Chapter 2: Meeting The Pride
"That's it," Nala asked, waving a paw indicatively as a large, raised mound thickly covered in trees, just up ahead of them.
"That's it," Haraka confirmed, "I don't recall hearing that the flood ever got that high, and the trees keep it dry in all but the worst downpours."
"A nice place by the sounds of it," Nala said.
"It is," Haraka asked, "but what about your pride, do you have anything like that?"
"Not quite like this," Nala replied, "our sleeping area's a cave in an outcrop, totally protected from the rain most of the time, though when the wind's from the wrong direction it does tend to puddle."
"Nothing perfect," Haraka said philosophically, "but come on."
As they approached closer, Nala began to see movement at the top of the slope, and by the time they're reached the base, they were confronted by three lionesses and a lion, of varying ages, with a number more hanging back. The young Pridelands lioness took care to stare straight ahead as one of the lionesses detached herself from the three and circled around them slowly, before turning to Haraka, "who's this?"
"This is Nala, Jumbe," Haraka replied, "she'll be staying with us for a time."
"Will she indeed," Jumbe asked, "have you checked that to see if that's okay with myself or Mfalme?"
"It's okay with Ukarimu," Haraka replied, "and she said if anyone had any complaints they were to take them to her."
Jumbe snorted, "I sometimes wonder why that lioness doesn't just proclaim herself queen." There was a moment's silence then she said, "still, I've no doubt she'd made up her mind on the issue, so welcome, Nala was it?"
"Uh, y-yes," Nala said nervously.
Jumbe stared at Nala for a moment, then muttered something under her breath and turned to Haraka, "I'll leave the introductions up to you, youngster, since I'm obviously making our guest nervous." With that, she turned and walked past her companions, back to the main gathering at the top of the slope.
Haraka watched Jumbe go for a moment, then turned to Nala, "well that was Jumbe, our queen, and these are Imara, Kulinda, and Jasiri," indicating the left lioness, lion and right lioness in turn.
"Pleased to meet you," Nala said, trying unsuccessfully to hide her nervousness.
"Really," Imara asked, "you don't seem all that pleased."
"Shut up Imara," Jasiri replied, "you know as well as any of us that a bit of nervousness in this sort of situation is only natural."
"It was a joke Jasiri," Imara replied, rolling her eyes, "although I suppose I ought-"
"Quit it, both of you," Kulinda broke in fiercely, then she turned to Nala and her voice mellowed, "ignore them my dear, Jasiri has almost no sense of humour, and Imara has a similarly minute sense of decorum."
"Hey," Imara said, "I-"
"Shush," Kulinda said, then turned back to Nala, and smiled "I know how frightening this must be for you youngster, I know that most other prides are not welcoming of outsiders, but believe me, we're different, we don't turn aside outsiders, well, not often anyway, and from the bit I've heard, you're not going to be one we do."
"Th-thank you," Nala said.
"Oh don't thank me," Kulinda said, "it was Ukarimu who made the decision, and even Jumbe isn't willing to argue with her when she puts her paw down about something." For a moment she though to leave it at that, but when Nala's expression fall, she added, "but Ukarimu isn't alone in her willingness to accept you." She paused for just a moment before saying, "now come on, let's get out of this weather." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and started back the way she'd come, followed a moment later by Imara.
Before Nala could summon the will to move, Jasiri glanced over her shoulder, then came forward and said, "you'd do well to remember, Haraka, that not every lioness here is as welcoming of outsiders as yourself and Ukarimu."
"I'm aware of that aunt Jasiri," Haraka replied, "but I don't care, they're not in control of me."
Jasiri narrowed her eyes slightly at that, and said, "I see."
"And what's that supposed to mean," Haraka asked.
"Oh, nothing much," Jasiri replied, turning away, "now if you'll excuse me, I want to get back to being dry."
"You have any idea what that was about," Haraka asked Nala as Jasiri walked away.
"I...I don't really know," Nala replied, which was accurate, if not quite truthful, since she did in fact have a pretty good idea of what Jasiri had been getting at. As a diversion, she asked, "so are we allowed to go up?"
"Certainly," Haraka replied, "come on."