Armana's Gift

VERA

He wasn't back at lunch, nor dinner. She asked others where he might have been but none of them knew, only to do their regular plans for the day and pretend like he was fine. It was all they could do.

"Just tell me something," she begged to Fern, who shook her head.

"We don't know anything, Vera." Fern touched her cheek and tried to smile. "Sometimes Lornak just keeps him really busy."

He wasn't back the next morning. Nor dinner that day.

Three days later, she found him on the couch after bathing in the stream like every morning with the other females. He was asleep with a plate of food before him, as if he'd fallen asleep before he could take two bites after making himself the plate. His left arm covered his eyes and his right was behind his head, leaving a lovely view of his chest and abdomen.

She touched his cheek gently and his eyes popped open. He grabbed her wrist and she didn't move.

"Where have you been?" She asked softly.

"Entertaining Lornak's brothers," he whispered hoarsely. "You don't want the details. Apparently they were bored and so was Lornak, so Lornak chose me to keep them busy. We went hunting and that's all you really need to know."

"Okay," she said as she knelt next to his reclined form. "And now?"

"I've been given one day for sleep and a break. Lornak realized I would be no good to him without any sleep."

"I'll be here for anything you need, just asked." She kissed his forehead. "You should sleep in the bed though."

He nodded and began to sat up. She decided to help him, and bit back tears at the shape of him.

He was covered in lacerations down his back and she realized some of what might have happened. They went hunting... for him. She looked for other injuries, some lacerations on his arms, his legs, bleeding through the breeches now that he was moving, and mostly on the back of his thighs. Lornak had said it was getting a bit boring.So they went hunting for him and when they caught him, they beat him. As entertainment.

She helped him to the bed, where she bid him to sleep on his stomach. She grabbed a towel and threw her head out their door and asked the first Avium she saw to run for warm water. When he brought it back, she didn't allow him into the room, and the young male only nodded slowly, as if he figured it out, as if he knew what she was about.

She got bed side and look a closer look at the injuries. They had not avoided hitting the important muscles that attached to the wings so she would need to make sure those were clean and healing appropriately first.

She dipped the towel in the warm water and began, gently and yet he still stiffened.

"It's okay, Zevan, I'm just cleaning your wounds," she whispered down to him. "I'm going to need the breeches to come off as well, so I can get you legs later and then you can sleep."

He nodded and barely helped her remove them. She could tell he was exhausted but couldn't allow him wearing the dirty things with open wounds.

She continued to clean the cuts and lashes on his body, tears in her eyes. She just had to remain professional and get through this and he would be fine.

Nearly an hour later, she was nearly done when a knock came to their door.

"Coming," she called softly and open the door to Reshan, the oldest male and owl Avium. She had only heard about them since Zevan told all the males to leave her alone. "Can I help you?"

He held out a jar and nodded.

"Put this on the wounds. We keep it for emergencies. A bat slave taught us how to make it and they use it on themselves. We've been using it for years."

"Will we get in trouble?" She didn't want anyone hurt, especially not Zevan, who needed to heal without being beaten for anything.

"No, we're allowed to care for our bodies so we remain useful."

"Thank you, Reshan."

Reshan was looking at her with his too big owl eyes. They were haunting and she nodded quickly and began to close the door. The owls had a real ability to freak out everyone around them and she also wondered how this one could tolerate being up at midday. They were the only nocturnal Avium, even if unofficially. He stopped her and leaned close.

"Stay safe, Vera," he whispered. "He can't lose you."

She nodded and finally was allowed to shut the door.

When she reached the bed, Zevan was completely asleep. She opened the jar and smell the salve. It was similar but not the same as one common in Mon' Avium. She began applying it on Zevan, messaging it very gently over everything, covering the cuts that had stopped bleeding finally.

Finally, when she done she sat next to him on the bed, pulling her knees to chest and waited. He was so peaceful and she ran a hair through his hair. Such a wonderful color and rare. Birds of prey Avium were normally soldiers and the like. Nothing like the black winged Valkyries or Brothers but still fighters. Then again, she nearly chuckled to herself, no one was like the Valkyries and Brothers.

It would be hours before he woke up and she had nothing to do. She wandered around the room, cleaning it up, though, it was very little to clean. She stripped to pray and did that as well, though now she Armana to give her anything to show her the way.

And she waited for her beautiful roommate to get up