“Sounds like a good idea,” Sean said as he took both pans off the fire. He set up three plates, each with a strip of bacon and some sautéed veggies. “Wish we had eggs, but this will have to do.”
“They don’t travel well,” Myna said as she took a plate from him.
“That’s a good point,” Sean said. “Oh well, just another thing to get used to.”
“Did you normally have eggs with breakfast?” Fiona asked.
“They’re a normal breakfast food where I’m from,” Sean said between bites. “Eggs, bacon, and toast is a pretty standard breakfast. The meal you had prepared for me at Pinebough was close to what James and I would meet up for sometimes.”
“I’ll see about arranging something similar when we get to Pinehaven,” Myna said.
“It's fine,” Sean said. “I need to adapt to this world. Food seems like a good place to start. At least nothing here has disagreed with me yet.”
“Hopefully nothing will,” Fiona said as she started washing her empty plate in the pot that Sean had set up earlier.
“I’ll go track their horses down and bring back what we can sell,” Myna said, standing up.
“Give me your plate,” Fiona said, holding out a hand.
“Thank you,” Myna said with a smile, handing her the plate and taking off into the woods.
“We should also drag the bodies away,” Sean said as he finished his meal.
“I’ll clean the dishes if you do that,” Fiona said.
“Deal,” Sean said, giving her a quick kiss and handing off his plate.
Almost an hour later, Myna returned, leading a single horse that was loaded down with gear. “The horses were branded, so I thought it best to not bring them. I only brought this one to help carry all the stuff.”
“None of the riding tack is marked?” Sean asked incredulously.
“It is. It has the maker’s mark from a well-known crafter in Southpoint, Maximillian Giralt,” Myna said. “I’ve seen his mark before.” She pointed out the MG tooled into the saddles.
“These are going to be worth a bit, then?” Sean asked as he pulled the first one off of the horse.
“Yes, but we’ll want to spread out selling them, because all seven together would attract attention,” Fiona said as she grabbed one to stack in the wagon.
“What else was there?” Sean asked as he pulled another saddle off the horse.
Myna said with a smile, “They had a tent with them and some hemp canvas that can be used for a lean-to. The tent looks like it could sleep the three of us comfortably. It may even fit four.”
“Something good came out of this after all, then,” Sean chuckled as he continued to load the gear onto the wagon. “I’d just been thinking that we needed to get a tent.”
“Pinebough will be hurt by this,” Fiona said as she went to their horses and started getting them ready, “though there should be a bit of a delay, as the elder will expect the men back tomorrow. He’ll have to send someone to investigate what happened to them.”
“More time to lose ourselves,” Sean nodded. “We’ll make Pinehaven today?”
“Yes,” Myna said.
After each of them took a few minutes in the woods for personal reasons and changed clothing, they finally got moving toward Pinehaven. Myna curled up in the nook and was soon sleeping, which Sean was grateful for.
“She wants to do so much for you,” Fiona said softly, glancing back at Myna. “Even without the Life Bond, I’m certain she’d never betray you.”
“Yeah, the hero worship thing is a little intense,” Sean said.
“You brought her back to life. I can’t blame her for feeling that way, either. We’ve talked about you a lot over the last tenday and we’ve started to understand each other better. Myna and I never had any problem, but weren’t really friends before this, either. Both of us being Life Bonded to you has made us take the time to learn about each other. It was also one of the reasons I suggested she stay and talk with you the other day.”
“So I would get to know her better,” Sean said.
“Yes. I find my initial pangs of jealousy are fading, quicker than I thought they would. I don’t feel anything other than happiness now when I see you pet her head, knowing that you’re accepting her.”
“Didn’t you say just the other day that you weren’t happy about that?” Sean asked, puzzled.
“Yes, but today, I don’t feel that. I think the Life Bond is shifting my way of looking at her much faster than I had thought possible. I also know that Myna wasn’t upset by you calling her a ‘silly kitty’ the other day. What upset her is that you didn’t remember saying it.”
“If it’s a derogatory term…” Sean trailed off with a frown.
“Maybe she likes the idea of being your pet,” Fiona suggested as she laid a hand on his leg. “Some Moonbound do react that way to being Life Bonded, especially if they are treated well.”
Sean shook his head. “I don’t get that at all.”
“Did your world not have those who liked to be owned or enslaved by someone?”
Grunting, Sean recalled James’ last girlfriend and how she would proudly show off the collar she wore. “Yeah, a small subset of people like that do exist on the other world.”
“She would be like that,” Fiona said simply.
“Fucking hell,” Sean sighed as he handed the reins to Fiona. “I’m not that kind of guy, though. It was never my kink.”
“No one says that it has to be now,” Fiona added. “Myna will accept however much, or little, you give her. As will I, but I really would prefer more to less.”
Rubbing his face, Sean sighed, “This is going to take some time to get used to.”
“We have time,” Fiona giggled, “all our lives, in fact. And with your energy levels, that will be a long time indeed.”
“Great. Maybe in twenty years, I’ll be used to the idea,” Sean snorted.
“It will be sooner than that,” Fiona said. “I told you, the Bond is meshing me and Myna together. It will be the same for you, Sean. I think your dream of the two of us showering you in love points to that.”
Falling into his thoughts, Sean wondered about her words. She isn’t wrong. I really do feel myself drawn more to them both. Is that right though? Should the Life Bonds shape my thoughts and desires that easily? Myna literally pushed herself onto a blade to kill our enemies earlier, how can I ignore that? Do I even want to? She’ll obviously give up her own life to protect me and Fiona, how could I ignore that and try to keep her distant from us?
Sean didn’t know how long his thoughts chased each other around in circles before Fiona reached back and woke Myna.
“Myna, time to wake. We’ll be pausing to rest the horses soon,” Fiona said gently as she stroked Myna’s ears.
“Okay,” Myna murmured, yawning and stretching with a very cat-like motion.
Sean resisted the urge to rub her ears, forcing himself to look at the road. “Maybe you can make us a quick meal while we pause?”
“I’ll be happy to,” Myna said as she leaned against the driver’s bench, looking down the road between them.
When they stopped at midday, Myna got a small fire going and had Sean summon hot water. She chopped up the last of the salted pork, a handful of roots, and added spices to the hot water then hung it over the fire. Sean helped Fiona feed and water the horses while she cooked. Sean could sense contentment from the horses as they were brushed down.
“Lunch is ready,” Myna called out to them as they took the feedbags off the horses.
“Be right there,” Sean called out.
When they made it over to the fire, Myna handed them bowls of soup and cups of tea. Myna smiled at their thanks. Her smile broadened even more when Sean and Fiona both complimented her cooking.
Chapter Nineteen
They didn’t encounter anyone else until they got close to Pinehaven that evening. The sun was setting as Fiona brought the wagon to a stop outside the closed gate.
“We’ve recently come from Pinebough,” Sean called back to the man with the bronze helmet. “Hoping to stay the night at an inn.”
“You carrying goods for sale?” the guard asked, peering at the wagon.
“That, and hoping to get more supplies for the next leg of our journey,” Sean replied.
“Angus, open the gate,” the guard called down behind him.
Sean looked at the walls, his eyebrows rising as he took note of their solidity. The wall didn’t appear to be built of trees, but was rather a single, solid piece of wood that stood ten feet tall and was several feet thick. Buttresses appeared to grow from the inside at regular intervals, supporting the massive construct.
“Fiona, look at the walls,” Sean murmured.
“Pinehaven is known in the south for the Shaper that lives here. He spent four years making the walls as you see them,” Fiona murmured back. “He isn’t powerful or as skilled as you or me. Myna could probably match him at this point.”
“Really?” Myna asked.
Fiona nodded. “I’ve seen your work. You’re already past the skill level of many Shapers. It might take you longer since you’re consciously focusing on it, but in time, you’ll get past that too. You don’t have to use your hands to Shape the wood. It takes less energy if you do, and helps with the more detailed bits.”
“I see,” Myna murmured. “That is how you Shape so quickly in combat.”
“Yes,” Fiona nodded. “I wanted you to get used to the way I was trained first.”
“I understand,” Myna nodded as the gate finally opened.
Giving the reins a light snap, Fiona got the horses moving again. Once they were through the gate, it swung closed behind them. A muscle bound, green-skinned man was slowly pushing the gate.
Sean looked from the large male to the guard on the wall. “Which way to the inn?”
“Follow the road, it's hard to miss,” the guard replied dismissively.
As they moved into the village, Sean leaned in towards Fiona, “Why do all the villages have walls?”
“To keep beasts at bay should they attack,” Fiona replied. “It wouldn’t do much to slow the Moonbound, but sometimes, large packs of Red-eyes will go on savage killing sprees. We were lucky that Darragh came to an arrangement with the master of the woods near Oakwood, or we would have had more problems.” Her voice hitched when she mentioned Darragh.
“We’ll pay them back,” Sean said, firmly but softly, “but we need to lay low for a while, just in case.”
“It will be as you say,” Myna said softly. “I will carve those responsible into mince, once we know who it was.”
“I’m sure we’ll all get a piece,” Sean said. The streets were mostly empty as night fell, though he did see a few people going about their lives. Giving a friendly nod to the few who looked their way, Sean was happy to see his friendly smiles returned. “This place already seems better than Pinebough.”
“The people here are happier,” Fiona agreed. “Maybe we’ll do well selling off some extra gear tomorrow before we leave.”
The three-story building to their left had a sign depicting a bed and the words ‘Restful Slumber’ etched into the wood. “That would be the inn,” Sean stated the obvious as he watched a couple of people enter it.
Fiona guided the wagon just past the inn to the stable. “Ring the bell, please,” Fiona asked as she came to a stop before the closed gate.
Myna jumped down before Sean could move. “I have it.”
Sean settled back onto the seat, reminding himself that they were supposed to be his servants. Putting a bored expression on his face, Sean waited for someone to answer the bell that Myna had rung. By the time a man opened the gate and waved them in, Sean had managed to find the neutral expression he was trying for.
“Two horses and a wagon will cost you ten copper for the night,” he said when Fiona had driven into the yard. “Your horses will be curried, fed, and watered.”
Sean nodded, not bothering to haggle. “Pay him, Fiona. I’ll be inside.” Hopping down, Sean grabbed Dark Cutter, still in Naginata form, and headed for the side door that led into the inn. “Myna, you’re with me.”
“As you command, Master,” Myna said as she followed him.
The door from the stable opened into a short hall that connected to the common room, full of people having their evening meals. A number of eyes went to him, then turned away, though a few lingered on the weapon he carried. Not seeing anything amiss, or anyone particularly focused on them, Sean made his way to the bartender.
“Looking for a room, with some extra blankets for my Bonded,” Sean told the innkeeper when the gentleman came down to him. “We’ll need dinner, breakfast, drinks for both meals, and the bathing room.”
The bored innkeeper nodded. “That’ll be sixty copper.”
Sean raised an eyebrow, but dropped a bronze onto the counter. Nodding, the innkeeper returned four large copper coins and rang a bell. A young woman, barely past her teens, came out of the back at the summons. Sean noticed a thin black band around one wrist.
“One room, extra blankets,” the innkeeper told her, then walked away to fill another customer’s mug, clearly dismissing them both.
“If you will follow me, sir,” the young woman said. Sean gave a small nod, following her. The maid led them to the second floor and down the hall, coming to a door with the number six engraved on it. “This is your room for the night. I’ll get the blankets for your Bonded.”
“There are two of them,” Sean told her.
“I’ll be back shortly,” the maid said as she walked off.
Sean went into the darkened room, the lamplight from the hall showing him where the lamp in the room was located. Sean dug his striker out of his belt pouch to get it going. The scent of olives drifted up as he replaced the glass and adjusted the flame.
Once he got the lamp adjusted, Sean looked around the room. A narrow bed was against the wall, with a small window above it looking down onto the stables. The table held the lamp, along with a pitcher and basin. A single chair completed the furnishings. This room was far more spartan than what he’d had at Oaklake, and had cost more, which rankled him.
“I have your extra blankets,” the maid said from the doorway.
Myna took them with a smile. “Thank you.”
The maid gave her an obviously false smile in return. “Of course.”
“Excuse me,” Fiona said from behind the maid.
The maid stepped aside, giving Fiona a small, but real smile. “If you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask.”
Fiona entered the room and shut the door behind her, setting their bags to the side of the door. “The stable master is interested in buying a set of the riding gear. I had one of them visible and the rest covered.”
“Am I a merchant this time?” Sean asked with a wry grin.
“It’s a good cover, at least for the next few places we reach,” Fiona said. “It will help explain all the things we have to sell. We should also craft more items before we reach the next place so we have more goods to sell.”
“Better than being a noble,” Sean exhaled. Eyes going to Myna, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
Smiling at him, she shrugged. “I am long used to the indifference and scorn of others. They’ll at least respect me as property.”
Sean’s jaw clenched, but he stopped when Fiona touched his arm, speaking softly. “Sean, this is what life will be—even more so when we get into more populated places. Moonbound are not loved, as you’ve been told many times. No one will hurt her, as she is property, though they will likely sneer at you for having her Life Bonded.”
“Fuck ‘em,” Sean hissed.
“Sean,” Myna whispered, “as long as you accept me, nothing anyone says or does will mean anything to me.”
Meeting her eyes and seeing that she meant what she’d said, Sean nodded. “I’ll alw
ays accept you, Myna.”
“We both know that,” Fiona said and kissed his cheek. “It would be best if I got our meal and brought it back here. If Myna tried to eat in the common room, it might cause a scene.”
Sean cracked his knuckles, thinking about the kind of bigotry this world seemed to be ingrained with. With a deep breath he looked at Myna, “I’ll handle it, if you would like to eat in the common room.”
Myna gave him a bright smile. “I know you would, Master, but I’m fine eating with you and Fiona.”
“I’ll be right back, then,” Fiona said as she quickly left the room.
Life Bonds Page 15
