“You mean…a Tame Bond?” I check with her. She lifts her chin slightly in answer. “Alright, then,” I say, triggering Tame.
I should feel surprised when I feel River pour in all that she is onto her side of the Bond and then accept it, but I don’t. Or not entirely. Instead, I’m filled with a deep gratitude – that despite everything, she has made this choice.
In return, I pour in my promise of protection, of respect, and of dedication to her to match the devotion she shows me.
The moment I accept, I feel the Bond return, brighter and stronger than ever. Now no longer a forced Dominate Bond, instead we now share a consensual Companion Bond. The loss and grief that have been lingering ever since the initial Bond was severed vanish, replaced by the steady thrum of her emotions; of her soul.
I find that I’m grinning, and am sure that my pleasure is as obvious across the Bond as River’s is to me.
I wanted our Bond again the moment the last was severed, River confesses to me privately. But I knew that I needed to take some time to think, to reassure both of us that any new Bond was my true desire. And then I Evolved and I wanted to Bond again, but thought that it would be better if I were not to be one of your Bound when we had the discussion. And then I saw you fight the Warriors and I wanted…I wanted for you to defeat me again. To prove yourself the stronger once more.
She looks away and hints of guilt drift across the Bond from her side.
I know that you do not like the principle of ‘the strongest rule’, but I just wanted you to be the strongest of us two.
It’s OK, I reassure her. I get it. And there’s nothing wrong with your desires. I just don’t agree with making a culture based on it. Anyway, I’m glad you’re back. I smile at her again and her spikes flash a deep blue in response.
If you two are done making up, can I get up? Catch’s voice breaks into both of our minds. I look down to see that, indeed, we’re rather blocking him from moving.
“Hah, sorry Catch,” I say, though there’s little apology in the grin I send him. He huffs, but I sense that he’s not actually annoyed.
Welcome back, I hear him saying to River.
It’s good to be back, she answers sincerely, and I can’t help but feel she’s revelling in the feeling of the Bond network again. Bastet is the next to express her pleasure that River has returned to the fold, and then Joy, though the latter’s is more cautious than the previous two’s greetings had been. Seeming unsure, the other samurans I’ve so newly Bonded also send their greetings, apparently following in the lead of my previous Bound.
I push myself to my feet, then stick a hand out to pull River to hers. I’m expecting her to turn away, perhaps to go and speak to the other Pathwalkers, but instead she lingers almost shyly.
I know that I could be considered ungrateful, she ventures, unable to hold my gaze as she looks at her claws. Especially with how long I left it between you releasing me from the Bond and requesting this new one, but…if you have not yet chosen another assistant, I would be honoured to call you ‘master’ once more.
Ah. This.
You remember that ‘master’ doesn’t mean the same thing to me as it does to you, I remind her, speaking as privately as she had started. And that I don’t need an ‘assistant’ as such, not as the Pathwalkers of the village do, that is. What I need – and want – is what you were before. My friend, one of my most trusted team-leaders, you and Bastet are my right and left hands. If you wish to call me ‘master’ but still do all of that…well, I’ve got used to it. But I prefer ‘Markus’.
She looks thoughtful and doesn’t answer immediately.
Think about it and let me know, I say, patting her shoulder and then moving off to meet Tarra to have my final sigil painted on my back. With the marks of thirteen Warriors and six Pathwalkers there, it must be getting pretty crowded.
Even if I’m done, there’s still one more fight to go: River against Joy. I sit down and watch it, but find my mind wandering as my tiredness makes it hard to concentrate.
Someone comes to sit down next to me, and then someone else. And then more. Within a moment I find that I’m surrounded by samurans, all of whom are my Bound. Bastet sits to my right, half-flopping over my leg as I stroke her idly. Tarra is to my left. Catch sits in front of me, though he’s careful not to block my vision. Shrieks sits behind me, his hulking form definitely too big to be anywhere else.
Wood-shaper – who I decide to call Sticks since apparently ‘Plays-with-sticks’ is her name – is a bit more cautious and sits a few paces to the side of Tarra the herbalist, previously known as Grubs. Next to her sits Wind-whisperer – who I’m very tempted to call something rude and related to dogs, but instead decide to go with ‘Windy’. Technically, her name is ‘Runs-over-a-branch’, but considering she’s been full of hot air lately, I think ‘windy’ is appropriate. Flower, aka Grower, makes the bridge between that little group and ours, which is appropriate considering what she’s been doing all day.
I find myself closing my eyes and replaying the events of the day in my mind, trying to work out where I could have fought better, what I could have done to avoid the various injuries which have happened, how I could have directed different Bound, or more Bound. It’s idle speculation but might help me react better in future fights.
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I’m pulled out of my thoughts by a question from Tarra.
I know that we discussed your lack of desire to conquer other villages, but could you expand on what you mean to do exactly when you come into contact with them? she asks. I sense the attention of all the Evolved around us focussing on the question. Apparently it’s an important one which makes me discard the glib response I was about to say.
“If the other villages leave me alone, then I will be perfectly happy to do the same,” I tell them bluntly. “I don’t see why I would need to come into contact with them at all.” There’s a pregnant silence. I open my eyes to see the samuran around me exchanging glances. “What?”
Then you do not intend to lead the delegation to the festival?
“The what now?” I ask in confusion. Shrieks takes over the explanation.
The festival is a yearly event held on the shortest day. All Pathwalkers and most Warriors join together to feast, share news, trade goods and, most importantly, mate. Only a few Warriors are left in each village to protect it; the rest of us travel deeper into the valley to meet up with others of our kind.
The leaders of each village also meet together to discuss any grievances between villages, or any cooperation needed to deal with threats, he continues. If you had not already dealt with the Forest of Death, we would have had to seek our kin’s aid at the festival – if we were still alive. You would be rather…conspicuous in your absence, and indeed, to not have our leader present could cause our kin to see our village as weak – and vulnerable.
I groan out loud.
“And the fact that your leader isn’t even the same species as you wouldn’t cause just as much scandal?” I look rather pointedly at Windy. “Some of you refused to accept me until it was a choice between that and death.” Windy looks away from the glances sent her way, her spikes pinking a little.
It’s a good point, Tarra agrees thoughtfully, but although you might come in for a few challenges, I agree with Shrieks-loudly that it would be worse if you're not there to face them.
Rubbing my forehead, I sigh. No one ever warned me that becoming the leader of the village would be this much trouble, I gripe to myself. Then to everyone else:
“Fine. I’ll go. When do we have to leave?” Everyone looks at Tarra.
In about three moons to allow enough time for attacks on our journey down, she says decisively. Ninety days, if the moon cycle here is like on Earth. From what I’ve seen, it’s not all that dissimilar – there have been a couple of moon cycles since I’ve been here which works out in terms of number of days. Three moon cycles is quite a while in the future, but given how quickly the last two months have gone, I mustn’t let that time get away with me. There is lots to accomplish, both for me and for the village.
High on that list is the quest – frankly, the earlier I can get that over and done with, the better. I don’t even know what I’m going to be walking into there, though the state of the tunnel at the centre of the vine-stranglers indicates that something has changed since we went through. Maybe I should take an expedition tomorrow? See what we can find.
The samurans around me are pushing themselves to their feet and I notice that the fight is over. It looks like it’s been a tough one – both of my Bound look exhausted. Still, from Joy’s pleasure and River’s discontent – not to mention how she’s trussed up tightly – I can tell who’s the winner even before the Warrior announces it.
I hurry over to deal with the poison running through Joy’s system even as she releases River from her bonds. After healing Joy, I check River over and heal the small cuts and scrapes on her body. Gratitude flicks over the Bonds from each of them. I healed Tarra earlier too so by this point we should all be tired but in decent health.
The ranking fights finally over, Tarra draws our attention with a sharp click of her teeth.
“Another ranking challenge is complete,” she announces, pleased grunts ringing out among the tired Warriors and Pathwalkers. “The Pathwalkers have a new leader.” She beckons to me and I walk forward to stand by her side. “And an additional new sister.” This time she beckons to River who also walks forward to stand on her other side. “Sisters, do we have names for our new members?” she asks. The other Pathwalkers all flick their tails in assent. “Then for Runs-with-the-river, sister of our village? What are your suggestions?”
“Poison-claw,” suggests Sticks. She gets several scornful looks for that.
“Poisonous Devourer,” says Flower.
“Devours-to-ash,” proposes Joy
“Spear,” offers Windy, which makes River scowl at her – if Joy’s reasoning for not wanting to use a mundane weapon is anything to go by, I understand why.
“Reducer,” suggests Tarra.
They all then look to River – evidently the final choice is up to her.
“Reducer,” she decides in the end.
“Then sisters, brothers, please welcome our new sister: Reducer.”
Warm grunts of welcome ring out. Next, it’s my turn. This time, Tarra just looks up at me.
This is a bit of an unusual situation, she admits to me. Not only are you not really part of our village, but you’re not female, and you’ve defeated all the Warriors and Pathwalkers, making you eligible to be either. You therefore have the choice: to be offered a new name, and be considered a Pathwalker, or to retain your current one and be considered a Warrior.
I think about it carefully for a few moments. From what I understand of the roles, the Pathwalkers are the ideological leaders; the Warriors are the protectors. Although I suppose I’ll be fulfilling both, my aims of changing the way the village goes about things fits more with the Pathwalkers.
“I’ll take a new name,” I tell Tarra quietly. She twitches her tail in assent and once more asks for new names. This time they’re quite varied. ‘Archer’ makes an appearance instead of ‘Spear’. Binder, Life-devourer-shaper, Healer, and Poison-point are others. However, it’s the last one which I like most, the one which describes so much at the same time as fitting my Class perfectly. Of course, it comes from River – the one who knows me so well.
“Tamer,” I settle on, smiling at my Companion.
“Then sisters, brothers, please welcome our new Pathwalker and leader: Tamer.”