Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

The room smelt of strong spices and flowers. It was almost overwhelming to Eyeri who wrinkled his nose. It was a warm room and fabrics were scattered about it. Matron Iss'tine looked unimpressed and idly started cleaning up some of the food which had been left on the side. The entire room was covered with various objects, most of which were clearly needed to be tidied away. Eyeri didn't blame her for starting to clean, his own fingers were getting slightly itchy again.
"Tailor Ril'shy will be here soon," the matron promised, gathering a few other bits which were clearly rubbish together. "You can sit down if you want," she said kindly, gesturing at the chair she had just cleared.
It was a posh looking thing which looked very comfortable but the idea of sitting it in seemed to make Eyeri's skin crawl. A dim memory of being struck for sitting on something even with permission flashed through his eyes. His shoulders stiffened and he fell into a military position. It was safer not to sit.
"No, thank you," Eyeri said almost stiffly, wishing desperately that Ryraso was there. After breakfast Aw'endo had been basically dragged away by a big brute of a k'nairi to do training, Dyn'ad grinning the entire time. Ryraso had tried to come with Eyeri but someone had waylaid him and he had ended up having to leave Eyeri alone. Eyeri didn't like it. "Who is Ryraso talking with?" he asked softly, trying not to look scared or nervous.
"Head healer Pol'ar," Iss'tine said calmly, still idly tidying up the room. She seemed to know where things were supposed to be. Eyeri wondered if she knew the tailor or if it was something to do with the link. Ryraso hadn't exactly made it clear just what the link did entirely between strangers.
"Oh," Eyeri murmured, slowly looking around the room at the various objects. The fabrics were good quality and in a variety of colours. Despite the mess in the room, the tools and fabrics looked well looked after. The metal and silver tools gleamed well cleaned. He fought the slight itch to pick something up and he stayed standing stiffly.
Iss'tine looked over at him with an unreadable expression for a moment. Then her eyes softened slightly before she continued tidying. "Royal bonded Nel'os is asking if you would like him to come," Iss'tine offered as she opened a window to let some air in. That in itself had been surprising to watch. She had pressed her hand against some of the vines on a wall and they curled away to create a window. Eyeri could feel magic humming to stop the wind from howling into the small space. It was the same as the window in the consort rooms but he hadn't seen them open or close.
"Well?" Iss'tine pressed.
Eyeri blushed embarrassed as he realized he had been staring at the blue sky beyond the window in wonder at the magic. "Only if he isn't busy," He said sheepishly, looking away from the sky. He had seen magic before, of course. Ryraso had even shown him how to do a few things but none of the magic he had seen on the warship was like that. The ship was more alchemy than pure magic.
"If he is offering, he is not," Iss'tine commented slowly with a look of bemusement on her face. "He will be here soon," she added, still looking around the room with the look of someone looking for something to do. "I can't believe Ril'shy has let this room get so out of hand," she scowled unhappily. "This place should be spotless," she shook her head unimpressed.
Eyeri shrugged not really knowing what to say in response. She was clearly trying to talk with him but Eyeri was still slightly numb inside from the nightmare. Not to mention Tai'ray pulling him onto his lap in front of his court to have a 'talk'.The Winglord had been kind but hadn't accepted Eyeri's excuses of just being nervous. Meaning he had another lecture about not being a slave but it felt off. Even after Tai'ray's talk with him about what he actually was in Navat, the memories of burning sand and painful lashes were still on the fringes of his mind though. There were too many things about the situation which said he was one.
Iss'tine continued to grumble softly though now in k'nairi as it became apparent Eyeri wasn't going to respond. After a few moments, Ril'shy appeared looking slightly disheveled, his hair sticking up strangely and his clothes slightly out of place. The man had an unhealthy pale shade of skin which suggested he didn't get out of his room often. It was a strange colour on someone from a race that needed to fly regularly. His eyes were orange and his hair black, the dark colour combined with the pale skin making him look almost ill.
"Good morning," Ril'shy panted, leaning on the door frame. "Sorry about the mess I had a panicking noble early this morning," he admitted, running a hand through his messy hair clearly trying to neaten himself up. "The return of the Winglord had the nobles worrying about their wardrobes," he exhaled.
"I'm sure," Iss'tine said calmly. "This is Healer Ryraso's son, Eyeri. Royal Nel'os shall be here as soon as his current job is completed."
"Right," Ril'shy nodded firmly, straightening up and bowing to Eyeri deeply. "A pleasure to meet you, youngling. I am tailor Ril'shy and today I shall be helping you make your common wear."
"Nice to meet you," Eyeri said uncertainly, not sure if he was supposed to bow back or not. Especially after Ryraso and Dyn'ad had told him repeatedly not to bow to k'nairi. The man stood back up smoothly without giving any clues away to whether Eyeri had done the right thing or not by not bowing. Iss'tine smiled at Eyeri in a way Eyeri suspected was supposed to be reassuring.
"Have you been measured before?" Ril'shy asked with a gentle smile, picking up a device and gently ushering Eyeri into the centre of the room. Iss'tine moved a table out of the way and patted Eyeri's back gently as Ril'shy started looking him up and down with calculating eyes.
"No," Eyeri shook his head. "I have brothers so I mostly got their old clothes," he admitted softly.
"I see," Ril'shy commented as he measured Eyeri's shoulders. Eyeri almost jumping as the hands touched him. "How tall are they?" he asked, ignoring the action, making a note on to a piece of paper that had seemingly appeared in his hands. "Stretch out your left arm please."
Eyeri obeyed, trying not to shiver as the man touched his arm. "Taller than Ryraso, shorter than Royal Dyn'ad," he observed. "Oira's the same height as Nel'os but the rest are about an inch or two shorter than Royal Dyn'ad. I'm not likely to be as tall though."
"Different mother or father?" Ril'shy asked, his hands smoothing some of Eyeri's clothes as he moved to check Eyeri's right.
"No," Eyeri shook. "I just was starved for a time after my village was destroyed," he said slowly, deciding not to give the full details but enough. Plenty of survivors of attacks had then died later from starvation. It was not unheard off. "Malnutrition at a young age can stunt growth," he said matter-of-factly, not looking at either person in the room.
"I see," Ril'shy said in a slightly lower voice. "Well, you certainly look well fed now so hopefully the damage will be reversed. You are still growing after all," he said in a quietly optimistic voice. "I'll put in some extra material for growth. You certainly look about to shoot up," he chuckled. The man's manner relaxed Eyeri slightly but he could not help but be slightly tense. Iss'tine was saying nothing, just watching them from the side calmly. Eyeri couldn't see her eyes, but he could feel them on him. Calculating, planning, she was in charge of Awen'do, and Eyeri had few doubts that he would also be under her care from time to time.
Nel'os appeared, thankfully, before Ril'shy started to measure Eyeri's legs. The noble swanned into the room with an air of power before slamming the door behind him and leaving a crowd of people who had followed him behind. He locked in and exhaled. "Damn clan nonsense," he muttered darkly as he cast a privacy bubble around them all. "You doing ok youngling?" he asked with a great deal more affection.
"So far," Eyeri smiled warmly, a touch of nervousness in his eyes as Ril'shy started to measure his legs.
Iss'tine stood and bowed deeply at the arrival of the Royal. "Greetings Royal Bonded," both Iss'tine and Ril'shy said respectfully.
"Greetings," Nel'os nodded calmly. "Has my youngling been well behaved?" he asked, moving close enough to run a hand down Eyeri's back. Eyeri leant into the touch but pouted slightly at the idea he had not been good.
"Very," Ril'shy chimed happily, making some more notes on a piece of paper. "I'm almost done here," he added.
"Just two tailors more to go," Iss'tine added calmly.
"Does he really need three tailors?" Nel'os asked surprised. Even for a noble, that seemed a little much.
"Tailor Ril'shy is doing Eyeri's common wear. Gilan'ast is doing his formal and official wear and Zack is doing his winter and outdoor wear," Iss'tine explained. "Even if Eyeri had arrived with his bag, he would have needed new clothes anyway. Not that there is a problem with hand-me-downs but you are a Prince now," she added, looking at Eyeri with a touch of sympathy. "Better clothes are expected."
"Why doesn't Ryraso have to go through this?" Eyeri complained.
"He will, but he has clothes at the moment. You don't," Nel'os chuckled, bobbing Eyeri on the head.
"Plus he will need to be confirmed before his work clothes are made. Easier just to wait," Ril'shy nodded cheerfully. "After all, rumours are saying Healer Ryraso has been blessed by the goddess herself."
"I suppose," Nel'os mused. "I hadn't thought about that. I just thought the priests wanted to talk to him because well," Nel'os pulled a face. "I can't imagine they aren't happy he's been declared as Tai'ray's consort."
"Do you not count?" Eyeri asked softly, not missing how Nel'os had stated Tai'ray's consort without including himself in the statement.
"Not in the way that concerns the priests," Nel'os shrugged. "If he was just mine and Dyn'ad's, Ryraso wouldn't be as much as a concern to them but it not us who are obsessed with Ryraso. Tai'ray is. And it has been pointed out several times that the link is aware of this."
"Oh," Eyeri said somehow quieter.
Nel'os' eyes narrowed for a moment before widening with realization. "Don't think Dyn'ad and I don't love Ryraso, we do. Very much so but it's different for Tai," he explained gently, petting Eyeri's hair.
"Why are the priests worried about Da?" Eyeri asked, looking away. Nel'os wasn't fooled by the change in subject but let it happen as they had company. Nel'os made a mental note to talk to Eyeri more about the topic later. He couldn't have the youngling thinking they didn't love Ryraso.
"Because his bloodline has proven dangerous," Ril'shy commented gently.
"Dangerous?" both Nel'os and Eyeri frowned.
"To the priesthood at least," Ril'shy explained with a shrug. "A lot of importance is placed on blood by the priesthood. Healer Ryraso's father and grandmother caused some issues if I remember the rumours correctly."
"His father did?" Nel'os said surprised, "I didn't realize Ryraso's father had lived here long enough to cause harm. Ryraso hadn't even known that his father had lived here until he met his mentor."
"Well," Ril'shy looked slightly embarrassed. "It was a long time ago now. Apart from those eyes of his, Ryraso doesn't seem to take after his father's bloodline much. Not that it matters for the priests. You should hear them sometimes. Even after Ryraso left, they grumbled about the fact Ryraso had been allowed in Navat in the first place."
"That is very interesting to know," Nel'os said softly, something clearly ticking in his mind.
Eyeri shivered, wondering if the tailor had meant to reveal so much or if the link was at work again. People wanted Ryraso to stay put this time, but that could not happen unless the problems of the past were resolved. Eyeri may not have been taught about the k'nairi goddess but he had enough lessons from Inai to know that if the gods wished something to be, it would happen. Whether the people involved were ready or not.