Bird of a Wing - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Tai'ray nuzzled the young human's hair, the little thing whimpering as the Tai'ray's knife scraped along his skin. Ryraso looked physically pained at the sound, his mates, still ready to fight but Tai'ray could feel their concern. Gutting warriors was one thing, slitting the neck of a young man barely old enough to be called so was another.
"Give up your weapons!" Tai'ray ordered harshly, in a dark tone that promised swift retribution if the order was disobeyed. Both of the men in front of him had earned whippings, he could make it worse if he wanted to. Except he didn't want to, at least not because he had put their backs in a corner with threatening Eyeri. He resisted the urge to grin as they gave up their weapons to his mates, instead keeping his angry facade firmly on his face.
"Winglord..." Ryraso went to say something but was cut off by a furious Tai'ray's growl.
"Silence! You have tested my patience healer, something I am not happy about. Kneel! Both of you!" Tai'ray thundered. Tai'ray was angry at his wayward chosen. Even so, he knew the significance of Ryraso calling him by his title rather than name. Ryraso was not just worried Tai'ray was going to hurt Eyeri, he was scared. Ryraso Too scared to trust that he would get away with the thing he had always been able to do no matter what, call the Winglord by name. Tai'ray's heart tightened at that but he had to steel it and stay strong. After all, Tai'ray knew himself that he wasn't going to harm Eyeri.
Ryraso fell to the ground with a heavy grunt, his head bowed, his hands on the ground in front of him in a familiar position. Tai'ray glared at Herymi as he hesitated to do so, refusing to think about the meaning of that gesture.
"If I am to kneel, I need some help, my lord," Herymi spoke respectfully in k'nairi, if not a little sheepishly.
Tai'ray looked the warrior up and down, noticing the injuries which Herymi had gained during his fight with Dyn'ad. His clothes were badly ripped now from the fight and Tai'ray could believe that he had also been injured. Grimacing inwardly, Tai'ray nodded at Dyn'ad, who helped support Herymi to the ground gently.
Once both humans on their knees, Tai'ray removed the dagger from Eyeri's neck, sheathing it in his belt. Eyeri shifted as if to move but Tai'ray tightened his grip around the boy's waist, keeping him pinned against him. Eyeri wasn't going anywhere. At this point, even if Eyeri hadn't been Ryraso's, he would be going with them regardless. Tai'ray would not leave a human this young and weak on his own in the woods where the D'mar were also camped.
Ignoring the two men on the ground, Tai'ray shifted the boy slightly so they were facing each other, cupping the young man's face gently to make sure Eyeri was focusing on him. "What is your name child?" He asked, already knowing Eyeri's name but also knowing the best way to start a conversation with a scared child was to ask something simple and easy. As he spoke he let out a soft set of clicks and purrs in his voice. Ones which everyone apart from Eyeri would know as sounds normally used to calm terrified younglings.
The clicks couldn't help but make Ryraso wonder if the Winglord knew how old Eyeri actually was. With how small Eyeri was, plus his meek nature, people often thought the boy was a lot younger then he was. Something which could work to their favour admittedly not with the Winglord, who was sure to find out his actual age, but other k'nairi.
"Eyeri," the boy answered, his voice full of fear, but it was strong and firm. He wasn't about to fall to pieces over having a knife put to his neck.
Tai'ray smiled impressed by this, a spark of interest lighting in his eyes. Here was someone who knew he was powerless but wasn't about to fall to pieces over it. Tai'ray was almost relieved and slightly hopeful, it would make this so much easier for everyone involved if Eyeri remained calm and didn't do anything stupid.
"Eyeri," Tai'ray repeated the name slowly, checking he was saying it right. "Okay little one, how old are you?" Information Ravn had not known, only that Eyeri was instead still a teenager.
"Sixteen," Eyeri revealed with a wary look in his eye.
"Old enough then," Tai'ray murmured, understanding the wariness. Sixteen was one of those magically awkward numbers. On the edge of adulthood, not quite an adult mentally but legally able to do all the things an adult could do and endure as well. Tai'ray could brand Eyeri the same as any caw. It also meant the boy would be considered as available to anyone who knew his age. A thing worth a thought. No doubt he would have to put some protection around the boy against unwanted suitors. Eyeri was a pretty little thing with his big blue eyes and light blonde hair. He ran his hand through the boy's hair idly as he thought, still trapping the boy against him.
Aw'endo crashed into the clearing, twigs in his feathers, groaning pitifully. Tai'ray looked over at his charge and sighed lightly at his appearance, "Aw'endo I taught you better than to fly in the undergrowth," he scolded.
"Eyeri..." Aw'endo croaked.
"Is fine, for the moment," Tai'ray said firmly, still stroking the boy's hair gently. It was soft under his fingers, almost like silk.
Aw'endo looked uncertain, looking willing to dive over and try and get the boy free, but Tai'ray growled warningly at that. His grip tightening on the human until it was almost painful. Eyeri let out another whimper. Tai'ray loosened his grip immediately.
"Tai'ray!" Ryraso exclaimed, seeing the discomfort his surrogate son was feeling. "What are you planning?"
The Winglord hissed and glared at him for daring to call him by name but said nothing to tell him off. Ryraso was allowed, just. "That depends on you two. If you want him to live, he will be coming with us. If you don't want him to share your extended punishment, you will behave for the rest of the journey and remove your seals!" Tai'ray spoke in an oddly calm voice, still idly stroking Eyeri's soft curls. Aw'endo's eyes widened in surprise. The Winglord was intending on making Eyeri k'nairi? Eyeri just looked slightly confused.
"He has nothing to do with this! Please, Tai'ray... I won't run but please let him go! His brothers..." Ryraso tried to reason, caught between the fear of losing Eyeri and the fear of being the reason that the boy lost what little family he had left.
"He has nothing to do with this? I think not Ryraso," Tai'ray commented darkly. "Somehow I think he does. He is your student, is he not? Someone I would even go as far to guess you count as bloodkin. Let us not also forget he had knowledge of value from you. The knowledge you learned in Navat. But far more importantly, I would stop begging and start following my orders before I decide his worth is lower than my patience!" Tai'ray's voice had started calm, but during the last sentence had grown louder and angrier until he was yelling at the human, his sharp talons moving from Eyeri's hair to his throat. Eyeri inhaled quickly, a tear running from his eye in fear.
Herymi moved first, pulling the seal off his neck to the ground below. His eyes closing heavily as he felt the link fall back into place. Time seeming to pause for a moment for him as Tai'ray greeted him through the link. The moment of re-entering the link was unique to every individual but Tai'ray was joined to him long enough to inform Herymi that Tai'ray would be telling Herymi's friends he was back where he belonged. A flash of fear moved over the link but quickly dulled down to nervousness. Nel'os looked at Herymi sharply having felt it too. Fear, even short lived, was never a good sign.
Ryraso followed a split second after, yanking the seal of his wrist. It fell to the ground with a dull clunk. His own greeting a lot darker, with promises of what was to come scaring him to the core. Tai'ray was almost too pleased with himself for having finally recaptured Ryraso.
"As for you Aw'endo, you are in big trouble," Tai'ray growled. He held his arm out to the boy in a slight command to come over to him.
Aw'endo looked up at his adoptive father with a look of slight fear before giving into a childish urge and half ran, half dived over into Tai'ray's arms. Wrapping himself around both Tai'ray and Eyeri, relieved to see that his adoptive father hadn't harmed his younger brother figure, Aw'endo let himself enjoy the feeling of having Tai'ray there.
Tai'ray smiled warmly at this, nuzzling the boy lightly, before frowning as he realised he still could not feel Aw'endo in the link. "Aw'endo, I need you to remove your seal as well," he said considerably more softly than he had told the humans.
"Only a human can remove it," admitted Aw'endo, looking down in embarrassment.
Letting out a slight chuckle, amused by his child's actions, he kissed the crown of Aw'endo's head. "Eyeri," Tai'ray said gently, the unspoken order obvious to everyone.
Eyeri glanced over at Ryraso, uncertainty in his eyes. Ryraso nodded, giving his consent for the order. Tai'ray growled lowly in warning but said nothing about the exchange. It made sense annoyingly that Eyeri would look to Ryraso when unsure as Ryraso was his father figure and his mentor. Eyeri reached over to Aw'endo and removed his seal which was on his friend's wrist.
Grinning, Tai'ray's wings fluttered in happiness as he was able to sense Aw'endo again. He did care deeply for the boy, he had just let the war take over his priorities. He curled his wings around both boys in his grasp. Taking a moment to relax in Aw'endo's warm happiness for being back with the royal triad. The boy just wanted his family after all.
Aw'endo said nothing as he got pulled into a tight hug, crooning lightly in happiness as he was nuzzled, nuzzling back with a grin on his face. In his heart hoping dearly that now his family would be back together again. All of them, including the new addition who was no less important to him. Eyeri kept silent, feeling very awkward in the hug and not wanting to risk drawing attention back to him.
"We have much to talk about little one," Tai'ray murmured into Aw'endo's ear before kissing him on the top of his head again. Aw'endo shifted uncomfortably. That didn't sound too good. The k'nairi youngling knew he was still in trouble. Tai'ray let go of the boy, but kept a firm grip on Eyeri, he was not going to risk letting the boy get away. "But we will all talk away from here." The smell of the dead was beginning to make Tai'ray's stomach twist and the boy in his arms was obviously trying to look at them.
"Dyn'ad, are you able to carry Herymi?" the Winglord asked, already knowing that Aw'endo could fly by himself and Nel'os was perfectly capable of carrying Ryraso in flight. Dyn'ad was a strong k'nairi, technically stronger than the Winglord himself, however Herymi was a big man. He had a lot of muscles, proof he had gone down a warrior's path as opposed to the skinnier healer.
"Of course," Dyn'ad sounded almost affronted, but he knew it was not really a question of his strength. He gently picked up the human warrior, carrying him on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Herymi yelled in surprise but did not fight it. It was the safest way to be carried in flight, injured as he was. He still gripped tightly onto the k'nairi's outfit, though. Dyn'ad chuckled at this and patted the man's thighs lightly. "I'm not going to drop you," he teased.
"I'm sure," Herymi said through gritted teeth.
Nel'os swept Ryraso up bridal style without a care, pressing his forehead to Ryraso's in a tender gesture. As his mate murmured something reassuring to his chosen, Tai'ray hoisted Eyeri up like he was a small child, trying not to let his conflicted feelings towards Ryraso at that moment show. He didn't miss however how Nel'os also swept up Ryraso's bag and put it around his neck. Tai'ray noticed the bag Eyeri had been carrying was to the side as well and quickly snatched that up too, passing it to the young human.
"Hold on tight, little one," Tai'ray said to the boy in his arms, before taking off into the air. Aw'endo followed behind him, using the wind tunnel Tai'ray created from his flying to keep up. Eyeri yelped in surprise but followed the Winglord's advice and held on.
Ryraso wrapped his arms around Nel'os neck as he followed his mate into the air, burying his head into the crook of Nel'os's shoulder. A hand stroked his hair awkwardly as Nel'os dared not change his hold on Ryraso. It was well known that Ryraso couldn't stand the ascent or descent of a flight. He was fine while in the sky but the beginning and end were hard for him. Ryraso let himself be petted, the gentle touch welcome as his head filled with mixed emotions.
From the other side of the bond, Tai'ray curled around him tightly, almost digging into his soul painfully. Which is when Ryraso knew for certain he wasn't going to be able to get away this time. No chance in hell.