Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 44

The urge to hit his head on a tree came strongly to Ryraso. Instead, he kept walking, trusting that if he wandered too far someone would appear to show him the way back. The guardians of the forest were more active because of the war now. Ryraso wasn't worried about that. All he could feel at the moment was anger towards Tai'ray and the entire race at the moment. Tai'ray for personal reasons, the race for insisting on the brand for those related to the caw as well as the caw themselves.

The talk with Eyeri had not been fun. The Winglord had been very gentle with the boy at least for him, explaining it as firmly but softly as possible. It had been an odd thing to watch as the Winglord chose his words carefully for once. After all, Eyeri wasn't one of Tai'ray's and never would be if Ryraso could just get things together and work out now to get him out. Still, because of the lack of a link, the Winglord could not explain the full emotions behind such an act.

Jak had helped somewhat but Ryraso doubted much. The man had explained everything in clear simple terms but Ryraso doubted the boy would understand. Both Jak and he were too k'nairi already and influenced by the bloody link. The will of a people was hard to fight when it was in the back of your mind. Ryraso had forgotten how much it could change things, even now as he cursed them, the link whispered promises of keeping Eyeri safe and giving him a family again. Ryraso wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He needed to get Eyeri away from here. He would never be able to escape, but Eyeri could.

That reassurance was little help at the moment, though. Eyeri had panicked. It had taken the combined efforts of Ryraso, Tai'ray and Jak to calm him down. Something Ryraso had not helped with at all by starting an argument with Tai'ray and storming off like a child.

Letting out a noise of despair and frustration, Ryraso did hit his head on a tree that time. The jolt was painful but he deserved it. How either Aw'endo or Eyeri thought of him as a father he would never know. He was a terrible guardian. He already had one charge with abandonment issues because of his own actions, and he had just left Eyeri alone too. Ryraso closed his eyes and ignored the whispers of the link. He already knew that Nel'os and Dyn'ad could cake care of his little charge but Eyeri was still nervous and uncomfortable around them.

For a moment, he stayed there, eyes closed trying to calm himself down. The sounds of the forest surrounding him, the wind through the trees, the dampness in the air and the rough texture against his forehead.

What did Tai'ray expect from him? That he would be happy that he was going to be forced into the royal nest and courted? For him to swoon at Tai'ray's feet and declared his undying love and that he was sorry for leaving just because Tai'ray had admitted they had been interested in him for a long time. That was never going to happen, not in a million years! If they had truly loved him or wanted him before all this had happened, Tai'ray should never have joined the side of the war who had caused the deaths of his family.

The next sound Ryraso let out was an angry growl and pushed off the tree. He walked through the muddy undergrowth, glad he was still wearing his travelling gear at the moment. The villagers had offered some clothes but they had been too traditional for Ryraso's tastes. He needed to calm down and think rationally. Being angry around K'nairi was a recipe for disaster. They tended to get angry too and that's how fights got bad, Tai'ray being case and point.

Eventually, Ryraso came across the river, the silvery water rushing along in the moonlight. Sighing as he felt something shift inside of him, anger cooling into exhaustion, he looked around for a place to rest. It was a peaceful night but the dampness and the cold wind revealed that yet another storm was coming. The moon was shining brightly in the black night sky, the stars shining brightly and they reflected on the large flowing river. Ryraso watched the river run as he walked along it, not really thinking much.