“No!”

“No, WHAT??”

Tears sprang to Elanna’s eyes. “No, MA’AM!” Her head hung low and tears streamed down her face. “Thanks for the offer, Mabongo, but I won’t stay where I’m not wanted.”

Elanna started to walk off, but Mabongo cut her off with a gentle nuzzle. “Ujuzi, would you calm down and let her finish?” He turned back to Elanna and smiled softly. “Come on, dear. It’s OK.” Mabongo glared at Ujuzi, showing a little tooth. “I’m sure my wife didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

Elanna regained her composure and turned to face Ujuzi respectfully but firmly. “I was driven out because my husband was disposed. My only crime was that I loved him.”

“And where is your husband?”

“Dead.” A tear ran down her cheeks. “He was ripped alive.”

The other lionesses drew in a quick gasp. Even the queen was a little nonplused.

Mabongo wiped her tears with a paw and gave her shoulder a pat. Then he turned to Ujuzi. “There. You see! Nothing wrong with that.”

“Yeah, right.” Ujuzi looked about uncomfortably. “So we have royalty among us.” She turned her gaze on Elanna. “I’m not heartless, honey. Just remember who’s the queen around here, and who’s the subject and we’ll get along real fine. There’s no special treatment here for ladies of leisure. Forget breakfast in bed. You want hard work, clean living, and fair treatment, you came to the right place.”

Elanna went and fell before Ujuzi and kissed her forepaw. “Oh thank you! You won’t regret this, I swear it!”

“Well let’s hope not,” Ujuzi said, touching Elanna’s cheek with her paw. “Welcome to the pride, but remember you’re on probation. I’m keeping my eye on you.” With that, she turned and walked away, disappearing.

Mabongo frowned as his wife disappeared into the grass. “Don’t let her intimidate you. She will warm up to you with time--she’s just mistrustful. Come...meet your new family.”

Elanna nodded and walked with him to the group. Another lioness stepped forward, “I am Wehu...hunt mistress.” She sat down in front of Elanna and smiled disarmingly. “Don’t worry about my mother. She’s just grumpy because she missed on the hunt and she keeps thinking she's getting old.” She nuzzled Elanna and half-whispered, “She is, but most people are at her age. She's been keeping the cubs, but we need to get her back on the hunt again. Build her confidence again.” With a chuckle, she said, “Until we get you up on our lands, we might just allow you to stay with the cubs. Then she'd HAVE to hunt!”

Elanna said. “I would love to watch the cubs.” She turned to look at them. “They are so adorable.” One of them smiled back at her, and Elanna broke into a candid grin. “It’s the only time I feel like a real lioness.”

“I bet you were a very good mother,” Wehu said, admiringly.

“I never got the chance. I came close once, but I....”

“You’re shy?”

“No, dear.” Elanna nuzzled her softly and whispered, “When I had my miscarriage, I lost my....” Elanna looked down, her eyes filled with shame and tears.

Wehu took her paw and gently lifted Elanna’s chin. She kissed her gently on the cheek, the corner of her mouth, and the tear-stain that flowed from her eyes. Her warm hazel eyes peered into the depths of Elanna’s pain, misty with compassion. “I’m sorry I made you cry.”

“Don’t be.” Elanna returned her kiss. “I have smiled as well. I’ve had a good life, a full life, and every time I’ve needed help, someone like you would come to me. Aiheu has dealt kindly with me.”

Wehu smiled. “I’m glad you came. I’m sure they will be too, even my mother.”

She motioned to a lioness with two cubs huddled around her. “That’s Kiesi...and her cubs Inwiena and Ibura” She turned to another lioness with three cubs around her. “That’s Tetesi and her cubs Asuri, Kirizi and Machosi” Finally she turned to the last lioness in the group, a younger lioness and much darker than the rest. “That’s my daughter, Gamaiusi...but we just call her Darky.” She smiled softly to Elanna. “Mother always said I had a dark streak...and it shows in more than her fur.”

“MOTHER!”

Elanna laughed. It was a pretty laugh that had waited a long time to come forth.

“We have some meat left over from last night’s hunt. We won’t hunt again till tomorrow, so we can let the cubs get to know you better before we leave them in your care.”

Elanna nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”

“You have a pretty smile. Use it often, my friend. With my mother going through one of her phases, someone has to be in a good mood.”

Silently Mabongo walked up to her, before lying his massive body down. “I’m sorry about my wife...she gets like that sometimes. I do hope you have a better impression of us now. Her moods scare away most new pride members.” He looked to her, “I hope she hasn’t driven you off.”

Elanna shook her head, “No. I’ll be hard to scare off. I’m afraid of being alone.”

The king nodded. “I know what it’s like to be alone...”

Slowly, the cubs started to make their way away from their mothers towards the king and Elanna, helped by some nudging of their mother. Elanna smiled and rolled on her back, patting her chest with a paw. “Come on and see your Aunt Lannie!”

There was a moment of initial hesitation, but a light seemed to come from Elanna’s face, one of such peace and joy that even the least perceptive of the lionesses saw it and was struck by it. A beautiful grin and a pat of her paw swept the cubs toward her in a wave of laughter.

The cubs mobbed her, biting at the tuft on her tail and tugging at her ears with soft giggling. Elanna grunted with pleasure, fondling their small bodies and anointing them with kisses. As the group huddled about her, a pair of eyes watched the pride from the covers of the grasses.

CHAPTER: FITTING IN

Kiesi was the first lioness to approach Elanna and make conversation. “I hope you’ll be happy with us. I was just noticing--I mean--my Aunt had a ubruki nose too. You’re very pretty.”

“So are you, Kiesi. You are, Kiesi, aren’t you?”

“Yes ma’am,” the lioness said shyly.

“You don’t have to ma’am me,” Elanna said, nuzzling her. “Just call me Lannie.” She looked at the two cubs that drew near to her and rubbed against her legs. “That goes for you too, Inwiena. Hello, Ibura.”

“I’m Ibura. She’s Inwiena.”

Elanna laughed prettily. “Give me time! I’ll get it right.”

Tetesi came up. “Honey Tree, I hope you know star lore. I’ve run out of stories.”

“I love star stories,” Elanna said. “Meholo and Darzee, the Brothers of Marabo, the Seventh Trail....”

“Oh thank the gods! I’m telling you, Hon, you just might know enough to keep Asuri busy for a week. I warn you, he’s like dry earth--he’ll soak up whatever you give him and come back for more. And always ‘why.’ Why this and why that!”

“I’m so glad!” Elanna could tell by the shy grin which one was Asuri and she nuzzled him warmly till he giggled. “We’re going to get along just fine.”

Gamaiusi, an adolescent lioness, came up and said, “Star lore? Do you mind if I listen in too?”

“Sure, Honey Tree! Your mother is welcome too.”

Wehu smiled broadly. “I’ll take you up on that. But we’ll also cover the lands too. You need to learn this place if you’re ever going to hunt here.”

Elanna smiled broadly. “Yes, I’d like that. You’ve been so accommodating.”

“Dad really likes you, I can tell.”

“He’s a dear old thing.”

Wehu laughed. “You add a touch of elegance to our pride. You know, I love mother to death but sometimes she can be so....”

“Wehu!” Ujuzi shouted, “hike your buns over here and help me drag this carcass! We have a visitor!”

Wehu smiled and nodded in the direction of her mother. “That’s my mom, all right.”

Wehu and Ujuzi pulled in a large wildebeest carcass. The lionesses came around with their cubs by their side and began to tear at the flesh. Elanna came over and tried to nose in.