Wayrin snorted and muttered something about Atiq using Kitty as a crutch the whole walk, but to the panther's mild surprise he stayed at her friend's side even after Atiq had gotten his feet under him and she could have taken his weight herself.
Just behind Atiq's back, she arched an eyebrow questioningly at the other shifter. He wrinkled his nose and rolled his eyes, grip on Atiq's arm tightening momentarily as he steadied the other young man on the platform. Vaguely, Kitty noticed that when they were both actually stood to their full height beside one another, they were almost exactly of a height.
Seeing that was the only answer she was likely to get, Kitty returned her attention to her friend, nodding and murmuring a quiet agreement as he looked around.
Wayrin huffed as he started to tug Atiq, and by extension Kitty, along a narrow path through the branches. "It's just an outpost. The cities are more impressive. Hells, even the villages are."
Kitty's eyes widened. "Cities?"
Wayrin flinched, froze, then shook his head briskly. "We can talk later," he said shortly, and the way his eyes darted around the few other shifters still within earshot made her snap her mouth closed. She helped him guide Atiq into one of the leaf-and-branch-woven huts in silence. It was almost entirely bare inside, save for another frond mat that was a little thicker than the stretcher, and barely large enough for the three of them to stand inside together.
"Sit him down," Wayrin said gruffly, finally releasing Atiq--snatching his hand back quickly, actually, as though he'd forgotten he was touching something mildly unpleasant--and taking a step back. "I'll go see what's taking so long with the healer."
He turned, paused in the doorway, then glanced back to add over his shoulder brusquely, "You might want to stay with him. The others are...scared. But they won't try anything if you're on guard."
Kitty stiffened, her arm around Atiq's waist as she'd been trying to lower him down onto the mat. Her tail flicked and her ears pinned back. "I'm not going anywhere." The words were almost a growl.
Wayrin nodded once and stepped back out of the hut. Kitty gave a sigh that was part relief and part exasperation as she lowered herself and Atiq to the floor.
"You doing okay?" she murmured, eyes flicking over him with concern as she tried to get him settled.