The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 15

The vacant look on Tani'm's face spoke to the fact that the word meant nothing to her.

"She's a werecat, and I guess she was having some fun at your expense. Sorry if she scared you, but please know she never would have hurt you or Thumper over there."

It was the answer Tani'm had expected, but still, hearing the confirmation made her head spin. Andrew and Karen had been careful not to talk too much about Sara's gifts. The one thing she had been able to glean was that Karen had helped Andrew to give Sara access to her powers. But what those powers were, or how he had given them to her, remained a mystery to the flustered young woman.

Giant wolves, a woman with healing powers, and a boy that could enslave women were concepts hard enough to understand, but werecats was a step more than Tani'm had expected. Her arms dropped to her side, frustration showing in her face as she rolled her eyes, resigning herself to the insanity that the last few days had exposed her to.

"Coffee would be great, thanks."

Breakfast was a surprisingly chipper event, Karen's coffee setting the stage for a small but delightful meal of french toast and scrambled eggs. There was something about the way that Karen moved around the kitchen that made everything look easy. Dishes were cleaned as quick as they were dirtied, and by the time everything was served, the kitchen was perfectly spotless, save for the small pot the eggs had been whipped in.

Even Thunderfoot, who had watched Karen's performance with curiosity, was included in their meal, and sat before a large metal mixing bowl that was overflowing with various mixed greens. Sara may not like salad, but Andrew — Karen was forced to assume — was a big fan since the kitchen seemed to be well stocked for varying styles of the dish.

The two women watched Thunderfoot, who sniffed at the bowl for a few seconds before lifting his head and shivering, his nose twitching as he looked down at the salad with disinterest. After a couple of seconds, he raised his gaze towards the basket that rested in the center of the table, his eyes glued upon the fruit, its sugary sweet scent taunting him from where it rested.

As Karen got up from her chair, and made quick work of dicing up an apple and an orange, Tani'm stated to Thunderfoot, "Ohh, look who's becoming a bit of a drama queen."

They laughed at Thunderfoot's expense, the stoic expression on the rabbit's face deepening their merriment. After just a few moments, Karen finished her work, and added the diced fruit to the salad, refusing to let the lettuce go to waste.

Thunderfoot waited for Karen to retake her seat, his eyes and expressive face making his appreciation clear as the two women smiled and shook their heads at his new culinary demands. Once everyone was ready, then they all dug in as if the whole thing had been orchestrated.

"Wow, this is amazing. Did you used to be chef?"

Karen smiled, before taking her first bite. The fact was, for a time she had been a chef, in a kitchen much like the one she had just worked in. There were still many secrets that Karen wanted to keep, and as she thought back on those rustic days, she was forced to grin.

"Yeah, for a while, but that was when I was a bit younger."

Tani'm laughed at the strangeness of Karen's response.

"What, like ten years ago?"

It was easy for Karen to forget how much her new athletic build had removed the false age she had worked so hard to cultivate. She shook her head and responded, "Give or take."

The vagueness of Karen's answer stood out to Tani'm, but she knew better than most not to push the issue. It was clear that Karen was not comfortable talking about that part of her life, and while she did not understand why, she wanted to respect her friend's wishes.

Through the rest of the meal, Tani'm asked Karen more about the history of the region, and was fascinated by the stories that Karen wove. Tales of President Theodore Roosevelt resonated with her most, a man who so fell in love with the Elk that he declared the entire region a national monument, safeguarding a species she loved above all. The history was rich and steeped in the passions of men, which for once had served to protect something wonderful and unique.

Visions of Grandfather came back to her mind, reminding Tani'm of the important role that the history she had just learned had played in her life. The mighty elk that she had known so well may not have been alive if not for the actions of President Theodore Roosevelt. Karen felt the melancholy as it blanketed Tani'm, and could tell that something in her tale had affected the woman in a profound way.

Whatever sense of loss Tani'm had felt was replaced by resolve; the wolf had taken Grandfather from her, just as it had slaughtered so many of her woodland friends, and if anything, the history of the region helped her to understand just how tragic those deaths had been. With a deep breath, she settled back into her breakfast, enjoying the last few moments of the meal in silence.

Once the last of the eggs had been eaten, and the last bite of jam-covered caramelized toast was being chewed, the two friends leaned back in their chairs, bellies full with the bounty of Karen's cooking, and an inescapable task resting before them.

"So, do you think you can do it?"

Tani'm considered Karen's question for a long moment, her eyes settling on Thunderfoot, who was sprawled out on the floor beside the empty bowl, his belly bloated from his feast. Her chair creaked as she idly rocked back and forth while she tried to decide what to say.

"I don't know... Maybe? What the hell makes this stuff so important?"

Karen laughed, realizing she was not sure either, but she had an idea, so while she pulled out her phone, she started talking.

"My guess is that it has to do with leather working. Andrew was doing a lot of research into leather armor crafting, so..."

Her words trailed off as she began to scan through the messages from Andrew. The most recent one made her heart flutter.

Andrew:

"Good morning sexy. Try not to have too much fun with Taneem. Or do, no judgement."

After that there were a few links and image attachments. For a solid half hour the two women looked through the articles, and did their best to study the diagrams. The molecular layout made no sense to Tani'm, and she closed the image with barely a glance, knowing that it would not help her in the slightest.

What she did find intriguing were the articles that discussed how to draw the tannins out from the bark, most involving water baths. Manipulating plants had long been a gift she excelled at, and as she tossed Thunderfoot some lettuce from the fridge, she wondered if perhaps there were better options.

"Some of these articles are talking about using the tannin to create a crude dye, is that what he really needs it for?"

Karen's pride in her friend's insight was clear as she scanned through the last website Andrew had linked them to.

"My man, in his wisdom, tends to over-prepare, and I know that crafting some kind of ink is one of his top priorities."

Tani'm was again reminded of Karen's adoration for Andrew, seeing how perfect he appeared to Karen in the words she had spoken. Regardless of how she felt, if he could help her, she would push her fears aside — for now.

A smile spread across her face as she remembered one of her favorite discoveries.

"He's gonna love this."

Karen had no idea what had gotten Tani'm so excited, but as the small woman began to prepare to head out, she knew they would not come back empty handed.

***** Consequences and Action *****

"How the hell did you find this place?" Andrew asked, a half eaten box of fried halibut and chips resting before him.

He had thought that Sara's claim had just been her playful way to distract him from the discovery he had made, but as he pulled out a light and crispy fry from the box, dipped it in tartar sauce and brought it to his lips, he was once again amazed at how perfectly it had been prepared.

Right beside the table they sat at, the words "Fish & Chips" stood out in big white letters on the side of the small blue building, "Chowder House" written just below it.

Sara laughed, taking another bite from her own box, before she stated, "Stumbled across it with mom a long time ago. Though, if you ask me, I think she already knew about it."

However Sara had found the place, Andrew was just happy she had taken him to the "Bandon Fish Market," a restaurant he would not soon forget.

It had been a difficult night for them both, in their own ways, and he knew they needed the escape that the box of fried goodness provided. Bandon was a small town, and the historic seafront village was an obvious tourist trap that seemed to work well for their purposes. He understood why Sara had chosen to take him there.

"Alright, so, what are you going to do?" Sara asked while pointing at Andrew with a golden french fry.

"I'm not sure, Kitten. In a way, the documents explai-"

"Not about that, silly. About Tani'm and the wolf. Do you really think you can make magical armor to help her defeat it?"

Andrew shook his head and laughed, saying, "What was I thinking?" under his breath before taking another bite of delicious halibut.

"Yeah, probably. It just... I don't know, feels right. The only thing I'm not sure of is how long it will take."

Sara seemed surprised by Andrew's uncertainty. "Why? How long does it usually take?"

Andrew chuckled while he thought about everything he had read. In the time it took him to take a bite from one of his hunks of halibut and eat a few more fries, he had created a spreadsheet to try and help him tally the time.

"Yeah, a long time. For just a simple chest piece, it could take one to three days. For the design I have in mind, probably more like a week."

He leaned back and rubbed his belly, the large portion of food staring back at him from inside of the box, an open challenge presented in golden brown delight.

"Even with the benefits of The Glade, I'm not sure I could get it done in time, and none of that accounts for one unavoidable fact." His statement was concluded with a broad and happy grin, excitement and anticipation written in every contour of his face.

Sara was enjoying seeing that side of Andrew; it was as if something within him was stirring, fueling his desire to create something with his own hands.

He looked her in the eyes, his violet gaze meeting her questioning amber visage, and as his grin broadened he stated, "I have no earthly clue what I'm doing. I'm going to seriously jack up some leather before I get even half of these techniques mastered. Then there is all the testing, and..."

He looked around, glad to find that the few locals and tourists that were seated close by were paying them no attention.

"And the wards and magical chicanery which I know even less about."

For a moment his excitement faded and his face grew heavy with doubt. "This isn't some dumb high school project, where if I fail I get an F. If this doesn't work, a woman could lose her life."

His concern was lost as Sara grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss, vanquishing his demons before they could consume him. In that moment, she knew why Andrew had done that to her so many times; the control and willingness of your partner was highly arousing.

Whatever anonymity they had been afforded was lost, as their prolonged kiss drew the attention of all that surrounded them. Sara was stunning, and while Andrew had turned into a lean young man, he still appeared to be much younger than he truly was.

"Thank you," he whispered, his forehead resting against hers as she took a deep breath.

His cheeks flushed as they pulled apart, and he could see the plentiful eyes that studied them when he looked around. Most were polite enough to turn their gazes, while a few held their ground, brazenly studying the young couple with either lust or envy boiling in their guts.

Whispers surrounded them while they continued their meal.

"Whatever you do, it'll be amazing." She lowered her voice and adopted a sly grin, before completing her statement, "Just look at me."

Andrew felt Sara's confidence as her words washed over him, and the arousal she had built in him was bolstered by her faith in his abilities. He would do his best, and try not to let the pressure of what he must do prevent him from trying. Andrew recognized that while Tani'm might die if he failed, she would certainly die if he didn't even try.

***** A Different Perception *****

Even with her contact to Karen, Tani'm could not shake the feeling that the wolf had been watching her from the forest as they made their way to The Glade. They had tried several methods to get Thunderfoot to follow them, but the clever and distrusting rabbit refused to fall for their games. Tani'm still saw the bunny's large and innocent eyes as she moved deeper into the forest, worry sounding out with the pounding drum beat of his frantic foot, and the sound of his concern hung with her through most of their short journey.

The butterflies in Tani'm's belly settled the moment she felt the calm yet erotic influence of The Glade descend upon her, and in a blink, the memory of Thunderfoot's anxiety was lost, forgotten to the wonder of The Glade.

The small woman scanned the wide open space, the soft mossy grass mottled with wild flowers in a verdant tapestry that had to be seen to be believed. How such a place existed at all was a miracle she could hardly understand, and how it called to something so deep within her was a mystery she wished she knew the answer to.

She kicked off her shoes, wanting to feel the pulse of the magical place through her contact with the ground. It thrummed beneath her, a constant beat that seemed to echo eternity. Her forest had vanished, lost beyond the boundary of the place she struggled to comprehend.

Everything spoke of an ageless beauty, perfection in a natural paradise that she knew had been the result of Andrew's strange gift.

"Where do you want to start?" Karen asked, a bucket dangling from her hand while she studied the small woman who was vital to Andrew's plans.

Tani'm studied the lush environment that surrounded them, and knew she wanted to start with the thing she was least certain of. "Let's get some tannins."

Karen placed her purse on a large moss-covered rock, the smooth and soft surface acting as a perfect resting place for the black cloth bag. Tani'm took her time walking to one of the largest trees, a big leaf maple that had its branches reaching out above them in an amazing show of strength. Every step was a reminder of just how special the place was, energy echoing out through the very terrain beneath her.

As the black-haired woman stepped up to the massive tree and placed her hand upon the coarse bark that protected it, she could feel its strength beneath her fingers. It was amazing, as if the maple had a will and desire to grow, its very essence driving it towards the sky, towards warmth and life-giving light.

While she had been uncertain if she could pull the tannins out from the tree, history had taught her that she at least had a chance.

During one of her many journeys into the deepest parts of the rainforest, she had settled for the night near a fallen tree. It had seemed like any of the thousands of other trees which had succumbed to the natural cycle of the forest, but as night descended, and darkness shrouded the land, something unexpected happened.

The exposed center of the tree's trunk began to emanate a soft yellowish glow, as if the soul of the tree was seeping out into the world. For hours, Tani'm sat there, ensorcelled by the mystery that sat before her. It was not until she reached out and ran her fingers across the jagged pieces of wood that jutted out from where the tree had snapped that she realized what she was touching.

It felt as if there was oil on her hand, and as she smoothed it out between her fingers she watched the light that it gave off brighten and fade. It was massive amounts of chlorophyll that had begun to seep out of the tree's dying body. She spent the rest of that night trying to understand what she had stumbled upon, and using her gift to see if she could isolate the elements of the plant that had caused the oil to glow.

By the next morning she had pooled a small amount of bright green pigment into the center of her palm, and even in the dim light of morning she could see the pale glow that the pigment gave off. To the best of her ability, she had caused the chlorophyll to pull itself free from the other elements within the oil, and what she was left with was a miracle, as far as her young mind was concerned.

Even as she thought back on those events, she had no idea what had caused the chlorophyll to glow.

So, as she rested her hand on the large maple's surface, she used those same skills and focused on the inner workings of the plant that sat before her. Somehow, she could feel the mechanics of the tree, water and nutrients being shunted through the large organism as it continued to fulfill its purpose.

Karen did her best to remain silent, sensing Tani'm's efforts as the small woman's emotions painted a picture of how well she was doing. Shock and amazement radiated off of her new friend in equal and impressive amounts.

Much of what Tani'm felt within the mighty tree was familiar, but what surprised her was how she could tell that the maple wanted to help her. It existed to serve, and while she felt in it a deep desire to shelter and protect those that rested beneath it, it seemed capable of so much more.

In her mind, she felt as if rain was washing down upon her, and despite knowing that she was not wet, she could feel water flowing up through the ground and filling her body. It was a strange and pleasurable experience, even if it was all in her mind, and just as the life-giving liquid settled into the billions of cells that composed her rigid frame, she could feel her body enriching the liquid, adding countless enzymes and proteins until much of what had been absorbed was unrecognizable to the simple compound it had began as.

It was the strangest feeling, and as she felt the pleasure of the water's metamorphosis within her body, she realized it was not her those events were taking place in, but the tree. What had started as a happy memory for the tree, became action as the liquid began to be shunted through capillaries, and moved towards the lower part of her body. She was forced to remind herself that it was not her body, but the tree's that was performing the task, and as that reminder began to take hold, she felt a thick liquid ooze out from the bark and flow out over her hand.

"Sap," she almost chanted with amazement as she smelt the sweet nectar that clung to her fingers — Maple syrup.

Just as soon as the sap's flow had begun, it stopped, trickling down the trees surface from that single spot where her hand had been placed.

"How did you do that?" Karen asked, wonder in her voice and surprise in her eyes.

"I didn't," Tani'm confessed. "He did," she concluded with a firm pat to the maple's surface.

The funny thing was that through the short interaction, Tani'm had learned much about how the tree functioned, and how, in a very unfamiliar way, the tree interpreted the world.

Tani'm collapsed to the mossy ground, laying down beside Karen and staring up at the sunlight as it trickled between the shifting branches far above. After a few minutes, Karen pulled out a book and began to read while her friend considered how she would perform her task. Karen knew there was no point hovering, and it was clear to the older woman that Tani'm needed to focus on what she was doing without distraction.

So, as Tani'm revisited what she knew about tannins and how they were used by plants, Karen vanished into one of her many adventures, flipping through the pages of her book and discovering a time that never was.