Chapter 2: Faith Untold

Mamello squeaked in fear as the roar of her sister echoed throughout the dry Savannah. Mamello slid down the tree trunk cautiously, digging her claws slightly into the peeling bark. Down below, she was aware of a shadowed figure gazing up at her from between a clump of African Savannah grass.

"Naki?" Mamello whispered to the darkness. "Is that you?" Without answering, the figure picked her up in its jaws. Mamello relaxed. Naki was here, and she was taking her home. But as they exited the shadows of the baobab tree, Mamello froze. The jaws belonged to the grey, drawn face of a hyena, padding along silently on her paws. Mamello started to cry. The hyena set her down and looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"It's okay," the hyena reassured her. "I'm taking you to see your sister."

A little ways away, a hunting party of hyenas was gathered around an animal carcass, tearing pieces of meat off of the bones. The matriarch stood nearby, with something that was probably the leg of the animal. She snarled at the approaching hyena. "Why did you bring her here?" she hissed.

"That was wrong!" the hyena protested. "This little cub is all alone now!"

"Well, don't bring her cub over here. Leave it."

"We can't leave her here Jaha!"

The hyena called Jaha regarded Mamello coldly. "Obioma, it's the Circle of Life. They shouldn't have been out here without their pride. They were foolish enough however, and they got what they deserved."

Jaha turned away.

"But Jaha…"

"I said leave her!"

Obioma sighed in defeat and nuzzled Mamello gently.

"Honey, I'm so sorry." Obioma then turned away and padded off towards her other pack members. Jaha ate in silence, while Mamello watched her, too shocked to say anything. After awhile, Jaha looked up.

"Well? Go, before I change my mind and have young lion meat for an evening snack!" she snarled. Mamello took a step back. Suddenly, the light of the moon shone on Jaha's prey, and Mamello was able to see the scarred leg of a corpse, half eaten by the teeth of a hyena. A little ways away, the head slowly rolled over, displaying unseeing eyes and an open mouth. Paralyzed with fear, Mamello backed away, and ran into the shadows.

& & &

"……..Let Aheiu pray for her soul," the king finished, warm tears streaming down his face as the lionesses offered Mamello and Yejiso, Mamello's mother, condolences, and went into their dens for the night. The king, a young adolescent named Ahadi, approached Yejiso, and nuzzled her sympathetically. "I offer you my sorrows," he told her gravely. She smiled thinly. "I thank you My King." Mamello nuzzled her mother. "Mama, I'm scared." Yejiso licked her on the face. "Honey, we must be brave. Naki's in a better place right now, and she's happy."

That may have been so, but there would have been no way even the gods could have erased the memory of her sister's blank milky eyes staring up at her as they slowly filled with blood…

A/N: Yay! My second chapter up!

Riverwood: Yes, I know the first chapter was very…squished. I tried to fix it, I don't know if it worked, but thank you for reviewing!

Lady Nova: Wow! You actually truly liked it! makes a shrine in your honor