XXXVII The New PrideA new leader is to take charge of the old family, for the old leader is too elderly to keep that charge. It is for the good of the family and for the good of the leader.-Natural StatementsThe rain was indeed picking up, and all were moving into this new den. As Banjija laid down, slight pain in his body from the wounds – just a few scratches, bruises and a ripped ear over all – he sighed to himself, thinking deeply. He would lie by the enterence, recalling the main den at the Great Knoll, and how this so reminded him of his old home. It felt good to have the company of so many lions again, instead of just him and Lusala. It was an overwhelming emotion he could not describe, but never the less, it gave him comfort. Something brushed up against his side, and he turned to see Lusala lie down by him. He smiled as his tail occasionally twitched and moved to and fro. "You did well, my brother," she whispered as she began to lick a small gash on his paw. He cringed slightly, but replied, "Wouldn't have done it without you." The lion turned and gazed out over the rainy savannah. Ah at last, the wet season had come. It would feel even better to have a pride and the satisfaction of thirst together. "And a big pride they are," Lusala went on. "That's good." "Yeah," said Banjija as he lazily placed his head upon his forepaws, still watching the rain come down outside, ears twitching as a few conversations from the lionesses started up. "I haven't really got to know them yet." "You can do that when the rain subsides. For now, we're all tired, and should get some rest. They're just excited that they have a new leader...and a good one at that," she added thoughtfully. "They don't even know me." "Yes but, you let their cubs live." "They're my cubs now." Banjija replied, and couldn't help an inward smile. He was proud of the words which spilt from his mouth. After a few minutes of silence between the two – the other lionesses continued to chatter quitely among themselves – Lusala finally said, "Strange, isn't it?" "Hmm?" and he closed his eyes, tail continuing to slowly swish. "That they would be traveling with such young cubs." "We had to," a weary but shrewd voice said. Banjija perked and opened his eyes, turning his head around to see the adolescent lioness who had come the night before. "Father made us move since the herds were traveling as well. They kept on moving this way, and we kept following." she explained, almost darkly. Banjija shrugged, rather halfheartedly as he laid his head on his paws once more. "We're staying here. Lusala and I are great hunters and though this is usually a dry place – not now I must say," he added at the downpour outside, "we have plenty of food to go around." "Good." the adolescent simply said, before turning around and crawling to the back of the cave. "Is she angry?" Banjija asked to no one in particular, keeping his eyes closed again, tone not the least bit carring despite his words. "Well, you did chase away her father." Lusala whispered. "She's bound to be giving you a cold shoulder for awhile." "It was his fault," Banjija snapped as he again, perked. "And he's lucky I didn't kill him." "Right. Give the half-cub time to warm up to you, though." Before long, the lionesses were moving over to Banjija, almost curiously. They began to ask him many questions of his life and why he had chosen to let their cubs live, and that they were very greatful for it. Most of the questions he let Lusala answer, as for why he had let the cubs live, the only thing he said was, "They are my cubs now, just as you are my pride." This went on for quite awhile, though of course it was the adolescent who never dared to approach Banjija again that day. But he did not care, for exhaustion had taken over. In fact, he did not care for the lionesses themselves, pestering him all the time. The lion fell in and out of sleep as they asked, Lusala still answering for them. Four more lionesses would not approach him besides the adolescent, though. Three were the mothers, who were grooming their cubs, keeping them from Banjija as they stayed in the back. My little ones, he had once thought to himself, surpressing a chuckle. I shall meet them and their mothers tomorrow. He was anxious to check up on them, but for now, he needed sleep, having not gained any from lastnight. The fourth lioness, though, left him perplexed. As he glanced at her once or twice, he could see her talking with the adolescent, yet he strained to hear what he could not. For some reason, that lioness felt so familiar. But, as he could not quite put a paw on it, he finally laid his head back down and closed his eyes, the voices of the pride growing distant, and finally, he fell fully asleep. If he had looked over that lioness carefully, he would have seen that she was missing her left foreleg. Lusala was the one to carry on the conversation with the pride members, chatting and ocassionally laughing, which was a great relief for them all, considering what had happened earlier. Eventually the questions turned into other subjects about the cubs and the younger lionesses, as well as the former leader and what had happened to them in the past. Finally, the talk settled down, and as thunder and lightening crashed through the gray sky, the pride began to drift into a light sleep. They themselves had had but a few moments' worth of sleep the night before, having been too busy traveling. ~~~ "Lusala," a voice said. "Huh?" a tired Lusala asked as she opened her eyes with a yawn. "What is it? Who are you?" But suddenly, she gasped and cried as the familiar scent came into her nostrils, "Naynana! I can't believe it's really you! Why didn't I smell you before? Oh Great Kings, how did you survive? And where is Kumba?" "Settle down," Naynana whispered, almost like an adult to a cub. "You don't want to wake Leader Banjija, now do you?" Lusala glanced at Banjija, never having heard him called "Leader Banjija." It almost made her laugh, but instead, she looked back to her friend and sat up to nuzzle her. After a few moments of nuzzling and purring, sniffing and so on, they began to talk. "Naynana, what has happened to you over these years?" "Has it been that long?" Naynana asked, strongly, though. "I'm afraid it has." "Well, anyway, I am glad to know you are alive and well. And in fact, in the same pride now, I expect." Lusala eagerly nodded. "Yes." "Well now, this darkness between us will not do." Naynana suddenly said. Lusala tilted her head for a moment, but chuckled at the lioness's words, for this was how Naynana always was. Naynana indeed was a strong lioness, and always had been. She many times would use strange phrases that one would usually ask about, and when talking to others, she talked almost always in a bolder tone. Not that she saw herself better than anyone else, but it was a silent establishment between Naynana and the one whom she was with. There was no need for words, or even body language nor violence to let someone know that she was the dominant one between the two. Back in the days of her cubhood, she new which to be under – the adults – and who to be over – all the other cubs. Lusala was yet to see the day that someone, even a strong adult lion, would take dominance over Naynana, which in fact, had given Lusala and the others comfort for such a stable, strong companion back in adolescence when they had traveled through the darkest of times. Naynana was a leader inside, and always had been. The lioness was dark, with an even darker under belly. Her thin coat was of gold and brown, and her muzzle was long and slender, just as her body was. The tuff of her tail was large, though, and almost black. Her gleeming eyes were a dark brown, and she had grown much since the last time Lusala had seen her, during that dreadful night with the four lion leaders. And no left foreleg, was to show for it. Though she looked youthful and very healthy indeed. "What darkness do you speak of?" Lusala questioned, almost in relief to hear that tone, and those quite sacred words. "The darkness with which we are at a loss. As in, we do not know of each other after the sun we were seperated." Naynana explained. "All right then." Lusala said. "Allow me to speak and tell you what has happened to me since then. Then you shall." Naynana respectfully dipped her head with understanding. "As you wish." And so Lusala began her story. It did not end for about an hour or so, and when it did, there was a silence that both had to use to go over the story one last time in their heads. "All right then," Naynana had finally whispered, rather choked at this. "Things have happend to me as well." There was a brief pause, before Naynana finally cried out, "Oh, Lusala! Thank the Great Kings of the past that this has happened!" It was a shock to see Naynana in this state. Never had Lusala seen her break down like this, and never did she think she would. Naynana was different than many, and it was rare to see fear or weakness in someone like her. Someone like her was born strong, into a leader that seemed youthful forever, and when the time came that that youth was gone, there was still experience and wisdome filled with tales and advice and help for others, just as a shaman. And a motherly figure to those much younger than herself she could be, and a great one for her own cubs. This was the rare kind of personality seen in someone, and when it was in a lioness, oh how a pride could go on without a male – that is besides the male giving the lionesses cubs to carry on the generations. "Shh, the others are sleeping," Lusala exclaimed and she leaned down to nuzzle her friend, greatfully. Finally, Naynana straighened up and nodded, expression solid as her voice came out in a brawny attitude once more. "I am sorry, Lusala. Forgive me for that nonsence." "It's all right," Lusala purred. "But really, thank the Great Kings and Queens of the past. Now that I have found you, I can tell you the thing I feared so much before." "What are you talking about?" "You see, our leader in this pride was called Umbsha. This pride was called the Sunset pride. Umbsha had let me join just after my adolescence had ended. But strangely, only a few lionesses had mated with him. Three, if I remember correctly. Now, before I had joined, it was Kumba who had pushed me into this really. I was weak emotionally and physically, so finally I folded and was able to join while Kumba hid out by the borders of the territory. Always downwind of course. Anyway, the pride's current cubs grew into adolescents, as I myself into a healthy adult, despite my missing leg. Now, almost all of Umbsha's first litters decided to move out, which was very unsual, considering that all of his cubs were females. And you know lionesses, they stay in the pride they were born in – except for a few expectations, such as ours," she added warily. "Anyway, another strange thing was that they had just entered adolescence, so they were practically cubs still. But if they were to go, then that left Umbsha to mate with the lionesses again, so he let them, taking his fatherly authority with him. Yes I had asked why the half-cubs wanted to go, but they only answered, 'because it was the right thing to do.' Strange, but still I stayed with the original Sunset pride, not wanting to take my chances out there again with cubs. "As I had lived with the pride, Kumba and I would meet every night, under a baobob in the far west, unknowingly needless to say, for Umbsha was much more experienced. Kumba tried to talk me into letting him fight Umbsha, but every time he talked about it I would bring up that dreadful night when the four lions killed Daba, took my leg, and seperated us. Anyhow, I lived among those lionesses quite peacefully, and no one took too long to gaze at my missing limb – though how can you stare at something that is missing?" she added, and chuckled before continuing. "Where was I? Oh yes. Well, after the half-cubs left, I was surprised to see Yora still among us." Naynana nodded to the adolescent who was in the back of the cave still, curled up and sleeping deeply it seemed. "For you see, Yora was Umbsha's youngest daughter. When I asked her why she wouldn't go with the others, she just shrugged. Now, right after the half-cubs had left, Umbsha mated with the lionesses once more – very few like before. It seemed as if not many were very fond of him. Then again, who would want to bring cubs into such a dreadful land? The place we were settled at was a territory with few prey, and for the mostpart, the territory was dry. "Finally, after the new cubs were born and learned to walk, the lionesses convinced him to start to move off after the animals. Also strange for lionesses to do with such young cubs. Anyway, a/fter much proding, he agreed, and we were off. From then on we did not find any places to stay perminantly. Then, we found this place and Umbsha sent his own daughter – Yora – to go warn the lions here. I didn't even know it was you and Banjija until the fight. I didn't want to make myself known until after, and that was if Banjija did win...But he did! Thank the Great Kings and Queens!" she cried yet another time. "But wait," Lusala said, confused. "where's Kumba?" "Right, he's what I was getting to. So, when Umbsha had mated a second time, I did not...not with him. I waited and, as our pride started the journey with the cubs – only one died, thankfully – Kumba trailed behind. One night..." and she lowered her voice to such a whisper that Lusala had to strain her hearing. "Kumba...Well, Kumba has given me cubs in my stomach." Lusala gasped, and looked wide eyed at Naynana, in disbelief. "You're not seirous?" "I am sorry, but I am pregnant, and not with Umbsha's cubs. Then again, I prayed every night that the Great Kings and Queens would find some way for me to birth these cubs without having them killed by Umbsha, and without me moving off to be a rogue again. All though I would've had Kumba, it would've been much too hard to raise cubs alone and without a pride I shall think." Lusala fumbled for words, but could only say, "You don't look pregnant." "It was actually quite recent," Naynana said with a chuckle. "I know I shouldn't be pregnant with another lion's cubs, but Kumba and I had fallen in love. And we were young...and still are. I might regret having my cubs at this time, but I will never regret having my cubs." "Oh, Naynana!" Lusala cried with joy as she nuzzled the lioness. "My own pride-sister having cubs!" "Shh, Lusala. Hush. Word of this must not get out yet." though there was a softness in Naynana's stern voice. "Now that Banjija is the leader, I can only hope he will let me stay with the cubs." "Of course he would! He's Banjija, your pride-brother and leader! Besides, he let the other cubs stay." Lusala reassured her half-sister. "Good then. I guess I shall ask him in the morning." Naynana shifted warily as she glanced outside, the water that was still plummeting. "He's out there right now...Kumba, I mean." "Perhaps," Lusala whispered. "I could talk him into letting Kumba join the pride." "Lusala! You would do that for him? For me?" "Of course!" "My sister," Naynana purred and licked Lusala atop the head. "I am glad to be in your presence once more." When she lifted her head, she looked back to Yora. "I must go back to her." "Why?" Lusala questioned as she, too, took a quick look at the young lioness. "I am not sure why, but the young one does not see it fit when I am away from her. You see, I sort of took her in when she was younger, for her mother had died from a fatal disease and Umbsha was her only means of a parent. Then again, he was not that great of a father figure I must soworfully add. And when her sisters left, Yora became even more anxious." "Are you like a mother to her?" Naynana shifted uncomfortably, pondering whether to say yes or no. She could only only say, "I am what I am to her." though. Lusala nodded. "Though she is like a daughter to me, I admit." she added. "Wait," Lusala said, confused. "Umbsha mated a second time while Yora was still an adolescent? That means she's older than I thought." "Yes, her body should be done growing just about now. I guess you could say she's adult now, and that she does not need a mother, but she does need someone. She grows very anxious when I'm not around, or so the other lionesses say. If I knew her litter and pride-sisters were not dead – that is very unlikely – and were healthy, I would have almost felt it better if Yora had traveled with them. I know she felt comfortable around them, just as she does around me." With a lick and a nuzzle, Naynana turned and headed to the back of the cave, lying beside Yora, almost protectively. Lusala hmmed to herself before closing her eyes, though she was greatful that Naynana and Kumba were alive and well.