As he ran his tongue over her head, he chose to ignore the way she froze at his actions. He refused to be the timid rabbit that she accused him of being, carrying on until the mud was extricated entirely from behind her ear. He retracted then, unbeknownst to him just in time, pleased with his work before he turned to relax his head upon his paws. The movement had been anything but relaxing, however, pulling at the injury his bravery had won him. Out of the corner of his vision he saw her lift her head once more and watch him as he did nothing to mask the cringe of pain that crossed his features. He did not expect any reaction from her, thinking that perhaps she would merely turn away once more and maybe they could both get some much needed rest. Instead, she surprised him by shifting slightly and reaching forward to lick at his wounds. He half raised his head from his paws, angling his head so that one pale yellow eye rested upon her as she cleaned the wound.

It was a strange sensation, for he had never had another tend to him except for his mother. He'd also never been injured in this way before. After first it was tender as her tongue rasped across the surface, pulling away the mud that had caked itself there just as he'd done to the top of her head. But as she fell into a rhythm Atlas lowered his head to the dirt floor of the den just beside his paws, allowing the caresses of her touch to become soothing. His ears flicked backwards, relaxing once more to a point where his eyelids began to feel heavy. It was then that the words slipped between his lips, that the nameless dread who had attacked Fiammetta needed to be taken care of. As he began to imagine he and Emil teaming up - warrior and assassin - to take her down, he noticed that the touch of her tongue against his shoulder had ceased. His chin shifted slightly, not lifting from the ground, but his eye refocused upon her.

A single eye to a single eye, their gazes locked and the pain he saw there held him in its grasp. He took a deep breath, listening as her strained voice took hold of his musings and echoed them back tenfold in intensity. Her proclamations did cause him to lift his head, higher this time than the last, coming to an even level with hers as finally both golden eyes turned to her. The severity with which she spoke struck a chord with him, and once more he was consumed with a desire to help her. Even though she came off a bit...overzealous...it was really just a more passionate and descriptive declaration than he'd made. When she drew back slightly, speaking of at least wanting a good fight when she was feeling more up to it. A slight grin tipping the corners of his maw upwards. "If you ever need...mmm...want my help, I live in Diveen. And we have one of the best healers in Moladion, too." He had realized that she was a prideful type, and that 'needing' help was maybe not something she would readily admit to, but if she ever wanted him to aid her in taking care of the black shedemon, she now knew where she could find him.

The exhaustion from the night's events were settling into the muscles of the young warrior. He lowered his head back to his paws once more in quiet contentment. He just needed to sleep for a little bit, and then he could help her get to Diveen or somewhere else to see a healer, to tend to her wounds in ways he did not know how. Barely had his chin touched his forelegs before his eyes slid closed, hazily aware of his surroundings as his ears flicked back and towards Fiammetta.