Chapter 5.
So far it had been one week since Vitani arrived Chinua's kingdom. Since then, she had met the other lionesses of the pride. They talked to her in a friendly, though distrustful, tone. Yoruba still hadn't introduced, or even allowed the gruff lioness to see the cubs.
'If she finds out about my past, this situation will stay the same,' Vitani thought. Despite their words, Vitani was terrified of being forced out or even killed once she revealed her sins.
The bull elephant she saved had become like a brother to her. Makonnen was incredibly gentle, despite his size and appearance. He aided any animal that was in a jam, even carnivores like her. For example, he rescued four African wild dog cubs from a charging rhinoceros. Another time, he drove off six chimps mauling a lone one. Stargazing and sunset watching was their favorite past time.
Hissing sounds from the entrance to her designated cave woke Vitani from her slumber. In came a trio of crocodiles. She snarled at them.
"What do we have her ladies? A injured lioness, and ours for the taking," one of the female reptiles said in sadistic voice.
"Who the hell are you three?!"
"We are mothers who lost all or most of our eggs and hatchlings to lions and other predators like you!" the middle croc snapped.
"Normally they're to fast for us to catch. But with your head injury you won't be able to avoid our jaws," the female on the left side remarked with great satisfaction.
"I may be injured but I'm not gonna die without a fight!" Vitani responded .
"Good," the first crocodile that spoke said.
"It would be boring if you didn't!"
They slowly creeped toward her, and thinking fast, the ex-outsider scooped up dust between her paws, reared up, and flung it into the three crocs' eyes. They hissed in pain, shaking their heads violently and rolling around, eventually falling out of the cave into the water below. Vitani's cave was a hole in a cliffside, accessed by ascending several ledges. Inside it, right by the entrance, was a huge boulder shaped like a spear-head. With all of her strength, the lioness of war pushed the rock, which was twice her size, diagonally out of the cave, whose opening was four times her width and height. Vitani usually slept to the left or right of the entrance, since the light made her head wound feel more painful. The three crocs, whose eyes were still stinging despite the dirt being washed out, and were further irritated by the water, saw only a grey blur before the boulder crushed them. The river they were in was only ten feet deep and quickly sank to the bottom.
Vitani breathed a sigh of relief. Though they were dead, Zira's daughter decided to remain awake. When Yoruba came for a visit, she was stunned to hear what occurred. She immediately decided to never leave her guest alone again. She demanded to Chinua and Makonnen that Vitani be protected by one of them. The elephant immediately volunteered to guard the lioness.
"I'll also take her to Kito to receive treatment," Makonnen added. The albino mandrill had been shocked as well, but proud that the injured lioness defended herself.
"You did well, my daughter," she said. As with Sarabi, Vitani loved this affectionate term of endearment. Because the pachyderm didn't want to stay in one place, Makonnen carried Vitani wherever he went, meaning she no longer had to say in that dreary cave. But he was warned by Kito not to run or move to fast, lest he reinjure Vitani.
"Why don't you live in a bachelor herd?," she'd asked him one day.
"My father, brothers, and son are still alive, but I'm more of a lone wolf type. Since you saved my life, I'll stay by your side while your recovering. But once your healed, I'm going solo again. So try to stay out of trouble, okay?"
"Don't worry about me big guy," Vitani assured him.
"I'll visit you every once in a while too."
"I might not still be here."
"Don't worry," he said happily.
"I'll sniff you out!"
