Coming into his pridelands, Zoticus could feel the strain and ache in his back from carrying Astrid’s weight the whole way here. It hadn’t been a fast journey, mainly because Zoticus wanted to make sure she didn’t get anymore injuries added to her. Her state was a bad one- he wasn’t sure what had happened to her, but he could tell she was barely hanging on.

“We’re here, sit, rest- I’ll get you some food here soon after we get our medic here.” He speaks to @Pandora , not wanting her to go too long without food since she was with cubs, and not wanting her to put extra stress on herself either. Slowly then, he would attempt to lower to his stomach with Astrid on his back, and gently try to lay her down on the forest floor with a sigh from his lungs. He began to call then, summoning @Dorian with an urgency- one that no doubt warned him to come prepared.

She followed close during their long way to the rainforest, a place so new, so different to her former home. Home of ice and snow, of solitude and quietness, to now a pride. With hopefully more lions that she'd ever know in the past. She felt tired, with extra weight inside her and the weight of the worry that lurked trough her chest and mind. Eye lids heavy, hunger growling. But she would bear it as long as needed for that Astrid was the one needing help, the one who mattered the most. She and the baby would be okay, Astrid though was a different story. She hopped Maua or whoever was here able to set her back to life, to her, to them. "Thank you... @Zoticus ..." She whispered as she took a seat.

Art and Code by Cloudy

He made little habit of following his sister around, especially now that he had the maturing urge to wander. It was chance that found him barely within range of Pandora's screams but poor chance, and bad luck, that left nothing but a warm trail by the time he navigated down the Gorge. His gaze lingered long on the blood and tracks. Shadows turned. He didn't know how long he was numb. He had to unstick his paws from the stone to move again.

The heavy, encumbered tracks of the large male were easy to follow, along with Pandora's familiar scent. Still he lost the trail a few times, barreling ahead only to find himself lost when his quarry made a turn. Stupid. Had to backtrack. But had to take the chance to get ahead, too. He halted, front paws planted and wrists jarring when he almost charged into a pride border. Stupid pride. Getting in his way. He snarled. He didn't know for sure whether the trail even went this way. Maybe it went around. But this pride would just have to Deal With Him cause he was coming through, colossal head setting low and his mane bristling as well as its young growth could.

Fortunately he soon picked the smell up again. Stronger, settled, and an urgent call for some pride kneeler alerted him to a possible location. He huffed and trot-plodded through the brush, cursing every tree in his way. His tongue lolled out red and creased with dry lines. He spotted @Pandora before anyone else. Bee-lined toward her. Ally. Yet despite halting at her side he gave her no personal glance or word. Her presence was a shield. She was welcome here, so he was welcome here too, right? And he would be sword for her, larger even in bone than this stranger male @Zoticus but sorely lacking in muscle and proof of scars. His ears were back inside a ruffled mane but he was unable to fix his attention anywhere but her. She seemed smaller than he remembered.

she catches the smell of blood first. then, the sovereign's panicked tone. he calls for others -- not her, of course -- but it is enough to catch her attention. it would not be the first time that anarchy exploded on the borders of the forest, nor would it be the first time that blood speckled these lands. but, ah, in this case it looks as though the violence happened elsewhere. zoti is flanked by two lions, able-bodied and walking, and one listless form. marred gaze lingers on her, noting the awful state the lioness seemed to be in. perhaps it was a kindness for her to be unconscious. wylodine's tail twitches, curious, but she lingers in the shadows still. if they really needed help ( if they really wanted this woman to live ), then perhaps she would step forward and assist. until then, though, she lingers uninvited -- a wraith, reserving judgement.

code by irish

it seems there is never any shortage of work for medics in amaryllis. or perhaps it's just @Zoticus' pride. dorian's pretty sure the whole country is a bit mad, but he's never been in a pride other than his friend's, so he won't judge ( much ). he takes time to gather herbs, carefully and methodically placing fresh ones in his satchel, even as the urgency of his king screams at him to hurry hurry hurry. he forces himself to remain steady and goes only when he is well-ready. but steps are hurried, but growing more sure as he gets accustomed to the thick vegetation of the greenery in the rainforest. as he sweeps onto the scene, taking in @Wylodine where she lingers on the outskirts and his king with an unconscious lioness. @Pandora and @Aurochs are aware and walking and after a quick glance at all of them, he moves to astrid's side, throwing his bag to the ground and swiftly pulling herbs loose.

he glances back to wylo with a grimace, clearing his throat he inclines his head to the two able-bodies souls. "could you clean them up, if they need it?" dorian bids gently, sure the woman could handle cleaning any wounds they have and ( hopefully ) keeping them busy while he helps with the more serious concern.

"what happened?" he asks softly, face drawn as he carefully manipulates the lioness' head, testing the stiffness in her neck and gently touching the lump on her skull. ouch. swallowing his uncertainty, he shoves a bundle of baby bush at his king and demands he chew it into pulp. he pulls out some baobab bark and lays it at zoticus' paws for him to spit the poultice onto. he readies some aloe leaves and leaves a mix of chewed leaves and white weed flowers mixed together in front of the woman for when she wakes.

as zoticus presumably chews the baby bush, the medic carefully applies the bark, poultice side down, to the worst of the wounds before smearing remaining poultice to the smaller wounds._{BG — LINES — CODE}

"Don't," He speaks to @Pandora as he hears her gratitude rise to the surface. He was merely doing what he thought was right; how could he of thought to turn a blind eye to her? To their family? To their struggle? He could only think about himself in that position- him and his mate- unborn cubs. "You both are welcomed here for as long as you two wish. You and your family- we have plenty of resources and room." He wanted it to feel as home for however long they chose to make it.

His attention drew to @Aurochs , brows furrowing but he saw them approach Pandora. He looked to her in question, and to the yearling, obviously wanting a explanation for who - and why - they were here before he drew to his own assumptions. @Wylodine arrives in the distance and Zoticus nods to her, grateful for her presence. And then the man of the hour, @Dorian , Zoticus swiftly moves to make room for him to do his work.

"I found her like this, i'm not sure how it happened but she looked bad. She's been out ever since I saw her," He explains, hoping it would help some even if he didn't have a lot of information to offer. He looks at what was placed by his paw, and with a scrunched nose he does what was expected of him with the herbs- he knew they all had bitter tastes.

All Astrid knew was that she was floating. She had started to come to but eventually faded right back into the darkness. She had no strength to move or even see what was going on and therefore had no clue that @Zoticus had found her and had brought her back to Firnen. Had no idea that her @Pandora, the love of her life, had found her at the most weakest point. It was the one place the shield-maiden hadn't wanted her wife to see and yet she had. She had failed that in keeping those that had pledged their loyalty to her and yet she had failed to keep them protected. A part of her wanted to let go. But the shield-maiden knew that she couldn't. Pandora still needed her plus their unborn child. Astrid couldn't leave her wife to do that alone.

It felt like ages before the shield-maiden would even stir or make a noise. A groan escape her jaws as she would budge, ears twisting as Astrid would try to raise her head from the ground. Sea foam jewels would blink out the dazed feeling but her head pounded as she shifted, breathing in the scents around her and yet the only one's she could focus on were the two that meant the most to her. Pandora.. @Aurochs.. They both smelled like they were alright. That the rogue who hadn't attacked them as well and for that she was ever grateful.

Once her vision became apparent and she was able to see more clearly, Astrid would glance around pushing herself upwards only to fall back to the ground with a small thud and a groan. God, that hurt. All Astrid remembered was hitting her head and then black, so how did she get here? And where is here. Sea foam jewels would glance around the area until her jewels landed on Zoticus and she froze. You.. You brought me here? She didn't hate the man any more but still. They had never seen eye to eye either and it wasn't something Astrid would have expected from the man. And even though Astrid was still hesitant in trusting the man, she was in no shape to actually be able to fight and she knew that. Of course, Astrid had no clue who the other's were though one smelled of herbs or perhaps that was the poultice she was smelling in front of her but that didn't matter right now as she tried to focus on Pandora and Aurochs.

I am so sorry.. She had failed, her voice cracked as she would look at them both. Though Pandora was one she was worried about, Aurochs had been one of her main concerns. She had promised him safety and yet here she was, broken in front of him. I promise to get our home back. Astrid would proclaim in a soft whisper, her breathing was struggling then as she laid there in silence. 'She thinks.'

Art by sally | Table code by Zodiac

a gold-touch stranger sweeps onto the scene with the fluster of a medic. it’s a look she’s seen many times before and immediately her weight shifts, happy to let @Dorian take over here. a frown touches her lips when instead of doing just that, he gives her a task first. psh. it’s a good thing that she knows what she’s doing, lest he might’ve left them in incapable hands. but no matter what she was, wylodone was not incapable. attention shifts away from the injured woman to instead @Pandora and @Aurochs — quirking a brow to either of them. well? she asks, an impatient click of her tongue. do either of you need to be cleaned up? the teen seemed defensive and the white-pelted woman simply looked like shit. still, marred gaze sweeps across their respective figures, searching for any signs of blood or injuries. if nothing was obviously wrong with them, then it’d be up to them to speak up to get their band-aids.

code by irish