Guider Superior Valerian had not been present for the altercation, but he had heard the story from the Cadets and had arrived just as Southpaw ran off. He had asked the commander to send her to his den after he was done with her but it seems she had decided on her own, separate plan. He sighed. The poor girl was going to have a rough, short life here if that's how she lived it. "That shoulder looks pretty painful, come with me." His voice was soft. It was not an order, but an offer. Valerian had never been good at giving orders except when it meant life or death.

He gave her an amused look. He did not get asked who he was very often. Even before he became a superior his parents had always been very high profile and he always excelled as a guider. A low profile life had never been an option for the tom cat. "I am Guider Valerian. My job is to heal injured cats." He did not specify who because he would heal any injured cat who came to him, regardless of alliance. He had decided it unnecessary to assert himself as a Superior. It was uncomfortable for him and she clearly had an issue with authority. He led her to his den which was rather large and had his own personal garden on one side. Light filtered through the tunnel over the garden but it was protected by a small grate to prevent creatures from falling in. The other side had his nest and space to make more, if needed. Just past the garden were the herbs he could dry and store long term sitting on a stone slab shelf. All things considered it was well put together and he offered her a spot to sit in a makeshift moss nest. It would be comfortable at least.

He nodded in understanding. They were outsiders, labeled so even by their names. They could choose to change their own names as they got older but would never normally receive a clan name from Shule as they would in a clan. If they made it that far. If she kept up this kind of behavior she would not make it to the age of a scout here. "My family has been well known in the Regime for generations and I am a very good healer. In the regime, our leader is not a healer. They may have some knowledge of healing, but our Chaman is the best healer we have. I am just under the Chaman and frequently work with her. In the Regime, our commander, chaman, and superiors receive the utmost respect. Do not speak unless spoken to is a common phrase with superiors." His words were gentle but informative. "Now, let me take a look at that shoulder. Can you move it around in slow, gentle circles. I will help support it." He used both of his front paws and balanced on his haunches. She needed to do the work, but he didn't want to cause any further damage.

He gave her a soft, understanding smile. Ah, there was so much she did not know or understand. He rarely felt affection for kits and young apprentices beyond his duty but she practically had no clue what was going on and it was endearing almost. He felt around her leg, checking the sore spot out and thinking for a moment. "Your injury isn't too bad, you pretty much just pulled a muscle. I can give you a little something for pain and healing but you need to rest it and not work yourself too hard." He would keep an eye on her and go to Chaman Braelyn if Shule did not allow her time to heal. He did not want to deal with the commander himself unless necessary, no thank you. "My father was once Commander of the Regime. He was a good leader, highly respected. He was not quite as stern or strict as Shule, but I was raised to know exactly what was expected of me. I was raised during a different kind of Regime but one thing has always remained the same - we all have jobs. Each of us is raised to understand what is expected of us and we know our path from birth." He paused, picking up a piece of brown root that had already been separated and dried carefully. It was a root that was difficult to obtain in the area but he had his methods and knew how to trade with other cats. Drying it off, he put it on a rock that curved upward and began to crush it into a fine powder. Turmeric was not commonly used around here but he liked to use it for sprains. It would help take away pain and reduce the inflammation. This tiny piece would make enough powder for her to use until it healed, so long as she used it correctly. He spoke as he ground it up carefully and methodically into an orange powder. "We do not expect any one cat to know all and prefer to rely on the wisdom of many. Where many clans have a leader, deputy, and a healer, we have many who assist the leader and healers are with that. Expecting everything of one cat can be a lot, too much, and can sometimes make for poor leaders. "Sunclan is very different from here and I have been given the opportunity to learn a fair amount. You have the Sun God and we the Blind Protector. In many ways we are opposites. It must be difficult for you." He gave her an amused look.

he let out a mrrow of laughter at her enthusiasm and excitement at the prospect of love. He had never felt an affinity for any cat before, never known love or any form of it, including this true love she talked about. Valerian loved his work, the regime. That's what he woke up for every single day. "I am living my dream. From the moment I was born, my mother knew I would be a guider. She did allow us to pick what we wanted to do and I was grateful for that. Her primary job her entire life was raising kits but she only ever had one litter of her own and there were four of us. We all led very different lives." He smiled softly, a bit sad. If nothing else he did miss his siblings. Valerian had no family any longer, they were all dead or had left a long time ago. "Is being a princess and finding love your dream? Or do you have another dream? A cat can have more than one dream, even if I don't." He genuinely was happy where he was. Plus, his promotion came with a fantastic den.

It was amusing the way she talked about a family. Something about her was continuously reminder him of his mother and his affection for the cadet grew a bit. He laughed along, warm a deep this time. "You definitely have a bright future ahead of you, kiddo. Are you going to travel first and then decide where you want to raise this big family? You never know, that true love may be right next to you or as far as the next mountain." How sweet she was. He shuddered at the thought of raising kits. Nope, not for him. He preferred toms anyways so there was no chance of kits.

It was truly hard to contain himself and he only just managed. "Well, I hope you meet your prince sooner rather than later, my dear. You'll have to bring him by so I can meet him after you do." She was infectious, he had to give her that. Now he understood why the cadet and commander did not get along. Fairy tales were so out of Shule's league it wasn't even funny. Shule was like a grim's fairy tale. "Alright, this powder will help heal your shoulder. It will take down the swelling and help any pain. Lick your paw pad and pick up just a tiny amount. Lick it right off of your paw and it will help. Do this twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening for a fortnight. It should feel much better afterwards." He scooped it up and put it all in a few leaves, carefully bundling them. "This is a very precious herb so do not waste it. I cannot give you anymore than this." He warned her.

He laughed again as she left, amused at her announcement. He wondered if he would ever really desire a partner in life but shrugged, brushing it off. He had his practice and his patients and they always came first. A mate would only be distracting him from all of that. "Don't run on your shoulder!" He called, figuring she would ignore his instructions anyways and rolling his eyes as he set about cleaning up the small mess he'd made.

Time had passed and he had only seen Southpaw briefly, along with the regime cat she called her prince. He had observed the two with amusement. It was quite the pairing. He had even gotten the chance to initiate a conversation with Ilius, curious about the kind of cat he was. He seemed to be a sweet and caring cat. He was a little embarrassed with Valerian brought up Southpaw but he had also lit up like a full moon interrupting the darkest night. Cute. He had sent a cat to go fetch Southpaw for him. He was in the middle of drying herbs and didn't want to stop to find her. The ability to have cats do some of the more mundane activities was something he thought he would hate as a superior but the black cat was enjoying it a bit. Most of the time he found cats or did the mundane things, but every once in a while he could take a break. The perks were sure nice.