As soon Hog squealed, there was a gasp of shock from the other end of the tunnel - two, actually, in unison. Not a moment later, the very loud sound of something quite large came stomping from the darkness, getting louder by the second. The Banshee appeared seconds later, quite a terrifying sight, sprinting on two legs, with tentacles aplenty streaming beyond it like a skirt, both heads twisted in a snarl. Not at Hog, though. Their eyes looked up and around until they caught sight of the dragonbat hovering near the ceiling.

"YOU!" One head shrieked. "Are you picking on a kid?!" Cried out the other, seamlessly picking up the dialogue. They darted forward to hover below the thing, both necks bending a little too far to look up at the beast. Their legs bending were the only thing that warned of what was coming next, as the gigantic creature leaped upwards, claws extended, trying to snag them into the bat's fur or wings, but falling short as it fluttered farther out of their reach.

"Come here, kid, we'll keep you safe." They crouched defensively, tentacles raising and preparing for the dragonbat to strike (and also to shield the little guy from it).

With the kid on the other side, away from the very scary bits of the Banshee, the heads began to peel apart slowly as a purple tongue slide out to lick along the teeth. At the sight of three sets of predatory teeth snarling in its direction, the dragonbat most certainly was intimidated enough to shriek and scuttle away over the ceiling, disappearing into the shadows.

The neck closed and the two heads turned towards each other. "Are you okay, babe?" One said, her hands immediately raising to gently caress the neck of the other. "Of course, babe, I'm always okay." She mirrored the action, leaning in for a quick peck on the lips before they remembered the kid.

Both heads turned simultaneously, sweeping around to get their tentacles out of the way and they squealed in unison as they kneeled down in front of Hog. "Oh, oh my goodness! You! Are so cute!" They reached forward, one hand from each side, to gently grab at the pig and lift her up, like they'd just found an adorable little lost kitten.

Maiden gasped in shock as the two of them maneuvered the child around in their arms to view the backside. One of her arms reached around between the two of them to gently caress around the wounds that had been infliced on the poor child. Morrigan sighed. "It doesn't look too bad. It's a pretty shallow scratch.It should heal quickly! Don't you worry!" Smiling, they turned Hog back around, looking very much like they were just going to hug her like a stuffed animal.

"We could help you with that if you want," Morrigan offered, nodding towards the scratch. "I wouldn't call us medical professionals but we know a few things!" Maiden nodded, a free hand coming up to move the hair out of her face. "It looks like it hurts soooo bad. I'm sooo sorry about that nasty bat, that was so mean! To hurt a cute little thing like you!" Ohhhh they just wanted to keep Hog so much! The two heads looked to each other and Crone thought, in that moment, that it would be nice to have a cute little pet! Something to carry around under their arm that they could look at sometimes...oh, but then they'd have to get a second one, because then they wouldn't be symmetrical anymore. It shuddered at the thought. Perhaps they wouldn't.

With the Crone's change of mind, Hog was gently set back on the ground and they, instead, kneeled next to her, again sweeping the tentacles away so none would sting. "Yes! This is my beloved Maiden," she reached to caress, again, the cheek of the other, while Maiden reached up to touch her. "And this is Morrigan! We are MADLY in love." As if it wasn't obvious.

They didn't ask for Hog's name, suddenly lost in each others' eyes.

"AWWWWW," Maiden turned away from her lover and crowed, looking sympathetic (although in all of this, both of them looked like they were trying and failing to express as much as they wanted to), "I'm sorry, baby! We could...hmmm...look for something to bandage it? We don't really have anything here..." They set Hog down gentle and immediately began looking around, each head looking off in different directions (and Crone, as well, moving its red eyes to look).

But even after sweeping around a bit, they found nothing but rocks and dust and they didn't particularly think that was going to help bandage a kid's wounds. They returned to Hog, looking disappointed.

"Sorryyyyy," Maiden sighed wistfully. "We would like to help more. We have family that might be able to help?" Morrigan turned towards her lover and Maiden sniffed. "Oh yes but I don't think this little dearie will want to meet them?" And both of them could feel the urging in their mind to take Hog back to the hive with them. UGH couldn't they have anything for themselves?

Still, they sent a query to the Hive. Did they have healers that could help a poor injured gembound?

They remembered, too, that the pig had said something else as well. "Hm! Oh, yes, yes we are never lonely! I am never without her. And I could never be sick of her." Morrigan leaned forward to gently kiss her lover on the cheek.

"It's dangerous, isn't it? To be alone?" Morrigan pouted as she looked back at the pig. "Do you have anyone to watch out for you?"

Maiden's hand clutched at her heart (neck? shoulder? the anatomy was odd) as they realized how alone poor little Hog was. "That is, like, so sad! We can't imagine being so lonely! Do you need a friend? We would love to be your friend, little one! Have we asked your name?" Oops, they certainly hadn't had they! They glanced at each other and giggled, as if it were funny, or some inside joke that they had just completely forgotten to ask the name of the gembound they wanted to be friends with.

Morrigan sighed. "It's always safe until it isn't... It can get so dangerous so quickly!" Not that they'd had any experience but, well, they'd seen their family's memories and feelings. How horrible some of these brutes could be!

But now they had to explain the family and Crone's eyes narrowed as it tried to think of an explanation that would work for the kid. Maiden tapped her chin. "They are nice. Some of them." Morrigan, too, looked thoughtful. "But they can be much! They can be pushy." Maiden laughed lightly, and it was an oddly rasping high-pitched giggle. "Yes they're not for everyone! But they're a good crowd." They felt a bit of a surge of pride in themselves. How was that, Mother? Where they being good ambassadors? Showing such love for each other but being so tactful and not pushy! Was she proud of them?