His head throbbed horribly and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth like sandpaper. His whole body felt tender and sore, his stomach hurt when he moved. He knew exactly why his stomach hurt- he'd spent a great deal of time in the early hours of the morning purging himself of everything that he had consumed at the celebration the night before. Including the copius amounts of alcohol he'd consumed. He felt rough this morning however and nobody would give him an ounce of sympathy. Of course, he already knew that it was self inflicted, that the wine he'd consumed the night before would have these affects on him in the morning. He'd just never really experianced it like that before. The giddy abandon with which one threw themselves into dancing, despite there being no music to speak of. Saul was fairly certain he hadnt made a complete fool of himself last night, but he had yet to speak to anyone to assess the damage. He'd woken so late this morning that his routine was off skewer, causing him almost to hyperventilate before Siku managed to calm him down. He'd taken his bath in the height of the day, but he'd been unable to bring himself to run his usual route around Ichika.


It was not well gone three in the afternoon and the male was wandering aimlessly around Ichikan territory. It was good to get himself aquainted with the territory and he also knew he needed to scope out the plants so that when someone was injured they would come to him and he could provide them with a good enough treatment. In truth, he was wandering blindly forward, his eyes drooped and the taste of vomit still on his mouth. He paused and slipped down the bank to the cooling waters of the East River. it played between his toes as he took deep, steadying breaths. When he felt as though he was more stable, he leaned down to scoop up some water, first washing his mouth out and then taking a sip of water. As it hit his stomach, he realised just how thirsty he was. Shifting down into his lupus form, he attacked the river, taking a big long drink. Once he was done, he straightened and shifted back up into his optime form. The soft satchel around his shoulders adjusted itself to the shift once more, the supplies within just audible. The male had decided it would make his life easier to carry round a small first aid kit so that if he met anyone out with cuts and bruises, he would be able to help there and then without having to return to Cerne Rise.


He clambered out of the river, first spotting Razekiel's hut, and then the horse who grazed outside. He smiled softly before moving onwards. A familiar scent escaped him as he moved towards another dwelling not too far away. He moved closer, a shape on the ground looking odd to him. Even in his alcohol induced sickness, he could see that something was wrong. He moved forward, identifying the sleeping body as Tawny. A basket lay to the side of her, as well as a huge mirror she had clearly brought back from her wanderings. "Tawny?" He called, coming to sit by her. It was then that he noticed the lesions on her paws, some of them cutting deep. With a sigh, he moved to pick up her left hand, examining it while she slept.

The reaction was almost instant, making Saul believe she wasnt so far into sleep as he'd first thought. She gave a yelp, simultaneously rolling away from him and slipping her hand out of his own. He worried about the dirt getting in as she hugged her hands close to her body in the foetal position. He froze where he was, unwilling to move away from her but knowing it was not the time to move closer either. His head spun as he stayed crouched on the floor and he took a deep steadying breath at the same time Tawny peeked from under her coccoon of limbs to see who it was. She was shaking, that much was clear. Pity welled deep inside Saul as he looked down at her, offering a hand to see if she would take it.


Its okay Tawny, its me, Saul


He murmered before he moved several inches back and allowed her some room. She whimpered and shook her head softly, Saul's face crumpled in a mask of pity towards her. She was so young and it was clear she had no understanding of the world around her, nor the people within it. She crawled forward on her hands and feet, like she would if she were in her lupus form. He winced inwardly as he saw the dirt and debris smushed into her palms. What he would do to just grab hold of her and clean them. However, her stuttering voice stopped him and he paused where he was. What on earth had happened to her to make her like this? Immediately Saul shook his head, offering his arms out to her, some form of comfort perhaps.


No Tawny, I wouldnt hurt you. He said softly, before looking towards her hands again. How'd you hurt your paws, huh? He asked, trying to see just how bad it actually was before he did anything.

She was a pitiful sight as she crawled closer, whining softly as the dirt and the grit grinded against her cuts, embedding themselves deeper. It was going to take a long time for him to pry all the offending pieces out of her hands. He didnt know what was going to happen when she reached him. With only a few feet between them, she hesitated and Saul reached out as if to ask for her hands once again. She was withing touching distance and he distincly heard the defeated sigh as she crawled forward once more. She crawled up into his lap, body curling in the space between his crossed legs. Her head pressed against his chest and he reacted immediately. Strong arms came up and round to cradle her body against his, arms laying across her back and round her left side, gently but easy. He didnt notice her crying for the moment until he felt the wetness on his fur and she began to breath harder.


He didnt know what to say, but it was difficult for him to remain silent as she got progressively worse. She curled her hands into fists catching a handful of his fur in the process and holding it close. She began to cry out in fear and pain, joint with the short wheezing breaths that clearly spoke of a panic attack. Strong, capable hands began to slowly stroke the dark females back, soothing strokes meant to calm her breathing and stop whatever it was that was trying its best to ruin the young female and break her. Along with the general stroking of her back, the young male softly cooed to her, a long stream of Shhh, shhh, its okay sweety and other such nonesense that he had no idea where it had come from. The male had no idea how to deal with the female, but it seemed to be helping being held by someone.


As an afterthought, or perhaps not a thought at all, the male rocked his body back and forth, doing everything he could to remain a soothing presence. He had no clue what had caused her panic attack like this. Her tears were soaking his fur and her little hands clutched at his chest. Hey there, come on. Whats wrong darlin'? He murmered, leaning back slightly to brush her wild hair away from her face and see if he could make sense of what was going on.

She lay in his arms, crying and whimpering. Gradually it began to slow, the tears stopping, the fits slowing to only the occasional moan of discomfort and fear. Concern and pity were warring on his face, his eyebrows folded with both of the emotions that were beginning to crest. She was so pitiful, so helpless. She shouldn't be out here on her own, she should be with someone. Soft strokes of her dark back were doing well to soothe her, as well as the occasional cooing that came from his mouth. After a long time, she began to uncurl herself and look up at him, eyes red and raw looking but clear from tears for the moment. Saul rubbed his free hand over her brow, trying to ease the pain and discomfort there. She was sat comfortably against him- her back rested against his left thigh and her legs were now curled over his right thigh. His left arm was a strong barrier around her back, resting on her side to hold her in place. When she had curled against him, his right arm had come across her whole body to join with his arm around her back, but now she was slightly uncurled it lay across her side in a more comfortable position. Despite the rather intimate places his hands and arms rested, it was a purely platonic embrace in which he held her.


She opened and closed her mouth several times, struggling with the words that were trying to get out. In her childish, broken speech, she said perhaps one of the worst things she could have said. Her parents were the ones to hurt her. With a sigh, he squeezed her body tighter for a moment, his strength a means to reassure her that she was safe now. She allowed her ears to flatten before she reached up to bury her muzzle in his neck. He sighed softly, left hand stroking the small of her back in long, soothing strokes once more. "They should never have hurt you sweety... No parent should hurt their child." He stated simply. He thought of his own mother- she gave her life to protect her children. He didnt hold much of an opinion of his father, other than a bitter resentment that his father hadnt wanted his children. He didnt have a mother figure, but he'd had plenty of father figures. All of them were gone, but it didnt matter anymore. Laying his cheek on the top of Tawny's head, he didnt know what to say to tell her that her parents couldnt hurt her anymore.


She withdrew her hands from their iron grip around his chest and in a surprise move, twisted his face so that he looked directly into her eyes. She spoke with perhaps a lot more coherance than she would have done, feverently telling him that he was a good guy. Saul's eyes softened further as she said she loved him. He knew instinctively that it wasnt romantic love. It was the love Saul had for Melee and Range, for Wretch and Eclipse. Family love. And Saul also knew that he felt exactly the same. He chuckled softly as her tongue darted out and swiped across his nose. He dragged the back of his hand across his nose as she curled up against him once more, her panic attack getting much better. "I would never hurt you my dear. And I love you too" He said simply, no ceremony about it. It was simple fact.


She shifted her body, getting dangerously close to some vital areas. She stopped before she got too close, thrusting out her wrists to show her hands. With a soft growl, she wiped them together, dislodging a lot of the dirt and grit on her palms. With a soft smile, he moved her again so that her back was against his chest, her legs on top of his. With deft movements, he removed the cotton wads and began to clean her hands from behind her, wincing every time the pad caught a bit of her skin that was grimy and drying. It was going to hurt, but it was a good hurt and it would be over soon.

The strong antiseptic was his own infusion of a lot of different plants with their own qualities, although a lot of the clear liquid that had come from boiling the plants together and draining the liquid thereafter was marigold. He had a certain affinity for finding the yellow flower that made it a feature in most of his medicines. He tried to work as gently but quickly as possible, wincing every time is dragged and she surpressed a whine or a cry. Of course, he could never have anticipated that she would relax. After the first few cuts were thoroughly cleaned, he felt her body relax against his. Was she so used to this kind of treatment that it didnt bother her anymore? Was she so used to it she couldnt feel it anymore? With an angry expression hidden in her messy hair, Saul cleaned her right paw thoroughly first before moving onto her left. It took him a good few moments to work out that she was asleep.


Astounded that she was sleeping on him while he cleaned her wounds, Saul stayed motionless for a moment. A dark roiling anger swelled in his guts. She was so used to this kind of treatment that she could fall asleep like that. Sighing softly, reaching round her body to remove the built up wad of tissues that had gathered as he'd dropped them after using them. He would burn them in a moment. He removed two fresh bandages, although they were the only two in his small first aid kit that he'd bought out with him for emergencies like this. He would have to drop by the hospital and pick up some more- there were hundreds of them up there anyway. He wrapped her hands up carefully, trying not to wake her. It seemed inevitable that she would stirr as he finished tying the last bit off on her left hand.


"Tawny... You fell asleep so I bandaged your hands up anyway."


He spoke softly as she looked up at him. He smiled back at her, almost allowing it to deepen into a grin. She was so helpless that he wanted to take her back to Cerne Rise and make her stay. But she leaned up to nuzzle his chin, to which he managed to swipe his tongue across her nose in response before she stood. Gathering the dirty pads of guaze and slipping them into his satchel for him to burn later, he was almost startled as Tawny spoke. "Thats okay Tawny... Any time." He chuckled, unsure of whether she went to leave him or whether she just needed to stretch her legs after her emotions had run her dry. He would wait until she made up her mind before continuing on to nurse his headache.

She stood in front of him, wide blue eyes looking towards the white bandages that clashed spectactularly with her coat of dark chocolate brown. She stretched, yawning and licked her mouth, dispelling the usual taste that occurs after one sleeps. She seemed happy enough and displayed nothing of the panic attack that had sent her spiralling out of control. Saul smiled up at her before standing himself. He winced softly as she clapped her hands together, thinking of the work he'd had to do to get them clean. But she was going to do as she pleased regardless of what he said. She did however, speak once more. He understood how she spoke, knew that she had difficult not ownly communicating her own thoughts but understanding the words of others. Still, she couldnt misunderstand a nod.


Don't take the bandages off, they help to heal you.


He said softly as he stood. Her face fell then, but Saul knew he had to find someone to get rid of his headache, it was driving him insane. Plus he had to get rid of the pads he'd used to clean her wounds with. He smiled down at her now, a creamy hand stroking one of her ears for a moment before he let it fall. She was sweet and Saul liked spending time with her. It was just such a shame that he didnt have the luxury of time on his hands. She leant against him, small mouth pouting softly until Saul chuckled. Tawny spoke, telling him that he should leave so that she could work. He stretched then, rearranging his satchel over his languid body, feeling tight muscles protest at his abuse. With a sigh, he rubbed the taught muscles on his abdomen feeling the tenderness there. He didnt ever want to drink again. Tawny caught his attention one last time.


Of course- I'll be back in a few days to check on your bandages and make sure you're okay


He replied warmly, before embracing the girl one final time. With a deep breath, he moved off towards the river, feeling dehydrated once again. That was seriously the last time he ever drank in excess like that- it was a horrible sensation afterwards. He glanced back at Tawny, but she was busy bustling around her little hut to notice. Troubled about the events of his visit to the female, Saul stepped into the river, lapping up the cool liquid to quench his dried throat.