Path reached out to reassure Skylark once more, but the young dragon had already dashed into the room. Path stood rooted to the spot as he heard the heated exchange inside followed by Edge's frantic screans. He should go in. Help. Tell Skylark off and comfort his mate, but....it was getting hard to breathe again. His chest hurt, heart pounding heavily against his ribcage. He barely reacted when Edge burst out, clutching his bleeding arm. Path just wstched him, licking his lips as if he were about to speak. Pretend to be oblivious or act concrrned and rush to him, but instead he kept silent and let Edge drag him.

 Dimly, he remembered how he used to lick Edge's wounds clean and close them up with his own blood. The urge to fo so came back strongly to him, but he noticed the way Edge kept his arm away. Was he thst repuksed at Path's weaknesses? Is that why he never touched him like he used to?....

 He remained mute as he sat on the bed, eyes trained on Edge. Then on the cowering Skylark and tge frightened Sleipnir. "Edge, not infront of the young..." He said softly, the first words out of his mouth made him cringe. They were pleading instead of stern and oh....how disgusted he was with himself. Silent, he watched Edge breakdown and cry, what a mess. This was not his mate, his mate was.....

 "Sleipnir...Skylark..." He said softly to address them and remind Edge they were still in the room. Gently, he pulked the blanket over the sobbing human and slid off the bed to usher them out. Outside the room. He stared down at them both, "Stay outside here, do not go elsewhere....Skylark. ..we will...talk about this, you shouldn't have done that to Daddy...."

 Sleipnir had been shaken when his brother burst into the room and pounced on Daddy. The warm moment soured and suddenly Daddy was hurt and Skylark was saying Father was hurt too and...when did Daddy's voice get so scary? He, likewise, clung to his brother more in confusion than fear. Clinging tightly to him alk the way out, he could feel him trembling.

 Silently, he sent his thoughts over, all the comforting ones of warmth and love, but it didnt serm enough. So he hugged his brother tightly, then leaned forward and kissed him soundly on the lips. He didnt see Psth freeze at the gesture.

 "Skeipnir, where did you learn that?" Father's voice sounded strained for some reason. Sleipnir looked up at him, eyes wide, "Daddy just thought me..it means love." He said in a soft voice as he turned his attention to Skylark, "I love my brother and everything will be alright."

 Softly, Path closed the door.
 
 Staring over at his sobbing lover, he once again was frozen to the spot. His head hurt as he tried to digest what Sleipnir had just told him. His heart ached and everything screamed at him that it was some distorted form of the truth. No, Edge would never.....not his Edge. "What did you wish to talk about?"