Niala 32

Kiromir didn't get ten feet from stalking away from the impromptu announcement before Thanus caught him in a bearhug and ran his lips and nose over his ear. He grinned broad, and Kiromir batted him away at first but sank into delightful laughter before closing his eyes just to enjoy the closeness.

The fleeting moment ended, and Kiromir managed to tear himself away, back to his 'all business' attitude. But then, there was the switch, the shy lover right into the powerful leader. Kiromir had two faces, the one he showed me and those closest to him and what he showed everyone else.

A few barks of his voice had people's titters turning into harried glances as they all moved to grab food. I saw my opportunity and stocked up on an armload of things with Gaff before running back to do recon.

Every year, we, as a group, scoured the camp for evidence of our presence, strewn feathers, jewelry, anything that could raise an eyebrow. I found a few feathers tossed about, the usual trash we picked up, and the odd bit of lost clothing.

The trailers, one by one, families with children first, then the elderly, then the single adults, and our team went last. Dimal didn't stay behind this year. Letti usually drove on her own, but she had a newborn. It also gave him a chance to escape Kiromir's scathing glances.

With most of the campers gone, we could do the final sweep and clean up around our own trailers. My feathers had spilled from the cabin, and I groaned as I had to pick up handfuls of my down and hackles. We didn't gripe about our job; at least I didn't. Cleaning and recon went a long ways to protect our people. But, because of my past, I fought hard to leave no evidence. Becoming someone's experiment just because some scientist got his hands on one of our ratty pinions didn’t appeal to me at all.

We'd scouted the area as thoroughly as possible and bagged the trash to be burned. Then, Kiromir and Thanus did the final sweep before we loaded up into our campers to head back onto the road, leaving the camp as innocuous as it had been when we first arrived.

I stayed quiet as we got back onto the highway, trundling behind Thanus and Gaffriel as we made our way and kept an eye out for any of us that might have broken down.

"So, kiddo, what did you and Gaff do last night?" He asked me, and I took that personally.

"I don't know, ada; what did you and Thanus do?" I muttered, jolting as his foot slipped on the pedal, and the camper swerved a bit.

"Easy, jeez. Gaff and I sat outside and wandered around… and he helped me scruff. I didn't know I was molting," I grumbled.

"Are you upset over…" Kiromir asked me. I felt bitter, angry, upset about the whole situation and not even because Kiromir found happiness. Ada deserved to be happy. He deserved everything. I felt bitterness because I had to see that sight of him. It really soured the mood I had over the rest of the trip of finally sneaking off with a boy and getting my first kiss. I'd have that burned into my retinas. It's hard to think about kissing when you're thinking about your dad chasing fires and peaking off with someone.

"Ada. I'm going to be as honest as possible with you. I love you, and I love Thanus. I am happy for you two, over the moon, and haven't decided who I'm going to start calling Dyana or if you're both Ada." He balked at the mention of calling one of them 'Dyana,' our word for mother. Thanus dominated most of my childhood. If anyone asked outside of the flock when we went places, I called him my 'uncle.'

"I love you more than anything, and I am probably the only wildling child-." I stopped. I wilted.

"I’m the only… child….” I corrected, “That was upset at having to move out.”

“You’re just as much wildling as any of them,” Kiromir told me, but his voice went whisper quiet as he said so. I didn’t know if it was because he lied or felt sorry for me. I didn’t need his pity, and he waited for the rest of what I had to say.

“But I never, for the history of ever, not even as the world burns down in flames, ever again in my lifetime, EVER, even until the SERAPHIMS return, do I ever want to see my dads bent over a damn picnic table.” My voice lost pitch as I spoke, ending on a squeak.

Kiromir’s eyes started sad, then concerned, then dubious, and his eyebrows shot right into his hairline as his eyes went wide and round.

“Chata,” He spat out in a swear.

“Chata is the problem, ada!” My emotions rose fast, and in a tizzy, my frustrations grew.

“Ada re, min utok skahn sooth, skahn suts. Chata ryel nah!” I cursed the skies blue in Anil, spitting beneath my breath in frustration.

Kiromir shrank in his seat.

“I get you, little one.” He spoke back in our tongue. His cheeks went pink with embarrassment.

“En amma ti,” I said, closing my eyes as I spoke softly the words I had known them to be before, “Tie amma vai.” Both phrases for ‘I love you.’

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise. Nothing will change,” Kiromir told me, still talking in Anil. It soothed me sometimes.

“Everything will change! Now I’ll have to knock before coming home!” I growled.

Kiromir spat as he laughed.

“Okay, I’ll be more discrete in my dalliances, and you’ll be more careful where you look,” Kiromir sniffed. He reached over and patted my shoulder. I cut my eyes to him, not reaching for his hand.

“What?”

“Have you washed your hands?” I asked, squinting my eyes.

“You’re gross.”

I grinned wide and kicked my feet up on the dashboard. I needed a little bit of a stretch after the encounter. I had no real compunction with Kiromir and Thanus chasing their fires, even to that point. I mean, I didn’t want to see it, but I would try to be happy for him and not let it cloud my experiences to come.