Once Aphid got them safely down, he immediately made way to one of the nearby apple trees and set Kor down before hopping up onto the tree and pulling himself up to the nearest branch

"What are you doing?" Kor asked as his older brother did this.

"Getting you something to eat," Aphid replied, "Keep watch."

The little brother tilted his head up at the tree climber instead.

"…..Aren't we gonna talk to the farmers?" Kor asked, "Their house isn't that much farther--"

"I'm getting you something to eat right now," Aphid insisted, "…..just in case."

The boy on the ground gave a disconcerting look to that last remark.

"In case of what?" he asked.

"In case supper ain't ready," Aphid replied with an answer to set Kor at ease, but then the older brother muttered under his breath, "….or in case they're not very hospitable…."

"What?" Kor questioned that mutter.

"Keep watch," Aphid said.

"….that's not what you said…," Kor muttered back, knowing full well it definitely wasn't that, but he let it go to instead firmly speak his next line.

"You're stealing," he said, almost scolding.

Aphid stopped his scooting along the branch he had swung atop of to set a finger to his lips.

"Did I not tell you to stay quiet?" he said, "Twice, at least? Quiet. Like a mou--Like a… tree."

Kor persed his lips for just a moment, before beginning to playfully contest this.

"Trees--," he began to say, but a sudden rustling of the leaves above Aphid finished it for him.

Both the boys jumped with a startle before turning their attention to the movement above that had suddenly stopped.

"…..do that?" Kor finally remarked upon the rustling that had happened.

"Squirrels do that," Aphid corrected as he scanned above for those rodents, "Most trees don't start dancing on their own. Spriggans exclud—EH!"

The teen was caught by surprise when, instead of a fluffy tailed little tree rodent, a fluffy tailed fat house cat came soaring from the leaves above and latched its claws and teeth onto his shoulder.

Aphid yelped in both sudden fright and pain. He had had no time to block, only enough of a visual to see the black furry mass, with a white stripe on top of its snarling mouth, careen through the air towards him in a hissy growl.

His little brother joined in on that yelp of fright, but more in concern for the teen, as the big brother began to slide from the branch as he fought getting that fat cat unlatched from his shoulder.

Thankfully as Aphid began to tumble, he squeezed his legs around the branch to keep from falling, but now he was dangling upside down as he still fought this ferocious feline.

Kor stood directly underneath them, hopping on one foot, as if he could catch Aphid if he fell but the big brother tried shooing him away even as he tangled with the little beast now digging its hind claws into him like a log shredder.

"Kor, get back! Away!" Aphid ordered, "I don't want me--AARGH-GODS—Or especially this THING falling on you!"

"B-but!--"

"Away, Kor!"

Kor hopped back a bit, but he quickly looked about in panic for a way to help his brother.

The boy found a rock and without much thinking, nor thought to his lack of skill in archery, threw it with a hope….and force….towards the dueling pair.

A sound connection was heard…..followed by the pained yell of the dangling teen.

"OOOOOooooow!!" Aphid drew out in pain, as he now clutched the still latched cat in one hand and his head in the other, while still desperately clinging on to the tree by his thighs.

"Koooor!" he nearly whined but then he and the cat both were struck by something. And then struck again.

"Kor! K-Kor, what'a'ya—stop!"

Kor had managed to find a long dead branch and was doing his best to beat the beast off Aphid, but of course seemed to be doing more harm than good.

Until he did manage to get a good thwack in on the cat, instead of his brother, and the little beast released and landed on its feet just near the boy. It then hissed, gave a little swipe at the kid, and ran off.

Kor had readied to give the cat another pop before it fled, but the loud thud on his other side got his attention.

"Aphid!" he gasped, threw aside that branch, and dropped down to the teen who had just dropped from the tree, "Aphid! Are you okay??"

Aphid was still for a moment, though his grimacing face showed he was alive, before he caught his air and let out a groan of pain.

"Aaaaoooow," he groaned and took another few breaths of air, "…ow."

"Aphid?..." Kor worriedly gripped the sleeve of his brother's shirt. Aphid shakenly sat himself up and carefully moved his limbs, neck, and head about before giving a sigh.

"Yes, I'm okay," he said and turned a stern eye on the boy, "but--"

He had intended to give the boy a good talking to for his painfully heroic help, but Kor's sweet worried face and that loving hug he just latched onto him quickly quelled his anger.

"…I'm okay," he simply said again as he wrapped an arm around that dang cute kid, "….Alright. Alright, baby brother, let's go find the farmers…."

He got up on his knees, with some effort, and motioned to Kor to hop back up on his back.

"You're hurt," Kor said, not wanting to add to Aphid's load.

"You're not walking on that leg," Aphid replied firmly, "Now hop your little tail up and we'll go--"

He paused. He had heard something and stood up as quickly as his wobbly body would let him. Listening for a moment, he clenched both his jaw and fists as he began to move around the tree.

"Is that damn cat coming back to pick a fi—AIGHT!" Aphid had tried to grumble but was once again ambushed, but not by that cat.

Someone had jabbed him right in the diaphragm with the blunt handle of a garden hoe.