Bird of a Wing - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

The two stayed like that late into the night, taking comfort in the other's presence while lost in their own thoughts. The wind was blowing strong and Ran'mosy's wings were more blocking the wind than comforting Ryraso. The sounds of the water running and night-time animals almost calming to hear. Eventually, there was a familiar sound of Nel'os appearing out of nowhere, startling them both from their thoughts.
Ryraso looked over at Nel'os. The Royal's expression strange and almost guarded as he looked at the two men embraced. If Ryraso had the strength of the will, he would have rolled his eyes or made a comment but his heart just wasn't capable of it. He just wanted to mope in a ball and be left alone. Still, wordlessly Ryraso reached out to his suitor with an open hand. It would not do for Nel'os to feel jealous over Ran'mosy. That would only make both of their situations worse.
Taking the invitation, Nel'os quickly wrapped himself around Ryraso and also Ran'mosy, nuzzling both men. Murmuring gentle words of comfort as Ran'mosy pressed his wings against his. A forward action but an understandable one. Nel'os could feel the hurt rolling off of both.
Nel'os' first reaction was to worry about the pain which was bleeding from both men almost visibly, but he could also sense something else. Something had changed that night. A shift in their minds and souls which Nel'os could only hope that what the two had needed to find had been found and everything would improve. Or at least no longer hurt. Nel'os kissed Ryraso on the forehead tenderly and cupped his cheek.
"I'm sorry to disturb sweetheart, but a storm is brewing here. It is time to move to cover," Nel'os murmured softly, almost afraid to break the quiet of the night.
As Nel'os mentioned the storm, thunder sounded in the distance. Ryraso realised the dampness in the air had grown heavier and clouds had covered up the night sky. Already he could feel rain droplets raining, though very lightly. Ryraso nodded in agreement and turned into Nel'os, placing his head on Nel'os shoulder.
Nel'os felt his heart skip a beat at the action but pulled himself back together. This couldn't just be the fight or the circumstances. Something else was weighing on his beloved. Whatever was wrong, however, would have to wait until they were back safely in the hut. He wrapped an arm around both men and transported.
Nel'os transported them back to Ran'mosy's home nest first. It was a small hut, O'chetur sitting in the living area, watching a fire as his mates slept in the nest in a separate room, though the curtain separating the two was up putting them on view. Ryraso could see Herymi curled in the centre of the nest, a blanket up to his chest while Cha'em and Adar'y curled around him tightly. O'chetur blinked in surprise at Nel'os' arrival but didn't say anything out loud.
Ryraso strongly suspected Nel'os and O'chetur were talking over the link as he watched Ran'mosy move over to his dominant mate. O'chetur cupped Ran'mosy's face and kissed him warmly on the lips. Ran'mosy pressed against him and hugged him for a moment before moving over to the nest almost timidly.
Shifting, Herymi yawned as he sat up, Ran'mosy flinching backwards as Herymi looked at him. Herymi sleepily raised an eyebrow but offered his hand, much as Ryraso had done earlier to Nel'os. A gesture which simply said, 'Come here you'. Like Nel'os, Ran'mosy wasted no time in accepting the invitation and collapsed into the bed next to Herymi, tears rolling down his face and clinging to his arms.
Cha'em shifted to curl in Ran'mosy's wings and Herymi locked his strong arms around the upset k'nairi. Gently humming a lullaby which seemed to relax Ran'mosy's wings.
'Herymi still loves Ran'mosy,' Nel'os said through the link softly. 'The feelings are still there, even if they did fight.'
'I know,' Ryraso murmured, not sure what else to offer up. Those words had a weight to them which suggested there was more to them than the obvious. Words and emotions Nel'os was trying to convey but was scared to voice and Ryraso wasn't yet ready to hear. Ryraso understood either way. It didn't help the tightness in his chest, however.
When they appeared back at their lodgings for the night, Ryraso let go of Nel'os, only to latch back onto him again before he could collapse, his wings trembling dangerously. Nel'os grinned at him cheekily, a strange sparkle in his eyes. "Guess I used too much of myself today," Nel'os offered in a slightly breathless tone.
This time Ryraso did roll his eyes. "You should be more careful," Ryraso scolded softly, but helped support Nel'os into the nest room, an arm under Nel'os' shoulders as the k'nairi leant on Ryraso. Only to find Dyn'ad comforting a sobbing Eyeri.
"Eyeri," Ryraso called softly with concern and a healthy level of guilt. Eyeri looked up from where he was wrapped up in Dyn'ad arms and wings. His eyes were red-rimmed and cheeks stained with tears. Thunder rumbled overhead and Eyeri flinched. With the storm, the night wasn't going to get any easier.
"Ryraso" Eyeri murmured, both hands reaching out toward Ryraso and eyes begging in a considerably more childish but demanding 'come here' than Ryraso or Herymi had used that night.
Ryraso supported Nel'os to the bed, gently setting him on it and kissing his forehead. He quickly kicked off his boots and outer clothing and crawled onto the bed himself. Dyn'ad let Ryraso pull Eyeri into his arms. Ryraso murmuring gentle things into the teenager's ear, Eyeri burying his face into Ryraso's chest. As Ryraso settled in the bed, Nel'os on one side of him and Dyn'ad next to Eyeri, Dyn'ad spread his wings over them. The k'nairi dominant Instinctively trying to make a haven for the upset youngling in his midst, while also protecting his mates. Ryraso felt the familiar blanket of a peace spell fall over the room to block out the sounds of the storm outside.
It was proof of how exhausted Eyeri was that Ryraso wasn't even able to get out what had caused him so much distress before the teenager was limp and drifting to sleep again. One of Eyeri's hands wrapped in Ryraso shirt, scared to let go even in his sleep. Ryraso watched him, vaguely aware of Nel'os demanding what had happened from Dyn'ad over the link.
That was a mild concern to Ryraso as well. Ryraso suspected they weren't projecting to let him hear but he could anyway. That suggested things Ryraso wasn't ready to deal with yet. The link had a way of sorting things when the people within it were being too stubborn and he would have to be careful.
"Where are Aw'endo and Tai-ray?" Ryraso asked softly as Eyeri drifted off. The young man was fighting it, nodding off only to jerk back awake and repeat the cycle.
"Flying. They will be back soon," Dyn'ad murmured. "Sleep love," he whispered, a hand stroking down Eyeri's back. 'Aw'endo found Tai'ray and they went storm dancing,' Dyn'ad admitted over the link, sharing an image of Aw'endo's excited face as he danced through wild winds with his guardian. Ryraso smiled, able to feel the aftertaste of joy from Tai'ray too. Tai'ray was trying then to repair his bond with his charge.
'I'm glad,' Ryraso murmured back, letting them feel his joy at this fact. 'Aw'endo needs some attention.' The 'from all of us' was unspoken but felt by all three men and agreed with. Aw'endo's happiness at the moment was tainted with the knowledge that Ryraso and Eyeri were not so. Once things settled, that would improve.
Ryraso stiffened and grumbled at that thought, prodding Nel'os with his elbow. That was not his thought or hope. That would suggest Eyeri would be staying in Navat.
'Still, want to escape?' Nel'os murmured sadly, his arms starting to cling as much as Eyeri's did.
'Not really,' Ryraso admitted gently, slightly surprised himself that he personally didn't want to get away from them anymore. 'Or rather. I don't want to escape. I want Eyeri to escape. To do that, I will need to for a time.'
Both k'nairi were silent, emotions bubbling up but then disturbing. 'I'm not sure Tai'ray will let Eyeri go now. Even if Eyeri escaped without you, there is no guarantee that he won't hunt the youngling down later' Dyn'ad warned, his hand still rubbing Eyeri's back as he finally went under and fell to sleep. 'Your youngling has got his caretaker instincts firing,' he admitted gently.
Ryraso grimaced but didn't argue the point. It was true, Tai'ray seemed oddly protective of Eyeri even for someone who had suffered like Eyeri. 'I have to try,' was the stray thought which moved over to them almost apologetically.
'We know,' returned the pair, Nel'os kissing the back of Ryraso's neck. "Just come home if you succeed."
"I will," Ryraso promised, finding himself meaning it. Happiness bloomed in his chest and washed over Ryraso from Nel'os and Dyn'ad. Happiness that he did think of Navat as home, that he would return to them. Still, Dyn'ad poked mentally at a bubble of unease within Ryraso. Nel'os noticed it too and the Royals flooded the connection with their love and fondness for Ryraso.
"We do love you, you know Ry," Nel'os commented out loud nuzzling into Ryraso's hair, his arms around both him and Eyeri. "I know you are angry with us but we do love you," he promised.
"I know," Ryraso murmured, tangling his fingers in Nel'os'. An image of that night in the bar long ago flashed through Ryraso's mind, of Millie and Isst before the war and knowledge of what had happened next. Pain bloomed in Ryraso's chest and tears threatened to fall but he kept them in. "I know. I love you too" he murmured before finally dropping off to sleep, partly out of exhaustion, partly out of not wanting to deal with their reaction to that.
Both Nel'os and Dyn'ad woke up at that, both sitting up. Looking at the sleeping pair of humans.
"He just said..." Nel'os murmured over their bond, hope soaring.
"I heard," Dyn'ad frowned slightly having also felt the pain bloom in Ryraso before the admittance even if the words had been true. "Does this mean we have him?" he asked seriously, watching Ryraso's face. The truth before falling asleep didn't always mean that they were ready to face it after all.
"It's Ry, I doubt it," Nel'os said mournfully, lying back down and snuggling into the warm human. "Still he promised if he managed to escape with Eyeri, he would return to us. That's something, isn't it?"
"It is but remember. He didn't exactly say when he would, only that he would," Dyn'ad sighed before joining his mate in lying back down. "We have a chance. That is the important thing."