[PRP] Fire and Ice (Kamau x Meinir)

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Here~

Kamau sighed as he wadded through the stream. Why in the world he had decided to suddenly care about the well being of some prissy cheetah he would never know. Still as he walked through he couldn't help grabbing some reeds that grew along the stream's edge. I suppose these can help with healing a wound. He was no experienced healer himself, but from the injuries he had gotten himself and seen his relatives go through the leopard had some vague idea about remedies. The female's injuries on her hind leg made him remember a cousin who had hurt a leg while sparring. They had used reeds and some weird paste to help it heal...these reeds looked similar to the ones from then as well.

He just hoped it would help.

Only so I can completely leave her alone and get her out of my fur. The last thing he wanted to do was be stuck with someone else. The rogue usually traveled alone and preferred to keep it that way. Much less hassle when he was by himself after all. But now it was time to head back and see if his hassle had woken up yet. Maybe if he was lucky she had passed away in her sleep...no okay maybe that was an awful thought. Kamau rolled his eyes at his indecision before climbing out of the water to head back towards the shelter he had found.  

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Meinir wasn't at all pleased.

She was upset with herself for not being able to properly flee from the vagrant's nest after she had regained enough strength to remain conscious. The lithe cheetah might have been awake, but healed she was not. Her wounds were still too fresh to allow her much movement. This only served to cause a little furrow on her petite head that matched her impressive frown.

There had been some attempt at standing. Some. Meinir had barely made it to the edge of the barbaric shelter before falling. This was humiliating. How could she have allowed this to happen?! Tears of frustration built up in her eyes and she pushed them away with the backs of her paws. She was a Noble, dammit! Now look at me. Even his foul language has infected me.

 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Kamau's ears moved forward as he listened for signs of movement. Was she awake? At the very thought he listened to the thud of a falling body. She really is a stubborn fool. Sighing the leopard dropped the reeds loudly on the ground. He wasn't one to be sentimental so seeing the distressed cheetah had no strain on his heart, "You won't heal if you keep trying to mess up your body more."

It was a stern statement and perhaps the most gentle one that he could give her, "Now if you would just sit still I can try to make up something to help." The leopard's gaze flashed teasingly, "Unless you prefer for the vultures to help you out in a few days instead?" Not that he could really mean it, but the way he spoke seemed sincere. Anyone that truly knew Kamau realized that the leopard wasn't going to go anywhere soon. Not with the cheetah so injured.

Grabbing some of the reeds in his mouth Kamau moved away to start hunting for some more herbs around the area. He could chew them up at the same time to mix it in the paste. Already his mouth was protesting the bitter taste. Such a nasty business this. Another reason I would much rather inflict pain than deal with healing it.
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

The very sight of him set her fur on edge. "I've been sitting for a while, I'll have you know. This move was not recent." Her body was feeling that one, too. This area was far less comfortable to lounge in that her original spot had been. It was about as cushy as one could get in the wilds.

Which was far less cushy than she desired.

Meinir's cheeks puffed up with air as she pouted at him. Why that little-! "You assume I'll allow them to get close enough to try anything," she snapped haughtily. There was insecurity in her voice, though. She had never been a fighter and now there was little chance of her walking away from anything in one piece. Even a scrap with a vulture.

"What are you doing, choking on them?" Raising her upper half, the lean feline stretched to watch him. Her curiosity had only been made worse by her ailment. "Oh Gods, I can't watch this. Help me up; I'll help you. The less I have to see of you gagging on herbs the better off I'll be."  

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

"More reason for me to worry that you've built up enough strength to try again." Retorted Kamau as he walked away. With that cheetah there was no telling the trouble she would get into. At this rate it would take several moons to heal that leg rather than one. His eye twitched at the thought. One moon seemed like an impossible time frame as it was...how could he stand more? Maybe I really should have let that lion have at her.

Kamau chuckled bitterly, "You're right. Obviously you can run far away before any bird can touch you currently." He shook his head, "Most likely you could talk them to death before they finish plucking you." Bending his head he began to tear into the herbs some more before her interruption made him pause. What now?

Spitting on some herbs harshly Kamau glanced over at the cheetah, "So you know more about this?" Shrugging he kicked several herbs towards her, "Have at it then." He scooped up the rest and dropped them near her, "If you know so much then I should leave it to you, correct?"  

[Painted Moose]

Meinir scoffed. "Are you going to help, or keep prattling on about my inability to breath on my own?" She didn't understand how one leopard could be so bitter, and so very dramatic all at once. It was one of the two more aggravating qualities that he seemed to posses. And that was saying something.

She reeled away from the herbs he had so crudely spat out. "Ugh! Honestly, do have a little decorum." The more aggravated she became, the thicker the cheetah's accent became. Soon enough she would start speaking in her home language and then she really would be speaking in tongues.

"I can sort them, but I can't pick them. If you are so inclined not to assist me in gathering the herbs, then the least you could do is act as my legs." She set about sifting through the herbs, tossing out ones she knew to be bad and taking a little longer in mulling over the good ones. One she recognized instantly. "This one here, the one you just spat out? You should gather more of it."

It wasn't helpful to her, but it would bring a smile to her face. The herb itself was good for laboring mothers to numb the pain of birth, but when plucked by unknowing paws...well, she just hoped he picked it up in his maw. The leopards mouth would be numb for hours!  

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

"Depends on if you'll behave or not." Replied Kamau sharply. Obviously the cheetah could breathe well enough on her own. She generated enough air for an entire pride after all. Perhaps the place she came too found talking an exercise? He much preferred hunting after prey in silence compared to social activities.

Kamau just raised an eyebrow at her, "I'll make sure to try to please you better then with my herbal skills." Shoulda just spat them right on her. The leopard huffed though her accent rang at his ears. The faintest light of an amused smile flickered across his features for a split second before he turned away.

"Alright then." He glanced back towards the herbs he had spat, "I'll gather more for you." As he turned to leave the leopard glanced over his shoulder, "Just please don't hurt yourself anymore." Though he said it gruffly a faint tremor of worry may have existed.

Still Kamau shrugged it off. He could go find the herbs, but really what he needed was a good hunt. She had plenty there to play with...she could wait a while for a bit more. Leaving the den like a shadow the male went out to find some good prey.  

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

"Oh, I'll behave, mother." Meinir resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him, and merely sat up primly. Or as primly as she could while dealing with the physical pain. Of course, nothing stopped her from murmuring in her native tongue a very long, very heated few phrases about what she thought of this leopard.

"I assure you, I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Of that she had no doubt. Meinir wouldn't even attempt it because she wanted to see that b*****d's numb mouth, at the very least. It brought out a little smile on the cheetah, even if he wouldn't have a clue why she was smiling. It really was quite devilish.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

I figured we'd throw him into a rainstorm lol

Kamau just rolled his eyes at the cheetah's sassy responses. Out of all the females he could have decided to save...this one definitely was unique. Admittedly, a small part of him did enjoy hearing that accent when she was tiffed. Probably the only reason I can somewhat stand listening to her. The thought made him smirk as he headed away from their den.

Now where was that herb?

The leopard frowned as he tried to recall the location of it. There was one of the other herbs growing there...but this one had been further away.Without noticing the dark clouds gathering around him Kamau continued out. He was a leopard on a mission to gather as many of those herbs as possible. Even if she annoyed him greatly it didn't mean he could just let her suffer. Better yet he hoped that this herbs would heal her quickly so she could be put in someone else's paws. It was while he was still pretty far out that he finally started finding some trace of those herbs.

And then the rains started...
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Meinir was already in a tizzy by the time the rains started. She had waited what she felt like was long enough for that leopard to return, and when he was noticeably absent she became...concerned, as bitter as the word felt. The small cheetah pulled herself to the edge of the den, and looked up to the sky. Her eyes took in the fat, black clouds and the rumble they poured into the ground. When the rain itself hit she knew she couldn't stay.

Mustering up her moxie, Meinir rose up onto her paws, gritting her teeth against the pain. Her injured leg was lifted, tucked as close to her body as she could, while nearly all of her muscles screamed in protest. "Zat idiot... Runnéng oot into a stairm..." She pressed forward, branching out into the frigid rain. It wasn't long before she started calling out for him, but in her own special way. "Spottay! Spottay, whaire are you?... Oh gréat, ai 'ave mud bétween mon toes, whaire zé HELL ARE YOU?"
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

When the rains poured down Kamau had already found the herbs. The nasty taste lingered in his mouth and made him want to spit, but dammit for some reason he wanted to make certain he got some for the cheetah. Despite everything his mother's love for others was embedded in him and it would be cruel to just leave someone injured there without any help. It was as his soaking body crept forward that he noticed a tingle in his jaw. But the ground was so wet now...shivering against the cold rains the leopard kept his best effort to hold onto the herbs. At least even though he couldn't seem to feel them, perhaps that was due to the cold rain, he could smell some of them that they were there.

Holding onto the herbs though without feeling in his jaw was troublesome. Then as Kamau tried to make certain he had them by lifting a paw towards his maw the leopard slipped. Holding back a string of curses the leopard slowly got back on his paws and kept moving forward. Even though he couldn't really feel it Kamau kept telling himself to tighten his jaws so that the few herbs remained.

He would have been lost save for the faint noises he heard over the pouring rain. Was someone calling out? Straining to listen Kamau almost lost the herbs in a smirk. That accent...but wait was she out of the den? Gaze widening with concern the leopard slipped forward to come towards Meinir. At first it was hard to see him since he was covered in mud, but the leopard managed to make an appearance as he appeared next to her.
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

Meinir managed to slip on a rain soaked slice of earth, landing her promptly in the mud. It was degrading, and terribly painful pulling herself back up, but she did so with all the grace of a fallen Noble. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her night, but dammit, where was he?

A string of venomous curses came out in her native tongue. This was useless! Whatever scent he had left behind was drowned out in all the rain, and...well, she was no tracker to begin with. And what if the lion returned? Flipping her ears back, Meinir looked over her shoulder, growing more and more paranoid by the minute.

And when the mud monster appeared next to her she outright screamed. She tried to scramble back in a reverse, which was hard when she was only balanced on one back, and thus Meinir sat down in the mud on yet another scream. This time it was one of painful surprise. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth to ride it out while she mentally preyed that her death would come swiftly.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Kamau moved swiftly in response to the cheetah's reaction. He wanted to call out to her, to let her know it was just him but his mouth refused to move. Instead he closed his eyes briefly to clamp down on the herbs that made his mouth feel so strange. At her cry of pain though the leopard moved forward to gently nudge her. If only she would open her eyes he could let her see his familiar gaze!

Instead Kamau held back a sigh as he tried to wiggle his way beneath her so that he could help carry her back towards the den. What was she thinking getting out into this mess? Did she want to escape him that badly? Now she's just going to take longer to heal. At least that would be his luck. As it was he just planned on stabilizing her then he could help her get to his own home so that family could help take care of her.

If they could get out of this damn storm first that was.
 

[Painted Moose]

Sabra Knight

She cringed away from the nudging, assuming the creature was just trying to judge if she was worthy of a meal or not. Of course she was!...Not that she wanted to be, mind you.

"H-hey...what?" Meinir felt herself being lifted, and at first she protested, through her injuries didn't allow for much. Her movements had jostled some of the mud away from the creatures back, though...and through it she saw golden spots. "Spottay? Oh thank le Gods!" She wrapped her forepaws around his neck and buried her face into his muddy neck. "What waire you thinkeng, staieng oot een zis weathair? You could 'ave gotten 'urt!" She held onto him tighter, more out of instinct than anything else. "If zat lion 'ad gotten to you..." Meinir let go of a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Eet doesn't mattair now, you'ré safe ...and le hairb wairks."

So THAT was why the creature had been quiet. It was enough to make her giggle, though she worked hard to suppress it.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Painted Moose

Kamau was honestly so surprised at the sudden affection that he nearly slipped once more. Instead the leopard took a moment to appreciate the sudden warmth before continuing on their way. Of course if he had been able to speak Kamau would have told her exactly what her Spottay had been out there getting her herbs...that sadly at this point were tattered from this sudden rainstorm. Still her concern was touching.

So she had been out here looking for him?

Silly cheetah. He would have been fine! She was the injured one...what if she had hurt her leg even worse? Still he had to raise an eyebrow at her reaction. The hairb....wait....herb worked? His expression shifted as he realized exactly how numb his mouth had become at this point. Spitting the remnants into the rain Kamau shifted his luggage on his shoulders.

"Yeaou.." The word came out of his mouth awkwardly as he tried to make his jaws move. He really was a fool. I suppose I deserve this one. A faint smile flickered across his face as he moved his precious cargo back towards their temporary shelter out of the rain. When the storm broke and the sun came back he would see how well she could handle traveling to his home.

Oh, but wouldn't she be surprised to see exactly what his family was made up of?

The thought made Kamau swallow a laughter as he moved forward.