Chapter 53

"Ryraso" Tai-ray murmured, his voice still laced with power, but it was soft. Ryraso smiled at him sadly, moving into him. Tai-ray frozen, unsure of Ryraso's intentions. The link watching. Already knowing their relationship. Tai-ray would go through with what he was about to do, but Ryraso's reactions were uncertain. Ryraso pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Still here" He murmured, a private two words in the ear of the Winglord. "Not leaving this time"

Tai-ray smiled at his love, a moment allowed for the simple fact that it was rare, very rare the link were privy to see Tai-ray interact with his loves. The sort of moment which would everyone talking for years about the strength of his love for his human mate. Chosen.

"Dyn'ad" Tai-ray ordered, the man appearing by their sides. Hand gently turning Ryraso around and helping him to his knees. Tai-ray looked at the brand again, picking it up and feeling the weight of it on his hands. It was heavy. He moved it to his love. Dyn'ad holding Ryraso in place as he flinched from the heat nearing his skin. The room silent as they watched the iron move.

Ryraso screamed as the brand hit. The burn of burning flesh hitting everyone noses. Eyeri hiding his face into Yerir'o chest. Awen'do doing the same on his other side. Nel'os gripped Herymi, every instinct to help the healer. Tai-ray pulled the brand away, putting it back in the fire. Dyn'ad kissing the side of Ryraso's face as he heaved. His breathing harsh. Tai-ray reached forward but pulled back. It wasn't the time, not yet.

"Dyn'ad" He ordered, barely able to keep his voice steady. What had he just done to his love?

"Yes Winglord" He nodded, sweeping Ryraso up in his strong arms and taking him from the room into an anti-chamber for his burns to be iced. It would hurt, oh it would burn so much more. But in the long run it would help the burn heal faster.

Tai-ray longed to follow, but that had been the first. And the worst was yet to come. "Fetmar" He called, forcing himself to continue but gaining an idea from what had just happened,"Yerir'o" Yerir'o blinked before understanding. He was to be the one to hold Fetmar into place before the brand burned into his skin. He moved, pushing the boys in the direction of Nel'os. Both understanding. This. This was going to be painful.

Fire burned though his skin like he was in hell itself. He knew, he had always known it was going to hurt. But this? It cut deep into his soul like the magic of the Link itself was marking him. Maybe it was. It would explain why the brand never healed completely. The scar never faded.

He screamed again as ice was pressed on to it. Clinging to the body in front of him like it was his only life line. His nails digging into the skin of one of his loves as he tried to do anything to get away from the pain. Whimpering as he was held still.

"I have you" Whispered a voice, holding him so very close. So familiar and yet the pain was too great for him to place it.

"Burns" He whispered, closing his eyes, resting on the shoulder of who was holding him. A large hand rubbing his back gently. Murmuring gentle words.

"Can't sleep yet. More is to come" The voice warned softly.

"Ten lashes, I know" Ryraso murmured back, gripping on tight. They wouldn't whip him on the burns? No they wouldn't be that cruel. They loved him. Didn't mean he was above the rules, if anything they applied more to him. But they wouldn't be cruel. "Going to scream more"

"Scream if you need to, people won't think less of you" Dyn'ad's voice commented though the haze. "Everyone know this is painful to go through. Wouldn't be a punishment if it wasn't"

"Punishment for coming home"

"Punishment for running away from home" Dyn'ad corrected. "You never should have left" His voice was so sorrowful. "But you're back now and soon you can rest" He cradled Ryraso close, the healer clinging to him. He watched as more and more of the caw were brought back for treatment. Most allowed to leave and go home or rather to their guardians/claimed nest to recover. But Ryraso and Fetmar, they had one more thing coming to them.

"I…" Ryraso had no words, "I want to go home" He commented so brokenly.

"You are home" Dyn'ad commented, his heart string tugging. He just wanted to steal Ryraso away and let him get away with fighting. But he couldn't. Not without risking the rest of the caw fighting. Once word got out that Tai-ray had whipped his choosen for fighting, it would be clear that no one was going to get away with that sort of behaviour.

"Am I?" Ryraso looked around, "Doesn't look like home" He said mournfully, "Navat is so closed. It used to be open and light"

"It will be again. Soon" Dyn'ad murmured, understanding the feeling. So much of Navat had been changed to make it more defendable in the unlikely case of the Namya attacking. But it was still Navat. It was saddening.

"Dyn'ad, Yerir'o" A servant appeared in the room, "Its time"

Ryraso blinked, as Dyn'ad stood up with him still in his arms. A cold sense of realisation coming over him. This was really happening. Ryraso struggled, trying to get to his own feet. There were some things which had to be down. And he was not about to let himself be carried to his punishment.

"Ryraso!" Dyn'ad yelled, holding him firmly.

"Let me down Dyn!" He growled, ignoring the burn in his back.

"This is happening, please don't make it any harder than it has to be" Dyn'ad pleaded, trying to hold the man still. He didn't want to have to drag the man back into the great hall for his whipping. It wasn't dignified.

"Let me down! If this must happen, I will walk to it. You can carry me after. Put. Me. Down!" He yelled. He was not some hatchling to be carried everywhere after an injury. His legs worked fine, for the moment and he would walk to his fate. Not be carried like an invalid!

"Ryraso…" Dyn'ad murmured, finally letting Ryraso to his feet. Ryraso stumbled but got his footing again. Walking towards the door, Dyn'ad on his heels in case he needed help. Ryraso walked out in the hall as Herymi was being cut down from where he had been pinned up to receive his whips. Ryraso noticing they were on his ass and thighs, in a way slightly relieved. They wouldn't be hitting the burns. Herymi fell into O'chuturs arms, the K'nairi visibly shaking as he bundled the man up.

Tai-ray knelt down and kissed both of them on the forehead. Herymi whimpering but allowing it.

"Are Eyeri and Aw'endo still here?" Ryraso asked softly, unsure of how Eyeri was taking the sight of this. He had known what was to occur tonight, but knowing and seeing were two separate things.

"Yes, Nel'os is looking after them. If Eyeri struggles too much he will remove him. He's shaken at the moment but not …" Dyn'ad struggled for the word, "Nel'os will know when to remove him from the room"

"Good"

Fetmar when next. The commander walking up to the station nervously but still walking. Tai-ray helped him into the straps before moving his robes out the way so the whip would hit his flesh. Every strike was painful to watch and hear. It took all his will not to call out or try to intervene. His nature as a healer but also as the younger man's surrogate father demanding he try to help. But he couldn't.

By the fifth stroke Fetmar's face was covered in tears. On the seventh he started to yelled out in pain. After the ten, his knees gave out. His body going limp.

The commander was young, but you didn't get to the position he was in without pulling a few risks. Even if they worked, he would have been punished a few times. He wasn't used to it, but his tolerate for the pain would have been higher. Until Ryraso.

"Ry" Tai-ray called, "My dear one, your turn"

He walked over. His steps slow but determined. Fetmar reached for him as he came closer, Yerir'o holding him there for a moment even after Ryraso reached him. Allowing Ryraso to kiss his forehead and murmured a word of comfort before Fetmar was taken away. The link allowing it. Much like before. Ryraso was going through the punishment, but he got special treatment.

Tai-ray's finger trembled as he gripped the whip. Whipping Fetmar and Herymi had been hard. But this was going to be the real test. Whether he was strong enough to keep up the façade of being the Winglord while striking Ryraso. It wasn't abuse, it was punishment for going against a nation. Still as he watched Ryraso kiss Fetmar, his heart wanted to break.

He had to be strong or else the Caw would fight against him. He had to be strong and trust Ryraso understood why he had to do this and didn't hate him. He had to be strong.

Ryraso turned to face him, his eyes hurt but he smiled before moving into place. His body shivering but he was obeying the rules. Tai-ray strapped him in. His own fingers trembling to match the body.

'I love you' Spoken privately though the link. A special message for just Ryraso, though Dyn'ad and Nel'os could hear it too. Them echoing the feeling.

'I know' Ryraso murmured back. An echo of the love he felt bouncing though the link.

Tai-ray took a deep breath and struck.

The whip whizzing though the air and striking fiercely. The pain of the strike was not like the burn of the brand but it wasn't far off. Ryraso held in the scream he wanted to yell. Wanting to be strong like Fetmar had been. But by the third strike he couldn't let it in anymore. He was not a solider, he was a healer.

Every yell of pain dug into Tai-ray. But he didn't soften. He had to be fair. He continued. The link whispering reassurances. Dyn'ads mind next to his own, supporting him. He had to finish this. He had too.

Ryraso fainted on the last strike.