Souzan had been patrolling the sparring grounds all morning. It was one of the best places to find patients in need of his expertise and it also gave him the chance to spar himself, when business was slow. Currently though, he had just finished tending to some very deep scratches on a male’s belly. Ordinarily not much of a concern only they were… rather low down. Though how he had been injured there, or allowed himself to be, was beyond Souzan.

Shaking his head as he watched the male limp away he gathered his bag of material and slung it back about his neck. Time to continue his rounds and see if anyone else had been either unfortunate or unskilled…


Liang roared loudly an instant before she charged the male she was sparring against. He backpedalled desperately, sending sand flying in all directions as he attempted to avoid her outstretched claws. To protect her eyes from blinding she closed them. Moments later she had the male down on the ground, fangs buried in his throat in what would have been a killing hold had she exerted any of her impressive jaw strength. But she merely held him in place for a moment before letting go and stepping back. The beaten lion gathered himself and stood, shaking the sand from his dark coat before offering her a small bow of respect and moving off., the fight done.


Having been passing by just as the tremendous fight came to its climax, he paused a moment to watch the lean, tall female. She had to weight almost half of the big male she was fighting, but her strategy, or what he had seen of it, made use of her superior speed and manoeuvrability. Impressed he was about to continue on when he spotted splatters of vivid red mixed in among the yellow of the desert sand. Turning he followed the trail with his gaze to the red female. Turning about he walked back to her side, for she had yet to leave the arena.

“Hello there.” He called, needing to get her attention before she decided to run off or start another bout. For she did not look tired, only barely winded from her efforts and seemed to be examining the waiting lions for a fresh challenge.

“May I tend to your wound?” He asked, having drawn up close to her.


Liang watched as her rival bowed and left. She had not bowed back but simply dipped her head slightly, accepting his diffidence as her due. She had been at the pride for several seasons now and was as well established as an ex-rogue could generally be. Native pride members recognised her and accepted her skills, some still tested her, hoping to prove her unworthy but most honestly wanted to spar. For she was known as a fighter who used brain over brawn, and apparently was a fairly fun opponent. Some of the pride even forfeited the chance to dual against her, not wishing to suffer a predictable loss. She did not hold it against them, just as there were simply some lions she would not fight. Though the reasons were likely very different.

The advancement of the dark-coated medic caught her attention and she turned about to meet him, vivid green eyes curious. Upon hearing his request the ex-Duchess tilted her head before looking over at where she had been fighting. “Ah, I had not realised. Certainly.” Dipping her head to him she turned and led the way to a small cluster of boulders. It was out of the way of the other fighters and gave them at least a modicum of privacy.

Settling down on her belly she lifted a forepaw, the pad deeply torn with blood welling up between her pads.

Souzan followed her calmly. Quite used to dealing with the more violent members of the pride her unusual restraint and … almost regal manners made a nice change. Once she was settled to her satisfaction he moved in before her, settling down on the warm sand and pulling his bag forwards though didn’t open it for the time being.

Instead he caught her paw gently. “Would you lay on your side? So I can have a proper look?” She arched a brow at him but rolled over, stretching out gracefully on her flank. The position allowed him to manoeuvre her paw enough that he could examine it, despite the relative inflexibility of a lion’s wrist.

“It looks like you cut it on a sharp rock.” He murmured after a moment of carefully examining it. Without looking up he started to rummage through his bag for an ointment.


Liang settled herself on her side, though she kept an eye on the medic. It wasn’t that she thought he would try anything, but it was an unusual position to be in so close to a stranger and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Still, she was comfortable enough and even with him carefully prodding at her torn pads she enjoyed the scratchy sensation of sand working through her fur.

At his murmured words she glanced down at her paw considering. “It doesn’t hurt overly.” She offered, though said nothing more as he started to fiddle with his bag of tricks. Once he found what he had been looking for she watched as he unwrapped a scrap of hide and smeared the gloop on its inside onto a toe. Carefully he transferred the goo, spreading it over her entire pad and working it between her toes, making her shift and squirm slightly for it tickled and felt queerly odd.


”Almost done. I will need to wrap it until the paste dries.” He explained, already cleaning his own paw on the sand before pulling another scrap of hide from his bag. This was longer and thinner, done in strips and far more flexible than the first. With neat, practiced movements he wrapped her paw to the wrist in the hide, only her claws extending past the leather.

Setting her paw down onto the sand he leaned back, satisfied. “There. Once it dries you can unwrap it. The paste will stick to the would and keep the sand out as well as helping it heal.”

Nodding she rolled back up onto her belly, wiggling her toes and then trying to spread them within the wrapping. It was tight but not very uncomfortable. “Thank you. It will do very nicely.” Standing she dipped he rhead in a lower bow, expressing her respect for his skill, before turning and walking away with an easy swinging stride, the wound apparently not any kind of bother to her.

Souzan watched her until she vanished out of sight. Finally he gathered his materials, packed them all away, and resumed his rounds, tending to the lions who required him.



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