Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 5

"I assume by the fact Inai practically threw you back at us that you have something to tell me," Tai'ray drawled from his seat in his nest. Nel'os and Dyn'ad were either side of him slumped over clearly relaxed.

The four of them were in Tai'ray's private cabin. It lacked the size and luxury of the royal palace chambers but was still considerably better than what most of the common grunts lived with. The chamber was well lit from a large window which took up one of the walls but was painted with dark grey paint. The blankets and pillows which made up the Royal nest were mostly blues and greens and Tai'ray was still wearing his officer uniform. It was tightly fitted but still hid many of Tai'ray's muscles. His shirt was half undone having been about to dress down when S'onon had been dropped off at base.

Both Nel'os and Dyn'ad were half undressed, Dyn'ad looking like he was asleep wit Nel'os draped over him reading a book of some kind. S'onon stood awkwardly, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment. He had been friends with the Royals for a long time so seeing them like this wasn't the issue which only made Tai'ray more suspicious about why Inai had sent him back so quickly.

Not that the high priest made a habit of keeping prisoners for any longer than he needed to but Inai had never contacted them that fast before. Tai'ray barely had time to offer anything before Inai was agreeing and sending a glider to collect the goods and release S'onon.

"I may have had some serious news from their healer and Inai was kind enough to try and hasten what needs to happen," S'onon admitted gravely, his wings low and shivering with emotions. He knew what had happened would be seen as suspicious. It didn't help that he didn't want to tell the Winglord just who had looked him over.

Dyn'ad opened an eye at this, looking at him lazily from where he was still under and a seemingly uninterested Nel'os. "S'onon?" he asked tilting his head. S'onon was not as close to the nest as he had been before the war but he was still considered a friend. S'onon's wings were telling the Royals considerably more than he was verbally at that moment. S'onon was scared.

"Oh?" Tai'ray lifted an eyebrow. "Am I to guess S'onon? Or would you rather me force it out of you?" By all rights, Tai'ray could save S'onon from having to say it verbally by using the link to speak to him but Tai'ray preferred the more normal way of being told. He could listen to S'onon or he could make the k'nairi who had made a fool out of himself by getting caught suffer a little. Plus there was more show of loyalty and servitude in someone willingly telling Tai'ray something than Tai'ray simply taking it from their mind.

S'onon looked to the floor, his cheeks heating and took a deep breath. "I did something stupid," he admitted.

"I can guess that S'onon because Inai, as kind-hearted as he is, doesn't normally trade people back with the urgency that he did for someone acting stupid," Tai'ray said dryly, not impressed with his subject or friend for acting this way. "Please stop wasting my time and tell me S'onon."

Rubbing his arm, S'onon looked up to find Nel'os now looking at him too, the youngest of the three looking at him with a bit more compassion than Tai'ray was currently holding. "I suffered from PF, if you remember that's how I met you in the first place. When the caw left," When Ryraso left without warning to be exact, "I stopped going for treatments because I thought it was gone. Except it seems it has resurfaced. My feathers have started to grey and fall out." S'onon said in a quiet voice, not mentioning Ryraso by name just yet.