Doctor glanced around.

The tunnel was... one thing. Hot; dry. Warm. But Canis was larger, with more room to work with. There were bones, there was water. -Ahh, but Desert Rose was waiting, wasn't he? And, (Doctor realized, studying his body language for the briefest moment) he was itching to leave. Things to do, I'm certain; ahh, but how lovely it is to find others with purpose!

He ruffled his feathers, and nodded. "Go, go, by all means; I need nothing I cannot procure for myself. Or--if I find that I need something, I shall let you know! Thank you; thank you very much, both for your offers and this opportunity. I think I'll have a look around for a suitable place to set myself up," he added. "Fly safely, hm?"

______________


A brief bow, and with his farewell given, Doctor turned his eyes--err, eye--back to Tunnel P. It was a critical eye: he was running the pros and cons through his mind. As he did so, he leapt in, taking wing briefly and then shuffling along the tunnel floor.

Warm, dry; good for healing. Most obvious, strongest benefit: close to where wounded might arrive. Always dangerous to move them. Drawbacks: very few reagents. No plants. Growing plants is beyond me. Nothing to hunt for food. He paused, memories briefly flicking over the rats he'd tested with. Broken limbs, broken backs--moving them, hauling them around or carrying them, always seemed to worsen their injuries.

He clicked his beak, and turned back toward Canis. Positives: far more space. Water. Some plant life. Hunting grounds. Easier to hide if danger follows. Downsides: cooler. Would need to move the wounded. The obvious then occurred to him. Laboratory, hunting ground, nest: Canis. Operating theatre: Tunnel P. Will require more setup, but optimal configuration...

He had much to do.

@Desert Rose Thirty-Five
exit Doctor

DESERT ROSE THIRTY-FIVE
how quickly the hawk becomes a dove
when faced with the barrel of a gun

The assurance was a fair bit refreshing, to say the least. These Gembounds, though young, did have a certain sense of capability about them. At least- this one did. Many had survived the past trial in addition to that.

"Of course," came the simple reply from the dragon as he bowed the front of his body back to the newly recruited medicinal aide. "Same to you."

With that, Desert twisted his body to propel himself off to the air opposite of the tunnel, large wingspan beating into the dirt before lifting his lithe body into the winds. He made sure to rise slowly- best to save his energy- taking the time to glance back on his second loop to catch a glimpse of Doctor headed inversely from him. It was an odd feeling, actually trusting in another Gembound. Something he hadn't felt since his first few (and eventually traitorous) alliances in trials. Still; this Doctor, he had a charm to him, an eagerness to latch onto this, and the both of them were definitely mutually beneficial in this.

Times were definitely changing; perhaps Desert had to change his mindset out here, too.

His attention drew to the opposite ends of Canis as he hit a comfortable height. With a brief, mental wish of good luck, the dragon swept away, catching thermals and drifting out of sight from the tunnel mouth.

@Doctor
exit Desert