Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

The Winglord stood at the top of the royal tower, just on the floor below where the sacred crystal gently glowed. Wind billowed around him, his hair whipping around him. The clouds were heavy, but it wasn't raining yet. He could see some of his men searching for his missing son in the distance. They were getting further and further out. Eyeri had managed to give them the slip, and with the Sparrows involved, it was uncertain just how far out he had escaped to.
The only reason he was not searching himself was that he needed to keep his mind clear. They had confirmed now that the person attempting to spirit Eyeri away was his brother. He couldn't fly into a rage like normal. He needed to be calm, collected and not rip the man limb from limb like he wanted to. He could feel Dyn'ad searching, while Nel'os was helping keep a close eye on the few unbranded caw within the city. Not that they thought anyone else was going to attempt to leave, but it was better safe than sorry.
Tai'ray exhaled and dug his talons into the stone railing in front of him, the stonework crumbling like plaster in his fingers as the thought of Eyeri made anger run through him.
Eyeri knew!
Eyeri knew Tai'ray was not about to let him up and leave. He had warned the child Tai'ray would punish him this time. Eyeri knew he would hunt him down. Eyeri didn't know much about k'nairi, but he was not stupid, and he had been watching them with Ryraso. Once a k'nairi had claimed a person, they would have to stay running for a long time to escape them. Still, there was a part of him holding off from being furious with the child because at the end of the day, sixteen or not, that was what Eyeri was. A child who needed guidance and needed security. Something the destruction of the Namya warship had brutally ripped from him. Something which Tai'ray was going to work on giving back to him.
Closing his eyes, Tai'ray counted down from ten, trying to calm himself again when he felt someone approaching. "Yerir'o," Tai'ray called, not looking towards the door. "Come here, please," he summoned. He needed information here, and Yerir'o had more than Tai'ray.
"My Lord?" Yerir'o greeted, falling on one knee behind him loyally.
Tai'ray smiled fondly. Yerir'o was a truly loyal man who still believed in making such actions. The nobles avoided kneeling when possible. Tai'ray was not friends with Yerir'o like Dyn'ad but was aware of his bonded's fondness for the man. Yerir'o was currently the centre for the search patterns, using his knowledge of the Sparrows and Fetmar to give the guards the information they needed to hunt down the troublemakers. The Sparrows didn't typically go up against the k'nairi often enough for their tendencies to be well known.
"What can you tell me about Fetmar?" Tai'ray asked, knowing while he could simply use the link to force his way into Yerir'o's mind and find out for himself, it was far better to let Yerir'o say it himself. More polite too.
"He killed the slaver who tried to brand Eyeri by slitting his throat," Yerir'o said in a strangely fond tone despite the violence of the action he was describing.
Tai'ray shot Yerir'o a bemused look. "Are you warning me that he is a bloodthirsty timebomb?" Tai'ray asked. Neither Ryraso or Eyeri had suggested that Fetmar was a killing machine. At the same time, however, Tai'ray could understand the urge to do such a thing to slaver slum. "Should I be warning the guards to be prepared to face brutal force?" he added,
"No. Fetmar rarely kills. I think he's only actually killed about five people," Yerir'o smiled weirdly. "But it does make that action warrant mentioning," Yerir'o paused, and looked down slightly. "It was not just my influence that put Fetmar on the wanted list under wanted alive. Considering the number of campaigns he has been in and operations he has run it is unheard of for someone of his position." Yerir'o paused again. "He is a very unusual man. He had gone to great lengths to protect his brothers before."
"So. Fetmar's the oldest brother. He will do anything possible to keep his brothers safe and happy. He is skilled; otherwise, he wouldn't have made commander so young. What else can you tell me about him?" Tai'ray asked, turning back to the view outwards.
"He would have made a good k'nairi. Shame he is human," Yerir'o said with the tone of someone who very much wished what he was saying was a lie.
Tai'ray smirked, glad Yerir'o couldn't see his face. Dyn'ad had mentioned Yerir'o had a thing for the oldest Zaman. Tai'ray was very curious as to how aware Yerir'o was of his feelings and slightly concerned about whether that would interfere with the current events. "Yerir'o!" Tai'ray scolded, managing to keep his voice neutral. "Tell me useful things!" he demanded.
"Winglord, I know as much about Fetmar as he does about me! I know his weaknesses and fears. The only problem is, the main one he has, he is currently trying to stop happening," Yerir'o defended.
"His main weakness is Eyeri," Tai'ray paused and sighed He had hoped that would not be the case. It was low to have to use family members to control someone. It also did not help at all with catching the man and imprisoning him.
"His family, to be exact. If something or someone threatens them, he will do everything in his power to protect them. Even if they don't need protection," Yerir'o expanded unhappily. "He once slept with a D'mar officer to save Oira's life. He will do anything short of murder or endangering his other brothers."
"You weren't happy with that" Tai'ray stated, having heard the undertone of disapproval.
"Fetmar was too stubborn to ask me for help. I would have helped him for a much lower cost to his dignity," Yerir'o said stiffly. "Sadly it was just after I kidnapped Oira and he wasn't quite on speaking terms with me again yet."
Tai'ray hummed but nodded, sensing he wasn't going to get any more information from the man now. "Go. Bring me news if there is any," he ordered, not ready yet to leave the balcony. "Unless there is a reason you sought me out?" he asked, turning to look at him with glowing eyes. Yerir'o met them bravely, and for a brief moment, Tai'ray could see Yerir'o's entire existence and the sum of what he was worth. The magic flicked away, and Yerir'o's body slumped slightly, the man looking almost ill.
"My lord?" Yerir'o asked uneasily.
"I make no promises to you Yerir'o. I can only tell you I promised Ryraso I would not kill who took Eyeri if it was his brother. He will live. The details are yet to be ironed out," Tai'ray said, letting a regal tone flood his voice. While he had some pity in knowing Yerir'o desired a man who was in danger, the safety of Navat came before the desires of an army general. They came before the security of a young human boy too but thankfully, in this case, the two things were closely connected.
"Thank you, my Lord," Yerir'o bowed before moving away as fast as he could without running. Tai'ray watched the man's back with a sad smile. There was no easy way out of this one. He couldn't stop punishment for his mate and son, forget the Sparrows and Fetmar. "Where are you, little one?" he murmured into the wind, looking back over the valley.
He closed his eyes and tried to put himself into a meditative state. His heart was beating a war cry in his chest and his instincts in a tangled mess. Unfortunately, he was not about to be left alone so quickly. He could hear someone approaching, soft footsteps against the stone floor of the tower. His shoulders tensed.
"So this is where you have hidden," Ryraso commented, stepping into the wind. "You should come inside. As good as your eyes are, you won't spot Eyeri from up here," he said, lightly placing a hand on Tai'ray's arm and shivering slightly in the bellowing wind.
Wings curled around Ryraso protectively, but Tai'ray did not move to the door. If anything his grip on the ledge he was leaning on tightening. "It is better up here," he said simply. He shifted slightly to pull Ryraso close and kiss the crown of his head. Frustrated or not, Tai'ray was not going to push Ryraso away. Not with everything that was going on. "Quieter," he added, breathing in Ryraso's scent, using that as a calming centre.
"I'm not so sure" Ryraso exhaled, cuddling against Tai'ray. He was quiet for a moment, hand resting on Tai'ray's warm arm around his waist. He dimly remembered the view from this spot the last time he had been up there. It had been during the festival of light, and hundreds of candlelit lanterns had been floating in the sky. It had been beautiful, a stark comparison to the grey clouds and atmosphere today.
"You could always let them go," Ryraso offered softly, knowing the answer even as he said the words. It was not possible.
"No," Tai'ray said coldly, though his arms were still warm around Ryraso. "I can't. You know that. If the brother had come and asked, maybe but he stormed the capital. I can't let them go now, any of them," he murmured, rolling his shoulders. The feathers on his wings puffed slightly.
"Navat's reputation would fall," Ryraso acknowledged sadly. He turned to look at Tai'ray's face, even if the man refused to look him in the eyes. "Catch them Tai'ray, for the good of your people. But don't brand. Not Eyeri, not Fetmar, none of them. It is not right nor fair."
"That is not possible either," Tai'ray shook his head. "I know you do not wish it to happen, but the people have spoken."
"The Goddess herself called it a mockery of her gifts," Ryraso stated. "It is not right."
"That is not for you nor me to decide," Tai'ray growled. "As for the Goddess, all she need have done was tell the priests to fight against it, and people would have sided with them. As it was, she left it with the people, and they decided. I can not fight it." The bitterness in his words was almost painful to hear yet at the same time only seemed to make Ryraso's blood boil with anger.
"It is wrong!" Ryraso snapped, fed up with the excuses.
"Damn it Ryraso. Stop it," Tai'ray snarled, pulling away from Ryraso. "We can't stop this now. Let it go!"
"Would you just listen! Damn it, Tai! You keep calling me your chosen, but you never actually listen to me!" Ryraso growled back, grabbing Tai'ray's robes to stop him backing away from him. Tai'ray was not about to run from him, not while his sons were in the balance.
"I'm listening," Tai'ray growled. Ryraso shot him a look which clearly said, 'you better be!'
"Branding is a punishment. It is meant to bring pain and humiliation to the target. For those who left," Ryraso put a finger up at Tai'ray before he could interrupt, "Who you view as traitors, it is acceptable. We knew what would happen. We accepted that risk, Eyeri didn't. At the time, well, he was being whipped and treated like an animal to be sold." Tai'ray winced at those words. He had not thought hard on the timeframe of what Eyeri had been through. "Why is it fair that he or any of the people you would brand for being kin to the Caw be punished? Why is it acceptable that any person is punished for the crime of being too close to us?" Ryraso demanded. "And even before we get to people like the flegdelings!"
"No Ryraso, they are still accountable. The caw knew this. Family is precious. When they made families, they made targets," Tai'ray said firmly, in a tone most men would never dare disobey. However, Ryraso was not any man, and he still had one last trump card.
Ryraso threw himself to his knees, starling the Winglord who had never excepted such a thing from his stubborn and disobedient chosen one. Desperation filled his eyes, and Ryraso looked about willing to throw himself off the tower if that was what it took to get his way. "Please, I will be your mate. I'll accept the courting publicly. I'll sleep with you and the others in the Royal nest. I'll accept Cai'ress even if that is what it will take. Just please" Ryraso gave Tai'ray a begging look, tears starting to roll down his face, "Don't hurt my sons!"
The Winglord was eerily silent after that, his eyes unreadable and his wings frozen solid. The wind whipped around them, and Ryraso stayed still, waiting for a reaction. Eventually, he looked down and curled his hands into fists, feeling the slight burn on his arm. The Goddess was watching. Had he overstepped his place?
"No." The word came sharply like a dagger, piercing into Ryraso's heart. His eyes watered again.
Tai'ray crouched down beside the kneeling man, grabbing his chin, forcing the man to look at him. "I do not accept you like this, Ryraso. I want you willingly," Tai'ray stressed, a haunted look through his eyes. "Or as willingly as I can make it. Forcing you to do what you are not ready to do or do not wish to do is not a part of my plans. I will think about your words. Punishment is not what I intend for any innocents who must remain here." with those last words, Tairay let go of Ryraso and left the man speechless. Tai'ray flew away, leaving Ryraso alone on the rooftop with a strange feeling in his chest.
The look in Tai'ray's eyes burning its way into Ryraso's mind. He had seen it before but not on Tai'ray. That was the look of a victim forced to relieve part of his pain. Just what had happened to the Winglord? What had caused that haunted look?