{PRP}Thorn in a Lion's Paw {Caesar + Meo}

[magnadearel]

Syrius Lionwing

It had been several days since she and her lion friend had run across a large tomcat and his bird friend, literally. By odd chance, the two pairs had gotten along remarkably well. Now they traveled mostly together and acted as an odd sort of pack. Meo loved it. Whenever she felt threatened, she could run to him and usually a simple stare down convinced whatever that Meo just wasn't worth it. By night they slept in a giant pile. She never feared anything sneaking up on her anymore.

The morning had been spent hunting for fruits and nuts for herself, and small rodents for Tahnee. She liked the sweet taste of the berries and nuts. Meo figured Caesar was out hunting for himself. There was usually plenty left on his kills for her and Tahnee to feast if they weren't full already. The tiny bird had gotten herself into a giant berry patch and eaten her fill. Her beak stained with the juices.

As it was, the pair had gotten back to the meeting place later than expected. With a full belly it was hard to walk. When she got there she realized Caesar wasn't there yet either. His hunts usually didn't take this long and he finished before her; often tracking her down. She looked around worried. "I don't see him." One would think a cat as big as him would be hard to hide, but she'd seen him hide himself from prey so knew it could be done.


Tahnee glanced around as well. Meo was worried because he was her source of comfort. She checked the ground quickly. "The scents are old, from this morning. He hasn't been back. Let's go look for him." Besides it would be fun to turn the tables on the big tom. He clearly enjoyed tracking them down no matter where they went. It wasn't like they were trying to hid from him anyhow.

With the tiny bird at her side, Tahnee lead the way. She followed the trail.
 

[Syrius Lionwing]

magnadearel

He had been heading back to them. Back to their meeting place when he'd felt the stab in his fore paw. He'd decided it was nothing and carried on towards their meeting place. He had managed to capture a particularity large bison for them, it was at least a couple if days meal for them. He'd avoided its horns, missed its kicks, he had even managed to drag it bodily in to a tree for storage before heading back towards his little pack. He needed to pick them up and bring them to his kill. He'd left Cleo as look out in case anything tried to get at their meal but now he wished he had let her fly along.

He'd almost been home so to speak when the stab in his paw started to leave blood on the ground. Blood wasn't good, blood attracted other predators and he couldn't lead other predators to his pack. It frustrated him but he had decided to lie down and work out why his paw was bleeding, what was stabbing him between his pads. His sharp eyes couldn't decern it though and a lick of his rough tongue didn't reveal anything. Flexing his claws and pressing his teeth in to his paw pads only made it bleed more and he couldn't suss out why it was bleeding in the first place. Frustration was slowly setting in and he let out a growl in to the trees which rose the birds from their perches.  

[magnadearel]

Syrius Lionwing

Her worried increased the further they traveled without spotting the largest member of their herd. Caesar had never hid from them before, and he was never late. She was absolutely sure something had gone wrong. The first conclusion was he'd gotten hurt hunting. He did go after very large prey. It wasn't long before she was in full fret and urging Tahnee to go faster. They had to find him!


Tahnee growled under her breath at the hurrying. She could sense the worry in her companion, but could only track so fast. "We'll find them Meo. Just keep your head a little longer." The scent was still old, but slowly growing stronger. She weaved back and forth a couple times as it grew super faint, he had been moving fast here, to pick it up again.

Suddenly a very fresh scent hit her nostrils. Tahnee did a 90 degree turn to the right. "I smell fresh blood. He's this way." He was off the track which meant he hadn't been following it back. She plowed on following the fresh scent in the air. It wasn't long before she saw him laying down licking his paw. "There he is!"


A little red blur practically flew past Tahnee once Caesar was in their sights. "Caesar! Oh Caesar! You're hurt! What happened?!" A tearful Meo flung herself into the big tom's side. "You didn't come back and we had to come look for you, then Tahnee said she smelled blood!"  

[Syrius Lionwing]

Caesar lifted his head when she charged through the undergrowth. The familiar voices made him smile and forget the irritation in his paw for a moment. "Hey, hey don't cry." He whispers lifting his none injured paw and pulling her close. "I was on my way back, I just didn't want to lead any predators back to you so I stopped for a minute. I'll always come back for you." He rumbles licking her cheeks and lapping away the tears that rolled from her eyes. "I'll never leave you." He rumbles managing a quiet purr to try and calm his little friend. His heart tightened at the thought that she was worried about him. She wasn't supposed to worry that was why he wanted her near by.

He tilts his head and nudges her chin upwards "Its fine, I just cut my paw, it was bleeding and I didn't want to trail fresh blood back to where we have been sleeping." He smiles softly nuzzling ever so gently at his little companion. "I just cut my paw see." He lifts his paw, to show her the bottom of his foot, the fur between his pads was now matted with blood as he had stopped licking at it but he could still feel the strange pinch between his toes. He wriggled his toes in an irriteated manner but gave a shrug putting his foot back on the ground. "Come on I left Cleo with my kill she'll eat the lot if we don't get there quickly." He chuckles and slowly gets to his paws being careful to nudge the little bird so she could stand between his front legs while he walked. "Just stay there okay? Just in case my blood attracts anything weird." He huffs taking a careful step he cringed before he started to walk, being careful to walk slowly so that meo could keep pace with him. He could feel the pinch between his toes though and after a few steps he could smell his own fresh blood in the undergrowth, and it hurt, it hurt to put his paw on the ground. It was so frustrating, he felt lame, vulnerable, he'd never felt that way before.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Syrius Lionwing

Tahnee slowed and shook her head at the waterworks from her little friend. She hadn't seen her this distraught since that time she accidentally sprained her ankle and was late getting home. The lion stopped some distance away and sat down. Thankfully it wasn't her fur getting soaked this time. Caesar was handling it remarkably well. "Perhaps send Cleo to let us know next time?" She drawled casually. Under that calm exterior, she'd been worried too. She'd grown fond of the big tom in the few days they'd known him and Cleo.


The tiny mare's sobbing slowly quieted with the warm reassurances. She closed her eyes as wiped away the tears and explained that he didn't want to lead anything to them with a blood trail. In some part of her that made sense. Meo nodded emphatic agreement when Tahnee suggested sending his bird. She felt better when he pulled her close though. Being so close even she could smell the blood from his paw. She grew concerned when he showed it to her and it was matted with blood.

"That doesn't look good Caesar," she said hesitantly. "What did you cut it on?" Meo moved carefully as he got up, and soon found herself between the stout trunks of his front legs. From her vantage point she could easily see how his paw hurt, and how he limped. More than that the fresh blood on the ground concerned her.

"Stop and let us take a closer look at it." If something big came this way now, he might be hard pressed to protect them with that injured paw. He wouldn't be able to run with them either. She had to do something! If he was anything like Tahnee, he'd been licking it before she showed up. The fact it kept bleeding suggested something more than just a cut to her. "Stay standing and lift your paw. Tahnee come here and help me."
 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Caesar shook his head and chuckled quietly the girls around him were such worry worts. "I'm sorry I left Cleo to watch our meal." He had limped several meters before Meo told him to stand still. "It's just a cut." He protested though he stopped. Considering his options he takes a seat and lifts the bleeding paw. What ever was stuck in between his toe pads was causing the wound he had been licking to bleed slowly, the previously matted fur when he had been laying down was now wet.

He frowned a little, he hadn't realised just how much his paw was bleeding and more concerning was the fact that there was defiantly something wrong, it shouldn't still be bleeding.  

[magnadearel]

Syrius Lionwing

The lion perked up with the authoritative tone the little bird took on. Meo wanted to help and by golly she was going to. Tahnee hid a smirk by walking under the large tom to reach the paw in question. The blood was definitely an issue. Immediately she set to work cleaning it out gently. Every once in awhile she'd stop and use her paws to spread the pads of the much larger paw for Meo to take a look. It was nice to be needed by a creature so much larger than they.


It was probably logical to leave Cleo with the kill so they had something to come back to as he hadn't been injured at the time. "I'm sorry I scolded you Caesar. Just promise if you are injured and know it, you'll send Cleo right away." If nothing else, she wanted that promise from him. They were a pack now. That meant they were a team!

She paced anxiously beside his injured paw as he stubbornly walked a ways. Eventually he stopped and allowed them to being work. Her claws were gentle as she helped Tahnee spread his pads, but there wasn't much she could do while the lion licked the wound clean. She'd check each time Tahnee paused licking for anything that didn't belong. Looking first with one eye, then turning her head to look with the other. It was slow and tedious work as the foot kept bleeding.

Eventually something finally caught her eye. Meo indicated the spot to her friend who set to work cleaning it quickly. They had to get it out! She waited, ready as soon as Tahnee finished. As the lion pulled back, Meo took a quick look before pressing her muzzle to the spot. She chomped her teeth until she felt something hard between them. With a quick jerk she pulled a long thorn free of his pad. She stepped back and spat it where he could see it. "I'm sorry if that hurt, but I think you're paw will feel better now. Clean it well and take it easy on it for a day or two. Or Tahnee can clean it." She smiled up at her friend.
 

[Syrius Lionwing]

Caesar watched as the two worked carefully on his paw. He smiled through his long fangs and gave a chuckle. "I promise next time I am injured I will sen Cleo." He raised both brows trying to keep his paw still as they groomed and inspected his bleeding paw. It was difficult, his paw pads were sensitive and well he was ticklish so Tahnee's rough tongue made it difficult to keep his toes splayed.

His mind wandered for a moment as he pondered why his own licking didn't tickle when he felt the pull of the thorn. His eyes bulged and the massive tom gave a growl in to the forest around them. He looked at his two companions and chuckled "Ow." He smiles and looks at his paw he licks the blood away and stretches his toes. "Thank you."

Lowering his head he licked Tahnee between her ears and turned his attention to Meo "I'm lucky I have you." He purrs.  

[magnadearel]

Syrius Lionwing

Tahnee moved back as her task was done. They'd gotten the thorn out. If everything went well, Caesar would be back on his paws in no time. "Should I go ahead and warn Cleo you'll be a little late?" It wouldn't do for the bird to worry either. She laughed as his tongue covered the top of her head. "And we're lucky to have you. Take your time with your paw. Don't walk on it too soon." With that, the lion scampered into the forest following the fresher trail back toward the carcass and Cleo.


She blinked up bravely at the large tom. At one point, not long ago, she would have been terrified by that growl. Now she wasn't. "I'm sorry it hurt Caesar, but it had to come out. Tahnee had an experience with a thorn and couldn't hunt for a month. We barely survived." It went without saying, without him they were in deep trouble. She leaned into his affectionate lick as her reward for a job well done.

"Thanks Tahnee. We'll be along soon." To Caesar, "just rest it a moment more. You don't want to risk it opening again." The tiny bird settled beside him so he'd be less likely to get up until she was ready to let him.
 

[Syrius Lionwing]

magnadearel

Caesar tilted his head at the tiny bird, she was so small, so cute, so delicate yet she could be so demanding. He could feel the amusement of it tickling the back of his mind and for the briefest of moments he let it wander to other things. Had he ever known anyone quite as sweet as Meo? The answer was no, she was his little bird and that was the reason she was so sweet.

"Thank you Tahnee, tell her not to worry." He called after the receding feline. He knew Cleo would come storming through the trees angry and bustling like a mother hen. Well he would have to take that particular scolding on the chin. He knew they meant well his girls.

As Meo settled herself down next to him he took to grooming her feathers gently, he wanted to get up and follow after the chocolate lioness but he didn't want to be scolded by Meo again. It felt like he had disappointed her getting hurt, he was supposed to look after her. "The kill I made will cover us for a few days, I won't let you go hungry." He purrs, he knew he could actually go for about a week without a decent meal and if it came to it he would make sure that his companions were fed properly, his little bird would waste away he was sure if she wasnt fed properly.

"Thank you for looking after me Meo." He whispers settling his chin on his paws. "Lets nap here, the girls will come to us and we can go to the meat later. It'll give my paw a chance to scab." He settled himself in to a more relaxed position moving one paw so it surrounded the little red raptor. He could still protect her even if his paw ached, he was determined to do that at least.  

[magnadearel]

Syrius Lionwing

She watched the lioness scamper off on her errand. They would be back soon for Tahnee was an excellent tracker. With a trail as fresh as the one Caesar had left the lioness could run it with her eyes closed.

Meo analyzed these new feelings. She had been helpful to Caesar and in turn to their tiny herd. It was an unusual experience for her, but one she liked. She could do something the big tom could not. Not that it went against him in the least. She felt more like a true member to be contributing some special, if tiny, skill. Now that she had found one solid thing she could do, although hopefully Caesar or anyone wouldn't need her particular skills again for awhile, she was positive she could find more.

The tiny bird looked up at him as he spoke about the kill he'd made. She nodded. "I wasn't worried, your paw should be more than good enough by then. Provided you keep it clean and don't keep opening it." She fixed a stern, but understanding, eye on the male. Meo had lived off of tiny creatures before so it wasn't a new concept to her if the need should arise. The microraptor just wasn't sure how Caesar would feel about being fed a diet of small mammals and bugs. Her lips twitch slightly with the thought. It would take a large number to feed him anyhow.

She gave a soft happy cheep at his whisper. "It's the least I can do." Since that was exactly as she'd planned to do, the bird made no reply. Tucked safely next to his large paw, she tucked her head under some feathers for her nap.



Tahnee wasted no time herself. The trail was even so a kit could follow it. As she ran she thought about his message to Cleo. She'd pass it along, but she really doubted the bird wouldn't worry. It wasn't long before she found the spot he'd gotten the thorn. A nasty set of brambles to be sure. Tahnee debated then decided to circle around. A longer route but safer. It wouldn't do for her paw to get a thorn next.

The trail was slightly harder to find and follow as she made her way around the back side. She slowed to a slow lope and kept her senses open. Soon enough she smelled the scent of fresh meat. "Cleo! Cleo you there?!" The lioness circled around the tree looking up.