John Burkitt - Touch of the Nisei

Movement yanked at the corner of her vision and she glanced upward. “Look, Kubali!”

The young lion twisted and squinted upward into the azure sky, perking up slightly as he spied the dark shapes drifting high above on the thermals. “Vultures. Looks like they might have found a meal.” He debated a moment, then sat up. “Care to join me?”

Elanna hesitated a moment, then nodded and rose to join him, following him as they left the pitiful shade of the kigelia trees and padded through the high grass, glancing upward now and again to keep their bearings. The birds were circling still, but lowering; whatever it was would soon succumb to heat or predator’s jaws, preferably theirs. Kubali increased his pace a bit, trotting through the golden sea of waving grass, his own form nearly indistinguishable from the plants around him. Elanna, distracted by the birds, trotted after him quickly, feeling the heat encapsulate her in the enclosed grass.

Abruptly the circling birds descended and vanished. “Quick! Let’s go before they get it all!” She sped past him, ripping through the tough plants effortlessly as she hurried towards the unseen carcass, her ears detecting the raucous squawk and gabble of the birds as they began fighting for position.

“Elanna, wait!” Kubali sprinted to catch up, seeing her moving eagerly towards the fallen animal, now discernible as a zebra, albeit a decidedly feathery one with the carpet of vultures around it. The bird scattered out of her way, forming a rustling ring about the animal as Kubali cantered up beside her and cut her off. “Wait.”

“But they’re going to eat it all! They already ate the eyes for heaven’s sake.”

“They have their right to the kill as much as we...none of us brought it down. Aiheu chose this spot for it to die upon of its own accord.”

She paused, nodding at his wisdom, but unable to fathom his hesitation. “All right...but they’re just birds...it’s not like they’re helping us hunt.”

“Aren’t they? What signaled us that there was a carcass to be had? In return, we dispatch the prey quickly and they can eat sooner.”

“Oh...I see your point.”

Kubali nuzzled her playfully. “Hey, they’re the next to best thing that’s happened to me out here. They’ll take care of you if you respect them.”

She looked at him askance. “And what’s the best thing?”

“Not what--who.” He nuzzled her again, meaningfully this time. “Gods, it’s good to hear a lioness’ voice again. I was beginning to forget what it was like.”

Elanna purred and lashed her tail shyly as the two approached the downed zebra. One of the vultures hopped astride the striped form and cawed in greeting. “Fuzzy! Still making life miserable for hardworking birds, I see.”

Kubali laughed. “I have yet to see you break a sweat, Markaaagh. Since when have you worked hard in your lifetime?”

“Ever since I met you, Fuzz; it’s hard enough trying to fill my own belly with this crowd without a walking gizzard moving in, har-har!” Markaaagh cackled wittily and looked at the lioness. “Two for dinner? Does she know the rules?”

“It’s safe. This is Elanna.”

The vulture clucked and shifted his weight. “Oooh, so you want to lay a few eggs and raise a brood? Pretty thing for a lioness. No scars or anything.”

“Thanks, I think,” Elanna said. “And might I mention that you don’t have a feather out of place?”

“Aw!” He looked about at his wing coverlets and groomed self-consciously. “This one has manners, kid. Hold on to her.”

Kubali looked at Elanna. “He thinks we’re in love,” he whispered with a grin. “The silly old buzzard.”

She looked at him. “Yeah, silly idea.” Her ears fell flat at his chastened expression, and she hurried to correct herself. “I didn’t mean it that way. I mean, you’re really handsome.”

Kubali arched his neck slightly and smiled. “Why, thanks. And you’re no blot on the landscape yourself.” He waved a paw invitingly. “Shall we?”

They fed on the carcass until their hunger was satiated, then stood guard while the buzzards ate. As Elanna groomed herself clean from the meal, she paused and looked about at the tussling pile of birds, a wry smile coming to her face as she watched her ‘pride’ wrestle its way through dinner. She returned her gaze to the surrounding savanna, watching for predators and feeling a mild sense of wonder at guarding what she had previously seen as nothing but a nuisance or a competitor for her dinner. She looked over at Kubali, who lay with his back to her as he watched the western plains, and wondered at his sense of composure, the odd peace which wrapped him in a near visible aura of confidence. She muttered a short prayer to Aiheu in thanks for sending the young male...otherwise she might have met the acquaintance of the vultures under much less pleasant circumstances.

Sighing, she exchanged greetings with a contentedly stuffed Markaaagh and chatted with him absently, fielding his odd questions and wondering what Uzuri would have made of all this.

One morning as Kubali and Elanna were sitting side by side, they watched the clouds and imagined what things their shapes might be.

“There’s a wildebeest,” Elanna said.

“It has a calf,” Kubali said. “See, that little puff to the left?”

“So it does! And there’s a rabbit. He’s eating a--oh, it’s a lion!”

“That must be some rabbit!”

“No, I mean there! A rogue!”

“What the....”

“Should we say hello?”

Kubali tensed up. “To him?? That dirty rascal??”

“You know him?”

The strange lion trotted up, obvious pleasure on his face. “Kubali! Our paths cross again!”

“I wish the pleasure had been postponed--indefinitely.”

The stranger showed disappointment. “Surely not!”

Elanna nudged Kubali disapprovingly. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“This is Gamu,” Kubali said shortly. “We grew up together.”

“Your brother?”

“Heavens, no!”

Gamu looked down. “Whatever wrongs I’ve done, I’ve paid for in the hell of my solitary existence. I’m sure I wasn’t perfect like you, so they weren’t sad when I left.”

Kubali’s face fell. “Well, maybe I’ve been harsh with you. But you asked for your hard times.”

“Asked and received. Remember at your mantlement? Something about the proving grounds of hardship which strengthen the Ma’at and purify the Ka?” He bowed his face to the ground. “I have suffered, Kubali! Please let us try it again from the start? Please??” He looked up and mustered a withering smile. “Kubali! Our paths cross again!”

Kubali came forward and nuzzled him. “So they do. This is my friend Elanna. Elanna, this is my old pridemate Gamu.”

Elanna shyly nuzzled Gamu and felt his timid kiss on her cheek. She felt sorry for him at once.

“So what brings you this way?” Kubali asked, pointedly.

“The whims of the savanna. Some gracious chance, or was it Aiheu? But since kind fate has thrown us together, let us band together. I can help protect you and aid you in hunting. Maybe someday if you want lands of your own, I can be a valuable ally.”

“And in return?”

“I have a real audience. I’ve had no one to talk to but myself for many long weeks. I’ve lost track of the time.”

Kubali nodded, then looked over at Elanna. She nodded back at him and smiled shyly.

“Very well. Behave yourself and you may travel with us.”

Gamu managed to steal a few moments from his new companions to visit Griz’nik in the reeds. The hyena had brought him a rabbit, and Gamu nodded silently, gave him a pat on the shoulder, and took the carcass a short distance. He rolled it in the fragrant leaves of a Corbynanthus and then licked the wound on the neck, chewing it a bit to fully disguise the hyena scent and toothmarks. He brought it back to where Kubali and Elanna sat. By their sudden silence, it was clear they were talking about him, but unfazed, Gamu sat the rabbit in front of Elanna. “For you, my vision of lovliness. Have you made your decision yet?”