Niu had just about had it with her mother, Sen, and her troublesome friend. For two lionesses so easily distracted, getting away from them had always been a challenge. She'd been better at it as a cub, when she was smaller and could scurry off without being detected. By some miracle, she had managed it that morning, and stowed away at the watering hole to get some peace and quiet.
Sen and Nsundu had spent nearly an hour launching into a detailed, tag team lecture about how Niu need be more careful. You encounter one dangerous lion and they never let you forget it! Neither of them had any room to be yapping at her about safety measures and "stranger danger" as Sen called it.
There was already a lion drinking his fill when she arrived. Under normal circumstances, Niu would have avoided conversation. No interest in it. That morning, she felt like being defiant and talking to as many strangers as possible.
"Lovely morning, isn't it?" she asked Asher.
