It was a pretty, snowy morning, and he was enjoying the light after a long decent through the tunnels. It had snowed again, and some of the trails he’d taken before were blocked. Perhaps he would have done better to dig through on the familiar trail. He was thinking, picking his way through a rather precarious goat path that must only be the favorite trail of particularly ballsy rams trying to impress ewes. But it was the only path he’d found that went the direction he wanted to go, which was toward home. And then, the ground beneath his paws gave way, a loose rock twisting from its socket in the mountain trail and tumbling down a steep cliffside, with Cairo shortly after. He thought he’d rolled pretty well the first few times he hit the stony wall and ground, but then gravity caught up and a lightning shot of pain seared through his right front leg, ripped a shouted yelp from his jaws and taking the breath along with it. And still he fell in an uncontrolled, clobbering rate, trying to twist himself, to dig his claws in. Another tumble, another lightning bolt, this time in the back right  leg. It took an age, and he was dead sure he was going to be dead, and then he hit. His head cracked hard on a rock, and it was lights out, Cairo splayed like a hide doll on the ground, fur buffeted by a rather baleful breeze. It was probably the same rock that fell out from under him that had cracked his head. Chrysta screeched as she plummeted, landing by the unmoving wolf and pushing at his muzzle with a taloned foot. Her hearing was keen enough to hear that he was still alive, but she could do nothing for the man, bird that she was. The only thing she could do was leave him there, pushing off and winging southward as fast as she could fly, and hoping that she’d find help. [Permission granted to have Chrystaloria find and lead the rescuer to him] Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Sirius hadn’t gone far, his vulture lazily in the air above him. Mission accomplished, the Warlord was on his way home. He did not like to be away from his den, and he relished the idea of curling up with his Wife, and holding her tight. His dreams were dashed by the frightened cries of a familiar owl. Frowning, he turned to the creature as she winged towards him. What did Cairo want so impatiently? But a very quick explanation of a fall and danger would send him running. This was Malalia’s friend. He could not bring home to her the news of his death. He found the broken man crumpled at the bottom of the mountain. He had taken… the fast way down, and was finding it detrimental to his health. The Warlord knelt carefully by his head, and checked first for a pulse. He was no healer, but he knew battlefield trauma. He could keep Cairo alive until help arrived. He found a pulse, and moved on to the rest of him. Legs splayed out in bad positions told him of breaks. Head trauma, at the very least. He was bleeding from a wound in his head. His bear companion had picked up a deer skin somewhere along their journey, and was bringing it home to add to their stores. He tore strips across the leather, using one to bind tightly to his head. The rest of him was bruises and breaks. If he had internal bleeding, the Behemoth didn’t know it. “Marshal, fetch me a healer. Quick as you can…” he worked it out in his head. The Armada was three or so lands from him. Valhalla he didn’t know exactly, but many, many more. By the time help came from those sources, this boy may well be dead. “Fireside. They must have healers.” it may come at a cost, but he and Aurielle would work it out later. He did not doubt the Valhallian would pay for the life of her apprentice, if it came to that. The bird was gone as the last words left his mouth, and the Warlord continued his work, making his way down the boy's body. Looking for places that needed instant seeing-to. “bear, build up a fire, we’ll need to keep him warm. He’ll likely go into shock” he directed. He wondered if the boy would be taken to Fireside, or Armada, once he was deemed safe to move. Valhala seemed an awful far way from here in his current state. Marshal would fetch Io's wagon as soon as he hag gotten them a healer. They could decide then where to take him. "Speech"

[To put less on Luns' table, I'm throwing Paladin in here. Plus I need to do more with this guy anyway lol if any Ashen Armada healers not at master come to help he can give an advanced lesson on healing and everyone can get points in that respect <3]

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

Chrystal hadn’t stuck around, darting off again, hoping she’d find a healer herself who was more… trustworthy. She didn’t hold the same trusting, amiable nature as her wolven friend. It just so happened; she was in luck. Paladin padded along the flanks of the mountains in search of plants to bring home. He’s found a decent amount of juniper and many other good herbs, though the climbing was too precarious for some of the things he’d spotted—he contented himself with marking the location in his mind for spring or summer when the snows had melted. A screech came from above, a sound that didn’t match with the hour. Owls were generally nocturnal, so—the owl-screech turned into his name and he rocked back on his hocks, peering up. “Wha—Chrystal?” Ime and Kayode returned to his side, and Chrystal quickly had all three bounding after her with the quickly spoken explanation. “These young wolves…” The owl went ahead, letting the Armadan Warlord know ahead of time that a healer was coming who was friendly, to waylay any instinctive attack he might bring out of a surprise stranger popping around the bend at a run. Paladin slowed to a brisk trot, quietly glad for the medicines he’d taken prior to leaving for a far-afield herb search. He hailed the behemoth, nodding to the bear as he passed, “I am Paladin Ancora, Incandescent Courage of Valhalla—or an upper tier member of the Healer’s Circle.” His eyes dropped to his crumpled packmate, a hiss running through his teeth as he moved to settle beside him. He gave the same rudimentary check-over, listing the injuries he found, then bending to listen intently. No air hissing where it shouldn’t with each breath the young warrior took. And the breaths didn’t sound wet. There was no blood leaking from his throat either when Kayode opened his jaws. “Lucky young fool… His lungs are intact. But he won’t be stable enough to travel all the way home right now.” His Gaelic accented words were brisk, though not without compassion. He eyes those two broken legs with a thoughtful hum. “Those will need a splint.” The words were less directed at Sirius and more as though he were thinking aloud, but Ime and Kayode began ranging in search of straight saplings.

Marshal passed near the owl, and would spot the moment the bird found the Valhalla wolf, and would see the herbs he had been harvesting. It seemed the snow avian had found a healer first. Wheeling in the sky, the vulture stopped his path to Fireside, and returned instead to his wolf's side. Sirius barely noted his return, too busy attending to the badly injured young wolf. He did however look up when the owl returned, and warned him of the help he was bringing. It was perhaps wise he did, and smoothed things over at the appearance of the stranger. The Warlord moved aside, and let the healers take over. He watched passively as the man began his work, checking Cairo over much the same as Sirius had, through perhaps a little more thorough. “I’m Sirius, Cairo tumbled from the cliff not long ago. How long do you need to keep him here?” The Warlord stood guard over healer and patient, and Marshal took off again to find a sturdy stick to act as splint and deliver it to Paladin. Sirius on the other hand, turned to his bear companion. “Fetch Io's wagon" Whatever the plan was from here, Sirius knew Cairo would not be leaving by his own power from here. "Speech"

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

Chrystal hovered close, perched in a tree. She was worried for her companion, wanting to help the wolf that had saved her. All the barn owl could do was wait and fetch things when asked. Ime and Kayode returned with several likely branches along with the one Marshal offered, and Paladin nodded his thanks to the vulture as he relayed to Sirius, “Chrystal told me. And unfortunately, with as many broken bones as this young man has gathered, all at once, he likely won’t be able to travel all the way to Valhalla, even bound and splinted up, until maybe three weeks. Abaven’s too far… and we don’t know where we stand with the pack closest to this place.” He reached for three sticks, pausing as he spotted the pouches of Cairo’s armor, which the wolf wore—probably saved his life, as the leather bore heavy scrapes and dents, but had likely kept the rocks rom puncturing his body with each hit he took. But, even better, the pouches held a first aid kit. Good boy. As he dug through the pouches and pulled out several packets of herbs, some to staunch any internal bleeding, some for pain, he could only hope his patient woke up, but only after the legs were set, and his torso was wrapped. The mortar and pestle he took out as well, and the honey. He was efficient—while Ime ran his hands over the broken foreleg, locating the two fractures, Paladin began mixing herbs, adding honey and grinding until it had become a green paste of plant and honey. He handed the mixture off to Kayode to administer as he turned back to the task of locating the breaks and setting the legs. It was a lot easier with two primate companions. Where his toes were not sensitive enough to feel when the broken bones were aligned, Ime’s fingers were deft and steady. Three straight sticks were lined with the leg and strips of doeskin, rolled and tucked neatly into another of Cai’s pouches, were unrolled around and around the splinted leg. It wasn’t the best of jobs—it was emergency first aid, after all, and he only had when herbs he’d gathered, the kit in Cairo’s pouches, and the resources around him, rather than his entire store at home.

Sirius, who had not bothered with alliances across this land, had little to say on Fireside himself. Abaven was a friendly pack, and he found Theory was rich with good conversation. He wouldn’t have bulked at taking one of his own injured wolves there, if he had little choice. He knew he and Theory could make square the favour at a later date without losing any skin on his nose. The Armada wasn’t much closer than that three-pack territory, so he wasn’t certain what Paladin would wish to do with his wolf. Still, the cart would be invaluable. His bear had lumbered off in order to grab it. Sirius, standing back and giving the healer space, let his eyes drift along the territories around them. Searching for any hint of a predator that might consider them easy prey. He settled in for a long wait, remaining silent as Paladin administered emergency aid to his wol. The Warlords leopard, sweet of heart, hanging nearby to offer any assistance needed. His vulture kept watch, and his bear was long gone by this point. Sirius had to decide how much he wished to have to do with this affair. He had found the man, and knew him to be friends with Malalia. He had little attachment to him besides this, knew little of the man. It was loyalty to Mal that had led him this far. It was some time before the bear finally returned, dragging the cart behind her by her arms. She hadn’t bothered to figure out the straps that had been built for a wolf. Sirius stretched, popping his back with the gesture. “Is he staying here for the night, or heading somewhere?” Sirius asked, leaving the decisions in this wolves hands, as Sirius would expect if the wolf belonged to him. "Speech"

When the bear had come for the wagon, Malalia had been pouring over some of Io's stores, catching up on some much needed studying. She abandoned the task, though, at the prospect of an injured wolf out there. Briefly she thought of Riva, who must have been indispensable for situations like this. They must have been away from home, if help needed to come from so far. She hoped whoever it was wasn't hurt too badly... then again, they probably weren't having a good day, if they needed a whole cart to carry them back. She pulled on her leather armor, her medicine kit inside the pouches, and tagged along. She wasn't sure what injuries she'd find there, if her training was enough to aid, but it wouldn't hurt. The trees thinned, the white of recent snows encroaching upon the earth as they made their way northward. Malalia flickered her ears as she adjusted to the dearth of sounds, the little trappings of life that had been devastated or driven off when the volcano erupted. As they neared the trio of wolves, Mal's eyes locked onto the trio of wolves, and she put on a quick pace to reach them, darting ahead of the bear. "Hey..." She slowed, bumping her adoptive father on the shoulder, and nodding briefly at the stranger before casting her gaze around, trying to get a hold of the situation. "What -- Cairo!?" Utter shock rippled through her, raising the guard hairs along her back. It was a lucky, lucky thing that the two had come before her, and patched her friend up. Had she seen him just after he fell, well... the pit of worry and despair that engulfed her would have been far, far worse. Still, she beat back the feeling, swallowing down a breath. Green eyes locked onto the pale wolf -- another Valhallan, she understood -- who'd been giving aid to the man. "He's going to be alright, right? Is... is there anything I can help you with? I brought some..." she trailed off, her voice strained, as she gestured to the pouches that she'd since packed with just about every herb she could fit in there. Not that she believed she could help much; it seemed like the healer had it covered. The girl was simply a ball of worry. "Speech"

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

He worked diligently and carefully, wrapping the leg tightly to keep the leg stable. It took a good while just for that one leg. His eyes flicked to the hide that Sirius had torn a strip from to bind the head wound. That might be needed for wrapping Cairo’s torso. He moved to the young man’s hind leg, watching as Ime straightened and aligned the fractured bone before they worked together to align three more sticks with the leg, working carefully to splint the leg—luckily a single break that was clean. The bear arrived with the wagon, not alone. But before addressing Malalia, he nodded his thanks and gave a murmured, "Thank you, Lady Bear.” Bears were quadrupedal, and he could imagine it had been some measure of strain to pull the wagon in such a way from the Armada and back. To the girl, Paladin nodded, adding, “The best way to help him is to be calm. I’ll need to get his armor off him to wrap his chest, but first, could you clean his head wound and put a poultice over it? Rewrap it with a fresh doeskin bandage from that set there.” He nodded to the small stack that had been tucked away in Cai’s various pouches as he and Kayode tied off the bandage on the splint to Cai’s back leg. Finally, to Sirius, he admitted, “He needs a safe place to rest for the weeks it will take for him to heal enough for long travel. Aurielle will need to be alerted to his accident.” He turned back to Malalia, settling into teaching mode. He could recognize her inexperience as a healer—her armor marked her as the girl Cai had met and made it for, and she visibly cared for the man. Action would help her fret less and keep her productive and focused, most likely. “He’s had pain killers administered, as well as something to reduce swelling. He must have struck his head, and we’ll want him to wake up as soon as possible. And once he’s up, he needs to stay awake for twenty-four hours and watched closely. But for now..” He bent and slipped the buckles of Cairo’s armor, quietly wishing the boy’s foreleg hadn’t been broken… it would have been a lot easier to remove his armor. “Something painfully pungent might bring him around, but he might appreciate being allowed to wait until after he’s been wrapped up… even with the pain medication, this will all hurt like hell. Ime, could you help me lift him, please? Thank you…” A bubbling, keening whine escaped Cairo's jaws, pain visibly wrenching through him as the wolf and Mandrill monkey carefully sat him up, the monkey supporting him as Paladin slipped the good leg out of the armor and tugged it gently off. Paladin perked his ears, listening for any sign the broken ribs had shifted or punctured a lung with the movement. Luckily, no change other than the soft, whispery whines that came with each breath, barely a noise. The young man wasn’t awake, but the awareness of pain was a hopeful sign. Paladin and Ime slowly lowered the wolf back to the ground. Nodding to Malalia, Paladin added, "This is how you check for broken ribs with an unconscious patient who cannot tell you their symptoms aloud..." And he waited until she was watching before lifting a paw to demonstrate.

Sirius glanced past the bear and found Malalia, as she approached the injured man. Her worry was clear and apparent as she approached and yelled his name. The Warlord who had, up until now, stood back and impatient, moved forward and touched the back of her leg gently with his paw. “He’s in good hands, he’ll be alright” he pointed out softly, offering her a moment of fatherly comfort, before moving back once more. He would not crowd the patient or healers, but he did watch more closely now that Malalia was here. Before, he had had nothing to lose, now he would watch these strangers more closely. If they offered even a breath of danger to his daughter, he would ensure they paid for it dearly. He didn’t truly expect it, but he did not know these people. Standing back, the Warlord kept watch, both of them, and over them. For Malalia’s sake, and to even an old debt with Aurielle he said. “If the Armada is in an acceptable range, we can take him to my healer, she has a facility set up to house the injured” "Speech"

As much as Sirius tried to comfort her, it did little to ease her panic. It was only when Paladin laid it out plainly for her that she could snort faintly at her own antics, a creeping sense of shame heating her ears. Of course she should be calm... Not dashing in here like a rolled up porcupine. Her ears flattened as she nodded wordlessly, and walked over to the stack of bandages that the healer had gestured to. What even was that? When she'd fought against predators, the crocodile, the wild dogs, she'd been anxious, sure... but the feeling hadn't been like this, threatening to make her immobile. She unbound the deerskin around the head wound, breathing slowly as she carefully, but throughly cleaned the blood and grime from the open flesh. He was going to be okay, and it was just like any other wound... It was easier, honestly, to pretend it wasn't Cairo at all. She pushed the uneasiness to the back of her mind and zeroed in on her work, taking out the mortar and pestle to prepare a poultice of horsetail and honey. Once it was finished, she smeared the paste across the wound, before taking a fresh bandage and wrapping it tightly around the chocolate man's head. The girl stepped back as the madrill and the wolf lifted up her friend, eyes going slightly wide as he whined in pain. She tried to shut it out, not yet understanding that it was a good sign, but couldn't quite ward off the ripple of bad-wrong-hurt that ran through her at the sound. She gave a shuddering breath, though mostly remained silent as Paladin began to demonstrate. "Speech"

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

He was gentle and careful as he started from just behind Cairo’s front leg, speaking as he went. “Here’s a rib that hasn’t been broken. It’s smooth under the paw.” Three ribs back, he found a broken rib, showing her the difference as he went on, “Here is where it’s broken. The broken end pushes against the muscle and skin. It can be very difficult to fix externally, and I don’t have the supplies for suturing him shut if I go in more invasively.” Medical technology had come very far in the past two generations. There was still much to learn, but times were changing. Wolves were getting better at healing injuries that once would have spelled a death sentence for a wolf. He nodded at her, tipping his head toward Cairo in a mute suggestion that she try feeling out the injuries for herself to get a feel for the movement, what felt right, and what felt wrong. “His awareness of pain if a good thing. It means he’s not out of our reach to help him. It’s when they show no response that you should worry.” To Sirius, he gave a soft sigh, nodding his thanks. “We’ll be in your debt, Warlord. Cairo will likely want to repay you for your help when he’s well enough to offer his services. I’ll let you and he and Aurielle discuss that when the time comes. I, myself, will resupply your healer with whatever resources she uses, as long as I actually have the same myself to give. Will that be acceptable?” He, being of the highest rank in the Healer’s Circle, had a certain license to make these sorts of trades. It was the same among Nomads. They would offer their training, healing services, usually without expecting repayment, but if the patient or their family had the resources and home, a deal might be made that the Chapter would be allowed to stay within pack borders for a night or two while they taught, healed members, and basically took a break from the road while still staying busy. He’d enjoyed the lifestyle, but he wouldn’t trade his life in Valhalla. To Malalia he asked, “How many breaks can you find? Do any of the lumps feel soft?” They wouldn’t, he knew. It would mean bad bleeding, and there was no obvious hematoma. There would have been by this point, with the armor off. As he waited for her response, he gathered the bandages he would need, as well as the hide.

The Warlord left the healers to it, and took Paladin’s words as confirmation. He moved to the cart which his bear had released, and stuck stones behind the wheels. He then pulled down the coat covering to give Cairo a softer surface to be wrapped in. spare coats he pushed to the side. They could use those to secure him in the cart. Preparations made, he leaned against the cart and waited for the healers to be ready to place the man inside. His bear waited on the other side, and Bast stuck close to Malalia, offering help if she needed it. Her concern for this boy was noted, and he chewed it over in his thoughts as he waited. "Speech"

Malalia listened closely as the wolf demonstrated the difference between an intact bone and a broken one. The procedure sounded easy enough, on its face, but the girl had mostly worked with poultices, treating cuts and scrapes and some deeper gashes here and there. Never internal injuries like this. When Paladin indicated for her to feel for herself, she placed her paw forward, brows furrowed in concentration. The normal rib curved in one smooth, hard movement beneath his skin. The broken one jutted up unnaturally against it, cresting in a tiny little hill where the break was made inside. She was doing her best to think of Cairo as just another patient, but the note about pain did soothe her, somewhat, and she committed the detail to memory. As much as it had rattled her to see him, he wasn't dead, or even close to it. When Paladin asked for her to check for more breaks, she pinned her ears, and again rain her paw along his ribcage. How many breaks can you find… It almost sounded like a game, the way he had phrased it, though she would rather be playing anything else right about now. She pinned her ears as she felt another inconsistency, a protrusion against the skin. “There’s… maybe a second break after the first you showed me,” she said uncertainly, indicating the hard bump four ribs back. The rest were intact, as far as she could tell, but it was possible she missed something. “None of them feel soft, though. What does it mean if they're soft?” "Speech"

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

Paladin nodded gently as Malalia gave her answer, adding “Another way to know if there’s a rib fracture is if the rib gives unnaturally under the paw—bending inward instead of holding against light pressure.” At her question, he answered readily, “It would mean the lung is punctured. There would also be a sucking noise with each breath he’d try to take, and possibly blood leaking from the mouth. But he’s escaped that, lucky man that he is. The herbs I gave him should stop any other bleeding.” He glanced toward Sirius as the behemoth began the setup of the cart. Then turned to Malalia, adding belatedly, “I am Paladin Ancora, by the way. I helped pick out the herb packets for your first aid kit.” He flashed a wink at the girl then turned to Cairo with a brisk, “Well! Let’s get this boy checked out on the other side and wrapped up.” Cai’s other side had no full fractures, but Paladin suspected that there were cracked ribs. There were further bubbling whines as he and Ime slowly, carefully sat Cairo up again, though Kayode had taken the precaution of gently muzzling the young man. Cairo in his right mind would never lash out, but if he came to, in pain and confused, and in a strange place, none of them wanted his teeth finding their persons if he lashed out in that state. “This is how you wrap a chest. It works for wounds and keeping the torso still. It’s definitely helpful to have primate friends in these cases.” Cai’s head rested on Ime’s shoulder, Kayode placing a pad of deer skin on his side over the ribs, before wrapping the longer strips of doeskin around Cairo’s middle behind the forelegs. He made two wraps, being sure to go slowly enough for Malalia to watch and learn. After two more, he pinned the next length beneath the end of the first and made two more wraps before crossing the bandage between Cairo’s front legs, crossing diagonally over his chest to the other side for two wraps, then two wraps around the torso, before repeating the chest wrap in the opposite direction, like a piece of armor. It took four rolls of doeskin bandages, the end neatly tied off. They laid him out over the coat Sirius had laid out, assuming it was large enough. “Alright… The next part is getting him up into the wagon. Two on either side of the hide, one at each corner, should make it a lot easier. We’ll want to lift him up and in and set him down as gently as possible. Those hides will need to be rolled up around him to keep him from shifting around over the bumps and hollows on the way to the Armada.” He gave Cairo a last check-over before taking one of the corners, Ime taking the diagonal opposite. Once whomever else had taken a corner that would, he took a good grip of his end in his teeth, nodding at the others before pulling back and lifting. Hopefully with one try, they got the young warrior hoisted into the wagon. Now that the boy had the initial care done that would hopefully keep him alive long enough to heal, Paladin gazed over him with more tenderness. He’d administered care to the boy since he was a pup battling colds. He knew Cairo was a determined fellow with drive to achieve. The young man was already patient, thankfully, or he’d be in for even worse frustrations than he already was in for. But the boy would bounce back quickly. I believe we’re ready to go…” He remarked as Ime and Kayode rolled the hides and lined Cairo’s limp form with them, rather like a wolf shaped concrete form. Chrystal swooped to the wagon, lighting beside the wolf and settling on her breast. He bent and gathered up the supplies, tucking away the first aid kit away into Cairo's armor pouches before tossing his armor up onto the wagon to one side.

Sirius and the monkey took up one side of the fur, Paladin and Malalia the other. From across the injured boh, Sirius gave his daughter a quick, soft smile, and then heaved. Lifting as gently as he was able, the largest of the wolves moved backwards, stepping up into the wagon butt first, and eating Cairo to the floor. He helped the monkeys push the spare hides against the bou, before hopping off the other side. "Give me a hand with these straps, wont you?" He asked the monkeys, who could work more quickly then a wolf with them.

With their help or not, the Warlord would strap himself into the wagon, and Bast would push free the stones that had anchored it. Such preparations done, the Warlord would start off, towing wagon and boy carefully behind him.

The procession of wolves and companions would make their way towards the Armada. He wasnt dure how long the injured wolf would need to remain in his lands. He would have accommodation at Io's cottage, and care with his Trauma expert. Even before he reached the edges of his border, he called out to his sister. She could meet them at the border, or they could meet her at her den. He wanted to give her forewarning either way.

She nodded as she took in the procedure, repeating what Paladin had said over a few times internally. It was a lucky thing that the man had escaped worse injuries, though she couldn’t say that she would’ve loved to have a broken bone, or several. The healer then identified himself as the man who’d helped pack the pouches in the armor Cairo had made for her. She managed a half-smile and a tail wag at the connection. “Malalia Fatalis,” she introduced herself. “And thank you. It was lovely.” It’d been a wonderful thing, seeing all the personal touches her friend had included in the armor. A frown tugged at the corners of her lips at the memory, starkly cheerful compared to the scene before her now. She’d have to thank him again when he woke up... Mal watched carefully as Paladin demonstrated how to wrap a torso with the help of his companion, taking the doeskin around his middle, diagonally around his torso, and then twice around again to finish it off. Malalia then took her place on Paladin’s side, weakly returning the Warlord’s smile. Once the business of getting Cairo into the wagon was done, the girl exhaled silently, her body suddenly hit with a wave exhaustion, and her head throbbing faintly. She chose to ignore the feeling, for the moment, and settled in the back of the procession. "Speech"

It was always something, wasn't it? With winter here and most plants laying dormant, there wasn't much else to do aside from make love to her husband and wait for spring. Rarely did any pay a social call, but when a call came, they always needed something from her.

Today Sirius made the call. He sounded far off, but she heard the urgent warning in his tone. Curiosity struck and she shrugged off the tiger fur blanket that she had been under. After rinsing her mouth, popping a sprig of mint in and donning her pack, she was ready to head off.

Dainty, snow dipped paws carried the healer towards her brother's voice. Hopefully they would intercept one another and not go around instead. Io kept her two- toned eyes to the sky, watching for Marshal. The black bird would be a telltale sign of just where Sirius was.

Having caught sight of the vulture, Iolaire was soon in her brother's company. There were others around, one being Malalia, and there was a prone form Laying in the cart. She arched a silver brow. "What's this?" Her question was for Sirius alone.

[Cai will be waking in a separate thread, if that's alright]

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

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."

Sirius has asked the monkeys, same as he would any wolf if they had been better equipped to handle the straps. They were Valhalla creatures, and this was their wolf. He had asked them because he expected they wanted only to help the injured boy that was their pack mate get to safe grounds. He ignored their shared look, pulling the cart himself like a pack-mule because he knew he was better capable then his companions. He put whoever could do the best to the job, including himself. He was glad to see his sister when they arrived without hindrance at the pack borders. “This is a Valhalla wolf, Cairo, who fell down a mountain. The other is Paladin, a Valhalla healer. Armada borders were closest, and Paladin did not think it wise to take him further” he explained the situation to his Trauma Specialist with a few deft words. “We’ll put him into your capable hands until you dem him fit to travel.” Cairo will be fully under her watch, and he trusted her opinion in all medical matters. As for what Paladin was saying to the owl and his Daughter… “Chrystal can summon myself or Io at the borders if she needs a report, i’m sure you can understand my concern at giving an unknown free range, aerial view of my lands…” he said dryly. As for the other part, “My Reaper has a lot of responsibilities as she settles into her new rank. I’m sure Io will call for her if he wakes” he said, softening his words slightly, even as they were a gentle rebuke to the healer, who still thought himself the authority in this situation and of Armada pack wolves. As Alpha of the Armada, he had to put the safety and wellbeing of his packmates first. He knew very little of Valhalla, or what their intentions would be with scouting information of his pack. "Speech"

Mal waved her tail in a wordless greeting as Iolaire appeared. It was a comforting thought that Cairo would be in the hands of two experienced healers, at least for a time. There was only so much she could do for her friend, and even that was merely to mollify the young woman, she knew. With their expertise, Paladin and Iolaire could each handle themselves, she was sure. She was quiet with flattened ears, almost sulking as Sirius addressed Io and Paladin the owl… but then, the snowy white healer turned to her. There was a kind of trepidation in her belly as he requested that she stay with Cairo, though she couldn’t immediately name why. There was no question she would be there when he finally woke — she would’ve done it even if the Valhallan had never asked. The point about memory loss stuck with her, too, and the tawny girl wanted to see for herself whether her friend would be okay in that regard. She was nodding, saying, “Of course—“ but that was as far as she got before Sirius interjected. Her ears perked, tail alift in mild surprise, and she bit back the protest on her lips. He has a point... She couldn’t be waiting around aimlessly for the man to wake, when she had other duties to fulfill. The pack came first… although, this was proving to be the first time that particular idea grated against her instincts. She turned back to Paladin, an apology in her eyes. “I’ll do my best to be there,” she amended quietly. And even if she couldn’t be around exactly when he awoke, she’d make sure to visit him often in her free time. "Speech"