Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Warm water poured over Eyeri's head and shoulders as Nel'os tipped a bucket over him. The bath water was communal so before entering people were supposed to wash and shower first. Which led to Eyeri sitting behind Aw'endo in a humid room, cleaning the k'nairi's wings, while Nel'os helped wash down Eyeri. Nel'os hummed thoughtfully as he ran his hands through Eyeri's locks.
"Going to have to tie your hair up like mine," Nel'os commented, as he rubbed some lotion into the hair. "Yours isn't as long as mine but it's long enough," he mused. Nel'os' own long locks of hair were tied up in a bun using a ribbon.
"Need to get it cut soon," Eyeri mused as he went back to cleaning Aw'endo's feathers.
Ryraso was doing Tai'ray's nearby. Nel'os seemed more interested in playing bathroom attendant or possibly just being a k'nairi parent than getting his own wings done. It seemed oddly strange to Eyeri given how Aw'endo was melting under his fingertips and Tai'ray was also looking blissful. It was clearly a pleasant experience, but at the same time, Nel'os had gone to the hot springs at the village they had stopped at. Nel'os' wings were recently cleaned, while Tai'ray's weren't. "Unlike solider boy here," he added teasing, ruffling some of Aw'endo's inner feathers.
"Oi," Aw'endo grumbled lazily but didn't move from his hands, lazily flicking his feathers so some water droplets slashed over Eyeri. Eyeri laughed, getting a mischievous look in his eyes.
"Behave younglings," Nel'os cut in before they could progress into anything else, kissing the top of Eyeri's head before pouring more water over him. Eyeri let out a sound of complaint and pouted. Aw'endo just purred lazily as Eyeri continued to clean his wings. "Are you almost finished Eyeri?" he asked, rinsing out the lotion with another bucket before grabbing another ribbon off the side.
"Yeah," Eyeri nodded. "Cleaned them two days ago so they weren't too bad," he smiled softly, holding in place as Nel'os tied his hair up.
"Unlike someone's," Nel'os teased, his voice slightly louder as he teased his mate. Ryraso making several unhappy noises as he tried to clean Tai'ray's wings of the muck and oil which gathered over a long period of time. "You were long overdue."
Tai'ray snorted. "I was busy," he commented, knowing that he hadn't taken as good care of his
wings as he was supposed to. Ryraso snorted himself, making Tai'ray's cheeks blush slightly. "Why don't you three head into the water," he smiled, trying not to look too embarrassed that his wings were taking so long to clean up.
"Sounds good to me," Aw'endo grinned, grabbing a bucket and throwing the water half over himself and half over Eyeri in his haste to be finished cleaning.
"Aw'en!" Eyeri complained, wiping the water from his eyes before chasing after the youngling as fast he could manage without slipping over. The older ones watched them went go, Ryraso smirking at the sound Eyeri made as he saw the bath.
"Those scars really are all over him," Nel'os murmured in k'nairi, moving to his mates. Ryraso shifted slightly, giving Nel'os access to the wing he hadn't started cleaning yet. Tai'ray's wings had really needed some care and attention. Over a week of travelling had left them filthy and they really should have dragged the man to the hot springs a few days prior.
"Yes, they do," Ryraso agreed, his hands curling into fists for a moment before moving back to the job he had set for himself.
"And I said we wouldn't draw attention to them," Tai'ray warned. "Kid's nervous as it is," he sighed.
"I won't. I was just surprised by how many he has," Nel'os murmured, kissing the edge of Tai'ray's wing and rubbed his hands along the arch. Surprised was a polite word for what Nel'os meant. Horrified was how he actually felt about the entire situation. Eyeri's skin was still smooth but Nel'os could tell that was more from the people trying to heal the scaring than his body's natural healing.
"Some have faded better than others," Ryraso admitted, his fingertips tingling as he helped spread oil down feathers to help repair them and make them shine in the light. "We used to put salve on the worst and that helped a lot. Problem is, as he grows, the scars stretch."
"Can't you heal them completely?" Nel'os asked, more curious than demanding.
"Some, possibly. But those scars are emotionally tying as well as physical," Ryraso explained softly. "Even Inai can't heal all scars. Only time and recovery can."
"Might be easier once he trusts us," Tai'ray commented softly. "The safer he feels..." he trailed off and shrugged. The safer Eyeri felt with them, the more likely he would recover from his ordeal. That wouldn't happen easily if they had to brand him though. "Loror has some of the same scarring patterns," he mused, thinking of some of the strange marks on both Eyeri's and Loror's arms.
"I'm sure Loror does. I'm also sure he keeps his to look more intimidating," Ryraso said darkly. "And no, I don't want to know how they were caused. All I care about is stopping any more damage coming to pass."
Tai'ray shifted and tugged Ryraso so he was on his lap, hugging the human tightly. "I know," Tai'ray breathed, nuzzling Ryraso's hair. "It was a thoughtless observation, I'm sorry."
"How long until it happens?" Ryraso asked, closing his eyes and distinctly ignoring the fact that they were both naked. He pressed his head against the crook of Tai'ray's neck, mildly enjoying the Winglord's intake of breath at the action. It was nice he could still surprise Tai'ray occasionally.
"Three days, I think. If Eyeri attempts to run, it will be sooner. If I can find a way to delay or stop it for him, I will," Tai'ray admitted softly. "I already have people looking for an answer. It is not only Eyeri who does not deserve to suffer a punishment meant for traitors."
"The fledgelings?" Ryraso breathed, the link providing the most obvious answer. Few k'nairi would care about the lovers and family of caw. Or rather, not enough to stop that punishment but the young caw who were already k'nairi? Who had not been given the choice but to be caw because of their parents? Those, the scholars and priests would feel pity for.
"Among others, yes," Nel'os nodded. "The oldest is nineteen... youngest is eleven."
"Nineteen...when are you putting the age limit for when they were able to make the decision?" Ryraso frowned, looking up at Tai'ray. If the oldest was nineteen, that would mean they had been twelve when they left k'nairi lands.
"Sixteen but in truth the older ones have died in the war," Tai'ray admitted sadly. "Not that there were that many to begin with..."
Ryraso flinched at that news. Tai'ray was right. Not many human families had lived in k'nairi lands long enough for the children to gain a link but that was still a large age gap. All of the children who had been between twelve and sixteen had died now? Just how many had there been? Ryraso could think of about ten names and more faces. "That is concerning," Ryraso said looking down with his eyebrows furrowed. Lots of people had died, but they were losing a generation it seemed.
"I had not realised until you made me break the blocks. If no one else, we need to get the flegdlings back here," Tai'ray said firmly.
Ryraso closed his eyes again, listening to the faint sound of Eyeri and Aw'endo bickering in the bath. Typical teenage boy teasing by the sounds of it. It was refreshing to hear with the dark news around them. He didn't quite agree with the statement about needing to get the fledgling back but he was scarily beginning to understand the logic behind it. A lot of young men and women were dying. Tai'ray wanted to protect his from doing so.
"Where is Dyn'ad?" Ryraso asked softly.
"Talking to some people, he'll be here soon," Tai'ray said gently.
"Cai'ress is not some people," Nel'os grumbled over his bond to Tai'ray, careful to block from Ryraso.
"Do you want to explain who Cai'ress is now?" Tai'ray countered, nuzzling Ryraso, suddenly sensing how tired he was.
"Not really, no," Nel'os signed, looking down at Ryraso cuddled into Tai'ray. Now was not the time to put another serious issue on the human's lap. "We will have to soon."
"Your job, not mine," Tai'ray pointed out. It wasn't that Tai'ray didn't find Cai'ress attractive or interesting, it was just that. Well, frankly he wanted Ryraso more. It wasn't particularly healthy that Dyn'ad and Nel'os had someone they wanted and Tai'ray didn't but it wasn't like the three of them had gotten together in a particularly healthy way either. Unless there was something about the noble that Tai'ray found particularly displeasing, he saw no reason why he couldn't accept Cai'ress into their bond. No reason, other than how Ryraso would react to a second interest.
"Your nest," Nel'os pouted.
"Your lover," Tai'ray said with a tease in his voice, turning his head to kiss Nel'os on the lips. Ryraso still cuddled in his arms and in his own mind at the moment. A yell from one of the boys in the background as the other apparently dragged him under the water. From the splashing, it sounded like they were play fighting.
"He could be yours," Nel'os commented kissing Tai'ray's lips deeply and resting his arms around Tai'ray and Ryraso. "If you wanted him to be." "I'm done," Nel'os said, leaning over Tai'ray's shoulder to kiss Ryraso himself.
"Rather have Ryraso." Tai'ray grumbled, tightening his grip on the human before loosening up so Ryraso could stand on his own. "Come on Ry. Let's join the boys."
"I know," Nel'os acknowledged. "We want Ryraso too." There was a wave of desire over the bond almost like Nel'os thought he needed to prove it. Nel'os and Dyn'ad may not had wanted Ryraso at first sight but the stubborn healer had worked his way into their hearts "You don't have to accept Cai'ress if you don't want to Tai. He can just be a consort like most lovers of royalty," Nel'os reminded, pressing against Tai'ray's side as they walked to the main bath.
Eyeri was looking smug while Aw'endo pouted. "Win the fight?" Ryraso asked, sliding into the water with a pleased hum as hot water poured over him. He ducked under the water and let it slide over his head before moving to the side, relaxing on the stone bench. The view was impressive from the top of the baths. The palace baths were a huge complex, and several areas were closed off as private. Normally balconies which were higher up, the water running from the higher ones to the lower. The royal bath was at the top.
"This time," Aw'endo grumbled.
"I'm not completely helpless," Eyeri teased, poking Aw'endo's ribs. Aw'endo growled but only splashed some water at Eyeri. Eyeri laughed, curled with his arms resting on the top of his knees.
"I'm sure," Nel'os laughed, sliding through the water over to Ryraso and cuddling up to him. He kissed Ryraso on the cheek as Ryraso cuddled back, grinning at Tai'ray at the slight flash of jealousy. "You two just snuggled naked," Nel'os teased. "Don't get too greedy." Nel'os understood Tai'ray's fears about losing Ryraso. He didn't want to lose Ryraso's warmth either. Or the younglings which came with him. He just hoped that Ryraso liked Cai'ress.