Line in the sand

Zee pressed herself into Io and the small woman instinctively wrapped a foreleg around her, drawing her close. She made sure to keep the bloodied paw on the ground. The cut was deep and was still seeping blood into the sand. Io made small, soothing noises to the horned woman and groomed the top of her head gently. Zee's words were comical, but she didn't react to them as though they were funny. Instead, she cast a side eye towards Sirius as he said that he broke her.

"She's going through a lot, Sirius. She's not going to be able to do the things that she's used to doing for a while. Things are going to change drastically for her. Let her walk, though I will insist upon frequent rest." She nuzzled into Zee's cheek and spoke softly. "The pregnancy is still so early. We have to take precautions to make sure that you and my nieces and nephews are safe, right?" Io gave her sister a squeeze. "I won't be walking all that way with this injury, so you can take breaks in the cart with me."

Io shot another look at Sirius, daring him to say anything about the compromise that she'd set up, but she continued speaking to Zee. "I'll need the company. Plus, with our svelte frames, we'll be like pulling a pair of good looking clouds, won't we, Sirius?"