The Remains of Dawn

Chapter Twenty-One

Oriel tried to move her wings for probably the one-hundredth time since they had started walking. She hated not being able to control her wings. They were another extension of her. They were another set of limbs to her. It was starting to drive her crazy that she couldn't use them. 

When they stopped for a minute to rest, Oriel watched Tassian fly around above the trees keeping watch over them. She longed to be up in the trees with him. Instead, she's glued to the ground. 

She tore her eyes from Tassian and crossed her arms. She leaned against a tree while they waited for Borus to come back from relieving himself. She knew her mood was souring every time that she thought about her wings, but she longed to be in the air. She longed the wind on her face. 

That longing didn't distract her from her duties here on the ground. Oriel continued to feel out around her. She was able to feel Dyso's presence when he attacked. She knew that she could now feel when he was coming after them. He wasn't able to protect himself, Xara, or whoever the lizard man was anymore. 

There was no one around them at the moment. Oriel kept her body and mind ready for another attack  She wasn't going to let herself relax too much. She promised herself that she wasn't going to let Tassian get hurt again. She knew that he would protect her as much as she would protect him. She was going to protect all of them. 

Oriel heard wings fold beside her and felt a slight wind go over her. She looked to her right and saw Tassian leaning against her tree. He smiled at her as he reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Don't think about it, Eagle," Tassian tried to comfort her. She didn't know how he always knew what she was thinking of, but every time it amazed her. 

She gave him a small smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I've gotten so used to flying around that my legs feel weak."

Tassian shook his head slightly. "Your legs are full of muscle." 

She pushed him slightly and she laughed. "I know!" She turned to look at him. "I'm not used to walking as much as we are now. They feel weak." She paused for a moment and looked over at Draya sitting down, leaning against another tree. Her eyes were closed, but her lips were smiling. 

"You can feel him now?" Tassian asked quietly. He had moved closer to her and let his wing wrap around her. 

Oriel nodded. "I could feel all three." She looked back over at him. "They can't hide anymore from us." 

Tassian nodded sharply. "Good."

Oriel nodded in agreement. She looked around to try to see if Borus was back yet. Before she started to think that he had let himself get eaten by an animal, he walked out of the bushes and knelt by Draya. 

"Do you think we'll ever find mine?" Tassian asked. There was a little longing in his voice making Oriel snap her head over to him. She knew that he was talking about his family, but she didn't know how to answer him. 

She moved closer to him and leaned her head against his chest. "I hope we do, Tassian." She felt him wrap his arms around her. "They have to be out there somewhere."

Tassian grunted in response. "I just need to know what happened to them. You know what happened to your family. Hell," his voice perked up. Oriel couldn't tell whether he was faking or not. "We've been traveling with your mother and brother!" His arms tightened around her. "If they're dead, at least I'd know what happened to them."

Oriel looked up at him. She didn't know how to respond. He was looking over at Borus and Draya. She made a mental note to ask Draya the next time they were alone. She may know something about what happened to them.