It had been a week since the vicious attack had left Arisia wounded and weak, and she was really starting to show her progress. The wounds, while not completely healed, were mending very well, and she knew she had her friend Bro’dee to thank for that. He had taken very good care of her, making her eat strange things to help fight off any sicknesses, and putting even stranger things on her wounds to help the heal without problems. If he hadn’t been there to take care of her, there was no way she would have survived on her own. He had even taken to hunting and bringing the food to her, something he hated to do on his own. She knew he wasn’t much for killing others, even if they were needed for food. Normally she was the one who did the hunting for the two of them. To have him suck it up and go out killing things, just for her, was a sign he really was more interested in her recovering than his own issues. He would do anything for her, it seemed, no matter how uncomfortable it was for him. If he had arrived a little sooner, she was sure he would have leapt into the confrontation and taken the hit for her. If he could have. Actually, she was thankful that last bit hadn’t happened, just because he was so much weaker than she was. If their places had been swapped, he wouldn’t have survived.
She wouldn’t have been able to save him, as he had saved her.
Of course, she wasn’t completely recovered. She couldn’t move around much, and was still stuck resting for the most part. They had returned to their den, and she was forced to sleep in the cave instead of a tree she normally liked to inhabit. Climbing just wasn’t going to happen without running the risk of opening her wounds again. She sighed softly, lying on the cave floor with a very displeased expression. It was that expression that Bro’dee returned to, the cheetah setting down a dead rabbit in front of his friend.
“You look unhappy,” he commented, “is everything alright? I have brought you something to eat.”
“Thanks, Walker, but I can’t wait until I can do the hunting again… I feel like I’m being such a burden to you, stuck here sleeping all the time while you do all the hard work…”
“It is no burden to care for a friend,” Bro’dee assured her, offering a smile, “I am just glad you are recovering so quickly- I’m sure you’ll be on your paws again in no time. Then you can go back to doing the things you enjoy.” He smiled and sat himself down, his tail wrapping around his paws as he watched his gloomy ward. Clearly she didn’t want to be injured anymore, but time was not something they could control.
She would have to wait for her recovery, as anyone else would.
“You make it sound so simple, but when? I’m so bored! I hate this cave- I don’t know how you sleep in here all the time. I want to be in my tree again. I miss the breeze.” Bro’dee laughed at that, shaking his head.
“You are full of complaints! It must be a sign that you are really recovering. I am very glad.”
Huffing, Arisia continued to pout, though she supposed that he did have a point. She would be on her feet again, soon, and then she could move on with the plan she had been coming up with over the past week- a plan to hunt the lion who hurt her down and give him a proper a** kicking. He wouldn’t be lucky enough to surprise her a second time! Clearly that had been the only reason he had managed to wound her.
“That lion… have you seen him around since then?” She asked.
“I hope I never will,” replied Bro’dee.
“So you haven’t?” She asked again, her serious tone causing Bro’dee’s smile to fade a bit. He watched her, offering a deep sigh before he shook his head.
“No, I have no seen him, but if you would like… I can look around to see if there’s any sign of him still in the area. I warn you, however, that revenge is not the way to go- you must hope for the best. You must hope for those who hurt you as well as your friends. Hope they will find their path, and get off the road of pain and suffering.”
“The whole ‘killing them with kindness’ angle isn’t really my thing- it’s yours. I just want to smack him around until he’s seeing stars, that’s all. I don’t plan on killing him or anything, so you an relax.”
Bro’dee gave a nod. “I will be there to help you, if this is really what you want to do. Perhaps seeing how little it will really help will help you understand. In the meantime, you eat and continue to rest. I will have a look around.” Not that it pleased him to do it, but he wanted to make sure she was at least happy while she was on the mend. They could deal with her plans for revenge a little later on, perhaps when things had simmered down in her head.
He could still get her to change her mind. There was hope.
“Thanks Walker,” Arisia hummed, “you’re like the father I never had… only way cooler than he probably would have been.” She smiled and watched him leave, wondering if he really would have a look around for her sake. Chances were good that he would: Bro’dee did not believe in lying, and only wanted to see her happy. Maybe she was being selfish using that against him, just to get her revenge, but all she could see was red at that moment. She was too angry to want to consider that he was right. That she shouldn’t fight him again.
She would be damned if she didn’t, at least, learn the name of the a*****e who had nearly killed her. After that, well, she would have to see how things went.
