For the Sky (DISCONTINUED)

4 - An Unfortunate Exchange

Aro disappeared into thin air in the nick of time and reappeared somewhere behind me. He looked quite surprised, his long ears warily perked, and his brows raised a ways up.

Asger sprinted over to block Raul's path who would've otherwise tried to attack again. "What's your issue, kid?"

"He betrayed our crew!" Raul shouted. "He betrayed everyone!" The otherwise very confident and lively colt suddenly looked helpless and grave. Having known Raul for a good little while longer than Aro, I had to admit that the accusations were rather drastic. I threw a look at the Ceffyl Dwr over my shoulder.

"I would have not had to betray you if you hadn't decided to attack the Eastern Queen's ships!" Aro exclaimed. The response genuinely surprised me. For a creature so timid and polite, I would've thought that this would go down with nothing but excuses and apologies.

"What front were we fighting for?" Raul asked a clearly rhetorical question.

"A Ceffyl Dwr fights for no one but his own blood," Aro said with a stubborn tone.

"Now, wait a minute!" Asger stepped closer to Aro's misty form. "What was all that talk of service just earlier, then?"

"If it's Father's wish, then I must comply," and suddenly, he was cowering again, ears pinned and neck hung low. "What happened between me and the bell-laden pirate was long ago..."

"Pirate?!" Asger didn't know who to be more angry at. His gaze whipped back and forth from one to the other, trying to pick a target to grill for their deception.

I could only stand frozen to the ground, completely lost in thought. All I could imagine was little Raul, hooves still rubbery and nigh a tooth in his mouth, leaning over the edge of a pirate ship's railing.

"Blood ties! Blood ties, he says - don't make me laugh," Raul's voice gained a haughty edge to it. "What about the oath you took before our captain?"

"A Ceffyl Dwr fights for no one but his own blood," Aro repeated. Despite him not having a mouth, I vividly imagined him curling his lip in disgust.

Raul tried pushing against Asger to have a go at the misty creature again but the destrier shoved him back. "Enough!" I finally exclaimed. "Aro - you have now been instructed by your own flesh and blood to accompany me on my journey, correct?" He nervously nodded his agreement. "Raul, we promised you that as long as you're a useful member of this company that you'll be returned to the port, isn't that right?"

"Yes, but he—"

"What he once had on his mind is no worry of ours," I glared at him. "He is now a member of this company and you shall be of service to him as you are to any of us." Raul opened his mouth to say something but just as quickly shut it as Asger threateningly stomped one of his hooves. "As for you," I turned to face Aro. "We expect you to act the part of a member, understood?" The Ceffyl Dwr nodded feverishly, his forelock tossing this way and that.

"Glad that's settled then; we're losing daylight," Asger looked up at the sailing clouds above. The sky was bright blue, no cloud had even a speck of an ominous shade of a gray, and the sun was high overhead. There was plenty of daylight still left. Plenty enough to still have a talking to with the remaining man...

"I have a thing or two to say to you, too," I hurriedly shuffled over to him and pressed my face so close to his the bridges of our noses nearly rubbed together. I lowered my voice to a harsh whisper. "We need to talk about that plan of yours." I turned over my shoulder at the two others who now stood shoulder to shoulder, staring daggers at each other. "Please excuse us for a moment," I called to them.

"Is there a problem?" Asger drew his brows together in confusion.

"Yes, there is a problem," I hissed. "Did you not see what happened up there? You didn't even know precisely where the king was located without my help and even then we got away with our lives by a hair-length. You know as well as I do that the other powerhouses of the races are twice as dangerous and three - maybe four - times as ruthless."