Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

"Rescue?" Aw'endo furrowed his eyebrows confused at the news. "But Eyeri' is safe here! Why would Fetmar worry about him?" he asked, looking at Nel'os with big eyes. He would have understood if Fetmar was coming to save Eyeri from a prisoner camp but this was Navat and Fetmar knew Aw'endo would protect Eyeri.
"Aw'endo, we are D'mar, technically," Nel'os reminded sweetly. "For all we know, Fetmar was told Eyeri was expected to be sent on to a camp," Nel'os reasoned. Both Aw'endo and Ryraso shuddered at the idea. D'mar prisoner camps were harsh things that could break even warriors. The idea of Eyeri, who was already halfway broken, was almost horrific. Any spirit the slavers hadn't stole from him would disappear.
"Maybe we should have sent him a message or something to reassure him," Aw'endo wondered softly, regret in his voice. Aw'endo couldn't help but wonder if Fetmar would blame him personally for this somehow. He was k'nairi after all. Thinking on it, Aw'endo felt a sense of shame and guilt. Maybe he had failed in protecting his little brother.
"Young one, I doubt that would have deterred him," Nel'os drew Aw'endo close for a hug. Ryraso just watched on silently, standing to the side and clutching his arm. Ryraso didn't know what to do.
Dyn'ad slammed the door as he entered the rooms. Eyes almost black with rage and his wings moving aggressively behind him. He barely looked at the people gathered in the common room and stormed into Eyeri's room. The boy's bag was gone and there was a note on the desk. Dyn'ad read it and let out an angry snarl. "Eyeri!" He roared before stomping out of the room. He looked directly at Ryraso and walked towards him with enough violence in his air that Nel'os actually got in the way.
"Dyn'ad," Nel'os said warningly, touching Dyn'ad left arm. "Breathe." Dyn'ad was not Tai'ray, he did not lose himself in the heat of battle but he was dominant. Anger could trigger a berserker mindset if too strong and someone was trying to take away one of Dyn'ad's younglings.
"I'm in control, Nel'os," Dyn'ad hissed through his teeth, leaning down to kiss Nel'os roughly on the lips. "Go, round up the caw who do not know yet," he ordered seriously. Nel'os glanced over at Ryraso and Aw'endo hesitantly but nodded. He disappeared and Dyn'ad stormed over to Ryraso.
Ryraso was only vaguely surprised to receive his own rough kiss. Dyn'ad's lips feeling like fire against his. Dyn'ad passed the piece of paper into his hand before he pressed his forehead to Ryraso's and murmured something Ryraso barely heard. "Do not leave this room unless you have to, my love."
"I won't," Ryraso promised back, head spinning slightly from the ferociousness of the kiss. Not yet entirely recovered from fending off Tai'ray's advances either. Fending off being a loose term indeed. Dyn'ad's arm wrapped around him to keep him up. "I'm sorry about this."
"Don't be sorry. This isn't your fault. It's ours," Dyn'ad growled through gritted teeth. "You warned us his brother would come. We just didn't take the threat seriously enough. Fetmar Zamen. Somehow we never made the connection."
"How is the Regent?" Ryraso asked softly. "Nel'os said Fetmar knocked him out?"
"He will heal," Dyn'ad said stiffly, not missing the subject change. The Royals had not made the connection but Ryraso had done nothing to join up the loose threads either. Something that made Dyn'ad want to growl angrily at Ryraso but even in his rage he could not. Ryraso wanted Eyeri to go home with his brother. It was the rest of them who wanted Eyeri to stay put. "One of Po'lar's underlings fixed any damage done."
"What will happen to Fetmar when Pa catches him?" Aw'endo asked quietly.
Dyn'ad looked over at Aw'endo. His youngling who was smelling of fear and upset at the moment. He reached over to Aw'endo and the boy quickly moved over. Dyn'ad hugging both Aw'endo and Ryraso close for a moment.  "He will not die," Dyn'ad swore softly. "I will not let Tai'ray kill him. I won't either. It is just a matter of timing and how Fetmar responds too. If he is polite, I imagine Tai'ray will simply keep him prisoner. If he is not, Tai'ray may get more inventive."
"He counts as my son," Ryraso murmured softly. "He is Eyeri's oldest brother."
"He is a Namya agent in D'mar territory," Dyn'ad said back. "Tai'ray is the one to argue with over this. I can not overrule him on this." Ryraso frowned at that statement but pushed it away. Dyn'ad wasn't able to overrule Tai'ray on any issue but Ryraso was someone who had changed Tai'ray's mind in the past. It was possibly Dyn'ad also had ways of steering Tai'ray away from the more unnecessarily cruel options.
"What will you do now?" Ryraso asked, his arms slipping around Aw'endo as Dyn'ad pulled away from time. Dyn'ad taking a moment to kiss Aw'endo's forehead tenderly.
"I will join the hunt," Dyn'ad said solidly.  "Nel'os will bring Herymi here and the other caw to a different holding cell. We will send news as soon as we know. I have to go now. Please, behave. Both of you. Now is not the time to take risks," he asked before leaving the room, his wings still twitching angrily as he closed the door with a great more gentleness than when he had entered.
Ryraso looked at the piece of paper in his hand and unfolded it. Aw'endo also looked over it curiously. It read, "Sorry, Eyeri's got a family reunion to attend.  Fetmar Zamen."
"Family reunion my arse," Ryraso muttered with a slightly amused smile. It was Fetmar's humour but even as he thought about it his stomach flopped unhappily. Dyn'ad was right. If Fetmar was rude or insults Tai'ray, he would be in a lot of danger.
"Ry?" Aw'endo said hesitantly but then stopped.  Not sure he knew how to word what he wanted to say.
Ryraso held him close and murmured gently. "It will be alright Aw'endo. Go have a shower. You need one," he teased softly, Aw'endo still sweaty from his workout in the morning. "I'll be in my room. We can wait in there." Aw'endo looked at him with watery eyes but nodded. Clinging to Ryraso tightly for an extra moment before letting go and moving to the shower room. It was meant for after pleasurable activities but it worked well for teenagers who trained as well.
"Aw'endo seems well, a little upset but well" a voice came from behind him.
Ryraso turned to find Fetmar leaning on the door to his bedroom. "You idiot," Ryraso hissed before running over and engulfing him in a hug. Fetmar hugged him back, resting his chin on Ryraso's head because of the height difference. "What the hell are you doing here? If they catch you..." Ryraso trailed off, pulling away to look Fetmar in the eyes.
"I had to give you a message, Ry," Fetmar defended. "Despite what most people will probably think, this was actually sanctioned by Inai. Eyeri is not the mission primary objective, talking to you is. Though you will forgive me if it is not my personal objective," he said a touch sheepishly.
Ryraso glanced over his shoulder and pushed Fetmar into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. "I guess Inai knows it's hopeless to get me out," he said sadly, not having missed how Fetmar had said 'talk' not 'rescue.' While even if it had been a rescue mission he would be unable to go now, it still hurt a little that Inai was all but abandoning him. Even if Ryraso had told him not to bother with the manpower too.
"Ry," Fetmar murmured, "Inai wanted to give the order to get you out but with how the Winglord is and the situation..." he trailed off. "Inai doesn't want you to give up but things are not looking good at the moment. Loror is regaining control of his troops. You can tell by the fact his personal force is full of people who actually have some morals while the rest of his army is known as brutal thugs. Even the k'nairi have a better reputation than D'mar common troops and you know the stories that go around," he said softly, gripping Ryraso's shoulder.
"They are getting that bad?" Ryraso asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Warlord Loror having a clean out though. Scary thing. Various people have turned up dead. Spies uncovered by tips" Fetmar revealed. "If enough troublemakers are taking out, we may be in danger. The k'nairi reclaiming the caw does not help either."
"Loror is planning something," Ryraso bit his lip wondering just what the madman was thinking now.
"Something big. Has the Winglord told you yet by the way? He has six months offduty to get the caw in order. It doesn't feel unrelated that Loror is starting the clear out now. I think the Namya have about nine months until he pulls something big. Not sure if that is going to be a big push on the plains, or a full on invasion of the south but he is waiting until the k'nairi have their affairs in order first," Fetmar speculated. "Inai wants you to keep an ear out for us. The Winglord wishes to court you. He or the others may let something slip."
"He needs a spy," Ryraso commented softly. It wasn't impossible but the idea of courting the Royals while spying for the Namya felt wrong somehow.
"Of a sort," Fetmar stated, "He doesn't expect you to spy. But if you hear that something big is going to go down, we need some warning. The plains are half ready to surrender to the D'mar as it is. Though much of the north is pushing it under the condition of k'nairi presence," he admitted.
"The plains are full of k'nairi caw. The people who live there know they would be safer under k'nairi rule. We already know that having k'nairi around is enough to keep those grunts in line" Ryraso muttered darkly. It was partly where some of the k'nairi's dark reputation came from. You had to be monsters to keep those twisted minds toeing the line. Still, listening out for the final bang was doable. "I'll keep an ear out. As for giving up hope, unless Inai can remove the seal of an exiled Goddess, there is no escape for me now," he smiled weakly.
"What do you mean?" Fetmar frowned. "Have they already branded you?"
"No. The Royals haven't," Ryraso swallowed and pulled his sleeve up to reveal the scar on his arm. "The Goddess of the k'nairi wanted a word with me. She forced me into an oath," he said grimly. "I will help when I can but..."
"An oath with the divine, forced or willing, is binding," Fetmar nodded, a sad pitying look in his eyes. "I will tell Inai. There may be a way," he offered with the tone of the man who was hoping for something he already knew was impossible. The only one who could release a man from a divine oath was the entity sworn to.
"Regardless, you'd better get moving. I would prefer not to see you again in Navat. Tell Eyeri I love him dearly," Ryraso said, forcing him to stay strong at the idea that he might not see Eyeri again. The Goddess had said, after all, fate's cards were still being dealt. There was still a chance that Eyeri would escape this time.
"Wish me luck" Fetmar smiled softly, "You safe here, Ryraso?" Fetmar's eyes were full of concern. "Goddess or not, there will be ways to save you."
"That is very kind but I am safe here Fetmar. Tai-ray is not about to let anyone harm me," Ryraso smiled back in a way he hoped was reassuring. "Ignoring the strikes of a whip for fighting and the branding, I'm likely going to be living in a bubble."
"And if I can't get Eyeri out of here?" Fetmar asked.
"He'll be branded as K'nairi and protected as such. I would still prefer he remained on Namya land though with you," Ryraso smiled sadly.
"As would I Ry," Fetmar smiled softly before leaning down and tapping a button on his boots. There was a low hum of magic and machinery and he started to float, Ryraso taking a step back in surprise. He knew that mix of alchemy well, it was Wiljam's work. "Live well, Ryraso," Fetmar gave him a cheeky smile and dove out the window.
Ryraso's eyes widened and he ran over to the window, just in time to see Fetmar flip in midair and fly away into the undergrowth. Maybe, just maybe, Eyeri would be able to get away from Navat. He started to laugh, falling to knees and unable to stop but the laughter ended in tears. He had never felt so conflicted. He didn't want to be trapped here, as much as he loved the city. But if he was, he might as well continue to help the Namya. As little as he could do. He wanted his surrogate family to be safe. But he wasn't sure any more just where was safe. The south was left in danger if the plains fell and the D'mar would flood through. The plain was the last stronghold. If it fell, the D'mar would win.
Just what was he supposed to do now?