Welcome Home Ending

Flavius and Abel both come to terms with the punishment they received.

The clock strikes thirteen for the Baro family house hold. Flavius is in his study. Dispite his almost overwhelming urge to tear the place appart the weasel has managed to remain calm. He sits at his desk, glass of wine on one end of the desk, and stacks of paper work infront of him. For the most part Flavius has been trying to keep himself busy. It helps distract him from the sights he witnessed a few days ago.

Abel has been unusually absent all day since morning. Somebeast knocks at the study door, rudely disturbing the stillness.

With out looking up from his paperwork the weasel replies to the knock, "Enter." He felt like making a light hearted quip but...the mood quickly passed. He pauses only to drink from his wine.

The door opens, and Abel enters, his usual mood subdued. "Master, is there anything you want for dinner?"

The pen in Flavius' paw abruptly stops. The weasel takes a deep, deep breath before answering, "I'm getting rather tired of porkchops this week." Flavius finely looks up to Abel, "Is...there anything you recommend?"

Flavius chuckles, "A brilliant idea Abel. Pork chops /with/ salad! What ever would I do with out you?" The weasel leans back in his chair and laughs lightheartedly. His laughter gradually trails off as he stares at the subdued form of his servant. His features become more serious as they do. "How...how are you're wounds healing?"

Abel doesn't look up. "They're fine, sir. I'm fine. You need not worry yourself, Master, it doesn't matter."

A little piece of Flavius' dies at the squirrels comment. Doesn't matter? A living beast had his ear chopped off, was whipped with twenty lashes and could not even raises a word to defend himself all because he didn't have a stupid piece of paper, and he says it doesn't matter? Looking away from Abel Flavius replies, "Oh." He is not sure what else to say.

Abel remains still. "If that is all, sir, I'll go tell the cook what you require."

The weasel grits his teeth. "Abel..." he rubs at his eyes before asking the dreaded question. Well, 'a' dreaded question. The second of the most dreaded question. He couldn't bare to ask him before he had Abel whipped, it would have only made it that much harder if he did. Now that the event was done and behind them it only makes it harder the weasel has found. Partly because he already knows the answer even if Abel has yet to tell him. "Abel. What really happened? Did you 'really' try to bribe Gaius?"

Abel finally looks up. "Sir?" He takes a deep breath. "Master...No. I did *not* mean it as a bribe, sir. He had drawn his sword, sir. I was afraid, and I said once again that if he wanted to know the truth of my being there, to ask you himself. Then..." His dispassionate facade begins to crack, "I'm sorry, Master, I..." is he...starting to cry? "Master, I was desperate to get away, so I tried to remind him of your possible invitation for...for..."

The weasel looks upon his slave with a different reaction than before. This time instead of instantly rushing to try and comfort the squirrel he gives Abel a moment to compose himself in silence.

Abel cries for several moments, before choking a bit and wiping his eyes. He takes several long breaths. "I'm sorry, sir...I wanted him to stop, so I mentioned your invitation to him for dinner..." he's afraid to continue, and it shows. "I mentioned that your family's wine would be available, and then...that's when Imperator Gaius nearly killed me...It was my fault, sir, I'm...I'm very sorry...I didn't mean for it to be a bribe...but I was stupid, Master, like always."

The weasel leans forward, raising an eyebrow and giving the squirrel a dangerously vicious look. "Is that so?" Flavius replies, but whether its to the mention of the events or the squirel calling himself stupid it is hard to say. Flavius Baro stands up suddenly from the chair he folds his paws behind his back and turns to face the window behind him for a long. Long moment. "Abel. Did I ever tell you why father chose you to be my steward?"

"Only out loud." The weasel replies stoically then continues. "The day I met you my father said to me, 'Son, you are a deplorable good for nothing slob. You spend your days, eating, sleeping, and drinking yourself into an early grave. If I gave you my estate today it would be run into the ground by tomorrow." the weasel turns to able for a moment and laughs before turning back to the window, "I'm paraphrasing of course. His words were too seasoned with euphemisms to repeat in polite company.

Abel nods. "Of course, sir." He remembered the Elder Baro well. Shrewd beast, but prone to yelling. A *lot*, he recalled, but he remained silent while Flavius continued.

The description is spot on actually. "So then father said to me, "Son, I am going to show you a beast that is honorable, someone with class, respect, someone deserving the Baro family name and someone you could learn from." The weasel continues. "I of course thought he was going to introduce me to one of his hunting buddies, another noble, some beast in the upper classes." Flavius chuckles dryly, "Imagine my surprise when he brought /you/ into the room. 'Here is your new Steward Flavius. Keep good care of him and he will take care of you.'" The weasel continues to look off into the distance towards the ocean.

Abel blinks and is taken aback. "I...sir..." he isn't sure what to say at first, but he soon finds his voice. "H..he really said that, Sir? About.../me/?"

"No, he added more expletives but generally that was the idea he conveyed." Flavius laughs, "I figure if a beast could earn even my fathers respect, even as a slave, especially as a slave, then I might want to learn what I can from him." The weasel nods to himself before replying and still with his back to the squirrel. "Are you going to stand there all day you lazy runt or are you going to get dinner ready?"

Abel blinks. "Oh, er, I'm sorry sir..." He quickly exits the room to fetch dinner.

The weasel shakes his head with a faint chuckle. He realizes that Adriana tried to impose a lesson onto him. A harsh but effective lesson. Nobles do not fraternize with belongings. If he wants to survive in this city he will have to learn that. The other lesson was that one does not bludgeon their way through politics, through laws, through traditions. The third and most important lesson is that his actions have consequences. He forgot to sign a paper, a simple paper, and his friend was nearly killed for it. Flavius sighs. He will do better. For his people, and for his family. But he is determined not to become a monster in the process.

Abel returns less than an hour later with dinner. "Your food, sir." He places it on the desk, then makes his exit, unsure really how his future would be.