The Devil's Cherry Pt. 1

Zaro was unused to this type of peace-keeping mission, and based on the way Zara was dragging their feet and grumbling all the while, so was the large dragon that accompanied him down here. 

Of course, The Devil's Python understood the purpose of peace and tranquility, but in his world, where balance was paramount and chaos was the fabric of life, Zaro didn't have much experience in peace. Usually, seeking peace meant using strength to force one side to back down, but this was not the way the Tranquil clan wished to see peace restored. No, Zaro was meant to negotiate and foster peace. Something he simply could not do. 

This was why the Vayron at his side, a lithe and elegantly adorned Runner by the name of Hana, was crucial to their success. They'd met by sheer chance, both approaching the Tranquil clan's borders at nearly the same time and thus given the same task. It seemed only natural to team up, and Zaro welcomed her soft-spoken but verbose presence even if Zara did not. 

"-and that's how I got here!" Hana said cheerfully, her voice like a whisper in the caves even at full volume, "Pretty exciting, don't you think?" 

Zaro hadn't been paying attention, truthfully. Instead, he'd been considering the best course of action for them once they arrived at the destination provided by Pyrri. The confusion on his face must have been evident, because Zara broke into a chittering, hissing laugh at his immediate discomfort. 

"Very," Was all he responded with, shooting a withering glare over at this birdbrained companion, "This is the first clan you've encountered?" Zaro didn't recognize Hana from the brute's test of strength, nor see her slipping between shadows in The Forgotten's borders, but that did not mean she was not there. 

"Correct," Spoken in a sing-song way as Hana practically pranced on the spot, had they not been moving, "I've heard there are many clans down here, the reach of the caverns must be immense to house so many of them." Zaro hummed in agreement, as he'd heard much the same and come to similar conclusions. 

"There to seem to be, indeed," Zaro said, cutting off his words as they rounded a bend and came to their destination. 

Perhaps half a dozen Haedians milled about a makeshift camp, glowing crystals put in place to illuminate the area and provide warmth, while others tended to the injured laying on soft beds of what looked like straw. 

"Oh!" Hana exclaimed, her eyes darting around the camp and taking in the situation with an efficiency Zaro had not been expecting, "I see why they need our help, now." 

Zaro still didn't know how to help these Haedians, or what good it may do to preserve 'the peace', but he did not turn down the request for aid. Gesturing for Zara to remain at the edge of the camp, Zaro strode forward to the nearest non-injured Haedian, who turned and looked up at him with shocked but not fearful eyes. 

"We are here to assist," Zaro said simply, and Hana let out a scandalized gasp next to him, quickly pushing passed his ridiculous girth to get in front and take charge. 

"Pyrri sent us to aid you," Hana spoke quickly but succinctly, "We were told there were injured here, and that healing might be required beyond your means in the forward camp. Oh! I'm Hana, this is Zaro. Don't let him fool you, he's here to help as well." 

Zaro resisted the urge to grumble, but it was a near thing. Addressed so casually! He opened his mouth to speak, but Hana beat him to it, again. 

"We've brought supplies to help," She gestured to the pack hanging off Zaro's shoulder with a tilt of her head, "Bandages and ointments to speed the healing. We can help you apply them if you want?" 

"Oh, how kind," The Haedian that was only just getting a word in spoke in a breath of relief, "Yes yes, we do not have enough hands for them all. Could you bandage and tend to Siv? She's just here." Pointing with their weirdly articulated and spry hands, the Haedian gestured to another lying on one of the beds of straw. Hana was already nodding vigorously, so Zaro sighed and relented. 

"Of course, we will do our best," He said with a nod, moving a few paces into the camp and over to the injured Haedian with care, "Are you familiar with bandaging?" He asked the second bit in a hushed tone, looking over at Hana with doubt. He certainly could not bandage a wound - he'd never even learned for himself. Zara always took care of that, and he'd left her outside the camp. 

"Hmm, I'm not great at it," Hana admitted quietly as they approached Siv, "But it's not too difficult to do an acceptable job. Besides, I know how to work with material and I am confident I can work with bandages, too!" 

Zaro shrugged the bag of supplies off, stepping out of the strap and moving to investigate the contents as Hana introduced them to their hopefully willing patient. He pulled a green, almost glowing ointment from the satchel before rolling some bandages towards Hana. 

"Well, shall we begin?" Zaro asked in his deep, bassy rumble as he loomed over the poor injured Haedian - her leg was cut open, but not so badly that he thought she would lose it. It just needed a proper bandage, which they could hopefully provide. 

"Yes, let me spread the ointment first," Hana got to work with her task, managing not to make too much of a mess of it before she sat back on her haunches with a proud and self-satisfied grin. 

"There, you will help me tie the bandage?" Hana looked over at Zaro, who was mostly just mimicking a statue in the face of such gentle acts of care. He was unsure he was capable of such things, but he nodded regardless. He would not back down from a challenge, even one such as this. 

"Good, we will bind it tightly but not too tight, follow my lead," Hana spoke with enough confidence for the both of them, grabbing the bandage and beginning to wrap it around the Haedian's ankle where the ointment was, "Here, hold this," Hana instructed, lifting the bandage with her teeth to Zaro's, who grabbed it almost nervously. 

"Pull it a bit tighter...a bit more...there!" Hana's exclamation made Zaro blink, but he held the bandage firm and waited for the Runner to tie it off at the base. Once that was done, they tore the excess free and stepped back to admire their work. 

"Not bad," Zaro admitted, eyes roaming over the clean, well-placed and tied bandage Hana had crafted, "You are good at this." 

"Oh please, it's not that hard! They wouldn't have given us a job we could make worse," Hana said with a giggle, clearly downplaying her talent in such matters, "Shall we look for more patients?" Her gaze was bright and determined, and despite the small ball of anxiety in Zaro's stomach over continuing this partnership, he nodded. 

"We shall," Zaro said softly, letting Hana take the lead after they said their goodbyes and well-wishes, mostly Hana, to Siv. Hopefully, they would not be doing this too long, for Zaro could already hear Zara's vengeful snickering from the distance as she watched Zaro be led around like a pup on a leash.