their heads from grazing as one: away from Falana. The buffalo’s bellows grew louder and more urgent. The nearest buffalo reared up and swung round. As its fore hooves landed and shook the ground. It then powered forward, heading parallel to the line of the grass edge.

“Come on Mother, we’re on!” Falana shot forwards from the cover of the long grass, her eyes fixed on the accelerating buffalo running to her left. She curved, putting much of her weight and power into turning to keep the buffalo in her eye-line. Shaha waited just a moment to see what Falana was on. She saw her daughter turn and surged away after her, ignoring her aching shoulder. She took a straighter, more direct line that was more efficient though less dramatic than that of her supple daughter. She soon drew close to Falana’s side and slid past her onto her prey side.

“N- Not seen us yet,” Shaha gasped as the buffalo sliced across them, heading round the curve of the short grass. The group of buffalo closed up as they ran, whatever had alarmed them it certainly wasn’t Falana. Now a pair of eyes brightened in panic as they caught the pair of lioness running parallel a few sort lengths away. It bellowed to warn its companions who tried to turn away in confusion. The group split once more as fear grew into blind panic.

Falana turned her head to her side as she ran, tilting her shoulders away to balance and her tail forcing Shaha to surge forward a little to her daughter’s side. The dust of the plain rose up from their paws and instantly flew away into the long grass, caught by the gusting wind. Despite not looking ahead Falana ran on with supple grace and pad-perfect precision.

“What’s HE doing here?”

“Who?” shouted Shaha, not daring to take her eyes off the racing buffalo.

“Nengwa-soddin-lamwe!” Falana roared, “Get out of it! This is my hunt!”

As one of the buffalo shed from the group, Shaha surged away from Falana who had slowed, staring at the lion on the other side of her prey. It must have been Nengwalamwe who had spooked the group, he had ruined hours of hard work. Falana hardly noticed her mother’s bulk cross her vision as she watched the lowest part of his bouncing mane between the buffalo’s hooves. Nengwalamwe so filled her mind that Falana forgot all about the strike and slowed almost to a walk. “Come on mother, let’s get out of here. That lion’s ruined everything…. Mother?”

Falana looked to the buffalo. Shaha was closing rapidly on one of the group. It was not well separated from the herd. Three or four lengths behind, closing rapidly, ran a large male. Already it was lowering its head to bring its horns to bear on the already injured Shaha.

“Mother! What do you think you’re doing?”

Shaha ran on, curving into the prey with powerful leaping strides. “No mother! Don’t throw your life away like this!” Falana roared in panic as she threw back the ground beneath her and raggedly broke into a full run once more. ‘Come on, you can’t be serious. Please Mother, stop now. Please Mother - pull up!’ Her thoughts flowed into her throat, “You got to pull up!”

Shaha remarkably surged again, her age and wounds falling from her much as her coat did. She managed to get a forepaw on to the side of the buffalo’s rump, digging in with her claws. Behind, the chasing male closed hard. Falana saw Shaha try to pull the buffalo back down by dragging her free legs. The buffalo was not going to give up without a struggle and ran on strongly; for too strongly for Shaha. It dragged her on over the grass; she couldn’t hold on, the effort was pulling her claws loose from the hide. She retracted her claws; her blood soaked paw slipping back down to the ground.

Yet, still Shaha did not give up. Falana watched, powerless to help, as she raced forward. Shaha took a couple of strides to regain her balance. She accelerated to jump forwards and strike again at the buffalo’s back, this time with both forepaws, once more trying to pull it over. She was no more successful. The buffalo behind was now no more two lengths from her flailing tail. The pain in her foreleg came again. She had to drop back, dragging her claws deep through the hide of the buffalo’s rump. She slowed slightly, as if intending to pull away or stop. She had not seen the buffalo moving in to take her.

She had inflicted considerable injuries on the beast’s hindquarters. It stumbled, lurching forward, suddenly released of the lioness’ weight. Then it lost its footing, its forelegs folding at the knuckles. It lurched over onto its right side, its head rolling under in terror stricken panic. Shaha, despite having falling back to the ground painfully, leapt forwards onto the fallen buffalo’s back to sink her claws deep into its spine. Before she could bring her teeth to bear on the stricken beast’s lower neck the two were thrown round violently.

When the beast finally stopped, she was thrown clear, landing on her injured side, rolling over blindly. The wind whipped up the choking dust into a stinging, throat-rasping cloud. The ground shook as the male buffalo behind rumbled past within a tail’s width. Shaha felt a blast of burning air push at her fur as the beast beneath her groaned for the last time.

For a moment, Shaha saw nothing but the dust. It cleared, revealing Nengwalamwe’s muzzle clamped around the buffalo’s upper neck. The slightest of moon, which had been at her back now shone down through the gaps in the clouds onto her left side. Nengwalamwe’s strike had been so powerful as to turn them all, buffalo and lion, through nearly a full half-circle. It had thrown Shaha clear out of the path of the chasing buffalo.

The last of the herd turned and stopped to look back on her fallen companion. She did not stand and look for long. Falana ran in roaring loudly, putting the straggler to lumbering flight.

“Falana, where did you get to?” asked Shaha, not trying to get up.

Falana stopped roaring and looked incredulously at her mother and Nengwalamwe. The kill lay still, deathly still. Nengwalamwe released his grip slowly and looked to Shaha, his sides heaving.

“Nengwe, thank you. I guess I’m not up to taking down buffalo these nights, not like I used.”

“Mother? By the stars, what did you think you were doing? That male buffalo was going to gore you for sure.”

Shaha laughed gently as she rolled back on to her paws. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before shaking the dust from her fur. “What male?”

Falana dropped her head, high from roaring, and turned back to her mother. As she drew close, she sniffed at her and brushed her head against her neck.

“The buffalo that was going to kill you.”

“I didn’t see any other buffalo.” Shaha lifted her head to look at Falana and then turned to Nengwalamwe. “Did you Nengwe?”

The lion seemed a little embarrassed and tried to look away.

“Well, I… it was very confusing… the dust… the chase… I’m really not sure.” He rolled his eyes and tried to smile exaggeratedly.

“Mother, you shouldn’t have rushed in like that, it was a stupid thing to do.”

“Now see here Falana. I didn’t ‘rush in’. I saw an opportunity too good to go to waste. And where were you? One moment you and I were stride for stride, next thing I know, I’m all alone?”

Falana looked crossly at Nengwalamwe, almost growling.

Shaha let out a loud warning that filled her daughter’s ears. “No, no! You’re not getting away with that! You keep your mind on the hunt, you understand?”

Falana let her expression soften a little and Shaha drew back.

“Nengwalamwe got me out of the mess you got me into. You must support others when you’re hunting. How many times have I told you? Nothing else matters once the strike is on - nothing. Is that clear?” Shaha pulled her head back from over her daughter’s neck, moving moved close to Falana’s cheek, out of Nengwalamwe’s sight. Falana breathed heavily, half expecting some pointed remark or even a bite. Instead she felt her mother’s tongue rasp upward over her fur, ending at her right ear. “You see. He’s got some good points after all.”

Falana pulled her head up suddenly and looked, blinking, over to the waiting lion. He had not yet started on the kill. She stared at him for a moment before turning back to her mother.

“Come on Falana, I believe he thinks it’s my kill. Who am I to disagree with a lion?” Shaha walked forwards. She turned around the beast’s turned-back hind legs and joined Nengwalamwe, dropping down by his side, pressing her ribs close to his. She spoke to him quietly. “Thank you - I was down for sure. Once more I owe you my life, how can I ever repay you?”

He returned her words in similar intimate tones. Falana strained to hear but couldn’t quite make them out over the wind.

 “It doesn’t matter. I was trying to do something; just one thing right… Just one little thing.”

13. The Water’s Edge

 

Falana said nothing as she ate. When she finished, she got up and walked away. Five paces later she stopped, looking out into the night, waving and swishing her tail. Shaha, looking at Nengwalamwe with a tired, exasperated half-smile, got up and followed her impatient daughter.

The moon was riding low in the sky when

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