Falcon's Wings

Nineteen

It took a few days for Hayabusa to get accustomed to travelling a lot (while not being inside a cage) but the bird was also injured. As he couldn't fly, he was either perched on Shan Yu's shoulder or on his arm. Frequently, he wanted to fly into the air but every attempt so far had ended in failure and falling.

Fen has also noticed something peculiar. Every time the bird tried to fly to her, Shan Yu would keep the bird grounded by grabbing onto him or doing something similar. He was getting ruder as well.

Fen was done with it.

She stopped in the middle of the path and stood as tall as she could. Shan You just continued walking with Hayabusa on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, okay?" she said. "I'm sorry for what happened in the city. I'm sorry that your Elite are dead. I'm sorry I'll never be as good as them. I'm sorry I screwed up."

He didn't bother acknowledging her.

"I'm sorry for even being here. You should have just left me in the snow to die with my mother and my father."

He acknowledged that.

Shan Yu turned to her with a confused expression. Despite feeling a few tears of both anger and sadness fall down her cheeks, she held her head high.
"If I'm to blame for all this, then just kill me. I won't fight you any more and I won't run from you," she said. "I know you hate me so-"

"I do not hate you," he interrupted. Fen furrowed her brow and took a small step back.
"You don't?" Fen asked.
"And I do not blame you for my Elites' death. That honour belongs to the captain and the woman, not the executioners or you."

"But I thought that you were rude to me because they were dead and you blamed me."
"You thought wrong then," he said. He looked to the falcon as a distraction before reluctantly admitting: "And I was wrong for taking my anger out on you. We should be grateful for our lives and we should be trying to survive, not fighting like feral animals over food."
"Not fighting?" she repeated slowly. Fen walked over and looked up to him. "So... no more fighting and arguing ?"
"None."

"Do I get to hold Hayabusa now?" Fen asked like a small, excited child would. Shan Yu nodded and handed her his large glove. It was far too big for her hands but she put it on and Hayabusa hopped onto her hand. She tried to resist smiling but she couldn't stop the large grin from showing.