CHAPTER:  THAT CERTAIN TIME

	Elanna had been married to Taka for three years.  During that 
time certain habits had become ingrained in her that were difficult 
to break.  Kubali lay asleep, but Elanna lay wakeful, watching the 
smooth rise and fall of his chest.  She kept her vigil faithfully, 
and at the first sign of dreams--twitching paws and limbs, she shook 
him.  "Wake up, Honey Tree!  It's all right!  Lannie is here!"
	"Huh??  What's wrong??"  He looked around.  "What time is it??"
	"About midmoon.  You were having another nightmare.  I couldn't 
stand to see you in torment like that.  Let your Lannie make it all 
better."  She began to paw him, stroking his mane and pushing him 
gently from side to side.  "Feel the tension roll away, my dear."
	He looked at her askance.  "I was hunting gazelles.  Just about 
had one too."
	"You weren't having nightmares??"  
	"No.  I almost never do."  He yawned.  "Hey, if you don't mind, 
let's finish this talk in the morning, OK?"
	"Sure."  Elanna's ears flattened in consternation as she 
watched him begin dozing again almost immediately.  She lay her own 
head upon her forepaws and watched him surreptitiously, waiting for 
his limbs to jerk and yank him upright as he howled his torment from 
the nightmares.  Absently she gazed at his side, watching his ribs 
rise and fall with the gentle tides of his breath.  Easing forward, 
she rolled sideways until her back touched his, assuring herself that 
any sudden movements on his part would alert her in time.  Relaxing 
slowly, she lay her head down, feeling a faint rumble-purr from him 
at the contact.  The sound lulled her gently down, and she let 
herself drift away, daring to wonder if she might sleep through the 
night once again without awaking to a scream.
	Her eyes opened to the pleasant sounds of morning, the twitter 
of birds beginning to fill the air as the sky reddened in the east.  
Jerking upright, she looked around to see Kubali washing his face, 
rubbing his paw busily over his muzzle and mane as he lay a few feet 
away.  He noticed her staring and stopped, smiling at her.  "Good 
morning."
	"Uh, good morning."  Elanna looked at him carefully.  "Are you 
all right?"
	"Fine."  Kubali frowned.  "Shouldn't I be?"
	"Oh, uh, of course."  Elanna lashed her tail and sat upright.  
"Excuse me...I need to go get something to drink."
	Kubali nodded and watched as she padded quickly away through 
the brush, heading towards the small pond they had passed the 
previous evening.  Footfalls sounded in his ear and he glanced over 
to see Gamu plodding slowly toward him, yawning hugely.  The lion 
paused and crouched slightly, lowering his chest and splaying his 
forelegs, claws extending with the effort as he stretched 
contentedly.  Emitting a self-satisfied grunt, he arose again and 
meandered over to Kubali.
	"Quiet one, that," he said, motioning to the lioness who was 
lapping at the water's edge some distance away.
	Kubali hummed thoughtfully.  "And a strange one, too...do you 
know she woke me out of a sound sleep last night, rocking me like a 
cub?"
	Gamu's ears rose upright.  "Oh?  Whatever for?"
	Kubali shrugged with a flick of his tail.  "Aiheu knows...I was 
dreaming of gazelle.  She nearly rolled me over trying to get me to 
wake up, going on about `my torment.'" The lion peered after Elanna, 
who had finished her drink and was watching the marsh birds flitting 
about, screeching angrily at each other.
	Gamu's eyes sharpened as he stared at the back of Kubali's 
head.  "What did she say?"
	"Something about me having another nightmare...and she was 
trying to ease my tension."  Kubali glanced back at Gamu.  "Have you 
ever heard such things?"
	Gamu quickly lowered his gaze, his expression carefully 
neutral.  "Only from mothers soothing their cubs...I daresay it's 
nothing, my friend."  He smiled ingratiatingly.  "She was probably 
half-asleep herself and dreaming of cubs."
	Kubali nodded absently, his gaze returning to the lioness who 
was making her way back towards them.  "You're probably right."
	"I always am."  Gamu grinned oddly.  "Excuse me."
	As the following days progressed, Elanna began to show the 
outward signs of a lioness entering her receptive period, and Kubali 
accepted Gamu's idea that her idiosyncrasies were just another 
symptom of that special time which all lionesses experience when 
their bodies yearn for cubs.  Eventually the subtleties grew more and 
more obvious, and the two males spent their days pacing agitatedly 
about, growing snappish and irritable.
	Elanna felt guilty about the effects of her heat upon her 
friend, although she was not responsible for it.  Anxious to avoid a 
confrontation between the two males, she persuaded Kubali that it 
would be best if they separated temporarily, since a nearby kopje 
provided adequate shelter and an excellent vantage point from which 
to scout for prey.
	"Good idea," he said, relieved.  "I'll sleep up top on the 
rocks, and you can stay inside that little cave in the side until it 
passes.  Okay?"
	"Okay."  She nuzzled him chastely and stepped away quickly, 
curling up inside her temporary abode and tucking tail beneath her.
	Kubali ascended the rocks and lay down at the top, sighing 
uncomfortably as he fought to shove away the memory of the quick lick 
on his cheek  she had given him.  "Easy, boy, nothing but trouble 
there."  He watched absently as the herds moved slowly across the 
landscape, noting the dark shadows that chased each other across the 
ground.  A heavy rumbling filled the air, and his nose twitched as 
the thick smell of approaching rain hit him.
	"Oh, great,"  he muttered.
	Elanna settled down in a corner of the cave and closed her 
eyes.  She felt lonely and a little depressed.  The soft warmth of 
Kubali next to her had been a comfort she had learned to rely on.  
She rolled over and reached out her paw to put it on his shoulder, 
only he was not there.  It was the worst time to be alone, and it 
took her a while to fall asleep.
	Elanna's nights had been full of bad dreams.  She had a morbid 
fascination with the last moments of her husband, and had experienced 
them many different ways in her troubled nights.  For a change the 
insistant yearnings in her body changed the course of her slumber.
	"Lannie?"
	"Yes, Taka?"  She rolled on her back, gazing up at her husband 
that loomed over her with that hungry cub look on his face.  "Did you 
want something?"
	Silently, fervantly, he reached down and nuzzled her face, then 
kissed her throat right above her throbbing pulse.  Passionately, he 
took his paw and rubbed her chest, then passed his paw down to fondle 
her sensitive belly, awakening sensations in her that made her 
shiver.  He touched the paw to his nose, closed his eyes, and 
inhaled.  "Oh gods," he stammered.  "I'm on fire!  Crouch for me, 
Lannie.  I want to make love to you all night."
	She reached up with a paw and fondled his chest mane.  "Give me 
a moment, darling.  Let me get ready."
	Elanna lay on the ground in the throes of her romantic dream.  
Her paws twiched and her jaw trembled.  A thin, high moan escaped her 
lips.
	Suddenly an earsplitting crack sundered the air.  Elanna's eyes 
popped open.  She was alone.  Once again, Taka was dead and the 
remnants of her dream were washed away in the downpour.  Lightning 
flashed again.  The world outside her cave was cold and miserable, 
and she thanked Aiheu for the shelter as the rain descended in solid 
sheets.
The drops fell on the dry earth, splashing in small crowns of 
splendor.  After the plunge to earth, the small sprites sought out 
their friends, joining to form small trickles that merged into 
rivulets seeking sanctuary from the strange, hard soil.  Some clung 
to stems of grass, turning them to gemmed scepters that swayed in the 
wind.  Lightning lit the sky with infinite diamonds of brilliant 
lustre.
	A hornbill began to bail water from her nest, her chicks 
shivering and wet.  Lightning framed a couple of meerkat sentries 
that ducked quickly into their holes.  Water ran unchecked into a 
gopher hole, and the agitated resident came out, looking about in the 
wet darkness.  Nearby a badger slept safely, a drain passage keeping 
the flood from his bed chamber.
	Kubali wended his way down the rocks to the lee side of the 
kopje and crouched miserably in the mud, his tail tucked between his 
hind legs and his bedraggled mane soaked and drooping.  A flash of 
lightning made him cringe, and he wished it would all go away and let 
him sleep.
	Elanna came to the mouth of the cave and called softly, 
"Kubali?"
	The faint cry reached his ears and he turned to see Elanna 
beckoning him frantically towards her.  Ears flattened, he padded 
quickly over, paws sending up small splashes of water and mud.  
Shivering, he trotted in next to her, grateful for the short respite 
from the driving rain.
	"Huh?"
	"Hsssh!  Quietly.  Come in here."
	"But what about Gamu?"
	"What about him!"
	"Gods!  You're soaked!"  She looked at him sympathetically.  
"Stay in here until it quits, at least."
	"Thanks."  He lay down on the rock floor, still shuddering from 
the cold air, the water forming small puddles around him as his body 
steamed away the moisture.  Clucking reassuringly, she padded over 
and lay down next to him, draping a forepaw across his broad 
shoulders and pulling him close, sharing her body heat with him.
	"Don't do that!  You'll get wet!"
	"I don't care.  Besides, it's my fault you got soaked."
	Kubali had grown used to the feel of her and the scent of her 
next to him, and he had trouble sleeping alone.  He grunted with 
contentment as her warmth began to penetrate his cold fur.  "Thank 
you, Lannie.  You're really very special."
	"So are you."  She patted his shoulder and rubbed his side.  A 
smile spread across his face.
	Kubali closed his eyes and sighed as her warmth sank into his 
wet fur, seeping in and easing the shivers which caused his tail to 
tremble with their vehemence.  Gradually, the heat of their bodies 
filled the cave, giving it a cozy feeling and relaxing him.  A 
contented purr rolled out of his chest and Elanna answered it, 
sliding closer and touching her side to his.
	A bolt of lightning struck, and Kubali felt Elanna tense.  "Are 
you afraid?"
	"Well, not actually."
	Another bolt of lightning hit nearby.  She clung to him with 
her paws.  "There wasn't much rain where I came from.  I'm not used 
to it, that's all."
	He turned over to face her, stroking her face with his paw and 
saying, "I'm here, Honey Tree.  You're safe.  Nothing's going to 
happen to you."
	"You do make me feel safe," she said, kissing him.
	He tried to kiss her back, but stopped at the last moment.  
Something about it did not seem right.  Then a flash of lightning lit 
her face.  There was fear in her eyes, and it was not all from the 
storm.  "It's all right.  Really it is."  He gently reached out with 
his arms and bore Elanna's face next to his own.  He put a soft kiss 
on her cheek and on her forehead.  "If you want it, I do too.  If you 
don't, just say so."
	She said nothing, but nuzzled him quietly and passionately, 
kissing him with the barest touch of her tongue.  A purr escaped her.
	Kubali swallowed heavily, his heart beginning to hammer in his 
chest.  "Oh girl, I've wanted you for the longest time."
	"Shhh."  She covered his muzzle softly with her paw, silencing 
him.  Craning forward, she nuzzled him firmly, her warm tongue 
flicking out and tracing down his cheek in a kiss.  "Kubali, do you 
really love me?  Are you sure you do?"
	He nuzzled her passionately, his wet mane filling her with his 
fragrance.  "I was never so sure of anything in my life."
	She purred, rolling over into a crouch and moving her tail 
aside.  "Come then.  Make love to me.  I'm yours."
	His heart pounding, Kubali rose to his feet.  He kissed her 
once again, then trembling with anticipation gently took hold of her 
shapely neck in his jaws, stepping across her supple golden body.
	The rain came down furiously.  The lovers' muted cries were 
muffled somewhat by the pouring rain, but Gamu listened intently and 
missed nothing.  He cringed with every soft moan and cursed his luck, 
both the rain and the passion lost to another.  Staring at the dark 
opening with narrowed eyes, he bared his teeth and trembled.  "Damn 
you, Kubali!  Damn you to hell!"
	He listened until he could bear no more, then stalked away 
stiff-legged with rage, the rain filling the depressions he left in 
the soft earth.


CHAPTER:  AFTER

	Elanna laid on her back, forepaws tucked neatly on her chest as 
she lay nestled against Kubali, basking in the delightful warmth of 
his body and listening to the soft patter of water dripping outside.  
The cool evening breeze tugged gently at her fur and she shifted 
slightly, the mane of her beloved falling gently about her face and 
shoulders.  She inhaled his scent and smiled, a small secret smile 
that intrigued him.
	"What is it?"
	Her eyes lidded, she looked at him and purred softly.  "Oh 
nothing."  She lifted a forepaw which could snuff the life from an 
impala with one blow and gently caressed his face.  "For the first 
time in a long while I feel safe."
	He answered her throaty purr with a low rumble of his own.  
"You are safe, Elanna.  Now and forever."
	"Not Elanna.  Lannie.  Remember?"  She smiled up at him and 
kissed him.
	His eyes sparkled.  "Lannie, then...do you know how beautiful 
you are to me right now?"
	Her tail lashed in embarrassment and she looked away shyly.  
"I'm not beautiful."
	"You're right."
	Her eyes turned to glare at him.  "What??"
	"You aren't merely beautiful."  He drew a paw along the side of 
her muzzle, tracing the soft line where her fur lightened.  "Sunsets 
and flowers are beautiful, but they don't inspire love.  There must 
be another word for this."
	A nervous laugh escaped her.  "The word is lucky.  Do you 
really think I'm attractive?"
	"No."
	She glared at him again.  "Will you make sense?"
	"I don't have to think so.  I KNOW so."  He nuzzled her again, 
more intensely this time.  "I wish I were a flea so I could spend my 
life on top of you."
	"Oh, don't say such things!"  She giggled, enjoying his 
attentions.  She lay her head back, purring louder as his rough 
tongue bathed her throat, immersing herself in the waves of pleasure 
he was inciting in her.
	"I wonder what our children will be like?"
	Elanna tensed.  Her eyes opened in alarm and she twisted to 
look at him, but his expression was far away and dreamy.
	"Uh...it's a little early to think about--"
	He grinned at her, the sight so overwhelmingly beautiful it 
stole her breath away.  "Just think of it Lannie!  Our children..."  
He glanced down absently at his crossed forepaws, as if contemplating 
a squirming cub there.
	"But I thought that would be an awful burden on you.  You have 
no lands of your own, and you'd have to support your children."
	"I don't mind!  They would be OUR children.  They'll be safe 
and well fed, I promise you!  I'll take such good care of them and 
love them, my darling."  He looked at her again and beamed.  "And 
they'll all be as beautiful as you."
	Lannie wore a look of pain.  Abruptly, his expression melted 
away like water steaming under the hot son.  "Lannie?  What is it?"
	Tears were coursing down her cheeks as she stared unseeing out 
the darkened entrance to their cave.  "I can't talk right now!"
	"Elanna?"  His voice took on a frightened tone.  "Elanna, 
what's wrong?"  He raised a paw to touch her and flinched in surprise 
as she jerked away, her eyes burning.
	"DON'T TOUCH ME!"  she shrieked.
	"I'm sorry!  What did I do?  What did I say??"
	"Leave me alone!  Please, just go away!"  Elanna lurched into 
motion, leaping up with such violence that her hindpaw struck Kubali 
in the face, dazing him momentarily.  He shook his head, fighting to 
clear it, only to see the empty savanna stretching before him in the 
night.
	"Lannie?"  He rose and paced out worriedly.  "Lannie!  Please 
come back!"  He swallowed heavily, fear gripping his heart and making 
him giddy.  "Oh gods...LANNIE!!"
	The subject of his concern was just over a rise, her own sobs 
too loud in her ears to hear him.  "M-My love, I'm sorry...oh gods, 
Taka, I miss you so much!"  She choked back a cry and looked down at 
her forepaws.  "I wish you were here."
	A soft touch brushed her shoulder and she growled unsteadily.  
"Damn it, Kubali, I said leave me alone!"
	"You summon me and dismiss me in one motion?"  A warm voice 
chuckled behind her, making her eyes widen.  "Come, Lannie, make up 
your mind."
	She whipped around to behold a dark maned lion surrounded by a 
soft glow of starlight.  "Taka??"
	"Yes, it's me."
	"Dear Aiheu, how I've missed you!  I've been so alone!"  She 
swept forward and collapsed against him, feeling his soft fur and 
breathing in his dear, familiar scent, now touched with wild honey.
	Taka lifted a paw and stroked her cheek.  "I know, love.  But I 
have sent you help and you have refused it.  Lannie, go back to him!"
	"What??"  Elanna stared at him.  "How can you say that?  Taka, 
I want to be with YOU."
	"No you don't, love.  The tides of life still beat strong 
inside you.  My time is past, but you still have a path to walk 
here."  He lifted a paw and brushed away a tear from her face.  "He 
needs you, Lannie...and you need him, not some old memory of love."
	She shook her head, silent tears still rolling down her cheeks.  
"He doesn't need me.  Not like you did."
	"No, our needs are different, but that does not make his need 
any less, love.  There is a thorn in your heart, and only he can 
remove it."  Taka purred deeply and kissed her muzzle.  "When I see 
you happy with him, it fills me with joy.  Go to him Lannie.  Go to 
him and LIVE.  If you don't, I cannot be happy."
	Elanna nodded and nuzzled him one last time before turning away 
and padding slowly back towards the kopje in the distance.  A final 
warmth passed through her and then the savanna fell dark and silent 
again around her.  Lifting her face to the heavens, she beheld the 
glitter of the stars, and sought out one in particular.  "Thank you, 
my love."
	The star seemed to shine brighter for a moment, as if in 
answer.
	"Lannie!"
	She jerked her head down to see Kubali bound over the rise, 
puffing for breath.  "Lannie!  Thank God I found you!  I heard 
someone talking over this way and recognized your voice..."  He 
trotted over to her and drew up short of nuzzling her in greeting, 
suddenly uncomfortable.
	"Lannie?  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to hurt you...can we talk 
about this?"  He looked at her miserably.  "Please?"
	Elanna cried aloud and ran to him, wrapping her forepaws around 
him and bearing him to the ground as she covered his features with 
warm kisses.  "I'm so sorry, Kubali...I've been such a fool."  She 
rubbed her cheek to his and nibbled his ear gently.  "Love me, 
Kubali...you make me feel so special."
	He smiled at her warmly.  "You ARE special, Elanna.  I want to 
make love to you, but I need to understand what just happened."
	"My mate appeared to me.  He told me that I should not be 
afraid of my feelings for you."
	Kubali stared silently at her in awe.  "I'm glad.  Your Taka 
really loved you.  I really love you too.  I won't be jealous if you 
won't feel guilty."  He nuzzled her.  "Do you want to tell me about 
him?"
	She initially looked away, but she settled beside him.  "Taka 
was very sweet but very sad and afraid.  Once when he was a cub, 
there was this badger...."

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