Aieri

As the last surviving member of the pride that came before Ekwensu's reign, you'd think that Aieri would have been afraid or subdued, but that simply wasn't the case. Strong and capable, this lioness had proven her worth to her new king and Vunjika let it slide that she still lived, having acknowledged the fact that Aieri had neither hurt her nor had any ability to defend Vunjika herself as she too was young. Not only that, but with the way her ears folded over themselves since the day she was born, the other pride members hadn't liked her either - she had been an outsider but one capable of defending herself, usually through use of her barbed tongue. Now happily aligned with Ekwensu, her sharp tongue became even more pronounced like claws that had been newly sharpened upon rock and stone.

A fine huntress herself, she became quite close to Vunjika and the other hunters even after an injury made her incapable of going on the prowl with them anymore. Instead she stayed with the pride, helping to guard over and raise the cubs. She was rather determined to teach them all how to use their words to defend themselves and to hurt others just as deeply as their claws or teeth could one day do, although she ensured they knew not to harm one another - only their true enemies which were enemies of their pride.

Having passed on now, Aieri will always be remembered fondly by all those in pride for her impressive snark and her great sense of humor, which kept the pride going even when survival became a struggle.