Bird of a Nest - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Fetmar shifted as a body fell over him, looking down to Eyeri fully dressed and pouting. "Morning," he grunted, closing his eyes again and nudging Eyeri off him. Eyeri battered his side slightly but didn't move. If anything Eyeri got heavier. Fetmar growled and turned over. "What's the matter?"
Eyeri shrugged, his face twisting with uncertainly. Fetmar exhaled and sat up. Eyeri wasn't going to let him sleep now, Fetmar could feel it. Most of the Royals were still sleeping, but Nel'os and Aw'endo were gone. Hopefully, that was a good sign, which explained how he was asleep without being surrounded by bodies. His shoulders felt less achy this morning. He gave Eyeri another moment to verbally tell what was bothering him, but nothing came. He just lay over Fetmar's legs with his head in his crossed arms.
"Right, we're going to do this today," Fetmar nodded. Standing up, Fetmar pulled Eyeri along into his bedroom and sat him down as Fetmar got dressed. Eyeri didn't fight, following obedient and sitting on Fetmar's bed. He could feel annoyance growing as Eyeri started tapping on the edge of the bed with his knuckles. "Stop."
The tapping stopped for one moment before starting again. Fetmar pulled his training boots and moved back over to his brother. Kneeling to be on the same eye level, Fetmar brushed Eyeri's hair out of his eyes and gave him a look. Eyeri's expression twisted but settled, stopping his tapping.
"Gar'kin is fighting with Kol'bur again,"
"Unsurprising. Gar'kin is spending more time with the other formers than with his nest," And entirely to the agreement of the formers. From the conversations the previous day, Mos'it at least was not approving of how the man was endangering his current nest.
"I wanted to garden today. I wanted to do something,"
"I see," Fetmar nodded, ruffling Eyeri's hair. "In which case, you should start training again." He laughed as the image of boredom fled from Eyeri's face and instead dislike covered his brother's features. "You'll survive kid," he patted Eyeri's shoulder. "I know you'd prefer gardening, but if you're starting to get itchy for activity, training will fill that hole. We need to get the word out that you're not completely helpless like we all treat you anyhow."
"I would have thought it was the opposite. Keep it a secret, so if someone tried something, I could surprise them," Eyeri muttered.
"Would rather your skills don't get rusty because you didn't practice," Fetmar pointed out. "It won't hurt you to start up again," Eyeri complained, but his arms reached out to hug Fetmar's shoulders. Fetmar smirked and hugged him back, standing up and lifting Eyeri with him. "Won't hurt you at all," he murmured.
"Fine. Let's go," Eyeri sniffed.
"It's a little early," Fetmar noted, settling Eyeri back on the ground. "And we need to have breakfast first."
Eyeri dodged a finger poking him in the ribs, glaring at his brother. "I'm sure the kitchen will have something we can eat. If I don't get moving, I'll start climbing, and Per'den has already caught me once today."
"Good for him," Fetmar shook his head. He would be far more worried about Eyeri's developing climbing habit if it wasn't the fact that he had plenty of eyes on him. Eyeri was very unlikely to get hurt. "Fine, let's head to the great hall. Hopefully, there will be something there." Eyeri beamed up at him and dived over to the door. Fetmar rolled his eyes and followed at a calmer pace. He tried not to smirk as Eyeri complained and pushed his back, trying to get him to move faster.
"Morning?" Dyn'ad offered, looking over at them confused.
"Morning," Fetmar greeted, with half a wave, stopping in place with Eyeri still pushing him. "I'm taking Eyeri training today. Nel'os is with Aw'en, I think. Gar'kin had another argument with his nest."
"Good to know, Nel is, and it's far too early to think about that," Dyn'ad yawned, waving back. "Enjoy. See you later." he shifted, curling around Ryraso tighter, his wings puffing out and stretching for a moment.
"Fetmar!" Eyeri complained. "Move!"
Shrugging, Fetmar started to walk forward, giving to his brother's want to go out. "Calm your horses," Fetmar shook his head, reaching around to spin Eyeri to his side rather than be pushing behind him. Eyeri bounced on his feet but walked next to him. Fetmar watched his brother curiously. This behaviour was unusual for Eyeri. There was a flash of white and Fetmar smiled, pride filling his chest. His brother was healing again. He ruffled Eyeri's hair again. At least something was going right.
"Looks like someone's in trouble," Eyeri noted, voice almost bursting from amusement.
Fetmar followed his look and smiled as he saw Herymi slapping Zaro over the head and pushing him along. Ran'mosy, Herymi's mate, followed with a similar amused smile on his face. Fetmar also noted the slightly limp Zaro was sporting and quickly put two and two together. Zaro hadn't stayed with the concubines last night then.
"Morning," Fetmar called, making the two pause, Herymi now holding Zaro's ear as he paused mid-tirade. "You didn't do what I think you did?" he asked bemused, holding Eyeri's wrist to stop him from running too far. Eyeri tugged unhappily.
"If you mean break rules that could have him flogged and locked up in a cage until he is finally branded, yes," Herymi growled, letting go of the man's ear as Zaro shifted uncomfortably.
Fetmar paused, looking at Zaro again. He hadn't considered that angle of things. It was true that the rules had Zaro restricted to the palace at the moment. While Zaro was feeling a little trapped, was having sex with two muscular men worth the risk? Especially when it was possible to do so in his room in the palace. "Seriously?" Fetmar asked, letting go of Eyeri so the boy could greet Ran'mosy. "The sex could not have been that good to risk being put in a cage."
"It seemed like a good idea at the time?"
"To who?" Fetmar questioned, looking up and down Zaro. Zaro was wearing a shirt, trousers and boots, leaving the new hickeys on his shoulders and neck very clearly on display. This wasn't the first time Fetmar had seen Zaro in this state. They had roomed together very early on when he had first been stationed on the warship. "I know you enjoy fucking, but last time I checked you were as sensible as the rest of us at being wary of being flogged." Zaro blushed and looked away. Herymi shook his head.
"I'll have to report those two to Captain Par'nast for endangering a prisoner. As for you," Herymi looked at Zaro disapprovingly. "I'm not even sure who we need to inform. You may just have to hope Par'nast takes pity on you."
"It wasn't like I was running away, or even going particularly far. I just went to get laid and have some fun," Zaro muttered. "You understand what it's like sometimes! We don't have to tell anyone," he pleaded, making his best puppy eyes impression as he looked up at Herymi.
"Except I do. It's my job to keep the humans under the Royal protection safe until I'm allowed to return to Tayagwe," Herymi pointed out. "You count. Leaving to get laid is not a good reason to break the rules no many how handsome the men involved are. This is going to nothing for your reputation either. All that damage control..." Herymi shook his head tiredly. "Maybe if we put you the ring with them and you beat them?" he mused.
"That may work," Captain Par'nast agreed, appearing out of nowhere. "I doubt he would win against both of them, however." Fetmar didn't jump at his appearance. He was getting used to Par'nast moving almost silently and appearing at will. "Zaro," he growled.
"Captain Par'nast," Zaro looked downwards, face burning bright. "Good morning, sir."
Fetmar looked over his shoulder to check Eyeri was still with Ran'mosy. The two were grinning happily to themselves. Eyeri bounced on the spot, wildly gesturing as he told the man some story. Ran'mosy wore an amused expression, eyes sparkling at whatever Eyeri was telling him.
"Your men came and told me what happened," Par'nast noted.
"Not sure they are mine," Zaro started to protest but quietened down again at another look.
"They dragged you to their hut to have fun. They may not be courting to keep you in their nest, but they are in a relationship with you of some sort," Par'nast said with a firm tone. "I'll deal with them later. You are the more complicated one. Come, we shall discuss this in my office. Fetmar, you can come too. Some of what I need to discuss will be useful for you to know too."
"I was taking Eyeri to breakfast,"
"Ran'mosy and Eyeri can come too," Par'nast stated, taking Zaro's arm in his and pulling him along. "Hurry up, please. We need to have this dealt with before the Quartermaster finds out. I need to get your case put under my control," the man muttered under his breathe.   "You spend enough time in my domain, and it's my men who are likely to get you into trouble. Not likely at all, they are going to get you into trouble. I should have punished them the moment I found out about this."
Zaro grew redder and redder as Par'nast continued to mutter in human for his benefit as the captain frogmarched him to the training grounds. Fetmar and Herymi shared looks before grabbing their respective companion and pulling them along with them.
"So, is anyone not getting into trouble at the moment?" Eyeri asked, with a touch of exhaustion on his voice as he kicked the floor. Fetmar closed his eyes and counted to ten. That explained the bouncing. Eyeri was starting to feel stressed with his routine being disrupted. The bouncing wasn't him letting his colours show as much as it was him coping with nothing being stable. The only good thing about it was Eyeri did it when he felt safe. Otherwise, Eyeri would have acted like a ghost in the background.
"Don't act like you've been an angel," Ran'mosy snorted, holding hands with Herymi. "I'm sure you've been up to something not quite perfect."
"He climbs," Par'nast called from the front of their little procession. Fetmar flushed, rubbing his face. Of course, Captain Par'nast knew that. He was the one the reports were going to after all. His failure to keep his brothers safe and behaving was going to be very clear to the man.
"See."
"Climbing, with supervision, is different from the amount of relationship bs that happens around here," Eyeri scowled, looking to the side. "Or should I list the number of arguments Herymi was having with O'chetur before you came to balance them out?"
"Aw, baby. Give it another year," Ran'mosy smiled at Herymi knowingly.
"More like a month," Fetmar shook his head.
"Turning 17 isn't going to magically put me in the middle of romantic drama."
"No, but you'll have more friends by then," Fetmar countered. "Even if you're not falling in and out of love, friends tend to cause drama."
"Romantic drama isn't out of the realm of possibility with you either. You already flirt with the guards," Par'nast added, shepherding them into the room. A table of food already laid out as the servants had moved ahead of them. "I had to give them all reminders you're off-limits and underage. Now you're blooming," he paused as he noticed the look on Fetmar's face.  He smiled conspiratorially and fell next to Zaro. "I don't want another situation like yours arising, mister," he finished calmly.
"You're doing what?"
"I wouldn't say flirt," Eyeri defended, redfaced as Ran'mosy laughed wholeheartedly and Fetmar glared at Eyeri. "Tease, more like? It's safe and I need to learn how to talk that way somehow. Even at the ball the other week people were using that language and I was getting fluttered. I don't like being fluttered."
"Safe is debatable," Herymi shrugged, picking up an apple and crunching on it. "It is certainly a useful skill to know."
"One that I can't exactly learn from family," Eyeri added. "Well, maybe from Nel'os but he's far too busy being a drama queen at the moment to teach me."