Lioness Tales

Tale 1: Njano's Secret

Chapter 5: Lessons About Growing Up

The rainy season had finally arrived, renewing the grass and attracting new herds. The lions from the Eyasi Pride were well fed and didn't have to travel far to find a decent meal often.

Despite the fact that the huntresses hadn't failed to bring supper home in quite a while, Faraji had started to loose weight. He didn't think much of it, and would tell the lionesses off if they mentioned anything about it.

One evening, Faraji climbed up to his niche, where Adla was already resting and taking shelter from the rain.

"Where's Duni?" he asked as he lay down next to his mate.

"Taking a walk in the rain. She always hated swimming, but seems to enjoy water pouring on her, go figure."

Faraji nodded and grunted slightly. "Can you take a look at my back? I had to chase a rogue away earlier but I think he managed to scratch me."

Adla stood up and studied his back carefully. "Yeah, you're right, there's a bit of a gash, but it doesn't look too deep. Should heal in a couple of days, if you ask me."

She then proceeded to lick the wound clean, while Faraji winced every now and then.

Faraji stared ahead into the distance distracted, when he heard someone approaching. He scented the air and could tell it was one of his lionesses, who appeared to be in season.

Adla looked up and smiled when she saw Bahiya walking nearer.

"Hi, Faraji," she said a bit shyly, "I saw you were back from doing your rounds..."

Faraji looked at her and felt his heart sink. As much as he loved her, he felt exhausted and was absolutely not in the mood. Being with a lioness in season was a draining experience and right now he felt he just couldn't muster the energy to get up. Then again, he had pushed Bahiya away so many times, she would never forgive him if he were to send her away right now, when she needed his company the most.

Faraji finally stood up and glanced at Adla, who simply nodded at him and mouthed, "Have fun."

Bahiya grinned when she saw Adla winking at her, and walked away with Faraji, side by side.

Once they were alone, she asked him, "Aren't you excited? Our first night together..."

"Yes, yes," he said, trying to persuade himself in the process, "I'd only wish it was dry..."

Bahiya smiled and nuzzled him. "It doesn't matter, you'll warm up soon enough, hmm?" she said seductively.

"I probably will... Would you mind if I go for a drink first?"

Bahiya tilted her head. "Er... No, sure, go ahead. I'll just wait for you here, okay?"

Faraji nodded and went off to find a puddle of water where he could quench his thirst.

Bahiya couldn't help feeling that there was something wrong with him, he seemed distracted and not really into the spirit of their romantic night. She tried not to read much into his behaviour, after all, when in season, every little bad thing seemed a lot worse than it really was.

Faraji eventually returned, and they looked for a secluded place to spend some time together.

"This looks like a good place," Bahiya said, looking around. They were surrounded by some rocks that sheltered them from the wind, and would provide some privacy as well.

Faraji sat down and looked at Bahiya, waiting for her to take the initiative.

The lioness could hardly wait and did not waste any time in leading him on. It was clear to Faraji that she was more than ready to mate, and he tried his best to please her.

It was all over in a few seconds, which felt like an eternity to Faraji, and he flopped exhausted next to Bahiya's side after he was done.

The lioness looked a bit disappointed. She had expected more passion from him, since they had both been longing for this moment, but Faraji still seemed distant. He didn't even kiss her or bite her neck.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah... I just need a drink."

Bahiya raised an eyebrow. "Another one?"

Faraji nodded and walked away, in search of another puddle, looking desperate, as if he hadn't drunk any water in days.

Bahiya stood up and followed him. "We can move by the edge of the lake if you prefer, there you will have all the water you need," she said, sounding slightly annoyed. She became more upset when Faraji appeared not to have heard her.

"Okay, just what is going on? Not to be rude or anything, but you're killing the mood, Faraji!"

Faraji finally looked up, his eyes were dazed, as if he had trouble focusing. It was then when she realized that there was something really wrong with her beloved lion.

"Dear, please... Tell me what's wrong... Can I get you something?" she said, trying to remember when was the last time she had seen him eating. According to her, Faraji hadn't eaten anything since last night. "Would you like some food? Would that help?"

Faraji nodded, still looking dazed and confused.

"Wait here, I'll be right back..."

Bahiya darted off in search for something quick and easy to hunt, and ran across Duni, who was still enjoying her walk in the rain.

"I need your help," Bahiya blurted out, startling Duni for a second, "Faraji's acting really weird, I think it's because he hasn't eaten. Have you got any of your rodents lying around?"

Duni shook her head. "No, but give me a minute... Just warn me if I'm about to crash into something, okay?"

Bahiya nodded, and watched how Duni managed to trace a meerkat's tunnel. She located them by placing her ear to the ground, and began digging quickly. It was not long after that Duni returned with three dead meerkats dangling from her muzzle.

"Not sure if this will be enough, but I hope it helps..."

"Thanks, Duni, I really appreciate it," Bahiya said sincerely, and gave the blind lioness a quick nuzzle.

Duni hesitated for a moment, but she decided to follow Bahiya, just in case she might need extra rodents for Faraji.

Bahiya returned to the spot where Faraji was resting. He was sleeping soundly and the lioness had some trouble getting him to wake up.

"Please, wake up. I got some food for you..." she said, as she nuzzled him roughly.

Faraji eventually woke up, and at the sight of the dead meerkats displayed in front of him, he brightened up and started eating ravenously. It was not a big meal, but it gave him energy all the same. "Is there more?" he asked hungrily.

Bahiya shook her head and was about to reply, when she heard Duni clearing her throat. She had collected a couple of gophers on her way there, and she lay them on the ground for Faraji to eat.

Bahiya smiled at her, feeling bad for all the times she had been mean and indifferent to Duni in the past.

"Thank you again..." she whispered.

Duni grinned. "No problem, glad I could help, for a change..."

When Faraji was done eating, he looked like his usual self, though he still went for another drink.

"He's been drinking a lot lately, have you noticed?" Bahiya asked.

Duni shook her head. "No, but he does smell different to me... You think he might be sick?"

"No idea," Bahiya replied, "I thought, since he hadn't eaten since last night, that maybe he was just weak."

"We've gone without food for days before, that can't be it..."

Faraji returned at that point, still feeling a bit strange, but looking a lot better. He then realized the circumstances in which Bahiya had brought him here, and was determined to make up for his false start.

"Thanks for the food, Duni. Would you mind leaving us alone now? There's something important I need to discuss with Bahiya."

Duni nodded. "Sure, I'll meet you guys later," she said as she turned around and walked away.

Faraji waited a considerable amount of time for Duni to be out of earshot, and he turned to poor Bahiya, who appeared startled and confused.

This was not how she had imagined her night with Faraji, and was unsure what to expect of him now.

"Let me guess... You need another drink-" she asked, but was silenced when Faraji pulled her close by wrapping his paw around her back, and biting longingly into her neck.

"I'll say... What was in those gophers?" she asked, feeling immense pleasure at his sudden display of affection, and forgetting for a moment everything that had just happened before.

"I have no idea, but whatever it was, it has given me the energy I needed to make you very happy tonight..."

Faraji then redeemed himself in Bahiya's eyes, by making her feel the most loved and wanted lioness in the world.

Duni had to stop on her tracks for a short moment, when her above-average hearing still caught the sounds of two lions making passionate love far in the distance. She chuckled to herself and muttered, "So that's what Adla meant with that Talk she gave me the other day..."

Adla indeed had to take Duni for a long walk, to explain to her certain aspects about growing up. This was prompted by a playful wrestling match that Duni had had with Safi. In the process of tussling and turning, Duni had confirmed what Faraji had told her about male lions growing extra long hair, as the beginnings of a mane had already started to show on top of Safi's head. But there was also a certain difference in their anatomy that Duni had failed to notice, until that day.

Adla walked in on them, only to find Safi blushing and pushing Duni away. The young lion had already had the Talk with Faraji, and he found Duni's curiosity very awkward.

He appeared very relieved when he saw Adla approaching, and blurted out at her, "Help me out here! She's asking me all these... questions!" while Duni kept trying to find out more about her new discovery.

"Weird, how come I don't have one? What is it for then? C'mon, let me paw it..."

"No, leave it alone!" Safi exclaimed, making sure that Adla understood that he had not led Duni on in any way. "We were just playing and she sort of... noticed it, I swear!"

Adla couldn't hide a grin, and asked Safi to return to the Pride. She knew it was time to teach Duni new things about becoming an adult, and so she invited Duni on a long walk. Adla proceeded to explain to her the purpose of the male body part Duni had just discovered, and tried to answer all of Duni's questions on the matter.

By the time they returned from their walk, Duni located Safi and quietly apologized for making him feel uncomfortable.

"I know everything now," she whispered at him, "It's for making cubs! I'd have never guessed. Did you know already?"

Safi looked at her. The lioness was smiling to herself innocently. He had a feeling where this conversation was heading, and Safi decided to nip it in the bud.

"Yes, Faraji told me about it. But I'm too young to be thinking about cubs, and so are you. You shouldn't be thinking about that at all to begin with."

"What do you mean?" Duni said as she tilted her head.

"You wanna bring more blind cubs into the Pride? One's enough already."

Duni's smile faded. "You mean I shouldn't have any cubs at all? Would you refuse to help me, just cause they might turn out like me?"

"Yup," he replied, a bit too quickly, as if he had rehearsed this line many times before, "I think I'll just go find me a healthy lioness somewhere else, once they kick me out of the Pride."

Duni remained silent for a moment, but then just nodded and whispered, "Fair enough... I'll just ask Faraji for help then, when the time comes."

Duni walked away, trying to hide her disappointment, and Safi couldn't help feeling sorry for her. While he didn't have any romantic feelings for her, Safi wouldn't really mind helping her if she were to come to him for assistance, but Faraji had already discussed the possibility with him, and they both had agreed it was in the best interest of the Pride not to give in to her demands.

In the weeks to come, Faraji didn't feel as ill as that night he spent with Bahiya, but he was still very tired, thirsty and hungry. Adla had to remind him one time that the prey was meant for all the Pride and not for himself only, when he had left too little for his lionesses to eat.

Faraji himself was already aware that something was wrong with him. He had no idea what it was, but he started to fear that he might not have long to live, and for that reason, he started taking his son Erevu along with him to patrol their grounds, and teach him as much as he could, now that he still had the strength to do so.

Both lions would leave nice and early, and would return around midday. Faraji would immediately go to sleep, usually by the edge of the lake, close to the water.

Meanwhile, Bahiya started feeling queasy in the mornings, and she could just feel her body changing, as it started to make room for a cub. There was no doubt that she was carrying Faraji's son or daughter in her belly, and the thought filled her with immense happiness.

Adla had been very supportive, especially now that Bahiya was being nicer to Duni and trying to include her in the Pride's activities. Adla would often leave Faraji and Bahiya alone for long periods of time, so that they could share some quiet and private moments, in which Faraji would rest his head on Bahiya's tummy, and would try to listen and feel the cub moving inside her.

With all this talk about upcoming cubs, Duni couldn't help but daydream what it would be to have her own son or daughter some time. She imagined a friendly, obedient cub, willing to follow her everywhere and to learn to hunt the way she did. She would picture mutual grooming sessions and stories before nap time. Duni promised herself that she would love her future cubs, whether they were born healthy or not.

Bahiya's pregnancy went smoothly, and she went into labor right on time. The lioness bid farewell to the Pride and retreated to give birth at the place where she and Faraji had slept together.

The Pride anxiously awaited her return, while Faraji's health kept deteriorating. That wound on his back had not healed at all, despite Adla's good care in keeping it clean and parasite-free. But what bothered him the most, was that his eyesight had started to deteriorate too. Some days he could see normally, and others it was as if he was trying to see under water. He felt very desperate on those bad days, but tried not to show it, so that the Pride wouldn't notice. While he had felt added respect for Duni and the way she managed to get by, this feeling of despair only strengthened his belief of not wanting any offspring from her.

Bahiya finally returned after a few weeks, carrying a healthy cub in her muzzle. The Pride gathered round to welcome her back.

Faraji was having a good day and he could see the cub just fine. He nosed it gently, and found out it was a female. "What name have you chosen for her?" he asked, feeling proud.

"Her name will be Nura," Bahiya replied, smiling at her baby, "Do you like it?"

"Very much!" Faraji replied, and then he motioned Erevu to come closer.

The young lion approached the cub with some uncertainty, and peered down at it.

"Erevu, this is Nura. When she is of age, she will become your wife. When my time here is up, you two will then become the leaders of the Eyasi Pride. Let the lionesses be witness of this betrothal."

The Pride roared happily, while Erevu, as well as Adla and Bahiya, looked a bit apprehensive. The two lionesses had their own reasons to be against arranged marriages, but young Erevu was still on the stage where he thought females were gross and icky. The whole concept of having a wife was not something he had contemplated at all, but still, he kept quiet, not wanting to ruin his father's happy moment. Faraji looked very thrilled.

Once the commotion died down, Bahiya cleared her throat and invited Duni over, to get acquainted with the cub, in her own way.

Duni smiled and approached Nura carefully, placing a paw on her, as gentle as she could. It was until then that Duni realized how much she had grown in the meantime. Her own paw was almost as big as the cub's face, and when she bent to nuzzle Nura, she realized the cub was not bigger than her own head. Duni could not see herself growing, but she could certainly feel it now, comparing herself to this young, little lioness.

"Congratulations... She smells and feels lovely," Duni eventually told Bahiya, who chuckled in return.

"That she is, Duni. Now it's time for her to eat."

The Pride watched Nura nurse for a while, and the lionesses decided to go hunt something to celebrate her arrival. They needed to get something big, so that Faraji's voracious appetite lately wouldn't leave them with little to no food.

Adla nuzzled Faraji and whispered, "We're going hunting now, while you keep an eye on Bahiya. Gasira will stay behind to watch over Erevu, just in case you feel like spending some time alone with her and your daughter."

Faraji nodded and smiled warmly at her. He watched the huntresses leave, and then went to settle down next to Bahiya and Nura.

Erevu joined them for a short moment, still looking a bit distrustful at the new cub, but Gasira managed to persuade him and Safi to go with her for a walk.

"Let's leave the new parents alone for a moment, okay? I'll show you something cool, there's this new family of birds and they've made a really awesome nest..." Gasira said as she walked away, while both lions followed her quietly.

Duni took the hint, and decided to leave them alone as well. The lioness headed to her niche, still looking forward to the day when she would become a mother too.