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.
Elanna discovered to her great surprise that the other lionesses gave way before her and offered her the deference they paid the queen herself. The look in Ujuzi’s face was not exactly angry but it was not approving either.
“You know,” Ujuzi said, her mouth full of meat, “I think wildebeest is good for one’s constitution. I mean it stimulates one’s enduring if properly mitigated with other circumstances.”
Elanna looked up quizzically. Wehu’s face was pained.
“I’m so glad you invited me in,” Elanna said.
“My husband invited you in,” Ujuzi said.
“Still, now that I’m here, I think we can be real friends. You have a delightful daughter.”
Ujuzi pulled off another large hunk of meat and minced it. In words clogged with meat and humors, she said, “That Wehu’s a good’un. Just like her Poppa. Yes ma’am, a real first class act.”
The next few days for Elanna were touch and go for her. She seemed to be accepted by most of the members of the pride. Even the cubs had come to call her ‘Auntie Lannie’. The cubs flocking around her made her very happy. For the first time, she felt that she could play or tell stories to the young ones without getting bad looks from their mothers. Even Darky, although a young lioness, would often stop and listen to her musings.
Most of the lionesses were very kind and trusting to her, especially Wehu. Wehu had been taking her off to the side during the day and showing her the lands, often to the sighs of the cubs that were gathered around her. Slowly, Elanna felt that she was learning the skills she would need to hunt in the group again. She had enjoyed spending the hunting time with the cubs, getting to know them better, but she was anxious to get in some hunts.