Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 17

Fetmar left, leaving Eyeri with Ryraso and Aw'endo. True to his word Aw'endo watched over his 'little brother' carefully, stalking him every moment he could. Eyeri was clearly unnerved by this at times but Aw'endo paid no attention to Eyeri's complaints. His little brother wasn't strong enough, physically or mentally to fend him off and unless Eyeri tried to go against his will, Aw'endo wasn't going to fight him over it.

Occasionally Eyeri did get frustrated with him and would try to tell him to stop but it only took a look and a lifted eyebrow to make the boy back down. Aw'endo made sure to try to do nice things as well to make up for the discomfort, aware that while the warriors were oblivious to most of Eyeri's worries, they weren't stupid. If he kept making Eyeri almost cry, it would click and then Aw'endo wouldn't be able to look after him. Still, the tears seemed to be reducing in occurrences and the only person who really noticed was Ryraso, who seemed to know what Aw'endo was doing.

While Aw'endo wasn't sure Ryraso fully approved of his stalking of Eyeri, he certainly seemed happier about how he was treating Eyeri than how he had been beforehand. Eyeri clearly wasn't sure which had been worse.

Eyeri was still someone Aw'endo was struggling to form a proper relationship with. The boy was too timid and everything Aw'endo did just seemed to backfire on him. It didn't help that Aw'endo still had mixed feelings about his existence anyway.

When he had first heard Ryraso say the words, claiming the boy as an apprentice, he had seen red. The last thing he had wanted was someone to rival in Ryraso's affections. It only took one look at the boy to know he viewed Ryraso as a father. A second more to see that he was meek and therefore most likely the sweetheart of the crew. His rival was protected by the flock of kinsmen around him, even if he did not fit in with the warrior crew.

It had burned inside Aw'endo for Ryraso to claim the human boy as his own kin. True jealousy had grown in him darkly but died just as quickly as it appeared as Ryraso had declared Eyeri the same as Aw'endo. Family, something Ryraso did not want to choose between.

That line had done something to him. His chest had felt warm and his heart like it was bursting. Ryraso had never before claimed him as anything more than someone to look after but at that moment, Ryraso claimed him as family too.

He wasn't alone.

The thing which frightened him more than anything else, being alone with no one to count on. The palace had become a hollow, cold place and Aw'endo had been desperate to escape. The bright colours and beautiful songs of Navat dimming under the painful loneliness as his guardians failed to keep their promises to return. Made more painful because Aw'endo knew they didn't want to leave him alone, they wanted him to be happy but him being safe came first.

It was a fear he could see growing in Eyeri now that his brothers were gone. He was surrounded by people who cared and doted over him, yet he was still very much alone. Something Aw'endo had not understood those weeks ago until he had seen it. It was also when he saw the trace of Eyeri's inner strength.

Eyeri would never admit the fear he felt. He would stand in a room full of people, ruffling his hair, patting his back and talking to him about idle stuff and not admit he was not happy.

It was hard. It was hard because Aw'endo knew his stalking wasn't helping but he had no idea how to connect with Eyeri when the only real connection they had was the love of the same guardian. A guardian who seemed determined to leave the two of them to settle in their own pace instead of giving him any real advice.

Finally, about a month after Aw'endo first entered the ship, things began to shift. Aw'endo watched as Ryraso frowned as the ship creaked loudly. They had landed, a storm going on outside making it unsafe to fly.