's right! All she wanted was to buy us more time to run away!" Mwezi added, jumping quickly to Jiwe's defence.

"Shh, calm down, you two, please," Muhimu tried to say, while Jiwe and Mwezi did their best to explain themselves, talking at the same time, rendering each other incomprehensible.

When finally the two addicts stopped rambling, Muhimu told them, "I understand, it was an accident."

"Yes," Jiwe said quickly, "I wasn't familiar with that plant, yo, I tell ya, I didn't know what I was doing, but I felt it was my only choice!"

Muhimu nodded, understanding her position. Jiwe seemed genuinely distressed, and so far, everything she had said had turned out to be truth. He had found the remains of the Chew-Leaf extract back at the den, and was glad when Jiwe confessed the truth rather than trying to weasel out of this with a lie. He had no reason to believe that she had killed them on purpose.

"What do you say you two come with us? We'll head to the territory of the nearest Rehab Pride, where you can get food, water and a safe place to rest. We can talk more along the way," he suggested.

Jiwe sighed and turned to Mwezi. "Whaddayasay, babe? There's nothin' to go back to... We might as well go with these guys."

"I don't wanna end up locked in a cave, Jiwe! Dammit..." Mwezi said, still not trusting the Rangers completely.

Ajabu walked up to Mwezi and said, "You won't, I promise. This is what will happen: we'll go there, we'll eat and rest. You can hear what the Rehab Pride has to offer you, and it will be up to you if you want to stay with them for a while, or not. If you decide to accept their help and try to get clean, that's fantastic. If you're not ready, they won't hold you back by force. You need to want to be helped, for this to work."

Mwezi sighed, and looked at Jiwe. "Fine, let's go then."

The two addicts followed the cheetahs, while Mwezi muttered through gritted teeth, "Told you this was a bad idea."

Jiwe gave her a little grin and said, "Dunno. I got a good feelin' about this... Knowing that the Bosses won't hunt us down feels good too. Who would've thought I'd end up killin' em after all..."

As they walked Muhimu paired up to Jiwe and began asking her questions about the Paka Pride. Jiwe told him everything she knew about herbs, how dealers operated, their routes, their tactics, secret hideouts and meeting points. But there was one thing that she kept to herself: the use of Dealer's Hide, and the fact that she was carrying a huge amount of pouches of it inside her. This was probably the only thing giving Jiwe enough confidence for the time being. She had it all figured out: she and Mwezi would listen to the Rehab Pride's ranting. They would both tell them they're not ready for all their shenanigans. They would simply walk away, find a safe place to throw up the pouches, and get completely high and wasted, in memory of Kiume and Shukrani.

In the meantime, Ajabu walked up to Mwezi and began trying to break her shell. The female cheetah was very curt with her responses at first, but the more they talked, the more she opened up. Ajabu was very intrigued about her and kept asking questions that had nothing to do with her herb-habit. Instead, he enquired about where she grew up, favorite type of meat, whether she had a family or a mate, and Mwezi had to admit that she enjoyed the attention. Most animals she met didn't see past her herb-addiction. That was all she was to them, an addict. Ajabu seemed to be trying to see past that, and it pleased Mwezi, as much as she hated to admit it.

There were a few times when Jiwe and Mwezi both felt a bit sick to their stomachs, while the pouches threatened to burst out of their mouths. But luckily for them, the Rangers gave them privacy every now and then so they could relieve themselves. Every time Jiwe or Mwezi felt sick, they would excuse themselves, pretending they needed to go, but they would only take deep calming breaths until the nausea disappeared.

It was a bit of a long trip, but Jiwe had to admit that the Rangers' friendly demeanour had made it quite bearable. They were all in for a little chat, and some of them even cracked up at some of Jiwe's risque jokes or comments. Even if the lioness had little to no class at all, they all found her easy to talk to, and they could see how she had a way to lure animals, despite her appearance.

From her confessions to Muhimu, the Rangers were now aware that she had been a major dealer at some point, and not only that, she was the famous 'J', hosting all those herb-parties. Jiwe had expected them to be angry at her when this little fact came to the light, but the Rangers all kept their emotions in check. They knew that part of a successful rehabilitation was not to focus on what the addicts had done earlier, but instead try to concentrate on what they would achieve in the future, once they were clean.

This attitude surprised Jiwe and Mwezi, and by the end of the trip, they were completely sure that all the things they had learned about Rangers in the past had been nothing but lies. These animals genuinely seemed to be trying to help.

They finally reached a beautiful area, full of green grasslands, herds, and a big waterhole. A few big rocks protruded here and there, and there were plenty of trees to provide shelter from the sun.

"Lovely place!" Mwezi exclaimed, taking in the new landscape, and the scents that came with it.

In the distance, Jiwe noticed a lioness approaching. She was a much older female, with a pale pelt, well-built and strong looking.

"That's Zambarau," Muhimu told them, "She's in charge around here."

Jiwe and Mwezi looked at her while they both thought, Yeah, well, she ain't the boss of us!

The lioness finally reached them and greeted Muhimu with a friendly head-butt. "Nice to see you again, I was starting to get worried!"

"You heard the news, didn't you?" the male cheetah asked.

Zambarau nodded. "Yes, your bird reached me so I'm aware of the situation. I can't believe that the Paka Pride is done and over with. One more to go..."

She then turned towards Jiwe and Mwezi and smiled. "Welcome to Matumaini Territory. My name's Zambarau, but everyone calls me Zam. What are your names?"

Jiwe had taken a closer look at Zambarau, and found her to be quite attractive, despite the obvious age gap between them. The skinny lioness didn't waste any time and began complimenting her in her usual blunt fashion. "The name's Jiwe, babe. And if I may say so, man, ya be breathtakin'! Where ya been all me life?"

Zambarau gave her a crooked grin and then turned to the cheetah, whose simple reply was, "Mwezi."

"Well, glad to have you both here. You must be very tired, after such a long journey," Zambarau said, and motioned for the addicts to follow her.

The Rangers also joined in, and they all were invited to gather around a freshly killed zebra.

"Our hunters worked hard to have dinner ready for you. So, help yourselves, and enjoy your meal," Zambarau said.

The rangers approached the kill and began eating straight away, laughing, chatting and with high spirits. But Jiwe and Mwezi, still full of pouches, stayed behind. They were afraid to risk throwing up the herbs on the spot.

Zambarau didn't fail to notice this, and she also took note of the two addicts burping constantly, and how they would drool sometimes, for no apparent reason. She said nothing for the time being, and concentrated on Muhimu, who was filling her in on all the details of the raid.

Jiwe and Mwezi in the meantime were looking around, noticing a few animals further away. The Matumaini Pride reminded her of the Paka Pride in the sense that there weren't only lions around. There were also wild dogs, hyenas, a few cheetahs, and to Jiwe's surprise, a giraffe or two.

Jiwe jumped when Zambarau addressed her and Mwezi all of a sudden. "You girls don't feel like eating?"

They both shook their heads, without giving her any further explanation.

"Well, in that case, would you like to get some sleep?"

"Sleep sounds good, will ya join me too?" Jiwe said, winking at her.

Zambarau grinned slightly, rolling her eyes. She motioned with her head for them to follow, and told Jiwe, "As tempting as the offer may be, I don't think my mate would be too happy, so I think I'll have to pass. Sorry to have to disappoint you!"

Jiwe grinned, appreciating her sense of humour. "Of course, someone as pretty as ya wouldn't be wandering this world on her own, I shoulda known."

Zambarau's smile faded slightly at that point, and she remained quiet so as not to egg Jiwe on. She led the two addicts to a small rock formation, with a cave at the bottom, big enough to fit two or three lions. "You can sleep here, nobody will come bothering you."

Mwezi instantly froze on her tracks and shook her head. "I ain't going in no stinkin' cave!"

Zambarau was familiar with addicts who refused to enter caves, thanks to the rumours spread by the dealing gangs. "That's fine, you don't have to go inside if you don't want to. You can just make yourself comfortable right here if you prefer."

Mwezi gave her a suspicious look, and sat down meters away from the cave. "I'll sleep here then."

"Fine with me, dear. Rest well for now and we'll talk again later when you wake up. Feel free to pop by the common area by the waterhole, if you want food or water."

Mwezi and Jiwe watched her leave and once they were alone, Jiwe burped loudly again. "I won't be able to hold these in much longer. My belly's hurtin' good and proper..."

"Same here, yo... Maybe we should just get 'em out, get some sleep, and swallow them again later."

"Good idea," Jiwe replied, and began digging a hole close to the entrance of the cave.

"Don't get too near! It might be booby-trapped!" Mwezi hissed.

"Ya can be real silly sometimes, ya know that?" Jiwe said, chuckling slightly.

Mwezi approached her and gave her a gentle slap on the back of her head. "Don't talk like that to your adoptive momma."

Jiwe smiled and gave Mwezi a quick headbutt. "Okay, ya go first. I'll keep guard."

Mwezi began throwing up the pouches into the hole, and then Jiwe followed. They quickly covered them with dirt, and both addicts lay down on top of them, to conceal the freshly disturbed soil from any passer-by. Despite all the excitement concerning the events of the day, Jiwe and Mwezi fell asleep very quickly. They slept soundly, even through the roaring of their hungry stomachs.

Jiwe wasn't sure just how long she had slept. She felt well rested after waking up, but the withdrawal symptoms had started to show up again. She hoped that she could get to ditch the Matumaini Pride's assistance soon enough, and just be on the move on as soon as possible.

She nuzzled Mwezi gently, trying to rouse her. "Yo, wake up, c'mon..."

The cheetah looked up, confused for a moment at the unfamiliar surroundings. She finally realized where they were, and sighed deeply. "What is it?"

"I'm really cravin' a fix. I say we swallow the pouches again, go tell Zam that thanks but no thanks, and just scram."

Mwezi sat up straight and shook herself. "Yeah, now that ya mention it, I could use a good hit of Bark Powder..."

They dug up the pouches, tried to clean the sand and dirt off as best as they could, and swallowed them again. The task was a lot harder than before, since now they were very grimy and they kept getting stuck. It actually hurt as they went down.

"Oh, man, what a bad idea, let's never do this again," Jiwe said, coughing and gagging every so often, "Next time we look for a river or so to wash 'em up first."

Mwezi nodded in agreement, hacking and spitting dirt.

Once they were more or less comfortable, they cleaned each other up to remove any traces of dirt from their paws and faces, and returned to the common area, which looked a lot more crowded than the day before.

Jiwe recognized a few of the Rangers talking to Zambarau, but she couldn't help noticing the curious glances from the rest of the animals. Everyone seemed to be shocked at the state Jiwe was in, and the lioness knew just how to make them stop staring. She began blowing kisses at them and licking her cheeks in a provocative fashion. That was enough for everyone to look away and pretend they hadn't seen her.

Jiwe chuckled to herself, and urged Mwezi to hurry. "C'mon, let's get this over with."

The lioness headed towards Zambarau with a determined expression on her face, rehearsing the lines in her mind over and over again.

But before she could get close enough, another lioness came running and reached Zambarau first. "Zam! We found a wounded wild dog, obvious herb-abuser too. Probably got into a gang fight. Where do you want her?"

Jiwe's brain couldn't register what was said next. She simply stared at the lioness with wide eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. That beautiful, creamy lioness was no one other but Hanaa.

Before Jiwe could come back to her senses, Hanaa had already ran away to join the others that were carrying the wounded dog. Hanaa disappeared behind the tall grasses, as quickly as she came.

"Mwezi... Did I just hallucinate or-"

"Nope. I saw her too..." Mwezi said, her jaw hanging open.

Zambarau took notice of the two addicts at that point and approached them. "Good morning, slept well?"

Jiwe nodded, but she found that the speech she had rehearsed would have to wait. She needed to speak to Hanaa first.

"Say, Zam... Who was that lioness?"

"She calls herself H. Some ex-addicts prefer to keep their real name hidden, embarrassed of what they have done," Zambarau explained. "She's been with us for a while, and has been a great asset to our group. Heh, caught your eye already, huh? Well, don't get too excited. From what I've heard, she's taken already."

Jiwe and Mwezi looked at each other, confused. Jiwe thought that she would never experience pain similar as to the heartache she felt when Hanaa disappeared. But to be so close to her all of a sudden, and hearing that she was seeing someone else, was more than Jiwe could handle. The lioness couldn't say more, and began running back to the cave that they had been offered the night before.

Mwezi raised her eyebrows, and excused herself. "Er... I'll go check on her, we'll be back later!"

Zambarau watched them go, almost as confused as the two addicts. "Wow, she falls in love rather quickly, doesn't she..." she said to herself, and then headed off to check on the wounded dog.

Jiwe in the meantime, was crying loudly, cursing at nothing in particular. Mwezi tried to comfort her and licked her tears away.

When Jiwe finally calmed down enough to be able to speak, she said, "I'm sorry babe... I can't leave this place, not till I've spoken to her."

Mwezi nodded. "I understand, don't worry, sweetie. We'll just hide the pouches again, and swallow them up when you persuade her to run away with us."

Jiwe chuckled through her sobs. "Yeah, let's be optimistic, innit!"

The two addicts found a better hiding spot next to a small creek nearby. They could rinse the pouches there whenever they decided to swallow them again.

Throwing the pouches back up was not an easy feat this time, they hurt coming out as much as they did coming in. Mwezi especially was having a lot of trouble. All of a sudden, she felt intense pain, and in the end, along with the pouches, she began vomiting blood.

"Babe, ya okay?" Jiwe asked, looking alarmed.

"Yah, yah, I'm fine, I just think I swallowed too much dirt," Mwezi said, breathing heavily. "Anyway, mind if I stay here, while you go talk to Hanaa? In the meantime I can take care of hidin' the pouches underground. I'll place them right under that small rock over there."

"Yeah, that's a good spot. All right... I'll be back soon."

Mwezi waited until Jiwe was out of sight, and she began groaning loudly from the pain. She counted the pouches she had thrown up, and one was missing. She could feel it stuck somewhere in the middle of her chest, and no matter how much she tried to retch, the pouch wouldn't move. Mwezi concentrated on hiding the rest of the pouches, and tried once again to dislodge the last one, but at some point the pain became so intense that Mwezi fainted and dropped to the ground unconscious.

Jiwe began looking for Hanaa all over the place, and finally someone directed her towards a distant cave, where a group of onlookers had gathered. Jiwe made her way through to the front row, and spotted Hanaa inside, holding the head of the wild dog steady, while Zambarau and a mandrill tended to its wounds.

The skinny lioness tried to wait until Hanaa was done helping out, but her patience quickly ran out. "Yo, H, fancy seein' ya here," Jiwe called, attracting Hanaa's attention.

Hanaa's eyes grew wide and she brought a paw to her mouth as she gasped in surprise.

"Keep him steady, H! And J, can't you see we're busy working here? Get back to the common area and I'll meet you there later!"

Hanaa quickly steadied the wild dog's head again, but kept glancing at Jiwe, her expression hard to read.

Jiwe didn't return to the common area, but sat down to wait until Hanaa was free from her task. She looked intently at Hanaa, as if trying to read her thoughts. It appeared as if Hanaa was throwing angry stares at her. The nerve... I should be the angry one, not her! Jiwe thought.

It seemed like an eternity for the two lionesses, but the mandrill finally patched up the wild dog and said, "Well done, you two. She'll be fine, she just needs some good rest now."

Zambarau was about to thank Hanaa, but she was quicker and excused herself rather hastily.

"Sorry, Zam, I have to go. See you later, okay?"

Zambarau frowned when she saw her running back to the common area, followed closely by Jiwe. It was obvious that they knew each other, and Zambarau couldn't help feeling worried, especially since she suspected that Jiwe could be concealing herbs. Zambarau hoped that Hanaa would be strong if faced with temptation.

Meanwhile, Jiwe kept trying to get Hanaa's attention. "What, ya don't have the balls to face me?" she said, trying to keep up with Hanaa, who was doing her best to ignore Jiwe.

"Talk to me, dammit! It's the least I deserve for the way you treated me!" Jiwe snapped, as tears of sadness and anger flowed once again.

Hanaa eventually slowed down once there was nobody to overhear their conversation, and turned around to face Jiwe. "Oh! How about the way you treated me? I sent you a thousand messages, and you never bothered to reply! I even thought you had gotten yourself killed by an overdose at some point!"

Jiwe walked up to her until they were nose to nose. "What the hell are you talkin' about? What messages? Why did you disappear? Were you part of the Fang Gang? You and that scumbag of a lion who took advantage of me? Tell me the truth, Hanaa, I need to know!"

Hanaa's angry demeanour faded slowly, as she looked into Jiwe's eyes. Something didn't add up. "Ya mean, ya never got any of my messages? Not a single bird?"

Jiwe shook her head, still waiting impatiently for an explanation.

Hanaa sighed deeply. "I couldn't come see you anymore because my Pride found out about my herb addiction. They brought me here instead and Mother practically forced me to enrol in their rehab program. I had no idea how to reach you, but then that vulture friend of yours showed up. I told him everything. I asked him to relay the message to you so that you wouldn't worry about me... I guess he didn't tell you?"

Jiwe growled as she shook her head, remembering how Kuwasi had denied seeing any trace of her. Even the bird had lied to her.

"I was expecting you to send the vulture back with a message for me," Hanaa went on, "but when he didn't show up after several days, I just asked another bird. And another. After what felt like the hundredth bird without any reply from you, I finally assumed you were done with me. I thought you wanted to sever ties with me so that you wouldn't get caught or something."

Jiwe shook her head, looking surprised and angry, realizing just how far the Bosses had gone to make her life miserable. "No, babe, of course not. If I had known ya were here, I would have left the Paka Pride right away and come to ya. I suppose the Bosses knew this, and since they controlled the message traffic, and all birds had to go through them first, it was easy to keep this information hidden from me. Those friggin' bastards! They knew exactly what had happened to you..." Jiwe carried on cursing out loud, while Hanaa waited patiently for her to calm down.

Jiwe finally got tired of cursing, and turned to Hanaa, her expression softening almost immediately. "So, ya been here, all this time? Does this mean you're actually clean 'n stuff?"

Hanaa nodded. "Yes... I've been helping around here in the meantime. Sometimes I get to help with the wounded animals, like today. Sometimes I help at the nursery, and sometimes I just try and be supportive to those still in the process of getting clean."

Jiwe looked away, wiping the tears away from her face with a paw. "I missed ya like hell, babe, ya have no idea. I searched for ya... I even thought ya were held hostage somewhere..."

"I was, in a way," Hanaa said, chuckling slightly. "It doesn't feel that way anymore, but it did back then. I missed you too, all I wanted was to be with you and get high."

"But ya got someone else now, huh?"

"What? No," Hanaa replied, "I told everyone I had a mate, but I was actually referring to you."

Jiwe felt her heart beating faster when she asked, "And ya still think of me that way? Cause I can tell ya, nobody else has stolen my heart the way ya did, babe. I needed ya so badly... I still do."

Hanaa pulled Jiwe close and kissed her, showering her face with licks. Jiwe surrendered to her, embracing Hanaa with one paw and returning the licks passionately.

They gazed into each other's eyes after that loving kiss, and Hanaa finally said, "I needed you too. Very much. I didn't think I could live without you and the herbs."

Jiwe gave her a cheeky, devious grin and said, "What if I told ya I got herbs with me? Mwezi and I were planning to leave this dump as soon as possible. I was hopin' ya would come with me."

Hanaa's smile faded and she stared back at Jiwe in disbelief. "What? For real?"

Jiwe nodded. "I got the whole lot. Bark Powder, Blackroot, and our favorite, Upendi Petals..."

Hanaa closed her eyes. She had had little to no temptation ever since she was sent here. To see her dear Jiwe standing there, offering her sweet precious herbs, it was certainly making her feel she was standing on very shaky ground.

The creamy lioness opened her eyes once more, and focused on Jiwe's beaten-up look. The skinny lioness had lost more weight than before, if that was even possible. Her bald patches were sore and raw, and she looked like she was about to drop dead any minute now.

Hanaa knew better now, and she was aware that she had two choices. Either follow Jiwe and end up like her, hiding, running from the rangers, getting caught in gang fights... Or, have Jiwe follow her instead, and have a happy life together as a healthy, herb-free couple.

After making up her mind, Hanaa said, "That's a very tempting offer, J, but... I'm a different lioness now. I did my share of experimenting before, I know how it feels now, and I'm done with it. I also know how hard it is to come off it, and I don't want to have to go through that again."

Jiwe frowned slightly. "So, what ya sayin', Hanaabee? Ya stayin' with these weirdos instead of comin' with me? Is that it?"

Hanaa took Jiwe's chin with her paw gently. "What I'm saying is, I want you to stay with me and the weirdos here. Get clean together with me, And we can finally live together peacefully, instead of being sick and on the run."

Jiwe took a step backwards, feeling disappointed. "Fine, I get it. S'just Mwezi 'n me then."

Hanaa sighed. "J, baby, please listen to me... I used to think the same way as you. I was so upset with Mother for bringing me here, but once you're free from the clutches of those herbs, it's like you're reborn. I went through the whole process, and I can tell you first hand it's true. I'm not making things up."

Jiwe shrugged, appearing uninterested. "Never mind, I know enough, yo. You and I are livin' in different worlds now. You're better than me, and we can't be together. So I'm goin' back to Mwezi now, She probably needs me more than ya do."

"That's not what I meant! Stop putting words in my mouth, J, and don't walk away, please... There's so much we need to talk about..."

Jiwe continued walking towards the creek where she left Mwezi earlier, while Hanaa desperately tried to reason with her.

"If you could just listen to me and give it a try, baby, I'm begging you!"

Jiwe grunted slightly, while her addicted mind made her feel insulted and rejected by her offers of help. "I said, we done talkin', babe."

"Listen to you... Are the herbs really stronger than the love you feel for me? Then probably you never even loved me in the first place."

That sentence finally got a reaction from Jiwe, who turned around and faced Hanaa, looking very angry. "Don't ya dare say I didn't love ya. I spent days and nights cryin' over ya! You're the one who's traded me for this stupid place!"

"I'm not trading you, I'm inviting you to be a part of it! Deep inside you know that you can't carry on the way you've been living, baby. The Bosses are dead! You're a free lioness to do as you please now! And what are you going to do with that freedom, huh? Live just they way you had been living before? What's the point in that? Life's giving you two roads to choose from, J. You already know where one road leads. You've walked it a million times. The other road seems scary and unknown, but ya don't have to walk it alone, baby. I'll be there, with you, every single step of the way."

Jiwe looked at Hanaa thoughtfully for a moment. She hated to admit that she was making a lot of sense. However, her thoughts were distracted by the sound of a muffled cry. Jiwe turned towards where she thought she had heard the sound, and heard it again. It came from around the creek.

"Mwezi!" Jiwe exclaimed, and ran towards where she had left her.

Hanaa followed closely, and gasped when she saw Mwezi lying in a pool of blood coming from her mouth

"Mwezi, babe, what's happenin to ya?" Jiwe screamed, looking in shock at all the blood she had lost.

Mwezi coughed more blood, and without caring that Hanaa might hear, she blurted out weakly, "I think a pouch broke or it's stuck somehow. It feels like I'm bein' stabbed from the inside... I'm dyin', Jiwe..."

Jiwe couldn't stand the sight of her close friend agonizing like that. She turned to Hanaa and asked, "Ya think that mandrill from earlier can help her?"

Hanaa nodded. "You stay here with her, and I'll go get him. Only I'll be forced to tell him about the pouch. You understand that?"

Jiwe agreed, looking desperate. "Yes, I do! Go ahead, just do what it takes to save her, please..."

Hanaa left without another word, while Jiwe groomed Mwezi's tainted face and reassured her that everything would be all right.

It didn't take long for Hanaa to return with Zambarau and the mandrill.

"Make way, make way," he told Jiwe, and began pulling out a few items from a pouch, much like the one stuck in Mwezi's insides, only much bigger.

Zambarau in the meantime turned to Jiwe and said, "I will need you to be completely honest with me, J, the life of your friend depends on it."

Jiwe nodded, tears rolling down her face without control.

"The pouch stuck inside her, is it made from either one of these materials?" Zambarau asked, picking out a few hide samples from the mandrill's pouch and showing them to her.

Jiwe looked closely and immediately recognized one as Dealer's Hide. She pointed at it with her paw without hesitation.

Zambarau nodded and turned to the mandrill again. "Okay, looks like we need tonic number four."

Jiwe watched as the mandril poured a very oily looking substance onto a coconut half, and gave it to Mwezi to drink.

"This doesn't taste great, but try to swallow and keep it down for as long as you can, deal?"

Mwezi nodded, and she weakly swallowed the thick, oily tonic, making a grimace at its horrible taste, but she did her best and held the horrible liquid down.

They all waited in silence, while Jiwe paced nervously back and fro. Hanaa patted her on the shoulder reassuringly, and whispered, "They've done this before. They know what they're doing, don't worry."

Jiwe stopped pacing, and concentrated on Mwezi, who had begun to foam from the mouth. The froth, tainted pink because of the blood, eventually began turning a darker color.

"That's it," the mandrill said, "We're now going to give you something to make you throw up. It'll be really violent and it might hurt a lot, but you'll just have to try and let it all out."

Mwezi nodded, willing to do anything just to get rid of the pain. She drank another concoction that was so horrible in taste, that the cheetah couldn't hold back and began throwing up like she had never done before. Jiwe could now see that the oily liquid had managed to soften the pouch somehow, causing it to loosen up, and all the contents inside to be released. Jiwe glanced around nervously when the soggy pouch came out of Mwezi's mouth, followed by Blackroot, Oil-leaves, Upendi petals and even Catnip twigs.

The mandrill forced Mwezi to drink more of the horrible tasting liquid a few times, and then began feeding her plain water, until the froth disappeared, and what came out of Mwezi's mouth was as clear as the water from the creek.

Zambarau then washed the cheetah's face gently, whispering reassuring words to her, telling her it was all over and she would be all right.

The mandrill prepared another beverage for Mwezi, explaining to her that this one would help stop the internal bleeding.

Jiwe was in awe to see how they were actually using herbs to save lives, and with the withdrawal symptoms getting worse by the minute, Jiwe felt a pang of guilt to think how she had been doing the exact opposite. The thought quickly left her mind, but it would be more and more recurring if she didn't take an Oil-Leaf soon.

Mwezi finally relaxed and fell asleep, completely exhausted after the ordeal.

"She will need to drink plenty of water, and eating might cause her some discomfort for now, but she should be fine in a few days. Just let her have plenty of rest," The mandrill told them.

Jiwe thanked him sincerely, and he left to tend to his other duties.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Zambarau whispered softly, "H, can you please leave us alone? J and I need to talk."

Hanaa nodded, and gave Jiwe a heartfelt nuzzle before leaving. "Love you, J, remember that," she whispered in her ear, and walked away, looking sad and worried.

Jiwe let out a deep breath and collapsed on the ground, feeling her world crumbling down right on top of her. The pressure and weight of everything that just happened made her burst into sobs again. She couldn't stand the thought of almost losing Mwezi. It had been Jiwe's idea to steal the pouches, after all, and she was feeling very guilty at this point. And now she was in for a lecture, she thought, expecting a reprimand from Zambarau. But instead, the old lioness had remained quiet, giving Jiwe time to grieve.

Jiwe didn't turn away when Zambarau approached her and held her close in a very tight and comforting hug.