It's been a fretful night for the two young mustelids. Nalae finally fell asleep on the mesa next to Acera, while Samantha checked on their unexpected winged guest from time to time while tending the fire. Finally, the stones have gone silent as the sun starts to rise, and their odd guest starts to wake.
Samantha sits quietly, on watch. Probably not been sleeping all night.
Picasso slowly opens her eyes and blinks a few times.
Samantha pokes at the fire, making sure nothing happens to it.
Picasso notices the movement and raises her head to turn and see what it was. This is a mistake as she is stiff all over and lowers her head back down with a groan.
Samantha sits up quickly, then stands and pads over to the new arrival. After checking to make sure the translation spell is still up, she asks, "How are you feeling?"
Picasso makes a few noises that sound a bit like screeches and squawks and waits, apparently for an answer.
Samantha frowns, and tries the translation spell again. "I didn't get that..."
Picasso mindsends, ** hurt.......where?........how? **
Picasso continues to make the squawky sounds though some of it almost sounds like words.
Samantha rests her hand on the gryphon's head. **Not home. Transport missed.**
Samantha frowns, this is taking far more concentration than she's ready for. **I healer. Will be alright.**
Picasso looks around again and nods. This is definitely not home.
Picasso apparently understood the feeling behind that as she relaxes a bit.
Samantha brushes back the feathers over the gryphon's head, trying to be calming.
Acera hmmfs in her sleep and rolls next to Nalae where they are sleeping under the lone tree on the mesa.
Picasso starts making rumbling cooing sounds apparently enjoying that.
Nalae mmmmfs, blinking tiredly as she's woken by Acera's movement.
Acera finally wakes up and yawns, stretching.
Picasso looks over at the stones and her eyes seem to unfocus a bit.
Samantha chitters a bit, brushing her hand down the gryphon's side, feeling gently for any serious damage.
Picasso apparently sees what she expected and settles again as she watches the strange but seemingly kind creatures.
Acera chitters softly as she wakes up. She looks around and blinks as she realizes that the creature was real and not a dream. She nudges Nalae.
Picasso tenses a bit as Samantha finds a sore area. A rather large bruise by the looks of it.
Samantha frowns, and turns to check the movement behind her.
Acera whispers, "Nalae, c'mon. It's still here. It's real."
Nalae mmms? She's still facing away from the thing. "'m still sleepy," she mumbles, only vaguely listening to Acera.
Acera nudges Nalae again, "C'mon, let's check it out" as she tries to drag her adoptive sister to her feet.
Picasso looks to make sure of what is making the noises and can't help but chuckle at the attempted waking up.
Nalae stands up, protesting a bit, and mops at her eyes, trying to clear them.
Acera chitters and starts dragging Nalae along with her, "Ma, is it ok?"
Nalae eeps as she finally makes out the image of the big bird thing, and carefully puts Acera between herself and it..
Picasso picks up the fear and does her best to project a friendly demeanor.
Samantha nods to her daughters. "Yes, she's all right. She's hurt, tired, and lost. Nalae, could you help build up the fire? Acera, please get some water so we can make some tea."
Acera nods and pads over and grabs a leather pouch and pads over towards a small temporary pond at one side of the mesa.
Samantha turns back to the guest, and resumes checking for the more serious damage.
Nalae bounds back to the fire (needing very little encouragement), and works to build up the fire...
Picasso stays as still as she can during the examination though letting Samantha know when there is an area that hurts.
Acera waddles back, lugging a sloshing pail of water towards the campsite and chitters, "Can she give us rides ma?"
Nalae occasionally steals quick peeks over towards the bird-thing and Samantha as she tends to the fire..
Samantha says, "Maybe later... right now she's badly hurt from the landing. She also can't quite understand what we're saying. Something from the chaos of her transport spell is making it difficult to cast any other spells reliably."
Picasso slowly extends a wing to allow Samantha to look at it. She winces a bit while doing so.
Samantha checks along the leading edge of the wing for broken bones first...
Acera gets the water over to the fire and helps set up a small pot of water going before padding over behind her mother and looking around her to peek at the huge bird thing.
Samantha says, "Fortunately the wing structure seems intact, which is good or she'd have trouble flying again."
Acera peeks out at Picasso and waves, while still hiding behind Samantha.
Picasso knows Acera is a bit nervous and flips her tail to wave back in the most non-threatening way she can think of (it's also the one part of her that doesn't hurt).
Samantha hmmms. "Legs appear to have taken the brunt of the damage from the way she landed."
Acera grins and chitters back at the big bird, "Hiya. I'm Acera! Nalae, c'mon, she seems pretty friendly."
Nalae watches nervously from the far side of the campfire, making no move to approach.
Picasso gasps in obvious pain as Samantha checks her left hindpaw.
Samantha freezes, then very slowly and carefully sets it back.
Picasso takes a few deep breaths and then nods to Acera to acknowledge the greeting even though she couldn't understand more than the intent.
Acera finally pads around Samantha to get closer, and chitters, "Is her leg ok ma? What's her name?"
Picasso looks around to see if there is a stick in reach of her beak.
Samantha says, "No, her leg isn't okay. Did we bring many bandages? And I don't know her name yet."
Acera nods, "I"ll bring the bandages over ma."
Nalae watches quietly from the campfire, still looking rather nervous about the big bird-thing.
Samantha nods. "Good." She starts feeling around that leg more gingerly, checking to see if the bone is broken.
Acera pads over to the supplies next to Nalae and grabs out a couple packs of clean cloth strips and some vials. She grins at Nalae then pads back to her mom.
Picasso finds a small twig and pointing her beak down by her paw, snaps the twig. The message is pretty clear.
Samantha nods to the gryphon, then points to both legs and tilts her head.
Nalae blinks slowly as she watches from her safe spot by the fire. And idly wonders whether Acera and Samantha are being brave or foolish...
Picasso isn't sure she understands. The other hindpaw is sore but seems to be no worse than sprained. She taps that one on the ground to show it is still usable.
Samantha nods, and turns to Nalae. "Could you get me a couple of good straight sticks for splints?"
Nalae blinks? Take sticks over there? To the bird thing? She hesitantly picks out a few straight sticks, and pads over towards Samantha, her gaze constantly on the big bird, which is only made to look more ominous by the flickering firelight..
Samantha holds out her hands for the sticks.
Nalae gives the sticks to Samantha, and then nonchalantly wanders back to the campfire (although at nearly double the speed that she approached Samantha).
Samantha shakes her head, and sets them down. "Acera, could you hand me the bandages then get around to the other side of our patient? I want you to crouch down and hold her head."
Acera blinks a few times at the thought of holding the head of such a giant being. From her perspective, the head doesn't look that much smaller than she is right now.
Nalae shivers. "Acera..." She won't really hold the head of that thing, will she?
Samantha takes the bandages, and tears off a length. She folds it up, then mimes opening her mouth, putting the cloth in, and biting down on it. She then places the cloth in front of the gryphon's beak.
Acera says, "You want me to hold her head ma? While you work on her leg?"
Samantha nods. "At least to keep her from hurting herself. You know what it feels like when I set a broken bone."
Picasso nods and takes the cloth in her beak. She knows what's about to be done and also knows she'll have to hold very still to avoid hurting those trying to help her. She starts a quiet mantra to help relax and also to lessen the pain when it comes.
Acera looks again at the giant bird's head and ers, "Ma...she's a lot bigger than I am."
Picasso mindsends, ** no harm....... **
Samantha nods. "All right. Then just keep clear while I do this."
Nalae swallows worriedly, and gestures to Acera to come join her by the fire...
Acera looks at her mother again, not feeling right about leaving her mom, but she's seen what happens when bones get set.
Samantha waits until they're both out of the way. She takes a few deep breaths herself, resting her hands on either side of the break... then pulls sharply as she yanks the bone back into position.
Picasso lets out a muffled squawk and bites down hard on the folded bandage. Her eyes are clamped shut but she doesn't strike out at the intense sharp pain.
Picasso mindsends, ** OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! **
Samantha winces, but professionally places the sticks along the muscles to keep the bone in place, and wraps the bandage around it all.
Acera pads guiltily back over to her mother afterwards and tries to help.
Samantha hands Acera the end of the roll. "Could you cut this along there? You've got better claws than I do."
Acera nods and slices through the bandage and then pets Picasso's side, "I'm sorry. I was kinda scared."
Picasso spits out the bandage, now somewhat shredded, and pants as the pain lessens.
Samantha nods, and locks the last strip of bandage inside the wrap.
Picasso lightly bats at Acera with her tail tuft to let her know it's ok
Samantha says, "There. That's the worst of it... the tea done?"
Acera grins slightly and nods, "I think so. Nalae was watchin it."
Samantha smiles. "Good. I think we all could use some."
Nalae watches Acera and Samantha, and gets some tea ready for them.
Acera snugs Samantha and pads over to Nalae.
Nalae looks up at Acera, and tries not to quiver too much.
Picasso moves her head to take a look at Samantha's work. It seems to be well done.
Samantha chirrrs...
Picasso, being very careful, rubs her cheek lightly against Samantha in thanks.
Samantha smiles, and pours some tea for the gryphon as well, setting it down in a bowl near her beak.
Acera looks at Nalae, "Ya gonna be ok?"
Nalae looks rather uncertain, eyeing the bird-thing worriedly. "Hope so.."
Picasso sniffs the tea and it reminds her of home. A different plant but the same idea. She laps at it quietly.
Samantha sits down and sips at her tea. "This is going to be a very interesting next few days."
Acera snugs Nalae, "Aw, don't worry. Ma knows if folks are good or bad."
Acera grins mischievously to Nalae, "And we can give her my brother's room. ;)"
Nalae still looks worried. "But.. it's a monster!" 'monster' wasn't quite the word she meant, but it's the best she can do in this unfamiliar language...
Picasso finishes the last of her tea.
Samantha says, "She should be able to walk once she's had some rest, she'll just be slow with one leg bandaged up."
Acera blinks, "She's not that much different from the chirpy'taurs."
Nalae responds, sharply, "She's _real_ different!"
Samantha says, "Now, now, calm down."
Acera looks confused, "Huh?"
Picasso tries to think of something to ease Nalae's fear and distrust of her.
Nalae frowns a bit, fidgeting with her hands, and goes back to staring into the fire, unsure of how to explain.. or whether she ought to even try...
Acera snugs Nalae, "What's wrong? She hasn't done anything to hurt us."
Nalae gives Acera a little hug, fidgeting. "I.. I can't... Big bird-things.." She just snugs Acera some more, unwilling to say much more than that.. "Back home, there were stories..."
Acera ohs quietly.
Picasso catches some wisps of images from Nalae that are less than pleasant.
Samantha ahhs, nodding. "That would explain it, yes."
Nalae looks up at Acera, swallowing a little.
Acera scritches Nalae, "I don't think she's one of em Nalae. A different type of critter."
Samantha finishes her tea, and stands up. "Let's see if we can all get going back home, then."
Picasso sees the healer stand and very slowly gets herself up on three legs. The splinted one she keeps tucked against her underside.
Acera keeps close to Nalae, trying to reassure her as they lead the limping griffin on the way back to their home built into the great oak. At Picasso's slow pace, the sun is already setting when they arrive. Luckily for Acera's brother, Picasso is in no condition to get to his room.