Welcome Home part 2
Abel returns from his day off...mostly...
Sometime between breakfast and lunch Flavius Baro is leaning back in the chair of his study. A full day with out the squirrel to nag him about his health means a full day of enjoying lifes simple pleasures such as food, wine, and more food, and it shows on the young weasel. Currently the young noble is leaning back in his chair, feet kicked up on the desk after a scrumptious meal and picking his teeth. The large stuffed feline behind him looms over the fattened weasel like its about to devour its prey.
The study door opens quietly, and a squirrel slips in calmly. He deftly pushes the lock shut with a barely perceptible "click". No other slaves would be allowed to interrupt this...Turning, Abel remains near the door. "Master, I have returned..." his voice is emotionless, strangely flat...
Flavius leans back in his chair and stretches. "That's good Abel. So, enjoy your..." The weasel looks up to his slave finely and his eyes widen. His mouth opens wide in shock and he is instantly on his feet. "Abel!" It seems not all of his slave has returned, namely half of his left ear.
Abel turns and looks at Flavius. The entire left side of his head is also caked with dried blood. "What is it, *Master*..." The squirrel frown, his first hint of emotion, "Oh, do you mean this?" He lunges forward to wave something in his Master's face. It soon becomes apparent it's the rest of Abel's ear. "I'm glad you NOTICED, SIR! I HAD MY EAR SLICED OFF, AND IT'S ALL. YOUR. FAULT!" The squirrel is nearly screaming in anger, completely out of character for himself.
Flavius backs away from the squirrel who is flailing his ear at him, "Gah! get that thing away from me!" The weasel chitters in panic, he's never seen the squirrel express this much emotion before let alone anger. He must admit it is a terrifying sight."W-what happened!
Abel throws his severed at the weasel, completely losing all sense of composure. "I OBEYED you, SIR. I did EXACTLY what YOU told me...I took a DAY OFF...But YOU screwed it up!" He pulls a slightly torn document out of his pocket, and flings it at Flavius. "Your ownership papers, SIR! But you neglected to give me written permission to be out on my own..." his voice cracks, his anger nearly spent, "I was just minding my own business at the Tavern, sir...honest I was...but Gaius didnt believe me, I had no written permission with me..." The squirrel starts to break down into uncontrolled weeping.
The weasel leaps back from the ear as it makes contact with his shirt. "Blazes! I..." Flavius looks to the squirrel and his eyes widen even some more as he looks at Abel. In the pit of his stomach he realizes that this is all his fault and for once words escape him. "Abel...I..."
His anger spent, Abel no longer has the strength to stand. The squirrel just sort of collapses into a pitiful weepin heap before Flavius. "H..he hurt me, sir...I tried to explain, but he wouldn't believe me..." he shivers a bit.
Flavius stares down at the squirrel, a mixture of emotions goes through his face as he crosses around the desk. Next to the squirrel he bends down to one knee, extending a paw to grasp the squirrel's shoulder. There are tears streaming down the weasel's face. "Abel...I..." he chokes for a moment then forces it out, "I am so sorry..."
Abel flinches a bit at the touch. "M..Master, I..I'm the one who should be s..sorry...Oh dear, I was so out of line, I'm so sorry, sir, I just lost it...I wasn't thinking straight..." He looks down at the floor. "I need to be p..punished, for this outburst...I am out of line..." He stammers, and shivers more, yet he feels a little warm, and the place where his ear was severed looks swollen.
Flavius shakes his head, "No, you need a healer. You..." The weasel turns away from the squirrel, "You said 'Gaius' did this to you? The war hero?" A new emotion is starting to well up in the weasel, anger.
Abel nods slowly. "Y..yes sir...The Imperator. He...he said I was a menace to the public, and had to be dealt with before I harmed anybeast, but I told him that...that it wasnt true. I showed him the ownership papers, but he said that wasn't good enough, Master..." He shivers more. "He asked me what is done with unruly slaves in Aclidia, but...but..." he starts to weep again, "But I didnt know, sir..."
Flavius gently rocks the squirrel back and forth, it's something his mother used to do when he skinned his knee. No, that's not quite true, it was something his care takers did... It is also the extent of his comforting capabilities. "It's...ok Abel. You are safe now. I'm going to help you to the healer now, ok? We can worry about Gaius later." The weasel attempts to help Abel to his feet. In truth the weasel is down right terrified. Not only was a beast harmed, it was one of his own beasts, and because of something as careless as forgetting to sign some papers. The weasel would be angry, if he wasn't so freaked out by this revelation that his slightest mistakes and actions all have consequences.
Abel is helped to his feet, still shivering and crying some. "M..master, I'm fine, I n..need to make sure the household is in order." He offers no resistance, though, and it isn't hard at all to get him to a healer. He follows wherever he is led.
