But Rynn was born to lead us, and it had nothing to do with who his father was. Leadership is in his bones.
So, he gained the honor of being our High Spear, he gained the reverence of our people, he gained the biggest fucking hut this village houses. And as I walk into that hut, my eyes land on how his female -his Zahreenah- has tucked her small, fragile, female body against his side, welcoming the wrap of his tail around her thigh and down her calf. He gained this too. He gained it all so damned easily and without challenge.
"Mavyx," Rynn greets with a nod of his head as I enter. His eyes latch onto my chest where I hadn't even realized I was still rubbing at my heart-stars. His human female sees it too. I drop my hand and clench my jaw as though cracking a tooth could stop my chest from being lit up like a cloud of fucking moonflies.
"You wished to see me?" My words are terse. Not that a Second Spear is ever soft or gentle, but, even for me, I recognize that I sound about as irritated as a green-star-bear trying to break into a rock-hard triffi egg.
And, judging by the slightly raised brow and the subtle way he shifts his female slightly behind himself, Rynn notices it too.
I go ahead and raise my brow right back at him. He may be my High Spear but he and I were the closest companions in our youth, and I can read him like an Elder reads the Eyrie Caves. Fuck, I even helped him master his wings when he was struggling as the last in our youngling clutch to take flight. My eyes pointedly glare at his new protective stance. He thinks I would harm a female?! He thinks I would harm our High Spearess?! Does he not know me at all?
My arms cross over my chest and Rynn mirrors me. He opens his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Zahreenah. "Okay, so are you two actually going to talk like adults or are we going to continue to suffer through this silent macho bullshit?"
Rynn glares down at his female before opening a wing and snapping it back; folding his feathers behind himself and taking his mate with it, promptly tucking her away like a caregiver does to tease a boisterous youngling. She yelps and splutters, fighting fruitlessly to escape from between his back and strong wing. "Hey! Rynn!" she whines, the words all muffled. My friend smirks at me just before his female realizes she can slip from his teasing wing’s grip by dropping low and escaping that way. "Asshole," she mutters, putting right her ruffled hair.
"My mate is right," Rynn says, playfully ignoring her, but swatting her behind with his tail. "We must talk."
"Talk, then, brother," I say, trying not to grunt too much with each word. I have a suspicion as to what it is my High Spear wishes to say, and I would like to get it over with.
"Sit," Rynn gestures to the ground opposite where he seats himself. His female begins heading toward the nest as though this does not concern her, but Rynn sweeps her up off her feet and drags her down into his lap in a disgusting display of matehood. Is this the behavior that will litter our village should more of my males find their own mates? Zahreenah yelps and then tuts, readjusting herself in her seat upon my High Spear. She playfully swats him in the chest. I wish she would do it harder - maybe land a blow to the head and knock some sense back into that thick skull of his. His heart-stars have him acting like an idiot and I don't need to see this.
"You caused our gathering to come to an early end,brother," Rynn accuses, just as I'm lowering myself to the ground. I pause, looking up at him as my tail twitches once, twice and I lower myself fully into a seated position. I straighten my spine and jut out my chin.
"Zarriko touched my female," I answer coolly.
"High SpearZarriko was subject to your female initiating that touch and I-"
"Hold on, back up," Zahreenah interrupts, her little female hand held out in front of her. "Alana isn'this female,"she pauses to glare at her mate - a gesture that makes me smirk. At least mine is not the only female who likes to exert her dominance. Sometimes, it is like they are completely unaware of how fragile they are, these fierce little creatures. "And you," she rounds on me now and I find the smile is quick to slide off of my face. "Just because your heart-stars are lit up, it doesn't mean you own her, Mavyx. She's her own person."
Oh, I am very aware of this. "Do not worry, we have made the situation very clear to one another."
Zahreenah's brow quirks. "And what doesthatmean?"
"That neither of us wants..." I pause, shrugging, before indicating to my curse, my heart-stars, "this."
I can feel both sets of eyes on me; one from my oldest friend, and the other from his little mate - this female that has quite clearly brought much joy to his life. In both gazes I see pity. It makes my feathers prickle. They need not pity me. I can handle this -I've beenhandling this. It was only that I had been caught off guard by Ah-Lanah reaching out to take another male's hand in her own, that's all. It awoke my protective instincts - nothing more.
"Will-" Zahreenah starts before pausing to chew on her lip a little. "Will they go away?" She nods her head toward my chest. "If you and Alana just ignore them and avoid each other, will they fade?"
She's asking both of us, but she looks to her mate for the answer.
Will they fade? The question itself guts me somehow.
And then I am irritated all over again. Why is that my first reaction? Wouldn't that solve everything? Wouldn't that put right this terrible wrong I've been handed by the Goddesses? "No, they will not fade," I snarl, standing to take my leave. I have training to plan for my Protector's. I do not have time to sit here and talk of fading heart-stars. "It is my problem, no one else's." I turn, about to get away from this hut and this conversation.
"It became my problem when you growled at a High Spear, brother," Rynn says, his voice like a shock of cool mountain water on heated skin. "It will be my problem if you continue to agitate Ah-Lanah too."
My tail twitches. I flex my hands at my sides. A silent moment passes here in this huge hut. With great effort, I unclench my jaw and give the smallest of nods before leaving. Maybe I should have challenged Rynn for his title all those years ago? Maybe then, I, as High Spear could have put a stop to these idiotic gatherings in the first place.
Wouldn't make a feather of difference where Ah-Lanah is concerned though.
CHAPTER 3: ALANA
"Do you need me to punch him in the dick?"
Chastity's offer surprises me just as I'm taking a huge gulp of water and nearly I choke. Coughing and spluttering, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand while Bea thumps me on the back. My eyes are still watery and I'm trying hard to stop coughing when I ask, "who? Mavyx?" It's a sweet offer, I guess - since I'm pretty sure even though she's half joking, if I told her yes, she'd totally march up to that gigantic alien bird-man and punch him in the alien bird-dick. Oh shit, I hope he doesn't have a bird-dick. What does a bird-dick even look like? Wait... do birds evenhavedicks? God, I miss Google.
"Yeah," she says, pulling me out of my alien anatomy spiral. "Everyone saw that look in his eye at the big meet-up when you touched the other guy. And it's clear you don't even like him so..." She shrugs, her offer still hanging in the air.
