The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 20

She stopped talking for a moment and looked back across the clearing, studying Andrew's house.

"If you can find out what's really going on, that would be amazing. Eddie doesn't want to admit it, but he is kinda worried about what they are doing."

Sara was impressed by the mental leap that Tani'm had just taken, and kicked herself for revealing that Andrew had used military equipment in the fight. For some reason, she had forgotten that Tani'm was an outsider to their little family, and had revealed too much.

She considered telling Tani'm that Andrew's parents were running the base, and that if anyone knew what the military was doing, it would be them, but caught herself just before she began.

"I'll see what I can find out."

There was a brief pause, the cold night air settling in around them as they both looked back towards the small but sturdy structure that rested in the middle of the clearing.

"I should get back," Sara stated. "I still can't believe how well you're doing."

With a warm smile, Tani'm responded, "Me either."

And just like that the two woman parted. Tani'm working to finish the western edge of the thick hedge she had begun, while Sara returned to her friends.

Sara tried to sort through the new information she possessed as she took her time crossing the clearing. She could not wait for their regular call with Karen later that night, when she could share the news about Tani'm and how much she had changed. Just the thought of how happy Karen would be to hear that news brought a smile to Sara's face.

"At least something good came from that damn wolf," Sara thought as she crossed the doorway and was again enveloped in the joy of her friends.

***** A Past Renewed *****

The silence of her life had never felt more isolating. At least, that was how Karen felt as she sat in her chair, legs curled up against her body while she sipped her tea and thumbed through a book.

She had read it at least a hundred times, and seemed to study it with complete disinterest, looking for anything that would keep her from missing her mates. Karen felt their presence in the back of her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch, knowing that in two more hours she would get to hear their voices, explore their lives through the magic of the modern age. Even if she wasn't comfortable with the new application that Andrew had installed on her phone, she was glad to know that he had found a way to secure their communication, and eager for them to start talking in open and genuine terms.

The one thing she held onto that helped guide her through the night, was the merriment and joy she felt from her mates. Everything they did seemed new, and through their bond she got to share in those feelings of discovery once more. Their perspective revitalizing her own appreciation of the mundane and everyday things that she had been taking for granted.

It amazed her how comfortable their changing natures had become to all of them. Andrew's realization about Sara's gifts being imparted to him laying the foundation of their new understanding about how they related to one another. She was growing and evolving and knew it was happening, hundreds of years giving her the perspective to know exactly how her personality was being affected.

Unfortunately, that also made her acutely aware of how much she hated being alone, her once loved lifestyle feeling empty like her house. Her school bag rested beside the front door, all of her student's assignments already graded with nothing left to be done. With little else to distract her, she set down her book and turned on the TV, scanning through the channels until she found a cooking show that interested her.

Lifting her teacup to her lips, and savoring the familiar tang of herbs and cream, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand on end.

"About time," she grumbled as she set down her cup and stood from the chair.

Karen turned and faced the closet that sat in the corner of the room, its door sealed and unassuming. She struggled through a mixed sea of emotions, each of them pulling her in different directions as she considered whether she should use the Glamour ward that Andrew had crafted to obscure her appearance, but knew it would do no good. The Council always sent talented magicians to check up on her, and she knew that this was one of their best.

A slight whistling noise filled the air as a breeze began to pull towards the closet, air rushing through the cracks of the door for a few seconds before it stopped, the only noise remaining was the sound of a knife chopping on a cutting board coming from the TV.

"Ohh, for the love of god, woman!"

The voice was deep and masked by the sounds of coats and hangers as they fell from their rod, a loud thud being followed by an expletive as the door swung open. Inside the closet was a moderately sized man of advancing age, his legs wrapped in a mass of winter wear that seemed to cling to his flailing limbs as he stumbled his way forward.

It took a few moments before the man could shake the last of the clothes from his legs, kicking them into the closet and slamming the door with a huff.

"I know you're still upset, but this is a bit petty, wouldn't you-"

The man's words were cut short as he turned and caught sight of Karen. They stared into each other's eyes, frustration still lingering on the older man's face. He was barely five-foot-eight, with a crown of silvery-gray hair atop his balding head. A large scar dominated the right side of his face, adding a sense of severity that was only accentuated by his broad and muscular body. Dress shoes, slacks and a vest completed his look, adding that final edge of authority to the already impressive looking man.

Most wizards favored their studies above all other pursuits, but Karen knew that this man was different. He had learned in the hardest of ways that you must be prepared for anything that life may throw at you, and prided himself on his diversity of interests.

The moment dragged on and the man's studious gaze continued to take in every detail of Karen, from the contours of her face to the way her casual, baggy nightwear failed to hide her curvy and feminine body. The annoyance he had worn when he first appeared was replaced by confusion as he stated, "You've changed."

"That makes one of us."

There was a chill in the air that had nothing to do with the weather, growing even colder as Karen turned and walked into the kitchen, her voice a grumble as she said, "Everything's fine here. Just tell them I'll be here a few more years and then I'll move on."

She didn't bother to look back, his returning frustration told Karen everything she needed to know. By the time he caught up, she had a baking sheet on the kitchen island, and was lifting a mixing bowl from a lower cabinet while she glanced around, inventorying the rest of the ingredients she would need.

The man cocked his head as he entered the room, studying Karen as she worked. Karen could feel his surprise washing off of him like a cold and sobering mist. It had been at least five years since last they'd met, and their previous exchange hadn't ended well, beginning much as their current meeting had.

"I'm assuming this is a professional visit, just like last time."

With a slump of the shoulders, the man shook his head and mumbled something in Russian. His voice was slight, but Karen caught every word as he whispered, "Stubborn old root."

With a bit more confidence, he stated loudly, "I can't believe you're still upset. It's been half a century, Karen."

"I'm not upset," she barked, flour rising into the air as she ran her hand violently through the contents of the bowl.

"We both know you bake when you're upset," he stated while tipping his chin towards the preparations she was making.

Karen knew he was right, and for a moment that made her even more angry. Her eyes darted between ingredients while she sorted through what was going on, feeling her thoughts scurry and scatter in a way she had not felt for centuries. She found it strange, recognizing her own behavior so clearly, while a different part of her mind kept her hands busy with the preparations. Her temper had never been that intense, and even at the height of her anger with the man, she had never allowed it to get the better of her.

Karen wasn't sure why, but the way he stated her name bothered her more than she expected. She knew it was partly because of how her new name sounded coming from his gravely and familiar voice, a name from her past begging to be spoken in its place. For the first time since he arrived, she took the time to look at him, the edges seeming to fade from the contours of his face as he smiled back, forcing Karen to grin as she remembered the person he had once been.

His eyes once more traced the soft features of Karen's face. "As much as things have changed, some things never will."

There was fondness written in his eyes as he seemed to remember times long past.

"If they sent you, then they must want something big."

The man chuckled. "Nothing big. Guess they just got tired of me asking to check in on you."

They looked at each other for almost a minute, the silence becoming strained as the man began to twist where he stood, Karen's expression remaining hard and unconvinced despite the fondness she felt from their past.

"Is it really that terrible to see me?"

His voice was almost pleading, which seemed all the more strange when compared to the gruff and stern looking man who had asked the question.

Whatever shell had hardened Karen's heart cracked at the sound of the muscular man's voice, his vulnerability touching something deep and primal within her. Even she knew that her cold attitude was abnormal, but her frustration at having to deal with The Council so soon was enough to make her ignore the oddity of her behavior.

"Seeing you is a bitter treat, young man. There's rarely a day that I don't think of you with love and longing, knowing that no matter how long I roam this world you cannot be replaced. Yet, my heart aches with the memory of how I lost you, and to whom."

His eyes were cast down, his head rising with brief jerks that were abandoned just after they began. It was as if he was looking for salvation within the chaotic stone patterning that sat in front of him. Her statement was much like the ones she had made the last time they had met, but for some strange reason he found himself empathising more with how his actions had affected her.

"They aren't as bad as-"

The room grew cool with the force of Karen's will, her anger falling upon the broad shouldered man like a thousand pound weight.

"Stop, Alexi. That topic is a land well ravaged by the wars we have waged upon its once fertile grounds. You will plead a case for the reformation of their ways, while I challenge how you can forgive what they've done, and how it has affected your life so profoundly. Round and round we go, until — as always — you vanish for another few years and we both wallow in the tepid waters of our misery."

Dropping a small ball of dough on the baking sheet, Karen smiled at the tall man. The smile seemed genuine and sincere, which took Alexi by surprise after the embattled declaration she had made. Not only had she summarized where their conversation likely would have gone, but she nailed exactly how he had felt after their last exchange.

It had taken him months to let go of his guilt for the way he had abandoned her, but unlike that last time he could sense within her words a recognition that she understood the same thing. For once, she was looking beyond her own pain and seeing how her behavior had affected him.

His thoughts were cut short by Karen's soft voice as she asked, "Now, how about you get the strawberry jam from the fridge and help me get these cookies in the oven? Then, while they bake, you can tell me what they want."

With a stunned and blank expression he walked to the sink, and began to wash his hands while he continued to process everything that was happening. As he considered the profound changes that seemed to surround him, he realized exactly what she was preparing and a smile spread across his face.

"You've no idea how much I've missed these — they're my favorite."

With a shake of her head, Karen responded, "I know."

By the time Alexi returned with the jam, having taken a spoon from the first drawer he checked, the pan was over half covered with little balls of cookie dough.

After filling the spoon with a small amount of jam, he looked over and forced himself to say, "So, we're really going to pretend that you haven't changed? I've looked at that face for most of my life, and..."

He was standing off to the side, glancing over at Karen while his unfinished statement trailed off, placing small dollops of jam in indententations at the top of each cookie. Within those dark brown eyes were a million questions he was afraid to ask, and despite how their conversation so far had given him hope, he was still unsure whether she trusted him or not.

She felt his apprehension as she pretended to focus on what she was doing, but knew she was not fooling him. They had cooked together for decades, and he knew better than anyone that she could have done everything they were doing blindfolded.

"I'm not sure," she lied. "Over the last couple of years I've started to take an interest in my gifts, and this..." she paused long enough to flourish her arms out from her sides, tracing her body as she finished, "is the result."

Her long life had never given her a talent for deceit, and she could see it in the brash man's eyes as he watched her with a questioning gaze.

"What about you, mister? Kinda figured you would have settled down and started enjoying the twilight years of your remarkably long life."

The fondness in her voice was no lie, and Alexi grinned as he shook his head. "Na'. The Councils keeping me too busy for anything like that. There's too much to do, and too few with my talents to accomplish it all."

Truer words had seldom been heard, and Karen just nodded as she laid down the last few cookies and looked at him with pride. She may not like who he worked for, but she admired how capable he was.

"I've never grown tired of seeing what you can do. You've always been such a talented young man."

The grin on his face broadened as he tried to correct her, "Dammit, Catherine. I'm over eighty years old now, you can stop calling me young man."

Hearing her original name once more uttered in Alexi's grizzled voice caused Karen's eyes to light up as she continued her little game.

"Your words say one thing, but the way you're looking at these cookies says another. Unless you're too old for 'barquette aux fraises,' in which case we can just toss these out. The oven could use a break, isn't that right, little guy?"

She concluded her statement by petting the oven door, talking to it in a sweet and childish voice in an attempt to lighten the mood. Looking up, she found Alexi watching her with confusion written across his face. His expression changed the moment she saw him, and with a smile he chose to play along.

"No, no... I guess compared to you, 'young man' is fitting."

He lifted the tray and slid it into the oven before Karen could make good on her threat, his eyes darting between her and the oven as he made his move.

Standing, he wiped his hands against each other out of habit. He knew that the action did nothing but help solidify in his mind that he was done with that task, but chose to continue because he liked the ritual of it.

"Before we get into The Council's purpose for my visit, I just need to ask; Are you sure everything's okay?"

His concern was rolling off of him in sheets, obvious to Karen's enhanced gifts, and noteworthy in its depth. In many ways that made Karen happy — knowing that he still cared — but she was unsure how to respond. As much as she wanted to trust Alexi, their history having given them a bond they could never break, she knew the truth would put him in an impossible position.

"Listen, son."

Her eyes followed his, making sure he understood the importance of how she had started her statement. The long pause served a more important purpose though, it gave her time to think.

Karen had noticed the same thing that Alexi had, that the reserved detachment that acted as a lens with which she viewed the world had vanished. Ever since bonding with Andrew, she had noticed her eagerness for new experiences growing, but had never expected to have been changed so drastically. Where she had once had a complete disinterest, she found in its place a playful thirst for life and experience which she had not known since she was a child. Something she had lost long ago, and had given up ever finding again.

With that realization, and a better view on the events that had taken her child away from her, she continued.

"I'm sorry."

His eyes grew wide at her unexpected words, an eagerness for context reaching out from his shocked expression.

"It's been unfair of me to begrudge you the decision you made. The fact is, you managed to remain hidden far longer than anyone else, and I know you tried so hard because of me. A part of me always knew that you'd be drawn to the answers they could provide, and that I'd lose you the moment you were discovered."

She reached out and caressed the skin on the side of his face, a long and difficult life having given him a coarse patina.

"I'll never forgive them for what they did back when you found me. I'm grateful to have had you in my life, but if they had intervened instead of exploiting what was going on, you may have had a mother and father — a whole family who would have loved and cherished you. So many people could have had..."

Tears were rolling down her cheeks as Karen thought back to when Alexi had stumbled into her life. The great war had given the world a surplus of orphans, but fate had ensured that after his parents were taken, Alexi found his way almost forty five kilometers to her house. Half dead, and speaking a foreign language, she found him hiding under her porch. A frail and frightened little boy, who flew into her arms the moment he sensed her kind and tender soul.

Alexi never talked about his parents, but Karen knew he missed them still. As a child, he would whisper of a brother and sister in his sleep. Karen never knew if they were dreams of the past, or a future the boy had wanted, and in the end she didn't care. It was something she trusted he would bring up when he was ready, but he never was.

Karen shook her head and pulled back her hand, a small smile spreading across her face as she realizing she had allowed herself to be pulled down an old and familiar pain.

"Ever since they found me, I've tried to deny my gifts. Each loss-"

With a gentle voice Alexi interrupted, "You owe me nothing... Mom." Tears were welling in the corners of his eyes, the broad-shouldered man's face scrunching up as he fought back his emotion. "I knew joining The Council would take you from me, but I had hit the limits of my gift and if I wanted to help more people, I needed to trust them, and the truth is... well, they found me years before I joined them, and allowed me to roam free knowing that I was your child.

"Whether you know it or not, there are many in The Council that remember you fondly. I may have been the one that you were able to raise, but every child you found keeps you in their hearts, and..." his throat choked up as he tried to finish his statement. "We love you still, and will never let anything happen to you."

It was difficult for Karen to remain strong as she watched Alexi fight to hold himself together. Words that had begged to be spoken finally finding a voice, and rending the scars that had formed on his heart away, revealing tender and unused flesh beneath. He may have appeared to be a burly and muscular man in his late fifties, but all Karen could see was that fresh-faced little boy who was hiding in the darkness of her life.