Lioness Tales
Tale 1: Njano's Secret
Chapter 13: Anything for Love
Njano returned to the Pride a few days later. No one gave any signs of knowing that Kanai had been sneaking away to visit her, even Duni didn't suspect anything. Njano was afraid that her mother would detect Kanai's scent on her, but Duni simply welcomed her back, glad to hear that she managed to pull through her season without a male's help.
Safi and Duni slowly began to distance themselves from the Pride, even though Adla would often invite them to come over and relax along with the rest. Duni would still spend time with the lionesses, but Safi would prefer to take long walks on his own, scouting the borders and looking for possible rogue lionesses that might want to join him and Duni eventually.
Njano herself had been doing a lot of thinking about what she wanted to do with her life. While there had been a time when she wanted nothing more than to go away and explore other territories, nowadays the desire to remain close to Kanai had changed her mind. It had also helped her focus on her learning. Njano decided she would try her best this time, and perhaps in time Erevu would see in her a valuable asset to his pride, and would not kick her out the moment Safi and Duni decided to leave.
As such, Njano finally started paying attention to the lessons, and even though she was still easily distracted, hoping to be able to stay with Kanai turned out to be a good incentive for her, and in the end she managed to pass her third attempt at a hunting test, with reasonably good marks.
Duni was extremely happy when she heard the good news, and showered Njano with licks and kisses, feeling very proud of her daughter.
"Adla wants me to have my First Hunt as soon as possible, since I'm way overdue," Njano told her, once Duni had calmed down.
Duni nodded, "She has a point... Any idea how soon it will be?"
"No, not yet," Njano replied, "She just said she'd discuss it with the rest, and would let me know."
Duni nuzzled her again, looking extremely pleased. Njano couldn't remember the last time her mother looked so happy, and she couldn't help but sigh as she nuzzled Duni back. Njano wanted to tell her about her intentions to stay with the Eyasi Pride, but seeing Duni so content right now made Njano get cold feet, and she kept her plans to herself instead.
The lionesses finally chose a day for Njano to have her First Hunt, and before she knew it, the big day had finally come. The Pride sincerely wished her good luck; even Chiku seemed excited for her. They all lined up to give her a quick nuzzle, while Kanai waited patiently for her turn at the end of the queue.
When Njano saw Kanai standing in front of her, she wanted nothing more than to chase her around playfully and pounce on her, but for now a nuzzle would have to do.
Kanai nuzzled her back and whispered softly, "Good luck, and take care out there, you promise?"
"I promise," Njano replied, giving her the smallest of kisses before they broke the nuzzle.
It was then Erevu's turn to wish the new huntress good luck. The lion stared at Njano with a serious expression, as if he was looking at a total stranger. "Make sure you bring something back home. Don't disappoint me and your teachers again," he said coldly.
Njano looked at him and nodded silently, trying to stay on his good side. "I'll try my best."
With a final roar, the lioness bid good-bye to her pride-mates and headed towards the hunting grounds. Finding something to hunt would not be difficult, since the grasses were green and the herds were plentiful. So it would all come down to her hunting abilities, and Njano couldn't help feeling nervous, knowing what was at stake.
If she failed, she wasn't too sure what would happen then. Erevu's coldness towards her was a clear indication that his patience was running very low. So Njano was determined to do her best, and with that thought in mind, she began stalking the herds, trying to single out her prey.
"There it is," she thought, as she stared at a zebra that was distracted, grazing with her back towards her. Njano inched towards her slowly, proving to everyone that when her mind was into it, she could stalk like any other huntress in the Pride. As she finally gave chase, the startled zebra let out a scream of terror, and the herd began to scatter.
"It's now or never, let's go!" Njano encouraged herself as she ran after the zebra with all her might. The lioness came within pouncing distance, and tackled her target to the ground. She had already tackled a few animals during her lessons before, but she had never given them the killing bite. For a brief moment she felt unsure of where to close her jaws on, but her instincts took over, and it was all over for the zebra quickly after.
The Pride hadn't expected Njano to return so soon, so it was quite a surprise for everyone when Bahiya announced her return with a loud, happy roar.
While Njano was busy with her First Hunt, Kanai went to spend the rest of the day together with Imara, practically forced by Erevu, who deemed necessary that they got to know each other better if they were going to run the Pride together at some point. They were both sitting down, facing each other, while Erevu lingered nearby, keeping an eye on them.
"So... it's a very pretty day today, isn't it?" Imara asked, clearly not knowing what to talk about with Kanai.
"Could be better," she shrugged, wondering how long Erevu was intending to keep her here.
"Um..." Imara replied, visibly nervous, "How you've been lately anyway? Looking forward to ruling the Pride sometime?"
Kanai looked at him as she rolled her eyes. "No, not really. I don't mind being the leader, it's some of the perks that come with it that I'm not too fond of."
Imara remained quiet, not comfortable with her hostility, and feeling that he had ran out of things to say. He found this little gathering as awkward as Kanai did.
"Tell me," Kanai whispered to him all of a sudden, "Are you actually happy with this arrangement? Isn't there another lioness you'd rather spend your time with?"
Imara shrugged. "I think you're a really fun lioness to hang out with, when you're not being snappy for no reason. Besides, it's a sacrifice we have to make for the well-being of the Pride. What we think or feel about it doesn't matter."
Kanai was surprised by his response. Imara used to be more shy and would rarely give her any insight about his feelings. "You're wrong," she added, "I bet all it takes is just one couple of lions who refuse to carry on with this dumb tradition and then-"
"Then they'll be banished from the Pride, simple as that," Imara interrupted, "If that's the way you want to go, then go ahead. I'll just wait right here for the next heiress to be born."
Kanai went very quiet for a moment. "Banishment? Is that the price to pay for refusing to marry the leader's son?"
Imara glanced at Erevu for a moment. "He's spoken about death sentences and such, but I think he's just trying to scare us into getting married."
Kanai tried to stifle a chuckle. "Sounds like Erevu, all right. Lucky for me, if he were to banish me, I already know of someone that would take me in..."
Imara was about to inquire more, but at that moment Kanai heard Bahiya's roar, announcing Njano's return. The lioness stood up quickly and blurted out, "I'm really sorry to cut our forced meeting short, but I gotta go! See you later!"
Kanai ran off to welcome Njano and see what she hunted, leaving Imara and Erevu alone. Erevu approached his son, shaking his head.
"I told you, Father, she's really not interested in me at all. Her attitude's only gotten worse ever since you told us about the betrothal," Imara said, shaking himself as he stood up.
"She'll get over it. They all do in the end," Erevu said, "Nura didn't want to marry me either, but eventually she still accepted her position as leader of the Pride. Anyway, let's go see what that klutz managed to hunt..."
Imara chuckled slightly as he walked along with Erevu. "You really can't stand Njano, can you?"
Erevu snarled in reply. "Her presence here is a mistake. Besides, she's caused nothing but trouble, to me and to the Pride. I'll be more than glad the day she and her useless mother finally move out along with that idiot Safi."
"Well, you're the leader, right? Can't you just kick them out if you want?"
Erevu sat down for a moment and looked at Imara. "Adla is very protective of Duni and her lot. She'd be extremely upset if I kick them out before Duni thinks it's safe to go away. Since it's in my best interest to keep the alpha lioness happy, I let them stay for now."
"How come Adla is still the alpha lioness, and not Nura?"
"My father used to say that it was a combination of many factors that made the lionesses follow one particular member of the Pride. Adla is very strong, fierce, and commands respect just by staring at you, and she's probably one of the best huntresses out there. Her words carry a lot of weight, and if she were to turn against me, for whatever reason, the lionesses would probably follow her lead faster than they would follow mine."
"So what you're saying is that sometimes you have to do a few things to keep the alpha happy, just so she won't turn against you, even if you don't agree with her?"
Erevu nodded. "Indeed. The lionesses usually don't ask for much, but if you're unlucky, you might get a strange request from them. Take Duni, for example. Adla was pregnant when she found her as a cub. Chances are Adla would have ignored the cub if she hadn't been expecting. But that's how we ended up with a blind lioness in our Pride. My own Father couldn't say no to Adla's request."
Imara appeared very thoughtful, as he took in his father's teachings. "When do you draw the line then? When are you supposed to stand up to the alpha, if you don't approve of what she's asking?"
"I can't think of anything I'd deny to Adla for now, other than bringing in another blind or sick cub into the Pride. However, I think the lionesses would actually side with me on that one," he added with a chuckle, "So I have no idea, to be totally honest. I suppose I'll find out if that situation ever arises. Come on, let's go home now. They're all probably waiting for me to check out Njano's first catch."
Both lions made their way to the lair, where the Pride had indeed been waiting for them.
Njano presented the zebra to Erevu, looking proud of herself. The lion studied the prey carefully and nodded without saying a word. He simply took a nibble off it, as it was customary, and then went to sit down by the shade of the trees, leaving the lioness to do with her first prey as she wished.
Njano decided to share her catch with the Pride, hoping the lionesses would be less hostile with her from now on, now that she had finally managed to prove herself.
Kanai ate next to Njano, teasing her playfully every now and then by stealing some of her meat. Njano would pretend to snarl, but she actually kept saving the tastiest bits for her friend.
Once she had had her fill, Njano retreated to groom herself, and Duni approached her not long after.
"That's the tastiest zebra I've ever eaten," she told her, still feeling proud of her daughter.
As Duni nuzzled Njano, she detected a hint of nervousness on her scent.
"Are you feeling all right, dear?"
Njano hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "Mom, I'm about to ask Erevu for permission to stay."
Duni stopped nuzzling her and stared at the ground sadly. "Are you still pursuing that impossible dream?"
Njano couldn't help smiling to herself. "Yes, mom. What's the worst that could happen? There's nothing to lose. If he doesn't accept, then I'll just leave, as planned..." she said, giving Duni a gentle lick on the cheek. She then picked up a left-over zebra haunch with her muzzle. "Wish me luck!" Njano mumbled through her mouth full, and walked away in the direction where Erevu was resting.
While the lionesses were resting and napping after the satisfying meal, Duni located Adla and asked to speak with her in private.
Adla walked with her, wondering what was wrong.
"Could you please make sure there is no one else around? What I have to ask you is very delicate, and I don't want to be overheard..."
Adla searched the area, confirming that they were alone. She sat next to Duni, looking worried. "What's the matter? Are you and Safi having problems?"
Duni shook her head. "No, no, it's just something that's been on my mind for a while already, I just need to talk to someone about it, and I know I can trust you to keep a secret..."
"Duni, you're scaring me... What's going on?"
Duni bit her lip nervously, not sure how to word her question. "Has there ever been... I mean, have you ever heard about two lionesses... You know?"
Adla tilted her head. "I'm afraid I'm not following you, sweetie."
"I mean..." Duni said, but shook her head quickly, trying to organize her thoughts. "Okay, I'll just say it... Have you heard about two lionesses falling in love? As in... with each other?"
Adla's ears drooped for a moment. There had to be a reason why Duni was inquiring about this, and her mind was racing with all sorts of possible theories, the most obvious one being Njano and her closest friend Kanai.
"Well? Have you?" Duni insisted, waiting impatiently for her to answer.
Adla shook her head. "I haven't heard of such situation arising in our Pride. If it's happened, then it has remained very well hidden."
"But if it were to happen, do you think the Pride would disapprove?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure. The lionesses might be able to look past it, but Erevu probably would get angry, even more so if it concerns the future leader Kanai."
Duni gasped for a moment, amazed at how quickly she deduced what was going on.
"For all you know, he could feel deeply insulted, or he could not care at all."
Duni remained silent, as her left eye began to tear up. "Would you disapprove?"
Adla held her breath for a moment as she contemplated the situation. "It depends, I guess. I think I'd be more strict if it were to involve the future leaders of the Pride. They both have a role to fulfill and sometimes we have to look past what we want and focus on our roles, to keep our Pride steady and secure."
Duni looked away, nodding silently.
"If it helps to ease your worries a bit, I haven't seen anything strange going on between Njano and Kanai," Adla told her, "They're just two good friends who enjoy spending time together. I do that with Bahiya all the time, and no one thinks we're in love because of that. Could it be that you're misinterpreting Njano's actions?"
Duni shrugged, deciding in the spur of the moment to keep to herself the fact that Njano had already confessed her feelings for Kanai. "Maybe you're right, maybe I'm just misreading Njano's behaviour. I just thought they spent way too much time together. But if you say it's normal and every lioness does it, then I shouldn't worry too much..."
Adla smiled. "We all have our best friends. Chiku and Damisi hang out together all the time. Etana, Faiza and Gasira always sit together and groom each other, even more now that they have cubs. We all snuggle against each other to keep warm at night. There's nothing wrong in that, Duni. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Duni nodded, trying hard to keep her tears in. "Thanks for the talk Adla, I feel a lot better now," she lied.
"Would you like to head back now?" Adla asked.
Duni nodded and they returned to the lair. Duni lay down next to Adla, trying not to look too worried and pretending to sleep. She wished with all her might that Erevu would deny her daughter's request, to spare Njano the pain and heart-ache.
Njano approached Erevu, who was staring sleepily in the direction of the Pride. He glanced towards the lioness and frowned slightly when she sat down nearby.
"What do you want?" he asked.
Njano dropped the haunch she had been carrying in her muzzle, right in front of him. The lioness was visibly nervous. Erevu, now a fully-grown adult lion, was very imposing, and since she didn't know him well at all, she wasn't even sure how to address him.
"Hi... I thought maybe you'd like something to eat. I decided to share my catch with the rest, so I saved this for you," she said, trying to sound polite.
"I'm not hungry, thanks," he replied, looking bored.
Njano tried not to look too discouraged at his rejection, and tried again. "Oh, that's okay, maybe for later then. Er... I was wondering if I could have a talk with you... Is that possible?"
Erevu lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes. Njano quickly looked away, which pleased him.
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
Njano cleared her throat. "Safi and Duni want to leave soon, but I wanted to ask your permission to stay."
Erevu frowned for a moment and he sat up straight. "Why in the world would I want to do that?"
"Well... I've finally learned how to hunt, as you can see... I thought, I could help bring in food-"
"I already have enough huntresses who are a thousand times better than you are. I have no use for you in my Pride."
Njano swallowed with difficulty. "There must be something I can do, please, just give me a chance."
Erevu circled her thoughtfully. "Why do you want to stay anyway? The Pride doesn't even like you. Wouldn't it be better for you to start a new life somewhere else?"
"I'm getting along better with the Pride now," Njano replied, trying to keep her eyes from watering, "Just ask them! Besides... I was born here, this is my home..."
Erevu felt something didn't add up. He already suspected that there was something very strange about Njano's sudden desperate wish to stay. There had to be a very good reason for her to even want to ditch her own, blind mother, and stay in a Pride where nobody thought much of her. Nobody, except Kanai. Clueless as to how close the two lionesses really were, Erevu's most logical explanation was that perhaps Njano had feelings for Imara, and that was the reason why Kanai kept rejecting him. It made sense to him.
Erevu couldn't tell for sure that his suspicions were right, but he made a mental note to keep an eye on the three of them in the days to come. In the meantime, he kept circling Njano, while enjoying her nervous disposition. The lionesses of his Pride were all strong and confident, and he would never dare to bully one of them. But Njano, who ranked at the bottom of the Pride just right above Duni, was very submissive towards him. The lioness' attitude awoke again in Erevu the desire to assert his dominance and have some fun at Njano's expense.
"Please," Njano insisted, seeing Erevu so thoughtful all of a sudden, "I'll work extra hard, I'll do anything the Pride and you ask of me."
"Anything?" Erevu asked, looking intently at her, wondering how far she'd go to be able to stay.
Njano nodded. "I'll hunt twice as hard and I can look for rodents, just like my mother taught me, when food goes scarce... I can swim really well and catch fish! I'm also not too bad at climbing trees, and I even could learn to cub-sit, if the lionesses trust me with the task at some point... Please?"
Erevu took a step forward, sizing Njano. "Hmm. If I'm not mistaken, you're old enough to have had your first season already," he told her flatly, as if he hadn't heard a word she just said.
Njano's eyes opened wide, not liking at all where this conversation was heading. She just had promised him she'd do anything, would she have to eat her words so soon?
"Well?" he insisted.
Njano stared at the ground. "I- Well... Yes, I did... But the thing is... I hadn't even passed my hunting test yet, so I didn't feel ready at all to raise a cub."
Erevu nodded. "It was a wise decision and I happen to agree with you. As a matter of fact, I'd have refused to assist you if you had come to ask me for help."
Njano remained quiet, getting more nervous by the second, which only incited Erevu to keep on going.
"But you're not in season now, and you can't get any cubs..." he whispered close to her face.
"I... I suppose so..."
Erevu walked away and as he did so, he turned to look over his shoulder. "There might be something you can do for me that the other lionesses won't. I'll be waiting for you tonight by the waterhole in the hunting grounds, and we'll then discuss your proposal. Don't tell anyone you're meeting me there."
The lion walked away without another word, leaving Njano alone with her zebra haunch. She was in a state of shock, her heart beating so fast that she even had to lay down for a moment. She looked around, but no one gave any signs of having heard what Erevu had just suggested.
She stayed on the same spot for what seemed like hours, pondering what to do, and she jumped startled when all of a sudden Kanai nuzzled her and snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Hey you, wanna go to our tree?"
Njano looked up, and her heart sank to see that already the stars were visible in the sky. She then looked at Kanai, who was staring back at her with a curious expression.
Njano stood up, looking deep into her eyes, staring at that face that would brighten up her day no matter how bad it had been. She would certainly do anything to spend the rest of her life next to Kanai, and Njano knew then what she had to do to make it happen.
"Not tonight... I'm having a huge headache, I think I'll just retreat for a bit and go sleep somewhere quiet until it goes away."
Kanai looked a bit deflated. "Oh... Are you sure a grooming session won't make it better? I promise I won't yap and I'll let you sleep."
Njano shook her head. "I'll look for you once I feel better... Okay?"
"Fine... I'll be hanging out with the rest of the group then, unless Erevu has more brilliant ideas... Can you imagine? He actually set up a date for Imara and myself earlier today! Needless to say it didn't work out at all, so- Er... I'm yapping, aren't I?"
Njano smiled and nodded.
Kanai laughed slightly and understood why Njano wanted to be on her own. "Okay, okay, I'll see you later, hope you feel better soon."
They both nuzzled each other good-bye, and Njano watched as Kanai returned to the lair and settled down between Adla and Nura. Breathing deeply, Njano turned around and headed towards the hunting grounds with a determined look on her face.
Her determination faltered slightly when she saw Erevu's silhouette by the waterhole, but she knew she just had to get through this. She kept repeating to herself that it was part of growing up. It's what lions and lionesses do. It was no big deal.
She gathered courage again and approached the lion, whispering softly, "I'm here..."
Erevu turned to look at her, slightly surprised that she actually showed up.