Welcome to Gaia! ::

The otter skin pouch patted lightly against her chest as she walked along, she had a smile on her maw, as was her norm even though she knew she was going to see the elder. She had watched her a few times walking along with stiff limbs and had taken it upon herself to mix something for the old leopard.

She just ahd to convince her to take it now. A light sigh escaped her maw, some paitents were just so difficult. She suposed she could just slip it in to ehr food if worst came to worst. Shrugging her shoulders at her thoughts she soldierd on padding towards the elders den. "Elder are you within?" She whispers as she nears bowing her head and lowering her gaze.

Atia was not in the mood for interuptions. But then, she rarely was, especially when it was from a healer... it wasn't that she didn't trust them. She did, in her own way. But her children and her mate had died under the hands of healers.

"Yes, yes I'm here. Are you just going to sit out there all day, or are you coming in?" She asked snappily, sitting up and sighing. This was all she needed... especially with the things that Maximus had been speaking to her about lately.

Nyao rolled her eyes lightly, she knew how much Atia had lost and she prayed to apollo every eve to watch over those she had watch leave for the next world, not that that mattered to the grumpy old leopardess it seemd. still she wasn't about to let that stop her.

Taking a deep breath she paded in to the den with her head held a little higher. She was the only healer left and she carried with her great knowelege she deserved the elders respect not the elders spite.

"I have braught you something." She stated simply lifting the otter skin bag from around her neck, flipping the head of the otter she undid the neck space and pulled out a neatly folded leaf. "It's for your joints." She whispered her voice returning to it's gentle lull, she had to remember she was a healer and just because some paitents were unbearable they were still her responsability.

Atia glanced down at the bag of healing... whatever and snorted a little, "Honestly, I'm not old enough that I need something like that, I've told you that." She sighed, though that didn't stop her from taking the leaf. She didn't eat it... she just set it to the side. If she really needed it, she would have some later.

She sat down and looked at the lioness carefully. "You are something I suppose... but you shouldn't act superior just because you're the only healer we have left. Despite what feelings Caesar may have for you." She was in a bad mood... talk about her health always put her in a bad mood.

"I am decended from a long line of healers Atia, I did all I could in the tradgedy." She whispers, keeping her voice gentle, she didn't want to irk the elder even if she was seemingly in a perminant bad mood. "I know, but without the slaves we all get a little achey, i had to go and dig up soap root yesturday for my bath. I havn't done that since I was in training." She laughed, an attempt at lightening the mood and perhaps dispelling the idea that Atia would be the only one taking the arthritis medicine.

She nearly spoke out of place then, very nearly snapped,s he was not acting superior, she simply cared, but the speak of Maximus stopped her in her tracks. "Caesar has feelings for all of us Atia." She whispered feeling a heat raise under her fur which luckily didn't touch her white maw.

Atia's nose twitched a little. Yes, she did miss her slaves... she missed her children more. And she was jealous that this lioness would be able to have children in the future when hers were gone. And knowing that everyone got old was certainly no help. But she supposed she could be... civil. "Yes well, I'll do my best to keep myself from working too hard."

She did very nearly smirk when she touched a nerve though. She always loved doing that. It sent a distinctly pleasant tingle down her spine. "Yes well... I know his feelings for you are a little different than his are for me. I am as a mother to Maximus, you understand. To me he is a son, and the last I have. I want what's best for him."

Nyao opened her mouth to say something more only to find herself gob-smacked, she had to change the subject. "He is just proud of me, it hurts to know you couldn't help all those you wanted to." She bit her tongue a little resisting asking, what exactly Maximus had said about her.

"We all care deeply about him, he is a great leader Atia." She finally says, coming up some sort of weak excuse that she felt might. "We all want what is best for him." She whispers though she could feel the heat of her blush raising to her ears. She wanted to care for everyone, that was her job but most importantly she wished to care for Maximus, she wasn't fool enough not to think things had changed between them recently but did Maximus truly think more of her than simply that she was a good healer? It seemed everyone else knew more than she, even the canny wild dog of a slave.