Chapter V: A Hero's Welcome

Nestor chuckled, "The public can be bought more easily when their beloved chief is injured."

...

It was some time later when Justin and Orion were dragged out before the people by Feroz.

The people all gasped at the sight of their returning warriors, stripped bare and beaten.

Nestor stood with a cloth pressed against his shoulder, "These traitors came here with their wolf... And they sicced their pet on me in my own home!"  He took away the cloth to show his bloody bite to the crowd.  "And see what has happened to their pitiful assassin!" He raised up Colmillo's decapitated head and everyone screamed.  He threw the head down then pulled the black feather from his cloak.

Kali, Caryn and Maureen stepped from the crowd, each with their children.

Nestor saw them, then he took hold of Justin, grabbing the blue jay by his crest.  He made a show of brushing Justin with the cursed black feather before he pushed him roughly.  "Justin!  You are here by cast out!  For plotting to murder me, for threatening our village, your own tribe, you must be shunned." He pointed to the crowd, specifically to Kali, "If anyone else touches you, they will join you and if I or anyone see you within our growing town, we will kill you."

 Kali cried out, "Justin!" She wanted to hold her husband, but the ingrown superstition held her.  Even if the black feather wasn't really cursed, the banishment was certainly real and her son could not survive if she were cast out as well.

Justin heard her cries, "Kali... Don't!  Just go home!"  He cried in shame, he knew the truth but also knew his superstitious tribesmen and women would do nothing, not if they wanted to anger Nestor.

Then Nestor stepped up to Orion who was already in tears from seeing his friend in pain.

Caryn broke from the crowd, "No!"  She tripped and she fell onto her husband, wrapping her wings around him, "Not my Orion!  Please, Nestor, you can't take him away from me, not from his daughter, she's only just seen him." She pleaded to the eagle.

Then Nestor let his cruel smile spread across his curved beak, "I'm not going to banish Orion... And thank you, dear hen, I forget your name... Thank you for throwing your friend's husband to the mist the way you just did."

Caryn did just realize what she had done and her heart broke as she looked to Justin, then to Kali.

The blue jay hen had tears, "Don't listen to him, Caryn... Nothing you could ever do would hurt us, we know."

Nestor shrugged, "In any case, Orion, you are younger than Justin, you were only following your lover because he kept you warm all these weeks while he seduced you to his wolfen ways...  You didn't know better, you will not be banished, so long as you swear undying allegiance to me, my son and so forth."

Orion cried worst that Nestor was laying this crueler fate on his shoulders, but he did wish to stay and see his daughter grow up to marry and have eggs of her own.  "Justin... Forgive me."  He whispered those words before he spoke up, "Nestor!  I swear undying allegiance to you and to your son... I swear it!"

"Then you are spared!" Nestor spread his wings in a marvelous showy fashion, exhibiting the breadth of his forgiveness.  He looked upon Justin who still lay crouched on the dirt, "Justin... You may leave now... And I suggest you run..."

The shamed warrior stood, having just been welcomed back into his village and now thrown from his home where he hatched, where he was raised, met the love of his life.  He couldn't bare to look at anyone now.  He broke off into a run, as much as he could with the fresh injuries he had.

Kali finally broke down as she watched him depart.  She fell to her knees with her son wailing in her arms.

Maureen felt sorrow for her friend, then she looked to Nestor and felt only anger.

The eagle looked back at her before he commanded some guards to collect the discarded wolf head, then collect the corpse from his hut before it started to stink.

Justin slowed as he reached the edge of the village.  He was panting, limping.  He looked back one more time at his tribe, whom he'd once sworn to protect.  He turned then he limped away into the dark forest surrounding the bird village.

Then, he was gone.