Lioness Tales

Tale 1: Njano's Secret

Chapter 3: Disappointment

Adla returned to the Pride after a couple of weeks, proudly displaying her new cub to the lionesses and to Faraji.

"It's a male, so it's up to you to name him," Adla told Faraji, while the Pride looked at him with excitement.

"Hmm, I had thought of a couple of names, but let me see..." he replied, as he eyed the little cub closely, trying to decide which name would suit him better, "All right, I've made up my mind. His name will be Erevu."

"Welcome, Erevu!" the Pride exclaimed, as they took turns to nuzzle the new comer.

Duni also came to meet him, and took her time sniffing and pawing the cub.

"Be gentle, Duni, he's very little," Adla whispered.

Duni nodded. "Yeah, he really feels so tiny... Was I this small once too?"

Adla chuckled and nuzzled Duni. "You were even smaller when I found you, can you imagine?"

"Wow... No, not really," the little lioness said, still scenting Erevu carefully.

Faraji cleared his throat. "I was just about to go do the rounds, but would you like me to stay a bit longer?"

"No, don't worry, " Adla replied, shaking her head, "You go ahead, I'll be fine."

"You sure? The lionesses were about to go hunting too, but maybe one of them can stay behind with you, in case you need anything..."

Adla was about to tell him off again, but Bahiya was faster than her, and actually volunteered to stay.

"Mind if I keep you company in cub-duty? I heard Gasira was really looking forward to rejoin the hunt again. We can watch over Safi and Duni for a change, and Chiku can lead the hunt this time."

Adla eventually agreed; she had missed Bahiya and was looking forward to catch up.

Faraji licked his lionesses and wished them good luck, and then walked away to patrol his lands. The hunting party also left not long after, with high spirits, in anticipation of a good meal.

Bahiya settled down next to Adla, who was grooming Erevu tenderly.

"Are you feeling all right? It's not like you to miss a hunt," Adla said, turning to her friend after a while.

Bahiya simply nodded. "I'm feeling fine, but my heart was not into it today."

Adla frowned slightly, and then turned to Safi and Duni, who were arguing about who would teach what game to Erevu, once he was old enough to join them in playtime.

"Hey, you two... Keep it down, you're going to wake up Erevu with your yelling. Why don't you go and play by the trees? Then you can be as noisy as you like."

Duni and Safi seemed to like the idea, and they headed off together to play by the shade of the trees, where Adla and Bahiya could still keep an eye on them in the distance.

Once the cubs were far enough, Adla whispered, "So... Did you get some quality time with Faraji while I was gone?"

Bahiya snorted. "Nope, he completely turned me down. He didn't want to betray your trust, nor have the lionesses gossiping about this."

Adla raised an eyebrow. "He didn't! You're kidding me, right?"

Bahiya shook her head. "Seems he's only willing to bend the rules for you, I'm afraid. I'll have to wait till my season comes if I want to spend time alone with him."

"Oh, that stupid lion," Adla grunted, "I'm sorry, Bahiya... Maybe I should just talk to him, tell him-"

"He knows you wouldn't mind, that's the worst part. Yet he still pushes me away. Just drop it, Adla, I know how things are between us now, and I promised myself I'd keep my distance until the time is right."

Adla rolled her eyes. "You two are the biggest masochists I know, that's for sure. But fine, if that's what you both want, suit yourselves. Just remember, you don't have to worry about me making a fuss."

Bahiya couldn't hide a small grin. "You still don't feel anything at all for him?"

"Oh, no, not really. I mean, I care for him, don't get me wrong, but he tends to get on my nerves a lot. I really wouldn't mind if he were to send all traditions to hell and just pick you."

Bahiya sighed, but changed topic, not wanting to get more depressed than she already felt. "By the way, I think Faraji's finally had some contact with Duni. She said he allowed her to get to know him, by feeling his face. Too bad we had to miss that!"

"Really? That's good to hear, I hope they will get along better now..." Adla replied, eying Duni, who was prancing in the distance.

"Yeah, I believe Duni definitely feels more at ease when he's around, she doesn't look nervous or shy any more."

Bahiya's perception of the situation was indeed true. Duni no longer felt scared about the imposing male lion roaming the area, she actually felt safer, knowing someone as big and strong as him was making sure that no harm would come to the Pride. But Duni and Faraji weren't close at all, and he still preferred to keep his distance. He kept an eye on Duni all the same, though, intrigued by how well she had managed to fare so far, despite her blindness.

As Duni grew older, she started noticing that the lionesses were less charmed by her than when she had been a young cub. They were less prone to laugh at silly things she'd say, and they would get up impatiently after Duni had gotten close to feel them.

When Erevu had started saying his first words, melting the lionesses' hearts in the process, Duni thought back to the days in which she'd get similar reactions from them. She attempted a little regression of her own, acting cub-like once again to feel accepted, but it only made things worse. The lionesses would scold her, telling her she was too old to be acting like a fool and that she should be acting her age.

As such, Duni was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the new situation. Erevu got all the attention these days, and she wasn't sure what to do to get it back.

Safi had told her, "They always do this when a new cub arrives. They all ignored me too, when you came along."

But Duni didn't want to be pushed aside, and tried hard to re-establish the bond she had built so far. She began sniffing and pawing the lionesses like she used to do in the beginning, but that also produced angry reactions as of late.

"You know what I feel like already, okay?" Etana finally told her one day, which took Duni aback, "Please stop pawing my face!"

Duni, knowing the Pride was resting nearby, asked out loud for everyone to hear, "Um... Is everyone else also annoyed by my pawing?"

"Well... It is getting kind of old, and you're getting too big to hang on our faces like that," Faiza had to admit, while the other lionesses agreed, "If you're seeking some contact, why don't you try and groom us instead? That's a lot nicer than having muddy or dusty paws on your face all the time."

Duni nodded silently, trying hard not to look hurt, and turned to Etana again, giving her a hesitant lick on the cheek.

"Mmhmm, that's the deal. Now try behind the ears..." Etana said, sounding a lot more receptive than before, which reassured Duni. She was willing to try this new method of contact, and proceeded to groom her pride-mate, while Etana clearly enjoyed herself.

Cubs Duni's age wouldn't usually engage in grooming others yet, not having the patience to sit through a session. But since Duni was so touch-oriented, the lionesses thought she would enjoy the task. And they were right; Duni loved the activity and how relaxed the lionesses would be after she was done. She took it upon herself to groom them after they returned from hunting, and the Pride, for a change, did not complain.

One evening, as the sun began to set and the weather cooled down slightly, Adla invited Duni and Safi to go take a walk with her.

Both cubs accepted right away, feeling curious as to where Adla would take them this time.

The lioness would often take them to see dangerous places, which she knew the cubs were bound to find, and would want to explore eventually. She preferred to go with them and show them around first; if they ended up in one of those places again on their own, at least they would know what dangers lurk there, and what to expect.

They had already been to the tall, thick trees where the monkeys pelted them with rocks and seeds. They had been to the elephants' territory, where a friendly bull gave Duni the chance to feel how big and strong elephants actually were. They had also explored a distant cave, which wild dogs sometimes used as shelter during the rainy season, but they left rather quickly, since Duni found the echo too disorienting.

This time, Adla had chosen to visit another spot that had already claimed a few cubs' lives in the past. It was also a secluded place where she could have a heart to heart with them, away from prying ears.

"Why isn't Erevu coming with us?" Safi asked as they walked.

"He's still too young and gets tired easily, he probably won't think this is fun. Besides, there's something important I need to discuss with you both only."

Duni lagged a few steps behind, following their trail. A distant noise reached her ears and she stopped on her tracks.

"Adla, do you hear that?"

Adla turned to her and perked her ears. "Hear what, honey?"

"That noise," Duni replied, tilting her head, "sounds like rain, kinda far away, but I don't feel any drops..."

Adla blinked a couple of times, looking impressed. "That's probably the river that you hear. We're actually heading that way, you know. Wow, I just can't believe you can hear it from here... Can you hear it, Safi?"

Safi tried hard, but he had no idea what Duni was talking about, and shook his head.

"What's a river?" Duni asked.

"It's water that's in constant movement, except during the drought, when the water tends to dry up. I wanted to show it to you, so that you know what you're facing. You must be very careful, the river is no safe place for a swim. The current may drag you away from land, and there could also be crocodiles in the water."

Once they finally reached the river bank, Adla did a thorough inspection, checking for crocodiles or any other predators. "Come, it's safe," she said after a while, and the two cubs approached her, making their way slowly towards the water.

Duni approached the source of the sound carefully. She was no stranger to water, but her first attempt at swimming at a nearby lake had left her with the firm purpose of never touching water ever again. She found it most treacherous; she couldn't smell what animals were lurking underneath, and since there was no trail to follow after jumping in, she would easily lose track of where she was heading, causing her to panic.

"You're almost at the edge, Duni. One more step and you'll be able to feel the running water. Go on, it's safe, it's not deep just yet. Just don't jump in."

"I hear ya," Duni replied, and took a step forward. The water tickled her paw slightly as it ran over it. Duni could feel the grains of sand under her paw-pad being carried away whenever she shuffled her leg. She liked the feeling, but was not keen on going any deeper. Duni then heard lapping next to her; it was Adla, who had bent over for a drink. Duni relaxed, knowing they were not in immediate danger.

Safi was having fun splashing around, throwing water at Duni playfully, and for a short moment the two cubs engaged in a water fight.

"All right, settle down you two, come here for a sec," Adla told them after a while.

The two cubs obediently sat by Adla's side, and she quickly dried them up with her tongue.

"Listen," Adla said, sounding more serious than before, "As Leader of the Pride, it's my duty to let you know a few important things about the ways of the lions."

Both cubs listened raptly, as they knew some sort of lesson was coming up.

"What I have to say is a bit difficult, but I hope you will understand. I'll start with you, Safi. You've probably noticed already that there is only one adult male lion around. Have you ever wondered why?"

Safi pondered for a moment, before shaking his head. "Not really, I mean, I've noticed, but didn't think any of it..."

"The reason is that only the leader sticks around to care for the Pride. All the other male lions have to leave once they become adults, to form their own Pride somewhere else."

"Oh... That means Erevu will have to leave too then? Could we leave together?"

Adla shook her head. "I'm sorry, Safi. Erevu is my son and Faraji's. Being the cub of the Pride's leaders means that he will take Faraji's place as leader, in case something were to happen to him. Unless Erevu eventually decides to form a coalition with you, this means that you will have to leave the Pride once you are of age. This is why I would like to ask you to join the lionesses for hunting lessons. That way you will be more prepared to fend for yourself, once the time comes."

"And Erevu? Won't he need to learn too?" Safi asked, sounding slightly resentful.

"Erevu will be taught other things, such as how to take care of the territory, and make sure to keep trespassers at bay. He won't need to worry about hunting as the lionesses in the Pride will provide him with food."

Safi looked down for a moment, looking somber. "Lucky him, I guess..."

Duni, who had been listening without missing a word, asked, "What if a lioness wants to leave with Safi? Like, I could go with him, so that he won't be lonely, and I could go hunting for him, you know?"

"Puh, I don't want you around," Safi replied moodily, "You can't see, how you gonna hunt for me, huh?"

Duni didn't know what to reply, but it was Adla who took over. "Don't take it out on Duni, Safi. It's how things are and it's nobody's fault."

Adla turned to Duni, and softened her tone a bit. "This brings me to you, sweetie. The lionesses are not quite sure that giving you hunting lessons is a good idea..."

Duni turned towards the sound of her voice, looking very shaken after hearing Safi's remark, and now this. "But... Isn't hunting all what being a lioness is about?"

Adla found it hard to reply, but she quickly regained her composure. "Hunting plays a big role, yes, but it's not all there is to it. Lionesses also need to stay behind to watch over the lair, and keep an eye on the cubs..."

"Will the lionesses trust me with that? Or will this 'not being able to see' thing you all keep going on about is gonna be a problem too?"

"I understand how you feel Duni. I've asked them to at least give you a chance. I know you're very talented, and your sense of smell and hearing is extraordinary. I am sure we can put those talents to good use, we'll just have to find out how to work things out. I just wanted to warn you about how the lionesses feel, in case you feel some tension coming from their side. I didn't want that to take you by surprise when your lessons begin."

Duni rubbed her face with a paw, trying to hide the tears escaping from her eye. "So will I get to join in the lessons along with Safi anyway?"

"Yes, you will. I just thought it would be best for you to know each other's situation, so that you can support each other. You can practice what you've learned together, and just... be supportive if things get rough."

Safi let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I guess..."

Adla nuzzled them gently. "It's getting dark now, let's head home."

The three of them made their way back to the lair, with less high spirits than before. Duni was worried about what the future would bring. Safi's path was very clear, but hers was full with uncertainty, and it made her very uneasy. The lionesses could tell something was wrong when Adla returned, and Duni went straight to her niche without kissing the Pride good night first.