Bird of a Wing - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Inai was silent for a few moments after Ryraso finished, thinking over what Ryraso had told him. "I think I understand the point you were trying to get at," Inai said slowly, his voice thoughtful. 'Dominants take insults very personally, but if keeping a grudge runs the risk of harming the other person, they will set aside their pride to ensure the other's survival.'
"Yes," Ryraso nodded, "If someone is considered weak but useful, they often protected them like they are made of glass. It is incredibly frustrating but the point remains that the K'nairi will do anything to ensure the safety of the people they deem valuable, or indeed the people they care about. To have a K'nairi protect you is seen as a great honour by the K'nairi. It means you are considered useful, that you are considered a part of the community but the truth from the human side of things is that you have to be careful not to let your protector get too close," he explained, his hand still rubbing the scar on his forearm.
"Because they are possessive. If you let one get too close, you run the risk of them trying to claim you into their nest," Inai said, working out the implication out loud to ensure he didn't miss it. Ryraso nodded and there was a strange look in Inai's eyes as a new understanding of the race flowed through him.
"Yes, if a K'nairi you are close to begins to protect you or become overprotective of you, chances are, they either want to or are courting you," Ryraso admitted softly.
Inai gave Ryraso a strange look, not missing what he was rubbing. "Has the Winglord ever protected you?" he asked gently.
Ryraso froze. The look on his face would best be described as nervousness and concern, his eyes looking at the ground. "Many times," he admitted. "Both when I worked for them and not, as you know," he breathed, his hand moving from the scar. Inai remembered the incident. It was only by the Winglord and his men's grace that more people didn't die that day. A lot of people owed the K'nairi their lives from that battlefield, on both sides. "I did not notice it at the time, but I...I should have realised how he felt. Somehow even when he declared he was coming to get me personally, I did not realise. I thought it was because I was close to him. Not because I was someone he viewed as a potential mate," Ryraso murmured, his hands clenching into fists at his side, gathering up the sheets in his hands.
Inai sat back a moment, his eyes closed and he took in everything he knew and had just learned about the K'nairi. "If he caught you. If he catches you, are you in any danger of being tortured or seriously harmed?" he asked.
Ryraso flinched at the question, his instinct was to yell, 'No' at his leader, when it clicked how his leader had worded the question. This wasn't as simple as Inai looking for information on the k'nairi. Inai wanted to know if he would need to assemble a squad to try and attack Navat to retrieve him. Something they did not have the manpower for, Ryraso realised in horror. Inai was having to decide here and now if he would have no choice but to risk a suicide mission to 'save' Ryraso and the other caw from Tai'ray and his men.
"No. No Caw is in any danger of those three things. The k'nairi occasionally force people into sex, but not to the point where you would be able to justify sending men to Navat," Ryraso confessed.
"And the D'mar?" Inai asked, standing up from the bed he had been sitting on, not looking at Ryraso.
"The deal the Winglord has with Warlord Loror, is that anyone who falls under the link is under the Winglord's rule and therefore protected from the troops. None will be allowed to even touch a caw," Ryraso explained, having known that from the start of the war.
"So what does happen then? To the caw?" Inai asked, his shoulders slumped as he turned back around to face Ryraso. Ryraso knew the man was slowly coming to terms with the fact he was unable to rescue his men at this point in time. Ryraso debated hiding some aspects, it would not do for the man to react too badly to what he had to say. "No lies!" Inai ordered, seeing a look he didn't like in Ryraso's eyes.
"In all honesty, it depends on who it is and what they have done. Tai-ray sent the order with a choice. An incentive to behave and not fight if you will. The basic punishment is being collared and branded. I know it sounds bad but it is different to slavery," Ryraso added as he saw the horrified look on Inai's face. "Collared means you get given a necklace or bracelet you can't take off which physically stops you leaving K'nairi lands. It's not an actual collar. Its purpose is to ensure the offender doesn't run off but has enough freedom not to feel trapped," Ryraso tried to explain.
"Trapped? Why would anyone feel trapped?" Inai said sarcastically.
"It's better than actually being chained to a room. People they can't trust to behave do get chained to rooms. It's a threat which is there," Ryraso murmured in all seriousness. No one liked the idea of being stuck on K'nairi lands, but K'nairi lands were a massive part of the country. Three weeks to walk over by foot. There was no shortage of room to move about. Inai pulled a face but gestured for him to continue. "Branding is branding. No escape from it. It doesn't have the same meanings as a slave one does. Namely, the brand signifies you are part of the K'nairi now and that you are to be treated as such, with respect and dignity. The collar takes away any temptation to run, but the brand ensures even if you do, you will end up returning. It's permanent and every bounty hunter knows Tai-ray will pay dearly for runaways. You are owned by a race, not by a person, I guess."
"This was the incentive not to fight?" Inai asked in disbelief.
"This is the basic punishment. It happens regardless of the reason for betrayal, regardless of motive, offence or indeed excuse. If you choose to run or to fight being brought home once captured, then the punishment gets worse," Ryraso explained softly.
"People like you," Inai observed.
"Yes," Ryraso agreed.
"What are you facing then?" Inai demanded.
Ryraso bit his lip and looked away, not wanting to tell his friend what he was most likely going to endure once home. Tai'ray was so angry with him at the moment, and not entirely rationally. Even if Dyn'ad and Nel'os could talk him down from the madness, Tai'ray had clearly stated what he was planning to do at the minimum to the people who fought being reclaimed.
"Ry?" Inai said worriedly, "I thought you said you were in no danger!"
"I'm not in danger," Ryraso promised, "The punishment is just not one I'd like to talk about."
"They get whipped," interrupted a quiet voice from the tent opening. Both men turned to find Aw'endo standing there, his expression neutral, though he looked very white. "How much depends on the person, but in short they are whipped in public before being branded. In the past, for those who really fought to get away or harmed a lot of people in their offence have had their heads shaven. Certain rights are taken away too..."
"Enough Aw'endo!" Ryraso ordered not wanting to hear more. Not wanting to face what he was fearing would be his own fate. He had little fear of losing his hair, Tai-ray liked it too much to cut it off, also he had not done anything deserving of that punishment. That was more reserved for cheaters as well.
"Let him speak Ry, since you are struggling to tell me everything," Inai growled, putting one hand on Ryraso's shoulder. Ryraso gripped his forearm again, unable to look at his friend. "Tell me Aw'endo, in your opinion, what do you feel Ryraso's punishment will be?" he asked, looking over at the shivering youngling.
"Definitely a whipping. Ten at the minimum, thirty at maximum. We already know Da is planning to force him into the royal nest. He won't force Ryraso into sex, but he will force him to live with him and his mates and force him to accept courting," Aw'endo admitted softly.
Inai gave Ryraso a sympathetic look before sighing but moved the conversation along, not wanting to trouble his friend further. "What about k'nairi caw?" Inai asked.
"They clip their wings," Aw'endo answered quietly, his own wings shivering in fear.
Inai narrowed his eyes. "I thought they did that to ground a child?" Inai said sounding confused.
"They cut a different set of feathers this time," Ryraso commented gently, raising his arm, gesturing to Aw'endo to come closer. The young K'nairi practically flew into Ryraso's arms, his face buried in Ryraso's shoulder. "There are two sets of feathers. One set grows back quickly, the others take a lot of time if they grow back at all. There have been cases where they haven't."
"I see" the high priest murmured.
"There is more to it. Clipping doesn't mean your wings are cut once. It means they are cut several times depending on your offence. You are allowed a day of flight in between each cutting. Being grounded is enough to make any K'nairi go insane with grief but being given the freedom of flight, and then having it taken away? That's enough to ensure they never recommit. Those who do know they will be ..."Ryraso trailed off, his hands rubbing Aw'endo's back. Even hearing about it was enough to scare and upset the young K'nairi. "Well, their wings will be removed," he stated neutrally.
"That is..." Inai's voice was horrified.
"Only done in the most serious of cases," Ryraso said sharply, "It has happened a few times, all serial killers."
"None of the caw are in any danger of that then?" Inai forced himself to ask and check.
"No, but it is why the K'nairi never kill their criminals. They have the perfect way to break them. To make them suffer and repent... Tai'ray declared that for those who did not fight once caught, there would not be an extension on their groundings. Also, he has never made anyone suffer more than they were meant to and grounded K'nairi get a long of help coping with the loss of flight. He's firm when it comes to punishment, but not cruel. You get what you sow," Ryraso promised.
Inai sighed, sitting down again. There was silence for a few moments as he thought over everything he had been told and learned, everything he knew about the k'nairi and everything he thought he had known. Eventually, he nodded, apparently deciding something for himself. "Okay then. Eyeri come here please," he called softly.
There was a startled squeak from outside the tent and Aw'endo and Ryraso blinked in surprise. Eyeri appeared in the opening, a blush on his face for having been caught spying and walked towards them. Inai smiled lightly at the boy before tugging him close.
"It is no longer safe for you here," Inai said calmly but with a tonein his voice which made it clear he was speaking as the high priest and not as their friend at that moment. "For any ofyou,safely" he added looking at all of the men in the room. "Because of this and the agreement I have with Fetmar," Eyeri looked at him surprised at the mention of his brother's name, "I will be sending the three of you to a more secure base.
"But..." Eyeri felt himself go cold at the news. "What about my brothers?" he asked, his eyes watering. If he was sent away from the main squad, there was no guarantee he would see his brothers again until after the war.
Inai hugged the boy close, kissing him on the forehead, "I'm sorry Eyeri. On the ship, it was safe for you to be with us but now the ship is gone and we can't fix it. Your brothers knew if something happened that risked your safety before you were of age, I would have to send you away. The only conditions Fetmar made me promise was that you would be with either Ryraso or Isst."
"When will I see them again?" Eyeri asked, giving Inai a truly heart-breaking look.
Inai knew the boy was begging him to say that he would see them again. That this wouldn't be the last he would see of them. Unfortunately that was the truth. "I'm afraid Eyeri, I don't know. The next time you see them will be when they next R&R..." Inai trailed off.
Everyone knew it would be almost impossible for all four older brothers to get time off at the same time to see Eyeri and be in a situation where they could all meet up. It was far more likely that the next time Eyeri would see them all again would be when the war ended. Whenever that happened. It hurt Inai to have to tell the boy this, however even if he wasn't sending Ryraso away, he would have had to make new arrangements for the boy. It was far too dangerous on the front lines. At the very least, this way he was with someone he considered family.
Eyeri's expression, for lack of a better word, looked numb. His eyes were blank, his shoulders slumped. Inai gently pushed him towards Ryraso, who pulled him in close for a hug. Aw'endo crooning lightly to try and get the boy to react in some way. Eyeri had always known his situation was, in many ways, too good to be true. And now it was time to face the hard facts of war. Families got spilt up.
"When do we leave?" Ryraso asked, rubbing Eyeri's back lightly. Aw'endo's wings around them both, pressing into Eyeri in an attempt to sooth the boy. The young K'nairi could sense his younger brother's distress and was trying to help.
"I'll make arrangements for you to leave tonight," Inai murmured.