Changing his tunic, and pulling on some new pants, Germania then put on his green hooded cloak, and his suede wrist bands. Once that was done, he walked to the kitchen where the boys were, and he motioned over his eldest boy. He knelt down.
"I know you will take care of everything...and I do not want to come back to Hölle." He stood up and nodded to both the children, as he really needed to get out and possibly find the lost nation.
Prussia nodded and would not disappoint Germania, not this time. He clutched Ludwig's hand still, not wanting to let it go just in case he decided to get kidnapped himself. Prussia turned to Austria.
"Roddie, I know we have had our share of differences, but we must unite together and keep the house while Vati is away." He said putting a hand out to the cousin.
In the woods Basch tried struggling again swinging back and forth and decided maybe was a good time to start trying to shout for help. Maybe even a squirrel might come along and chew through the rope. All he could think about was that if he ever managed to get back home, he would never leave it again.
Roderich nodded. He did not want to upset his uncle, and whatever he needed to do to make things perfect, he responded.
"Ja...Gilbert...I suppose we need to unite. Okay then...let's have some bread." Germania walked out of the house, and his main focus was making sure his nephew was fine and okay. If anything had happened, he would blame himself. He had his dagger, and his bows and arrows, in case creatures were out. As he walked further, he held his hands to his mouth, and called out.
"Basch? Basch! Are you out here little one? Basch?" He shouted loudly, hoping the child could hear him. He was worried.
Prussia nodded at his cousin. He did not want to start some trouble, as he knew he needed to be good for his Vati.
"Ja bread! Bread will give us strength and is a good thing to use to TOAST our temporary alliance. Ha ha...TOAST...bread! Do you get it Roddie? HA HAA!" Prussia giggled and started for the bread and the jam.
Basch's throat was getting hoarse, hanging upside down didn't help and now he was getting thirsty and hungry. His foot was now throbbing and going numb from being tangled from the rope, and then he suddenly heard a rustling and started to look around hoping it wasn't a bear.
Roderich looked over to his cousin, and his face just stayed the same. He shook his head, and slightly smiled.
"Oh Gilbert, you are just so silly..." He reached out as well and grabbed some bread for himself, and also put some jam on it.
Walking through the leaves, and looking around, Germania saw through the trees that the sun was peaking in. He called out again, hoping that maybe the boy was perhaps sitting by a tree alone.
"BASCH! BASCH? WHERE ARE YOU?" He called louder this time. Thinking to himself, he hoped the hell the boy was alright. "Basch Zwingli?"
Basch gasped as he heard his name being called. He couldn't tell who it was or who would even be looking for him. He started to struggle more and his heart racing now. Tears were threatening more than ever.
"I'm here! I'm here, stuck HELP ME!" He cried swinging his arms around. The tree creaking as he swung back and forth. Looking around, Germania's ears perked up, and suddenly ran to the voice.
"Basch? Basch..." The child was close, he knew it. He suddenly stopped and gasped. He knew there were traps that were set around here. For the deer around. They made delicious jerky, and the fur was warm. He walked further, and kept an eagle eye out. As he walked, he heard the moaning, and looked up to see the child struggling in the snare. "BASCH! ARE YOU OKAY LITTLE ONE?"
Basch looked up, or down in this case and saw Germania. He felt relieved. He never thought he would be so happy to see his uncle, he shook his head no.
"Nein...I can't feel my foot anymore and my head hurts and I need to pee!" He said in a terrible sniffled whine. Shaking his head to reassure the boy that everything was going to be okay, he looked to the child in a non threatening stare.
"Its going to be okay Basch. I am going to get you down, but you need to be patient with me, because I have to cut you down from the trap." He took his dagger from his sheath and looked back to the boy. "I am going to climb up, and get you. So you need to stay calm." He started for the tree, and inched his way up the tree trunk. His amazing skills at climbing even overwhelmed him. Arriving to the child, he spoke to him softly. "Are you ready for me to help you down?" His eyes narrowed, and he looked to Switzerland with compassion.
"D-don't drop me Onkel!" He said his eyes closed tightly. He was trembling a little from being in the position so long upside down, his uncle now seemed like an angel of mercy. Like he was being rescued from the jaws of death. "
"I wouldn't dare." He reached over and holding the ropes, he started to cut with his dagger. He needed to be quick, cause once the ropes were cut, the boy would drop. He did it quickly, and the ropes started to slip. "Agh...little one, hang on...I gotcha!" His dagger fell to the ground, but he managed to hold the boy with one arm, while also holding the tree trunk. "I got you..."
"AHH!" He let out a small cry and clutched onto whatever he could grab. He was sure that he was going to drop and fall and break his neck, but there he was suspended in the air, like a great rescue. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Germania. "Y-you did it Onkel...y-you didn't drop me!"
Climbing down the tree, with the child in tow, he nodded, and arrived down to the ground. He knelt down, and held the boy close.
"Ja...I did not drop you...I wouldn't have dropped you...never." He looked to the child, getting slightly emotional, because the boy was family, and it upset him. He pulled the child closer, embracing him tightly, tears building up in his eyes. "Oh Basch..."
Basch didn't know what to think or say. His uncle had come all the way out there looking for him. Maybe he had misjudged his uncle Germania.
"Y-you came looking for me? W-why?" He said with a sniffle holding onto him, just happy that he was not hanging upside down. Hugging him, and wiping a tear from his eye, he pulled the boy from him, and breathed a little.
"Ja...my little Basch...you may not think, and judging from the past day, but I care about you and Roderich as if you were Mein own sons." His eyes grew a little stern then. "And because of that...I worried about you very much. What were you thinking young man? Coming out this way, when you could have been killed, taken away, or hurt? Seriously what were you thinking?" He held the boy closer now...raising an eyebrow.
Basch felt the conversation turn and he lowered his head not wishing to look at that stern face of Germania, he felt ashamed too.
"I...I was homesick for my mountains. And...and, I thought I would just go back." He said the last part a little quieter. "I'm sorry Onkel, my intention was not to offend you. I thought it would be less trouble for you this way."
Not letting the child out of his arms, he just sighed and looked down, shaking his head slightly.
"I understand you being homesick...and yes, I know you want to go back, but alone? You could have seriously hurt yourself. These woods are dangerous. Very, very dangerous."
He ran a hand to the boy's cheek and stroked it. It took every bit of him not to break down. The elder nation could be very sensitive if he worried himself to think bad things. Tilting his head to the side, he let out a cough, and then sniffed back a tear.
"I know your intentions were well, but Basch...I would have been more troubled had something out here grabbed you, attacked you, or KILLED YOU." He was slightly huffing now, but not wanting the boy to be upset. "You understand you are getting a spanking for causing me worry now don't you?" Basch stiffened a little sucking in sharply and his cheeks blushed.
"Nein...please Onkel. I do not understand." Though he did, this felt different than before though, the first time had been unfair and unearned. Now he was mostly scared and rigid to it. This time he felt scared and guilty at the same time because deep inside he knew Vati was right. "I can do some chores for you Onkel Germania, and I can swear an oath on paper that I will not leave your house alone again." Ever the diplomat, he had to try.
"Little one...I am not going to argue this. Had I not come out here and found you, the cold would surly kill you, or Gott forbid some animal would have found you. I would never forgive myself if something happened. So, I really have no other choice." Holding the boy close, he then adjusted himself to get down on one knee. He positioned the boy face down over his knee, and held him tightly. "I will however keep some dignity and not deliver it on the bare." He raised his palm, and delivered a sound smack.
Basch didn't think it would be now. He thought it would be after they got back, at home in the barn or something but suddenly he was staring at the leafy foliage of the ground pressed against Germania's knee. He gave a wiggle and a kick.
"Onkel...Onkel...please! Nein! Please not now!" He cried out and then gasped as the felt the first smack it seemed odd that now when he knew he was getting it for something he did wrong. This time it felt tons worse and his eyes watered. "O-Onkel!" Holding the child tightly, as he was wiggling, he shook his head.
"Nein...I will punish you here, away from the house. This is something between the two of us, and you must accept it." He lifted his hand again, and delivered two smacks now. He had felt bad to do this because the boy had been well behaved, but this was unacceptable. If any of his children did the same, they would receive the same punishment. Another smack landed on the upturned little bottom.
The child's wiggling became more feeble. He didn't have that much strength left in him after being upside down for that long, and just started to cry, sobbing loudly his head dropping down, letting the painful well deserved smacks fall. Deep inside he was grateful to Germania for doing it here and not in front of anyone else, that would have been worse. But a spanking was a spanking and was not welcome at any time.
"I'm sorry Onkel I wont do it again I swear!"
Handing out the smacks now harder and more quickly, it killed him to do this to Basch, but Prussia and Ludwig had both wandered off, and nothing made a firm impact on them more than a sound spanking.
"Ahem...Ja, I know you will not wander off again young man." The last smacks fell, and once he was done, he lifted the child upright, and held him against his chest, embracing him, and running a hand up and down, rubbing the smarting area. "There, there Lieber...its alright now..."
He sniffled and sobbed still and gave a hiccup. Yes it was much worse to be spanked when you felt you deserved it. He clutched to his uncle and nodded his head.
"D-Danke f-for rescuing me Onkel." He said in a small voice through his sniffles.
"Mmmmm...hmmm...okay then little one..." He stood up, but not before planting a large kiss on top of the boy's head. He looked around the outside, and felt the weather changing, getting slightly colder. Shivering a little, he cleared his throat, and chocked his head to the side, not really knowing what the child was going to say when he asked the question. "Er...um Basch...little one. It is getting quiet cold. Do you want me to carry you back to the house? It is a little ways to my home...do you want that?" He had an empathetic look to him, now feeling bad that he had spanked the child, but not that guilty. Basch nodded his head.
"If...its not too much trouble I would appreciate it...Ja." He said this as his legs were still weak feeling from the snare and now that he understood Germania and trusted him he raised his arms up to him to be held, not ashamed in doing so.
Not saying a word, but smiling warmly to the little boy, he reached down, and pulled him into his arms. It was indeed chilly, and he wrapped the loose remains of his cloak around the child. Stroking his cheek again, he leaned his head down.
"Okay little one...let's head back. Lean your head down, and we'll get you back. I am almost betting you'll want a nice hot breakfast." He looked around, seeing if anything was left, and then seeing as there was nothing, he trudged the ground, heading back to the house.
It felt good and comforting to be held like this. Basch didn't have many people in his life that he trusted. His uncle Germania was now one of those people. He nodded his head.
"Ja...I only had a little bread before my journey." The child then gasped a little while holding on tight. "D-Do you think the other boys will know? I mean you don't have to tell them what happened Ja?" Holding the child more firmly, he looked to the child, and into his eyes.
"Nein...what happened is between you and I. That is primarily why I gave you punishment away from everyone. It is not their business to know, and if anyone questions you, I will personally see to it that they are dealt with sternly." He sighed and walked, seeing the house approach in the distance. "Though little one...my boys know very well what happens if one of them wander off...but like I said, nothing will be said." He adjusted the cloak, so it covered more warmly.
Basch could only hope Prussia would press or ask stupid questions, the little nation snuggled up into the cloak and sighed, his ankle still felt soar along with his bottom.
"Danke Onkle Germania. I…I don't want to see anyone else get into trouble though. I still don't believe in spankings." He bit his lip and blushed wondering how it was that word made him blush so easily.
Walking a bit further, they arrived at the door, but Germania did not go in yet, nor did he put the little nation down.
"Well...believe it or not, it is something I am a firm believer in, and quite frankly, your little cousin needs it often." He looked over, and saw Basch's little ankle sticking out. "Oh Gott...Basch...I need to take a look at that...come, let's go inside, and I will tend to the wound."
Inside the house Prussia was standing on a chair a spatula in his hand declaring himself lord of the house with a paper crown on his head and a blanket around his shoulders.
Holding the child, Germania walked to the front door and turned the handle. Walking inside, he looked over to the chair that his lovable Prussia was standing on, and not meaning to, he got slightly annoyed.
"Ugh, Mein Gott Gilbert...what are you doing?" He said this in a slight tone. Ludwig, and Roderich looked over, and Austria had a smile form on his face.
"Basch! Oh you are alright! Yay!" He ran over to his uncle's legs, and embraced them. Basch blushed as he saw the other boys especially Roderich. He knew he had worried him.
"I'm sorry Roddie." Prussia still standing on the chair turned his arms outstretched.
"AHH! the prodigal has returned! Vati did you spank him yet? Should I go get the strap?" Prussia looked in earnest, he knew the rules so it didn't seem to him as if he had said anything bad. Basch on the other hand blushed harder and pulled the cloak to hide his face.
Germania walking past where Prussia was standing, while ignoring him, walked to the wood scrubbed counter top, and placed the boy down, having his little legs swing. He leaned down, whispering.
"Stay here, and off your ankle Basch, I need to get some ointment, and a cloth." Turning back around, he looked over to Gilbert, and walked over to him. He reached over, and picked the boy up from the chair, and placed him down on the floor. Grabbing the spatula out of Gilbert's hand, he then quickly rapped the boy on the bottom, and smirked. "The strap won't be necessary Gilbert. Go ahead and take off your little costume, I need to tend to your cousin." Looking over to Roderich, he smiled. "Hello little one...please do me a favor and go to the washroom and get a cloth." The nation nodded and ran to the bathroom.
Gilbert disliked very much that his scepter had been used against him and that he had been dethroned at Vati's return. He didn't have much say except for a small yelp and a rub to his bottom, which didn't hurt much, but it was the thought that had counted. He did not want to be on Vati's bad side. That had only been a small warning to the little one and he knew it. Prussia tried to rebound.
"Is he alright? Did he hurt himself? Was he being attacked by a bear?" Basch held his hurting foot out, as he was surly bruised, maybe sprained at the worst. It still hurt.
"Don't touch it Onkel, please...it really hurts!"
Roderich ran back into the living room, and handed the cloth to his uncle. Germania took it and walked back over to the counter. He looked down to Prussia who was curious.
"Nein Gilbert, your cousin just hurt it in a little accident in the woods. I am not going into details, so you never mind asking." He turned back to Switzerland and turned to the cabinets and opened the doors, pulling out a tinted yellow paste. He set it on the counter, and then wet the cloth with some warm kettle water. He looked back to the little nation. "Basch, to risk infection, I need to put some salve on it, so you need to be brave alright?"
"I…I am brave". He said trying hard to straighten his back. But his eyes were wide as if he were about to cry. Prussia pressed forward to his cousin, as it seemed that Germania wasn't going to tell him.
"What happened Basch? Were you captured and tortured by gypsies? Did they make you their slave and do horrible things to you?"
Germania took the cloth, and poured some of the salve on it. He then walked over, and took up Basch's little ankle in his hand. He looked up before he applied the ointment.
"I know you are brave Basch. This is going to help it, and though it might sting a little, just please try to grin and bear it please." He applied the paste, and then looked over to Prussia still annoyed. "Gilbert...do not ask your cousin questions about where he was, and what he did, it is very rude. Go find something to do until I finish, and I will make something better for breakfast. Your cousin is in pain, and tired. He doesn't need your little nagging right now." He went back to the ankle, covering it, there was some bad swelling. Over to the side was some clothing wrap that he would use as a makeshift little cast. Ludwig walked over, and stared.
"Wow...Vati...its all purple and bruised." The little one was so amazed. Prussia walked over to his brother and smacked the back of Ludwig's head
"Nein didn't you hear Vati? Don't ask questions!
"Owwwwww...ughhh...uhmmm..." Ludwig felt the smack to his head, and then pouted, running away to the couch in the living room. Gilbert continued to berate his brother.
"Whatever happened to Basch must have been so terrible and traumatic that he will be scared for LIFE!" At this little Basch had enough of Prussia's terrible guessing and shouted out loud.
"I got trapped in a SNARE? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW GILBERT? NOW SHUT UP ABOUT IT YOU ARSHLOCH!"
Germania looked over, and then gazed over at Gilbert, and then gasping at Basch. He finished wrapping Switzerland's ankle, and had him stay on the counter. Then setting his hands down, he spoke to both children.
"GILBERT...ENOUGH! UGH...GO TO THE CORNER!" He then looked to Basch. "And you little one...unless you want your teeth soaped, I had better never hear that word come out of your mouth ever again!" He shook a finger, keeping a firm stare.
Gilbert was flabbergasted and opened his mouth to argue, but seeing that Basch was in trouble, saw no need to and went over to the corner quickly. Basch hadn't even realized he had said what he had, as he had just gotten so upset he became flustered and shook his head ducking his head down.
"Ah...sorry Onkel I..I didn't mean to say it I..I just got...upset."
Grabbing the child up in his arms, he walked over to the table, and sat the boy down in a chair. Standing back up, he nodded.
"Hmmmm...well, let that be a warning to you little one, lye soap is not at all pleasant, I assure you." He looked over to Gilbert standing in the corner. "Gilbert can vouch for that, having his fair share of uttering naughty words." He then walked over to where Ludwig was, and looked over to the couch. "Come Ludwig, sit at the table, next to your cousin." Looking over to Austria, he cleared his throat. "You too Roderich." Walking back to the stove top, he put some more kindling. He then turned to his eldest. "Gil...come here please..."
Gilbert didn't say anything and went over when Germania called him, he didn't want this day to end badly and was going to try hard to be obedient. He went up to Germania and waited standing in front of him. Basch felt as if he had barely avoided a terrible fate and made a mental note to not lose his temper again. At least not when he was around Germania.
Getting down on one knee, Germania pulled the nation close to him, and embracing him tightly. He kissed the child on the cheek, and held him.
"Danke Gilbert...Danke for making sure the house was safe. You are my good little Wicht." He smiled, and even though the child made him batty, he still loved him. "I must cook breakfast, so go and sit down okay?"
Prussia nodded and went to obey Vati and sat down. It was boring now that he wasn't in charge of the house anymore and things had settled, he swung his feet back and forth and started to poke Austria in the side because it was fun.