Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 42

Eyeri whimpered as he watched the scene in front of him unfold in what could only be called horror. From that comment, things had only spiralled downhill from there. Anger pouring out of both Tai'ray and Ryraso as Eyeri's situation ripped open old wounds and new ones which had yet to be addressed. The two men were practically shaking in rage.

Tai'ray was snarling, his teeth gleaming in the firelight. Eyeri pressed back into Jak who had put his shirt back on as the two men started to fight. The venom dripping from both of their words not a good sign for the future of the k'nairi and their runaway caw.

"I'm only returning the caw to their rightful nest Ryraso! You said yourself I needed to take better care of my people. You are all my people," Tai'ray hissed, his feathers fluffing out threateningly.

"We are not your goddamn runaway pets!" Ryraso practically hurled at Tai-ray. "We did get a say remember? A say on whether we wanted to join a nest! Or was that taken from us too when you made the decision to drag us back?" he demanded, stepping forward into Tai'ray's space, both men having moved from the table by this point. Ryraso's eyes met Tai'ray's evenly without a hint of fear. This was the human who had never been afraid to argue with the powerful Winglord, and Ryraso wasn't about to start now.

"They still have a say!" Tai-ray yelled back, starting to sound frustrated that Ryraso wasn't seeing this his way. "Anyone can fight the decision and if they have good enough reasons, I will allow them to deny whichever nest had claimed them. Even courting has an expiry date when people have to give up on it. Even you have a say Ry!"

"Don't call me Ry!" Ryraso roared furiously, taking a step back, visibly restraining himself from slapping or possibly attacking the Winglord. Ryraso took a deep breath before looking back at Tai'ray, missing the split second Tai'ray had looked hurt at Ryraso's violent rejection of the fond nickname. "Really, if I truly have a say in what happens next then why am I being forced into your nest at the end of all this?" he asked in a low and serious tone. "You know what you are doing to me is wrong."

"You make it sound like we are going to rape you! We are going to court you!" defended Tai-ray, his voice forcibly calm, "We would never hurt you."

"Like it is any different when the participant is unwilling. I'm the guy people used to come after their suitors didn't take no for an answer!" Ryrsao retorted, stressing the word suitor with a strong layer of disgust. Most humans knew to avoid getting courted unless they had feelings for the k'nairi who was courting them. That wasn't to say some didn't get much of a choice. It wasn't as bad as it sounded, but it was rarely good either.

"We wouldn't," Tai-ray stressed, "Not you, not anyone! I have strict rules about the claim. No one who had ever showed signs of abusing humans was allowed to place a claim nor were their nests. Anyone who shows any signs will lose the right to have a claim. No human is going to be raped Ryraso and neither are you!"

The link lashed around them all as Tai'ray opened it to show it was the truth. More than a few nests had been disappointed by their claims being rejected over things from their pasts but Tai'ray was not bringing his people back to be abused. If this was to work, he needed them all to be happy, including his chosen mate.

Jak tightened his grip on Eyeri for a moment at that reminder. A pain flashing through his chest. Ryraso, Herymi and the rest of the caw were wanted by the k'nairi. Wanted by nests who had been willing to pass tests to claim them. He was not.

"Then let me live on my own and not in the royal nest. Court me from outside it if you must!" Ryraso challenged, with an almost pleading tone entering his voice.

"No! I will not have challengers to my claim. As Winglord it is my right to place you in the royal nest as a consort until you accept the courtship," Tai'ray rumbled possessively, his tone the tone of someone who truly believed what they were saying. Tai'ray was not going to let Ryraso go after losing him once. "Being a consort makes things safer!" he added, almost like he had just heard what he had just said through more logical ears, or possibly more human ears.

"For you or for me?"Ryraso demanded, gritting his teeth. The message he was trying to get across to the man clearly not getting though. All the k'nairi cared about was making sure he and his mates were the ones to have Ryraso, and no-one else.

Ryraso knew what being a consort meant. It did not automatically mean you were the Winglord's lover, but rather someone he had placed under his protection. More often than not consorts were also his lovers, but they tended to be temporary. People in the current Winglords favour and eye but not in his heart. A throwback to the more amorous Winglords who had taken lovers as a matter of right and pride. They were the best in the land and deserved the best as such. Not that Tai'ray had ever shown a desire to be like that, only Nel'os of the royal triad treated sex as a right and not as something between people who loved and cared about each other. Nel'os was a born noble though and the nobles of any race viewed the world differently.

Its main purpose had remained the same however it seemed; to control unwilling potential mates. No one could sleep with a consort without the Winglord's permission. No one, including the bonded mates of the Winglord. Consorts were also monitored carefully by the household guard as well, to protect the consorts and to stop them going anywhere they shouldn't or flat out from running away.

The Winglord snarled at him, wings unfurling and filling the room, knocking one of the cups of tea from the table with a loud thump. "What is your problem Ryraso? I am not going to hurt you. I am going to protect the" the Winglord visibly bit back what he was going to originally say before carrying on hurriedly but Ryraso had heard it. The substitution for whatever had been about to be said. "Child you have chosen as an apprentice. All I ask is that you behave? Is that so much to ask?" he asked in a tone that said he was being reasonable while Ryraso was not.

"If you even have to ask that, it shows just how little you know about me Winglord" Ryraso's voice grew cold, the fire of fight in his eyes turning into a blizzard. "Protect the what? Weakling child? Pathetic human? You chose to bring Eyeri along Winglord. I wanted to leave him with his brothers!"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Tai'ray hissed, defensively. "And you and I both know you would have been no happier if I had left the child in the forest."

"Only because you killed all the bodyguards. There was no need for that Winglord. I know you could have used your magic to knock them out but instead, you chose to be the brute the stories have you out to be and slaughter them," Ryraso said with a dark edge to his voice, no longer yelling.

"It was needed," Tai'ray said, too stubborn to admit Ryraso was right about that point at least.

"You know what? Fine," Ryraso said in a tone which was clearly finished the argument, turning on his heel and storming out of the room into the night. Ryraso let out an almost feral growl as he walked away from the hut, punching a random tree as he went. Ryraso was fed up with this bullshit!

Tai'ray let out an annoyed growl of his own as he watched his intended walk away but he knew better than to go after Ryraso in this state. It would only lead to more pain for the both of them and was almost certain to make things worse. As it was he was suddenly painfully aware of the two observers their argument had.

This was not going to help the younglings situation either. Sighing as the anger dulled leaving Tai'ray with yet another thing on his lists of fuck ups, he moved over to Eyeri and knelt by him.

"I am sorry little one," Tai'ray clicked softly, wiping away the tears from Eyeri's cheeks with his talons, "I meant no insult." Eyeri only nodded, moving away from the hand with unreadable eyes. Tai'ray grimaced inwardly, what little ground he had gained at the lake had already been lost again. Tai'ray cupped the boy's face and kissed his forehead murmuring a blessing in k'nairi before looking over at the Jak. "Take him to my mates, I need to be alone for a while," he ordered softly, seeing he was not going to be able to help the boy at the moment. Not when all he wanted to do was hunt Ryraso down and teach him some manners... Better leave it to people who were calmer than him at the moment.

"Yes sir," Jak nodded. There was nothing else he could really say.