Albion giggled when Rome had picked up Germania and carried him over to a bed roll on the floor in the far corner.
"I'd mind him when he wakes up England; he might be a little irritated." Rome smiled over at the shy blonde on the table. He then noticed his bloody knees; he opened the tent door and motion Albion to stay.
"Huh? Flying Mint Bunny, what does iwi- iwri- iwwa-" He sighed and shook his head, "never mind… Where did Wome go?"
"Maybe he went to get more food." It said as it pushed the empty bowl away from it.
"Hey!" Albion scowled and Flying Mint Bunny only shrugged and rubbed his full belly.
He grumbled and crossed his arms, and then Rome entered the tent drastically and smiled at the young nation, then carefully pulling his ruined bottoms above his sore knees. The Empire inspected the cuts while placing a bowl, cloth and bandages on the table next to England. "How do you feel?"
"Um… They hurt a bit…" Albion flinched as the fabric clung to his wounds. Flying Mint Bunny rubbed England's arm.
"That's to be expected." He dipped the cloth into the warm water and wrung it out of extra water, "This is going to hurt a little to, but it'll help, okay?" At the kid's nod, he, gently as possible, dabbed the cloth on the wound, cleaning the blood and dirt away from the cuts. Albion winced a bit but didn't do anything else. He tilted his head as the tall Roman tended to his injuries; he thought back to when he used to get scrapes when he was at home, no one did this, considering it was always Scotland doing the damage. He was sure Mama would help him but when she got back from wherever she disappeared to, his cuts and bruises were all healed. It was strange but he liked the feel of someone looking after him for once. It was just like being with Mama, but all the time.
Speaking of his Mama, he wondered if she was going to come back for him. He didn't know what to do. Where Rome and Germania just going to leave him to find his own way back home? Or where they planning to take him with them? Butterfly's tumbled around in his tummy, he's never been far from home before but he was curious about where the older men came from.
Albion winced again when Rome lifted his leg up and wrapped the bandaged around his leg. "Wome?" Rome hummed in acknowledgement, "Am I gonna stay with you now?" He stuck his thumb into his mouth, as if to pretend he didn't say anything.
"Do you want to?" He stood up and pulled both trouser legs down, giving the boy a pat on the shoulder.
Albion thought about it again, going over the possibilities, before ducking his head and nodding.
"Haha! Fantastic, we can you introduce to everyone~!"
"Ev'ryone?"
Germania groaned from his place on the floor. He leaned on his elbows and rubbed the back of his head.
"Vhat happened?"
"Germania~! Enjoy your nap?" Rome laughed.
"S-shut up." He picked himself up off the floor and stretched the kinks out his back. "Can't vait to get out of zhis armour."
"England agreed to come back with us!" Rome exclaimed. "This is great, isn't it?! I think everyone will love him!"
Germania looked at him then at England. Rolling his eyes and raking a hand through his blonde hair, "but what about his country then? What happens to that?"
"Hm… Oh~! I have an idea!" Rome left the tent again without another word.
"Damn impulsive man." Germania shook his head, "are you okay, Albion?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Wome made my knees feel better." He lifted his legs up and pointed to show him. "Germania, who is the others Wome keeps talkin' about?" Albion asked.
Germania smiled at first then it became more strained at the question. "Uh, vell. Ve look after other young nations like you. Zhere are two older zhan you; France and Prussia. Zhe others are Holy Rome, and zhe brothers North Italy and South Italy, who goes by Romano. Ve'll introduce you, so don't vorry."
"T-that's quite a lot… I could stay 'ere… I don' wanna be in the way…" Albion said miserably, preparing himself for being abandoned again. 'It's not like I 'ave known 'em for long anyway…'
"Nonsense, you vanted to come with us, didn't you? Rome didn't force you…?"
"I-I do! But if it's too much twouble… I could find my bwothers and Mama." Albion murmured slowly, thinking of what he would do if he was leave here, he could fine Wales but he could be with Ireland, who could be with Scotland. And that wouldn't be good. He saw a sad look fall on the elders face, was it something he said?
Germania pulled up a chair and sat in front of Albion, "Tell me about your family, Albion."
The small nation scrunched his face in thought before answering, "Well, I like Wales, he sometimes plays wif me... when he isn' wif Ireland. He usually is though. Ireland doesn' speak to me much, he says he's too busy all the time. I-I don' like Scotland... he's mean, he pushes me aroun' and calls me mean names. Mama woul' wead stories when she's home but lately she hadn' been. She looks really tired but doesn' stay at home and I wish she woul'." Albion finished with a whisper at the end of his explanation. Germania didn't say anything and Rome, who came in at the middle of the story, had a look on his face that Albion couldn't figure out. He looked around to ask Flying Mint Bunny if he'd said something wrong again, but he couldn't see him anywhere.
Rome cleared his throat and laid down an extra bed roll and covers near his own, "Somewhere for you to sleep England, you've had a big day and you must be tired."
"F-fank you." He jumped down off the table, inhaling rapidly when his knees stung a bit.
"I see you two tomorrow." Germania said as he stood to his full height.
"We'll be leaving for Italia as soon as possible." Rome told Germania as he left nodding.
"Did I say somefing wrong?" England asked Rome as he crawled into bed, trying to stop the massive yawn from escaping.
Rome chuckled, "No, of course not. Now sleep, it'll be a long journey tomorrow."
Sometime later, Flying Mint Bunny snugged into his face and woke him up. "Where haf you been?" He whispered to not wake Rome up.
The creatures beady black eyes opened again, "Looking for food, what else? There are a lot of people here, they're very loud." Bunny scowled.
"Are you gonna come wif me tomorrow?"
"You're leaving?" Bunny's ears stood upright.
"A place called Italia, you're the only friend I haf 'ere. I don' wanna go alone."
Flying Mint Bunny giggled, "Of course England! I'll be wherever you are!"
England grinned and stroked the green fur of the rabbit's head. "Fanks… Um, can you come wif me now?"
"Where are you going?"
"To look for somefing." England didn't say anymore and the green flying rabbit didn't ask.
Bunny nodded and they both left the tent silently.
They crept past the numerous tents scattered around and silently snuck behind the few still up and drinking.
Once they reached the forest, England was hesitant in going in; it looked a lot creepier in the dark.
"Want to go back?" Bunny suggested.
"No! I haf'ta go in." He gave a determined look and stormed into the woods. There were many strange noises echoing in the night. The young nation shivered and pulled his green hood up around his head. He heard a twig snap and his heart jumped, he didn't even look over to check what it was. He ran until his legs hurt, he noticed he had found dirt path way that he hadn't known could exist this deep in the forest. His cloak was shredded by the sharp thorns and pointed branches he ran through. He looked up again. In the distance there was the silhouette of a figure on the dirt path, at first Albion thought it was his mother and ran towards it with an ecstatic grin on his face, but as he got close, he saw her limbs were all twisted and broken, she was limping away from him, all unbalanced and swaying. Her clothes were all ripped and bloody and she had no shoes. Her ruined feet bent unnaturally.
He didn't mean to, he really didn't but he gasped, just a small, sharp intake of air, however that was enough to catch the woman's attention. She stopped and stilled for a couple of seconds, then suddenly with a crack her head whipped around and looked at the shaking boy with eyeless sockets.
There was no stopping the screech that erupted from his throat. He sprinted away from the lady, stopping only when he collapsed into the dirt, he curled into himself and around bunny, which hid under his cloak. He was laying there for a long time, shivering in a small ball and almost drifting off into sleep.
Thundering footsteps and calls of his name woke him up, but he couldn't get himself to move or make noise back, so he just hoped whoever it was would find him, unless it was that lady. No, he didn't want to see her ever again.
"Albion! Vhat are you doing out here? I zhought somezhing happened to you!" Germania raced up to the young blonde a swooped him into a warm and welcoming hug, off the cold, filthy ground. He rubbed his hand on the boys arm and brought him closer to his chest, trying to raise his body temperature.
"I-I jus' wanted to find Mama and say goodbye." He said in a muffled voice as he hid his face in the now cloak-clad chest. He felt cold and sick and he wished he'd stop getting into trouble.