Chapter 4

Harlow looked up at Lennard with large, dewy eyes. Lennard sighed. "Damn it," he thought to himself. "It's not optimal, but I can't just send this kid off to die. He's got such potential, I can't just let him and his talents go to waste."

He made some mental calculations. "I'm fifty-one," he thought. "I might have another twenty, maybe thirty years in me. Harlow is seventeen, eighteen maybe? So he'll be almost fifty when I pass. That's a decent life. He'll be able to live and thrive until then. He'd also be around to care for me in my later years. That's a solution to something I've worried about. Unfortunately, he'll go down the same road as his father when I pass most likely."

There were also the moral issues they'd have to contend with. If people found out Lennard had performed The Bonding on Harlow, and then they became partners, assumptions would be made. Maybe they'd even be true. Did Lennard do this out of selfishness? Was he secretly hoping something like this would happen? He had to look deep inside himself to find the answers to those questions.

"No," he thought. "I'm lonely, yes, and I am man enough to admit that. But I'm not desperate. I knew it was a very slight possibility, but I genuinely wanted nothing for myself. This was for him. My only thought was to be able to provide him with the ability to survive and thrive." The affirmation helped him feel positive that his decision was made without ulterior motives.

Lennard had never looked at his young apprentice in any way other than as an employee. He held the boy in high esteem. He was a talented youth, but he hadn’t desired after him. He wasn’t particularly attracted to younger people. He had always tended to be attracted to people around the age he was now, even when he had been Harlow's age.

As he looked at Harlow now, his mind still pondering the ramifications of what had just occurred, he noticed his eyes examining the young man’s body closer than usual. He felt the beginnings of a tingle in between his legs.

He knew he had already made his decision, but he needed the confirmation before actually admitting it to Harlow and himself. With movement occurring below his belt line, he found the acknowledgement he needed. "What have I gotten myself into?" Lennard wondered.

Lennard looked at the boy, Harlow, with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "I guess our relationship is going to change now?" he said.

Harlow's face flushed. "W-What do you mean?" he stammered.

"Well, it's obvious that The Bonding has left you with some...adult desires, shall we say, directed towards me," Lennard said. He spoke with one side of his face upturned in a smirk, but his eyes were serious. "I'm not sure how I feel about that, to be honest."

Harlow followed Lennard's glance down and realized what he was pointing out. His face, normally a soft tan, turned pink. He felt as though his cheeks had been scalded. He slid his hands down between his legs, covering the offending body part.

Lennard chuckled a little and pulled the young man in for a hug. "This is one of those one-in-a-million occurrences that I mentioned could happen," he said. "It's not ideal. If your father had had the facilities to perform the Bonding, we wouldn't be facing these consequences." Lennard sighed. "But that's how life goes."

Harlow thought about his father for a moment. He thought about how he had felt before The Bonding. Would he have preferred his father to be here? To have his relationship with Lennard stay as it was? Most people here married and had kids. That was the relationship of everyone he knew. Would he do that now? Could he? Thoughts and desires he'd held only hours ago quickly slipped away. The mere thought of him being attracted to Mika seemed alien and uncomfortable to him now.

He wondered how the townspeople would react to him being with someone so much older than himself. His anxiety grew. His logical mind began considering different scenarios of what his future could have been compared to what his life looked like it was going to be now.

Harlow didn't know anything about The Bonding before today. It wasn't mentioned in the medical books he had read. He didn't know what all it entailed, but he felt in some way he had been taken advantage of.

Harlow's head swam with new emotions. He contemplated the situation. He had been positive that he would rather have Lennard perform the ritual instead of his father. He still doubted that Brodil would be able to do it. But was that the wrong decision?

He loved his father to an extent, but he didn't trust him. Alcohol was the only thing Brodil loved anymore. He frequently stole from Harlow, and had no respect for his privacy. He drank himself to the point of passing out. His hangovers lasted days sometimes. He would wake up just long enough to do a minimal amount of work around his farm, while drinking, then pass out again.

Harlow definitely preferred to be around Lennard. The more he thought about who he would rather perform The Bonding, the more he felt he had made the right choice. Lennard had warned him that there might be consequences. Looking up at his mentor now, he could see the confusion and anxiety on his face. Harlow knew that this was not at all what the old man had anticipated either.

There was still a nagging feeling that he had somehow made an error in judgment, or perhaps a mistake, when allowing Lennard to perform The Bonding on him. Harlow was not a deceptive person, but he knew that many in this world could be. He had fallen victim to people who had misguided him or deceived him several times in his short life already.

He quickly thought back through the last couple of years of his life, the time he had worked as Mr. Harlow's apprentice. He had seen him deal with many situations, and he was often the target of people's ire. But in all his dealings, he had been fair. He had even kept Harlow out of angry people's sights before, protecting him.

Harlow just couldn't truly believe that his mentor, would do something so devious. It was because of his strength and fairness that Harlow looked up to him so much.

A new realization occurred to Harlow then, and a new sense of understanding washed over him. He knew he had lost something. He had lost the life he had expected. But in return, he had gained something extraordinary. He’d gained a mate. A partner whom he trusted and had looked up to for years.

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He had become more than an apprentice, more than a son even. The mentor whom he admired and had frequently wished were his father had just taken on an even more vital role in his life. He would now be even closer to him.

The epiphany brought with it a new found appreciation. Gone were the thoughts of him being taken advantage of. He had no more fears that Lennard had planned this. He didn't have to question whether his father should have performed the ritual.

He was glad it was Lennard. It may not have been the outcome either had expected, but it would forever change both of their lives. And he didn't care. He would face whatever came his way with his new partner.

A few moments passed in silence as both men contemplated their new situation. They sat side by side in the slowly cooling water. Lennard's large arm lay draped over Harlow's small shoulders. The silence was peaceful but awkward at the same time. The feel of their sides touching each other was both pleasant and unusually awkward.

Harlow wasn't sure if he truly wanted an answer, but hesitantly spoke. "Lennard, first of all, thank you. I'm glad it was you instead of my father who did the ritual. I doubt very much if he could have done this properly, and who knows how things would have ended up."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "I know this can't have been what you wanted, and I'm sorry for that."

Lennard patted his arm and began to speak, but Harlow cut him off.

"Please, let me finish." Harlow looked up, and Lennard acknowledged him. "You knew this was a possibility. You had to have ideas as to what to do with me if this happened. What were the other possibilities?" Harlow stuttered a little, fearing the answer. "Would you have..."

Lennard sighed and pulled his arm away from Harlow's shoulders. "Don't worry about those things," he said. "I wouldn't, no, couldn't hurt you. You know me, that's not in my nature." Lennard realized he was speaking from his heart with total honesty.

Within the span of a few moments, his thoughts had gone from the possibility of abandoning Harlow to loving him. Could simply making the decision to be with him have changed his mind around so quickly? It seemed too much of a coincidence, but the thought slid from Lennard's mind as he cupped Harlow's chin and looked into his eyes.

Their eyes met, and they peered into each other's souls. Harlow saw nothing but truth within his mentor's eyes, and he relaxed. He felt the tears, which had been held back by fear, running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was just scared."

Lennard saw his own future held within Harlow's deep brown eyes. It was a frightening prospect, but exciting and enjoyable as well. Tears pooled at the corner of those eyes and began to gently roll down his cheeks. Lennard lowered his face and pressed his muzzle onto Harlow's. It was their first kiss, and Lennard thought to himself as they pressed close to one another, “I definitely made the right choice.” he told himself.

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Their first kiss was unfortunately brief, not because either one of them wanted to stop, but because a voice entered through the front window accompanied by a knock at the door.

"Of all the times to be interrupted," Lennard grumbled as he relaxed his arms from around Harlow and pecked his lips once more lightly. "You stay here, I know how drained you must be after The Bonding. I'll go see who's here."

Lennard wasn't wrong. The entire ritual had been an exhausting process. Harlow's nerves still tingled from the overstimulation. There was also the mental exhaustion from coming to terms with what had happened.

Harlow was in no shape to dispute his mentor, so he watched him as he leveraged his large body out of the water and over the side of the tub. Earlier, when Lennard had entered the tub, Harlow had felt embarrassed and awkward. But now, as he was privy to the same sight in reverse, it wasn't a sense of uncertainty that filled him. Instead, it was anticipation.

He watched as Lennard grabbed a robe hanging near the bathroom door. He yelled to the visitor, "Hold on, I'm coming." The robe went over his wet fur, and he clomped towards the door, still dripping.

Harlow really didn't have the stamina to do much at the moment, but he realized that there was a direct line of sight from the front door to the tub. His brain was moving slowly, but he understood the need for discretion and lowered himself into the water as far as possible, with the tip of his muzzle the only part of him left unsubmerged.

Harlow listened as the man at the door and Lennard talked to each other. Through the water, the voices sounded muffled. He obviously couldn't tell what was said, but the general feeling of the conversation seemed solemn.

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Before Lennard opened the door, he took one last look backward into the bathroom in a panic. He just realized that whoever was at the door would be able to see Harlow still in the tub. To his surprise, the tub looked vacant. He wasn't totally sure where Harlow had moved to, but he was glad for the kid's quick thinking.

With his mind at ease, he settled his nerves and opened the door. The Mayor, Kyaro Ansong, stood waiting for him under the awning. He quickly glanced at Lennard, his eyes taking in the bathrobe and wet fur. An inquisitive eyebrow raised, but he moved on without questioning the reason for Lennard's midday bath.

"Mr. Haramin, do you have any further need for the late Mrs. Ellenesta's body? Are there any experiments or tests you need to run?" he asked, making a spinning motion with his hand.

The question took Lennard by surprise, but he quickly recovered. "Uh, no. Her death was due to old age, not from a sickness of the body. Nothing contagious to worry about, Mr. Ansong," Lennard replied. "May I ask why the interest in such things?"

"Of course, Lennard," the mayor responded. "I am arranging the pyre celebration for this evening, and thought it would be prudent to ask if you needed anything more before starting the preparations."

"I see," Lennard said, placing his hand on his chin. "I suppose since there are no family members left, there is no need for a mourning period. Still, it's awfully quick to hold a pyre on the same day as the person's death. Is there any particular reason for the hastiness?"

"Well, it's not a great excuse, but the harvest festival is next week, and I would prefer to keep the two events as separate as possible," Mr. Ansong explained. He set his hand on Lennard's shoulder. "No one wants to go from a pyre to a party."

"Unless there is a medical need, I would greatly appreciate your approval, and maybe a little help if you wouldn't mind?" The mayor moved his hands up in front of his chest, palms touching. "I'd really like this to happen tonight if at all possible."

Mr. Ansong made a valid point. The pyre was technically a celebration of a person's life, but no one would feel much like partying the night after a somber event like a pyre. With a sigh, Lennard spoke.

"Of course, Kyaro. You know I'm here to help the people of Greenby. Let me go get dressed and fetch Harlow. I can send him off to his house. He can announce the occasion to the farmers on the way to his house."

"Splendid idea, Lennard. I'll begin making the announcement around town myself. I can send my son Maka South to alert the residents there." Mr. Ansong's smile widened a bit too much to be announcing a funeral pyre, but Lennard understood his excitement.

"Would you mind talking to the Poldare boys about arranging the wood and telling their little sister to cover the East? She's a good girl, around Harlow's age actually. Maybe..." The Mayor trailed off as he turned and walked away without receiving an answer.

Lennard had been a fresh new physician, just moved to Greenby, when he delivered Kyaro. He had literally known the man his entire life. Kyaro had a charm which he knew how to use when talking to people, and he knew how to speak Royal-ese when necessary, so he made an excellent mayor.

But sometimes his mind wandered a little too far and fast. Occurrences of him walking off like this were frequent, which drove Lennard crazy. But he accepted Kyaro for who he was and shook his head while closing the door.

He pushed the door and it closed with a click then Lennard walked back towards the tub, considering his options. He noticed a small pair of nostrils poking up from the water, and chuckled to himself. Smart move. He seriously considered jumping back in the tub and joining his new... what? Lover? Boy toy? Partner? Boyfriend? Husband? Lennard wondered.

His mind spun for a moment before deciding that labels didn't need to be something he figured out right now. Apparently, he had just gained a lifetime of being with his apprentice.

There were things to take care of now. He wasn't thrilled with the mayor's plan, but he did agree to it. Sending Harlow to run to his house and tell people along the way had been a spur-of-the-moment suggestion.

Lennard remembered now that the boy would be exhausted and in no shape to go running across the countryside. He would have to make something to put some pep back in his step.

"Ugh... It's one thing after another today," Lennard said aloud, massaging the spot right in front of his ears. "I'll have to make up an elixir of vitality before sending him." He thought through the steps he would need to follow to get through the day.

Lennard sighed as he realized that the intimate time he had looked forward to was no longer possible. He was disappointed, but he knew that Harlow would be even more devastated.

"Well, at least he got off earlier," Lennard thought to himself sardonically. "More than I'm gonna get for a while."

He knew the flood of hormones and emotions released during The Bonding would leave Harlow exhausted, but he had also felt the heat coming from him. He could only imagine how intense the boy's desires must be right now. He felt sorry for having to deny him.