-II-

"You will stay in bed for today and won't work for the rest of the week," the doctor said in a no-nonsense tone.

"What shall I do the whole day?"

"Most important not thinking too much. Speak with the people you need to speak with to get whatever is troubling you from your chest and then let the others entertain you. I'm sure they will find something to make you forget the pain. You know the painkiller will only lessen the pain and not make it-"

"I'm a Potion's Master," Severus said grumpily. "Am I at least allowed to go to the meals?"

"Not today, Severus. You will stay in bed and the next days you will rest."

Severus rolled his eyes. Just fantastic, and there he had thought it couldn't get worse.

-II-

"Are you willing to speak with Black Hawk? If not we will have another nervous stomach disease patient," White Cloud said as she brought breakfast for Severus into his room. "You two could eat together. He is still hiding from Rose."

"Where is Light Arrow?" Severus asked, finding it odd that she only mentioned Rose.

"He is in the town to speak with the landlord of that pub you-"

"What? NO!"

"Severus lay down again or I will immobilize you," White Cloud said warningly.

Severus groaned. "No, no, no," he chanted, his face hidden behind his free hand.

"Stop that. There is nothing you can do about that, except of speaking with your father about whatever happened yesterday."

"I can't, please Mom, you don't understand."

The old woman sighed and sat down on Severus' bed. "Maybe I would understand when you tell me about it."

"Merlin, it was one big mistake, but did he have to go into town to interrogate? He will dramatize it all."

"He will dramatize what?"

Severus sighed. "Okay, if you need to know. I pointed my wand at the barkeeper, and Black Hawk and I got in a bit of trouble with him." He paused a while hoping White Cloud would start to scold him, so he didn't have to tell the rest, but the old woman knew him too well. "And later outside the bar I behaved very immature and... and got in trouble with Crying Horse."

"You got what?" Now White Cloud was shocked.

"I didn't want to come back with him and he... well he made me come with him."

"Crying Horse was the one injuring you?"

That definitely went in the wrong direction. Maybe he shouldn't have told her about it, but there was enough people outside the bar who surely saw what happened. Why did she always have to be so shocked by any kind of violence? "I must say I'm quite glad that he did, and he didn't realize that he was hurting me. I didn't tell him."

"I really don't know what to say to this. I need to think about this all first. I will tell Black Hawk that he can eat with you, right?"

"There is more," Severus stated. He had a very bad feeling in his guts about Light Arrow's visit in the town. It would be for the best to tell White Cloud everything so she could calm Light Arrow before he had the opportunity to storm up to them and give them the lecture of their life. With screaming, spitting and forcing Severus and Black Hawk to think about their stupidity, for surely quite some time. No, the old man made absolutely no distinction between kids or adult when he was mad. Maybe they even had to go with him on a sabbatical walk. Merlin, that would be embarrassing.

"I don't know if my heart will be able to manage more, Severus." Of course her heart could. She was a pureblood Cherokee woman out of a shaman family. They get three times older than Muggles, and older than normal magical folks as well. So Light Arrow and White Cloud were not even in the middle of their life, even if they look as if they were already in the last third of it. Shaman people were made to rule, heal and support, and that can best be managed in older age. That's the reason why they age outside like a Muggle. Between 60-80 years of age they stop aging visibly and remain like they are for the rest of their life. Only in the last twenty years of their life they start to feel real aging problems and that gives them enough time to give all their knowledge to an apprentice. Light Arrow and White Cloud only were 68 and 62. So they were healthy and had no real heart problems.

"So you don't want to hear it? I think it would be better or Dad will kill Black Hawk and me when he comes back."

"Just the fact that you called us mom and dad several times shows me how serious this all is. Not that I mind you calling me mom." She looked kindly, but worriedly at him. "So get it off your chest, but I can't promise you anything about calming your father."

"When he speaks with the barkeeper, he will learn that... promise me you won't get angry."

"Severus, how old are you?"

He rolled his eyes. It was worth a try. "Black Hawk was very drunk, and when I got in trouble with the barkeeper, he came over as well. Then he... he wanted to make the man sell me some alcohol." Bam! There it was. The big bomb had dropped and splinters hit White Cloud hard.

"No. Tell me that isn't true," she said, shocked. When Severus said no more, she stood up. "Maybe it is better you two eat separately."

Severus grabbed for her hand. "No, Mom, please. He was drunk. You cannot hold that against him."

"No wonder he is behaving like he is, Severus. That is serious. Never should he have tried to influence you to drink. There is no excuse for that, not even being drunk."

"I did worse things while being drunk. Please don't make this harder on him then it already is. Let me speak with him. Someone should be there for him when Dad comes back. He won't understand it and he... he..."

"We will see what he will do, Severus. I need to think as well. I will just send him over here, and then I will wait for your Dad."

Ten minutes later the door opened, and Black Hawk squeezed himself in. "Don't say anything, Night Rain. I was such a moron. I should have never, never said that. I could beat myself. Merlin I'm such a bastard. I swear I will never drink again."

"Calm down, Black Hawk. We know each other long enough that we know how the other rolls. I think we should hold together now because Light Arrow is in town and is speaking with the landlord of the pub. When he comes back we will be in trouble."

"We? I will be in trouble, Night Rain. And I deserve it. How could I try to get you something to drink and encourage you? I'm such a bastard. I'm just like..."

"No, you are not. Stop talking like that. You are a grown man, we shouldn't have the same conversation we had almost twenty years ago."

"But I'm not one bit better or wiser. I'm not worthy of being your brother." Meanwhile Black Hawk had broken down on his knees in front of Severus.

"Oh, stop it, you jerk. You are and you always will stay my favorite brother, okay? Nothing can change that, especially not something you said while you were dead drunk. You should get a grip on yourself before Light Arrow comes back." Severus didn't know what to do. Now Black Hawk even started to cry. So he was glad when Red Horse came in.

Without saying anything, Red Horse came over to Black Hawk and pulled him in an embrace. Long minutes passed before Black Hawk calmed down enough to stop crying. "Better?" Red Horse asked gently.

Black Hawk nodded, but didn't make any move to leave his brother's arms. "He will kill me, and I deserve it."

"He will not. You made a mistake, and hey that's nothing new for you, isn't it. Light Arrow is used to it," Red Horse said teasingly.

"Very helpful, big bro," Black Hawk said and finally sat up. "Has Night Rain told you about yesterday?"

"Yes, I have, and White Cloud knows as well. I hope she will catch Light Arrow before he comes to us," Severus said uncomfortably.

"Damn, I feel sick," Black Hawk said.

"That's because you drank your head off yesterday. You should have known that you are not used to drinking after such a long time without alcohol. You never tolerate alcohol very much, Black Hawk," Red Horse said reproachfully.

"I will never drink again. Not after what I did to Night Rain, you must believe me," Black Hawk pleaded with Red Horse. He didn't know why it was so important to him that his big brother believed him and would help him. "Do you think he will chuck me out?" Pure horror and panic stood on Black Hawk's face.

"Black Hawk, you must stop that." Red Horse pulled the panicking man back in his arms. "First, I believe you. You never wanted to hurt, Sev, and I know that you regret that you encouraged him to buy a drink. It would be nice if you never drink alcohol again. I never liked you while you were intoxicated. You almost loose all control about you. Second, Dad will not kill you."

Black Hawk groaned and hit his head against Red Horse's chest. "I wish I could be so optimistic."

Red Horse pet Black Hawk's head while he studied Severus. The man was even more pale, obviously troubling himself as much as Black Hawk over Light Arrow's talk with them. "You should both stop worrying and finally eat something."

"I can't eat," Black Hawk said miserably and shook his head.

"I'm not hungry at all," Severus stated and pushed the tray with food away.

"Nonsense. With a full stomach you two will have much more energy and courage for whatever will come when Dad comes back. I need to check the paddocks, so be good and eat your breakfast." Red Horse placed the reluctant Black Hawk on the bed beside Severus and placed the tray in front of them. Then he left both wizards alone with their thoughts and fear.

X-X

"I need to calm down. I really need to calm down," Light Arrow chanted behind the stable while pacing fro and back. That was when his wife found him.

"Yes, you are right, you need to calm down. The two trouble makers are already scared to hell about the confrontation with you. When you come to them like that, they will get a heart attack."

"Do you have any idea what they did? Especially what Black Hawk did? This time he really took the cake, Sarah, he..." Again Light Arrow gasped for air. His face was red and he looked as if he would explode any minute. This was one of the seldom moments he called her by her given name.

"Yes, I know. Severus told me anything." White Cloud silently gave Light Arrow the vial she had brought with her.

"Will that knock me out completely?"

She smiled at her husband. "No, I need you to speak with the boys or they will make themselves seriously ill out of worry and guilt."

Light Arrow groaned. "Oh, I hope for Black Hawk that he is feeling guilty." Without another breath he gulped the vial down.

"What if I would have just wanted you to drink half of the vial?" White Cloud asked teasingly.

"Then you would have said so before you gave me the vial, woman." He grabbed her and hugged her for support. After several minutes in her embrace, listening to her heartbeat and letting the potion take over, he said, "He encouraged Severus to drink."

"I know. He was drunk, and we both know how Black Hawk is when he drinks. I think he learned his lesson this time. He is absolutely crestfallen."

Light Arrow groaned. "I don't know if I can speak with them calmly."

"The potion will help. He didn't mean it, and he is thinking he is the worst person of the whole world at the moment. Red Horse said he had cried for several minutes and even after that didn't stop but to apologize to Severus and blame himself."

Sighing, he left the embrace. "What about Severus? Did he tell you that he threatened Lou when he didn't get a drink? And then he even fought with Crying Horse. That's where he got that damaged shoulder from. Oh, what did the doc say about it?"

"He says Severus needs to remain in bed for today and isn't allowed to work for the rest of the week. In two days the doc will have a look at the shoulder at the barbecue; until then Severus needs to take a painkiller each eight hours. And yes, I know about all those things. I already spoke with Crying Horse. He is packing and wants to leave."

"He is what?" Light Arrow asked, confused.

"He is packing. Rose is beside herself, but she refused to cancel the lessons with Aiden and Melissa. Draco is in his room. He knows something is wrong. Red Horse and I took turns in going to him to calm him. I said to Red Horse that he shall start his trip with Draco to the wild horses as soon as you are back. I hope that is okay with you."

"Yes, that would be for the best. I think I should first speak with Crying Horse. What did you tell him?"

"That he cannot leave, of course. First I was angry with him for hurting Severus, but Severus assured me that Crying Horse had no idea that he had injured him until they were back here. He just wanted to stop Severus from running off to where ever for doing whatever. I think he handled the whole situation very well, but he doesn't listen to me. He thinks he hurt Severus and blames the whole disaster of the last evening on himself."

"If I should need Rose, could you take over for her with Aiden and Melissa? They could help you with..."

"I think I'm capable of keeping the two busy." She smiled at her husband, glad that he was back to his reasonable and calm self.

"Good, then Crying Horse first," Light Arrow said determined, and went to the house.