Chapter 9

A light knock at the door woke Lennard from his dozing. Harlow had been still for quite a while, which allowed Lennard to take a short nap. From the light spilling in the window, he guessed it was almost evening.

He quickly extricated himself from the bed and grabbed his robe. He padded silently to the door and opened it slowly to see who was there. Neko stood in the shade of the awning, a concerned look on his face.

Lennard opened the door and stepped outside to greet the brother. "Hello, Neko."

The brother smiled and took Lennard by the shoulder. "How is Harlow doing? How are you doing?" he asked.

Lennard smiled meekly and motioned him towards the clinic. "He's still asleep. I would imagine he'll be for the next couple of days." He walked forward and opened the door for Neko. "I, unfortunately, have a difficult time sleeping while looking over a patient."

"That's understandable, especially one who you know so well," Neko responded and entered the clinic at Lennard's behest.

"I placed him in my bed since I knew I wouldn't be using it, but my floor is much harder than I remember," Lennard said, obfuscating the actual sleeping situation. He led his visitor to the lab where he lit a burner and filled a kettle with water. "Were you and your brother able to get some rest? Thank you again, by the way."

"We were glad to help. No thanks necessary," Neko responded. "I'm actually here for a couple of reasons, though. I couldn't help noticing that your front door is no longer attached." He said with a quirky smile.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I used a little too much muscle when I opened it last night," Lennard said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Can I get you some kokona or tea?"

"Tea for me, Len, that sounds great. I also wanted to take a look at your house and get an idea of where the extra room would go." Neko continued.

Lennard had all but forgotten the conversation they had yesterday afternoon. The entire day had all but fled his mind with all the stress last night had held. "Oh yeah. I had totally forgotten about that. You did say you would come over when you had time."

The two talked for a few minutes while the water came to a boil and the tea steeped. Lennard then led Neko inside the house. "I'm warning you, the aroma in there is still quite strong."

"Yeah, I can tell, it's like you bathed in it," Neko said with a smile and covered his nose.

Lennard flushed with embarrassment, not thinking of how he must reek of the ointment from laying with Harlow all night. "Oh, uh, sorry about that. I haven't taken the time to bathe yet," he said, holding up his blood-stained robe. "As you can obviously see."

Neko, unperturbed, followed Lennard into his house. There was an obvious look of queasiness as he entered the house, the odor was overwhelming, but he pushed through and followed Lennard, who showed him where he thought the room should go.

"If you could add a second story, I think that would be the most effective. Expanding in any other direction would begin encroaching on the neighboring lots," Lennard explained.

Neko nodded and kept his talking to a minimum, frequently glancing back to the bedroom where Harlow lay sleeping deeply.

"Okay, Len, I'll work up some ideas to show you and bring them by in a few days, once this place has aired out some," Neko said with a small wink.

The two stepped back outside and Neko turned to stare Lennard in the eyes. He looked deep into them. He closed the distance and grabbed Lennard's shoulders and stared at him uncomfortably.

“Uh, Neko?” Lennard stammered.

The uncomfortable staring continued for several more seconds before Neko finally spoke. “Lennard, I’m gonna be honest with you,” the young man began. “You have always been open and honest with us, until yesterday. I can’t tell what you’re trying to hide, but I know it concerns Harlow.”

It felt as if the blood drained from him as he heard Neko all but accuse him of something underhanded. He could practically feel the wetness forming below his paws. “I, I don’t.”

“Stop Lennard. Don’t compound the lie. You know me and Niko don’t judge. Don’t sully your reputation with us by lying now,” Neko interrupted. “You are the person who pulled us from our mother’s womb. You have healed our wounds both physically and mentally. Neither of us would have survived the loss of our parents without you. You have been like a second father to us ever since.”

Lennard could feel the intensity and the truth behind Neko’s words. He knew their lives had been difficult, he had done all he could do to help them, but it never felt like he had done enough. For Neko to express to him the way they felt, meant the world to Lennard. Tears streamed down his face with the emotions of the last few days.

“We have told you of our secrets, Lennard, now unburden yourself,” Neko whispered.

Lennard looked deep into Neko’s eyes, whose gaze was returned with nothing but caring and support. He knew the twins had a bond, unlike normal people. They shared not only a connection while touching tails, but a psychic link that allowed them to communicate with each other at all times. It was how they could work and learn in ways no one else could.

Neko smiled lightly and brushed away the tears from Lennard’s face. Lennard finally caved in. He lightly pushed the tall muscular man towards the clinic. “Not out here.” he said quietly.

They moved back to the laboratory and sipped their tea. In a hushed voice so as not to be overheard, Lennard confessed. “I don’t have a son, and Harlow. His dad would never be able to, to do The Bonding, so I…”

“Go on, spill it, big guy,” Neko said, trying to alleviate the tension with a bit of humor.

“I performed The Bonding on Harlow yesterday,” Lennard said.

“And?” Neko prompted.

“Well, it, it didn’t go as planned. The bond somehow turned physical, but then there was also a spiritual element. I promise, I had no desires for him, no thoughts of him other than an apprentice,” Lennard continued. “I am not sure how, but the bond went both ways. We even shared a life vision.”

It took Neko a few moments to unpack all that Lennard had told him. He looked at the old man in astonishment. “A life vision?” he asked.

Lennard nodded, his eyes still staring at the table, tears dropping down into his tea.

“That’s… very unusual. You know that’s only supposed to happen between people destined for something important, don’t you?” Neko asked.

More nodding and a small, “Mmhmm,” came from the physician’s throat.

Neko, feeling the man had gone through enough in the last two days to last anyone a lifetime, pulled the big man in and hugged him.

“I told you, there is no judgment with us. Thank you for telling me, and I’m glad you now have a life mate!” he emphasized the last two words.

Lennard, understanding this man wanted only the best for him and Harlow, lifted his head and embraced him in return. “Thanks, Neko, and Niko. I know you’re relaying everything to him anyway.”

They both chuckled, and Neko confirmed Niko’s acceptance and joy as well. “I guess this means we’ll have to find someone else to hook Mika up with though.” Neko smiled, cuffed Lennard on the arm.

"I wondered if that was the plan you two had come up with. I seriously considered just telling Harlow and letting him go to Mika. Maybe that would have been the better thing to do. I didn't want to lose my apprentice." Lennard said sadly.

"Len, you know that wouldn't have worked out well. If you two had a life vision, then this is the way things were meant to turn out. We'll figure out what to do with Mika. Harlow wasn't our only plan." Niko said, reassuring Lennard.

“Now go get cleaned up. You stink, and probably rubbed off some of that stink on me.” Niko said jokingly.

Lennard looked once more into Niko's eyes. There was no blame there, only a little disappointment. Not for what Lennard had done, but for what it meant to Mika.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me?" Lennard couldn't help but ask one last time.

Niko smiled. "I might be if you keep asking." He said with a mock growl. "We love you, Len, and we love Harlow. We don't always show it, but you two are some of the dearest people to us. We could never be mad at our friends finding happiness."

With the truth now out in the open and the three friends satisfied, Neko and Lennard parted ways. Lennard stepped back inside his house, while Neko walked back to his home where he promptly took a quick evening bath.

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Lennard and Harlow were not interrupted by anyone else for the night, and they enjoyed some well earned and needed rest, considering how close Harlow had come to death the night before.

By the following morning, Harlow's breathing had become much less labored, and he started twitching and spasming. This would normally concern the physician, but with as much damage as Harlow had endured, followed by the heavy sedation, the movement showed that the young man still had use of his muscles, which was actually a good sign.

After cleaning the bedding and changing Harlow’s wound dressings, Lennard finally allowed himself a long soak in his tub. He opened the windows to help remove the stagnant air inside the house. Harlow could still encounter some complications, but the possibilities of him dying were minimal now.

Lennard lightly dozed in the hot water, his senses alert. He could hear even the tiniest changes in Harlow's breathing, even through his half-asleep state. He felt the breeze move in and over his fur. He could smell the meat roasting in the house next door, and his stomach began to grumble.

A light knock on the door startled Lennard from his relaxation. He had finished cleaning himself and was luxuriating in the tub, attempting to get the most out of the remaining hot water. "Evey time now!" he said with a curse under his breath.

He didn't want to yell across the house, for fear of disturbing Harlow, so he quickly climbed from the tub and grabbed the clean robe he had hung out. "I'm going to have to let this dry again now," he grumbled as he walked to the door and cracked it open to see who was there waiting for him.

When he didn't see anyone standing at his door, he opened the door wider and began to question if he had heard the knock at all. Then, he heard a "Hhh, hmmph," the obvious sound of someone clearing their throat to be noticed. The sound came from near his feet. Lennard's head tilted towards the ground to see a floppy hat-wearing Luchorpan standing below him, averting his eyes.

It took Lennard a moment to realize the diminutive man’s stature placed his eye level just below Lennard’s waist. In his hurry, the fabric of the robe he had thrown on over his wet fur hadn’t properly surrounded him. A gap from the belt tie down to the hem formed and his naked wet body was completely exposed.

“Oh!” Lennard squeaked and hurriedly pulled the fabric over. “You didn’t know you were here for a show did you?” He awkwardly chuckled. “I was just in the bath. I’m guessing, uh, you could tell.”

"Indeed, Lennard," Kinet said, lowering his hand from his eyes. "I was warned you might be on the smelly side, so I'm glad you decided to clean yourself, but I could have done without the visuals."

Lennard blushed, but gave the man a light chuckle before asking why Kinet had stopped by. "What brings you to my house, Kinet? Are you injured?"

The clinic stayed open during daylight hours, but if the person had a serious injury and the door was locked, they were supposed to visit Lennard at his house. This was standard knowledge for the people of the town, so Lennard assumed Kinet had come due to an injury.

Lennard was a homebody. He didn't mind going out for a meal or a show, but he rarely had social visitors. Niko showing up yesterday and the mayor the day before had exceeded his social quota for the month.

"Naw, lad, I'm fine," Kinet said. "I heard you're harboring the boy here and wanted to offer my assistance in his healing."

Lennard had not known the man had any background in the healing arts and looked at him with a puzzled look.

"No, not healing like you do, lad," Kinet said. "Luchorpans have a bit of magic in them, leftover from the days of the Fey, you might say. Ooh, that rhymed." The man smiled at the rhyme he had just made. "I can't do this often, my friend, but I do think I can help the young'un if you'll let me."

This took Lennard aback. He knew the Luchorpan were descended from the Fairy-folk of old, but wasn’t aware they still had some of their old magic. Even the spatial box the small man had defied what most people saw as possible magic.

"I, um, why? If I may ask. Has Harlow done something special for you in the past or something?" Lennard asked.

"No, not really. I offer this not so much for his benefit, as yours. You been an honest and frequent customer of mine, ever since I first got here. I know the lad means a lot to ya, so by helping him, I'm repaying you as well." Kinet explained.

"Although after seeing what ya got dangling there, maybe I should see if I could whip something up to tighten the old skin? Raise the raisins so to speak?" The small man chuckled.

Upon hearing that Kinet considered him a friend, Lennard felt a rush of gratitude and caring for this small-statured man. But when he made a joke about his low-hanging fruit, the feeling diminished and the blood rushed back to his cheeks.

"I told you, I was just in the bath. They are supposed to relax in warm water." Lennard sputtered.

"There's relaxing and there's giving up hope, lad." Kinet chuckled and swatted Lennard's leg as he let himself in. "Where's the boy at, Saggy?"

All thought left Lennard's mind upon hearing the nickname. He knew it was going to be spread around town like juicy gossip in the rumor mill. He would be called "Saggy" from here on out. Mostly behind his back, but to his face by his friends. It would be their term of endearment for him. Because this was exactly how nicknames started.

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He sighed as his brain caught up to the present. "The door on the right," he said sourly.

Lennard followed the small man into the room and plopped down on the end of the bed. He glanced at Harlow and could tell he was doing fine. "Kinet, would you mind not telling people about the... you know... saggy bit?"

"Ha!" Kinet exclaimed. "You be wanting me to keep such a juicy bit of information to me-self?"

He wasn't sure, but it seemed the Luchorpan's accent grew more distinctive the longer the two of them talked. "I would appreciate it, yes."

From the side of the bed, Kinet looked at Lennard with an appraising eye, one eyebrow lifted as if to analyze an object's value. "It'll cost ya." he said.

With a sigh and wondering if it would really be so bad to be called "Saggy," Lennard asked, "How much?"

The wise merchant had Lennard by the, well; the saggy parts, and he knew it. "A favor." Kinet spoke with reverence.

"What kind of favor? Is that all?" Lennard asked in return.

"A favor. Don't know what it'll be yet. But when the time comes, you'll do me a favor without question. Agreed?" The Luchorpan said, all humor gone from his voice.

The startling change of tone took Lennard by surprise, and he had to rethink what a favor could mean. Would the little man ask him to do something illegal? Kill someone? He couldn't agree to anything like that.

"As long as the favor doesn't go against my ethics. I'm not going to hurt or kill anyone. I won't steal, I--"

The small man cut him off. "No, no, nothin' like dat. I wouldn't make ya break the laws or hurt someone. You have certain advantages over me, and I'll be wantin’ to take advantage of that someday."

Fears abated, Lennard thought the favor would be something involving his greater height or weight from how the Luchorpan described the favor. "Okay, I agree. One favor."

Kinet's small hand extended, and Lennard tried his best not to crush the small thing as he shook it. His hand totally encompassed the minute hand in his large grip.

“Good, now then.” Kinet said as he removed a gold medallion from the inside pocket of his jacket. He held it over Harlow's chest, maneuvering himself around on the mattress to stand so that he could reach properly. Then he began chanting in a language that Lennard did not understand.

"Kieri'sintima Ackramany Baeo Estemeni..." The chant continued, and a pale blue glow began to encircle the round coin-shaped pendant. Lennard watched, enthralled, as the small man repeated the chant and the glow brightened.

The entire room became bathed in a pale blue light. Lennard was mesmerized by the spell, but chastised himself for not asking Kinet how the healing spell worked.

Kinet's voice grew louder, the last stanza virtually yelled. With the final word, all but screamed, containing more power and command than the rest, he touched the medallion to Harlow's chest. Kinet's eyes glowed the same pale blue as he opened them wide.

Kinet’s glowing eyes watched as the illuminated energy liquefied and dripped from the medallion down into Harlow's body. A twinge of fear overtook Lennard, but he had to trust the little man's word and intentions now. Any interruption could cause the spell to go awry, and with this much power making its way into Harlow's body, the consequences could be fatal not only to Harlow but possibly to all three of them.

The pale blue glow of the liquid magic entered Harlow's body and began to spread. It traced through his veins, the light visible through his skin and fur as it raced along the routes normally reserved for blood. It took only seconds for the glow of the liquid-light to complete the vascular circuit.

Kinet raised the medallion up as Harlow's body arched, and Lennard began to move forward but stopped when a dark green mist started to bellow from Harlow's mouth. The noxious green gas began winding its way back up near to the medallion. It gathered and writhed in a nimbus, miniature bursts of lightning firing off inside the cloud as it pulsed around the golden pendant, a storm of murky green mist.

The process took maybe a minute before Harlow's back relaxed and his body settled back down to the bed. The last of the mist slowly drained out of Harlow's mouth and joined the rest. The aureola of churning green mist circled the pendant. The cloud was so large it engulfed Kinet's hand as he held the chain above the prone form.

Kinet's eyes still glowed pale blue. He watched without moving, as though in a deep trance. As the last bit of mist coalesced around the medallion, the Luchorpan's eyes refocused on it. The blue light of his eyes caused the storm harm, burning it away.

With a barely audible sound, like a wail of infinite pain heard from miles away, the mist began evaporating. The storm of dark green began to catch aflame. The lightning and roiling clouds slowly melted away, leaving only ashes of pale blue in their wake. The ashes floated off a few feet before they vanished.

Lennard looked on in awe, his jaw hanging open. He had been witness to several small spells while studying to become a physician, and even knew a few cantrips, but he had never seen a spell use so much raw magic as to have the energy become visible like this.

Spells like this were spoken of as myths, from times long past. These were the displays of magic written in books and talked about from before the cataclysm. The ability to cast such spells was considered to have been lost. The energy required for such invocations was no longer available.

Yet as Lennard had just witnessed, the power actually was still here somehow.

"How… How did you do that?" Was all Lennard could force out. His brain was still stunned from the display.

Kinet fell to his knees, then turned around and placed his back to Harlow's body, leaning against him. He breathed deep and slow, recovering from the effort he had just expended. He took a moment to catch his breath before answering Lennard's question.

"You're wondering how I was able to use so much energy?" Kinet spoke, all hints of an accent gone. "This trinket here, it's ancient and gathers energy constantly. With the right knowledge, anyone can use it."

The words went in one ear and out the other. Lennard understood what the Luchorpan had said, but the meaning and gravity of the words didn't sink in. He was more focused on Harlow, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

"Le… Lennard?" Harlow slurred.

Hearing Harlow's voice brought Lennard out of his stupor, and he lunged forward and pounced on top of his love, careful not to allow his weight to crush him. He wrapped Harlow in a huge embrace. Any thoughts of restraint or Kinet's safety were gone. In this moment, he and Harlow were all that existed.

He looked into Harlow's weary eyes and saw relief instead of pain. There was a bone-weary exhaustion still gripping the young man, but a glimmer of hopefulness as well. Before Harlow could speak again, Lennard spoke directly to him, "I love you." Then he pressed his muzzle onto Harlow's and kissed him deeply.

Lennard had come to the decision that the time for holding back was over. He had questioned his feelings, debated his motivations, and even worried over the possible consequences of a relationship with Harlow. All it accomplished was to cause him to hesitate and flounder.

When Niko and Neko had accepted his choice, even though it interfered with their plans for their little sister, it gave his mind some peace. Lennard finally allowed himself to be in love and embrace his newly formed bond. He vowed to himself that he would tell Harlow as soon as possible, damning all the consequences.

So as soon as Harlow had shown some consciousness, Lennard had taken the opportunity to fulfill his vow. He kissed his boy passionately, but gently. He didn't want to add any more stress to Harlow's condition. The kiss still relayed all the fear and stress he had dealt with over the last two days. It also conveyed all the compassion he allowed himself to feel.

Harlow kissed him back. As their mouths released, Harlow whispered hoarsely, "I love you too." He felt Lennard's body press against him. He had some fear of injury when Lennard had pounced on top of him, but now he relaxed and Lennard's weight press down on him comfortably. He was acutely aware of a certain part of his body that now extended upward to greet his partner.

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Kinet saw the huge man flying over the bed rail and quickly ducked to the side to avoid being caught up in the embrace. The rapid movement left him dizzy, so he remained lying next to the two as they kissed. He was a little confused at the display, but was getting used to seeing these Canursids do strange things, so decided to wait until he was more recovered before moving again.

He wasn't the type of person who went all crazy about furry creatures. This was probably why he had been able to live and thrive in this place for so long. But the soft fur of the two men rubbing up against his arms tickled in a good way. The warmth they exuded felt great, almost like being covered by a warm blanket. He shrugged his shoulders and rolled into the warm, fuzzy embrace.

When Lennard moved to the other side of the bed, removing his nice, warm arm from Kinet's space, he decided he had probably recovered as much as was needed as well. Although he wouldn't mind being snuggled up in a nice, warm blanket with his wife now.

He pushed himself up and used the boy's body as a brace for his hands. Then, turning to push himself up to his feet, his head bumped straight into the object pitching the blanket up just below the boy's midsection.

"Ugh, oh, well..." Kinet stammered. "Sorry about that, or maybe congratulations?"

Lennard helped Kinet to his feet. Kinet could tell he was completely flushed in the cheeks, but he laughed with a light chuckle and accepted Lennard's help.

"Kinet," Lennard started. "I don't know how ..."

"Now stop right there, ya big oaf," Kinet interrupted. "You know very well how to repay me. We shook on it."

"Yes, but I mean, sure, the favor can be repayment, but if you had not come, I wouldn't have known what you could do. I wouldn't have known to ask.” Lennard replied, "I am sure you don't share this ability with everyone. Why me, or rather him, or us?" He wasn't quite sure how or what to say at the end, and he became tongue-tied.

Kinet just looked at Lennard, then raised an eyebrow before speaking. "Ahh, ok. I can't tell you much because I don't know much. I felt something stir in the energies the other day, and I knew it had to be something to do with you two." The Luchorpan waved his hand to encompass the two Canursids.

"Being part Fairy, and not the way you two are apparently," he spoke this last part with a wink, "I can sense when important things happen around me. When this lad came back into town and was all but dead, the energies told me I would need to help."

He continued his story after a curious look from Lennard. Harlow had fallen back to sleep. "You two are important in some way. I can't see why, but the energies around you speak of change and importance. You two are destined for something. Not sure what, but something.” the Luchorpan told Lennard.

Lennard was at a loss. He couldn't deny that the vision he and Harlow had shared was extremely unusual and rare, but he couldn't believe it held some great portent. He was just a small-town physician. He did his job, came home to an empty house, and fell asleep early. His life couldn't be important. Harlow was just an apprentice. A kid the townspeople pitied and looked out for. They weren't some great adventurers or something.

Lennard shook his head and laughed to himself. "No, that can't be right," he said. "Me and Harlow, some important destiny? Naw. Not us. We're a little different, I'll grant you that, but nothing special." He looked at his sleeping lover, his chest moving up and down steadily. "Not us."

"Believe what you like, Lennard. Only time will tell." Kinet said and slid down off the side of the bed.

Kinet began making his way to the door when Lennard came back from his reveries. "Oh, Kinet, wait," he whispered loudly to the small man. He pushed himself off the bed, trying his best not to disturb Harlow, and walked over to the diminutive man.

"Can you tell me what that dark mist was that came out of Harlow?" Lennard asked and gestured to Kinet to sit at the couch. "Can I get you some tea or something to eat?"

"You can, but that's not the favor I'm asking of you," Kinet said and pointed his finger at Lennard's belly.

"No, of course not," Lennard said. He went to the kitchen and activated the fire rune. He then filled a kettle with water. Opening his cupboard and icebox, he realized he didn't have much in the way of food at the moment.

"Would some cheese and bread be okay? It appears I need to do some shopping. Oh, and a pickle!" Lennard grabbed the items and began preparing them for the two of them.

"I suppose it'll do," Kinet said after climbing his way onto the couch. "You need some variety of furniture around here. Not everybody is as big as you, Lennard."

"I'll make a note of that. Buy tiny furniture," Lennard said and looked at Kinet, trying to get comfortable on the obviously oversized couch. Kinet didn't laugh as Lennard had hoped. "Bad timing, I guess."

A few moments later, the two of them shared the improvised meal and some Gansing and Hinager root tea which was one of Lennard’s favorites. The meal was not the fare Lennard would have chosen to share with his friend, but it was filling enough.

"Now, little man," Lennard said and gave Kinet a crooked smile. "Tell me about that dark mist stuff."

Kinet sat back, his feet up on the couch cushion and his back against the rear. He held his teacup in both hands, the cup being sized for a Canursid, not a Luchorpan. "I'm not sure what to tell ya, Len. It must’ve been some kind of toxin." Kinet took a sip before continuing. "The spell is a general healing and cleansing spell. It's simple, but it's one of the most effective I know."

"So you know more spells then?" Lennard asked. "How often can you cast them?"

"Now, Lennard, I can't go giving away all me secrets." The Luchorpan scolded.

Lennard nodded, expecting that answer.

"I'll tell ya this though, it'll take over three years to gather that much energy again." Kinet continued.

Lennard wasn't sure how to quantify that. "Three years?" He asked.

Kinet's face upturned in a conspiratorial smile. "Aye, lad. I've been gathering magic for over three years in that token I used."

Lennard's mind began churning, putting the pieces together. "So the talisman you have, that is some kind of magical energy collector?"

The diminutive man just winked.

"I needs ta be off, Saggy. I've some business to take care of this evening. A pint or two of business." Kinet said with a large smile.

Lennard grimaced at the nickname, but Kinet followed with, "Just yankin’ your chain, lad. I always keep me promises." Kinet’s accent was back in full swing now.

With that, Lennard saw his friend to the door and thanked him again before closing and locking it. He couldn't have imagined the small man's graciousness. To expend three years of energy on Harlow. He was going to owe that little man a lot of business.

After Kinet left, Lennard found that the Gansing tea had perked him up, so he straightened up his house and ran to the market to purchase some food for when Harlow woke up again. He returned home just before sunset. After putting away his groceries, he began prepping for supper, making enough for two.

He started by chopping up several root vegetables. These he placed in a pot with some Elboar sausage. The meat was sweet with a herbaceous back-note. It was a proprietary blend made by the Larata family, who raised Elboar on their land and also provided butcher services for the community. Their farm was located on the east side of the town, downwind, for which the people of Greenby were grateful.

With the sausage browned and a nice layer of fond accumulated on the bottom of the pot, Lennard added a small amount of water and used a wooden spoon to lift the layer of flavor from the bottom.

Once the water turned a dark shade of brown, he added to the pot: water, some salt, and a mixture of fresh herbs. He hummed while he stirred. He knew that the more he watched the pot, the longer it would take to boil. So rather than keep his attention on his meal, he cleaned up around the kitchen.

Once he turned back to the heating rune, the stew had come to a boil. He turned the heat down and let the liquid simmer and reduce, placing the lid loosely atop. The aroma of the soup was filling his house and replacing the odor of the ointment he had used. It was a welcome relief.

With dinner simmering, Lennard checked on Harlow again. The young man had moved to his side but was still fast asleep. The smells in the bedroom were still quite potent. A mixture of urine, sweat, and healing ointment.

While Harlow was still sleeping on his side, Lennard took the opportunity to change the bedding and let the mattress air out. He wedged the bedding behind Harlow's back to prevent him from rolling backwards and applied a mixture of Belmon juice, Nettem leaves, and water to the exposed side of the bed. The mixture immediately sank into the mattress and removed the odors.

Next, he gently rolled his sleeping lover back over to the now remade side of the bed and pulled the soiled material from the mattress. He applied more of the odor-eliminating mixture to the mattress and completed making the bed.

Harlow opened his eyes and pushed himself up on one elbow. He smiled up at Lennard. "I can," he began, then coughed. His throat was completely parched.

Lennard set him back down and grabbed a glass of water. He tipped the glass up for Harlow to sip. The water coated Harlow's mouth and throat. He swallowed the offered liquid greedily and rejoiced at the return of the life-sustaining liquid passing down his throat.

"Not too much," Lennard told Harlow as he pulled the glass from Harlow's thirsty lips. "You'll need to take it easy at first, let your stomach get used to having something in it again. You gave us quite a scare."

Having some moisture in his mouth now, Harlow attempted to speak again. "Us?" he managed to get out.

A large smile crossed Lennard's face as he told Harlow about the twins and Mrs. Mannather's assistance. "That's enough talking for now," he said. "We both have stories we need to tell each other, I'm sure, but first, do you think you could eat?"

With a nod and a smile, Harlow relayed his hunger to the physician through a grumble of his stomach. Lennard laughed. "I'll take that as a yes." Let me finish up with the bedding then I'll go get us some stew."

He proceeded to tell Harlow the ingredients he had added to the stew and where he had purchased them while removing the soiled bedding.

"Oh, I am getting too old for this," Lennard grumbled as he stiffly stood upright and stretched his back. "This is your job, young man. I'm not gonna let you just lay there and relax anymore. It's time to get your ass back to work." He pointed mockingly at Harlow and winked.

Harlow chuckled but the laughter brought more coughing. Lennard pointed at the glass, now well within Harlow's reach. "Can you be trusted to not drink it all?" He asked.

Harlow nodded and reached out to grab the glass. With shaky hands, he tried to grip the glass. It wasn't tight enough. The glass tumbled to the floor. "Damn..." Harlow grunted.

"There you go making more messes for me to clean up while you just lounge about," Lennard said exaggeratedly, throwing his arms in the air.

Seeing this barb didn't land well with the young man, he quickly changed his tone. "Hey, don't worry about it. It takes time to heal and recover."

After cleaning up the spilled water, Lennard refilled the glass for Harlow to sip on, and took the soiled bedding outside to air out before cleaning. Most soiled laundry was cleaned by a small cantrip, which was one of the first things all Canursids learned. While the spell removed dirt and debris, it didn't do much for smell. That's why proper airing out and deodorizing was so important.

Lennard came back inside and unlidded the stew pot. A cloud of richly aromatic steam washed over his face. His stomach gurgled in anticipation.

He cut a couple of slices of bread and bound them in a cloth napkin. He filled two bowls with the hot stew. He rarely cooked for anyone but himself and was actually quite excited to see if Harlow liked his cooking.

With a bowl full of soup in each hand, and a napkin of bread in his mouth, Lennard gingerly stepped back into the bedroom and set the food on the bedside table. It wasn't the usual place to have dinner, but in this circumstance it would have to work.

Lennard grabbed the pillows and propped Harlow up against the headboard before stirring the bowl of broth he had prepared for Harlow. He blew on the top of the bowl in an attempt to help it cool down faster.

Harlow smiled at the way Lennard doted on him. He had never had anyone to do anything like this for him before. He hadn't been sick often in his youth, but when he had, the most he got out of his father was a lukewarm bowl of soup he would bring home from the tavern from the previous night.

After a few moments, the spoon rose from the bowl and Lennard blew on the spoon before gently bringing it to Harlow's lips.

"Tell me if it's too hot. We can wait if needed," Lennard said while Harlow sipped the savory broth from the spoon.

The hot broth sent shivers down Harlow's spine. He rarely ate anything but leftovers or an occasional meal from one of the taverns, so to have this freshly made stew after not eating for days made his entire body flush with enjoyment.

"Oh, Lennard, this is so good," Harlow informed his partner after another spoonful of the amazing broth.

The big man smiled widely and blew over another spoonful for his favorite patient. He had purposefully served Harlow only the broth so far. He needed to gain his strength back before adding substance for his stomach to digest.

"It's nothing, just good ingredients. I'm glad you like it," Lennard said.

Lennard continued to feed Harlow until he finished his bowl. Then, he spooned him some more broth from his own bowl. Harlow had a good appetite, which was a great sign of how well he was recovering.

After finishing with their meal, Lennard washed up the utensils and returned to the room carrying assorted bandages and ointments. "It's time to change your wounds' dressings," he informed Harlow. "But first, we need to get you cleaned up."

Harlow was feeling much better after eating and was looking forward to getting in the tub again. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and smiled up at Lennard. "Your soup did wonders for me," he said.

Curious as to how well Harlow would do, and how much the incredible spell had done for him, Lennard stood close, but allowed Harlow to shakily try and stand. He made it to his feet, but then promptly fell back to the bed.

"I guess I'm not all the way better yet," Harlow said with a hint of melancholy.

"Nor should you be," Lennard assured him. "It's amazing you were able to move yourself to the side of the bed, let alone stand on your own already."

With an easy move, Lennard pulled Harlow up off the bed and into his arms. Harlow could feel the power held within his lover's arms. His own muscles betrayed him right now, but he looked forward to the days when he could aspire to be as strong as his loving partner.

Lennard carried his patient into the bathroom and set him on the commode while he filled the tub. Harlow knew this would be a good time to take care of his personal business, but his stomach was still empty. All he could manage was to make some water.

Lennard returned and extended a claw, using it to carefully slice through a bandage on Harlow's shoulder. "Let's see how they’re doing," he said.

The bandage dropped to the floor, and there was a pause while Lennard leaned in close. Then he sliced through another bandage.

"Is everything okay, Lennard?" Harlow asked meekly. His wounds were primarily on his side and back, so he couldn't see what Lennard was seeing.

Another bandage fell to the floor, then another. Harlow was growing concerned. Was there an infection? Had the thorns left some form of toxin?

"Oh, yes. Sorry," Lennard said. "I have never seen anything so amazing, Harlow." He picked up Harlow's bandaged hand and sliced through the bandage. He revealed where a wound used to be.

The skin was still pink and soft, and the hair was still missing, but the wound itself had closed completely.

"It looks like this wound is over a week old," Lennard pointed out, lightly touching the pink flesh on Harlow's hand.

Harlow felt pressure and a slight sting at the touch, but as the girthy digit moved away, he saw his skin underneath. Somehow it had healed over. Harlow wasn't a physician, but he had seen enough injuries and scars to realize just how much healing had happened.

"This was the spell that Kinet did?" he asked.

"I believe so," Lennard replied. "I mean, I have no other explanation for this kind of fast healing. The energy he expended was amazing, but I can't believe it had this much effect."

He continued to remove the remaining bandages, verifying, to his astonishment, that the healing had affected each wound equally.

After removing the last of the bandages, Lennard gathered the used rags and set them in a refuse bin while Harlow looked over his newly formed skin.

“Well, Harlow. You definitely owe Mr. Minnit a few thank-yous for this. His spell just saved you over a week of recovery time." Lennard said as he disrobed and hung his clean robe on the hook near the door.

“Shall we get clean now?” Lennard asked and picked Harlow up off the commode.