“All of your other companions will be receiving their own gifts,” Set offered sympathetically. “He is one of my creatures, and I could not let him go without.”
“Thank you, Set,” I repeated sincerely. She was by far the more distant of the two Goddesses, making her thoughtfulness all the more poignant.
She favored me with a faint smile, and then simply motioned for me to put the Halter on Bane. Since no one else fully understood what had transpired, I spoke aloud as I pivoted towards Bane with the Halter.
“This was made for you, Bane,” I affectionately informed him. “Just for you.”
His golden eyes widened as I told him the news, and he ducked his head slightly as I placed the silver Artifact around his neck. Almost as soon as I draped it around him, the metal formed itself along the contours of his shoulders and began to shimmer subtly. The silver metal vibrated slightly and the red gemstone around his neck shone with a bright light before the entire Halter began slowly sinking into his skin. It would have been quite alarming, but fortunately, the Halter’s description had warned me about the merging, and although I didn’t know the specifics, I was at least somewhat prepared when the Halter descended into his body.
I feel strange, my Sintári. Bane sent me after the Halter vanished.
“Can you tell me what he should expect?” I turned to face Set. “He says it feels odd.”
“I can’t tell you much, Bane,” Set addressed him directly. “It has been many millennia since a Sintári has forged a bond like this, and even then, the process was different every time. But you should adapt to the Halter’s presence quickly, and then it will ease your transition.”
“Transition?” I responded. “What transition?”
“I have said too much already,” Set replied curtly. “It is for you to find out.”
I was about to object, but if Set’s demeanor hadn’t been enough to dissuade me, Nentai’s subtle shaking of her head let me know that it was better for me to let the matter go.
“We must take our leave now,” Nentai then announced. “But we shall return soon. Most of the remaining gifts are ready, there are just some… details about their distribution that have to be worked out.”
With that, the two Goddesses shimmered and then vanished together in unison. As soon as they were gone, Broda and Venna leapt up to examine my new cloak, while Tási immediately began looking over Bane, trying to ensure that he was truly alright.
Once we had a few moments to examine both the Cloak and Bane more closely, things settled down again fairly quickly. The visits from the Goddesses, while far from routine, had become an expected event, and the shock of their arrival wore off after a while. Still, our evening meal was an awkward affair, and it seemed that food and ale were consumed in almost equal amounts to sooth our frazzled nerves.
With a quick whispered exchange, I made sure that Venna would be alright without me for the night. When I told her the reason for my intended absence, she waved me off and told me she would be fine. Once I had seen to her, I turned my attention towards Bane.
‘I know that you said you’d sleep down here, but I want you upstairs with me tonight.’ I sent him
Thank you, Sintári. I am feeling a bit uneasy, but I was hesitant to ask.
‘I don’t think Set would have given you anything that would cause you harm, but we will still watch over you until you get used to the Halter’s influence. Until you do, I want you with me at all times. You’ll sleep in our room, and no more scouting missions.’
I can still perform my duties to you, Sintári, Bane objected.
I knew that he took his responsibilities seriously and curtailing them was a serious blow to his sense of honor and duty, but I was not about to relent.
‘No, you cannot,’ I sent him as gently as possible. ‘Not safely. I need to know that you are not in danger, Bane. I need you to accept this for me.’
I hoped that putting it in terms of an obligation would help ease his conscience. Luckily enough, it did.
Then I will do this. For you.
‘Thank you, Bane,’ I sent him as I rubbed the scales along his cheeks affectionately.
Bane followed Tási and I upstairs, and once we settled into bed, I coaxed him to join us. Unfortunately, he was about the size of a large dog, and was far too big to lie down between us on the relatively small mattress.
“I forgot something I needed to talk to Venna about,” Tási said tactfully as she crawled out of bed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Her calculated absence allowed Bane to lay next to me comfortably, and when he did, I guided his head down to lie on my chest. His not-so-soft purr soon echoed inside the room as he relished the feel of my heart beating beneath his chin. It had been quite some time since he had been able to join us for the night, and I found that I missed the sound of his contented purr more than I had realized.
‘We have to do this more often, Bane. I miss you,’ I confessed to him.
I have missed you as well, my Sintári. But I have grown far too large now to lay with you as I once did.
‘Then I think I will just have to lay with you instead,’ I sent back to him playfully.
I would like that, my Sintári, Bane sent as his lips curled up in a smile.
We lay together, simply basking in each other’s presence until Tási finally returned. She had given us far longer that I had anticipated, but I was still disappointed when Bane left me to curl up in the corner. I resolved to talk with Ilvain the next day and see if he could have the mattress makers put together a large cushion that Bane could sleep on. Something big enough for the two of us to share from time to time so that we could enjoy each other’s company like we used to.
Bane continued to purr as he fell asleep across the room, and Tási’s soft snoring followed soon after. The familiar sounds brought a smile to my face, as I remembered all the pleasant nights we’d spent together. So, despite my apprehension over Bane’s Halter and Set’s vague reference to his ‘transition,’ the soft noises and the pleasant memories that accompanied them soon lulled me to sleep.
Bane tried to talk me into letting him fly off on his usual scouting run the next morning, but I didn’t let him do it. Instead, I had him accompany Tási and I on my usual rounds. Although he was often seen flying overhead, his presence on the ground had become an unusual occurrence, so everyone was excited to see him up close. As we traveled, it was hard for me to say which thing my people were more taken by, the astonishment over his growth, or the gift of the Cloak that I wore.
I had taken the time that morning to dump out my backpack and pouches and deposit my most needed and useful items in the Cloak’s various pockets. Each of them seemed to function like miniature backpacks, and I soon had everything I might need tucked away within its folds, eliminating the need for my bulky backpack almost entirely. Except for any extended trips outside the walls, I couldn’t foresee any need for the pack as long as I wore my new Cloak.
Other than a brief conversation with Ilvain regarding a bed for Bane, nothing out of the ordinary happened. My tour of our fledgling realm went smoothly, and we were able to return home late in the afternoon.
I kept Bane home for two more days after that before finally allowing him to resume his scouting. By then he was extremely restless and almost driving me crazy with his pent-up need to be off, and I was actually relieved to see him fly away into the sky. Fortunately, nothing had snuck up on us while I had kept him home, and his evening report was unremarkable, unlike the one he made to me the following night.
Wagons approach from the road, Sintári, Bane sent to me as he flew overhead.
The range over which we were able to communicate kept increasing, and he would sometimes call to me from high in the sky. The news of some sort of caravan was definitely important, so he didn’t wait until he was right in front of me to relay the information.
‘Is it a trade caravan, or Stel and Khorim returning?” I asked him.
It is your friends, Sin
tári, and many more. They are camped along the road for the day; you should see them tomorrow.
Venna and Broda were overjoyed when I relayed the news that their husbands would be returning the next day, and we decided to prepare a feast. A festival to not only to celebrate their return, but also to welcome those that they were bringing with them. The two of them soon completely took over the planning, and I was happy to leave the entire affair in their hands.
“Dreya,” Venna approached me cautiously after the two had been huddled together for a while. “We’ve been thinking about something and we have an idea we want to run by you.”
Her tone let me know that she was uncertain that I’d like her ‘idea,’ but I nodded for her to proceed anyway, despite my misgivings.
“Everyone’s tired of referring to our defenses as simply ‘the wall’ or ‘the fortifications.’ They need a real name. Something special—something significant,” Venna explained. “We think we’ve come up with one, but we’re not sure that you’ll approve.
“We want to call it, Daebreak Garrison.”
“Wait. Do you mean day, like daylight, or Dae, like my name?”
“Like your name, Dreya,” Venna hesitated. “This is your realm, and it’s where you broke your enemies. We think that it’s not only fitting, but it will give a sense of pride to those who are stationed there to know that they serve in such an honored place.”
“I don’t know if I want people naming things after me just yet,” I began to object.
“Perhaps you don’t, but I can only keep reminding you that things are not always about what you want, but what needs to happen,” Venna gently prodded me.
“Have you talked about this with anyone else?” I asked her reluctantly as I massaged my suddenly aching temples
“Not yet,” she confessed.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” I reluctantly said aloud, “but ask around and see what people think about it. If they like it, then make it official.”
Venna’s eyes lit up as she nodded back at me and then retreated to her deliberations with Broda before I could change my mind. I couldn’t believe that I had just approved naming a damn fortress after myself, but in the context of what I was eventually trying to do, I realized that it was only a small matter. What significance would the name of a single fortification hold when compared to the conquest of an entire continent, I consoled myself. While the two of them continued to plan the affair, I wandered off to check out the fluffy bed that Ilvain had sent over while we were out during the day.
Bane was already settled into the plush cushion, and I plopped down beside him and let my head rest on his chest. The powerful beating of his heart echoed in my ears, and the rhythm of it soothed the stress from my mind as I lay with him. As I rested peacefully, Bane twisted his sinewy neck around, and rested his head on my chest. His soft purr soon came to me as he found contentment in feeling my heartbeat, and I sent a thin tendril of love back to him in return.
“Dreya, wake up,” Tási nudged me.
“What?” I replied in confusion as I pried my eyes open.
“It’s morning. You fell asleep downstairs with Bane,” Tási whispered.
My head was still resting on his chest, as his was on mine, and Bane’s purr thrummed softly in my ears and the warm Cloak was wrapped around me like a blanket.
“Help me get up,” I whispered back. “I don’t want to wake him.”
I managed to slip out from under Bane with Tási’s help, and she guided my groggy steps over to the table where I sat down.
“The two of you looked so happy and peaceful,” Tási explained while she poured me a cup of tea. “I couldn’t wake you. So, I wrapped you up in your Cloak, and let you two have each other for the night. I’ve missed him sleeping with us. I can only imagine how much you’ve missed him too.”
“Where’s Broda and Venna?” I asked as my wits slowly returned.
“Already gone,” Tási replied as she cracked a few eggs. “They’re getting things ready for the big arrival. You might want to get Bane up, so he can give us a better idea of when to expect them.”
“Not until after the food’s ready,” I smiled at her.
Tási knew Bane’s nearly insatiable appetite and flashed a knowing smile back at me as she added a few more eggs into the pan for him. Once she had breakfast ready, I returned to Bane’s overstuffed mattress and gently prodded him until he finally opened his eyes.
Good morning, Sintári, he sent me. That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a while.
‘Me too, Bane. I’ve missed you.’
I thought I might have outgrown my need for you. I was very wrong.
‘Let’s try to do more of this. I think we both need it.’
If not for the whole night, at least for a while. Bane replied.
‘Whatever we need, dear Bane,’ I smiled as I sent him. ‘I want you to be happy, so don’t hesitate to let me know if you need me.’
I won’t. He smiled back.
Do I smell bacon?
After a rather large breakfast, I sent Bane off to check on the caravan’s progress. Tási and I decided to skip our usual rounds, and we headed straight for the fortifications, where the homecoming celebration was being arranged.
Venna and Broda had things in full swing—the spits were turning with fresh game, and the kegs were just waiting to be tapped. To my embarrassment, a large banner already hung across the road, proclaiming ‘Welcome to Daebreak Garrison.’ I might have felt better about it if Venna had the decency to at least pretend to care about my discomfort.
“We would have written something else, but you still haven’t named your Realm, so it’s all we could do,” she teased.
They will arrive in a few hours, Bane sent to me just as Venna finished her little taunt.
No matter where he was or how far away, I could always tell where Bane’s words came from, so even though he was far out of sight, I reflexively turned to face the direction he sent me his message from.
“Was that Bane?” Venna asked as she recognized my expression.
“Yes,” I replied somewhat petulantly as I stomped off. “He has news about the caravan’s arrival. I think I’ll go let Broda know when she can expect her husband’s return.”
“Dreya!” Venna called after me. “I’m sorry. Please tell me when Stel’s going to get here!”
I ignored her plea and she was forced to scamper after me as I sought out Broda among the hectic preparations. I finally found her, guarding the kegs to ensure that they weren’t tapped prematurely.
“For the last time,” she scolded a persistent dwarf as I arrived, “not until they get here!”
As the dwarf sulked away, I whispered the news to Broda before Venna could catch up to us.
“Say nothing,” I admonished as Venna scrambled through the crowd to reach us.
“Tell me!” Venna pleaded as she finally arrived.
“Whose idea was it to make that banner?” I asked her pointedly.
“I just remembered something,” Broda excused herself in a hurry.
Venna seemed to find something very interesting on the ground, and it held her focus as Broda made her exit.
“Mine,” she finally muttered at the dirt.
“I didn’t do it just to bother you,” she tried to defend herself. “I thought it would be a good way to welcome our new citizens.”
“Not just to bother me,” I pointed out her own words.
“Oops,” Venna blushed.
“Bane said that he’ll be here in a few hours,” I relented after a moment. “Now get back to your work.”
She gave me a quick hug before hurrying back to the task I had interrupted, and once Venna went back to her preparations, I tracked down Tási who had gone to look over some of the food that was being prepared.
Our resources were somewhat limited, but, as usual, my people had made the most of what was available. Fresh game was plentiful, and bowls full of the first fruits and vegetables fro
m our crops were scattered on the tables. Fresh bread had also been baked for the occasion, and, as always, there would be plenty of ale to wash everything down. All in all, it was a pretty good feast.
Despite Broda’s vigil over the kegs, Tási had two full mugs of ale in front of her when I finally tracked her down. She immediately waved me over and slid one of them in front of me as I sat down beside her.
“How did you manage to sneak this past Broda?” I asked after I took my first sip.
“I didn’t have to sneak anything,” Tási explained. “She let me have it.”
“I’m surprised,” I replied. “She seemed determined to keep those kegs from being tapped until the caravan arrived.”
“You do remember that you run this whole place?” Tási waved her hands around as she reminded me. “There are a few perks that go along with that position.”
“I thought you were my only perk,” I said as I kissed her gently.
“Different perk,” she blushed in response.
I had a very witty response to that, but I held my tongue when I saw just how flustered she already was. So, instead, I took another sip of ale and we watched as the preparations continued to unfold around us.
Before long, the lookouts reported sighting the caravan coming up the trail. A few last-minute adjustments were quickly made, and an honor guard lined up along the road just beyond the portcullis. Twenty elven archers with the finest bows Nalen could craft alternated with twenty dwarven warriors clad in Dwarven Steel armor. It might have been more impressive, at least from a certain perspective, to have only the dwarves in their fine armor, but that was not the message we were trying to convey. Instead of an image of raw power, the vision we were putting forth was of our unity, and the strength that we’d derived from it.
Eventually, Stel and Khorim led the caravan over the drawbridge and into the canyon beyond. The two were immediately pounced upon by Broda and Venna, who almost tackled the men with their eager greetings. Many of the others who’d accompanied them received similarly warm receptions from those they had left behind, and the reunions continued for some time while the wagons rolled into the canyon.
Second Skin Omnibus Page 120
