[Vaudeville]

The den smells of rot, as Vaudeville's lodgings usually do. Remnants of meals, the permeating stink of his own breath, what tissue still clings to the hyena's remains shoved in a crevice-- and now, the feverish scent oozing from scabs on his left shoulder. He hardly bathed upon their return from the salt flats: tossed the carcass in a sun-stained patch to bleach for a bit, trotted down to the river, and shook his pelt out with little fanfare.

"It barely scraped me," he hissed before bedding down for the night. They haven't travelled far since, and he won't admit the infection has him exhausted.

The indeterminate herbs stolen from their outing sit unused somewhere between the gazelle's skin and bone chips Vaude hacks up after hasty mouthfuls and the entirely possible existence of a gizzard. He's never swallowed a prey animal whole before-- at least that Saki has seen-- but anything's possible when your jaw literally unhinges.

He sleeps fretfully, and excessively, never sprawls on that side like he used to. He's rotting from the inside out, dripping ichor until the infection overtakes him. He lays here beside her, still as the dead, and smelling of it too.

[Saki]

Slow, deep breaths escape through Saki's nostrils as she sleeps quietly. Her breathing even as she sleeps. Her chest only raising more as she enters a dream or is exiting one. Her back was pressed against Vaude's gently so that she could feel if he moved or not. Wanting to be there to help him whenever he needed it. She was worried, and hasn't gotten much sleep in the past few days as she's gotten up  few times each night to make sure that he was still breathing. 

It was unfortunate, as Saki's been unsuccessful in finding good herbs to use for Vaude, she's explored the area around their make shift den, but as the weather was getting colder things were dieing. Although, she did find a few things that she's wished to use to see if they'd help the male out a little bit. She just needed them to dry out a little bit, which was why she left them outside for the night.

A sharp intake of breath and Saki's eyes jolted open. She had a nightmare. The young female moved her head and pressed it against the back of the males, their horns clacking as they hit each other lightly. "How do you feel?" She asked quietly as she laid still for a moment to wake up. Then, she moved to lay on her stomach and placed a gentle paw on his side. Her eyes looking at the wound that he had, narrowing as she examined it. It didn't look good, but at least it was healing a little bit. "Does it hurt?" She asked in a quite voice, a general question as she tries to determin how much the wound had healed.

"I think I'm going to look for some herbs to use on you, do you want me to bring you anything?" Saki asked as she looked down at the males face. Worry shined bright in her eyes as she waited for a reply from the male. She was desperate to try and find something to help him, she needed him to live. She didn't want to be alone again, not again. Not ever again.  "I think I've found a place that's got what I've been looking for." She told him as she moved to stand up. Her bright light purple eyes looking at him worriedly, Saki didn't want to leave him, but she was close to finding the root she's been looking for. "I'll be gone for no more then an hour, then I'll be able to help you." To save you. To take your pain away and make you healthy again. To be able to keep you here with me.

[Vaudeville]

He grumbles to her first question, then hissing at the second. Vaudeville tucks his nose under his right knee, wincing as it moves the injured shoulder, despite his efforts. She asks if he wants anything while she's out -- asks, asks, so deferential; normally he'd bathe in it, but he just wants silence and his eighteenth hour of sleep-- like an old married couple, and he only snorts. If she finds anything, she'll bring it back without him telling. The hellhound closes his eyes, grimacing.

Saki stands to go, and Vaude flicks his tail into the warm space left by her, like her presence was crowding him, and not some way to hold on to her. She goes on about having found somewhere, and only then does Vaudeville turn his ears back with a touch of realization. "Where the hell did you learn that stuff?" One eye winces open to fall on her. Herbs and stuff aren't things you just pick up. Come to think, he's got no idea where she's from. Does he care?

Vaudeville closes his eye again with a bit of a "harrumph" and feigns sleep.

[Saki]

Standing still, Saki listens. Waiting for a reply to one, any, of her questions for the black hellhound. Her tail drops ever so slightly as she is greeted with silence. The older male was such a hard head sometimes, but, he's in charge. He was a alpha personality while she was a lowly omega personality. Willing to do as he says, when he says it. She doesn't let his silence deter her though, she's pretty sure he's just tired after all. Infections and odd herbs can do that to ones body if not taken care of properly.

Slowly, Saki heads towards the enterance of the cave. One paw out the enterance before her own ears pick up the question that was thrown at her. Her hair raises on the back of her neck for a moment, memories flash before her eyes that cause her to shake in fear. "I-It doesn't matter." She manages to spit out after a few moments of terrified silence. Her heart still beat at a thousand thumps a second, yet, her tone was still honey sweet and as delicate as a flower.

"J-just sleep. I'll be back soon." The normally timid female, giving the large male a command. What a twist in fate. Saki, the girl who usually asks for the smallest of things let a order of her own slip past her pretty little lips. She might be stepping on ice when she comes back, but for now her mind was frazzled.
She left without another word to Vaud. She didn't want to talk anymore. She wanted to help him, no. She needed to help him and Saki was by far determined to be able to help the older male in healing his wounds.

Saki was gone, for maybe a few hours. Searching high and low for the herds that she remembered so clearly. The smell, the taste, everything was engraved in her pretty little memory. She was certain that these would help him, as in the past they helped her.
Slowly, she approached the den once more. Wary as to rather or not Vaude would be mad at her. Tail tucked between her legs and ears back, she looked like a pup that had been scolded as she entered. She dropped the herbs and walked over to where Vaude was, getting down onto her belly and crawling towards him. Her nose nudged his back ever so gently as a way to stir him. "Vaud?"

[Vaudeville]

Death isn't silent, but still. Ears don't flick after her, neither eye cracks open as she approaches. He doesn't snore-- not now, at least-- and his ribcage doesn't creak with heavy breath. That's either a good sign, or a very bad one. Saki crawls closer, belly to the ground in submission, but the hellhound isn't awake to see. Is he even alive?

"Vaude?" she asks in that sweet little soprano, cautious enough not to come too close too quickly, but she still presumes to give him a nickname. It's the same he has for himself, the obvious answer for two syllables, but still. Oh, that's right where he wants her: in more ways than one.

Vaudeville snaps just short of her snout, then throws his head back, cackling. "AHAHA!" the hellhound shrieks before sinking back in the imprint his sleeping form has left. "Don't think you can get rid of me that easy," Vaude jokes, but even such a small exertion as sitting up has him winded. Split tongue pants for a second, then swipes over his dry nose as he motions towards her prize. "So? Whatta ya got for me?"