In the end, he lies.
Bermuda doesn't tell his Father where Jager really came from. After all, what was he supposed to say 'I pulled him out of a river thinking he was treasure'? Honestly, his father would have tore his hide for going near that river and then most likely thrown Jager back into it himself.
Its better this way, he tells himself as he meets the man's cold eyes, "He's mine. I bought him from his abusive uncle when I caught the man trying to beat him to death."
The best lies always hold a grain of truth. Its something his Mother once told him- May she rest in peace- and it must be true as his Father's eyes soften slightly as he accepts Bermuda's falsehood for the truth. It helps Jager doesn't understand a word he says and therefore cannot go against his claim.
Later, Bermuda promises himself, he would make it up to the younger- After all, he was all but enslaving the other with his words alone- though at the moment, he just permits the younger to cling onto his arm while emerald eyes watch the interaction between him and his Father with open caution as though Jager expected the elder to suddenly reach out and attack them.
Then again, maybe he did.
Bermuda's father had once informed his of the savage of the distance lands and how those from the Fatherland were blessed. At the time, the dark eyed child had believed they were just words meant to dissuade him from ever wanting to visit those other lands but if they weren't- seeing as Bermuda had fount Jager wrapped in a blanket and thrown in a river that would have he not mistaken the package and rescued him before he reached the hazard zone...
Well, Bermuda thought to himself as he tightened his hold upon the others hand and made his excuse to pardon himself and the younger child, he would have to work with Jager on the issue.
A soft sigh left the black eyed child as he guided the younger up the stairway and towards his bedroom. No doubt Jager would have plenty of issues for Bermuda to work through but some would take time. Therefore- for the moment- he would deal with the ones he could such as ensuring the younger had a proper bath, warm food to eat, bandaging his wounds and supplying proper clothes.
After all, while Jager was no panther, Bermuda now owned him and nothing of his would go around broken and dressed in rags.
If Jager is honest, there's something about Lord Veckenschtein- as Bermuda said to call him- that unnerved the emerald eyed four year old.
He couldn't really explain it if asked- for all intentions he had just meet the man. It wouldn't be fair to form an opinion without knowing him- but the small voice softly whispering in the back of his head warned him against such a thing. It didn't want him alone with the man long enough to speak a sentence. let alone get to know him and if nothing else Jager had learned- the hard way- the voice was usually right.
So he keeps close to Bermuda- he didn't know why but his instincts and the voice both seemed to agree the older child was safety- while keeping his silence as he permits the older boy to guide him up the stairs despite the pain in his chest as every step he takes upset his broken ribs.
All the while, trying to pretend he doesn't feel Lord Veckenschtein's glacier cold eyes following their every move.
Bermuda doesn't release his hand until Jager finds himself standing inside what must be the other boy's bedroom- there's not really much there a large bed, a wooden bookshelf filled with assorted tomes, a small desk in the corner of the room with a half melted candlestick resting upon it next to what appeared to be a feather pen of some sort, and a few small things here and there- before the soulless eyed boy give him a pointed look, "Don't leave this room, Jager. I need to tell one of the Servants to bring water so we can clean you up."
Its clear the other expects to be obey and to be honest, Jager wasn't quite sure where he would go was he given the opportunity, so he just nods in agreement while shifting slightly on his heels. Soulless black eyes stared into emerald a moment longer before Bermuda gave a firm nod, gently ruffled the younger's hair and headed for the door.
When Bermuda returns with a woman carrying a wooden pale, Jager cannot help but observe them as they empty it within an old fashioned tub within a side room. Only when its halfway full does the older boy seem satisfied as he speaks in his strange language towards the blond haired woman who speaks the same language in rapid fire before leaving the room.
"Jager, come here. We need to get you out of those rags. "
The water's like ice, but Jager finds he doesn't mind as it soothes the aches and throbbing of his bruised- and broken- body as gentle hands scrub at the blood staining his skin. Its relaxing, Jager discovers as his mind seems to drift in a dense fog and his eyelids slowly close theirselves.
To be honest, it took Bermuda a moment to realize Jager had fallen asleep on him- though he's not all that surprised, the other had went through a great deal today and for who knew how long. This was probably the first time he ever had a chance to relax- but it doesn't bother the older child as he shakes his head and continues attempting to scrub the blood off the other's pale skin.
It was probably best this way, Bermuda decides as he eyes the younger's broken- shattered and dislocated- arm. Fixing it would be much easier for the both of them with Jager asleep rather than awake.
He was like a puppy.
A foreign, broken and very confused puppy, Bermuda decided as he forced the other to sit down next to him and piled food upon the younger's plate in order to curb his sudden urge to break something- hopefully, Jager's old family- in a fit of justified rage.
It was bad enough Jager had insisted he didn't deserve Bermuda's old clothes from his younger days and that 'Freaks weren't allowed to sleep in beds like normal people' but to deny someone food when their had been an excess of it- After all, Jager did call his Uncle 'Walrus' and his cousin 'Pig' when Bermuda attempted to ask for their names under the pretense of learning a bit more about the younger. In all honestly, he had been wondering could he pay someone to put a hit out on them if he had their names- was unforgivable.
Just thinking about it had filled Bermuda with a homicidal rage- he had seen the condition of Jager's body the night before riddled with assorted scars and wounds- then to hear 'The Rules' from Jager's own mouth had only seemed to solidify the reality surrounding the younger boy.
He wanted to torture and kill the bastards behind it. Epically when he realized Jager didn't even know the date- the other had just stared in open confusion the moment Bermuda had informed him it was August 10, 1554- as they hadn't even bothered to inform the younger of that.
Taking a breath- he had to stay clam. Jager would need him to be calm and steady. Not homicidal- soulless black eyes focused on the younger child next to him, "Jager, I don't care what your old family told you. Discard all their rules as from now on, only mine are important and the first one of mine is that you must eat at least three meals a day. "
For a moment, emerald eyes just stare at him before the younger nods reluctantly as the younger's eyes move down onto his stacked plate as though unsure- wither or not he could eat so much- of what he could take that wouldn't send the rest crashing towards the floor. Okay, even Bermuda would admit he might had been a little overzealous in stacking the other with food.
"Start at the top, Jager. You don't have to eat it all," He doubted the younger could even if he wanted to, "though I would prefer it if you ate at least a third of it. "
If Jager would eat at least a third of his plate every day- and Bermuda always stacked a small mountain upon it- maybe then the younger wouldn't be literal skin and bones.
August 10, 1554.
Jager would admit he didn't know much- Walrus and Horse had went through a great deal to ensure of that- but he would like to think he knew the date and last he checked it had been December 24, 1984- It was hard to forget that when Pig had been screaming all morning about a list of everything he currently wanted and how he expected everything and nothing less- so how was this possible?
"Jager," the sound of fingers snapping in his face drew the younger's attention back towards reality and in turn Bermuda, "Focus. I understand learning a new language is difficult but this is necessary seeing as few in the Deutschland speak English. Now repeat after me: Hallo, mein Name ist Jäger."
"Hallo, man name is Jager."
"No, Jager, listen: Hallo, mein Name ist Jäger. Man is the English word for a male while Mein translates into 'My'. When you say 'Mein Name' you are saying 'My Name' instead of 'Man Name'. Now try again."
"Hallo, mein name ist Jäger."
A smile formed on the other's face as he nodded his head, "Perfect. Now I want you to repeat it back to me ten times and if all goes smoothly we can attempt another sentence. "
Nodding, Jager took a breath as he complied to the other's request. Honestly, every now and then he would slip- his words slurred, mispronounced or stuttered- which would lead to Bermuda having him start over until he could speak the sentence smoothly.
It was difficult, but Jager didn't mind as this was the first time someone had ever taken a moment to teach him anything.
"Good. Now this next one is a bit more difficult: Ich lebe im Veckenschtein Manor."
"He's trailing after you again, Young Master."
Bermuda couldn't help but pause misstep as he glance upwards at the amused maid- Mila, if he remembered correctly- who was glancing past him and further down the hall. Sighing softly, the dark haired child waved his hand dismissively as he turned slightly to glance down the hallway towards the smaller child who was peaking around the edge of a doorway.
"Jager, if you're going to follow me you might as well walk besides me."
Honestly, Bermuda found himself tempted to smile as the smaller shuffled in his spot with a look on his face that reminded the elder child a lot of one who had just been caught with their hand in the Cookie Jar. Apparently he wasn't the one with such thoughts as soft giggles reached his ears, "Where did you find this one, Young Master?"
Bermuda didn't really get a chance to answer as Jager somehow managed to trip mid-step, forcing the older boy to rush forward to catch the younger before he hit the floor, "Jager, when you want to move around quickly in a house; you speed walk not run otherwise you'll end up tripping over an unsettled board and having a personal introduction with the floors."
"Sorry," the emerald eyed toddler mumbled softly as he tightened his grip upon Bermuda's arm while straightening himself out.
"Another thing, Jager, when you go to speak make sure not to mutter. Its rude and difficult to understand. "
"Sorry."
Sighing softly at the younger's mumbling, Bermuda begin to continue on his way down the hall, "We'll work on it."
