Tributes

Chapter Eleven

A/N: Warning, spanking is a tag in this story and happens in this chapter. Tread carefully. 

The quiet did not last long. There was a yawn from beside them as Abel woke up, the young boy stretching wildly and waking the others accidentally as he nudged them. 

Silas groaned curling up tighter before sitting up suddenly and looking around. Almost visibly counting everyone and checking who was around him, before relaxing slightly. Though fear still drifting around him. Tyreol pulled the boy over and tucked him in beside him, Julia still on his lap. Julia shifting slightly, sliding so she was sitting on his other side. Tyreol kissed Silas on his forehead. "You're safe, little troublemaker," he murmured into Silas' hair. Silas twisted and wrapped his arms around Tyreol's neck for a brief and tight hug back. 

"Silas," Abel smiled sleepily as his eyes landed on his twin, "You're okay!" The twin moved over and hugged into his twin. Silas released Tyreol's neck to hug Abel and for a few moments, the two were curled up together like kittens. Tyreol was reminded of when he first met the boys, except it was now Silas who was trying to disappear into his twin brother's side. 

Heilan, now healed and whole, rolled out of bed and stood up gracefully. His hair longer, now drifting around his waist. Heilan pulled a face at it, the growth a side effect of his natural healing abilities. Tyreol had started the process but Heilan had been hurt badly by the dragon. Airean gave Paul one squeeze before following him, offering Heilan a ribbon of his arm. 

"We had better get to our duties, Master," Heilan declared, tying his hair up with the ribbon. He bowed low before practically pushing Airean towards the door. Airean bowed deeply to Tyreol before following Heilan's silent orders with a fond smile on his lips. 

"Don't do too much today," Tyreol warned. "I can't heal that well."

"I will be careful, Master," Heilan promised, with the tone of someone who as was used to hearing such thing. He pushed Airean out of the room much to Tyreol's amusement. 

Julia moved over to Paul, who was looking like an abandoned puppy now that Airean was gone. For a brief moment, they all remained in silence. His tributes not sure how to react at the moment. Julia was the only one looking at him. Silas and Abel still wrapped up in each other at his hip and Paul had his eyes were firmly on the bedsheets.

"Right," Tyreol intoned, his tone was firm and serious. "Time we had a talk, don't you think?" he hummed, ruffling the twins' hair gently. When no one said anything, he nodded. "On the floor. On your knees. Now!" he ordered. 

All four scrambled to obey. Tyreol catching Abel before he could literally fall off the bed. Abel blushed, murmuring thanks before joining the others in kneeling in a line at the foot of the bed. Shifting, he moved so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He did not want to loom over them, not with Paul being so skittish, but this is a serious moment and it needed to be treated as so. Watching over them, Tyreol didn't make them wait too long. "Paul, I think you have some explaining to do," he said calmly. 

The newest tribute seemed to turn almost green. Shrinking in on himself, making him look very small. He looked at the ground and said nothing. Tyreol could smell his fear. It was heavy and tasted sour on his tongue.  "Paul," He said more firmly, pushing his will on the boy.