II

Chapter II

Leo and the lionesses 
traveled towards north
in search of greener pastures
for two days.
and during that time
hunted.
but found very little in the way of water
and food. 
one gazelle couldn't feed
eleven lions for very long
and again by the morning of the third day, they were hungry and their chance
came to hunt.

They had been traveling upward towards a hill.
When they reached the top of the hill, they could see a herd of elephants
traveling in the distance. 

They walked down
slowly to remain undetected
As they prepared themselves to hunt
the herd of elephants.

They spread out into groups from behind the
traveling herd, surrounding them from
both sides as they got closer from behind the herd. 
 
This was going to be dangerous.  More dangerous
than the average hunt, for the obvious reason of
hunting elephants.  one would suffice.
The lions looked at each other.
Leo was nervous but excited and gripped
the soil beneath him as he took off running
behind from the fountain tall grasses.
The other lions spurred into action.

The elephants were mozeying along
when suddenly one of the elephants in the back
started to panic, pushing into the other elephants
as it turned around. The others turned their attention to
the elephant to find he had a lion on his back, digging its claws
as it held to the backside of the large beast.
The other elephants rushed to aid their kin but were
were stopped by two approaching lions
leaving their young unguarded.
One of the lions attempted to maul one of the calf elephants,
but wasn't close enough before a mighty elephant
came swinging its tusks.  The lion retreated for safety.
Two came running at some of the vulnerable backsides of some of the elephants on the other side of the herd.
The elephants were breaking formation and were losing their strength in numbers
as the lions distracted attemped to distract thier attention. One of the elephants yelled " the children in the center"
don't lose formation". 

Leo was thrown off the elephants back from its wild movements but landed
on his feet,
Soon things came to a stand still.

Leo and his companions circled the herd with the dust settling around them.
The elephants stood tall facing the lions forming a circle with their young protected by their elders.
Leo looked at one of the elephants and said "look behind you."
The elephant was suprised to hear the lion speaking to him, so he looked to find
one of the calfes had been trampled as the other calf elephants looked on.
He turned his attention back to Leo.  Leo said "I won't let anything happen to it until its dead.
If you give him to me.
You know I'm telling the truth because otherwise we wouldn't be talking"
The elephant thought knowing there was no way they could protect the little one for very long.
He turned around to see if there was any sign of the little one getting up or liveliness but the calf just laid
there.  The elephant being spoken to looked at the adults of its group holding their guard.
He looked back at the lion and said "out of our way"

Leo yelled to the other lions "let them go"
and the other lions backed away from the elephants.

Leo and the other lions moved out of the way and the elephants
walked past them.

Leo immediately ran to the young calf to see how it was.
The other lions began surrounding the fallen calf.  Leo
said "Its not dead." The lions said "good, lets eat."
Leo said "I gave them my word I wouldn't let anything happen to it until its dead."
"thats not ganna happen, maybe you shouldn't go around giving your word" said one of the lions.  She pulled out one of her claws to strike the
 the fallen elephant when Leo got infront of her and roared.  All the lions gathered closely, bewildered at his decision.
"What are you doing?". "back off" Leo said.   
"Why do you want to keep it alive"
Leo looked down, a little confused as to why he would want to keep the elephant alive.
He said "I want to see what happens if we give the elephant back to its group."
The lions bursted in laughter.  Some of them falling on the ground.
"You've got a weird sense of humor, Now please let us eat" One of the lions said.
"No."

 "Your not joking?"  "He's not joking!" 
There was howling and roaring all around the lion and elephant.
They attempted to get close but Leo kept them away.
The lions were tired and left to go hunting while there was still sunlight.
The lions came back sometime around midnight with nothing to show for it.
They told him to give up the elephant but Leo wouldn't
Leo stayed guarding the small elephant as it layed on its side all evening
till the morning.