John Burkitt - Touch of the Nisei

Kubali did not react swiftly enough. One of the gazelles caught him on the side with a hoof, nicking him and bringing a few drops of blood.

Elanna quickly and compassionately snuffed the life from her horrified captive, then spoke a quick blessing. Kubali went to her after the dust had settled and rubbed against her gently. “Good job, Lannie!”

As his body pressed against hers, she noticed the blood on him. “Oh my gods...you’re bleeding, Kubali!”

Kubali turned to look at the wound and chuckled. “Don’t scare me like that! It’s really noth...”

“Oh you poor dear...” She got up from the fallen beast and began to lick at the blood on his coat. “My sweet little Nisei, let me make it all better.”

“Lannie...not that I mind your affections...but I’ll be all right.”

She began to stroke his side gently. “My brave little lion. There, there! It’s all right. I’m here.”

Kubali stepped away from her, “Didn’t you hear me, Lannie? I’m all right. It’s really nothing. I didn’t even notice it until you mentioned it.”

Elanna looked up to him. “But Kubali...aren’t you in pain?”

He just shook his head. Elanna looked down at his paws, “Oh...”

Kubali came and nuzzled her. “You don’t have to treat me like a cub, Lannie...and you don’t have to think of me as your master.” He kissed her gently. “Lannie, I don’t want someone to command around. That’s what got me in trouble in the first place.”

She nodded. “OK. I’ll try if you want me to.”

He shook his head. “You still don’t get it. Try because YOU want you to.” He looked around and said, “We better eat this before it falls to the hyenas.” Ripping at the flesh, he opened the beast. “Hunter’s choice?”

Elanna just looked at him, about to ask what he wanted. Then quickly she dove her head into the carcass and pulled out the heart. She moved over to him and dropped it at his feet.

Frustrated, Kubali sighed. “Lannie, listen to me.”

“We’ll share it. You and I together.”

He smiled and licked the blood from her check, giving her a kiss at the same time. “That’s my girl.”

The cold gray eyes stared silently out at the small clearing, taking in all that they saw and revealing nothing, like their owner. He crouched in the overgrown scrub, the soft fronds swaying in the quiet breeze, batting at his face in a maddeningly repetitive pattern, but he lay still, like a stone. Finally, he grunted in satisfaction and rose, shaking out his mane, and emerged from the grass, padding silently over to where the other two lions had lain the previous evening. His small companion followed, the hyena glancing about nervously at the waving grass.

Gamu bent his face to the ground and paced about slowly, nosing at the bent blades of grass where the two lions had slept the night. His head jerked aside of its own volition, drawn by a particular scent, and he breathed deeply. Nodding, he lifted his face to look at the hyena in satisfaction. “Soon, now.”

“Soon?” the hyena asked. “I wish you’d hurry up.”

The lion smiled complacently and strolled over towards him. “Patience, Griz’nik.” Whipping a paw up abruptly, he extended a single claw and lifted the hyena’s chin with it sharply, dimpling the flesh in. “Your days with of pushing lions around are over. You will remember who is your boss, and it’s not Shenzi.” He lifted his paw higher, watching the hyena flinch with detached amusement. “Understand?”

Griz’nik coughed and nodded carefully. “Yes sir.”

Gamu released the pressure and dropped his paw. “That’s better. Now be a good little hyena and tell me who that lovely creature is with Kubali.”

Griz’nik rubbed his chin gingerly, staring at Gamu with undisguised hate. “That’s Elanna. She used to be my queen.”

“Your Queen?” Gamu laughed. “I was unaware you were making a career of obeying lions, Griz.”

Griz’nik spat. “Remember that when I gnaw on your bones.”

Gamu waved a paw absently. “Yes, yes. She was a queen, you say?” His eyes gleamed as he looked at the hyena. “Royalty, eh? Then tell me what she’s doing out here eating on leftover carcasses with that flea bag.”

Griz’nik scratched an ear self-consciously. “Well, back when Amarakh was our Roh’mach, there was this hyena named Gur’mekh--”

Gamu swung heavily with a paw, barely missing the hyena who dodged away with a yip of terror. “The condensed version, please, and spare me your savage chatter. I don’t have all day.”

Griz’nik stood warily just outside the reach of his paw. “We helped kill the old king in my old home. His brother took his place and allied with us in return for our help. She married him.”

“You little devil!” Gamu grinned humorlessly. “It seems you do have a few redeeming vices.”

“Thanks--I guess.”

“That still doesn’t tell me why she’s here.”

Griz’nik flattened his ears. “Uhh...the old king’s son came back and kind of took over the place.”

Gamu threw his maned face back and bellowed laughter into the sky. “Oh my...you ARE priceless. I wondered why you came crawling to me.”

“Well, we did for her husband before she left, O Great Hairy One. But you’d better watch yourself.”

Gamu snapped his head down and bored twin holes into the suddenly silent hyena with his eyes. “Ahh...so hubby isn’t going to come looking for his long lost mistress, eh?”

“Not in this world.”

“I see...” Gamu rose and paced slowly past the clearing, his companion following at a respectable distance. “Excellent. I shall have to move against this young upstart before he endears her to him. He manages to exude a certain charm--despite his good qualities.” He paused and surveyed the area slowly. “I could rush him from the reeds, but they do make so much noise...” He eyed Griz’nik uncomfortably. “How fast can you run?”

“Oh no you don’t! Don’t drag me into this!”

“It’s either I drag you into this or drag your carcass away. Now stop whimpering and answer me.”

“Not very fast,” Griz’nik said nervously. “Hey, why don’t you just get him when she goes to drink or something. I make a lousy decoy.”

“As well as a fabulous idiot. If I kill him in front of her, do you think she’ll want my attentions?” Gamu snorted derisively. “Besides...I don’t want to kill Kubali outright like that.” A slow grin spread across his muzzle, humorless and cold. “I can think of other things I want to do to him first.”

Griz’nik tittered. “Then I get him, right?”

“You can have what’s left, certainly.” Gamu sidled uncomfortably close to the hyena and patted him. “After all...what are friends for?”

Griz’nik chuckled. “Dessert!”

“Precisely.” Gamu leered at him, making him shy away in fear. “Now tell me more about this Elanna.”

Brother Sun padded slowly across the sky, shedding his warmth across the savanna in a proclamation of Aiheu’s glory, exposing all His works for the world to see. The light was reflected from the ground, the golden grass barely wavering in the stillness of highsun as the world slowly revolved about its axis, the intense heat rippling the air and making the world shiver in a macabre dance as the two lions sought surfeit from its hungry embrace.

Kubali groaned and shifted again in another fruitless attempt to get comfortable in the sweltering heat. His chest rose and fell rapidly, tongue lolling absurdly as he panted, the hot air seeming thick as liquid as it burned at his throat. Rolling slightly, he reached out with a paw and stroked Elanna gently, wishing for a delightful rub against her fur but unable to stand the heat. She purred tiredly, glancing at him and smiling.