The big black lion did not question how he had gotten himself into this mess. It wasn't in his nature to second-guess his decisions, nor to dither over circumstances that had been beyond his control. The plain truth was that he'd seen wrong being done, and had stepped in to prevent it. If it had resulted in him being saddled with three nearly useless dependents, then so be it. It had been his choice to make, and he'd made it. There was no sense in ruing it now, or feeling badly used. Sure, he was hunting for four on his own, but he was perfectly capable of doing so. Certainly, two of them were badly injured and barely able to hobble along, but seeing to their safety was the right thing to do. And there was no question that the lioness was the sourest, most spiteful-tongued individual he'd had the displeasure of running across in a long, long while, but that did not mean she was worthy of the kind of treatment that piece of filth would have given her, if he had not taken a paw full of claws in the matter to prevent it.

The one unharmed female was just about as useless as the two that were injured, sadly enough. She was intelligent enough, for certain, but was delicate and graceful and not at all meant for the dirty work of fighting, hunting, or living rough. She at least was useful in looking after the other two while he was gone, however, and followed his instructions for treating their injuries quite well. The wild dog now had a wrap around her neck and shoulder, and was recovering nicely. He had at first been afraid that the mauling her scruff had taken had somehow damaged her voice, since the canine only ever whispered in response to him, but she had eventually reassured him that her voice had always been soft like that. It had been a minor relief... one less thing for him to worry over.

That lioness, though... she wasn't healing as well as he'd prefer. The clawmarks on her jaw were crusting over nicely and really hadn't even needed covering. The lump on the back of her head appeared to have reduced dramatically, but somehow she still seemed rather addled. She disliked the bright light of noon, saying it hurt her head, and seemed to occasionally have difficulty finding what she wanted to say. It clearly frustrated her, and made her all the more surly. She also was still having dizzy spells, which sometimes significantly slowed their progress. They still were traveling by night, partly for her sake, and partly for cover of darkness. He regularly scouted their back trail, and still was able to find individuals nosing about. Granted, there were much fewer now than when they'd first begun, but it was enough that Salvistar felt uncomfortable moving their odd, shambling little group about under the clear light of day.

Today he'd had a stroke of luck, though, when scouting their path as the sun sank towards the horizon. He'd been attempting to aim for a sort of sanctuary that he knew of but never actually been to. In roaming the roguelands, he'd made a few acquaintances who had spoken of an enclosed valley guarded by a formidable lion that seemed to be gathering a mishmash of creatures into the safety of his home. It was his hope that this would provide a safe place to leave these ladies to recoup and move on from when they were ready. He had no intention of keeping watch over them their entire convalescence. Rescuer he may be, but nurse he was not. So when he spotted a familiar form in the distance, he'd broken into a lope, giving a loud chuff of greeting and summons.

Swiftly, the small white form came zipping up, dancing with energy and good spirits. "Salvistar! Good to see you!" The young female wild dog's tongue was lolling and she could hardly stand still as she spoke. "Any news worth telling?" The two of them met frequently in the open lands around her home. She tended to act as messenger and delivery girl for her small community, and was rarely found in the home valley. She also tended to bring word of the wider world to her more homebound loved ones. It was this home of hers that he was aiming for.

"Not news so much as need, Asfaloth," he answered her in his deep voice, giving her one of his rare smiles briefly. "I have three refugees who need shelter and help. Two are injured still, and I figure your mother is more likely to know how to help them than I." He watched as her attention sharpened and her puppy-like wiggles disappeared. "We are moving rather slowly due to their injuries, but I also don't know how to find your valley." He flicked his ears apologetically. "Perhaps...," he paused before making his suggestion, but was saved the effort.

"Ah, I understand," she answered him quickly, tail up with excitement. "Mother would be glad to see to them when they arrive, and I have no doubt that Kalos will take them in." She wrinkled her muzzle up a bit as she added, "If he'll take in that cheat of a cheetah, he'll most certainly accept these three ladies of yours." Her expressive ears told of her opinion on the riff-raff their defacto leader had given shelter to, both past and present. Her saucy attitude made him smile again. He truly liked this feisty and good-hearted wild dog. She was well worth knowing.

"I'll just go and let them know you are coming, so everyone can be prepared to help out right away," she told him with a determined nod, "and then I'll come back to you and show you the rest of the way." She paused to give him an inquiring look. "How far will you get between now and noon tomorrow?"

He grimaced faintly, still bothered by their slow pace and the fact that pursuit still persisted behind them. "Not far. Kalos should know, as well, that we are being followed by those who did these harm. He'll kill them, given the chance, I have no doubt." His dark face was heavy with lines of concern and severity. If it had been his way, he would have been just as pleased to turn back and finish off this 'master' of theirs. He'd at least managed to get that much out of the cheetah, though apparently the lioness hadn't been a slave? He'd not quite worked that part out just yet, but had been less bothered about their past than about their present and future. "I'm not sure if they'll trail us all the way to the valley, but he should be prepared in case they do."

Asfaloth gave a nod that she understood, though she looked troubled at the thought. Could the valley come under attack because they sheltered strangers in need? Well, she supposed it could always have come to this at some point. Perhaps they could avoid it this time as well. "Right. I'll be sure he knows," she affirmed. "I'll be off, so I can return as soon as possible. Head to the left of the sunset when you travel, and I'll find you tomorrow!" With a tail wave and a puff of dust, she was gone again, speeding off in the direction she'd indicated. He took careful note of the exact direction before turning back for their temporary shelter. It was going to be another long, long night.