Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

S'onon looked at Ryraso blankly, not sure how to respond to that accusation. The k'nairi reached out but curled his fingers and pulled back before he could touch Ryraso. "Quite possibly," S'onon allowed softly, not liking the look in Ryraso's eyes. Not quite anger but neither was it sadness. The look of a man who was cornered and didn't know what to do. It was a look and feeling S'onon had felt himself a few things while dealing with his illness.
"No quite about it," Ryraso growled, but the look softened and he looked away from S'onon. There were no shortage of curious eyes watching them but no one had attempted to break the sound bubble S'onon had cast. Ryraso smiled slightly, but there was a sadness to it. "I can feel the link rejoicing but inside I feel... cold," he admitted.
"You lost a long battle Ry. It's not surprising," S'onon commented. "The question is, will you win the war or not."
Ryraso blinked before giving S'ono a unimpressed look. "Does your mate also know just what the end game is in that scenario?" Ryraso asked bemusedly, knowing such words would not have come from S'onon alone. The man was dom through and through and poetry was not something in his skill set.
S'onon shrugged unembarrassed. "When it comes to the heart?" he looked slightly helpless. "The Winglord has done great things before to save people from unjust rules. He will try to help you son," S'onon added with a great deal more grounding. "I can't imagine he isn't aware of your issue," he added with a teasing smirk.
Ryraso found himself grinning back at the smirk and nodded. "Tai'ray is aware of the issues. However," the healer looked down at the ground as seriousness washed back over him. "How much he can do when the situation affects him personally is limited. When he fights for others he has the backing of the Goddess. But for himself..." He found himself tightening his hands into fists with frustration.
"He's entitled to fight just as hard," S'onon said firmly. "I'll admitted you are more complicated but that child is innocent of all crimes."
Slowly looking up, Ryraso met S'onon's eyes. The man was serious and sincere. Ryraso smiled again fondly. "I'm glad you think so," Ryraso murmured, unclenching his fists. "I had better go and attempt to eat something. Thank you S'onon."
"You owe me nothing," S'onon commented firmly. "I failed to see past the link."
"You are still you," Ryraso argued gently, patting S'onon's shoulder like he would have done to Isst or Wiljam. Before it could even click that it was the wrong gesture in Navat, he was in S'onon's arms. The k'nairi was hugging him tightly. A sense coming over from the link that S'onon had understood the action regardless.
"Eat well. You are always to shelter in my nest should you need too," S'onon intoned, a oath made in truth. Ryraso nodded and pulled away from S'onon. "Now I'd jog if I were you. High Priest  Ton'enth is currently walking down the main corridor," S'onon added.
Ryraso cursed and with one last nod, quickly made his way into the great hall before the k'nairi could catch up to him. The priests would not dare try anything with Tai'ray nearby to them. Tai'ray had made his opinions on how the priests treated Ryraso clear years ago. Ryraso was dimly aware of S'onon distracting the man and quickly headed to where his makeshift family was seated. He tried not to grin as he approached but failed, the four of them made an interesting image.
Aw'endo was pouting, trapped over Nel'os' knees, the older man refusing to let him up as he ate calmly through Aw'endo's struggling wings. Nel'os winked at him but kissed him warmly as he got close enough.
"Morning my lovely," Nel'os smiled at him charmingly, pressing their foreheads together. "Sleep well?"
"Well enough," Ryraso replied, ruffling Aw'endo's feathers as the young man continued to struggle and Nel'os held him almost effortlessly in place. "Enjoy your night?" he asked, glancing over at Dyn'ad, Tai'ray and Eyeri. Eyeri was basically in Tai'ray's lap, the Winglord clearly saying something private to him by the fact both were focused on each other. Dyn'ad was busy talking to one of the servants calmly.
"Fun," Nel'os beamed happily, finally letting Aw'endo up. "Sit and eat," he ordered gently.
"I'll win next time," Aw'endo muttered but started eating. Nel'os smirking proudly at the young k'nairi obeyed his commands. Despite his apparent unhappiness, Aw'endo hadn't exactly moved away from Nel'os was sitting flushed against him.  It was almost sweet.
"No, you won't," Dyn'ad said idly, patting at the cushion next to him while looking at Ryraso expectantly. Ryraso moved over, shifting passed Tai'ray and Eyeri, briefly interrupting whatever their conversation was. Tai'ray let go of one of Eyeri's hands to grab Ryraso's instead. Ryraso went willing for a kiss before pecking Eyeri on his cheek and leaving the two to it. Eyeri's eyes were distressed but Tai'ray seemed to have the situation under control. The Winglord was clearly in guardian mode as Eyeri was shielded by wings and Ryraso suspected he knew what they were talking about.
Falling down next to Dyn'ad as Eyeri made no effort to keep him there, he kissed Dyn'ad on the cheek. "Sleep well?" he smiled softly.
"Well enough," Dyn'ad said in a clear imitation of Ryraso's conversation with Nel'os. "Enjoy your night?" he asked with a smirk, nudging Ryraso in the rips teasingly. Ryraso nudged back with a smirk of his own, chucking slightly.
"It was fun," Ryraso chuckled, for some reason in a good mood in that moment. The servant Dyn'ad had been speaking too reappeared by him with fresh plates of food. It placed them in front of Ryraso politely before bowing and disappearing. Ryraso thanking the man before he could. The servant smiled at him strangely as he left. "Seriously though, it was nice. I feel a bit better now," he admitted.
"That's good," Dyn'ad nodded, his knee brushing against Ryraso before stopping and maintaining contact. "Ready to face the battles you have today?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye as he subtly glanced over at where the high priest was now sitting. The k'nairi wings were stiff in annoyance but the man was making no attempt to talk to Ryraso. Yet. Instead the man was clearly just glaring at Ryraso with an almost angry expression on his face. Dyn'ad let his wing curl around Ryraso's back protectively.
Ryraso grimaced, but leant into Dyn'ad to make sure he understood it was not Dyn'ad action which annoyed him. "Most of them. A few I desperately wish would go away," he muttered so the servants wouldn't hear.  He was already slightly unnerved by the fact S'onon's mate knew about how he was feeling, he didn't need more gossips knowing how he was feeling at the moment.
"Going to have to face them sometime," Dyn'ad commented. "As the Winglord's retinue, you will have a lot of contact. We all do," Dyn'ad grumbled.
"Not demanding I bond with you today then?" Ryraso teased, not having missed the way Dyn'ad had worded the statement. It was true that the Winglord and his house had a lot to do with the priesthood. As the strongest k'nairi, Tai'ray was seen as the Goddess' chosen. The one she had gifted with the power and knowledge needed to led a people. It was just, unlike Inai who had been chosen in a clap of thunder and magic lights, Tai'ray had proven it.
"I don't know," Tai'ray murmured over the link. "I don't think anyone doubts Inai's abilities. The man is a leader in his own right."
"You don't know everything," Ryraso replied softly, thinking of the letters Inai had dealt with late at night. Of the occasional noble who had shown up on the ship with seemingly the only desire to shout and complain at Inai that he wasn't doing his job properly. People from the capital definitely did not approve of Inai. "Not everyone is as happy as you would think about Inai being in charge. He is common blood after all."
Dyn'ad snorted next to him. "That I can understand," he said in a strange tone. Which was when it hit Ryraso just what he had said. The triad would understand, after all they faced many of the same challenges as Inai but for a lot longer. Nobles did not like the gods and goddesses picking commoners to rule the land.
"I..." Ryraso trailed off before snorting. "Different place, same problems," Ryraso agreed finally. "What's your plan for the day?" he asked Dyn'ad, pushing some of his food onto another plate for Eyeri. The boy falling next to him as his conversation with Tai'ray finished. Tai'ray teasing Aw'endo about losing his mini fight with Nel'os. Eyeri looked a little red eyed but he wasn't pressing against Ryraso for comfort so Ryraso hoped he was feeling better. Eyeri ate the food calmly and smiled at Ryraso gently, clearly trying to say he was fine. Ryraso resisted the urge to fuss over him, instead focusing on Dyn'ad.
"I have a fun day of dealing with the home-guard. We have a shortage at the moment. A lot of the home-guard have claims on caw and now..."  Dyn'ad shrugged with a look of irritation.
"Now they can hunt who they want down," Ryraso acknowledged. "Unexpected rush?" he said with enough of a tease in his voice to hide the bitterness. He didn't agree with what they were doing and he couldn't help but feel guilty as the cause. People were about to have the lives they had built destroyed again in less than a decade because he had reawakened Tai'ray feeling of ownership over them.
"Something like that," Dyn'ad shook his head before exhaling, clearly not looking forward to how his day was going to go. He gave Ryraso a gentle nudge and pushed more food on his plate to replace the food Ryraso had given Eyeri. "What about you? You going to tackle mountain one or two first?" he asked, his wing unfurling slightly more to wrap around Eyeri too.
"With how he's almost ready to pounce on me. I suspect I have to deal with number two first," Ryraso exhaled but ate the food in front of it. The food was well prepared but his good mood was gone down and his stomach felt like lead. "Unless one or three can save me from him," he said darkly.  Ton'enth had still not stopped watching him, though it was less dark as he talked to several men who had approached him.
"Who or what is number three?" Dyn'ad asked, frowning slightly worried it was them.
"Regent Unt'at," Ryraso said like it was obvious, biting into an apple calmly.