The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 15

There was something about the experience Tani'm had just shared with the tree that she found unsettling, and despite her efforts, she could not put her finger on what it was. Her hands traced over the moss-carpeted ground, the soft and yielding surface resonating with the magic that permeated the whole glade. The thin blades of grass that stood out through the moss in mottled patches lacked the will she had sensed in the tree.

She grumbled, drawing Karen's attention, who studied the small woman before smiling and returning to her book. Whatever it was, laying on the ground was not going to help her, so with a small amount of trepidation, Tani'm stood and placed her hand upon the tree once more. The bark felt solid and rough, and yet somehow, it seemed familiar and comfortable, as if she could feel warmth and a sense of happiness from the contact.

Once again, she could sense the tree's eagerness to help, the mighty plant searching for a purpose. As Tani'm closed her eyes and focused on the large maple, attempting to influence it as she had so many plants before, she began to notice the vast amount of action that took place within its body. It was normal, of course, the flow of water and nutrients as they were transported through the massive body of the gigantic maple, but as she followed the intricate and complex dance that was being performed within the tree, it hit her.

The sentient tree was unlike any animal she had ever seen, and her mind found it so difficult to comprehend because its existence was so different from anything she had ever known.

To test her theory, she reached out her mind and remembered a time when she had laid out in the forest after swimming in a large pond, the heat of the sun cascading over her naked body, and making her skin tingle with its warmth. The tree, in its own way, seemed to respond to her emotions, the capillary action slowing while the alien consciousness that touched her seemed to luxuriate in their shared memory.

For a moment, the branches of the tree swayed far above, as if a strong wind had blown through, but as she gazed skyward she could see that all other trees seemed unaffected. She knew, as she watched the limbs settle back into their natural rhythm, that she was on her way to understanding the strange intelligence that sat before her.

Karen, true to her nature, followed what was happening as best as she could, sensing the surprise and excitement as it whispered out from Tani'm's small body, the woman's delight growing as her emotion-based conversation continued.

It took a couple of hours for Tani'm to figure out how to communicate her desires to the large maple, but by the end, she had managed to get the tree to produce numerous enzymes and compounds of strange and unknown purpose. Quite by mistake she had produced the surprise she had wanted to deliver to Karen, a gift for Andrew that she hoped would help him to protect his family.

Karen held the crystal vial that had once been home for her Astral Ink out before her eyes, her gaze frozen in wonder at the green liquid that rested within. As she watched it she knew that Sara and Andrew would love the gift that Tani'm had given them, its glowing presence living up to every expectation that her young lovers would have.

Tani'm was pretty certain she had the right compound when she saw the dark reddish-brown liquid that began to ooze out from the side of the tree, and Karen confirmed it the moment it came into contact with Tani'm's skin, her tissues contracting as the acids bound to the proteins on her cells.

There was joy in the tree as it ramped up its production, sensing Tani'm's excitement at what it was doing. The young druid had used her gift earlier that day to create a natural spout on the side of the maple, the wooden channel directing the liquids that the tree produced into a single point where it could be collected with ease.

Her brain was sore from the strange and unexpected exercises she had been forced to put it through, but as she watched the tannin-rich liquid drip into the bucket, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction, and hoped that Andrew could do what he had said. While Karen speculated about the amazing things that Andrew would accomplish with the compounds they had gathered, Tani'm still feared that he had simply manipulated her into getting something he was incapable of harvesting for himself.

She laid down beside Karen on the ground, resting her head on the woman's leg while Karen continued to turn the glowing green vial over in her hand.

"Thank you, Tani'm," Karen whispered, reverence resting within the woman's voice.

After setting the vial back into her purse, Karen sprawled out beside Tani'm, pulling the small woman into her arms, and being reminded of Andrew as she felt the demure woman settle into her embrace.

"I guess the rest is up to Andrew now."

The doubt in Tani'm's voice was impossible to miss, but Karen just smiled as she ran her fingers along the small woman's back. It would take time before Tani'm would learn the truth of Andrew's character, and Karen respected that, knowing that the young woman may never join their family. But, as her fingers began to apply firm and unmistakable pressure to Tani'm's side, Karen's hope for Tani'm's future became just as obvious as the young woman's distrust of the man Karen loved.

***** The Power Within *****

"How are you going to help me?"

Andrew had just entered the house, and was in the process of kicking off his shoes when Tani'm started her barrage. Karen had anticipated the outburst, having sensed the small woman's anxiety and frustration build as they waited for Andrew and Sara to return. Each moment seemed to give the woman more time to imagine what the wolf had been doing, and speculate about when the beast would next attack.

Karen had felt Andrew's frustration and anger when he had first made his discovery, and while her mates had eaten lunch, Sara had texted her that they would need to talk when they returned home. It was a strange sounding message, and whatever had caused Sara's reservation about explaining over text had the older woman concerned.

"Hey Tani'm, it's nice to see you too," Andrew said with a seemingly genuine smile. "Our trip was great, and we have, in no way, both learned things about our lives that have forever changed our perspective on the paths our lives have taken."

Karen knew he could feel her annoyance at his passive-aggressive outburst, but as he finished removing his shoes and walking over to her, kissing her on the cheek and letting out a soft sigh, she knew he didn't care.

"So, please, let me put all of that aside and focus on you."

He was being childish, and by the time he sat at the dining room table across from the beautiful and powerful woman, he knew he was better than that. He placed his hands on the table's surface and closed his eyes, breathing deeply before exhaling out all of the worry and unanswered questions he had been holding onto.

Sara was out in the forest, patrolling their lands with a speed and eagerness that warmed his heart, and made his recovery all the more easy.

After opening his eyes he was reminded of how gorgeous Tani'm was, the short woman's dark skin and long raven-black hair working to hide the feral strength that Andrew knew rested within her diminutive size. He knew well that stature often hid great and frightening things.

"I'm sorry, Tani'm. You didn't deserve that," he said while looking her in the eyes.

She still found the magnificent color of his gaze a difficult thing to accept, the shades of violet looking just as magical as she knew the man to be.

"So, what's happened?"

His question made her feel uneasy, and after a brief consideration, she realized why — how had he known that something happened? Tani'm turned her surprised gaze on Karen, who shrugged as if to say, "I never said anything."

"You specifically didn't want me to be here today, and so I made it a point to be far away. Then, when I get home, not only are you waiting for me, but you seem really agitated and aggressive."

He took a pause, watching Tani'm's reaction before he continued, a broad grin on his face as he spoke, "Now, I know you're conflicted about me, and I understand why you would be cautious." He glanced to Karen, just to make it clear that he knew where she was coming from. "But, at some point, you're either going to join us or not, and I want to make sure you believe me when I tell you this: That choice is entirely your own."

Andrew and Karen both shared the same thought — that while Andrew meant what he said, he could not promise that she would not Bond with them by accident. After all, Karen had not meant to join their family, and neither of them had any clue how that had happened.

Thankfully, Tani'm did not know any of that, and while Andrew continued to smile at her, his belief in his words seeming absolute, she still could not shake her fears.

"All of that being said, you would not be here right now unless something had happened, so unless I'm wrong, do you mind sharing with the entire class?"

Karen chuckled and rolled her eyes, happy to see the playful side of her mate return.

"The wolf attacked me again last night."

It was Andrew's turn to roll his eyes, and as he tsked he turned his gaze on Tani'm, the small woman annoyed by the frustration she saw in his gaze.

"At what point are you gonna stop chasing after that thing on your own?"

"I didn't!" Tani'm declared, defensive rage forcing her words to come out with much more force than she had intended.

"The damned thing leapt through my bedroom window, and would have killed me..." her voice trailed off as she remembered what she had been doing just before the beast burst into her house. "If insomnia hadn't gotten me out of bed."

Andrew's eyes were wide as he processed her statement, her words explaining the frantic anxiety that even he could sense from the small woman.

He suspected what she wanted, and feared what it meant for the timeline he had planned out. No matter how he worked it, he knew that everything he had wanted to do would be delayed. Before he could ask his question, Karen spoke up from the couch on behalf of Tani'm.

"What could you have ready by tonight?"

That was exactly what Andrew had wanted to avoid, and as he felt the walls of rushed desperation closing in around him, he took a deep breath and asked, "I thought we were trying to stop taking unnecessary risks?"

Karen understood how Andrew felt, and had tried to convince Tani'm to delay her hunt, but no matter how she approached it, the young woman was ironclad in her resolve; the wolf would know no quarter, and be given no rest except death.

"Listen, kid." Tani'm began. "Whatever plans we had made were thrown out the window, the moment that bastard attacked me in the night."

Andrew could tell she was trying to choose her words carefully, and knew that the way she had started her statement was meant to offend, a gamble by Tani'm that her insult would force him to engage and listen. She was surprised when he smiled and raised his eyebrow, knowing she had more to say.

"How long until it discovers you, or one of your girlfriends? Sara seems to be taking significant risks by running around the forest at night. If they had crossed paths, the wolf could have ambushed her when she stole that elk meat from me last night."

Tani'm gave him a moment to consider what she had said, before she finished.

"Whether you like it or not, we don't have the time to gather our strength. Your sanctuary will help, of that I'm certain, but the wolf is out there now, rebuilding everything we have taken. You didn't see the beast that assaulted me at my home; its eyes contained a dangerous mixture of rage and insanity, and beyond that, it possesses a keen mind and not least of all, powerful gifts.

"You're right, I don't trust you, and yet... In truth, there is no time for those questions to be answered. Not yet at least, and if we don't go after this beast together, I fear none of us will survive."

For the first time Andrew felt like Tani'm had been honest with him, not hiding behind a wall of caution or restraint, and in a significant way, he appreciated that.

"Well, if you're going to try hunting the wolf tonight, I will not be able to make you anything from scratch, even with The Glade to help."

He had already considered what options he would have if something like that came up, and while he hated the uncertainty, he was forced to admit it was their best chance.

"You seem to be able to cast spells. Can you use wards?"

The expression on Tani'm's face told him exactly what he needed to know. She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Andrew, dear, she's still a young witch, and unlike you, is probably unaware of the spells she casts. Her gift, much like yours, drives her towards action, and while everything she does is driven by magical spells, she probably is unaware of it."

Tani'm was uncertain how to respond to Andrew's question, and she grew frustrated as she listened to Karen talk. While she wanted to hold her tongue, trusting that the older woman knew what she was talking about, she couldn't help herself as her defensiveness got the best of her.

"That is such crap. I'm not some witch and I don't use magic. The forest speaks to me, and grants me the boons that I possess."

Andrew and Karen were unsure what they could say. Karen knew from personal experience how natural her abilities had felt, and only became aware of the spells she had been using when she was in her mid-fifties, the symbols and shapes that drove her magical gifts beginning to make themselves known to her.

The few young wizards and witches that Karen had met over her long life were like her, unaware of the spells which drove their power, so Tani'm's perception was not entirely unexpected by Karen. Andrew, she had already discovered, was an anomaly, and knew fully well that everything he did was forged by arcane symbology, the mysterious glyphs shaping and altering their reality.

Andrew looked between Karen and Tani'm, seeming to sort through a few ideas before he smiled, a plan having already formed in his agile mind.

"How did it go in the Glade? Were you able to get any tannins?"

Karen was about to speak, when Tani'm blurted out with surprising zeal, "Ohh yeah, we got all the tannins."

It was strange for Andrew and Karen to witness the sudden shift in Tani'm's mood. The young woman going from annoyed and defensive to excited and proud in the blink of an eye.

Andrew smiled, and leaned back in his chair, trying to decide how to proceed. Tani'm knew he was going to use the astringent to tan leather, though why he seemed to think that anything he could make would help her was unknown. Karen was certain in his abilities, and if it could assist her in killing the wolf, she was happy to play along.

After standing from his chair, Andrew asked Tani'm, "Would you mind bringing it in? I think we can settle this, and then move on with planning."

Tani'm was dubious, but agreed, and by the time she returned, the five gallon bucket landing on the floor beside the table with an unexpected thud, Andrew had already resumed sitting at his place at the table, a small stack of paper and a white plastic circle with a half-dozen wells resting in front of him. Andrew reached down and pried the plastic lid from the bucket, and as the pungent, earthy odor hit his nostrils, a bitter taste settled into his mouth. The liquid almost filled the bucket to the top, and seemed thick, bordering on the consistency of syrup.

"Holy shit!"

Andrew's surprise could not have been stated more clearly, and as his wide eyes looked between Karen and Tani'm, the womens' pride was on full display. He had expected to come home and find a bunch of bark soaking in water, or at best a clear liquid that looked something like tea, but he could not believe his eyes as he looked into the dark burgandy reddish-brown soup that sat before him.

"Well... This should work," Andrew stated with a broad grin.

He had taken a thin brush that he had used for years to paint his miniatures, the small old and wise-looking wizard that rested on the table acting as an example of his handiwork, and held the painter's tool in his excited palm. With just a moment's hesitation, he dipped the end of the brush into the thick liquid, and after depositing a large drop of it into one of the many reservoirs on the painting palette that sat before him, he gradually diluted the thick tannin mixture with water, until it nearly filled the recess within the white plastic tray.

With a dramatic exhale, Andrew brought the brush to the paper, Tani'm and Karen holding their breath after the ceremony that Andrew had just performed. Whatever he was doing, they were on the edge of their seats.

Karen got up and moved to the seat beside Andrew, watching him as his hand begin to move. It took the small man only a couple of seconds to complete his task, and as he leaned back, Karen and Tani'm looked upon his work, and narrowed their eyes at the mischievous grin that was spread across his face.

He was no artist, that was clear by the crude smiley face that he had drawn on the center of the page.

"What?" Andrew asked, his laughter barely held back.

Karen hit him on the arm, while Tani'm shook her head, and a moment later they were all laughing. So much anxiety had built between them, and the pressures of what they were trying to do hung over them like a sword — dangerous and impossible to ignore.

"Sorry," Andrew said as he wiped a tear from his eye, his side hurting slightly from the strength of his laughter. It had been a welcome relief, and they all felt it as their bodies relaxed. Karen was proud of her young lover, finding him more attractive in that moment than all the times she had ran her hands over his soft and naked flesh.

Andrew studied the silly image, and was surprised by how smooth all of the lines had come out. Water colors tended to bleed like crazy, spidering out through the fibers of the paper and making it difficult to keep a straight and clean line. That was why Andrew avoided the stuff, and the mixture he had made was nothing more than a natural water color, the reddish-brown lines on the paper attesting to that with their shifting shades.

However, like the Astral Ink, Andrew felt connected to the tannin mixture, finding that he could almost control how wide the lines would form, and how smooth the result would be. He even knew, as if by instinct, when he needed to re-wet his brush. The width of the line was just as wide as the brush's head, and lacked the characteristic broadening that you would normally find as the ink met the paper.

He crumpled the page, and moved a new one into place. "Alright, for realsies this time."

The symbol that Andrew drew was familiar to Karen, and she knew what he was crafting after only the first couple of strokes. It took the talented man less than thirty seconds to finish the intricate design, and as he pushed the paper forward, he grinned, knowing that it was a functional ward.

Andrew had a long list of questions he was hoping that the ward would answer for him, but before he tried it, he wanted to see if Tani'm was capable of activating it.

"Touch this," Andrew said, curiosity visible behind his excited eyes.

Tani'm reached out, her fingers trembling as they neared the strange and ornate symbol. "What's it do?" she asked, a moment before her hand made contact.

"If it activates, you'll know."

She considered the symbol for what felt like an hour, and while it had only been a few seconds, they had given her a chance to consider the risks. There was one fear that came to the front of her mind, and Karen sensed it on the small woman like a flare that had been shot into the ether.