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Nits had somewhat designated himself as Resi's bodyguard. It felt pretty nice to have that sort of role in life. It wasn't that he was big or hulking, really, it was just that he had a really mean stare. At least, he'd been told it was mean. Sometimes he practiced it at the lake so that he could see his reflection - and he had to admit, it looked pretty scary.

He sat near his father's den while Resi soaked up some sunshine; that very same mean look was on his face, and every so often he'd get up and walk a circle around 'the perimeter' just to assure Resi that he was on the ball.

It was during one of those circles that he saw his cousin. He groaned quite loudly.

Nits' groan was enough to rouse Resi, and the brown youth forced an eye open. He knew that Nits took his 'job' very seriously, and he wasn't about to tell him how ridiculous he looked, honestly. If it made Nits happy, it made Resimus happy. Besides, he was pretty ace at keeping away both Dyre and Heldig.

In fact, Nits was really great at keeping all of the young females away that might have an eye on him, thankfully.

When he caught sight of Yolla almost-loping towards them, Resi rose to his feet and yawned before staring curiously at his cousin.

"What.. are you okay, Yolla?"

"He looks a little beat up, I think. Maybe even like he been crying a bit, Resi."

It kind of irritated him in the 'nobody messes with my family' sort of way, but then again Nits was an overprotective sort - even if his cousins dad was kind of crazy - Nits really tried not to hold that against Yolla. It worked, usually, but sometimes it didn't.

Especially when Yolla was acting strange, himself.

"You sure you're fine, Yolla?"

Resi gave Nits a look before giving Yolla his full attention. The sight that greeted him wasn't something that looked like the result of a friendly fight, or a soft-pawed wrestle or anything of the sort. The gashes and gouges that covered Yolla's hide were fresh, some of them quite deep, and it panicked Resi to the point where he moved towards his cousin rather quickly and frantically.

"You are not fine, Yolla. What in the name of the Gods happened? You're battered and .. ah, Gods. Yolla. Tell me what happened!"

There was no denying that Resimus sounded a bit motherly, but he couldn't help it. Nobody liked seeing this kind of thing - at least, he certainly didn't.

Nits remained silent for a moment, almost as if he were trying to deal with the fact that Yolla had just growled at him. At him! He was just trying to help - there was no reason to get all uppity. Had he really just been growled at by Yolla?

He sat in stunned silence as he tried to reconcile the fact that yes, he'd just been growled at by Yolla, and yes, his feelings were actually kind of hurt.

Resimus was surprised, too, but for another reason altogether!

"What kind of fight was this, then? You've got yucks all over you - that one looks particularly brutal, that one there - and you haven't even really gotten them tended to yet, have you? Have you gone to see a healer?"

Resimus continued with his clucking.

"And what were you thinking, going out to spar with Reavers." He gave his cousin a look. He was really good at giving looks.

"I bet Nits would spar with you. This was no simple spar, either, looking at the damage left behind."

Resimus grunted softly as he circled his cousin, tsking and shaking his head all around.

"Can't believe y'just growled at me, Yolla."

Nits sounded a little miffed. Put out.

Resimus paused, sighed and gave Nits another look before lifting his paw to gently pat his brother's shoulder.

Nits merely grunted in response to Yolla's apology, pale eyes still holding that rather wounded expression.

"I was just trying to say to Resi in case he couldn't see himself that it looked like you been crying, that's all. Gods." There was a definite whine to his voice, but he quelled it. He was the big protective brother, there was no room for simpering and sobbing. No room at all, and by the Gods if he earned one more look from Resi he was simply going to go insane.

"Da's got some salve in the den. I'll go get it, Resi."

Resimus was silent. He gave an absent nod to his brother - who promptly ran off - before turning his crimson eyes to Yolla.

"Maybe," Resi said softly, "he's tender about being the son of a b*****d."

Heldig was good at gossip if nothing else. She was keen on hiding around the adults, picking up on hints of chit chat among the members of the pride. She'd been one of the first to find out about Herryk's litter - and she'd immediately come to him about it.

One of her better qualities, really.

"Or maybe he's touchy about this high-pitched voice you say he has, I don't know, Yolla."

Resimus stared long and hard at his cousin, speaking only when he felt certain that Nits was gone.

"I don't know if he can do that, honestly," Resi was troubled seeing Yolla like this. Nobody liked to see their family brought down a notch or five (even if they probably deserved it), and this was no different.

"Maybe you should talk to your da about it."

Of course, this was coming from a lion who had been pretty much pampered each and every day of his life. If he had an issue, he went to da. Da took care of all the terrible things that Resi didn't want to have to deal with.

He shrugged, falling silent once more as Nits returned.

The green and white lion drew up quick, skidding to a halt as he panted softly around a large leaf that contained the healing salve.

Nits dropped it at Yolla's feet, rolling back to his haunches as he watched his cousin expectantly.

"Go on, then," he tapped it forward with a paw, frowning. "I can get yer back if you can't reach, but I ain't smearin' it all over you."

He sniffed quite manfully.

Nits looked a little too eager to get muck all over his paws, and with great relish he dove into the goop and started smearing it liberally over his cousin-thing's shoulders and back.

"So what're you gonna do about this jerk," Nits started up quite conversationally. "You know I got your back if you need it. Resi too, though he shouldn't be fighting."

Nits cleared his throat and sent his brother a sideways glance, settling back to focus his goop-administrations to Yolla's haunches.

"I don't think there should be any fighting," Resi said with relative timidness. "But, I mean. You can't just let this guy push you around, Yolla. It's a show of weakness, and if you want to be a fighter then you're going to have to get stronger."

Resi was suddenly pretty glad that he had no interest whatsoever in becominga Reaver or a Captain - make him a lawspeaker any day, or maybe even a dye-crafter. That wouldn't be such a bad life. Even being a healer wouldn't be half bad.

Clearing his throat, Resi watched over his brother and his cousin, looking thoughtfully troubled.

Nits merely rolled his eyes at Yolla's grumbles and kept right on slathering the goop all over his cousin's back. He kept quiet, though, up until the point that Yolla mentioned some a**-kicking. That thought made the patchy lion perk up. He was pretty good at fighting.

"I'll help. I can help. Can I help? Let me help. We can think of a real good way to bring him down."

Nits' almost-gentle ministrations of the salve turned almost savage as he thougth about bringing the pain.

Resi merely sighed loudly, his gaze flitting between his brother and his cousin.

"If you don't want to fight you shouldn't have to fight," he finally said, sounding rather disgusted.

"And I can't really help," Resi grumbled, eyeing Nits. "I mean, I don't think you should face him alone again, and certainly not with your scratches barely healed but.. come on, Yolla. Maybe it would be best to just forget about him, but if you insist on getting him back, we should come up with a good plan."