Pride of the Plains (10 page)

The small pride relied on such casualties as much as any. Amongst their number Battlescars was the worst affected by the insect hordes, because some of his wounds had still not entirely healed. Any scratch, any cut, any gash, any opening in the skin at all was a magnet to the flies. Battlescars suffered terribly. Sometimes he stood up to his neck in water for hours at a time just to give himself temporary relief. Old enmities were forgotten, overtaken by more extreme considerations. More than once Battlescars and Challenger found themselves drawn to the same waterhole by the need for respite. Challenger's wounds had met with the same cruel attention as his foe's. The lions eyed one another as their sores eased just a little in the coolness of the water. Neither of them could help feeling a twinge of sympathy for the other.

‘It's just merciless, isn't it?' Battlescars commented on one occasion.

‘Merciless and endless,' Challenger answered. ‘What we need is a plague of birds to get rid of the plague of flies.'

Even while they were speaking clusters of black biting flies buzzed round their heads. ‘It would help,' Battlescars agreed. He snapped repeatedly at the black cloud that tried constantly to settle on him. ‘Birds alone wouldn't be enough, though. I think it'll need something more powerful than that to do the trick.'

When the small pride was trying to rest, Huru and Kimya tried to protect the cubs by making them lie at a distance from Battlescars, because he attracted the insects so much more. But Moja liked to lie near his father and he was loath to change this habit.

‘Keep away from your brothers and sisters, then,' Huru told him. ‘Don't bring them any more discomfort.'

Battlescars said, ‘It's better you keep away. I don't want you to suffer like me.'

The old male was losing heart. He was growing thin as they all were but in his case the continual bombardment of bites was making him dull and listless. Only at night was there any hope of peace. Each day Battlescars longed for darkness to arrive and he began to look for places to hide in during the daytime. As he endured the daily torment he witnessed the sufferings of other animals and their attempts to find relief. Amongst these he saw the cheetah family using their supreme speed to escape from their tiny attackers.

‘If only I could run like that,' he muttered to himself. ‘I wonder if it has any effect?' Then he thought of another aspect. ‘Imagine having to use such energy in this terrible heat.'

Huru and Kimya had seen the cheetahs' tactics too. They had come across Upesi carrying part of the carcass of a young impala that had collapsed and died. The sisters had been after the same meat but Upesi had arrived on the scene first. Swarms of flies had settled on the carcass and now a cloud of them were all around the cheetah mother. As usual Upesi suspected the lionesses of wanting her find. Huru and Kimya made no move to grab it. While the flies were concentrating on Upesi the sisters were worried less. Upesi walked on tenterhooks, glancing at the lionesses and expecting them to rush at her. When they didn't she gave a muffled call to her cubs who appeared as if from nowhere out of their hiding-places. Suddenly Upesi sprang forward and began to run. The cubs followed her at once. All three cheetahs stretched their long limbs into the kind of pace that left every other kind of animal way behind.

‘They're trying to shake off the flies,' Kimya breathed, in awe once again of the spotted cats' speed.

The sisters watched where they ran and saw where they dropped to the ground when they were unable to sustain their pace any longer.

‘I suppose they can eat in comfort now,' Kimya said.

‘I'm not so sure,' Huru mused. ‘Let's go and see. We might learn something.'

‘Oh, what's the point?' Kimya growled. ‘We can't run like cheetahs.'

‘Perhaps we don't need to. I'm going anyway,' Huru told her.

Upesi and her cubs were still trying to regain their breath. The meat was untouched when Huru arrived. Upesi snatched it up again. There were certainly fewer flies. But as Huru watched, the insects gathered again, drawn by the smell of the carcass and the cheetahs' overheated bodies.

‘Is it worth it?' Huru grunted as Upesi's cubs got to their feet and took refuge behind their mother.

Upesi understood and let the meat fall. ‘Some moments' respite,' she explained. ‘No,' she added sullenly. ‘It isn't worth it and we can't keep it up. Whatever can we do?'

‘If I knew I wouldn't have come looking now,' Huru answered.

‘It's torture,' Upesi moaned. ‘For all of us.'

‘Yes,' replied Huru grimly. ‘For all of us.'

Yet there were a few animals who actually managed to avoid the misery of the flies almost altogether, the ones who lived underground and were mostly nocturnal, such as the honey badgers. Huru and Kimya watched Battlescars's increasingly desperate efforts to find a darkened spot to hide himself away during the daytime and were full of compassion,
although their first concern had to be for their cubs. Eventually an idea occurred to Kimya She had had her first litter in a rocky place where there were underground chambers ideal for a mother with newborn young. The area had also been used by Ratel and there had been trouble because of it, but now Kimya and Ratel were friends again. The honey badgers' new den at fig tree rock would be even better as a shelter for the cubs if there was sufficient room – and if the badgers were willing – because she knew there were no other occupants. ‘A favour in return for a favour,' she murmured. ‘So it goes on.' She mentioned the idea to her sister.

‘Worth a try,' said Huru. ‘It could work well. But room for all the cubs? I don't know.'

‘Let's investigate then,' said Kimya. ‘Should we tell Battlescars?'

Huru reflected. ‘Perhaps not. He might try to take precedence as the adult male. Especially as he's in such torment.'

‘That's what I think,' Kimya said. ‘It seems unkind but we have to do our best for the cubs.'

The sisters waited until dusk, the time which Battlescars used to catch up on sleep. They told the cubs where they were going and the poor youngsters were thrilled to learn there might at last be an end to their misery. Kimya led off, followed by the cubs, with Huru bringing up the rear. Moja cast several glances behind. Eventually he said, ‘Isn't my father coming?'

‘No,' Huru replied. ‘It's better he doesn't.'

‘But why?' Moja wanted to know. ‘He's suffering more than any of us. Why can't he—'

‘We don't think there will be room for any adults,' Kimya told him firmly.

‘We can't just leave him there. How will he know where we are?' Moja persisted.

‘Now look,' said Kimya sharply, ‘never mind about your father. He'll survive. Your mother and I are concerned for you cubs. We have to get you some shelter.'

Huru said, ‘Once you're all settled one of us will return to tell him what we've done.'

Moja wasn't happy and started to lag behind. Huru scolded him once or twice, baring her teeth, but he wouldn't hurry up and in the end she left him to his own devices. Moja's adventures had loosened the ties of parental discipline and Huru accepted it. The lionesses shepherded the other cubs between them and the youngsters trotted along dutifully while Moja slipped even further behind. Finally loyalty made him double back to arouse his father.

At first Battlescars was irritable at having his slumbers interrupted. But he soon changed his tune when he heard what Moja had to tell him. ‘You were right to come back, son,' he said. ‘Those females! Don't they care a jot for my welfare? Look at my hide. Look at my face.'

Moja knew only too well what ravages the flies had wreaked on his father's body where his wounds hadn't healed. Sores had become infected on his cheeks and flanks. Some still bled. His shaggy face was swollen with bites. ‘Poor Father,' Moja said quietly. His own discomfort was as nothing by comparison. ‘Perhaps there will be some cover for you too. We'd better hurry to catch the others up because I don't know the way.'

Kimya had pressed on ahead because she had caught the sound of the honey badgers' whistling calls. She knew they were most active at this time and guessed they were out looking for food. When she reached the den there was no sign of them. She sniffed at various entrances in the rocks and at one of them
picked up Ratel's familiar smell. Kimya called softly so as not to cause alarm. There was no answer. She sat on her haunches and yawned. Maybe this was all to the good. In the badgers' absence the lion cubs could explore the rock holes and establish themselves in the best place before there was any argument.

‘Ratel won't be able to complain,' Kimya told herself smugly, ‘and I can soon mollify him if necessary with my sister's help.'

Huru came up with the cubs. They began to frolic about, chasing one another up and down the rocks. Mbili and Nne climbed to the lone fig tree on the top. ‘Are you sure this is all right?' Huru said. ‘We're outside our own territory.'

‘I know. But the cubs will be out of sight in the daytime.'

Huru looked doubtful. ‘When you were last here were there signs of other lions?'

‘Er – yes. Well, I heard some,' Kimya admitted.

‘It's a long way back if there's trouble,' Huru said.

‘These aren't normal times, sister,' Kimya said. ‘Look at Battlescars. He seems as weak as a new-born cub. If he's anything to go by, any other lions around here will hardly be bothering with us.'

‘He isn't anything to go by,' Huru answered. ‘He's much worse off than most. But I see what you mean.'

‘Shall we carry on then? See what kind of cover there is here?'

Huru called the cubs together and looked at Kimya. ‘Lead on, sister.'

Kimya went to the widest opening and put her head in. She eased her body through while the cubs clustered around excitedly. ‘Shelter for you all here,' she announced to the youngsters, ‘and maybe for one of us as well.'

The cubs scrambled to be the first through the
entrance. ‘You'd better go in and quieten them down,' Kimya said to her sister. ‘I can see the badgers returning.'

At first Ratel was so pleased to see the lioness that he hastened to greet her. Clicker as usual kept her distance and watched Kimya warily. Ratel whistled. ‘Well, lion, this is a welcome surprise.'

‘There's a reason for it,' Kimya said. ‘My sister and I have brought our cubs here to escape the flies. I would have asked you first but you weren't here.'

Ratel glanced about. ‘Escape the flies? Cubs? What cubs?' he chattered.

‘They're hiding. With my sister. In a hole in the rock.'

‘What? Oh, no! Not in our den. Oh no, lion, this isn't fair.' Ratel was very upset.

‘I don't think it
is
your den,' Kimya assured him. ‘Don't you use
this
one? I can smell your scent.'

‘Yes, yes, that's ours. But where are you … oh, there. But you see, lion, my mate won't be happy about this. She doesn't trust big cats. She's very timid. Look at her. She won't even come close now. Oh, dear. No, I don't think this will work.' He lowered his voice. ‘I don't want to lose her, you know, lion.'

Just then Clicker gave a series of alarm calls and scuttled for the safety of her den as she saw Moja and the looming shape of the big old male behind him. Ratel saw them too. ‘More of you? Oh, I can't believe it. I know I asked you a favour and you did us a great service, lion. I'm the first to admit it. But this is too much to ask. Really. We've had to move dens more than once already.'

‘Can't you stop that racket?' Battlescars bellowed at the badger irritably as he came up to them. ‘Chatter, chatter.' He turned to Kimya. ‘Where are the cubs? They'll have to shove up a bit if I'm to join them.'

‘You can't join them,' Kimya snapped. ‘There's no room.'

‘We'll see about that,' Battlescars growled. He put his nose through the entrance where he could plainly hear cub sounds, but it was soon apparent to him that there
wasn't
room and he withdrew his head sharply. ‘There must be other refuges here,' he muttered. ‘I simply can't take any more punishment from those insects. I need a shelter and I'm going to have one.' He nosed about at other holes. Ratel was beside himself.

‘No! Don't go to that one,' he cried. ‘That's our den. Clicker! Are you all right?' He turned to Kimya beseechingly. ‘Please, lion, can't you make him understand?'

Luckily for Clicker their den was too small for Battlescars and he plodded back and forth, searching everywhere. ‘There's only one suitable,' he announced with finality at length. ‘Someone's going to have to give way.' He stood by the entrance to the cubs' hole, bristling with bad temper. Huru emerged without a word and stood, sniffing the air inquisitively.

Ratel had caught the same scent. ‘Maybe you'll all have to give way,' he said, not without satisfaction. ‘You're out of your own patch and I can smell the lions of the woodland pride.'

Kimya bounded up to the top of the rock. It was too dark to see far into the distance, but there were definite signs of movement on the plain below. Greyish shapes of perhaps three or four animals were approaching steadily. She knew they were lions. The way they moved was unmistakable, even before one of them called. Kimya scurried down to rejoin her sister. The lionesses were in a quandary. They couldn't decide whether to back themselves against the rock refuge, so protecting the cubs, or to gather the youngsters for flight.

‘What shall we do, sister?' Kimya demanded tensely. ‘The lions are close.'

‘I … I …' Huru stammered.

‘Run!' Battlescars cried peremptorily. He was assuming authority instinctively. That was his role. ‘Take the cubs and run to our territory. It was a mistake, bringing them here. I see it now. Get going! I'll deal with things here. I used to hold this woodland pride. I know them all as well as I know you. The males are novices!'