XVIII

A New Journey to Start

Lusala stayed with the group. Before long, she, too, was hunting, after having watched Meersha and the boys take on the prey. She grew faster and even plumper, and also became the normal size of a lioness. There were still a few scars around her body, and her ears were still tattered, but other than that, she was just fine, and grew to be almost as great of a hunter as Meersha herself.

The suns continued to grow better. There was a routine for each one: wake up, eat anything left from last night or hunt or scavenge, then sunbath till night, in which another opportunity to hunt presented itself to them if they were in the mood and needed the meat. And, thankfully, since the incident, there was no more black creature coming from the water.

Lusala grew used to this lifestyle, and enjoyed it greatly. It was Meersha who, after many months of this, became almost...bored, in a way. She sighed and frowned, and each time there was a hunt, she joined less and less. Was this all life had to offer? First, her dad was pushed from her when he was killed. Then her mother was pushed from her when she and the cubs were forced from the pride. All that was left was to find out how to survive on their own, which they had done. And they even took care of a peer, nursed her back to health, and let her join. Meersha wanted something more in her life. Something that could mean danger, or it could be dangerous in the journey to find what she desired. But Meersha wanted the danger. Perhaps she desired a mate. And cubs? No. That was too far off into the future. It was unusual for an adolescent lioness to have or even want cubs. And male adolescents were usually still out by themselves or with other rogues, trying to live and survive before they actually found another pride to take over. As for Meersha herself, the thought did not even come into her mind. Only a mate. Which was also unusual for an adolescent to really want or have or have a go at, since mates usually meant cubs.

"No." Meersha suddenly told herself one day. She was sitting in the shade of the tree while the others were out hunting.

"No what?" someone asked. It was Lusala who had walked out from behind the tree.

"I thought you were hunting...?"

"I was going to, but I wanted to talk to you. You seem restless these suns, Meersh." and she sat down by the lioness, who sat up. "So...no...?"

Meersha sighed and shook her head. "I said no because...I can't have a mate. If I have a mate, then there's always a chance he will end up with the same fate as my father: dead. Or chased away."

"Meersha, where did this mate stuff start comin' in?"

"I just...I mean...I," and she sighed again. "I don't know why I'm thinking about a mate. Mother said she did not became a mate until she was fully grown...We look fully grown, but there are still signs of adolescence. Maybe the reason why I want one so early is because I find this life, well...boring, I guess I should put it."

"Boring?!" blurted Lusala, astounded now. "But, this is what we want. I mean, this is what every predator - no, every animal, every living thing wants...a thriving life! To survive! That's what we're doing, what we've been doing. What you three helped me to do."

"I know," Meersha said with yet another sigh as she faced away.

Lusala snuck in front of Meersha and said, more gently, "Meersha..." but she could not find the right words to convince her friend and so she sat down again. "This is it, Meersha. This is our destination. We've found it. To live healthy. Now all we need t' do is keep it up until we die."

Meersha shook her head. "Yes, to live healthy. But you are also forgetting, to live happily."

Silence.

"I don't see why you aren't happy but..." Lusala finally said. "If a mate is what you want..."

Abruptly, Meersha leapt up and cried out, "I want what makes me happy! I want what makes me feel scared, not knowing if I am to be dead the next sun! I want adrenaline again! Maybe in some ways it was good to wander around before this life, to find this life...but mine is not yet completed...I guess...I guess I need that adrenaline back. You know, that journey."

"Journey?" Lusala tilted her head.

"The journey to get here. Where we're at and the positions we're in. It was a journey we took to get here - wandering around, scavenging and learning to hunt, trying not to die or get eaten. Now...now I want another journey."

Lusala blinked. She then sighed and nodded, which not only gave Meersha joy that she understood, but a surprised sensation.

"You want a journey, huh?" her friend then exclaimed. "A journey to find...this again?"

"And then some." added Meersha. "I want this and more. I don't want to sound greedy, but it's not exactly the destination itself I'm looking forward to. It's getting there."

Lusala smiled and nuzzled her half sister. "Are you to leave today?"

"I...I don't know." Meersha then said, dumbstruck. She had been talking about leaving, but didn't exactly put it into mind...Was she really to leave what she had thrived for? What she had made up?

Seeing the _expression in her face, and hearing the tone of excitement and pull back at the same time, Lusala reassured her with, "Don't worry. You taught yourself. You taught the boys. You taught me."

"What?"

"To hunt. Isn't that all you really need to know to survive on your own?"

"I don't know...but I'm gonna find out!" cried Meersha.

She jumped up, just as Banjija and Gatu came over, trotting happily along.

"There's a whole mother buffulo we caught! She had a baby in her stomach!" exclaimed Banjija, proudly.

Meersha would've scolded them, but she turned to the males and said, "Guess what? I'm leaving."

"What?!" they both responded in half yells, half roars.

"This isn't true...?" Gatu cried, crestfallen.

"Yup. I'm going. Tell 'em, Lusala." Meersha giggled, anxiously.

Lusala nodded calmly, a grin on her face. "It's true. She's going to find her place in life."

Gatu suddenly walked over to Meersha to stare into her eyes with his own one. "Meersha...your place is here..." he whispered, gravely.

Banjija snarled and pushed Gatu out of the way. "Meersha! Don't act so stupid!"

"I'm not stupid." she stated, cooly then. "I'm just looking for more in life."

"What could you want more than life itself?" Banjija snapped back. "We're happy and healthy here."

"You are." and Meersha's mixt emotions went to that of a cub when she replied. Then she sighed, shook her head and said, "Look. You, Gatu and Lusala stay here. Live happily and healthy as you are. You know all that you have to t' live. But I think I need more."

"You know more than all of us!" roared Gatu, desperately. "And you're the best at hunting..."

"Good. I'll need the skills when I'm alone."

"No! I'm coming with-" Gatu began, but Meersha growled, breaking off his voice as she said, "No. I must do this alone. I have to find out more like...like...about what that creature was in the water, and just...lots of stuff."

"Stuff?" coughed her brother.

She nodded. "Yeah. Look, I can't explain it. Just leave me to go...Don't worry, it's not like I'm dying. And I'll come back some sun."

"But-" Gatu went on.

"And that's why you need to stay here," Meersha exclaimed, turning to him. "So I can find you again...Or, for some reason, if you're not here, I'll track ya all down, even if you went your own ways by then."

With that, she nuzzled and licked them all, biding a goodbye. "This is hard. Harder than words can explain." she purred. "But I have to go now...Goodbye..."

The yellow lioness turned, and took off running to the north. Banjija, Gatu and Lusala watched, all the way, until she disappeared from sight, across the savannah plain.

Just a couple miles away, she was still running, when she heard someone call her name in the distance.

"Meersha!"

"Huh?" she asked herself, turning her head to see Gatu running after her.

When he caught up, he tried to say something, but couldn't catch his breath. Finally, panting, he exclaimed, "Meersha...we need...you..."

"No. You don't need me. You know everything you have to...for now..."

"For now?" and he cocked his head to the side.

"Yes. For now. But look at yourself, Gatu! You're a male lion! And a rogue at that!"

"But we're a pride," he pleaded.

She shook her head. "Prides have cubs to keep them going. We are not one."

"Then...we can have cubs." Gatu suddenly blurted, before he could stop himself.

Meersha raised a brow. "Gatu...we can't."

"Why not?" and he took a step forward.

She snarled and hissed, which caused him to backup somewhat.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Reflexes...Anyway, we can't have cubs."

"Why not?"

"We're not mates."

"We could be."

"Gatu! Listen to yourself!" Meersha yelled. "We're siblings! We have the same dad!"

"...He's dead now..."

"It doesn't matter! We still have the same blood," and then she became more gentle and warm. "Don't worry, Gatu. The thing is, you're a male rogue. And some sun, when you're ready, when your blood is pumping and your heart is racing...when your mane is full grown, when you are...when the time comes that you're ready, you'll find a pride."

"No!" he suddenly yelled.

But Meersha went on, still calmly. "Get to the old leader or leaders..."

"No! I won't!" Gatu cried, jumping back, then to the left, thinking he would go crazy at her words.

"And challenge them..." she continued.

"I will not! I won't!" he then snarled as he closed his eye and arched his back so that his face was to the ground and his front paws were wrapped over his head.

"You're acting like a cub," snapped Meersha.

He jerked his head up then, gazing at her. "Meersha, this is what happened to me!" he growled. Gatu didn't say what "this" was, but Meersha knew he was talking about his left eye - the one that had been ripped out by Ashuma. "Those rogues made our father crazy! And this is what happened! Because of those rogues. Because they wanted to take over...and they did!"

Meersha shook her head slowly, staring at nothing. Then, quietly she said, "Gatu..."

"And with that, they killed him! Killed the other cubs! And would've killed us, if we had not been chased from our home and family!" and then he stated, paning now as he narrowed his eye at her. "I won't."

She looked up warily. "I'm sorry, Gatu. I didn't mean...I didn't mean to offend you or bring back bad memories."

Meersha expected him to roar and continue to be enraged, but he shook his head and sat down to reply, "It's...OK..."

"But, Gatu. We cannot be mates. You must understand that."

Gravely, he nodded, blushing somewhat. Meersha then giggled and licked his face, which brought relief for the two of them, as the tension fell.

"We'll always be friends, though, right?" he asked.

"Of course!" she replied.

The two lions looked at one another, and silently bid each other farewell. With that, the lioness and lion each turned away at the same time, and left.