Stepping into the deserted training field was like stepping into a ghost town, it was empty, not a body in sight, and for good reason. It was just after twilight, she should have been back before now, they had just lost track of time while they had their fun.
She peered up at the large looming windows of the Pavilion above her, peering out over the quiet training field, her eyes trying to spot out any possibility that someone was watching her. She spotted no shadows, no silhouettes among the darkness, no flickering lights of candles burning in the background as any indication that someone had waited up for her to return upon noticing her absence.
Creeping up the stone steps, taking them on at a time, she tiptoed into the empty lounge and down to the hall that housed their bedrooms.
She passed Puriel's room first, his door cracked, two candles flickering on the bedside tables. She came a stop at his presence, standing just inside the door, before the grand tank that housed his beloved sea snake, Shelby, feeding his pet her dinner. He paid her no mind, not seeming to think there was anyone in the hall he should be catching out passed curfew, talking quietly with his little charge. Donavon was laying in his bed comfortably.
Then, there was Haniel and Hasmal's room, their door was ajar too, and she spied in to see what they were doing. They were fast asleep, Hasmal's bed empty as he sleep curled up against their older brother, and Haniel undisturbed in the notion that there was another body curled up in his bed with him.
Titus room was across from theirs, his door was closed, but she could hear him talking inside. A small voice would respond every so often in kind to whatever had been said to them, and he'd chuckle lightly, a giggle would follow, and she smiled at the sounds.
Her older brothers were big and fearsome, but they were also such pushovers.
At the end of the hall, stood the door to Nisroc's room, standing ajar like the other two, she crept passed her own to peer inside. Her oldest brother, her Captain, big ole Grizzly bear was reclined in his bed, damp hair hanging freely down his shoulders to dry and a book open in his hands as he relaxed in the calmness that was the night.
Smiling to herself, none of them had seemingly noticed her disappearance, she turned back for her own room.
"Well, look what we have here." The voice had her hand stilling curled around her doorknob, shoulders tensing, she turned to peer at him with a sheepish smile. She had forgotten all about him. "Do you know what time it is, young lady?"
Abraxas smiled, gulping softly, as she turned to face her older brother. The one who almost always seemed to catch her when she did something wrong, the one that she couldn't sneak passed no matter how hard she tried, the one she always dreaded making upset with her. "Heya, Abe!"
"Abraxas." He taps his forearm with the fingers of his left hand, shaking his head sternly, and she feels her insides wilt at the disappointment in his eyes. "The time?"
She looks to her feet for a moment. "It's nearly one in the morning."
"And what time is curfew?"
Licking her lips, she responds. "Eleven." She rubs at the back of her neck as she chances peering up at him. "We sort of lost track of time."
He shakes his head again and steps to the side, nodding in the direction of his bedroom, and she looks passed him. "Corner."
"But—But Abe! It was an honest accident!"
"The first time was an accident. The second is not." He nods to his bedroom again, more precisely the far corner. "Corner, now, Abraxas."
"But—But I'm not a fledgling anymore!" She shakes her head stubbornly, crossing her own arms, she refuses to find herself nose facing the corner again. "You can't just send me to the corner anymore."
Abraxos heaves a sigh, nodding a moment later, the fingers beating against his forearm halting. "You're right. You're not a fledgling anymore. We shouldn't treat you like it anymore, we're sorry."
"Thank you, Abe." She steps up to enter his room and he stops her, his arm blocking her path. "I don't think so. Only fledglings sleep in their big brothers beds." She looks up at him with wide eyes and he shakes his head lightly. "Grown angels don't do that, they sleep in their own beds, in their own rooms."
"…I can't sleep with you…."
"And, of course, that also means no more riding on Nis's shoulders."
"…But…But I like riding on his shoulders…"
He taps a finger to his chin. "And there's no more sharing chocolate with Puri either, grown angels wouldn't do that, only fledglings would, and you're no fledgling." He nods to himself. "And no more pretending to be sick to sleep in before training, grown angels wouldn't do that, of course." He looks down at her finally. "And I guess that means there's no more coming together in the Lounge and just curling up together. That's only for fledglings, and you're no fledgling anymore, we shouldn't do that with you."
Her eyes twinkle lightly as tears overcome them, her lower lip quivering, she likes doing all those things. She doesn't want them to stop. "But…But…I like all those things…"
"Yes, but you don't want to be treated like a fledgling anymore, you said, we don't want to do something you don't want us to do." Abraxos makes as though he's going to turn back into his room. "I'll tell the others tomorrow morning, then, good night."
"Wait! Wait, Abe!" She jumps forward, stubbornness completely dissolved at the thought of all she'd be losing and curls her fingers tightly around his arm to keep him from leaving her in the hall. He turns to look down at her with raised eyebrows. "Please don't! Please don't stop! I don't mind, really! I don't! I like sleeping with you and riding on Nis's shoulders and eating chocolate with Puri and playing pranks with Hani and—and I like getting together with everyone in the Lounge and cuddling up between everyone and listening to your stories!" She tugs on his arm. "Please don't stop! Please don't tell! Please!"
"Well," a tear escapes her right eye, and he reaches up to catch it, bending forward slightly. "You could always go stand in the corner, still."
She nods pitifully, reaching up to rub at her eyes with a fist, sniffling as she holds back her tears. Abe steps to the side, and gestures for her to enter, at her own bidding of course, and she silently slides in before him and crosses to stand with her nose facing the corner.
A voice catches them before Abe can close the door, her cheeks burn red at the thought of someone seeing her standing here, even if it's another one of her big brothers, and she knows who that voice belongs to.
Abe responds back in kind. A small conversating whispered between them.
There's a soft hum from just outside the doorway.
Soft footsteps fall across the warm stone floor, large hands curl over her upper arms, a bearded chin rubs against her cheek as a soft kiss is pressed there. "You can still ride on my shoulders, baby girl." Nis must have heard the commotion in the hall and come to investigate. She smiles, sniffling slightly, and turned to look up at him for a moment. "Promise, grizzly?" He nods, kissing her cheek again. "Cross my heart. You're my baby girl, no matter how old you get, you'll always have a seat upon my shoulders."
She turns slightly away from the corner, allowed this small reprieve from her big brothers stern reprimanding, and curls herself up against his chest. He chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around her in turn, stroking his large hand down the back of her head. "I know we can get a bit overbearing at times, it's hard for us not to still see you as the small young lady that we lost all those eons ago, still so young, barely old enough to be a youngling, and yet so advanced in your training." He strokes a finger under her chin, and she looks up at him at his gentle call for attention. "If it ever becomes too much, just tell us, we know you're not a fledgling anymore, it's just hard for us to see you as anything else. We practically raised you, baby girl. You're our fledgling."
"But—"
"It'll change nothing. We'll still treat you just the same. But, perhaps, a bit more respectfully given your age."
She sniffles again and he wipes away the tear that escapes again. "You promise?" He nods lightly. "You promise I'll still be able to ride on your shoulders and sleep with Abe and share chocolate with Puri and play pranks with Hani and Mal and sleep in and—and—"
"And, cuddle up with us in the lounge as we tell you stories?" She nods, and he smiles, leaning in to kiss her nose lightly. "Yes, to everything, it'll change nothing. Absolutely nothing. It'll just help us know if we're becoming a bit too much."
She smiles a watery smile and curls back up to him, nuzzling into his chest, and he chuckles again as he tightens his arms around her for a brief moment. "I love you, grizzly bear."
"I love you too, baby bear, with all my heart." He strokes his hand down the back of her head again and pulls her away gently. "Now, finish your time in the corner, and get a good night's rest, alright?"
Abraxas nods softly, rubbing at her nose, and leans up on her toes to kiss his cheek, stroking her fingers over the other side. The Captain smiles, turning his head slightly, catching her lips in a peck and steps back as she turns to face back into the corner again.
He bids Abe a good night as well, softly, behind her back, as he takes his leave. The door closes behind him and her brother returns to what he had been doing, the bed creeks lightly as he sits on the edge, no doubt leaning forward, with his elbows resting on his knees.
She hears him sigh softly. "Do you want your own blanket?"
Aba nods lightly, turning away from the corner for a moment. "Yes, please."
Her older brother points lazily at the corner. "Nose. Corner. You know the way this works, missy."
She turns back around quickly, facing the corner, staring at the line where the two edges meet silently. The bed creeks as he stands from the edge, the click of the lock on the wardrobe door clicks open as he reaches in for her desired blanket. "Do you want your own pillow too?"
"No, thank you." She scratches at her ear softly. "I wouldn't really use it."
He chuckles softly as he closes the wardrobe door. "Because I make such a great pillow?"
"Yep."
"Alrighty, then."
She doesn't know how much time passes, it feels like forever, she hates facing this stupid corner. It's so degrading. So lonely. So boring. She needs excitement and companionship and entertainment.
Arms curl around her waist from behind and she smiles down at the hands that cross in front of her. "Can I come out now, Abe?" He pokes a finger into her lower belly, and she bites back a giggle, his stubbly cheek rubbing up against her cheek lightly. "When I'm done with you, you can." She giggles softly up at him, curling the fingers of her left hand around his free cheek, and he turns his head slightly to press his lips to her palm. "Did we learn our lesson?"
She giggles, leaning away from him when he tries to press a kiss to the side of her neck, he loves messing with her neck, it's always made her giggly. He follows after her though, no matter when she goes, and growls playfully as he buries himself into her neck. She shrieks brightly, scrunching her shoulder up the best that she can manage, trying to lean away from him as he starts pressing one playful kiss after the other on the sensitive skin. "Lesson learned?"
"AhAhAhAbe!" The young unofficial Power curls her fingers around his arms tightly. "Lesson learned! Lesson learned!"
"Good." He kisses her neck one last time, and bends at the knee, to sweep her off her feet. "Let's get some sleep, my little duckling, and then you can tell me all about your date."
She nuzzles close to him, tucking her head in the crook of his neck, and curls the fingers of her right hand into his tunic lightly.
"Okay, Abe."
