Jiwe
Just as Askari had predicted, his friend didn't return until the next day. It was noon when one of the lionesses finally spotted Ushindi heading their way. And he was not alone.
"Is that her?", Shauri asked and narrowed her eyes to a slit, trying to gaze at the lion's female companion from afar.
"You bet your jealous ass!" With a mischievous grin Chagina tried to poke her friend's said body part.
Not deigning to look at her, Shauri stepped out of her reach. "As I already told you, I am not jealous. I'm… curious."
"Hey guys!", Ushindi greeted them happily as he was close enough and sped up a little. "Come on, they don't bite", he encouraged the lioness by his side who had fallen behind a little. "Except for that guy."
Askari couldn't help but to grin, as the lioness gazed at him. He could see that she wasn't quite sure if she could take Ushindi's words as a joke or not. "Only if you make me", he said, what did not really make it any better.
"Hey, no need to worry", Ushindi laughed as he saw the lioness's face. "We're just fooling around. But let me introduce you. Guys, this is Jiwe. Jiwe, these are my friends. That menacing guy here is my buddy Askari and these are Ruya, Chagina, Shindana, Shauri, Teke and Heba."
"Nice to meet you." With a friendly smile Tekelea stepped forward and nodded to greet Jiwe. Then she looked her straight in the eye and grinned even wider. "Well, I already like her", she said as she walked back and sat down next to Shindana, who looked not very amused. "What do you think?"
"Oh, shut up…", the other lioness muttered.
"They had this weird bet, you know?", Askari explained to Ushindi and Jiwe, who seemed to be a little confused about what was going on. "Don't even ask."
The rest of the day they spent with talking and wandering around together, the ice was quickly broken. Ushindi and his friends told Jiwe about the events of their journey so far and she listened carefully, especially when they came to Askari's brawl with the rogue. As it turned out, the lion, Askari had fought the day before was no other than Jiwe's ex-boyfriend. Since she had dumped him a while ago, he had been lingering around in the area.
"At first, he looked like the kindest guy I've ever met", she told her new found friends. "But then he turned out to be quite the hothead and became really controlling. It was so annoying. I had no time for myself anymore, he always followed me everywhere. Even after I broke up with him."
"What a creep", Ruya said. "But couldn't you have asked your king to do something about that?"
"Oh, I did. He went and told him to leave. And he did, but not for long. He settled down at our border and even though our king never caught him, I knew he came back from time to time. It was like I could feel his eyes on me."
"Askari gave him a good beating", Chagina laughed. "I'm sure he is long gone."
"He definitely looks like someone who does that sort of stuff", Jiwe said and gave the dark furred lion an insecure smile. "I really hope you're right."
"If you want, we could stay here for a while", Ushindi quickly offered, taking the opportunity. "Just in case, you know?"
"You would really do that for me?", the lioness asked with wide eyes. "I really would feel safer with you around. But what about your journey?"
"Oh, we're not in a hurry. Haven't even planned our next destination yet, right guys?"
"Uhm…" Questioning, Askari turned to the lionesses. "Well, it's fine with me. For now, I've got what I wanted. What about you?"
Tekelea was the first of the girls to answer. "Taking some time for planning sounds like a good idea to me", she said. "And the landscape here is nice too. I've already spotted some herds and a watering hole nearby. I wouldn't mind staying here for a while."
Following her example, one lioness after the other also agreed, what put a grateful smile on Jiwe's face. "So, you're all staying? Awesome!", she cheered, but then she looked a little worried. "That means, if the king allows it. He usually has no problem with one rogue settling in his land for a while, but eight?"
"If you tell him we're here to help you, he surely will consider it", Ushindi assured her. "Or… you simply don't tell him. The others could simply stay out of his sight. Until now he only knows about me, right?"
Thinking about his suggestions, Jiwe bit her lip. "But… wouldn't that be kind of… betraying him?"
"Nah. How could it? You do no harm to anyone by not telling them about us, don't you? And if he finds out you can still tell him you didn't know about the rest of us. But it's on you to decide."
Sighing, the lioness stood there, struggling to decide what to do. "Fine, I won't tell him", she finally decided. "Just don't make it too obvious that you're around, ok?"
The wandering lions stayed more than two weeks in the foreign kingdom. They had decided to make the place where they had met with Jiwe their temporary lair and promised her to stay out of her pride's sight. Like that they managed to avoid being spotted by any of its members, except for Ushindi of course, who went to them day by day to see Jiwe. Together they roamed the land, visited Ushindi's friends, went for a hunt or simply hung out together and by that, became closer. Everything went according to the young lion's plan, until one day.
"Hey, Ushindi!" Without caring much about their privacy, Shindana, followed by Askari walked up to the couple. Jiwe was laying on her back in the savanna's grass, snuggling against Ushindi. Looking into her eyes, the lion licked her cheek, what made her giggle happily. "Excuse me!", Shindana said a little louder than before. "
"Urgh…" Finally, Ushindi lifted his head.
"Oh, hey Shindana. Askari." Jiwe rolled over onto her side. "What's up?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is trouble ahead", the lioness responded.
Noticing her worried expression, Ushindi got up and softly rubbed his head against Jiwe's. "Don't worry. If it's Hatari, Askari and I will deal with him. Stay here, I'll be right back."
"It's… not her ex", Askari growled. "It's her king. He saw us when we were on our way back from the watering hole."
"He saw you", Shindana corrected him and looked at Ushindi. "I could hide in the grass, but he with that fur? No chance. And he wasn't even smart enough to leave in another direction, so that that guy wouldn't be led right toward our lair!"
"Hey, we left the watering hole together and came here together! I hadn't thought of that, ok? But if you're so smart, why didn't you tell me back then, huh? And by the way, you said it was all clear!"
"Guys, calm down", Ushindi interrupted their fight. "That's… unfortunate, but blaming each other does us no good right now."
"At least he is no real danger for us", Askari said, still glaring at Shindana. "Now after I saw him, I don't know why we were hiding in the first place. He's old. Not very intimidating. No challenge, for none of us."
"W-What does he mean by that?", Jiwe asked, looking quite anxious at Askari.
Quickly, Ushindi stepped right in front of his friend, before he could give an answer. "No, that's not an option!"
"I was just saying…"
"Please, don't hurt him!" Now Jiwe got up. "He doesn't deserve that! He is a nice guy and just wants to protect us, his pride!"
"Hey…" Gently, Ushindi rubbed his cheek against hers. "It's ok. I'll go talk to him. We will solve this peacefully, I promise."
When the king arrived, Askari abided by his friend's the promise. He stayed with the lionesses and watched Ushindi walking up to the elderly lion heading into their direction. He was accompanied by two lionesses. "Who are these two?", Askari asked Jiwe, who sat next to him.
"The one to his right is the queen", she answered in a toneless voice. "And the other one… is my mother."
"Oh… I'm sorry, if you're in trouble now", he tried to apologize.
With a sad sigh the lioness sat down. "I guess I am. My mom wasn't exactly happy seeing me with Ushindi. Not after the dilemma Hatari caused and now... I caused trouble again."
"I hope you know I didn't want this to happen."
"Yes, I know. It wasn't your fault, at least not entirely. I guess it was only a matter of time until it happened." Blaming herself she shook her head. "Urgh, I should have told him about you. Maybe he would have allowed you to stay here for a while… or…"
"At least you had some time to be with Ushindi", Tekelea said, coming to Askari's aid, who helplessly looked at the sad lioness. "Who knows if that could have been if you had told him? Oh, look, he's coming back."
"How did it go?", Askari asked his friend, who just returned from his meeting with the king.
"Could have been worse I guess", the lion answered. "I told him about you guys and that we were afraid he would kick us out if he knew we were so many. He accepted my apology and agreed to my request not to blame you." He gave Jiwe a weak smile. "But I'm afraid our time here is up. He says that these lands can't afford feeding eight more lions, that the balance of the circle of life would be in danger if we all stayed."
Helplessly, Jiwe looked from Ushindi to Askari and the other lionesses and back. "And… what did he say about us?"
"He said one more lion would be ok."
Without turning around, Askari knew what was going on behind his back. He nearly could see the lionesses' warning glares reflecting in Ushindi's eyes.
"But… I'm afraid it's either all of us…. Or none", Ushindi continued, with sadness in his voice.
"But… but… we… what about us?", the lioness stuttered with a shaking voice.
"Jiwe…" Softly, Ushindi nuzzled her. "I'm so sorry, but I promised it. I won't leave them. I cannot leave them."
"But… I thought there was something special between us… You're so different than Hatari. You're kind and funny and you listen to me and I… I love you."
"And I love you too." He wiped a tear from her face. "But I am bound by my word."
"So… so this is a goodbye?" More tears began to show up in her eyes.
"I'm afraid it is. Come here." He pulled her closer and she dug her head into his mane.
"I'll never forget you", Askari heard her sobbing.
"And neither will I forget you", Ushindi answered. Then, he let go of her and took a step back. "They… they are waiting for you", he said looking back to where the king and his companions stood.
"And Ruya said I was cruel", Askari quietly mumbled, as he watched Jiwe followed her pride members back to where they came from, crying against her mother's shoulder.
AN: Introducing: Jiwe. Will we see her again? Maybe...