Bird of a Flock (Bow 2)

Chapter 52

Tai'ray wasn't sure what to say. He was actually speechless as he looked at a very bashful Aw'endo, a slightly embarrassed General, his bemused chosen and a stubborn foster son. "I left you in charge of them for an hour," he blurted out, walking over to Aw'endo while looking at Yerir'o. He yanked the boy into a rough hug. Aw'endo complained, trying to pull out while also clutching onto his sleeve. 

"I apologize," Yerir'o offered weakly, sitting next to Fetmar as Ryraso tended to his leg. "I wasn't quite expecting the danger to come from noble younglings. They aren't the first people to come to mind when I think of blades. Words, and general mind games sure, but not blades." 

"They want to be warriors. It's not that big a leap," Fetmar commented with a touch of amusement in his voice. There was an edge of tightness to the words too. Tai'ray was sure Ryraso had given him something to reduce the pain of being stabbed. "I'm more concerned with the fact they thought they could get away with stabbing Aw'en."

"They won't," Tai'ray growled, his feathers puffing out angrily and his grip on Aw'endo got tighter. "I had no idea it had gotten this bad," he murmured into Aw'endo's hair.

"It's not that bad Da," Aw'endo tried to reassure, pulling back to look at his father. "I wasn't expecting blades either. It's all been talk. Nothing serious," he said sincerely. "I've been dealing with it fine. Cai'ress pointed out that they are probably jealous about what I did. Which makes sense because they have been worse since I got back," he started to ramble slightly, not quite meeting Tai'ray's eyes. "Tia'em's brothers are all in the army and all he wants to do is be in the army but his dad wants him to be a part of the political side of things because he's clever. He's not that clever," he grumbled.

"Wait, Cai'ress?" Tai'ray frowned deeply. He hadn't known that Cai'ress had interacted with Aw'endo, ever. Was this new? Had Cai'ress lied to Nel'os when he promised to stay away until Ryraso and Eyeri's situations were dealt with? "You spoke to Cai'ress about this?"

"Yeah," Aw'endo shrugged, looking puzzled. "He kind of is the only person who gets it. I mean, he's a noble but his family's minor so he has to deal with similar stuff about not having the right to be here." 

"Who's Cai'ress?" Fetmar asked. 

"No one you need be concerned about currently," Tai'ray commented softly, his mind trying to wrap itself around this new information. It sounded like Cai'ress and Aw'endo had been on talking terms for a while now. He already knew he had missed a lot from Aw'endo's life over the past couple of years, was this just another thing? Aw'endo had found a what? Friend? Ally? Confidante? In Cai'ress and didn't seem to think he should not be so by how he was currently looking at Tai'ray. 

"Doesn't sound like it," Fetmar muttered, before hissing as Ryraso pressed harder than needed on his wound.  

Tai'ray ignored them, focusing on his youngling and this new revelation. "When did you talk to Cai'ress about this? Why didn't tell us?" he asked seriously. Even if Cai'ress had been there while the Royals had not, something Tai'ray would be questioning the submissive on about his motives, they had been here for the past week. Surely Aw'endo knew he could tell them stuff now?

Aw'endo flushed and his eyes were moving everywhere in the room. "You've been busy?" he offered lightly, his shrugging. "I've... bumped into him a few times in the shrines. Not here in the consort rooms. I know he promised to stay away. Um. One time I was trying to avoid  Ver'per and his collection of thugs. One time was after you caged Eyeri and I wasn't really..." He trailed off, not really wanting to admit the fact he had been too unnerved by Tai'ray's actions to think about talking about this with him. "Didn't seem the best time to talk to you."