Name: Njoki (meaning 'she who returned)

Parents: Kiume and Dabiku

Siblings: Kanja, Sarafina and Keto (half-brother)

Mate: Makwetu

Cubs: Kifaa

Pride of Origin: Nyasi

History: Njoki was the second of three cubs that the lioness Dabiku had with her mate, the General, Kiume. Kiume was a notoriously cruel lion, even amongst the Nyasi Pride, feared by Dabiku and the rest of their pride. Kiume would often beat on his lionesses and mate with them whether they were willing or not in hopes that eventually he would produce a healthy son to mold as he saw fit. Due to the fact that Kiume had gotten himself on the good side of the current Nyasi Pride's, Ojore, and he never stepped in despite the other Generals of the Conclave complaining often and loudly about him. To the then King, he was mostly harmless and Ojore secretly liked having a General of the same opinions as him.

Fearing for the safety of her three cubs, as they were all girls and Kiume was adamant on having a son, Dabiku fled the Nyasi Pride as soon as the cubs were strong enough to withstand the journey. She settled down in the Kilima Pride, the mountainous pride whose lands neighbour the plains thet the Nyasi pride call home, and decided to raise her cubs there.

When Njoki and her sisters were teenagers, a call came from the Nyasi Pride, searching for Dabiku and her lost cubs. Ojore's son, Makwetu, had successfully ousted his father and was looking for all the lionesses who had fled the Nyasi Pride during his father's reign, offering them safety if they returned to the pride. Due to the fact that Sarafina had left the Kilima Pride as a teenager and Kanja had found a mate in Auta, the new king, and had a cub on the way, only Njoki and Dabiku actually returned to the Nyasi Pride.

Njoki and her mother were accepted back into the pride by Njoki's half-brother, Keto. It turned out that shortly after Dabiku had ran away from the Nyasi Pride, Kiume's pride had revolted and threw him out, installing his brother, Baakir, as their new General. Baakir had then supported Makwetu as he instigated a rebellion that ended with Ojore's death and Makwetu ascending to the throne.

King Makwetu made many trips to see Keto and Baakir and this is how Njoki met him. At first, she only talked to him a little but he began to seek her out more often. He wanted to know her and sheepishly she told him of her life whilst he told her of his. Soon, it became widespread knowledge that Makwetu seemed to favor her and rumours soon spread that she was trying to get herself made queen. In truth, Njoki had little to no ambition to be queen and so was very taken aback when Makwetu finally did ask her to become his mate. Contrary to popular belief, she had come to love him somewhat, and so said yes.

Njoki soon found herself moving to the royal pride and was shoved into the spotlight more than she would have liked. She was never entirely comfortable being the centre of attention and now she was because everyone was wondering when she and Makwetu would produce an heir. This only made her more and more anxious and upset when all of her pregnancies ended in stillbirths. Soon, everyone was discussing how unfit she was to be Makwetu's mate and how she should be replaced.

However, Makwetu was nothing but kind to her and supportive of her whenever each of their cubs were either miscarried or born without any signs of life. That is, until finally, Kifaa was born.

Njoki let Makwetu handle most of Kifaa's upbringing, knowing very little of what it took to be a royal, and instead focused on hunting and teaching her daughter more traditionally female things. In the end, Njoki was not the closest with her daughter but loved her all the same.

Relation to TLK: Sister of Sarafina and Malka's mother