Name: Kioni (meaning 'she finds')

Parents: Keto and Nyuni

Siblings: Dulani

Mate: None (betrothed to Taji)

Cubs: None

Pride of Origin: Nyasi

History: Kioni was born a few seasons after her elder brother, Dulani, was taken to live with King Makwetu and after his betrothal to Princess Kifaa. General Keto hoped that he could have a strong heir to take his place of General like Dulani would have done if he wasn't to be the future king but instead Kioni was born.

Rather than keep trying for a suitable heir, Keto decided to betroth Kioni to the son of another General and then have him inherit in his daughter's place (since females couldn't inherit titles or positions of power). So, Keto looked around for suitable males to betroth to Kioni before finally settling on Taji, the youngest son of General Rubanza.

When Kioni is old enough to understand what is in store for her when she is old enough to have a mate, she is enraged. She growls and snarls and hurls insults, sulking like a cub because she definitely doesn't want to marry someone she doesn't know and has never met solely because her father tells her she must. She hopes that her behaviour will make Keto reconsider but her tantrums do nothing. Eventually she hits upon the idea to run away from the Nyasi Pride and live as a rogue instead but her escape is less than perfect and she is caught before she can disappear forever.

When she is finally introduced to her intended, Kioni feels a great amount of shame because Taji is nothing like she expected him to be. Instead of being some brute of a lion who existed solely to breed her, he is kind and softly-spoken and fiercely intelligent. She comes to wonder why she never thought to give him a chance in the first place.

It is not long after this that Taji's sister, Raisa, turns up dead and suddenly she is approached by Taji, his friend Inaya and a lion and lioness who are introduced as Obi and Aida. They have a plan but need her help. They are in need of a spy and they think that she would be the perfect solution. Why? Because she had a reason for having beef with the Nyasi Pride and the group that killed Raisa and abducted Hiari, the betrothed of Taji's brother, have a score to settle.

After tentatively agreeing to this plan, Kioni is lead by Aida to the pass where the small group is settled and is quickly 'discovered' by them. After a brief altercation where the leader, a lioness named Chionesu, tried to have her killed, she explained that she was here to join them as her father was trying to get her to marry a lion she didn't like against her will. They seemed to ponder her intentions for a while before agreeing that she could join their small band.

Relation to TLK: Niece of Sarafina