Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 38

It was hard to place the feeling which was going around at the dinner. Tai'ray did his normal speeches and thanked the villagers for welcoming them so warmly. The Winglord was sat at the head of the table with the village Guardian on one side of him and the lead warrior on the other. A few seats down, after members of importance in the village such as the minor elders and a few other warriors of note, were the rest of the party. Ryraso was placed beside Nel'os, with Herymi. The healer sitting in a pose which was polite and graceful. Normally he would have been placed at the other end of the table, however Tai'ray declared he wanted his companions as close to him as possible and Fl'ex had been happy to oblige.

Eyeri had already been moved once due to the placing. He originally started in between Aw'endo and one of the village's hunters however, the hunter's leering at the boy had made Eyeri very uncomfortable. Not to mention the way the man was speaking to Eyeri. Luckily the man seemed to assume Eyeri was much too young for him, which was true, but it didn't stop him telling bloodier hunting stories. After Eyeri started pushing against Aw'endo in an attempt to distance himself from the hunter, Dyn'ad had actually picked the boy up and placed him on his lap. Aw'endo hissing at the offender.

Ryraso, who had been watching from over the table, couldn't help but smirk at the action. Dyn'ad was becoming a little protective of his apprentice. Eyeri managed to wriggle out of the k'nairi's lap but was still sat glued to his side. Dyn'ad didn't complain, only placing a wing behind the boy.

"How did it go with your friends then?" Ryraso asked, turning to Herymi once the ceremonies were over and people had started being loud and cheerful. Herymi's suitors were on another table. Out of hearing distance but within view. Something they seemed to be taking advantage off, while they were staring Ryraso was pretty certain at least one of them was looking at Herymi at every moment.

Hermyi's response was to groan and hang his head in his hands, looking the most dejected Ryraso had ever seen someone. "Next time it would be easier to let me hit the ground," he said bitterly.

"That well?" Nel'os commented teasingly. His voice remaining optimistic and cheerful despite Herymi's words. Herymi lifted his head out of his hands in order to glare at the k'nairi, who only laughed at the look. Heart of the link, Nel'os was able to tell Herymi had no real desire to die and was just being overdramatic about what had happened.

"What happened?" Ryraso asked, patting the man on the back sympathetically, ignoring the looks he got from the nest.

"Well, let's see. O'chetur lands with me. I say 'Hey, how have you been' because let's face it, there is nothing you can really say in these situations," Herymi snarled, sitting up and banging his fists on the table. "Then it crumbled from there. Ran'mosy yelled. Adar'y yelled. O'chetur yelled at them for yelling at me. Cha'em hugged me and started crying. Ran'mosy promptly starts yelling at me again saying how everything is all my fault. Cha'em cries more. Adar'y starts crying so I drag Adar'y into the hug. Mind you still not having said else other than those greeting words. O'chetur yells at Ran'mosy. They fight.O'chetur pins Ran'mosy down and starts punishing him. Meanwhile Cha'em is beginning to calm down and is clinging to me like a monkey, Adar'y's not much better. But Adar'y wouldn't be Adar'y without some form of remark so he asked me if the guys I slept with were any good and if I preferred top or bottom," Herymi sounded extremely exasperated and ran his hands through his hair.

Nel'os howled with laughter at that, making both Ryraso and Herymi glare at him darkly. "What? It's a good question to ask" Nel'os commented barely restraining to his giggles, "Which do you prefer?"

"None of your business Nel'os," Herymi growled, as Ryraso hit Nel'os over the back of the head like he would Eyeri or Aw'endo for stupid remarks. "More importantly, or dramatically, Ran'mosy hadn't realised that I had slept with anyone yet," he revealed darkly. Both k'nairi and human winced at that, knowing that dark tone. "He then declared me a whore and a slut and flew off before O'chetur could stop him. Adar'y flew after him, O'chetur pretty much collapsed by me and declared it was time for dinner." With the final word said, Herymi let his head hit the table.