Miri made her miss Lio, but distracted her from Fen. They played tug on the stick until the pup declared her teeth hurt. “Can we wrestle? I do not have a litter mate, and everyone else is so big.”

Rosalea tilted her head, “I am still pretty big compared to you,” she said, the puppy only came to just about her knee in height.

“Yes, but you have seen my mother. Pleeeease?”

Mere grumbled, “Miri, humans are fragile. You will have to be gentle with your teeth if you wrestle. You will feel bad if you hurt Rosalea, won’t you?”

Miri’s ears folded back. “Yes. How careful do I need to be?”

Rosalea was not sure how to answer that, so it was a relief when Mere spoke again. “Come here, Rosalea, stand and put your arms out,” said the old wolf. Rosalea moved forward and did as asked. The wolf tilted her head, and vines seemed to appear form nowhere, weaving themselves under and over each other to make a thick, double layered mesh. These were wrapped around Rosalea’s forearms. “Miri, you can put your teeth on these, but do not grab onto Rosalea anywhere else.”

“I am sure we will be fine,” Rosalea said reassuringly to the puppy who now had big eyes. One was blue and the other brown, like her mother. Nekana did not mention a mate, and there has not been any mention of a father from Miri so far. I wonder what may have happened?

Miri began to wag her tail. “I will be careful!” she promised.

“Water first, especially Rosalea.” The old wolf stared at Rosalea until she moved over to the stone bowl and had a drink. Miri pressed herself in beneath her, drinking where the water pooled at the base of the stone, though it clearly also drained slowly from somewhere beneath the pool, perhaps feeding the tree a consistent supply of water.

I wish that I still had access to my magic and then I would be able to tell. As Rosalea froze up a little, her thoughts heading toward the ever-present pain from losing Fen, when Miri grabbed her by the wrist, on the impromptu vine-armor.

“Come on! You had a drink! Let’s play!”

So, Rosalea and Miri worked on rough housing. Rosalea found herself grabbing and holding the little pup while she practiced wriggling free, and time passed quickly while she played. The distraction and energy of the little one kept her in “now” and not in dread for the future or in pain over the past.

Miri eventually wore herself out, but she did not let Rosalea escape. She pulled Rosalea along by a fray in the vines back to Rosalea’s “bed” and got her to sit there with her back to a broad root of the tree. Then, she flopped over in Rosalea’s lap as if she had always done it, and Rosalea absently rubbed over the exposed fluffy belly. The puppy’s coat was softer than Fen’s coat, the guard hairs were shorter, and less bristly.

Miri fell asleep, and Rosalea found herself drifting off, also worn out by the puppy, and grateful for her. I thought Uryans went mad when they lost half their soul. I just feel despair. She drifted into disjointed dreams about the Uryan camps. There was Taigan, someone she had not thought about in years, trying to teach her how to ride Annie, and someone arguing whether to paint a wolf on a tent…

She awoke to Nakai speaking with Mere, when they saw her stir, they grew silent. “I have brought back something to eat, I was thinking you should take some portions for yourself. We were discussing where to place a fire pit for you, so that you can cook for yourself.” He gestured with his wing to a doe, one that was perfectly normal looking, that he had caught and brought back. Rosalea had not been paying close attention to the animals in the forest when she was looking for Fen, but this told her there must be a mix of normal ones and mystics.

“It sounds like from the conversation, I have come just in time,” Bazil said in bright tones, setting down a bundle of wood near the stone circle outside the most used den area for Rosalea - it was all trimmed to be of a small size, but in a way that looked more natural and less like a human had done it. Rosalea saw that the shadows that seemed to be on him clung to the wood as he left it.

“Where is Raisa?” Nekai asked.

“Off sulking, I think. Mother was called to speak with the Moryshin, so I doubt Raisa will be back today at all.”

Rosalea felt a pang about the look-alike wolf that was difficult to control. She rubbed Miri a little, trying to gently wake the puppy.

“I am pleased to see Miri has been keeping you busy,” Bazil said as he came to Rosalea and nudged Miri awake, “Hey, runt, get up.”

Miri grunted and nestled closer to Rosalea, not at all inclined to get up already. Bazil had no mercy and gripped her back leg delicately and drug her out of Rosalea’s lap. She awoke with a squeak and a flail, biting at Bazil near his face, but not connecting, and then flopping over with a disgruntled noise. “Serves you right for not getting up when asked,” he chided her. She huffed.

Rosalea got up and stretched; her legs were definitely numb from having a puppy lay on them for so long, especially one as big as Miri. “I appreciate all of you getting me food and supplies, but I do not have anything to start a fire with,” she said.

“I can help with that,” Nakai said. “Please come carve away what you would most like from the food, and then I will help you with your fire.”

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

It was not quite routine, and all these giant wolves hovering around her, treating her a lot like she was a pup alongside Miri, but it felt close. The rest of the evening was quiet, with Rosalea following routines, and feeling tired, but not lonely.

Nekana returned, greeted by all her little ones except Raisa and the Amalia that Rosalea had not met yet, with Miri the very most excited that her mother had returned. After things settled, “Rosalea, come here.”

Rosalea walked to her, Nekana peered into her face and eyes until Rosalea looked away. “I have to confess, I was a little worried when I first brought you back that you would suffer from Uryan separation, but you have not gone mad, I see.”

Rosalea bowed her head, “I still feel empty.”

Nekana made a musing noise and then nudged Rosalea along to the sunning area, though the sun was setting now. She laid down and patted the ground a little with her paw, inviting Rosalea to sit. Rosalea slowly sat upon the still warm dark stones. “I feel a kinship with you,” she said, meeting Rosalea’s eyes and then turning to look out at the sunset. There were clouds and so there were plenty of colors within the setting rays. “My mate died shortly after my little Miri was born.”

Miri, upon hearing her name, got up and came over to her mother, climbing up onto her shoulders and sprawling there. Mere got up, her joints popping loudly, and she wandered away. Rosalea swallowed, “I am sorry to hear that.”

Nekana said nothing, “I also lost a child once. I tell you these things not to gain your pity, but to help you understand we both must overcome loss and keep moving forward.”

Rosalea was silent for a moment, struggling to find a way to express the obvious to the wolf. “I… am out here because I wanted to find a way to fulfill a prophecy from the Gods. But, I was told someone who was Uryan would be needed to fulfill it. Uryans define themselves by liana, and with mine lost…”

“How did you lose her?”

Rosalea felt tears coming instantly. “We were hunting, and we ran across men from the town…”

Nekana breathed out slowly. “I see. I cannot necessarily disagree that Uryans are made different from Ieshans largely because of their familiars. However, your magic must have been greater than your liana’s. Were you able to use it before your bond.”

Rosalea’s tears slowed as she became distracted by this, but she frowned, “Why would it matter if I had more magic than…” But Rosalea could not bring herself to say Fen’s name aloud. She felt more choked up.

Nekana leaned forward, touching Rosalea’s face with her big nose, as if she would help her with her tears. “Shall I teach you about bonds? Are you a learner that will find comfort in a distraction like that?”

Rosalea swallowed and nodded. “Miri has been really nice and keeping me busy.”

Nekana made a pleased noise, and Miri folded her ears back and wagged her tail happily for the praise.

“A liana is a mystic selected by the Gods to guide a human companion, called Uryan, this I think you know.” Rosalea nodded. “That liana gets the voice of the Gods and a great purpose, but they give their magic and their voice to their human. It is my understanding that the bonds are very fulfilling, though obviously, I have never been a liana. It is the strongest bond that there is, between a mystic and her familiar.”

Rosalea could not help but smile to hear the mystic designate the human as the familiar in the relationship. She nodded, inviting Nekana to speak more.

“The Gods have given us wisdom and ability to commune with them on rare occasions. However, our wisdom has always had a price. Those of us who do not become liana for a bond with the Moryshin, uh, think of him as the very heart of the forest community. He keeps us wise and connected to our magic. So, we form bonds with each other, bonds with our community, and bonds with our king.”

“But they are not like liana bonds?”

“A magical connection, and each of us give a share of magic to the Moryshin every day. I would feel it if I lost him; I would feel it if I lost any more of my family members. An empty space where a spiritual connection once had been. It is more than just love; it is a oneness.”

Rosalea nodded; she thought it made some sense.

“The Moryshin is the strongest among us all. If we lose him, we will all lose ourselves. His access to magic is so immense, it changes the very world. However, if he loses me, he will only feel the intense loss. It is the same among the mystics that end up with human familiars. Most mystics are stronger than their familiar. Their magic changes them, becomes them, and they cannot lose their identity so easily and survive.”

Rosalea breathed out. “So, because I once had all the magics, and could use them without her, I was stronger?”

“It seems so. You are pained, but you can live. Others would kill themselves. You would have already tried if you were going to be driven to it.” She gestured to the drop off of the cliff as if she expected Rosalea would have simply flung herself off of it.”

Rosalea sighed. “I… am lost. I do not understand why the Gods drove me from my home if they were just going to take my liana. What good am I without my magic?”

Nekana nosed her face and gave her soft licks this time. “I do not know, little one. Sometimes their plans are hard to decipher. You are here with us, and we will take care of you until the pain subsides enough for you to manage it.”

Rosalea felt more tears coming though at the idea that she would ever feel less pain from losing Fen. She could not imagine any kind of moving on without her liana.

Miri whined and clambered down off of Nekana and crawled into Rosalea’s lap, kissing under her chin until Rosalea gave up, sniffled, and wrapped her arms tightly around the little puppy to restrain her from any more enthusiastic and messy kisses. In the winter air, all the wet was chilly on her skin.

Miri settled down, and so did Rosalea after a little while. “Did a God send you?”

But Nekana only smiled at her and did not answer the question. Rosalea huffed. I do not care what their plan or purpose is. There was no reason to take Fen. And if I have failed, there was no reason to hurt everyone and make me abandon Lio.

There was no answer, just a cold wind picking up as more clouds gathered overhead.

“It will snow soon,” Nekana observed. “When Mere returns, we will make sure your bed is more sheltered so you do not freeze.” She nuzzled both Rosalea and Miri together, “Settle in and wait. You and I can push on together, for everyone that needs us to do so.”

Miri huffed.

You are probably more like Lio than I realized. She had been sometimes depressed, overwhelmed, and detached once she had gotten her baby back to Kaylar. Lio often clung to her and reacted quickly whenever she cried. And before that, I was probably barely there because of all the emotional modifications they were enforcing on me. She squeezed Miri, who had spent her first few weeks of life in the wake of despair of something as horrible as losing her father.

Miri grunted and settled closer to her. Rosalea’s eyes tingled with more threatening tears, and so she closed her eyes until the feeling faded. I do not know what to do except wait, she thought. But… that will not get these mystics hurt, will it?

She decided she would need to tell them soon what had happened to Rhainnon.