Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 30

The royal triad flew for the rest of night, stopping around sunrise to let Ryraso look over Herymi and for the boys to eat some meat jerky. Aw'endo definitely needed a booster, the young k'nairi was tired. Ryraso didn't look at any of them as he worked to bandage up Herymi, the royal's watching him like hawks.

'I'll get Aw'endo to hook on my back for a bit,' Tai'ray murmured as he watched the boy drowsily eat. 'We'll stop as planned tonight tonight.' he added. It was an early stop as the royal triad could go further but Aw'endo would need the rest and unfortunately they couldn't stop for long just yet.

'You keeping Eyeri?' Nel'os asked, chewing on his own bit of jerky.

'I'm not sure me carrying Ryraso would go well at the moment,' Tai'ray pointed out sadly. Nel'os and Dyn'ad looked at Ryraso again and reluctantly agreed. Ryraso seemed willing to tolerate Nel'os, the scent of guilt coming off of Ryraso suggested it was for personal reasons, but none of them could see him reacting to Tai'ray carrying him very well. Dyn'ad was the only one of the three big enough to carry Herymi with enough support for his injuries. 'I better keep Eyeri for now. Enjoy having Ryraso."

Nel'os snorted, making the humans look over at them from where they had been murmuring, Aw'endo basically asleep on Eyeri's shoulder his wings cupped around his brother. 'Enjoy? Man's as stiff as stone at the moment. Hopefully after a few days of us not hurting him or Eyeri, Ry will loosen up for us again.' Nel'os mused sadly.

'Hopefully,' Dyn'ad echoed before standing up and moving to the small crowd. He ran a hand along Ryraso's shoulder and squeezed gently before helping Herymi back up off the ground. "Does anyone need the toilet before we set off again?" Dyn'ad asked calmly. Everyone shock their heads, it having been the first thing everyone had run off to do when landing. "Ok then, let's get moving," he said, patting Herymi on the shoulder in warning before gently picking him up again. Herymi grumbled but accepted the movement. Dyn'ad jumped in the air and started flying.

Tai'ray moved over and gently nudged Aw'endo. "Come on Aw'en," he murmured gently. "When we are up in the air, hook onto my back and get some rest, okay sweetheart?"

Aw'endo murmured a sleepy agreement before kissing Ryraso on the cheek and jumping up in the air, hovering high up waiting for Tai'ray. Tai'ray reached over to cup Ryraso's cheek but the man moved away, walking over to Nel'os. Nel'os lifted an eyebrow and turned him around, patting Ryraso's bottom.

'Nel...' Ryraso grumbled.

'Don't be a child,' Nel'os scolded through the link.

Ryrsao grimaced but moved back to Tai'ray. Eyeri watching the conversation with confused eyes, deaf to the link. Tai'ray reached over and hugged Ryraso, Ryraso clearly reluctant but he let it happen.

"You better look after my boy," Ryraso growled darkly in k'nairi so Eyeri didn't understand.

"I promise I will," Tai'ray swore, letting him go to catch Ryraso's hand and bring it to his mouth to kiss Ryraso's knuckles. "I want you Ryraso. I know hurting your little one is not the way to go for that. I will protect him as if he were your blood and kin."

"He might as well be," Ryraso said back sadly before pulling away and kissing Eyeri on the forehead.

Tai'ray let him go sadly. Nel'os was right, this was going to take some time before Ryraso trusted that his apprentice was indeed safe. Once Ryraso trusted that however, that's when they would get a shot at getting the man's heart back where it belonged, with them.

They had been in the air for a while when Tai'ray felt it. Aw'endo had already unhooked from Tai'ray's back and was flying on his own again, having managed to get a nap for an hour or two. He had been carrying Eyeri in his arms, on his chest, the boy clinging on tightly while also being very tense.