Life Bonds

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “I don’t get the meaning,” Fiona said after a moment.

  “It means, why don’t you tell me what you’re thinking about?” Sean said.

  “I was just thinking about how easy it was to leave Pinebough. We’ve seen nothing of the Elder since the guard said he was ordered to stop us. It either means we’re good, or we should be worried,” Fiona finally said.

  “Guess we’ll find out tonight,” Sean said with a shrug. “Worrying about it won’t help matters.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Fiona said. “Shall we play some knuckles?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Time passed by like a lazy summer afternoon, except for the wintry chill in the air. Myna eventually pulled the wagon off to the side of the road on a well-used cut out. A fire pit was ringed with stones, and the ground had been flattened and packed hard by repeated use.

  “Standard camp spot?” Sean asked, getting out of the back of the wagon.

  “Yes. These are commonplace between villages and towns if they’re more than a day apart,” Myna replied as she started to care for the horses. “We’ll make Pinehaven tomorrow evening.”

  “I’ll go collect firewood, if you want to help Myna with the horses,” Fiona suggested.

  “Good idea, I don’t have any real hands on experience with handling horses,” Sean said, going over to help Myna get the horses unhitched from the wagon.

  It took them awhile to get the horses hobbled for the evening, as Myna had to walk Sean through the process of getting them curried and fed, and make sure he understood each step. By the time they finished, Fiona had the fire going and was making dinner.

  “Well, that certainly eats into our time to spar or work on Talents,” Sean said as he brushed his hands off. “No tea?”

  “Not tonight,” Fiona said, motioning to an earthen jug near where his bedroll was laid out. “I thought a little mead would be a good change of pace.”

  Picking up the jug, he took a seat on his bedroll. The jug was heavy and had been sealed with wax. Breaking the wax carefully to keep it out of the mead, Sean pulled out the stopper and took a sniff. A strong honey scent hit his nose like a hammer. Blinking, Sean looked around for a cup, only to find Myna offering him three.

  “Thank you,” Sean said as he took the first and filled it with the fragrant mead.

  “You’re welcome, Sean,” Myna said as she exchanged cups with him.

  Once the drinks were passed around, Sean took a deep whiff of the cooking meal. Garlic was the predominant scent and it made Sean’s mouth water. Watching Fiona turn over the meat in the pan she was cooking in, Sean saw her splash a little of her mead into the pan, the honey scent mixing with the garlic.

  “That smells wonderful,” Myna said, pulling a carrot out of one of the bags on the cart and nibbling on it.

  “Are you going to talk to him about this morning?” Fiona asked.

  “Huh?” Sean said, looking to Fiona.

  “Do you remember this morning?” Myna asked slowly.

  Sean blushed as his mind went to the dreams he had woken to. “What do you mean?”

  “When we left this morning, you called me something,” Myna said, looking at him curiously.

  Sean’s brow furrowed as he tried to think of what she was talking about. There was something when Fiona had gotten up, but he couldn’t grasp the thought. “I don’t recall saying anything,” Sean finally said.

  “You called me a very derogatory term,” Myna said, a deep frown marring her face. “You called me a ‘silly kitty.’”

  As soon as the words left Myna’s mouth, Sean blinked, vaguely recalling the incident. “I didn’t know I said that out loud. It kind of went with my dre—” snapping his mouth shut, Sean cut himself off.

  “Dreams?” Myna asked as she watched his blush go from pink to red. “Those words, to a Feline Moonbound, are very derogatory, much like calling one of the Canine Moonbound a ‘good doggy.’ I’ll forgive you, if you’ll tell me about the dream that prompted the comment.”

  Not meeting her gaze and feeling his cheeks burning, Sean tried to think of a way out of his predicament. “It was just a dream... Maybe there’s another way to make it up to you?”

  Fiona watched the two of them as she pulled out plates. “Myna? Why don’t you consider his offer while we eat?”

  Myna looked at Fiona, then slowly nodded. “Yes. Yes, that is a good idea, Fiona.”

  Feeling a relieved sigh escape him, Sean gave Fiona a thankful nod. Hoping that Myna would let things drop during the meal, Sean took the offered plate from Fiona. The scents of honey and garlic wafting up from the steak made his stomach rumble loudly.

  “It seems you’re interested in dinner,” Fiona chuckled lightly. “I hope you enjoy it.”

  Pulling out his cutlery, Sean set the plate on his lap and cut off a section of the steak. Popping the juicy piece into his mouth, Sean savored the combination of flavors. The honey and garlic mingled together in harmony, and a touch of salt helped accent them both. He chewed and swallowed, looking up to see Fiona obviously waiting for a comment.

  “It’s very good, Fiona,” Sean said as he looked back down to cut another piece off. “I’m going to be quiet for a bit so I can focus on this tasty meal.”

  Fiona gave him a broad smile, even though he wasn’t looking at her. “Good, I’m glad you like my cooking.”

  “It is very good,” Myna agreed around her first bite.

  “Thank you, Myna,” Fiona gave her a smile as well. “We’ll be in Pinehaven tomorrow, but the next time we make camp, it’ll be your turn to cook.”

  “Good. I want to show him my skills as well,” Myna said.

  Sean choked on his mead, his mind diving straight into the gutter at her comment, especially considering the dreams he’d been having. Setting his plate and cup aside, Sean doubled over, coughing hard while Myna patted his back, looking somewhat alarmed.

  “It seems he looks forward to that, too,” Fiona said slowly. “Are you okay, Sean?”

  Slowly coming out of the coughing fit, Sean nodded, his voice rough as he managed to say, “I’m fine…”

  Myna continued to rub his back as she watched him. All day she had felt as if something were changing in their group. Fiona had become more welcoming of her over the last few days, and Sean’s reaction was even more hopeful.

  Once he stopped coughing, Sean took a drink of mead to help clear his throat. “Sorry about that.”

  “Do you wish to see my skills, Sean?” Myna asked.

  Blushing, Sean looked away from her. “Your cooking skills? Yes, I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful meal for us when it’s your turn.”

  Myna was disappointed by his reply, then realized he was deliberately avoiding the broader subject. When she thought of it that way, a new hope bloomed inside her and she met Fiona’s eyes.

  Fiona looked pensive as she meet Myna’s eyes with a nod. “Sean, we should spar again after dinner.”

  Looking up from his plate, having missed their byplay, Sean nodded. “Probably a good idea. Whoever’s not fighting can practice Mage Sight and Shaping.”

  “That’s a good use of time,” Myna agreed.

  “After dinner,” Fiona said, going back to enjoying her meal.

  Sean finished first and lounged as he waited for them. Sipping the last of his mead, Sean wondered about the shifting dynamic in the group. Over the last few days, the women had apparently become almost united in their goals. His dream that morning had made Sean wonder about the Life Bonds and if they were already influencing his opinions on how he should act with them.

  Fiona collected the plates, having been the last to finish her meal. “Sean, can you put some hot water into the bucket for me so I can clean up?”

  Sean tried first to get the magic to work without words and motions. Nothing happened, so he recited the song and tipped himself to the side. Once she had enough hot water, Fiona thanked him and sent him over to Myna.

  “Go spar. I’ll be along after I’m
done here.”

  Sean frowned, something about her seeming off to him. “Okay…” Picking up Dark Cutter, he Shaped it into a sword. “You good for the first round, Myna?”

  “Yes, but first you were going to tell me about your dream, weren’t you?”

  Sean slowed his pace. “There’s no other way to apologize?”

  Myna looked thoughtful for a moment before meeting his eyes. “Sleep with me.”

  Boggling, Sean froze. “Err…”

  Myna’s cheeks tinged. “I meant let me hold you tonight, not the other.”

  A relieved breath escaped Sean, “Oh… ahh…”

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Fiona said from where she was washing the dishes. “We could make it contingent on who wins the sparring match. The winner gets to choose whether Sean tells his dream or holds you tonight.”

  “That is acceptable,” Myna nodded.

  “Wait, don’t I get a choice here?” Sean asked, his eyes going from one to the other.

  “Yes, if you win,” Fiona said simply. “You basically called her your pet this morning. Did you mean that? Was it intentional and you think of her as a pet already?”

  “No,” Sean said angrily, “Myna is a friend, not a pet.”

  “I’m sorry for suggesting it,” Fiona said, not even bothering to stop cleaning. “Maybe you do mean to make up for your blunder this morning, then?”

  Seeing himself boxed in by the two of them, Sean shook his head. “Fine, let’s do this.”

  Myna bowed to him. “I’m conflicted about which I want more now.”

  Sean frowned, his own mind uncertain about what he really wanted. Pushing the thoughts aside, he bowed to her and brought his sword up as she settled into position with her practice swords before her.

  Focusing on her and the fight before him, Sean started forward slowly, his feet gliding across the ground. Her blades shifted as he advanced, which made him pause. As he came to a stop, Myna exploded towards him, her blades weaving an intricate pattern. Sean reacted, his sword shifting into a wooden bladed naginata as the metal covered the shaft, and he wove the longer blade into a defensive pattern to keep her back.

  Myna retreated as he shifted his weapon. Nodding, she settled into a defensive stance. “You’re getting quicker at adapting,” Myna said as she looked for an opening. “I need to practice my Shaping a lot more to be able to even attempt that in combat.”

  “We’ll get you there,” Sean smiled at her.

  “In time,” Myna said, then vanished.

  Sean brought Mage Sight up to find Myna. He found her as he felt her blades knock his naginata up and away from her. Backpedaling, he shifted the weapon into twin daggers, but he was too slow to stop her attack. Four quick stabs hit him in his thighs, stomach, and chest, making him stumble backwards and fall on his ass.

  “Myna wins,” Fiona said simply as she came over to them. “She will get to choose later. We can get some more sparring in first. I think we should practice it with Mage Sight up to get used to it.”

  “I concur,” Myna said. “If he had been using it at the start of the fight, my trick wouldn’t have worked.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Sean said as he got out of the way, seating himself near the fire. He Shaped Dark Cutter back into a naginata and set it next to him, then picked up a log. “I’ll Shape until someone wins.”

  Sean watched the two of them fight as he absentmindedly Shaped the wood in his hands. They both seemed a little slow to him as they fought. It took a moment for him to realize it was because they were trying to cope with Mage Sight while fighting. Turning his own Mage Sight on, he watched the two of them as they circled.

  It took longer than Sean would have expected, but eventually Myna landed a clean hit to Fiona’s gut. Rubbing her stomach as she came toward Sean, Fiona sighed, “That’s harder than I thought it would be. All the extra stimuli from seeing everything’s energy made it hard to focus on the fight.”

  “That’s why we train,” Sean grinned as he stood up. Holding out the chunk of wood he’d been playing with, he gave her a kiss and strolled towards Myna.

  Fiona had dropped Mage Sight when she took her seat, and blinked at the statue Sean had given her. She smiled as she set it aside; he obviously hadn’t realized what he had done and she was looking forward seeing his expression when he did. Picking up another log, she began Shaping it as she turned her attention to Sean and Myna.

  Idly spinning his naginata as he walked forward, Sean kept his focus on the glowing energy that was Myna. “Two for two so far, but it looked like you were having some trouble with Fiona.”

  “As she said, the extra stimuli is hard to deal with,” Myna said. “I won’t be able to use my tricks with you already watching me with Mage Sight.”

  “So I’ll have a chance,” Sean chuckled.

  “Better than you normally do,” Myna snickered.

  “Just for that, I’m going to go hard on you,” Sean said, giving her a small bow and bringing the naginata around into position.

  “I shall make you earn everything,” Myna said as she bowed and brought her blades up in front of her.

  Sean attacked, coming in hard and fast, snapping the naginata in short fast attacks and making Myna backpedal to deflect them. Sean frowned as he watched her parrying his attacks. Her blades glowed faintly in the same colors she did, as if they were extensions of her. Thinking his own weapon was probably doing the same, Sean let part of his focus slip into the blade, trying to dim the glow the weapon was probably showing, but unable to see his own energy.

  Myna sprang back. “Where did your weapon go?”

  Sean chuckled, “It worked?”

  “What did you do?” Myna asked, moving in a circle around him.

  “I tried to Camo the energy in the blade. Your weapons have a faint glow, so I figured mine glowed, too.”

  “It did. Not strongly, but it did, and now it’s gone.”

  “Well, that’s going to make life difficult for you,” Sean said, launching another series of attacks.

  Myna hesitated for a fraction of a second, then her blades danced against his weapon, controlling it. “Now I’ll win,” Myna said firmly.

  “You dropped Mage Sight,” Sean said as he was forced into a defensive posture.

  “Yes,” Myna admitted as she came forward.

  Growling, Sean stopped retreating and attacked. “I see.” He focused, vanishing from sight as he invoked Camo, then quickly sidestepped and attacked her.

  Myna hesitated as he vanished from her sight, only to yip when the flat of the naginata smacked her across the ass. “You win,” she conceded. “Bested by my own trick.”

  Sean chuckled as he dropped Camo, “Well, since you dropped Mage Sight, it seemed like the thing to do.”

  “How did you do what you did?” Myna asked, looking at him curiously.

  “I just focused part of my mind on masking the energy, like Camo masks my body,” Sean said with a shrug. “Nothing complicated.”

  Myna frowned, then vanished from his sight. “I want to see if I can do that to myself,” she said. “Is your Mage Sight active?”

  Sean blinked and willed it back into being. “Yes.” Myna seemed to glow like normal, but after a moment, her glow dimmed by stages until she was gone from his sight. “You’re gone.”

  “I can see you normally, though,” Fiona said.

  “Can I do both?” Myna murmured, closing her eyes and concentrating.

  “You’re shimmering. It’s hard to see, but since I know you’re there, I can see you,” Fiona said.

  “Ditto,” Sean agreed, “your energy is very faint, but since I know you’re there, I can see enough.”

  Panting as she reappeared, Myna nodded. “Okay. That took a lot out of me.”

  Sean fed her some energy as he put his arm around her shoulders. “That was a good experiment.”

  “Thank you,” Myna said, giving him a bright smile as she felt the influx of energy.

  “We sho
uld call it a night,” Fiona said, setting her statue next to Sean’s while they weren’t looking.

  Catching sight of the wooden statues, Myna slowed. “You made statues?”

  “No, Sean made one of them,” Fiona said with a grin. “Want to guess which one?”

  “I made a statue?” Sean asked.

  “Yes. You handed it to me when you went to spar, and I didn’t alter it at all,” Fiona said with a giggle.

  Myna pointed to the one depicting Sean being kissed on either cheek by Myna and Fiona as he held them close. “That’s his, isn’t it?”