Tolu bint Saye was a proud member of the Burkuteshti, the pride of lions who currently ruled the Namib, or at least their own particular section of it...most of their own particular section of it. In the land between the Hareket and Helak rivers, they were the dominant pride, at least. But that was not enough, that had never ever been enough, and never would be. They would not be content until their rivals, the Qyrhyeshti, had been driven from the lands completely - or better yet, wiped from the face of the earth entirely. If the Burkuteshti merely drove them out, there was always the possibility that they could rebuild elsewhere and return to begin the war again.
It was the same war the two prides had been waging for generations, the war they'd been fighting for so long that there were no memories of or hopes for peace. No one remembered life in the desert before the war, before the wretched Qyrhyeshti had invaded - no one even remembered anyone who did remember. Grandparents, great grandparents, great-great grandparents, on and on, no one knew for how long. All that Tolu knew, like the rest of the Burkuteshti, was that the Qyrhy had started the war by killing her ancestors and stealing the land. She had been taught so since her childhood, born and raised to hate the other pride, which over the years had become very similar to their own - they had stolen not only the land, but gradually appropriated their superior traditions. It was like saltwater on a wound, an insult on top of already grievous injury.
And so they went back and forth, year after year, stealing each other's lands piece by piece, with neither pride ever claiming a lasting victory. Thus far in Tolu's lifetime, their territories had already reversed, essentially. At the time of her birth, the Burkuteshti had held the Hareket, the northern river, and the lands along it, but now it was the south-lying Helak they possessed - along with, most importantly, Baj-Jer, which she had never seen until the battle in which they had won the rich land some months ago. But now it was theirs, along with all but the northernmost lands and oases.
It would have been an ideal time to push their advantage and rout their enemy, but thus far, no such initiative had been taken; they dared not try, not so soon after losing half their numbers. They would have to pull in all their remaining forces, every border patrol and all those who guarded the oasis outposts, and throw them at the cornered Qyrhyeshti. Even if it worked, their losses would be enormous, and if it did not work? Their losses would still be enormous, and for nothing. Worse, they would not have the necessary forces to hold all their territory, and their rivals would seize it for themselves; they would even, perhaps, be able to take back Baj-Jer. It was too great a risk, and the Burkuteshti's Bey, Sungus sim Sazhan, knew that well. Not everyone agreed with him, but while Tolu was eager for battle, she was able to see the logic in biding their time. They needed to restore their own numbers before they could have a solid chance at taking back all their land.
It was a situation that had her thinking about what more she could do to contribute to her beloved pride. She had served faithfully in battle, but the Burkuteshti needed more than her strength and her bravery - they needed her to pass those traits down to the next generation of warriors. It was high time for her to contribute to the pride by contributing to their numbers. This was a daunting prospect, and a decision that was not to be made lightly. She would be removed from action for the duration of her pregnancy, then for a few weeks further while she recovered from childbirth: roughly four months without fighting, unless absolutely necessary.
But that only accounted for a tiny fraction of her hesitation. To have cubs that would strengthen the Burkuteshti, she would first need a male, a mate, and the Burkuteshti mated for life. Once she chose, there would be no going back, no changing her mind. Only if her chosen male died or abandoned the pride would she then be free to choose another. If she made a mistake, she would have to live with it forever. Still, there were plenty of suitable candidates, no shortage of scarred warriors who would be more than happy to stand beside an accomplished young lioness such as herself. It wouldn't truly be a mistake to choose any of them.
And yet...Tolu hesitated. There was another option open to her, the same her late mother had chosen. Rather than take a true mate, she could seek out and breed with an outside male and bring not only more numbers to the pride, but new blood as well. With a halved population, if too many mated within the pride, their bloodlines could become closer than was comfortable, and they would begin to produce weak children instead of strong ones. While most of the Burkuteshti were related to each other in some degree or another, as was inevitable with any small, closed population, they kept very careful track of their family lines to ensure that a certain amount of diversity was maintained.
Having been fathered by a rogue herself, it would be easy for her to take a mate inside the pride, but if she were to breed with a rogue, it would distance her line even further. Her children would be a true asset not only as warriors, but as the parents of successive generations themselves. The only catch was that, if she chose to go this way, she would never be able to take a mate within the pride. If she decided she wanted more children, she would have to find yet another outsider, and if she wanted for the companionship for a mate...she would never have it.
But she didn't need it, she decided. Battle was the only passion she needed, and friends and family would provide for the only companionship she truly needed.
Tolu would have cubs, but she would not take a mate. All that was left was to find an outsider fit to provide her with traits desirable to the Burkuteshti.
