back with the hind: leap! If the prey doesn’t know I’m coming, it soon will. Claws out, jaws gaping, go for it! NO! Claws in! Claws IN! IN! Roar OUT….

Too far, too fast, too late! Miss his tail, hit the rock - hard. Tumble over, land on back - slipping, ripping, not gripping. Hit something, something soft yet hard and warm and furry. Stop….. nice smell, strong smell, familiar smell… safe smell.

“Hey! Where are going?!”

Lie still, you’re home - safe at home.

“Are you all right Yali?”

Think - feels OK, tender but all in one piece. Don’t worry about tail, “Yeah, I guess so…”

“You’re not much good at this are you?”

The lion looks down at me, he’s sorta upside down. Is that ‘looks up’ then?

“I used to be better.”

“Yeah, right - so did I.”

He smiles, he bends up… no down, I feel his breath on my cheek… then his tongue rasping up, down, whatever.

“You’re nice - I like you.”

“Oh do you now? And why’s that?

Giggle a bit.

“Heehhe Nengwe, ‘cos you let your mane down now an’ again.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean little lioness?”

“Oh, nothing.” Giggle again, ‘Yeah - nothing’s right.’

“Hmmm, so you must be Falana’s daughter. I can see a bit of her in your eyes.”

‘No I can’t laugh, I mustn’t.’ “Oh no, no, ” giggles again, ‘I am allowed to giggle a bit aren’t I?’ “Quite the opposite.”

“Eh? Who else’s can you be?”

The lion slicks back his mane, ‘Who’s he doing that for? As if I didn’t know.’ When he’s finished he looks back, twitches an ear and does it all over again.

“You like to look really cool don’t you? Is it for a lioness?”

“NO! No. I just like to look good. Not that you’d know anything about that.”

“Yeah, you got a lioness all right,” giggles again.

“No way cubbie. I’m never going to be tied down to a lioness.”

“What about three?” ‘He’s gonna be mad at me now.’ The lion stares down sternly. “Yeah, I’m gonna get the ‘cubs shouldn’t talk like that’ speech aren’t I?’ His stare turns to a gentle smile.“Or any. I’m free to do what I like, when I like… with whom I… err...”

“Yeah Nengwe?” ‘Oh no, that’s gone and done it, he hates being called Nengwe, doesn’t he?’

“It’s NENGWALAMWE!” Nengwalamwe looks up in surprise, more sort of along really. That’s the thing about being a cub: you’re always smaller than everyone else.

“Yeah, whatever.” ‘He kinda looks worried now, why?’ “What’s up Nengwalamwe?”

“Err, does my mane look all right?”

“Yeah, it’s great. Like a… mane. Why? Who you meeting?”

“No one.” He draws away self-consciously and licks again. “It just got into a mess earlier.”

“You been wallowing in the waterhole again?”

“What do you mean ‘again’? Eh?” He comes close, almost whispers, “Well, I’ll tell you this: Don’t ever trust baboons.”

“Ooo right.” Yali pounces on something in the grass, just a little cubby pounce this time, “Err, why Nengwe?”

“Ooooooooooo.” He shakes his head. He settles down and goes on, “I let one pick it for me. I think he must have put mud in it, or something.”

“Oh, so that’s what it was!”

“You saw that? Who hasn’t around here? It must have looked really stupid.”

“Sure I saw it. I thought it looked kinda cute.”

“Cute! I don’t do cute. I do...” He growls gently, “...Lion! I might be king around here one day.” He looks back quickly, “Are you sure my mane’s all right?”

“Yes, sure I’m sure. Now just stop going on about it, you’re almost as bad as my sister.”

“Sister? What sister?”

‘This pouncing’s fun!’

 “Ahh skip it Cubbie. Yali, look, I gotta go.”

“Why? Don’t you like playing with me?”

“Of course I do, but I gotta go and do… kingy things - you know.”

“OK, I know. I’ll see you again. won’t I? You do still like me don’t you?”

“Yes, sure I do. Look, you can see me whenever you like. But right now I really gotta run.” He turns away, bounces a few paces, and then looks back. He sees nothing.

“Mother?” Growled Falana, “Mother? Are you listening to me? You’ve got that far away look again.”

“What?”

“Mother?”

“Are you ready Falana?”

Falana look puzzled, as if Shaha was part of an entirely different conversation, “Ready Mother? You know I won’t be for half a moon yet.”

“No, not that. Nengwalamwe’ll be here soon.”

“No he won’t. He’ll not show up. I know his kind: all mouth and no claws.” she flicked the mid-afternoon’s flies from her open flank with her tail.

“I think you’ll find there’s a little more to him than that. I’m sure he will turn up.”

“Is that so mother? What makes you so sure eh?”

“Trust me. I’m your mother - he’ll be here, and you had better be ready for him.”

Falana turned away, “At least that’s one thing I can’t do anything about....”

 

***

 

Towards sunset the wind stirred, wavered and then gathered its strength. It took the promise of rain from the mountains and gave it to the plains below. It was full, forming a warm, heavy blanket that fluttered and flapped over the grasslands. Two lions walked steadily, one behind the other, their coats glowing in the low late afternoon sun. The sharp light picked out every hair of the male’s magnificent mane. Where they were going few around them cared, as long as it wasn’t toward them. A few took interest, however, watching from distant thickets, hollows and kopjes. The lions did not see their watchers.

One of the lions stopped and lifted her head, looking about anxiously, “How much farther is it Nothing?” The other took no notice and carried on walking, paw after paw after paw. “Hey, you - Nengwe!” The leader stopped and looked back.

“Yeah? Can’t you keep up?”

“Nengwe, we ought not be here, this is dog country.” She looked around once more, “Is it much farther?”

“Why? Is the heat getting to you lioness? You haven’t got any stamina have you?”

“Look here lion, I can match you all the way. Anything you can do I can do long after you’ve given up.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Nengwe! Just how much farther is it to this rock of yours? If my mother hadn’t insisted, I wouldn’t even be bothering with you at all, and there’s no way I’d let myself be dragged out here to see some dunghill of a rock.”

“Nengwe, Nengwe this, Nengwe that! I’m Nengwalamwe!”

“Whatever. Are we there yet?”

“We’ll soon be able to see it. Once we’re over the next ridge we’ll be almost there.”

“Shut up and lie down,” replied the lioness urgently. She dropped to the ground; her eyes fixed on the horizon way beyond him.

The lion was confused and not a little surprised and was not at all sure if he should be pleased, or afraid. Falana, it seemed, was a lioness of unpredictably changing moods.

“Why?” Then he decided he should be pleased after all and stepped towards her. “Why Falana,” he said smiling, “this is so sudden!”

She lashed a foreleg out at him, “Shut it and stow it - quick!” he lurched back in surprise. Her paw made glancing contact. Surprised, that is, that she had had her claws fully retracted and had unleashed the swipe with little force. He stumbled backwards, flailing his tail in an effort to retain balance.

“Hey, what was that for?” He growled and grumbled as he regained his composure, “What have I done this time? What is it with you? Do you hate everyone - or just me?”

She bore into him with her eyes, the sort of look an angry mother gives her wayward cubs. He sank down to the ground somewhat frightened, and a somewhat in awe of her power and determination. Even now, as she tensed ready for the pounce, Falana was graceful and controlled. She held her tail out motionless on the ground behind her. Her head was firm and precisely level and fixed. Only her sides moved with each steady, slow and silent breath. Nengwalamwe realised was afraid of her meteoric temper. He was very much a lion of habit and the unknown frightened him, as it had in the mountains and forests during his flight from Kolata. Here was a lioness, every day as old as his mother, behaving with no more steadiness than Llasani and her cousin. That was what reached into him and stirred his fear: not her teeth, her claws nor her bone-cracking jaws.

“Food,” she said

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