Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 39

Herymi was strong for a human. He was also very skilled against the k'nairi, having learnt to defend himself pretty quickly from flying attackers who wanted his hunting prize, but he was still human. If he tried to fight against Ran'mosy one on one, or more likely if Ran'mosy attacked him, he would lose. Then Ran'mosy would mostly likely do something both would regret. Either fuck him, which would at best end up with Ran'mosy facing the lashes with Herymi at the Winglord's claws, at worst with Herymi seriously injured and the claim revoked or Ran'mosy would beat him to a pulp which would incur the second punishment anyway.

"I'll stay away from Ran'mosy until I'm branded then," Herymi exhaled with heavy shoulders, it felt wrong leaving things so tattered now. Tai'ray was pleased that the human managed to talk about the branding with little care or fight. The only nervousness Herymi felt from the branding was the lashing afterwards, which he was not getting out of. Tai'ray refused to go back on his word about what punishments people would be facing, but he was pleased that at least one of his Caw accepted it.

The sentence got someone else's attention though, Herymi having spoken out loud and in human tongue. "Branding? Who's getting branded?" Eyeri's words were hesitant but made everyone around him freeze and mentally curse.

"You haven't told him yet?" One of the villager's hunters commented, sounding confused.

"Told me what?" Eyeri's voice was starting to panic, his eyes flashing in alarm.

Dyn'ad pulled the boy into his lap and wrapped both arms around him tightly, cooing soft gentle sounds before Ryraso could stand up. Comforting the human in the only way he knew how, which was how to calm a k'nairi youngling. "We'll explain after dinner," Dyn'ad promised gently.

"But..." Eyeri looked over at Ryraso with distressed eyes.

"Eyeri, it's fine. Trust me," Ryraso called over to him, giving his son an almost pleading look. Ryraso wasn't sure he could calm Eyeri down if he panicked too badly. He had always helped but his brothers had always been so much better at reassuring Eyeri that he was safe. That the slavers weren't back to get him, like what haunted so many of his nightmares.

Everyone watched as Eyeri bit his lip but nodded, trusting Ryraso implicitly. Eyeri leant back into Dyn'ad's embrace, curling up slightly in the warm hold. Dyn'ad just held him close, stroking the boy's hair lightly as the boy's fluttering heart started to calm back down. He was enjoying having the boy in his arms without fright.

Eyeri had come to the conclusion earlier that day that given how the royal triad were treating him, that he was going to be held, petted and cuddled whether he liked it or not. The best thing to do until Eyeri could convince them not to was to enjoy it during the moments he needed to feel a little safer and more secure. Aw'endo tugged on his shirt and tucked in close to the two men silently, resting his head on Eyeri's shoulder. Dyn'ad's wing coming down to wrap around Aw'endo too and the three snuggled together while the table returned to normal conversation.

'When are you planning to tell him?' Dyn'ad demanded over the link, able to feel just how shaken the boy was at the mere mention of a brand.

'After dinner. I enlisted Jak to help explain," Tai'ray hushed his mate gently. 'Jak was one of the few who willingly got branded when I ordered every human remaining marked. Most of the others I had to bribe, blackmail and force.'

'No resentment whatsoever,' Ryraso commented, Tai'ray always keeping the link open towards him. It didn't surprise Ryraso that even the ones who had chosen to stay hadn't wanted to get branded. Though Ryraso knew not all had stayed because they had wanted to. A few simply had nowhere to go and didn't want to fight in a war. A lesser man would call them cowards but Ryraso was not bitter. Everyone had to make their own decisions in the end.