XXI

Two of the Drie-Leeu

That day, Meersha had been led to a place where four hills were surrounding a part of the land. She was forced to sit inside that bowl of a land with four other, older lionesses. They taught her for about an hour, telling how they despised lions, all in different ways. But it was the same thing. When Meersha was let out, she felt so relieved...at first. For when the adolescent was walking over the bowl of knolls, onto flat land once more, she was disgusted to have to be paired up with Yawnda again.

"Mother's orders, sister Izegbe," Yawnda exclaimed.

Meersha shook her head but said nothing except, "What do you have to do with me now?"

"Follow me." and she took Meersha up through a slanting piece of land, that ended in a platue, which steeply dropped like a cliff. There, they could oversee the lands of the Broken-Claw.

"So?" asked Meersha.

"You are very foolish, half-cub."

"I thought you said you'd stop calling me that," she grumbled.

Yawnda shrugged. "Anyway," she went on. "I didn't get to show you all of our lands. From here, I can point out much of what we missed. Now, over there," and Yawnda nodded towards a hilly part of the empire in the distance, where Meersha could just make out specks of lionesses who laid about lazily. "Is where most of the pride goes after work."

"Work?"

"Learning, teaching, hunting, fighting, and more."

"Fighting?"

"Enough!" the older lioness hissed. "I only have a few more things to show you and I want to get this over with as quickly as possible...Now, over there is the largest water hole we have, though there are a few other smaller ones, as well as a river and some streams - you can see those yourself. Over there is..."

Meersha sighed and sat down, looking at her paws with a frown and half-closed eyes as the sun began to fall.

"Oh, and if you'd follow me onto the ledge beneath the higher cliff," Yawnda was saying.

With nothing in reply, Meersha got up and slumped behind Yawnda, when suddenly, something fell in front of them: a lion.

"Uhawku," snarled Yawnda. "I'm trying-"

"To bore her to death?" finished Uhawku.

Meersha grinned as the young lion stepped closer to them. His pelt was a glistening brown-gold in the sun, while his crimson mane came down in a mohawk to his shoulders, but covered his chest completely. The tuff on his tail, as well as the ones on the back of his joints of his forelegs matched the coat itself, though. He was only a few months younger than Banjija and Gatu, Meersha guessed.

"Why, hello there, princess," Uhawku said, staring at Meersha with his blue, gleaming eyes. "How have we been so far? Bored, I take it?" and he chuckled. "Yawnda can sometimes be like that."

"Hush, Uhawku!" Yawnda growled.

"Oh right, sorry. I meant all the time."

Meersha's grin grew to a smile as Uhawku padded over to her. His head was round, and though the lion's body was still growing, it seemed like it was taking the shape of Kovu's torso, yet smaller.

"Look, Yawnda," Uhawku said, tossing back his still-growing mane and glancing at the older lioness. "I can take her from here if you'd like. I can take her off your paws."

"Mother said..." Yawnda started, but trailed off with a blink, then she, too, was grinning. "Right, well. You know these lands, too, Uhawku. Go show her around...Oh and, try not to make a fool out of yourself too much." she added.

"Once the sun shines on you," he snickered as she walked down the slant. "C'mon," the young lion then said, looking at Meersha. "Let's head south."

Meersha walked slowly beside Uhawku.

"So, you like it here?" he asked, curiously.

"Well..."

"It's OK. Be honest. I won't tell, not that they'd care how you feel anyway."

"All right." she said. "To tell you the truth, I don't like it. I mean, I agree with the Broken-Claw on some terms, but changing people's names? Killing males?!"

"Taking cubs," Uhawku joined in.

Meersha gasped. "What?!"

"Yeah. Once every full moon, the pride splits. Half will go out to find males t' kill, while the other half goes out t' find cubs that have been chased off, escaped, or are still with their families."

"That's horrible!" she cried.

Uhawku just shrugged, though.

"Don't you care?" Meersha questioned then.

"Yes but...Well you have to see, this is the way I was born and taught. And raised as well. The only males I turst are my brothers, Hawkna and Kikaru."

"Let me guess, part of the Drie-Leeu." Meersha said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Yeah, but let's not talk about that now..."

"So...what do you want to talk about then?"

"Let's talk about your brother and that other male," he suggested.

"What? What about them?" she snapped, now alert.

"Whoa, nothing. I mean, don't take it that way, Izegbe. It's just, I'd like to know something about them before the pride-"

"What?!" Meersha suddenly snarled, causing Uhawku to jump. "Before they get me to tell them where they are? Before you kill them?!"

"Er, well, eventually-" he began but she roared out and started to run.

For a few minutes she ran, until she came to a small water hole. There she sat and stared down at the water coldly, fur bristling. What did you do? she asked herself, and suddenly slapped the water with a paw. You left your family for murderers, that's what! For a moment, she thought about the picture of the dark savannah that had appeared in the water three times in her life, and about the creature. And in that moment of pondering, Meersha wished the creature had gotten her.

Suddenly, as the ripples cleared up and the surface was smooth again, there was the face of another male lion, right by hers. She quickly jerked her head around to see a lion, standing right behind her. His body was slim like that of Taka's. His face was lean, and the snout almost came out in a rectangle. His fur was colored the same as light grain, while his mane was brown - darker than Uhawku's coat. The mane grew just as Uhawku's as well - in a mohawk, not fully done.

"What do you want?" she growled in a crouching position.

"Slow down, my rosebud," he replied, slowly and carefully.

Meersha blinked and stood straight. "What did you call me?"

"I am sorry, sister Izegbe. It is just, your fur, your tail, your body, your paws, your face and your beautiful eyes catch mine and seem to never let my gaze go."

With another blink of surprise, Meersha shook her head and began to walk, saying over her shoulder, "My name is Meersha."

"Meersha. Right. Forgive me, frolicking angel."

"What the hell are you talking about?" the lioness yelled, turning around abruptly, making the lion stop so fast he almost ran into her.

His blue eyes grew, but then his mouth curved into a smile. "Forgive me again. Come. Let us start over again. I am Hawkna, part of the Drie-Leeu, one of the only true lions in the world, a piece in the Broken-Claw, a brother of yours now, and hopefully a mate of yours later." With his slender words, he picked up one of Meersha's paws in his own and licked it.

"Right," Meersha said, yanking her paw away and shaking it a bit. "Just call me Meersha. Not Izegbe. Not half-cub. Not princess. Not sister. Not mate. Not darling...Actually, not rosebud or frolicking angel either."

She figured the females of the Broken-Claw would call her all of those but Meersha, but if the males wanted her, then they would have to call her Meersha. There was a chance with them at least.

"Meersha, my beautiful lioness. I am very pleased to meet you. Now do me a favor," he added.

She cocked her head a bit. "What?"

"Come. I will show you."

With that, the young lion led her a few yards away near a rotting stump. There, a carcass rested. Yet it was too bloody and ripped up for Meersha to tell what it once was. Lifting a brow, she sniffed it, then looked up at Hawkna again, who swore and glared at the ravaged dead animal.

"Damn those vultures!" he snarled.

Meersha shook her head. "Well, thanks anyway. But I'm not hungry...I think I'll just go take a walk."

But he followed. "Allow me to show you around."

"Uh, that's OK." Meersha replied, looking away.

"Why? Was that brother of a fur ball Uhawku bothering you?" She looked back at him and he continued. "Ah, it is. Forgive him. My brother does not know any better. But please, let me show you how I am."

There was a deafening silence as they walked, when she finally asked, "Are you at all like him?"

He shook his head. "Not at all, my love! And if you pick me," and he began to rub his head against hers, purring loudly. "I'll be happy to you show you how much different I can be than other males."

"What?" she asked, eyes wide now.

"You know what I mean."

He licked her face. Growling, Meersha took a paw and swiped it at his face, leaving marks. The lion jumped back in pain as she took off. For some while more, she sprinted through the grass, only to stop at the edge of another cliff. There, the lioness sat, panting and breathing hard, before finally, she broke down, and sobbing filled the air.

"You didn't get her either?" someone snickered. "Ha! I knew it!"

Suddenly, Meersha looked up, her eyes watery. But instead, they fell down the cliff, to where Uhawku stood, just as his brother, Hawkna, came running up.

"I was gonna look for her, when I caught your scent. Were you spying?" Hawkna asked, catching his breath.

Ten feet above them, Meersha laid low, still watching and listening.

Uhawku chuckled and replied, "What happened to your voice?"

"What do you mean?"

"Before, you were talking all sweet and romantic," Uhawkna exclaimed, fluttering his eye lashes, before bursting out laughing.

"Well you're the one who pissed her off in the first place. I had the trouble of trying to build her back up," the teen lion growled, narrowing his eyes.

"Looks like neither of us is gonna get her, or those delicious batch of antelope babies."

Hawkna shook his head. "Speaking about meat, you took part of that zebra I got her, didn't you?"

With that, Uhawknu grinned, almost the same way Meersha had seen Ahadgna do before. "Tell me, brother, was it really a zebra?" A moment of silence, and the brown lion shook his round head. "Tut, tut, tut. Hasn't Mother taught you the consequences of lying?"

"What about stealing?"

"Ha! Stealing? You were the one who took from the bet! Remember, you only get those babies if you get the girl."

Meersha gasped to herself, "A bet?"

"And you only get them if you win." his brother challenged.

Uhawknu lifted his paw to lick it as he closed his eyes and replied, casually, "You're the one who stole it first."

After a while, Hawkna started to lick his pelt.

"Too bad we didn't ask Kikaru to join in on this bet." Uhakwu finally said.

"Yeah but, he's always by himself. I doubt he'd win anyway," Hawkna replied.

Suddenly, as rage boiled in her stomach, Meersha let out a deafening roar that cracked any near silence as she leapt up. She spat down at the lions who were now staring back up at her with wide eyes, "Lions! You freaks! A bet? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Meersha took off for a third time, now running as fast as she could, heart pounding in her ears.