John Burkitt - Touch of the Nisei

She turned quickly, “No...you can’t. You must stay here and be king.” Kubali froze as she continued, “Tell your father and Debara thank you for welcoming me.” She moved back to him and gave him another nuzzle. “Tell Penzi that she will get a loving mate.”

“Elanna...please.”

“Before when we parted it was because of a secret, a lie, or a misunderstanding. This time I am completely certain in what I’m doing. This time it’s the truth that must split us apart. You know what will happen if I remain. Your father will discover that I am barren, and he will drive me off. I will tell him so myself before I let you throw away everything Aiheu meant you to have. Besides, it is Penzi that really loves you. I just wanted a little companionship.”

“Don’t say that!”

“But it’s true! I like you well enough, and you’re a very good lover as far as that goes. But I’m just not in love with you. Penzi is, and your feelings for her could be returned.”

“But Elanna! I know it’s not so! I know you love me! I felt your body tremble next to mine! Oh gods, you can’t tell me that was all an act!”

She kissed him gently. “That does not matter now. You gave me back my self respect. We were together when we needed each other. Now you need Penzi and she needs you.”

“And what do you need??”

“I need to face my past. I need to go some place where you can’t come. Darling, if you love me, let me go. Please??”

“Say you love me first.”

She looked at him, eyes moist with tears. “I won’t lie to you. I am a ripped gazelle, and my heart is being slowly eaten.” She came and kissed his cheek quickly, then turned and trotted away into the grass. A short distance off, she heard his mournful roar. She fell to the ground and sobbed.

The heat started to build as the sun rose in the sky. A lone lioness walked through the golden savanna, unsure where to go.

Her future looked bright just the day before, but now she was alone again. She had been with Kubali for so long, she had forgotten what it felt like to be alone. Looking around, all she could see was the flowing grass. Not only was she alone...she was lost.

She continued to walk, desperate to find her way back to where she was. She continued to look for any sign of a jutting rock that signaled her childhood home. Her mind now set...it was time to face her punishment. If they accepted her back, at least she would have companions. If not...she would join her long lost husband.

The problem was trying to find her old home. She had been walking for nearly a full day, and her legs were starting to buckle under her. It had been a few days since her last good meal, so hunger started to return to her body. Finally, after she had walked as far as she could, her body gave out and collapsed the ground.

Her stomach protested, but she tried to put that in the back of her mind as she did with the memory of her husband. Her aching limbs seemed to make a sigh of relief as her weight now spread over her whole body. She laid her head down on the ground and mumbled softly, “Hunt tomorrow...” She was soon asleep.

Her sleep was restless. Her first night in a long time with out someone next to her was troublesome. She missed the warmth of Kubali’s body and she missed the safety she felt when next to him, her head buried in the soft hair of his mane. How she wished she could be next to him, but deep down she knew it wasn’t meant to be.

Aiheu had other plans for her, but what? She wanted to be in a group--she hated being a rogue. The fear of what her old pride still felt about her preyed on her mind...the hyena’s warning rang in her ears. “They’ll rip you!”

She woke the next day, not really feeling refreshed at all. She rose out of the grasses and yawned, looking around. She looked into the sky, seeing them. “Can it be the same group,” she wondered aloud. She wasn’t going to take the chance that they weren’t and began to move towards the circling birds. In a few minutes, she caught up with the group and smiled.

“Hello Markaaagh.”

The buzzard pulled his head out of a impala carcass and looked to the lioness, “well...if it isn’t Fuzzy’s mate. Har har!”

She smiled slightly, remembering how he hated that name. “Yeah...it’s me.” She moved to the carcass. “Is the deal still in place...because I could really use some food.”

Markaaagh flapped a bit out of the way. “Of course.” He looked around, noticing the absence. “So...where is he? After you two routed that lion, I thought you two wouldn’t be more than a step away from each other. Don’t you love him enough to stay with him?”

She sighed slightly, taking a bit of meat from the carcass, “I love him too much to stay with him.” She gulped down the slightly aging meat and sighed, reaching for some more.

“Eat up, Honey Tree! You are delirious!” The vulture moved closer to her. “If there is anything you need that I can get, I will offer it to you. Our old agreement still stands.”

She looked at the vulture, her nose wrinkling slightly at the familiar foul smell. “I do need one thing. Do you know of a place called ‘Pride Rock’?”

He seemed to go in thought for a moment and shook his head, “No...I’m sorry...can’t say I ever heard of it. But I don’t usually talk to them what can talk back. Har har! Maybe if you describe it, I might know where it is.”

Elanna described to the vulture about the lion pride that lived there, the huge rock the dominated the skyline, and about the terrible drought that over took the land. Markaaagh took some time and nodded, “I know where that is...had some fine pickings a while back, but now it’s lean times for us.” He smiled only how a vulture can. “Not that they’re sorry to see us go.”

“Can you show me the way?”

He just chuckled. “Of course...we were heading that way anyway. Times may be good for the lions there, but there is always something for us to eat there. Har har!”

She just smiled. “Oh thank you...”

After she had a bit of meat and let the vultures feed on the remaining portion of the carcass, they started to make their way towards her old homelands. After a walk that took the better part of the day, she finally saw it...the jutting stone of Pride Rock.

Through the walk...the thoughts that haunted her dreams came back. Would she be accepted back or be killed for her husband’s crime? She finally reached the stream that marked the border of her lands...the lands of her family. She stopped...the small trail of water becoming a huge stone wall blocking her quest. Markaaagh noticed her balking and flew down to meet her. “Is this not where you want to be, Missy?”

“No...this is it.” She slowly scanned the sky...and something caught her eyes. It was a small bird...flying from the rock. To her horror it was coming right towards her. It must be Zazu, she thought. How could she face him after what Taka had done to him? He would tell the king immediately and the hunting party would be formed to go after her. She gasped loudly and shook. “No...I can’t stay here.”

The buzzard just looked at her, “what...what is it?”

Without answering, she turned quickly and ran into the grass, leaving the flock of buzzards in complete confusion as she disappeared.

Heart pounding and sweet dripping from her brow, Elanna put more distance between her and her home. She had stood so close to going back to her old life...and yet. It was the doubt in her mind about how she would be greeted that made her run.

The thought of being alone ran through her mind also. Now it would be for good. She couldn’t go home...and she definitely could not go back to Kubali. The feelings were just too strong for her to be anything but his mate.