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Hello: Hello was up early… Or was it late? It might have been raining outside, actually. It seemed darker, or maybe she just lost track of time. Regardless, the young, slender nosobo was out and about, her white markings a beacon against her agouti base. She had to find some more healing agents. They were hard to come by, sometimes, but she was good with her paws and her tongue. She was like a natural mother to all, yet she usually came off as timid or shy.

Sathe: Sauntering along the linoleum flooring, Sathe was following the trail of luscious crimson that his prized doe had left behind. He had convinced the Scout Leader of his sincerity in wanting to make amends with the doe he had blinded, having volunteered to go find her for the white scout as a sign of 'good will'. Ha! Suckers. He murmured to himself in annoyance, he was starting to lose her trail in a section of the store that debris had pile up in, having trouble picking out the delicious scent of her blood apart from the smell of rot and death.

Hello: She didn't feel comfortable out here, that was for certain. The floor was dangerous and she didn't want to get snatched up. Hell, she was terrified of getting snagged by a snake… Or worse. She had seen a fair share of illness and injury since their harrowing escape, but mostly injury. The young doe scuttled along,doing her best to keep out of sight and out of mind of any creatures that might have been lurking. She was hoping dearly to find some wayward medicine from the great ones, but chances were slim to none near where her colony had settled. It was amongst the terrible smells that she caught a fresh scent, a male by the smell of it, and she perked up. Fresh blood, too?

Sathe: This was great, what a waste. If he killed the doe he could just say she was dead when he got there, and if she ran away he could be honest about it. But if he didn't find her, what then? Just go back empty-pawed and look like a failure as an allaysi? Then the white scout would probably suspect something, -and- he wouldn't have a new pelt to line his nest. And he still hadn't bothered to tend his wound, too interested in his pursuit to care. Climbing up a small pile of rubble, Sathe stood up on his hind legs, sniffing the air for traces of his beloved pelt, but coming up with something else. A doe for sure, but not the one he was hunting after. Well...there was always the chance -she- would have a pelt he wouldn't mind parting her from, right?

Hello: The nosobo perked up, her rounded ears tilting forward as she sought out the male who was surely injured. It didn't take her long to find him. In fact, he spotted her before she him, but his standing caused him to stick out and her dark eyes fell on him in almost an instant. Wounded was perhaps an understatement, but his injuries didn't seem to bother him at the moment. Regardless, they would in the future, if they didn't get infected. She didn't recognize him but he didn't seem to be a wild rat. Oh, she was afraid of the wild rats. She ran her paws over her whiskers for a moment, before scuttling tentatively towards the strange male. "You are wounded? What happened to you, buck?"

Sathe: Ah, there she was. Sathe dropped down to all fours when he spotted the doe moving towards him, a little disappointed once she came into view, her pelt didn't quite strike his fancy. That ruled out trading does, but every moment he spent dallying around was more chance that his prize might elude him. Glaring back at the doe, he responded in what could amount to an annoyed tone. "No, I'm not wounded. Having chunks of skin missing just runs in the family." He paused for a moment, maybe he could turn this around still? He tried a calmer tone, trying to play the same compassionate and sincere card that had worked on the white allaysi. "As for what happened to me, this is nothing. You should see the doe I was fighting, poor thing. I'm trying to find her to make sure she's alright, I wholeheartedly regret what happened to her."

Hello: "Oh dear, that won't do." She clucked quietly, not at all put off by the buck's tone. Part of her was naive. He was like her, so he must be good, right? She eyed the gouges in his frame with pity and wanted to reach out and groom him, but she wouldn't dare, not yet, until she knew the situation better. "Why don't you let me patch you up, and then we go find that poor doe? Why were ya'll fighting, anyway? Was she wild?" The word caught in her throat for a moment. She didn't want to patch up some wild rat that might turn on her.

Sathe: He shook his head, a little surprised at how easily she bought into his story. "She's bleeding pretty bad, and I think I got one of her eyes too. As for the fight, it was just a big mistake. I won't get into the details though, if you don't mind, I'd like to find her before she gets any worse." He looked around, trying to pick up the scout's scent, blood, body, anything that would lead him to her. He silently scolded himself, he should have been more careful. All of that blood was going to take a lot of work to get out of her fur, after all. But for now he had to figure out how to recruit this doe or somehow lose her, it was going to take enough work to convince her to let him get close enough. If the doe was tagging along it would make the situation that much more tricky to navigate. "My wounds can wait, I'm more worried about her. She's not wild though, just another tame colony."

Hello: "I understand your concern, but we really do need to tend to your wounds first. An infection would kill you in a most dreadful way. I would know, I've seen it. You'd be useless to your colony and that doe, in any case." She scowled, though not unkindly, as she wedged herself more closely to him, intent on inspecting his wounds. She was certainly not going to let him run around and get himself killed, that was for damn sure. She had no idea what his true intentions were or just how lucky she was that her pelt didn't suit his fancy. Part of her was worried the scent of blood would attract predators, to boot!

Sathe: Yeah, he was probably just going to have to lose her somehow, he didn't see her going along with him, though he still tried just to be sure. "A few more minutes isn't going to kill -me-, but it might be the end for the smaller doe if I don't help her." He glared at her as she moved closer, silently daring her to try something. He might be wounded, but he wasn't about to let some random doe touch his fur, least of all this plain-looking one. "I -need- to find her, I'll deal with the consequences later." He turned away from her, ambling down the pile of debris towards where he thought his scout had run off to. He only made it a few steps before the hole on his back reminded him of exactly how raw the wound was. He hissed in pain and frustration as he froze, not wanting to anger the flesh with movement.

Hello: She continued to tut, annoyed by his insistence that she leave him be. He was only going to get himself killed. Bah! She didn't dare touch him yet, not with his dour behavior, but her eyes never left him. She even went so far as to scuttle after him as he made to move. She'd have to help the doe, too, of course. Gah, why couldn't today be any easier! This was why she hated to leave the colony on these foraging sessions. Better to send the allaysi. She wanted to say "I told you so" so badly to the male as he hissed and paused in pain, but she held her tongue. To do so would only exacerbate the situation, something she didn't want to do. "Maybe you should rest? I can find the doe for you and tend her?"

Sathe: His patience was wearing thin, not only because of the doe, but of the pain from his wound as well, and he lashed out in response. "How would you know what to look for?! You don't know what she looks like or smells like or even how her blood tastes!" He paused for a moment, maybe that was going a little too far. But it -was- delicious... "Look, this pain is nothing, I've...dealt with worse. My doe is young, probably scared and in shock. If I rest now I might lose her. I can't let that happen." He thought wistfully, perhaps he could convince the scout to tend to his wound while he groomed her, before she caught on to his real intentions. That would be perfect, get two eyes with one claw, and save the hassle of having to deal with this doe. Still, this doe didn't seem like she was going to leave him alone, which could be trouble. He tried flexing the muscles in his back to work the pain out so he could continue on his way, which had exactly the opposite of the desired effect, lighting up all of the nerves in shear pain, and he grunted through clenched teeth in frustration from his injury.

Hello: "Are you suicidal?" She blinked, a firm frown marring her dainty mouth. "I am just trying to help you. Why do bucks have to be such big jask when it comes to grooming. Show me her scent and I will find her, you have my word. Continue on as you are and you will both die." She snorted with disdain, none too pleased, yet worried all the same for this complete stranger.

Sathe: He did his best to laugh through the pain as he waited for it to subside, though it came out as menacing snicker, and his tone suddenly a lot more...cold. "Death does not frighten me, as I have endured much worse. If I am to die, then that is how it shall be, and I will not run from The Beyond." He glared back at the annoying doe, reminding himself of exactly what he had gone through, willing the pain away. This was nothing compared to what -they- had suffered.

Hello: "Fine, well, I am coming with you, then." Her tone was firm, firmer than her meek attempts earlier. She wasn't thrilled about it… But hell, maybe she could make some friends or find some supplies for her burrow. She ran her paws over her face yet again. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Sathe: Growled uneasily through his teeth, weighing his options and not finding any that seemed to get him what he wanted; the pelt of that scout. He tried one last time to deter her, though he didn't place much hope in it. "I can't let you do that. Seeing me will be enough shock, if she sees both of us she'll surely panic and run away. I don't want her bloodying herself further before I take care of her." He turned to face her fully, ignoring the exposed wound as it complained about the new movement.

Hello: "Oh, yes, because seeing the rat that tried to kill her wouldn't send her packing. I'm smaller with a, uh, somewhat more decent constitution. If you track her and I approach her, I could maybe get her to trust you enough to give her an apology." The young nosobo offered, that disapproving scowl never quite fading.

Sathe: He looked away from her, she was correct of course, but getting the scout to trust him was only one possibility. If she resisted he was just going to kill her anyway. Not to mention the complication of bringing the doe into their relationship, he would have to get rid of the doe or explain why the scout was dead afterwards. Too many problems, this was becoming more hassle than the pelt was worth. Sighing, he looked back at the doe, wishing she had a pelt worth killing for, it would make this situation -so- much easier to figure out. "Forget it. I won't let you come between me and my scout."

Hello: "And why not? Won't do any rat any good if you both wind up dead. You'll scare her half to death. This simply won't do." She stamped her paws firmly, something that seemed almost foreign for the diminutive rat with the white blaze across her face. "And she's not yours, anyway. You ripped her a good one for not being of your colony, jask. Know your limits, or death will find you."

Sathe: He quipped back at the doe, confidence in his voice. "She -is- mine, she just doesn't know it yet." Though honestly at this point he was starting to consider chasing down the scout a lost cause, not with this annoying doe around. Even the overwhelming desire to take her pelt couldn't overcome his common sense. She was at least correct about his wounds to an extent, and though he was in no way hiding from death, he wasn't chasing his own demise either. The idea of her touching him set his teeth on edge, but he relented to the necessity...for now. "Regardless, I can't reach that area on my back. I'd...-appreciate- it if you would tend to the wound."

Hello: She didn't look terribly amused as she listened to his words, but she listened and waited for him to finish and for him to give her some sort of permission to touch him, despite his voice being laden with sarcasm. She knew he was unhappy with the situation, but she didn't let on that she did and kept up her persistent manner in which she doted on him. "Finally, some sensible words." She murmured as she inched her way gingerly around him, careful to avoid his tail as she leaned across him, placing her paws in unaffected areas. His wounds were certainly not pretty, but she didn't let that bother her as she began to groom him. A shame he couldn't just appreciate it sincerely.

Sathe: He nodded lightly at her response, but otherwise did not respond as she moved closer. Sensible indeed, since there was no viable alternative left to him. Other than just attacking her to chase her off or attempting to kill her of course, but she hadn't done anything to -- her paws were -on- him! Now he had to actually restrain himself from attacking her, gritting his teeth, his body quivering under her touch as he tried to control his initial reaction. Then the pain as the raw flesh was disturbed, scratching at whatever reserves he had. His whole body tensed up, and he hissed through his teeth as he forced himself to stay his claws, struggling more with the rat's contact than the wound.

Hello: It would have been impossible for her to miss the sudden tensing of the rat she aimed to help. She almost backed away out of fear of being lashed at. She didn't fancy drawing away a bloody nub in exchange for some careful grooming. It could get infected! She could lose her leg! She pushed those thoughts away, however, as she set herself about the particularly grisly task of cleaning his wounds. They were particularly rough! She was amazed at how well he had done to get this far.

Sathe: He gradually won over against his aggressive instincts, forcing himself to relax under the attention of the doe, shifting slightly into a more comfortable resting position as he willed his muscles to loosen up. He knew he needed this. Though he didn't fear his death, he wasn't about to go blindly running towards it either. Huffing lightly in frustration, he yielded under the paws of the small annoying doe, muttering faintly in gratitude. "Thanks."