Dangers of the Mountain

Ime and Kayode eyed Sirius at his request, before the Mandrill and Lemur each took a side and deftly fastened the straps. It didn’t take a genius to watch the Warlord and see that he considered companions as primarily servants.

Paladin dropped into place by the wagon’s end where he could trot up now and then to check Cairo’s breathing. The boy was still muzzled as a precaution, but his airways were clear, and he could part his jaws enough to pant if he needed, though Paladin would rather he just used his nose.

In places where a wheel might get stuck, he’d throw his weight into pushing it over the rocks, but for the most part, it was smooth sailing the three lands to the Armadan border. He occasionally range to one side or the other as he spotted an herb, tucking it away, though he was never out of sight for more than a few seconds. He was busy even when he was busy. It was just part of his upbringing among the Nomads.

The quick side trips tapered off before they reached the Armadan border and as Sirius called for what Paladin assumed to be the healer, the Nomad-Raised man ducked behind the wagon to check Cairo over. The boy had taken the ride quietly, with only a few muffled whines over the biggest bumps. Paladin turned to Chrystal. “You’ll need to fly home and let Aurielle know how he’s doing, as soon as he’s settled into the infirmary here. We’ll want weekly reports for as long as he’s here… otherwise, you’re welcome to stay with him. He’s your wolf, after all.”

The owl clicked her beak softly, moving to perch on the side of the wagon as a dainty little healer arrived. Paladin nodded briefly to the woman, eyes flicking to Cairo, then to Malalia. He didn’t intercede, letting the Warlord speak first—he and Cairo were guests. Preferably, he wanted to hang around the boy until he woke up, in order to tell him he was in a safe place, what was going on, and to assess for himself whether the crack on his head had blanked his mind or if he had escaped memory loss.

Softly, to Malalia, he added, "When he wakes, if I'm not able to stay with him until he does, he'll be in a strange place, in pain, and possibly confused. You'll be the friendliest face he knows from here. If you're able, would you be willing to be with him when he wakes up? If I'm not able to be there, let him know what happened. If he remembers you, it's a good sign. At the very least a hopeful one."