Plants could not be trusted. Wether it was with baring his weight or trying to consume him. Ruffled and a bit sticky Laertes was making his way back to camp, not bothering to watch where he was going as his mind was rather focused on plant killing methods. Of course it was now that something would happen. Stepping through ferns the enormous feline found himself almost tripping up on something squishy. Furry. Alive. Now making noise. With a shout Laertes leapt back, feathers and fur flying. That was until he saw what he'd almost squashed on his angry jaunt back home.
A child. All alarm bells ceased ringing. A quick sniff confirmed that they were alone. What was a kid doing out here alone? It was a dangerous world here, something which was only now truly dawning upon Laertes. He'd been so sheltered by family he hadn't considered that leaving them would be so hard. And now it seemed this little thing had no family. How much more difficult that must've been. Any scent of their guardian long gone.
Gathering his composure Laertes found there were no options to be weighed. He'd have to protect the little fox. Knowing she was likely as startled as he, perhaps even more considering his appearance the feline spoke as gently as he knew how. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't see you there. Are you okay?" The 'are you okay' which would normally accompany that felt like a bad choice of words in their situation. It wasn't remotely okay for a creature that still needed its mother to be so obviously abandoned. Either way, he had ask something. He could only hope that she would understand him and be willing to take his assistance.

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Ninazu chuckled. Tripping over a muddy child? Hilarious. Though she could understand the mistake; the muddy fox smelled more like soil than an animal. Probably one reason why it’d survived without a family. She was too filthy to have a caretaker or parent, but that muck might’ve saved her from being eaten. Funny how life works.

“Finder’s keepers, so I suppose you’ll be the one carrying her back to the nursery.” It’d definitely be easier for the lion-raven to carry the kid back instead of her, serval that she is, but Ninazu cared less about the physical toil and more about not carrying anything that yucky. Even if she carried the kid in her satchel, she’d probably have to drown all her supplies in vodka.

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Ah, the source of his plant-related woes, Ninazu. Harbinger of man-eating plants. He couldn't say he was happy to see her considering the goo still stuck to his feathers. That, and that she seemed quite unwilling to help him with the child. He wondered if she'd ever been a mother. Laertes had certainly never been a parent. "Right" he said, a bit of question in his voice.
It was then the little one began to speak. His heart panged for her. It was not okay at all. But good for her for being tough about it. Zuriela. A name to put to a little muddy face. Not knowing how to comfort her nor get her where they needed to Laertes winged it. "Nice to meet you, Zuriela. I'm Laertes, and this is Ninazu" the lion hybrid gestured with a wing to the iridescent canine beside himself. "We're from the Coalition," he did not add Condemned to their title, he didn't want to scare her into thinking their were prisoners or outcasts of some sort. "Would you like to come with us? Get some water, food?"

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When Laertes introduced her, the serval lifted a paw and waggled her black toe beans. “Charmed,” she said. Thankfully the hybrid was doing a well enough job; after raising her own cubs to adulthood, Ninazu had experienced motherhood far too much for her liking. With her children all grown, she wasn’t looking for a baby replacement.

“Before you go with Laertes to food and water, are you injured?” One of the serval’s four ears twitched. While Ninazu hated acting the role of a medic—too much time doing the role in both the Pitt and the Coalition—she’d still check the kid over before handing her off. Then she could disappear back to her solo hunting without any worries.

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Ninazu was right to ask if the fox was hurt, for indeed it was. "Do you have anything we could use here, Ninazu? If not, I'll still be carrying her back anyways so it shouldn't matter much." if she carried those blasted plants here she should have some plants on her now too. Or did she just carry around nuisances? Laertes chided himself at his thoughts, still a bit pissy from his earlier ordeal as well as the fact that he was entirely unprepared to aid the helpless creature before them.
He wondered how she ended up in this position. If she was left on purpose or by circumstance. He couldn't imagine being orphaned like this. It was only a few weeks ago that he'd still been living with his family. Safe and sound. What a cruel world it was. At least she'd ended up with them instead of some vultures digestive system.

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Ninazu’s right ears twitched as she listened to the child. The ex-guru and mother could’ve offered sympathy, but what are empty platitudes worth? Better to say nothing and let the child wallow than to offer a flimsy string as a lifeline.

Besides, the serval certainly didn’t want to make herself available as a parent.

“Can you hold out the paws bothering you?” Ninazu asked. Could be something simple, like matted fur between the toes. Could be something worse, like burned pawpads.  “It’s always best to check these things. Untreated pains get worse over time, hm?”

She glanced at Laetes. Fair question, actually; she’d stopped carrying her medical supplies to stop being roped into healing idiots. She’d tolerate healing others if the Condemned lacked a proper guru, but Plexus occupying that position brought her free time. Not to mention a spine grateful for the absence of a heavy satchel.

“I don’t have any healing supplies on me now, no.” Ninazu shrugged. “Not much difference between applying it now or back home, anyway, besides that a salve could rub off in transit.”

// injury description? (:

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