Redsand Canyon acerbitas

upon parting ways with aquene and lady ruenna, germanicus padded back to the strip of red land between the sparring ring and the punishment grounds. 

here he called for @Kallik and @Glaukos, and when both had come to him, he looked at their dusty, bloodied faces.

"today you each proved you are a liability not only to mereo but to my goals for the military here." his tones were stern and unforgiving, the set of his jaw evincing the small show of anger he allowed them to see.

"glaukos." he advanced sharply upon the soldier. "do not for a moment consider that you cannot be beaten by anyone who trains here. i do not know who raised you, but they taught you nothing of humility." his stare bored into the boulder-man.

"kallik. i am told you strove for control and lost it at the last moment. this is not the first time you have your mind has escaped over a woman. let it be the last. aquene is able to fight for her own honor." his yellow eyes were harsh. 

germanicus stared between them for a long moment and then lifted his chin. "the canyon is very large. i am sending you both a day's journey into the south for a week. you will scout together. you will clear together. you will expand together. and you will presumably learn to work together or choose to die when a wild animal or enemy comes upon you."

"your promotions as well as the rest of those meant in mereo will be delayed for seven days. i mean this to come down on your heads from the others, make no mistake. one single careless action too often means death for more. you will learn that each choice you make affects each of us."

"kallik." he stared at the alabaster auxillary. "show me you are ready to give up your impulse by returning to me. glaukos," the eagle went on, his gaze shifting, "show me that you are ready to submit to authority by returning to me. if either of you do not return i will deem you a deserter. punishable by execution. if you leave your brother to die in the wild lands, i will think you a coward, punishable by exile." he did not bother to mention that if one managed to kill the other out from under his gaze, they would be subject to death as well. foolish as they were he did not think them so mindless.

"i will escort each of you to aquene. and then you will leave. you will take nothing. am i clear in the instruction i have given you?"

Kallik stood before the imperator, Glaukos at his side. He wondered what all Aquene had told him, but mostly he wondered what his punishment would be. 

Germanicus said they were a liability, and a knot of dread formed in his stomach. Suddenly he wondered if they were going to be discharged from Mereo. How could they remain here if the imperator thought they were a danger to everyone else? Shame and guilt swelled in his chest and made his throat dry. Old wounds reopened as he thought about being on his own again. He wondered if he would ever be able to get his shit together. 

His insides were a writhing mess of self hatred, but his face wore an icy mask. He stared and said nothing as the imperator addressed him specifically. He had been impulsive again, and that did not make a good soldier. Germanicus' words were a reminder of the first time had acted without thinking, he felt the shame from that all over again. 

aquene is able to fight for her own honor. Aquene was able to do many things. He wondered if he was only making things more difficult for her now. Maybe he should stay away from her altogether; maybe then he would finally be making a decision that positively affected the rest of Mereo. The thought made his chest hurt for a very different reason. 

But it quickly became apparent they would be given another chance. They were to spend a week exploring the southern part of the canyon, clearing it out and learning the land. It was something he would have preferred to do on his own. He thought he might rather push around the stupid boulder all day every day for a week than spend it alone with Glaukos. How were they supposed to trust the other to have their back after what had just happened. 

They were to return after a week, ready to be the soldiers the imperator expected them to be. If they didn't, they would be deserters and subject to execution. 

He wouldn't even be able to talk to Aquene before he left without Germanicus as an audience. They were to have their wounds tended and then be on their way. He considered requesting that the matrona treat Glaukos because he didn't want him near Aquene, but he assumed it would only incur more of the imperator's wrath. It had been perfectly clear that any argument from him or Glaukos would not be received well. 

After everything was said, the auxillary only nodded. He had nothing to say.

Somehow he was in trouble. It didn't make a lick of sense to Glaukos, but that wasn't new. He didn't understand much of what propelled Germanicus in the way that it did; as with all his punishments to this point, Glaukos did not feel they were deserving or practical.

He was told to wait and then to listen, and so he did that. His face hurt. He would take the time eventually to see Aquene and be treated - or Ruenna, or Tamar, or any of the others that had the skill. For now he watched the way the Imperator composed himself.

He listened more to the tone of his voice than the components of the message until it became clear that both Glaukos and his rival were being punished together. The ridge of fur between his shoulders serrated.

Blame somehow fell to both the boys.

I will escort each of you to Aquene. And then you will leave. You will take nothing. Am I clear in the instruction I have given you?

Glaukos was grimacing. It was hard to tell between his usual surliness and his new injury, which was the reason for the glare in his eye; but he said nothing. As Kallik turned to leave the slightest movement of the other boy made Glaukos swing his head and stare after him - but then he was alone, and with a look to Germanicus, went on his way as well.

Each would be tended. Then together they'd have to forge some kind of understanding. Any chance for brotherhood between the ice man and the black bear was extremely limited.