Quietly a mandrill’s head pokes down from the tree, “Who dares disturbs my sleep?? Go away--come back tomorrow!”

“Get your ugly blue butt down here on the double!”

A laugh was heard, “And what if I don’t?”

She growled up to him, “You know good and well that I will come up there...”

Another laugh, “I would like to see you try.”

Ujuzi grunted and braced her forepaws against the trunk of the tree. With a powerful push of her hind legs, she managed to clear the ground. Grunting loudly in exhaustion, she pushed her self to the lower branch, just barely above her height over the ground. With another laugh, the mandrill joined her on the branch, “How long has it been since you have done that?”

Ujuzi looked at him, “I can’t remember the last time I climbed a tree...” She looked down at the ground, gripping the branch tighter, “Damn...I’m surprised I got this high.”

Uzima chuckled. “Ahh...the mastery of the language...your father’s blood does course through you...”

She growled, “Don’t you start on my butt too...”

He nodded, “Come on down to the ground...then we'll talk...” With that, the mandrill flipped gracefully to the ground. The lioness looked down, holding on tightly. Finally...she simply let go and fell gracelessly to the ground, landing with a dull thump and raising a cloud of dust. The monkey chuckled, seeing the lioness get up and shake the dust out of her fur. “Never was able to master the dismount.”

She growled softly and moved to him. The mandrill smiled and wrapped his arms around her neck, fondling her face and kissing her. “What brings the great queen all the way out to see me?”

She sighed, “Am I getting older, friend? I was wrestling with Mabongo the way we used to, and kings above does my body ache!”

He laughed, “The only ones not getting older are dead, Ujuzi...it’s a part of life. Your body is telling you to slow down.” He looked her over slowly. “Why the sudden interest in your age? That wrestling match get you down?”

“I missed on the hunt. Me! I hadn’t done that in ages.”

He looked at her, “Everyone misses at times...”

She continued, “Then my daughter gave me the position of beater, something that is given to the worse hunter or the injured lioness. I haven’t been the beater since I was my granddaughter’s age."

Uzima started to stroke her fur, rubbing the deep muscles of her shoulder. “It’s all right...someone has to take that position.”

“But I’m the queen...doesn’t that mean anything?” she protested?

“Wasn’t it you that taught your daughter that position in the pride doesn’t carry to the hunting grounds? I seem to remember you saying something like that.”

She sighed. "But for all your monkey mumbo jumbo, you still know what it means! I don't like double talk, ape. I'm washed up--through--and from here on out it's only going to get worse."

He worked her shoulders, loosening up the muscles and eliciting a contented grunt from the old lioness. "That's the price of perfection--any change is for the worse."

"You have a civil tongue in your head, I'll grant you."

"And you have friends that love you." He continued to work on her shoulders, making her purr softly.

“I don’t want to grow old," she said, like a cub that is afraid of the dark mewing to her mother. "Please tell me how to be young again.”

He looked in her eyes with pity. “You should know better than that. You know even my spells have limits.” He grinned slightly, “Don’t you think that I would have used it on myself?” He smiled and continued to work on her shoulders. “Besides...you are only as old as you feel.”

She smiled, but with a tinge of sadness. “That old?”

He changed to the other side. “You need to slow down at your age. Please...dearie...don’t do what your mother did...she worked herself to death. Let the future of the pride take some of the burden from you.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “It’s not just the hunt. I wouldn't mind being beater if that was all of it! It’s my husband!” She looked at him with tears in his eyes. “I think I might be losing him.”

He shook his head, scandalized. “Mabongo chasing tails?? Him?? That lion would never leave you dearie! He loves the very ground you walk on!”

“But I’m old and ugly!”

"You, ugly? Maybe I have some herbs for your madness. Maybe it's not old age, it's the notions in that pretty head of yours!" He wrapped his arms around her neck. “Your beauty comes from within. Your body might age...but you're as beautiful as you were when I helped your mother give birth to you.”

"Do you really think so?"

He kissed her beneath each eye. "Honey Tree, I really know so. If you want to be beautiful, you should smile more often. When I see you cry, I bleed inside."

She touched him with her tongue. “I know you think I'm being foolish. But please help me. Please?" She frowned in her desperate impatience. "You must have something that can help me? Please?? Damn it, help me keep him. I live for that lion! Remember that I help you whenever I can, and I ask for so little in return.”

He sighed, seeing that she didn’t listen to what he said. “Fine. Give me a moment and I’ll see what I can do.”

With that, he hopped back into his tree. Leaves rustled around as he moved about and a few minutes later, he appeared back on the ground with a gourd of liquid. Without saying a word, he started to work the fragrant mixture into her fur.

She winced as the strong floral smell hit her nose. “Are you sure this will help?”

He smiled. “Of course I’m sure. I was wearing this when I met my mate. It contains musk from antelopes. That's why it's so hard to come by, and so effective."

"Hard to come by?"

He smiled, holding up her paw and pressing the claws out. "Hard if you're a monkey!" He kissed her paw and sat it down. "Your husband will love it.” He finished rubbing her down and hugged her once more. “Now go be with him, and remember that he will always love you.” He nuzzled her. “And dearie, look for sources of stress in your life. Get rid of those things, and those you can't, learn to accept. You'll sleep better and feel better if you do.”

She nodded and smiled, “I will try...thank you.”

He patted her on her rump, “Now go on, and let an old monkey sleep!”

So the fragrance was hard to get because the poor little monkey had to scavenge carcasses? If that’s what it took, Ujuzi would work out a beneficial relationship with him. All the antelope musk he could ever want--pounds and pounds of it if she had to pluck whatever part it was found in herself and carry it to the baobab! In return, she would be the sexiest and most exciting streak of golden sunshine that ever lit the pride lands! “Who knows, with time I may even grow to like that smell!”

She went back to the pride kopje with a mincing, happy trot and with a sultry purr drew alongside Mabongo. She rubbed him and batted him with her tail alluringly.

“Hello, handsome!”

He looked about, then stared at her. “Who, me??”

She purred again. “Who else!” She nuzzled him and said, “Bobo, do you notice anything different about me?”

He sniffed and grimaced. "Yeah. But don't worry. Whatever it is will wear off soon enough."

“Well, I....”

“What were you into, anyway? I can’t tell if it was flowers or--ugh--antelope!”

Ujuzi stared at him, unable to speak. Her chin trembled.

“Did you want to wrestle again? I’m sorry--you’re just not being very clear, old girl.”

She took a step back.

“Come on, Honey Tree? Give me a hint?”

Ujuzi turned and ran off.

Mabongo looked at his daughter. "Well, what's gotten into her??"

Wehu said, “I think she was trying to impress you.”

“With what?? Maybe I should go after her.”

“I wouldn’t,” Wehu said. “Give her a moment alone, then I’ll go see her.”

Ujuzi went alone to hide among the reeds and she cried and clawed the grass till it left a bare spot, then sobbed in the bare earth. "I'm old! I'm losing him! Oh gods, help me!" Then she says, "Damn Elanna! Damn her to hell! And I'm just the person to send her there personally!!!" Remembers the shaman's innocent words. "You need to get rid of what is worrying you." She says, "I will!"