Kamili's Choice
Things flew by quickly as soon as Kamili and Bahati launched the attack on Clementine. They were nearly no match for the large primal mane, even if they were doing considerable damage. Eventually though others in the pride arrived to help her and the pair of attackers fled. Really Bahati had fled, and in fear Kamili had followed him, not wanting to stay behind and face the punishment she knew awaited her. The two of them traveled for a few days, barely speaking. Kamili wasn't even sure that her companion wanted her there. When they did interact, it was simple grunts at each other to signal yes or no, or Bahati tiredly snapping at her for any tiny mistake.
By the end of the third day Kamili was starving and knew she needed to eat, if not for her then for the litter she was carrying. They had wanted to put as much space between them and the Dawn as they could (or rather, Bahati did) and they had been walking for days, only stopping to drink or hunt something small. Almost always Bahati ate the most no matter how small the prey was. She dare not voice her discomfort to Bahati however, instead gazing over his sleeping form with exhausted eyes as the sun set over the hills in the distance. Finally alone with her thoughts, she tucked her paws under her and began to think about every event that had happened since she left her birth pride.
Her sister was gone. She had no idea if her other two siblings had made it. Clementine had graciously taken her in out of good faith, and she had repaid the kind lion with at attempt on her life. She had watched Bahati cheat on Zephyr to be with her and had stood by and let it happen because she thought the idea of being with a cheater was better than being alone. She had become pregnant. She was so sure for the longest time that Bahati really loved her, and that was why he left Zephyr. She had assumed, stupidly that he cared for her, and that he had officially separated from the zebra. But he hadn't. Zephyr hadn't even known until it was basically shoved in his face that his partner was courting someone else.
Her thoughts wound back to the cubs she was expecting. Bahati didn't have anything to do with his cubs with Zephyr, would he be in these cub's lives? Then and there she made a choice; no, he wouldn't be. Even if he wanted to be, she wouldn't let him. She'd rather her cubs only have one parent than have a parent who saw them only as a way to gain power. They didn't deserve that. Almost like a light had gone off in her brain she realized neither did she, and before she really thought about what she was doing she had risen to her paws. She deserved more than this, to trail behind a cruel lion that only thought of himself and wonder when he'd get tired of having to feed her too. Kamili would do better on her own than with him, and so without another thought she slipped out of the den they'd taken for the night into the cool air. She'd travel until tomorrow afternoon before resting again and make sure to cross as many rivers as she could, just to make sure he couldn't follow her. She had stood by and done nothing her entire life and so now she was taking matters into her own paws. She would not grovel and hide while another male ruined her life.