Binding Words

Book Two:

Life Bonds

Daniel Schinhofen

Copyright © 2018 Daniel J. Schinhofen

No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form by an electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without the written permission from the publisher.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2018 Daniel J. Schinhofen

All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-six

Chapter Thirty-seven

Chapter Thirty-eight

Chapter Thirty-nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-one

Chapter Forty-two

Chapter Forty-three

Chapter One

Sean’s eyes flicked between the women in front of him as they walked through the woods. It had been a long day of travel already, and it was barely past noon. Myna and Fiona had been remarkably civil to each other so far, but Sean was still leery of how things would go between them in the longer term.

“Sean,” Myna said as she looked back at him, “we should pause for a bit and rest. I can make a quick meal for us.”

Fiona agreed, “I think Myna is right. We didn’t get much sleep, so a brief respite is a good idea.”

Sean nodded. “Okay. Myna, I don’t even know what’s in this pack, so take your time to figure it out.” He handed the heavily laden pack over. “Do you have anything in yours that might help with a meal?” Sean asked Fiona, who had just set her bag aside.

“I have a little bit of jerky, but I have mostly tea leaves,” Fiona said. “I didn’t keep food in my home.”

“Only Darragh kept food inside his home, which is why we all went there for meals,” Myna said as she began unpacking the bag. “A kettle. If we were near the stream, we could have some tea,” Myna sighed, setting it aside.

Sean gave her a smile, remembering that she hadn’t seen his water summoning yet. “Fiona, dig out some leaves, please. I’ll make us some tea.”

“Let me get a fire together,” Myna said, starting to rise.

Sean waved her back down, “Don’t need one for tea.” Taking the leaves from Fiona with an appreciative smile, he crumbled them into the kettle and set it down. He took a moment, trying to activate the magic without the song or hand motions, but nothing happened. “Fine,” Sean muttered as he adopted the correct position. “I’m a little teapot…” He went through the song, Myna watching with a bemused expression. Sean was grateful when the magic did as he intended and the kettle filled with steaming water. Cutting it off, he put the lid back and looked at Myna, who was now staring in astonishment. “Food?”

“Right, sorry,” Myna said, digging back into the bag.

Fiona giggled, “I reacted similarly when I saw him do that the first time. To think that he can summon boiling water with that song.”

Myna blinked, looking up for a moment. “I thought maybe I was seeing things when I saw the steam.”

“No, this is just another thing he does differently.”

Sean took a seat as the women talked about him like he wasn’t there. James, how much would you have given to be here? The thought brought a sad smile to Sean’s lips. He knew James would have given at least a left nut to be where he was now. They’d both been fans of Isekai stories, and had whiled away many hours talking about just exactly this sort of situation. If you could only see me now, James.

“Food will be simple. We have bread, cheese, and jerky,” Myna said, beginning to repack the bag. “Whoever packed this bag has damned near everything in it: rope, pitons, a couple of blankets, even a few antivenom potions,” Myna’s eyes flickered over to Sean as she tried to get the bag closed. “I’ve sorted it, so I can get to anything you need quickly.”

“Thank you, Myna,” Sean said, pulled from his thoughts by her words. “The tea should be ready by now.”

“I thought it might be.” Myna set three cups aside from the bag and poured for them, then handed bread and cheese around. “There are a few other cups in the bag. Someone must have thought there would be more survivors,” she said sadly.

“Darragh packed the bag,” Sean said softly. “Misa said he knew what was coming. I find it hard to understand why he didn’t save any of the others.”

“Maybe he was warned that something worse would happen if he did so?” Fiona suggested.

“I don’t know if I could have stood by and done nothing if I had known,” Sean said as he began to eat the makeshift meal.

“Sean, now that I feel confident we aren’t being tracked, I was thinking I should hunt as we travel,” Myna suggested.

“We should learn from you,” Fiona said. “Sean has given us all equal access to each other’s Talents.”

Myna nodded, “A good point, but trying to hunt with those packs will be difficult. If we stop early for the night, one person can set camp while the other two hunt.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Sean said. “It’s not like we have a timeline, outside of getting there before we run out of supplies. I’ll set camp tonight.”

“I will lead Fiona on a hunt,” Myna said. “If she is to be at your side, she will need to learn everything she can.”

Eyes sharpening at the implied words, Fiona gave Myna a nod. “I will show you how well I can learn. I will likely be your equal by the time we reach Pinebough.”

Myna’s face became blank. “Oh? Would you care to wager on that?”

Fiona leaned back slightly. “Noooo.”

“As I thought,” Myna snorted.

“Finish your food,” Sean sighed, popping the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. The two women went back to eating, letting silence fall again. Sipping at his tea, Sean eyed them as they ate. Fiona focused on her food, while Myna kept her attention on their surroundings.

When they finally finished, Myna took the cups and tied them to the outside of the bag, before helping Sean get it settled onto his back again. “If this bag gets lighter, I can take turns helping you carry it,” Myna told him.

“It’s fine, it doesn’t bother me,” Sean said. He felt odd saying that, as the bag was easily the same as the old ruck that his dad used to take on camping trips, possibly even heavier. It was hard for him to gauge since he wasn’t exactly sure what his body could do. I still really need to test my limits. Maybe before we reach Pinebough, I can take the time to find out.

“Fiona, hand me your bag,” Sean said. “I’ll carry it so you can trail Myna easier and learn some before tonight.”

Fiona gave him a smile, handing her bag over. “Are you sure?”

Sean slipped it over his left shoulder, the weight a negligible addition to what he was already carrying. “I got it, go on,” he gave her a quick kiss.

“Okay,” Fiona smiled broadly at the kiss. “Ready, Myna?”

Myna’s expression was blank as she turned to go, “Follow me if you can.”

“Myna,” Sean called out, getting her to pause, “stay safe. You’re responsible for her while she learns from you.”

“Yes, Master,” Myna said as she started walking.

Sean was about to correct her for calling him Master, but let it go. “I’ll be heading as straight west as I can. If you deviate, let me know.”

“We will,” Fiona said, giving him a smile as she followed Myna into the forest.

Trailing along behind them, Sean found himself wondering if this back and forth was going to be common between Fiona and Myna. That led him to reflecting on his recent past, and how he’d ended up here and now, following two beautiful women through a forest.

Shaking his head at the absurdity of it all, Sean kept putting one foot in front of the other. He invoked his Mage Sight and followed the two sets of footprints, the residual energy in them making it easier to follow both women.

Fiona and Myna, Sean sighed internally, what am I going to do about them? I can’t even believe my feelings for Fiona are this deep already, I’ve only known her for a week. If it wasn’t for the connection with Fiona, I would have probably gone after Myna. Catgirls, even without the tail, have always been a weakness of mine. Fiona tells me that in time, I’ll love Myna regardless because of the Bond and that she’ll understand, but how can that be true? How can anyone be okay with the person they love, loving others? Damn it James, I could use some of your advice on this subject, you perverted bastard.

Sean’s pace slowed as he became aware that the normal animal noises in the woods had stopped. He was mildly grateful that the voices of the women ahead of him had grown silent, but it also made him worry. He hadn’t been able to hear their exact words, but knew they had been arguing about something. If they had gone silent as well, it didn’t bode well.

Pulling his energy around himself and straining to keep his Mage Sight going, Sean tried to walk as softly as he could. He let go of the Mage Sight after a minute, stealth seeming like the better option.

Waffling on the idea of calling out or not, Sean crept forward in the silence. A cry of surprise from Fiona ahead of him made Sean start running before he consciously knew what he was doing.

Breaking into the clearing, he found Fiona on her butt, unhurt, but clearly unhappy. His rush through the undergrowth brought her attention to his general location, but her eyes didn’t focus on him until he dropped the Camo.

“Are you okay?” Sean asked, going to her side.

“Yes. A Shadowlope sprang out of the undergrowth next to me, Myna chased after it,” Fiona said, standing up with his help and dusting herself off. “It was embarrassing.”

“If Myna didn’t know it was there, then I would say that your embarrassment is equal to hers,” Sean said. “I was worried something had happened. The forest got all quiet and you two stopped talking, just before you cried out.”

“It was just my pride,” Fiona said, touching his face softly. “Thank you for coming to help.”

“I always will,” Sean said, pulling her into a hug. “Will Myna be okay chasing the creature?”

“The Shadowlope? Yeah, she’ll be fine. The question is, can she catch it?”

“What’s a Shadowlope?” Sean asked, following the path Myna had left behind her in her haste to chase the beast.

“I forget sometimes that you’re an outsider,” Fiona said. “A Shadowlope is an animal about this big,” she held her hands out not quite shoulder width apart to show the size of the creature. “It has large feet and ears, moves with a jumping run, and has small horns that can be extremely sharp, which it uses to bring down prey or to defend itself. The real trick to the animal is its ability to jump between shadows, which is where its name comes from.”

Sean bit back his laughter as she described a rabbit with small horns that could teleport through shadows. “So it’s not dangerous, then?”

“If it feels cornered, it can do damage with its horns, but Myna shouldn’t have any issues with it if she can catch it. From what I recall, they can only use their Talent a few times a day.”

“The trick is running them down?”

“Yes. The older the Shadowlope, the further they can jump using shadows,” Fiona said. “At least, that’s what I recall having heard at the academy.”

“And in my old world, they say education is a waste,” Sean snickered. “It seems you recall some of your training well enough.”

“Oh, that wasn’t my training. I heard it from others who had martial Talents,” Fiona said. “I had some training in that area, but we didn’t fight animals or beasts.”

“I did,” Myna said, appearing next to them with a deep frown on her face.

“Got away, did it?”

“It was a big one,” Myna scowled. “It would have fed us for a few days if I’d caught it.”

“You’ll get it next time,” Sean said, patting her shoulder. “I’m sure you will.”

“Thank you, Sean,” Myna said, her scowl slipping. “I’m thinking we should make camp in an hour or two. To make sure we have time for hunting before it becomes night.”

“Sounds good,” Sean said. “You two go ahead and take the lead again.”

“I need to learn more,” Fiona said, snagging Myna’s arm.

Myna glanced once more at Sean before she went with Fiona, “I’ll do my best to teach you.”

Once they were out of easy sight, Sean brought his Mage Sight back. He paused a moment, his lips pursing slightly, as he didn’t recall any vertigo when he released it last time. “Maybe I’m already used to it?” Sean muttered as he trailed after the women.

Chapter Two

Once they stopped for the evening, Sean went about digging a small fire pit and gathering wood. He got the fire going with a fire-starter from Fiona and filled the kettle with water, testing the spell again. Sean had hoped, but he still could not cut corners, and had to say the words and use the motions. Pulling a pot out of the large rucksack, he filled it with water and seasonings, before setting it aside for whatever the women brought back.

With everything prepared for their return, Sean found himself at a loss for what else to do. They didn’t have a tent, and he wasn’t sure that sleeping on the ground was the best idea, either. Looking at the tree limbs overhead, he wondered if he could Shape hammocks into them.

“Might as well test out some of my limits, too,” Sean muttered. Finding a spot where no branches were above him for a good forty feet, he flexed his knees and sprang upwards, reaching out.

Sprawling backwards as he landed, Sean stared at his hand. He had just grazed the branches so far above him with his fingertips. “What the fuck, I have a forty-foot vertical!?” The surprise of having touched the limbs had thrown off his concentration, resulting in the bad landing. As he got to his feet, he was surprised that he didn’t feel any pain.

“Okay, note to self, getting onto roofs will be easy,” Sean chuckled. “Should I try making beds first, or maybe try out something else?”

After pondering for a minute, he walked over to the closest tree. Leaping up, he snagged a branch ten feet overhead and climbed onto it. Putting his back to the tree, he focused on the branch. “Hello mister tree. Would you mind letting me modify you a little?” Sean chuckled as he focused on what he wanted to do with the tree.

Frowning at how easily he was able to Shape the wood, Sean wondered why it had been different when he’d Shaped the tree he cut down. Shaking his head, he filed the question away to ask Fiona when she got back. It took him awhile, but he had a small, gently sloped hammock fashioned in the tree, reinforcing the branch with the wood he had Shaped away. He Shaped two more hammocks from nearby branches before dropping out of the tree.

Looking up, he realized that the women wouldn’t have an easy time getting up and down. Pulling out some rope, he fashioned two climbing ropes and placed them securely. “That should work,” Sean smiled as he admired his handiwork.

“Why do you have ropes tied to the trees?” Fiona asked from behind him.

“I made beds in the tree. I figured it was better than sleeping on the ground,” Sean told her. “Though I’m curious; this tree was much easier to Shape compared to the one I tried at…” Letting the sentence trail off, his mind went back to the dead.

Fiona hugged him from behind, burying her face into him. “I understand,” she murmured, holding him. Releasing him after a couple of minutes, she tried to answer his question. “It really depends on what you’re trying to do with the tree, and how alive it is.”

“I was trying to make the first one easier to cut down, but this one I only made hammocks in,” Sean said, turning around to see Myna adding some meat to the pot, then setting it over the fire on the stand that had come out of the bag. “Thank you, Myna.”

Myna nodded and went back to working on the small game she had caught. “You’re busy learning, I will tend to this while you do.”

“Well, this tree doesn’t feel as vital as it could,” Fiona said, removing her hand from it. “I’d say it was a combination of the other tree being more alive and you trying to Shape it in such a way that it would die.”

“You’re suggesting that the tree knows if I’m trying to end its life?”

“All living things have at least some desire to keep living,” Fiona said simply. “Why should plants be any different in that regard?”

“I know they’re technically alive, but they don’t seem to have any way of thinking, so…”

Fiona shook her head, “Outsider thinking. My family would be horrified to hear you right now. You’ve offered up some dire insults.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. As easy as it was to make the beds, I can’t refute your logic at the moment,” Sean shrugged. “The ropes are there so you and Myna can get to your beds easily.”

“Who are you sharing a bed with tonight?” Fiona asked, stepping into his space and laying her head on his chest.

“Myself. I made three beds, and none of them are big enough to share,” Sean told her.

Looking disappointed, Fiona nodded, “I see.”

“I don’t know what’s out here, so I thought it would be a good idea to make sure we’re not within easy reach,” Sean said, taking Fiona’s arm and leading her over to the fire.

Myna looked up from where she was preparing to smoke the rest of the small game she’d caught. “We have Vulnane,” she said, seeing Sean’s interested gaze. “I can’t properly tan it, but it’s still good to do what I can. It might still be worth something when we reach Pinebough,” Myna said, motioning to the fur that was laid out on the ground.

“Good thinking,” Sean said. He looked at the fur, noting that it was similar to foxes he’d seen in his previous life. “How did you catch it?”

“I had Fiona scare it toward me,” Myna smiled. “Many animals have developed the ability to detect camouflaged Feline Moonbound, so I stood still next to a tree and hoped it would come my way. It did, so we have meat tonight and if I can get this smoked, tomorrow as well.”

“What did you do, besides the fire and beds?” Fiona asked.

“Started testing my limits,” Sean said, “I’ll show you.” Walking over to the spot he had used before, he pointed upwards. “Watch the branch.” Once they both looked up, he jumped. His hand grazed the limb again and, being ready for it this time, he managed a superhero landing.

Both women blinked in shock at what he had just done. Myna spoke up first, “You are truly different. I can’t think of anyone else who can make that jump.”

Fiona went over to the same spot, looking straight up. “It must be because of how your body was made. What else have you tested?”

“Nothing yet,” Sean said as the sun started to set, casting long shadows over the ground.

“We should spar,” Myna said standing up, wiping her hands on a rag. “All of us should. It will help us understand our strengths and weaknesses.”

Fiona nodded slowly, “I agree. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped against the hunters.”

“You slew two of them by yourself,” Myna said softly. “That is more than any of the others, besides Misa and Darragh, could have managed.”

“It wasn’t enough,” Fiona said as she grabbed her staff.

“Learning how to defend yourself is always a good thing,” Sean said as he picked up Dark Cutter, Shaping it into a banded staff. “Do we need to make some swords for you, Myna?”

“Please,” Myna smiled at him, pulling one of her two blades. “To match this.”

Sean took the blade and went over to the wood pile he had gathered earlier. He pulled out the two biggest pieces, Shaping them into swords for her. “Here you go.”

Taking them, Myna twirled them around in her hands, before making a few attacks at the air. “I can work with these. Thank you, Sean.”

“Are we going two-on-one?” Fiona asked idly.

“Fiona said you dispatched Whelan alone,” Myna said, looking at Sean. “I think it would be best if the two of us attacked you.”

Stepping back and balancing his stance, Sean nodded. “Bring it.”

Myna advanced slowly, a smile on her lips, “As you desire, Master.”

Fiona, who had been watching the byplay, rushed Sean. Her staff blurred as she launched a series of attacks, forcing Sean to focus on her. He met her attacks with perfect counters, his body moving as if by memory. It had been years since he had sparred with staves, and that thought made him miss the next attack, which slapped into his forearm painfully.

Stopping with the hit, Fiona grinned at him, “I win.”

“I shouldn’t have lasted that long,” Sean said. “My body was moving as if it’s done this countless times before. I haven’t fought with staves in years, and never enough for it to be ingrained memory.”

“Darragh passed his Talents onto you through Misa,” Myna said from nearby. “You have his ability with weapons now.”

Sean blinked, “What?”

“Darragh passed his Talents to Misa, who in turn, gave it to you at his request,” Myna said simply. “Your unconscious mind knows what to do, which is why you only faltered when you thought about what you were doing. If you fight enough, it will become second nature to you, as they will be your Talents and not Darragh’s.”

“You’re saying I have all the combat experience that Darragh had, locked inside of me?” Sean asked incredulously.

“She’s right,” Fiona said. “We talked about it earlier. She needed to know since she is your Life Bonded.”

“So, this sparring idea was a test?” Sean asked.

“Yes,” Fiona nodded. “Do you think you could have kept up with me on your own?”

“No.”

“Exactly,” Fiona said. “We need to train until all of that knowledge is yours, or you’ll slip like you did with me when you’re fighting.”

“I’m going to be bruised,” Sean sighed.

“Better than being dead,” Myna said softly.

“Point,” Sean agreed. “Let’s go again.”

They attacked him one at a time to help him get used to his new knowledge of fighting. They finally called it off when the soup boiled over and made the fire hiss and sputter. Myna, cursing under her breath, rushed to the pot and quickly got it off the flame.

“I forgot,” she frowned. “It is not going to be a good meal.”

Sean took a seat as Myna dug out bowls for them to use. “I’m sure it will still be good.”

“The roots will be mush, and the meat will be tough,” Myna huffed as she ladled soup out for each of them. “I didn’t mean for it to boil, but I got caught up in the fighting.”

Unable to resist a long-standing urge any longer, Sean reached over and rubbed her head right between her cat ears. “It’ll be fine, Myna.”

Cheeks flaming as her head pushed into his hand, a small purr came from her before she sat back abruptly out of his reach. Eyes wide in embarrassment, Myna looked from him to Fiona, “That…”

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Sean said, trying to play off the moment to help ease her embarrassment. “Sorry if it caused you discomfort.”

“No, no, it’s fine, I wasn’t expecting it, is all,” Myna said, her cheeks flushing darker. “As my Master, you may rub my head as much as you like.”

“She obviously enjoyed it,” Fiona said with a bit of bite to her words, “she purred.”

Sean glanced at Fiona and saw the look she was giving Myna. “Fiona, stop please. Myna doesn’t deserve your glare. I was the one who initiated that,” he sighed.

Fiona looked away from both of them. “You’re right.” With a deep breath, she looked back to Myna, “I’m sorry for being catty.”

Myna’s face went blank, and Fiona suddenly went red, making Sean laugh. “Did someone suddenly taste their foot?”

Myna’s blank face cracked into a smile, and she laughed with Sean, “I’m not upset at the phrasing, and thank you for the apology, Fiona.”

Looking down, Fiona picked up the bowl she had been given, “Thank you.”

“Let’s eat,” Sean said, picking up his bowl.

Myna had been right; the roots were soggy and the meat was tough. James would have been appalled at the meal, having been a cook for so long. The thought of his best friend slowed Sean, but he pushed it aside and went back to his food.

Once they were done, Sean summoned water and got the dishes cleaned up. Myna tried to object and said that she should do it, but Sean kept cleaning.

“You cooked,” he told her. “It’s only fair that someone else cleans up. We need to keep things balanced amongst the group.”

“But I’m your Life Bonded,” Myna objected strongly. “I need to learn how to do all things for you.”

Fiona coughed gently to stop Sean’s response, “Sean, she has a point that you need to accept. To everyone who meets you, she should basically be an extension of you. She should be handling all the tasks that should be beneath you. If it becomes known she has Moonbound blood, it will be twice as expected.”

Sean continued to clean the dishes. “We’re not at a town yet, so I don’t have to act like that to blend in.”

Fiona snickered, “Stubborn.”

“As you desire, Sean,” Myna bowed her head. “I understand this isn’t something that you wished for, nor a relationship you embrace. I will try to act more as you desire and not as society has ingrained into us. I will embrace the role while others are around though, to help you blend in better.”

“Thank you,” Sean said as he set the cleaned items onto a cloth Myna had put aside for them. “I’m just not used to the idea of someone being beholden to me. James would have been able to handle this much better than I am. Wish I could ask the asshole for some help now.”

“James?” Myna asked as she dried the bowls and packed them away.

“My best friend,” Sean softly lamented. “He would have fit right in here with the whole idea of Life Bonded.”

“We should get some sleep,” Fiona said gently as she got to her feet. “It’s still a long way to Pinebough.”

“She makes a good point,” Myna said as she got the rucksack closed.

“Up you both go, then,” Sean said. “Pull the ropes up after you.”

Fiona gave him a heated kiss before she climbed her rope. Myna bowed her head to him. Once they were both situated, Sean doused the embers of the fire and jumped to his own bed.

Chapter Three

Waking as the first rays of daylight broke the horizon, Sean sat up carefully, stretching with a massive yawn. Dropping out of the tree, he wandered a few dozen yards away before taking care of nature. He carried a new stack of leaves that had been Shaped to be thicker and softer back with him. Fiona and Myna were already awake and preparing a meal.

“Morning, ladies,” Sean greeted them, setting the leaves down next to the bags, then going to retrieve the ropes. “I’m curious—why aren’t the trees losing their leaves with winter coming fast?”

“Oh good, I wanted some of those,” Fiona said. “A tree doesn’t lose its leaves unless it’s dying. When spring comes again, they will regain their color.” She took a few of the altered leaves and walked into the woods, “Be back shortly.”

“I’ll go too,” Myna said, taking some for herself and following Fiona.

Sean held in the chuckle that even on this world, women went to the bathroom in pairs or groups. By the time they came back, he had the ropes stowed and tea ready for them. “I used the tin of leaves you left out, Fiona.”

“That’s fine, it’s a simple black tea,” Fiona said as she took a seat, and the cup he held out for her.

Myna handed out the bread and cheese, along with the newly smoked meat from last night. “Thank you,” she told Sean as they exchanged cup for food.

The Vulnane was much better smoked than it had been in the soup. Once they were done with breakfast, Myna frowned as she looked at the rucksack Sean had carried the day before. “I’m not sure Fiona or I can carry that for an entire day.”

Sean’s lips pursed, “That’s a good point. It does have some heft to it, and it’s bulky enough that I can’t exactly sneak with it on.”

“We can trade off today,” Fiona suggested. “I’ll carry our packs until around noon, then Myna can carry them until we camp for the night. This way, you get some training from each of us and neither of us will be exhausted.”

“I agree,” Myna swiftly agreed.

Fiona gave him a tight smile once she had gotten the heavy pack onto her shoulders, then reversed her own so it was carried on her chest. “You did this yesterday without difficulty?”

“Once you went with Myna, yes,” Sean said, giving her a quick kiss. “If you need to trade off earlier, just tell us.”

“I will,” Fiona said, “now get going. I’ll do the best I can to follow.”

Sean gave her another quick kiss, then followed Myna. Myna got them ahead of Fiona a bit before she motioned him to silence, then activated her Camo. Sean did the same and trailed after her, wondering how she planned to train him.

Her shimmer came to a stop a few feet away. “Sean, do you think you can lead?”

“Lead us west? I can do that,” Sean replied.

“Lead. I will follow and watch you for a time,” Myna said as she took a step behind him. “Do your best to make it difficult for me. I’ll leave a clear trail for Fiona to follow.”

“Okay,” Sean said as he drew the Camo around him a bit tighter. Moving with care, he began to pick his way west.

Sean stepped back, startled, when a black blur sprang away from the bush he was approaching. Catching sight of the ears and body shape, he guessed it was a Shadowlope. It vanished into a shadow, leaving Sean to shake his head.

A couple of hours later, Myna touched his shoulder, her words soft against his ear, “Wait.”

Sean did as she asked, uncomfortably aware of her pressed into his side. After a minute, a large bipedal wolf slowly came out of the bushes. Its eyes darted from side to side as it lifted its muzzle, sniffing the air. Its fur was dark brown, with solid grey around the muzzle and eyes. It had numerous scars dotting its body, and walked with a very slight limp.

Feeling his mouth go dry at the size of the creature, Sean’s hand tightened on Dark Cutter. Myna poked him gently with one finger, then motioned across his chest, followed by her hand brushing his side and moving across his chest the other way. He nodded slowly as he understood what she was trying to tell him.

Stepping lightly, Sean started towards the creature’s right flank as he felt Myna go the other way. Resisting the temptation to change Dark Cutter, Sean did his best to focus on holding the Camo as tightly as possible. He froze when the wolf-man sniffed loudly, its head pivoting right and left.

The beast suddenly leapt in the direction Myna had been going. Dropping Camo, Sean Shaped Dark Cutter into a spear, rushing forward to assist Myna. The wolf-man’s leap had only been a feint, and it spun back on Sean faster than he would have thought possible with the limp, its hand batting the tip of the spear away.

Skidding to a halt, Sean retracted the spear and Shaped it into a sword as the Canine Moonbound came at him. Letting his body lead him, Sean was barely able to parry the claws of the beast away. He had time to wonder why time wasn’t seeming to slow down for him before a plate-sized hand slammed into his chest, throwing him backwards and into a tree, which cracked from the impact.

As the beast stalked forward, it stumbled as both of its legs suddenly sported deep cuts. With a roar, it tried to spin on its attacker, but it buckled and dropped to its knees. “Feline! I thought I smelled your kind,” the Canine growled as it pushed itself upright, the wounds healing as it did.

“We’re just passing through, but you were tracking us, and have attacked my Bonded,” Myna replied, an angry cat growl punctuating her speech. “I would have let a lone Canine live, but you went too far.”

“I didn’t attack him, I killed him. No human can survive my strikes,” the Canine chuckled darkly. “Now to have some cat for dessert.”

Trying to rush Myna proved futile for the Canine, as she easily evaded the attack. Myna led the beast in a slow arc closer to Sean, keeping it faced away from him. Sean got back to his feet slowly, his ribs aching from the hit, but healing quickly. Picking up Dark Cutter, Sean formed it into a naginata and started toward the wolf-man.

Myna slowed her steps just enough to make sure the Canine was focused on her, her blades slapping away paws by inches. Falling for her ruse, the Canine Moonbound had no idea that Sean was behind it until Dark Cutter carved deep wounds across both its legs. An anguished howl came from the beast as it dropped to its knees again. Not giving it a moment to think, Sean kept the naginata spinning, carving bloody grooves into the back of the monster.

Back arching as it tried to pull away from the blade, the Canine turned its gaze to Sean, its eyes widening as it saw who had ambushed it. “No! You should be dead.”

Sean gave it a tight smile, “I’m not, but you are.”

Myna darted in and cut the beast’s neck, bright red blood spraying over her as she leapt back to avoid its return attack. “We need to stick some silver into it,” Myna said loudly, “give me an opening.”

Sean focused on disabling the Canine’s arms as he kept the attacks going, watching the older wounds heal as he did. “Come on! That isn’t fair at all.”

A pulse of anger came from the weapon as Sean kept the attack going. Frowning at the blade, Sean suddenly thought he understood what it wanted from him. He thrust the blade into the back of the beast, where it pierced its heart before erupting out the front of its body in a crimson spray. The Canine gasped and began to jerk on the blade, but wasn’t able to dislodge itself. Sean inhaled sharply as a surge of energy entered his body. His body, which had been healing, was suddenly perfectly fine and the residual energy seemed to soak into his core.

Dropping to one knee to allow the body to slide free of the blade, Sean panted. “You steal life from your foes?” The blade glowed darkly, once. “You need death to keep going... you’ve been using the past souls to survive the famine of the last few years?” The glow pulsed once, then faded again.

Myna went to Sean’s side as he spoke to the blade. “It has long been rumored that the blade drank the life of those it killed. No one could truly confirm the rumor, until now. Canine Moonbound normally need silver in their blood to kill them.”

Sean looked at the unmoving body before him. “He’s dead.”

“Yes,” Myna said softly. “We should stop here and let Fiona catch us, and I’ll skin the beast. Its hide will fetch a good price.”

Sean took a seat. “Okay, sounds good.”

“I’m glad it was an older Canine, they normally move in packs. This one was probably ousted from its pack as alpha recently,” Myna said as she began to cut into the body.

“Why was it limping if they heal so easily?” Sean asked.

“Silver and the saliva of their own kind leave lasting wounds,” Myna said as she worked.

Sean looked away from the grisly sight, feeling nauseous. If it had just been a wolf, that would have been one thing, but the Canine Moonbound had been intelligent and had spoken, and now Myna was skinning it for its hide. Sean tried not to think of the blanket Darragh had given him, which had been the hide of one of these creatures as well.

Fiona came into the small clearing a moment later and froze, “What happened?”

“It was tracking us and attacked Sean,” Myna replied simply as she continued her labor. “We’re going to pause here for an early lunch, I have a lot of cutting to do to get the hide off intact. I would dig out his heart too, but we don’t have a way to store it for an alchemist.”

Sean swallowed hard at the idea of pulling the pierced heart from the body. “We can’t do that.”

“Which is sad. They fetch good coin,” Myna lamented. “Fiona, can you get some tea ready?”

“I can,” Fiona said, getting the pot out and setting it beside Sean, along with the soup pot. “Can you fill these? Myna will need to clean the blood off after she’s done.”

Sean was glad to help, and tried to keep himself distracted with that and other small chores. He kept his eyes off Myna’s work as best he could, but they would go back on their own and see her slowly working the hide from the wolf-man.

“If you come over here, I can show you better,” Myna said, giving Sean a grin, her blood caked clothing and face in stark contrast to her cheerful words.

“Not this time,” Sean said weakly, turning away from her. “I’ll be right back, I need to use the forest.” Sean left the clearing in a hurry, walked a few yards away and sat down, breathing deeply and trying to steady his nerves.

“What would you do here, James?” Sean asked the air. “You were always a little sociopathic. Could you handle the idea of skinning another person, or cutting their heart out to sell?”

You know he would, Sean berated himself. James, you fucker. You would be dancing happily, wouldn’t you, if it was you here instead of me? A beautiful woman and a catgirl both wanting you to be with them. Hell, you’d probably have swung a threesome by now, huh? Shaking his head, Sean closed his eyes and imagined James sitting across from him. What do you think I should do?

“Man up, fuck them both, and enjoy every moment. The Dannan gave you the choice to do whatever you wanted, so why aren’t you living in the moment? Come on Sean, we’ve joked about this kind of thing, and now you’re starting to act like the MC of a bad anime. Two willing and beautiful women want and need you with them, and you’re out here talking to me? Man the fuck up, or I’ll have to arrange my own death to come take them from you.”

Eyes snapping open, Sean looked around for James. The voice had been so real, it had to have been James’ voice. After a minute Sean, shook his head, “Supplying my own friend’s words of wisdom. Fuck, I’m losing it. But you’re not wrong James, maybe I do need to man the fuck up. Okay, let’s roll with the idea of What Would James Do?” Stopping to chuckle at the initials, Sean got to his feet. “Thanks, man. I’ll do what we always said we would.”

With renewed energy, Sean started back towards camp. It was about time he followed his heart, and not what society had ingrained into him. His father had been a damned UDT, and would be appalled at Sean for not being able to handle what he had seen. Sean was going to change that and do what he had always secretly wanted to do; be with beautiful women and control his own fate.

When he got back to their camp, Sean found that Myna was done with the skinning and was stripping off her clothes. His pace slowed as he couldn’t help but stare at the petite Moonbound who was down to underclothes. Her body was very similar to Fiona’s— slim of waist; small, perky breasts; and long, lean legs.

Myna looked up, her cheeks going a deep red when she caught him staring at her. “I need to clean the blood off and change clothing,” she said as she took the wet rag Fiona handed her.

Fiona glanced back to see Sean still slowly walking forward, before turning to Myna. “You are his Life Bonded. It’s not like he’s never going to see you in less.”

Myna nodded, but took her eyes away from Sean, “I know. It’s just… I’m…”

Fiona’s eyes widened. “Never?”

“No. If I had, my ears would have become common knowledge,” Myna said. “Not that it matters now. Part-blooded Moonbound as Life Bonded aren’t too uncommon, after all. Though if we end up near my home, it might cause my mother a little distress. She’s been able to keep her blood mostly secret.”

“We’ll try to stay away, so as not to cause you or your mother issues,” Sean said as he took a seat, discreetly adjusting his pants as he did so. Averting his gaze from Myna as best he could, he still snuck glances at her as she wiped the blood off her face and rinsed it out of her hair.

“It’s okay to look,” Fiona said bluntly. “It’s probably better you do, so it won’t cause any awkwardness if something happens when we’re in a town or city later.”

“It’s not polite to stare at a bathing woman—” Sean began.

“You stared at me in the bath,” Fiona pointed out, cutting him off.

Bowing his head, Sean took a deep breath, “And you’re fine with me ogling Myna?”

“Sean,” Fiona said his name softly and waited for him to look up. “It’s not that I’m completely okay with it, but it’s something that has to happen. I’ll still demand your attention and make her earn your love.”

Meeting Fiona’s gaze, Sean nodded, thinking back to his own pep talk just a minute ago. “Fine. I just don’t want to hurt you. It’s only been a week, but I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”

Fiona’s gaze softened and she scooted over to sit next to him. “I feel the same, really I do. I’m going to help you, as much as I can. After all, we’re Bonded for at least ten years. Maybe…” trailing off with a shake of her head, Fiona smiled.

“If you say so,” Sean said and brought his gaze back to Myna, whose blush had gotten partially down her chest. “Myna, are you okay with—”

“You are my Master, I will learn to accept and love it,” Myna said, cutting him off. Biting her lip, she met his eyes, “I am yours to do with as you will.”

Nodding, Sean let his gaze wander down her body again. “Okay, but I’m not going to do more than look.”

“If that is your wish,” Myna said softly.

Fiona nudged Sean, handing him some tea. “Drink up, we’ll be moving again once she gets cleaned up and dressed.”

Taking the cup, Sean gave Fiona a quick kiss, “Thank you.”

“You’re intent on keeping a low profile, correct?” Fiona asked.

“Considering the little I know about the world and how to navigate it, it’s the best thing we can do for now,” Sean said. “We can find a small town away from this area, and try to settle in for a while so I can adapt at a slow pace.”

“That is a good idea,” Myna said as she knelt and began to scrub at her clothing. “We’ll need to travel a bit further to distance ourselves from Oakwood. We might consider using the roads after Pinebough. It will make things easier, and let us move quicker.”

“If we try that, we’ll need to have jobs that we can do to earn our living. Also, I’m well known because of my Shame, so it will be hard for us to go completely unnoticed.”

“Since winter is coming, we can easily put you in long shirts with gloves,” Sean said. “If we only Shape small things, we can make a living and not be looked at too closely.”

“I can offer my services hunting, if it’s close to the edge of the wilds,” Myna said as she set her wet clothing aside. “It would probably be best if we stay at the outskirts, fewer people will ask questions.”

“We’ll probably still want to go further west than Pinebough, though,” Sean agreed. “It is a bit too close to Oakwood.”

“That gives us a plan,” Fiona said as she handed Myna some clothes. “Sean, can you give Myna and me a few minutes? We’ll pack up and meet you a little further on.”

Draining what was left of his tea, he handed Fiona the cup and stole a quick kiss. “I won’t be too far away.”

“I know,” Fiona said, giving him a smile.

When they found him ten minutes later, he was doing wind sprints. Seeing them, he stopped his running. “Ready to go?”

“Why the running?” Fiona asked.

“Just testing myself again,” Sean said as he took the big bag from Myna.

“Did you learn anything?” Myna asked, helping him get the bag settled.

“That I don’t tire easily,” Sean said, picking up Dark Cutter from where it rested against a tree.

“I could have told you that,” Fiona said softly.

Sean blushed, coughed once, and started walking. “Let’s get more distance between us and the body.”

The rest of that day was uneventful. Camp was set but Myna hadn’t found any easy game, so they were stuck with the rations they had. Sean got up into the trees to make their beds, but at Fiona’s insistence, he tied off ropes so Myna could go up with Fiona to try Shaping.

While they worked, Sean wandered off to the other side of the camp. He Shaped the bark on a tree smooth in the spot he intended to use. Once he was certain everything was ready, he squared up and hit the tree as hard as he could. The pain in his hand was intense, but he hadn’t broken anything. The tree didn’t fare as well— a fist-shaped dent two inches deep marred the spot he had hit.

The sound got both women’s attention and Fiona called out, “Are you okay?”

Shaking his hand with a grimace, Sean replied, “Yes, just testing my strength.” Turning back to the tree, he missed the looks the women exchanged. Shaping the tree back into good health, Sean took a moment to apologize to it before he Shaped it again, forming the outer bark into a much denser material, to rival a breastplate. Shaping the underlying part to be softer, like flesh, Sean nodded as he settled back to try again.

This time, the punch shattered the outer layer, shards of it piercing both the softer wood beneath it and his hand. Stifling a scream, Sean looked at his hand, which was now discolored, misshapen, and had numerous pieces of the hard bark embedded in it.

“Still okay?” Fiona asked as Myna did her best to craft a bed.

“Not as much, but I’ll be fine soon,” Sean replied tightly.

“Stop attacking the trees, then,” Fiona sighed.

Pieces of bloody bark popped out of his hand as he began to heal. Resting his other hand on the damaged tree, he apologized again and put it back to normal. By the time he’d finished with the tree, the pain in his hand had subsided to a dull ache and the bones had finished healing.

Fiona climbed down to him when he walked back to where they’d made their beds in the tree. “Myna?”

“Asleep,” Fiona said softly. “She tired herself doing a bed. She’s never tried to Shape before, so it took more energy for her. She’ll improve, as will we with the Camo and hunting that we learn from her.”

“I see,” Sean said as he looked up at the tree.

“Sean?” Fiona said getting his attention, “Will you lay with me tonight?”

Sean looked into her heterochromatic eyes and smiled, “We need to be quiet, she has really good hearing. We don’t want to bring other monsters to us either.”

“I’ll get the blankets,” Fiona murmured, moving quickly to gather the items needed for them to be comfortable.

The hour was spent in hushed words and soft sighs as they renewed their closeness. Neither of them were aware of Myna awake in the tree above them, nor her silent vow to become closer to Sean as her hands slipped below her waist in time to the sounds below her.

When they were finally sated, Sean finished beds for them so they could retire for the night. Exchanging a goodnight kiss, the two separated and went to sleep.

Chapter Four

The first rays of sunlight woke the trio. Once everyone had breakfast and took care of necessities, they got everything together. “Instead of going ahead, I’m thinking we should all walk together today,” Sean said. “We can all work on Mage Sight instead of Camo today.”

“That sounds good,” Myna nodded.

“I agree, it will be interesting to use it without the monocle,” Fiona added.

They both gasped as they got the Talent to work. “So beautiful,” Fiona murmured as she looked at the glowing forest all around them.

“Everything glows with so much energy,” Myna added.

“Look at Sean,” Fiona said, “but carefully.”

Myna turned her head, her jaw dropping as she stared, “But… no one should hold that much power.”

Sean looked down at himself but couldn’t see what they saw, only his own skin. “Hmm, doesn’t work when I look at myself.”

“You’re glowing brighter than everything around us,” Myna said, stepping closer to him, her white and black energy swirling excitedly. Hand coming to rest near his heart, Myna spoke rapidly, “Your core blazes with energy. Even your hair,” her hand went up to touch his hair, “even this is filled with energy.”

“Yes, he is special,” Fiona said, touching Myna’s shoulder. “We should be going and not standing here.”

“Right,” Myna said, her hand falling back to Sean’s chest. “I see now how you could bind me, and I am truly honored to serve you.”

“Umm… okay,” Sean said, at a loss for words.

“Myna, you are our pathfinder,” Fiona said a bit more firmly.

“Yes, of course,” Myna said, her hand lingering on Sean’s chest. “Follow me.”

Following Myna, her form glowing with the increased energy that she had from Sean, the couple trailed a bit behind, holding hands.

“I’ve been wondering,” Fiona asked, “why have you kept Dark Cutter in that form?”

“Just haven’t had a reason to change it,” Sean said, using the butt of the naginata as a walking stick. “Besides, it’s basically a sword with a lot of reach, which is nice.”

“Oh. I was wondering if it had significance to you,” Fiona said.

“Not especially,” Sean replied. “Though it was a common weapon in a lot of games that I used to play. It was one of my favorites for reach weapons.”

“Games?” Fiona asked.

Myna slowed her pace, after glancing back and seeing them trailing her, hand in hand. “I would be interested in knowing more as well, Sean.”

Sean did his best to explain video games, which was eventually equated to a noble’s game where miniature figures could be animated and used to attack each other. The game was often used as a way for nobles to settle small squabbles without resorting to violence.

“We should pause soon,” Myna finally said, her voice sounding unsteady.

“Here looks good,” Sean said as they came to one of the many small clearings they had run across.

Myna immediately took a seat, and closed her eyes, “Thank you.” A moment later, she fell to the side with a groan. “That was very draining.”

Fiona nodded, taking a seat herself. “It was a bit taxing.” Wobbling in place, Fiona used both arms to keep herself upright. “Draining is a good word,” she said, her voice going faint.

Dropping his Mage Sight, Sean gave them each a bit of energy. His vision blurred for a fraction of a second, but a single blink restored it. “Are you both going to be okay?”

“Yes, thank you,” Fiona said, feeling the energy trickle into her. “Thank you for giving it to us more slowly. It makes it easier to handle.”

“I’ll be fine in a moment,” Myna said, still sprawled on the ground. “I don’t think I’ve used this much energy in a year, much less a single day.”

Sean pulled the cups and kettle out of the pack and took a seat. He began preparing some orange tea for them all from the leaves Fiona had brought. “I’m curious. Fiona appears green in my Mage Sight, brighter now than before, with bands of white at her wrists. Myna, you’re a mixture of deep black and vibrant white swirls, with bright spots of white at wrists and neck. What do I look like to both of you?”

“Your energy is white, pure, and brilliant,” Fiona replied.

“I see it the same,” Myna replied.

“Hmm,” Sean said as he handed a cup to Fiona, getting a kiss in return. Inching over to Myna, he gave her ears a gentle rub, “Tea, Myna. You need to sit up.”

A deep content rumble came from Myna as she rubbed her head into his hand. “So nice to your Life Bonded,” Myna murmured.

“Sit up and take the cup,” Fiona huffed.

Myna’s one eye cracked open, so she saw Sean frown at Fiona. A small smile crossed her face as she slowly sat up. “Sorry. I was enjoying the attention. It’s not like I get kisses,” Myna said blithely as she took the cup with a smile, “Thank you, Sean.”

“Ladies,” Sean said, stepping between the two of them. “I don’t like this small sniping. James would not have tolerated it, and I’m not going to either. Fiona, Myna is a friend and she is going to be with us, so you need to overlook the small things. Myna, Fiona is the woman I love, and you need to stop poking at her.”

“I’m sorry, Master,” Myna said, bowing her head to him.

“Stop calling me Master when it’s just us three,” Sean said firmly.

“I’m sorry, Sean,” Fiona sighed slightly. “I know better, but she’s playing into you and I find it bothers me.”

“Why?” Sean asked gently.

“I know you’ll be with her for the rest of your life. She’ll have plenty of time with you, but she is deliberately trying to take away some of my time with you,” Fiona said, her gaze focused on her cup.

“Fiona,” Myna said, “I’m sorry. Truly I am, we’ve never had issues before. Like you, I felt drawn to him the first day I spoke with him. I can’t help but want to be with him, especially now. I’ll try to temper my urges, but you know how hard that can be for my kind.”

Pausing, Fiona nodded. “I see. I hadn’t even considered that, but it would explain a lot. I’m sorry for my reactions, but at the same time, I want the time I can have with him.”

“I’ll try harder,” Myna said, giving Fiona a small bow of her head. “I wonder if you will consider an idea of mine?”

Fiona paused mid sip, before lowering the cup, “We’ll talk when we move on. I think I know what you’re going to suggest.”

Sean glanced at the women as he dug out some bread and cheese, which would go bad long before the jerky, handing some to both women. “After we finish our snack.”

Both sets of eyes went to him, two heads nodded in agreement at his words. Focusing on his own meal, Sean wondered if he had maybe gotten them to reevaluate the situation. He missed them exchanging a glance over his head.

Once they were ready, the women asked him to give them some space so they could talk. Feeling a sudden sense of dread in his gut, he did as they asked. Pulling his Mage Sight back up, he watched them get a hundred yards ahead of him. Their whispers were too soft to reach his ears at that distance.

They didn’t motion him to join them until they were about ready to make camp for the night. Finally joining them, Sean raised his brows at them. “Everything okay?”

“We’re working out an arrangement,” Fiona said simply. “It will take a bit more until we’re both in a place that we can agree on it. Myna raised a few good points I had not considered.”

“Fiona reminded me of a couple of things I was overlooking,” Myna added. “We’re both sorry that we’ve made things more difficult than they should be.”

Fiona nodded, “Yes. If you would like to go hunting with Myna, I will get the camp ready.”

Lips pursed, Sean eyed both of them, before giving Fiona a quick kiss. “Okay,” Sean’s tone was doubtful as he waited for the shoe to drop.

“Camo, as best you can,” Myna said as she started away from where they had stopped. “I will lead. If you see anything, touch me on the right shoulder.”

Sean pulled his energy around him and followed after Myna, his mind whirling with all the ways something could go wrong.

Chapter Five

Sean had trouble following Myna, as she used all her skill in Camo to evade him. Managing to stay just a couple of feet behind her was the only reason he even had a chance at seeing her blur. Myna came to a sudden halt, forcing Sean to stop short, his chest a fraction of an inch from her back.

Myna pointed into the nearby bushes. A Shadowlope was just visible amongst the shadows there, nibbling the leaves. Myna picked up a piece of bark and tossed it at the bush. The Shadowlope startled at the sound, leaping into a shadow and vanishing.

“That is what a Shadowlope can do,” Myna said softly. “From its size, it probably didn’t go far, but without a ranged weapon they are near impossible to reliably bring down. We’ll continue the hunt, but I thought you should see one.”

“Surprise is the only way to take one down?”

“Or being in the right place when they jump,” Myna replied, “but that also means you’re close to whatever startled it.”

“Good to know. Shall we keep going?”

“I want to ask you a question,” Myna said, not moving. “Do you think I am attractive?”

Sean felt a pit open up before him, leaving him precariously balanced on the edge. “I’m with Fiona, Myna.”

“I know, but I need the answer to the question. I’m not asking if you want to… do anything, just… do you think of me as attractive, even with my ears?” Dropping her Camo, Myna turned slowly, her ears twitching. “Please.”

The conversation was going to go one of two ways, Sean knew. He just didn’t know what would happen if he answered or tried to evade. Remembering his pep talk from the previous day, he looked her in the eyes and let go of his Camo. “You are attractive, and the ears only make you even more so, Myna. I’m with Fiona, though, so I won’t be acting on any impulses.”

Cheeks heating, Myna bowed her head. “Thank you, Sean. That was all I was interested in knowing right now.” Covering herself with Camo again, Myna moved off.

Bringing his Camo back up, Sean followed Myna, confused by the random question. It took them an hour to find something that they might be able to bring down, a Fawntin that was grazing on a shrub.

The animal looked like a deer, but its eyes glowed pale green and it kept raising its head to look around. Myna motioned Sean to the right and moved off to the left. Being careful to make as little noise as possible, Sean did as Myna had bid him, circling to the rear of the Fawntin.

Once he was behind it, Sean tried to find Myna across the way but couldn’t see any sign of her. Wondering if he was supposed to start the encounter, Sean chewed his lip briefly. The Fawntin’s head snapped up and it let out a huff as it backed toward Sean. He thought it might be sensitive to Camo, since he knew Myna was nearby, but still couldn’t spot her. He dropped his own Camo and waited.

With a loud snort, the Fawntin turned to run, bringing it into Sean’s reach. As its head came around, Sean’s naginata whipped out and sliced cleanly through the creature’s neck, severing the head in a single cut. Stepping aside from the body that went tumbling bonelessly, Sean found Myna blinking at him.

“Good work,” Myna said, coming forward. “We should gut it here to stop other animals wanting to follow us back to camp.”

“It’s been a very long time since I helped my dad dress out game,” Sean said, thinking back over the almost two decades since he had field dressed a deer.

Myna nodded as she laid the Fawntin out and started working on it. Watching her work, Sean remembered the steps. She paused when she got to the breastbone. “Sean, can you please resize Dark Cutter for this?”

Sean did as requested and took over the process. It didn’t take long, and when he was done, Sean looked over and found Myna with some rope and a decent sized tree limb. “Carry back?”

“We’ll finish bleeding it tonight, but yes,” Myna said as she began to lash the Fawntin’s legs to the wood.

Sean joined in, tying the other legs so they could get going. The sun was setting quickly, and they wanted to get back to their camp before dark. They were able to move at a quick pace carrying the Fawntin since they weren’t stealthing. Fiona was sitting by the fire, waiting patiently for them when they arrived.

“I see the hunt went well,” Fiona said, pulling the pot off the fire. “I have dinner ready. I wasn’t sure if you would bring things back, so it made sense to start food. Let me grab the smoking rack from the bag.”

Myna thanked Fiona and got the Fawntin laid out so she could butcher it to be smoked. “I was thinking of bleeding it out, but this will work.”

“Let me go grab a bit more wood,” Sean said.

About half an hour later, the animal was set up and smoking. Once that was done, they washed up, using cooling water from the kettle that Sean had filled after the tea had been poured.

“This will give us meat for a while,” Fiona said. “I didn’t think you’d be bringing back something this size.” Handing out the soup, Fiona gave Myna a look and got a slight nod back.

“Okay, what was that about?” Sean asked as he took his bowl.

Fiona looked straight into his eyes. “You don’t need to know. Myna and I are coming to an understanding.”

Raising a brow, Sean stayed silent and took a bite of the soup. It was bland; the veggies were soggy, and the jerky was tough, barely made better by being soaked for so long. Fiona sighed, knowing she hadn’t done as well as she had hoped with their meal.

Gently touching her knee, Sean gave Fiona a smile. “It's good, considering the circumstances. I’m positive that, if we had a kitchen and time, you would make something wonderful.”

Fiona blushed slightly. “Flatterer.”

“I think he’s right,” Myna added. “The seasoning is light, but it is good. That makes me think that if we had the means to really make a proper meal, you would do very well.”

Fiona blinked. “Thank you, Myna.”

“Maybe tomorrow I should stay at camp while you two hunt, or at least go practice your Camo.”

Sean nodded. “That’s a good idea, Myna. We can play Seek and Sneak, it’ll be good for both of us.”

“I didn’t make beds,” Fiona said. “I think it will be fine to sleep on the ground. We haven’t seen anything to stop us from doing that, and it will be faster to make camp at night.”

“I should practice some Shaping,” Myna said, “but maybe something not as intensive.”

“I have a few ideas on that,” Fiona added. “I recall some of the training exercises from the academy.”

“That would be helpful,” Myna smiled.

Sean sat there eating quietly, leery of the sudden camaraderie the two women seemed to have. He didn’t want to break the moment they were having, so he waited for one of them to say something to him.

“Sean, what are you planning on testing tonight?” Fiona asked.

“I’m not sure,” Sean said, glad the conversation was back to normal.

“Agility,” Myna suggested. “Mom used to have me train by using five points that were inset in a star.”

“Hmm, a variation on the cone drill from my world, it sounds like,” Sean said as he finished off his food. “We can do that after we finish dinner. Fiona should join me.”

“Yes, it would be good for her. I’ll work on Shaping while you two do that,” Myna said.

“Sounds like we have a plan,” Sean chuckled.

“Yes, I think we do,” Fiona said, looking at Myna, who gave a nod back.

Myna set up the points for them, laying out a pentagram. “This is the route,” Myna said as she took off running the standard pattern of the pentagram being drawn. “Any questions?” she asked after finishing the run.

“Nope,” Sean smiled. “Fiona, you want to get her started and then join me?”

“Yes,” Fiona said, leading Myna away from Sean.

Sean ran the course a couple of times while he waited, and it felt easy to him. When Fiona came over a few minutes later, he got hurriedly out of her way. “Give it a go.”

Fiona took the starting spot and started her run. Watching her, Sean could see where she slowed to make the turns. His lips compressed; he knew he had been fluid through those points as he hadn’t needed to slow to make the turns crisply.

When Fiona finished her run, she looked at Sean. “How did I do?”

“You slowed through the turns,” Sean said, “which is natural. The problem is, I‘m not sure if you slowed more than necessary or not. Take it again, but this time, don’t slow. If that means the turns end up going wider, do that.”

Lips pursed, Fiona nodded and got ready at the start. With a deep breath, she pushed off the line, running faster this time. Sean watched intently as she made her turns without slowing, noting how much wider they were. Once Fiona finished the course, she looked over at him.

“You didn’t slow,” he told her, nodding approval. “Was that the tightest you could make the turns at that speed?”

“I think so. If I try to take it tighter, I think I’ll wind up injured, and we can’t wait for me to heal,” Fiona said.

“We won’t have to,” Sean said with a smirk. “I can heal you, or you can heal you.”

“Oh, right,” Fiona coughed, looking away.

“Try it again. This time, don’t worry about hurting yourself,” Sean suggested.

“Okay,” Fiona nodded as she went back to the starting point.

The third time through the course, her turns were tighter and she didn’t reduce speed going into them. After each turn, however, Sean could see that she slowed for a single step before speeding back up. When she crossed the finish line, she bent over, panting. “That took more out of me.”

“How bad was the injury?” Sean asked, walking over to rub her back.

“Something in my knee didn’t like it,” Fiona said. “It healed up easily enough, but that took more out of me in a different way.”

“But now we know you can do that, and if things get bad, a small injury is still better than being skewered,” Sean said, continuing to rub her back as she stood upright.

“True,” Fiona said as she sighed, enjoying the back rub. “It’s your turn.”

“Fair enough,” Sean said, and took his place at the starting point.

Fiona was shaking her head in disbelief when he finished his run. “You’re inhuman,” she told him. “Your joints flexed more than I would think a joint should. You didn’t slow at all, and your turns were right next to the markers.”

“I want a try,” Myna said as she came over. “I’ve been watching, and I’ll go back to Shaping after I give it a proper run.”

Fiona nodded. “It might help if I see it run by you. Sean isn’t a good example of how it should go.”

“You have a point,” Myna said as she settled at the starting point.

When she finished, Sean was nodding. Her turns were sharper than Fiona’s, but not as sharp as his had been. Fiona confirmed that with her own comments. “Okay, I might be able to match that—one day, at least—but even then, you seem more flexible than I am.”

“I can show you the exercises my mother started me doing when I was young. I still do them today, just not as often,” Myna said.

“I’ll come over to where you’re Shaping,” Fiona said. “Sean, I don’t think the course will help you at all. Maybe you should do weapon forms to help you access the Talent in your mind more.”

Nodding, Sean went and retrieved Dark Cutter from where he had left it next to the fire. “Call it in an hour so we can get some sleep?”

“Yes,” Fiona said with a smile.

“Agreed,” Myna added.

Chapter Six

Waking with the first light of day, Sean wondered dreamily how he had come to this moment. A firm pair of breasts were pressed into his back, while a firm ass was pressed against his groin. When he realized it wasn’t a dream, he took a deep breath and tried to calm his morning wood. Sean closed his eyes and hoped that would help him focus.

He missed seeing Myna’s ears twitch from his deep breath and her eyes coming open. Feeling him pressing into her bottom, she purred contentedly as she subtly shifted her hips.

Fiona woke too, and wrapped her arm around Sean. Placing a kiss on his neck, she whispered, “Morning, Sean.”

“Morning,” Sean croaked as he felt the weight of her arm around him and the shift of the taut ass in front of him. “Please let me up.”

Myna shifted away quickly. “Morning, Sean.” Her tone was quiet, almost meek.

Fiona let go of him and sat up, looking at Myna with puzzlement. Seeing where Myna was staring, she looked over Sean’s waist and saw the obvious bulge. “I see,” Fiona murmured. “We’ll be back in a minute or two, if you want to start breakfast.”

Getting up, she corralled Myna and led the Feline Moonbound away. Sean, hearing them walk away, let out a deep breath. Good gods, can you not perv on her in your sleep, Sean? he thought to himself as he got up and went to start tea, hoping that it would help distract him from his pressing issue.

By the time the two women returned, he was still blushing, but at least he wasn’t standing at attention. Once they were back, he excused himself to go use the woods. When he got back, Fiona and Myna were chatting amiably and had food and drink waiting for him.

“Thank you both,” Sean said, taking his seat. “Do we have a plan for today?”

“Besides more walking?” Fiona asked with a light laugh.

“Besides more walking,” Sean agreed.

“We practiced Mage Sight all morning yesterday, and it was tiring,” Myna said. “If we wish to learn it as best we can, it is a good thing to practice—it would be more useful on a daily basis than Camo. Once we get to a town, that is.”

“So, we do Mage Sight in the morning,” Sean said. “In the afternoon, Fiona and I can work on Camo and scouting. We’ll trade off who stays at camp like we have been.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Fiona agreed.

“I concur,” Myna added.

Once they were done with breakfast, they packed up and started walking further west. A chilly wind began blowing from behind them and light grey clouds started moving in. Sean eyed the clouds with worry, as they didn’t have any rain gear.

The weather got colder and the wind picked up more as the day went on. When they stopped for lunch, everyone was grateful to have hot tea with the Fawntin jerky. Conversation was minimal during the meal, and as they started walking again.

“We might want to camp earlier,” Myna said, looking at the now solid grey clouds above them. “Especially if we find something that will shelter us from the weather.”

“Keep an eye out,” Fiona said as they walked. “If we can find a decently sized tree, we can probably Shape something from it.”

Another couple of hours dragged by as they kept moving. Myna finally spoke up, “What about those two trees?”

Fiona looked to where Myna was pointing. “Yes, we can make that work.”

Heading off course, the trio came to two large trees that grew closer than any others they had seen. Sean looked at them, thinking of how he could craft a shelter from them.

“Sean, if you will lend me the energy, I can do this,” Fiona said. “Myna, you should watch me with Mage Sight to see what I’m doing.”

“Okay,” Myna said, going to stand right next to Fiona.

“I’ll give you as much as you need,” Sean said. He wondered at the cold, though he didn’t feel it as sharply as the other two did.

Pulling up his own Mage Sight, Sean watched as Fiona cajoled the two trees into a roof, a floor, and walls to block off the wind. Surprised at how much energy she needed, Sean kept giving it to her. Once she was done, he made sure she was still good before he stopped the flow. The moment he shut down the exchange, his knees wobbled.

“It will be cozy, but it will keep us warm,” Fiona said, smiling as she looked back at Sean and saw him wobble. “Sean?”

“Haven’t given that much energy since we brought Myna back,” Sean said. “You just crafted a hut out of two living trees.”

Fiona blinked as she looked back at what she had done. “Oh, you’re right. I just wanted it to be warm. I wasn’t considering the cost, because I didn’t feel the strain.”

“Let’s get him inside,” Myna said, helping guide Sean into the simple ten-foot-square room. She stripped the rucksack off him and had him sit. “Do you feel okay?”

“I just got a little shaky for a second, I’m fine,” Sean said.

A strong gust of wind hit the hut, the cold air swirling around to come in the door. Fiona looked outside with a frown. “We should grab some firewood while we can.”

“You’re going to make a fire in a wood hut?” Sean asked her incredulously.

Fiona went over to the middle of the floor and Shaped a fire pit. “I just need to reinforce the edges, and it shouldn’t burn easily. Besides, it will keep the interior warmer longer.”

“No sleeping with it lit,” Myna added with a smirk.

“Of course not,” Fiona sighed. “Come on, let’s go find some wood. We have enough rations to last us for a day or four.”

Myna nodded as Fiona dropped her pack. “Sean will stay here.”

“I can go out,” Sean said, but shut his mouth as both women stared at him. “Or, I can stay here.”

Without another word, Myna and Fiona left the hut. Sean looked around, then decided to do what he could to make the hut more comfortable; including a smoke hole above the fire pit and covering the door with a blanket. He started tea brewing, then sat and wondered how much longer they would be.

Fiona and Myna came back together a little while later, carrying stacks of wood. They shivered with the sudden cold, and gratefully accepted the warm tea and blankets Sean offered. Once they were situated, he got the fire set up and going. Sitting down between them, he pulled them in close to share his warmth.

“Winter comes fast, does it?”

“Sometimes,” Fiona shivered. “It comes faster if the Winter Queen is displeased with something.”

“From what the storm looks like, she is in a very bad mood,” Myna added.

“It’s been years since I’ve seen a storm this severe come ahead of the Queen,” Fiona added.

“Well, we have a fire, we have good company, and we’ll have food once the two of you get warmed back up,” Sean said, giving each of them a squeeze at the waist.

“I’ll get it,” Myna said, starting to move.

“No, you will stay here and get warm first,” Sean said. “If you get sick, it’ll slow the whole trip down.”

“He’s right, Myna,” Fiona added.

“I understand,” Myna said, settling against his side again. “Will you tell us more of your old world while we warm up?”

Sean gave her a smile. “Sure. I’ll tell you the story I had started to tell Fiona, about my friend James.”

Fiona frowned. “Yes, you never finished that story.”

“Yeah,” Sean agreed. “I’ll start from the beginning, though, for Myna.”

“I wish to hear it,” Myna said.

“Okay. It starts with James and me at a bar,” Sean said, thinking back to the night James had gotten them both rejected by the bartender, “neither of us were big on drinking, but we wanted to play some pool...”

Telling the story, his voice softened for a moment when he got to the point he had stopped telling it before and Fiona shuddered, obviously thinking of Oakwood. Rubbing her arm, he continued the story, making them smile with his description of how James had tried to get the bartender to hit on Sean.

By the end of the story, Myna was giggling outright. “That pretty much sums up James. He can be such a nut,” Sean chuckled.

“It was funny,” Myna said from where she leaned against Sean.

“Yes, it was,” Fiona said, her body pressed against his other flank.

“I should grab us some food,” Sean said, finally becoming aware of the two beautiful women all but laying on him.

Both women eased away, so Sean was able to get the last of their bread and some of the smoked meat from a pack. He started a new pot of tea, then went right back to sharing warmth and blankets with Fiona and Myna. They ate in silence as the storm blew outside.

A hard gust of wind forced a little smoke back down into the hut from the smoke hole. “Good thing it's only gusting that hard,” Sean muttered.

“Yes. I don’t think it will snow, not yet at least,” Fiona murmured as she rested her head against his shoulder. “Even if it did, we’ll be fine—we have enough warmth to share.”

“Yes,” Myna added from where she rubbed her head against Sean’s other side. “Very warm and comfortable.”

“Ladies?” Sean asked, his cheeks heating.

“We’ve agreed that we can share you,” Fiona said softly. “Myna will win you over in time. That is inevitable. Currently, I am only going to be with you for ten years. Myna asked me what I intended to do at the end of those years.”

Silence stretched out for a moment before Sean filled it, “What do you plan?”

“I thought of extending our time together in a number of ways, but any of those require your approval.”

“I know you love Fiona, and it would sadden me to think that you might lose that love,” Myna added from his other side. “One can never have too much love in their life. My mother firmly believed that, and I do as well.”

Brow furrowing, Sean shook his head. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”

“I think you, me, and Fiona can come to an arrangement where none of us is unhappy,” Myna replied. “It will take some work and understanding, but I know it can be done. My grandfather had five wives by the time he died.”

Blinking, Sean’s jaw dropped and his mind raced. Five wives? What would I do with five women…? He shook his head, trying to clear it. He didn’t want five women, he wanted Fiona.

“Myna, I don’t feel like that about you,” Sean said.

“You will,” Fiona said softly. “It’s inevitable, Sean.”

“I won’t hurt you, Fiona,” Sean said firmly.

“You asked what I was going to do. I’m going to ask for something I never thought I would ask for,” Fiona’s voice shook slightly, her nervousness evident. “Will you Life Bond me?”

Eyes popping wide, Sean shook his head. “What? Why?”

“It’s only been a tenday.” Fiona replied. “Yet, in that time, I’ve grown to love you and am willing to spend the rest of my days with you. Sean, from the moment I met you, you picked me up and tried to show me my worth. You’ve changed my view of myself. I want to repay that. More than that, I want to be with you. Myna will eventually have your love. I want an equal share of that love, without the worry that it will be lost.”

“Having her as a Life Bonded will also help with her Shame in a way,” Myna added. “Fiona’s Shame precludes her from being able to do a lot of things on her own. Many won’t take her wares, because they fear angering the Queen. If she is Life Bonded, they would be getting their wares from her owner, which is different.”

“Wouldn’t being Life Bonded make her even more of an outcast?” Sean asked.

“In a way, yes,” Fiona said, turning his head so his eyes met hers. “Your love will help me, though, no matter how much others spurn me.”

“I just don’t know if this is a good idea,” Sean said.

“Do you love me?” Fiona asked, keeping his eyes trapped with hers.

“Yes.” Sean knew he did.

“Then accept this,” Fiona said as she kissed him.

When the kiss ended, she was panting, her face flushed. “I, Fiona Mithrilsoul, Life Bond myself to Sean MacDougal. I pray he will never send me from his side, and give me an equal amount of love as his other Life Bonded.”

Sean blinked as he felt her energy reach through her hand to his face, gently probing. “Errr…”

“Accept her offer, Sean,” Myna said softly from behind him. “The two of us will be with you for all time. We will be your arms, your blades, and your lovers. Whatever you would have of us, we will do, but we wish to be equal in our love of you.”

Fiona nodded, her eyes pleading with him. Taking a deep breath, Sean nodded, “I accept your Life Bonding pledge, Fiona Mithrilsoul.” He embraced Fiona, and the warmth of her entered him and mingled with his soul, before rushing through his arms and into her.

Myna nodded. “Look at her now with your Mage Sight.”

Sean, reeling from the rush he had just felt, opened his Mage Sight to look at Fiona. The green of Fiona’s aura was now swirling with white, with thick bands of white at her wrists and neck. “Oh.”

“Yes. We are equal to each other,” Myna said as she put her arms around him, mirrored by Fiona.

“We shall not fight, at least not for your affections,” Fiona mumbled with a pleased sigh, then passed out.

“What?” Sean blinked, rolling Fiona onto her back to check on her.

“Your soul probably overloaded her,” Myna said softly. “It is rather strong. Let her sleep, and in the morning, she will be fine.” The fire was dying down, and Myna yawned as she lay down beside Fiona. “Don’t stay awake too long, Sean.”

Sitting there in the dying light of the fire, he tried to figure out what had just happened. It was hours before Sean gave up on trying to figure out how he had been maneuvered into letting another person Life Bond with him. Laying down on the other side of Fiona, he covered them all with a blanket and was soon fast asleep.

Chapter Seven

Soft voices woke Sean from a dreamless slumber. Yawning as he sat up, Sean saw Myna and Fiona conversing quietly next to a small fire. “Morning.”

“Morning, Sean. I’m sorry for worrying you when I passed out,” Fiona said.

Those words brought back what had transpired the night before. His eyes opened wider and he could clearly see the bands around her neck and wrists. “Uh… sure. I mean, it's fine.”

“He still doesn’t understand the nuances of this world,” Myna said, pouring a cup of tea and holding it out to him.

Shifting so he could grab the cup, he frowned at Myna. “Why do you say that?”

“I clearly recall the look on your face when I mentioned five wives,” Myna said, sipping her tea.

Looking away, Sean sighed, “Okay, yeah, that is well outside the norm on my old world.”

“It isn’t common here, but it’s not unheard of, either,” Myna said. “My Grandfather was Life Bonded to all of his wives, as well. That’s a more accepted practice, as it is well known that Life Bonded people develop love in time. The only ways to stop that are to never have any feelings for them in the first place, to keep the Life Bonded away from yourself, or to kill them. Actually, the second only delays the process. The only real way to stop it is to kill the Life Bonded person.”

“If I never had feelings for Myna, my Life Bond with her wouldn’t grow into love?” Sean asked.

“Yes. For instance,” Myna added, “the Queens’ guards are known to be Life Bonded, and they are never treated as anything other than property, as far as I know.”

“The most powerful nobles are like that as well,” Fiona added as she poured the last of the tea into her cup. “It’s rumored that the Queens can even break Life Bonds, theirs and others.”

Sean frowned as he thought that over. It would require yanking half of the energy from a person. He shook his head, as the idea of a person having the ability and strength to do that was staggering. “Good thing we aren’t going near them, then.”

“Once we get to town, I can show off my Bindings. People will still disparage me, but it won’t be as bad as my Shame,” Fiona said after a few minutes of silence.

“That doesn’t make much sense,” Sean told her.

“I will be viewed as property, instead of a person. Damaged property is still property, so no one will be overly harsh, as it could incur the wrath of my Bonded,” Fiona said. “They won’t treat me much better, but they will deal with me as if I were Myna, at least.”

“This world is weird,” Sean said bluntly, setting his empty cup aside. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Pushing aside the blanket curtain, he found the world lightly dusted with white. “I see it snowed.”

“Just a dusting, luckily,” Myna said from behind him. “We’ll need to move quickly to get to town; the Queen might unleash a blizzard soon.”

Sean looked at the heavy clouds above them and noted the lack of wind. “Good point. Can we make it to Pinebough any faster?”

“I have an idea, but we’ll talk when you get back,” Myna told him.

Leaving the hut, Sean wandered into the woods to find a spot to deal with nature’s call. When he came back, Myna and Fiona were sitting just inside the hut nibbling on bread, cheese, and jerky. Their packs sat nearby and they were clearly waiting for him.

“What’s the plan?” Sean asked as he took the sandwich offered to him.

“We should be coming to a river in a day or two,” Myna said. “It runs through the middle of Pinebough. We can make a raft and float down the river…” she trailed off, looking at Fiona.

“The issue with that is if there are Naiads in the water,” Fiona finished for Myna. “They will want kisses to pass.”

Sean nodded. “Fine, I can do it.”

“If they convince you—” Myna began, before Sean cut her off.

“Not an issue, their voices don’t affect me,” Sean told Myna.

“He’s right,” Fiona added. “He resisted the urge of one of the older ones in Oaklake.”

“What?” Myna asked, obviously confused.

Sean started to tell Myna how he had come to the world and how he was unusual. He continued the tale as they packed up and started walking. By the time he finished with his story, Myna was looking more at him than at their path.

“That’s my story,” Sean told her with a shrug.

“I never would have guessed. Your whole body is different?”

“My skin is normal, I think. But with the increased healing, which can be accelerated with extra energy, it patches itself up pretty quickly.”

“That explains how you’ve been able to do so much, so easily,” Myna mused. “I will never regret my choice to Bond with you, but you should make sure no one else knows about how you got here.”

“Only you and Fiona know,” Sean told her, “so it won’t be an issue.”

“Shall we try to ride the river?” Fiona asked him.

“It will take a couple of days to get there, right?” Sean asked.

“We should get there sometime tomorrow,” Myna clarified.

“We’ll figure out when we get there, then,” Sean said. “It would be faster than walking.”

The walk was mostly quiet and the overcast sky made all of them a little depressed. Fiona walked hand in hand with Sean for a while. Sean reached out and gave Myna a gentle head rub when she glanced at them.

When they finally stopped for the night, Myna sent Fiona and Sean out to hunt while she set up their camp. Once they were away from Myna, Fiona pulled Sean to a halt. “I want to tell you something, Sean.”

Seeing her nervousness, Sean pulled her into his arms. “Go ahead.”

“I’m still going to demand your attention, even with Myna around,” Fiona told him.

“That’s fine,” Sean smiled. “I’ll give you all the attention you want, my pretty Shaper.”

“This was my idea, Bonding with you like this,” Fiona said as she leaned against him. “I wanted to ask after we ran from Oakwood, but I felt you wouldn’t accept it.”

“I’m still not comfortable with the idea of Life Bonding,” Sean told her.

“But you did it,” Fiona murmured, her hands lightly stroking his back. “I never thought I would, but with you, it just feels right for some reason, like you will always be there for me.”

“I will be,” Sean said, dipping his head to claim a kiss.

The kiss lingered, then began to heat up as their tongues began to duel. With a moan, Fiona pushed Sean back into a tree, her leg rising up on his side. Grabbing her ass, Sean lifted her off the ground as the kiss continued. Turning around, he pinned her to the tree and pulled back from the kiss.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do th—” Sean began.

Fiona silenced him with another kiss as her fingers dug into his back. Sean stopped trying to argue. There was nothing dangerous nearby, and they both obviously needed some relief. Giving in to their desires, the couple engaged in a quick but vigorous fuck. Fiona tried to stay quiet, but she was still loud enough that Myna’s sharp ears caught the sound.

Myna stared into the woods, stifling a pang of jealousy. She was now on equal footing with Fiona, or as close to it as she was going to get. “He won’t do that with me. Not yet... but I can wait,” Myna murmured as she listened to Fiona’s stifled cries of pleasure.

When the two returned to camp, Myna was sitting by the fire, waiting for them with a pleasant smile on her face. “Was the hunting poor?”

Fiona nodded. “Sadly, we didn’t find any animals to bring down.”

Sean’s cheeks heated, but he just shrugged.

“I see,” Myna said. “I was waiting to start a stew, hoping you’d bring in fresher meat.” She hung the pot over the fire, then poured tea for them. “It won’t be long,” she told them, handing out tea.

“What are we practicing tonight?” Fiona asked, looking away from Myna’s smile, which hadn’t faltered even a little.

“Maybe we can spar again? One-on-one battles, with the loser sitting out for the next round,” Sean suggested.

“That sounds good,” Myna said, her smile growing wider. “How about a small wager on it?”

Fiona’s eyes sharpened at Myna’s tone. “What kind of wager?”

“The one eliminated the most has to do any one thing that the person eliminated least wishes,” Myna said, her eyes glittering.

Sean frowned, as he knew he was likely to be the one eliminated the most out of the three of them. They could easily distract him and that would break the zen state he needed for fighting. “I’m not—”

“I think this is a good idea,” Fiona smiled broadly as she cut Sean off.

Glancing from Myna to Fiona, he could feel the tension between them. Even with their promises, it seemed that they were still going to compete for his attentions. A deep sigh preceded his acceptance. “Fine.”

The soup was much better than yesterday’s. The meat was still tough, but the roots had some crunch to them and the seasoning was a bit more potent. Sean and Fiona both complimented Myna on the meal. Once they were finished, they moved off to the side and brought out their weapons.

“I’ll sit the first round out,” Sean said, as Myna and Fiona squared off against each other. He settled where he would watch them easily. “Begin.”

Myna vanished as she rushed at Fiona. “Oh, so you want it like that, do you?” Fiona snapped, stepping back and swinging her staff in a wide circle. “You won’t hide from me.”

Myna came out of Camo, her twin blades flashing through a complicated attack that walked the staff up and to the side as Fiona tried to defend herself. Grinning as she made the opening she wanted, Myna darted inside the reach of the staff.

The sound of wood hitting wood echoed in the clearing, as Myna was just able to bring one of her swords up to block one of the two Fiona suddenly had. Springing back, Myna frowned at Fiona. “During combat?”

“It’s hard to do, but I have a lot of energy right now,” Fiona chuckled. “Are you ready now?”

Myna’s face became unreadable and she bowed her head. “Yes.”

This time, Fiona came forward in a rush. Myna settled onto her back foot as she waited. Hissing as Fiona’s blades came together and a spear shot toward her, Myna batted it away and slid to the side.

The women circled each other, shutting out all outside distractions as they each looked for an opening. Sean watched them intently, an inner impulse letting him know what attack was coming just before one or the other launched it. A number of different counters to each attack presented themselves as options in his mind before the two backed away to start again.

The fight went on, neither of them willing to over-commit to any attack, lest they be caught off guard. Sean yawned, watching them as the minutes went on. Idly thinking of surprising them by launching an attack of his own, he almost missed the moment when the fight was decided.

Fiona launched an attack very similar to the flowing dance she had shown Sean almost a tenday ago. When she was transitioning to the smaller blades, having pushed Myna back, and possibly off balance, Myna stumbled. Fiona thought she had Myna finally, but the stumble was a feint and Myna came forward with a bound very much like a cat pouncing. Her blades flashed in six strikes; the first four forced Fiona’s blades out and the next two struck both thighs, eliciting grunts of pain from Fiona.

Stepping back, Myna bowed her head to Fiona, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Good fight.”

Panting herself, Fiona grunted, but bowed her head in return. “Well fought.”

Sean got to his feet as Fiona walked over. “I’ll give you a minute to catch your breath,” he told Myna.

Myna looked up when Sean stopped a few feet from her. “I will win today,” she said evenly.

Sean grinned at her. “I wouldn’t expect you to do anything less, but I’m not going to roll over.”

Myna’s eyes sparkled. “Good.”

“First person to three wins the bet,” Sean said, changing the rules slightly.

Myna paused. “Three? That’s all?”

Sean nodded. “Otherwise, we might be here all night.”

Myna snorted, “Not going to get much training in this way, either.”

Sean chuckled and bowed his head to Myna, “That’s what you think.”

Myna bowed her head in return. “It is what I know.”

Sean dropped back and held his staff in a defensive stance. “Well then, can you beat me faster than you beat Fiona?”

Myna rushed him with an eager smile on her face. Sean waited, hoping he was right about what he’d seen during the last fight. Myna came in just as she had four times previously against Fiona, and Sean countered just like he thought he should. Myna’s eyes widened as his staff slid right past her blades, thumping her chest.

Falling down as the air was driven out of her, Myna blinked in utter confusion. “Wha—?”

“You attacked with that same move four times against Fiona,” Sean told her as he held out his hand to her. “Something to keep in mind, if you know an opponent is watching you.”

Taking his hand shakily, Myna got up slowly, wheezing, “I will remember that.”

“Are you okay?” Sean asked.

“Just winded,” Myna gasped.

“Come on. Let’s get you settled, then me and Fiona can go a round,” Sean said, leading her over to where Fiona waited. “You ready?”

“Yes, and I will remember what you said to her,” Fiona gave him a sharp smile.

“Oh… damn,” Sean said.

Fiona roundly trounced him, even managing to get in close enough to blow a kiss at him from just a foot away, which pulled him out of the flow of combat. Myna lost to Fiona in the next round, but again it was a very close fight that took a while to finish. Sean approached Fiona, who was grinning and bouncing from foot to foot with trepidation.

“I’m going to beat you and win,” Fiona grinned.

Sean nodded. “That is very likely. I haven’t forgotten that trick you pulled.”

Fiona smirked. “It worked once, I bet it works again.”

“I’m a sucker for your kisses,” Sean said, settling into a defensive stance and bringing up his Mage Sight. He fought to keep the smile off his face, because now he couldn’t see Fiona’s face. “Ready when you are.”

The fight was slow to start, then Fiona exploded at him. Their staves locked up for a moment and Sean heard the kissing noise he expected. Instead of faltering like he had before, he let go of his staff with one hand, using his superior strength to keep hers at bay as he grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss. Banishing Mage Sight, he Shaped the staff in his hand into a dagger and brought it around to her back.

Gasping as the dull dagger poked her spine, Fiona realized that he’d turned her trick around on her. “Well played, Sean.”

“I learned it from you,” he told her, letting her go and forming Dark Cutter into a staff again.

Myna got to her feet slowly. “If you win this one, you win the contest.”

“Yup,” Sean said with a grin. “I know you’ll do your best to stop that, though.”

Myna bowed her head. “I will never willingly throw a fight.”

“Good,” Sean said as he fell into his defensive stance. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Myna said.

Sean held his stance, waiting, as Myna stared at him unmoving. “Well, come on,” Sean said.

Myna vanished and Sean pulled up Mage Sight. He got it up to find her still in the same spot. He was about to speak when he felt something hit his chest hard, bouncing off and eliciting a grunt from him. Dropping Mage Sight, he saw Myna smiling at him, and one of her two wooden blades at his feet.

Fiona was laughing and clapping, “The point hit you right over the heart.”

Sean grunted again, annoyed to have been tricked. Picking up the blade, he walked over to Myna and extended it to her. “That’s a win. I didn’t expect it at all.”

“I had hoped to use it against Fiona,” Myna told him. “But I couldn’t risk losing to you.”

“Good luck,” Sean told her and went to take a seat.

Fiona gave him a kiss as he passed. “I’ll win this.”

“Whoever wins, the other has three losses,” Sean said. “It will be interesting to see what the winner has the loser do.”

Both women looked at him, then at each other. “He played us,” Fiona said.

Grinning broadly, Sean began laughing. “So it seems. We were each so intent on being the winner we didn’t see what he was playing for,” Myna said, nodding.

“Shall we?” Fiona asked.

Myna’s grin broadened. “Yes.”

Sean was wiping tears from his eyes when the two women charged him. He shouted in surprise as he swatted away their weapons with his bare hands. “What the hell?”

“We decided that you lose,” Fiona said as she dropped her staff and grabbed his right arm.

“And we win,” Myna said, dropping her blades and grabbing his other arm.

“This isn’t right,” Sean protested, as the women used their bodies to pin his arms to the ground.

“I would say we both win, and Sean’s the loser. Do you agree, Myna?” Fiona asked.

“I agree, Fiona,” Myna grinned back.

“I think you both lose,” Sean said, flexing his arms with all his strength. Both women came off the ground and slammed into each other over his chest, then dropped on top of him. “I win,” Sean laughed.

All three of them began to laugh as they lay in a pile. Eventually, their laughter tapered off and the women looked at him with speculative gazes. Sean felt a moment of trepidation. “What?”

“You won, and we both lost, which means you won the bet,” Fiona said.

“I concur,” Myna nodded.

Sean had immediate ideas about what he could order two beautiful women to do. Shutting the door on those notions, he got to his feet and helped them up. “Anything?”

“Yes,” they both said.

“Good. We’ll get ready for bed first,” Sean said, buying time.

The women eagerly got everything ready for bed. When Sean went to lay down, they tried to lay on either side of him. “Stop. Myna, lay down on the other side of Fiona,” Sean said.

The moment of hurt in Myna’s eyes caused Sean to almost change his mind, but he didn’t. Once they were settled, he sighed once. “Okay, I won. Each of you, kiss each other goodnight, and cuddle each other all night.”

“What?” Fiona said, clearly not having expected his idea.

“If that is what you want,” Myna said after a moment.

“Myna, he didn—” Fiona began, but was cut off as Myna leaned in and kissed her.

“Goodnight, Fiona. I’m glad we are equals,” Myna said.

“Goodnight,” Fiona replied, clearly confused.

“Goodnight,” Sean added as he closed his eyes.

Chapter Eight

A soft footfall, close at hand, brought Sean awake. He reacted before he was fully aware, lashing out with Dark Cutter. It connected and something yelped, which was enough to wake Fiona and Myna.

Sean rolled to his feet and brought the staff up. In the little bit of light from the sliver of white moon and the light of dawn not far off, he saw the Red-eye that had drawn back from him. With a howl that was answered from all around them, the Red-eye lowered itself to the ground and snarled at Sean.

Fiona and Myna were on their feet with weapons in hand, going back to back to back with Sean. “How many?”

“I heard at least six,” Myna told Fiona.

“Plus this one,” Sean said, turning Dark Cutter into a spear. “Spears to start, Fiona. Myna, can you Camo and get the drop on any?”

“They have us surrounded, so not likely,” Myna added. “I will do what I can to support you both.”

The snarling Red-eye crept forward a pace, still out of range of the spear. More snarls could be heard, along with Fiona counting behind Sean.

“I see seven,” Fiona said.

“Add two before me, out of your line of sight,” Myna said.

“And this one makes ten,” Sean said. “Stay close, make them come in. They should try to wolfpack us. Don’t get separated.”

“I’m the weak link—I don’t have a reach weapon,” Myna added. “They’ll focus on me once they realize how much closer they can get.”

“Taking minor wounds isn’t an issue,” Sean said. “If they do get in, just protect your vitals. I don’t want to have to bring you back a second time.”

“Understood.”

“Sean, is waiting for them the best idea?” Fiona asked, her spear making small figure eights as she tried to keep an eye on all the ones she could see.

“Better than getting separated and being mobbed,” Sean replied.

With a short howl, the Red-eye before Sean leapt. Time slowed like it had for him before, and he hoped the women could also use the effect. Choosing the direct path, Sean lunged, not bothering to sidestep as he planted the spear directly into the chest of the Red-eye. Dark Cutter cut through the beast like butter, punching straight through its heart. Stepping back, Sean yanked the spear loose and turned his attention to Fiona, who had more of them coming at her.

Fiona had changed her spear into a glaive, sweeping the wooden blade back and forth to deter an attack. The howl behind her prompted the seven she faced to charge. Fiona lashed out, slamming the blade into the shoulder of one, knocking it into the path of two more and slowing them. Swinging the blade around, she managed to impale a second one, using its momentum to do the work for her. Before she could do more, the other three got inside the length of the weapon. Shaping it down to two swords, she was about to strike out when Sean pinned one to the ground. “Thank you,” Fiona said as she fought defensively, trying to keep the teeth away from her.

Sean grunted as he pulled the spear free, then focused on the two unwounded beasts that had been delayed. They came in tandem, and Sean followed his impulse to Shape Dark Cutter into twin swords. The Red-eyes separated, just beyond a spear’s reach, then leapt from two angles. He waited, timing his thrusts to skewer both of them, but they still managed to bite his arms as they died.

Fiona hissed in pain as one of the Red-eyes managed to sink its teeth into her leg. She cut at the second one, but didn’t have the angle or strength to pierce its hide. Dragged down, she frantically tried to keep the teeth of the second Red-eye away from her neck.

Myna waited for the two that were facing her to come forward. She hunched down, making herself smaller, so the Red-eyes didn’t have a good idea of what her reach might be. But with only her two short blades as weapons, she was at a severe disadvantage.

Just as they got into her range, she focused solely on one. She knew that she would be bitten by the other, but was willing to take the trade. Using one blade to make the Red-eye jerk its head up, she slammed her second blade into its neck. The Red-eye she’d ignored clamped down on her thigh, yanking her to the ground and savaging her leg.

Sean spun to help Fiona, his blades fusing together into a spear again. Jabbing down, he went through the heart of the beast on Fiona’s leg. That got the attention of the other one, which stopped trying to bite Fiona and leapt backwards, baring its fangs at Sean. “Wrong move,” Sean said.

Fiona gasped as she felt the lacerations in her leg healing. “Myna needs help.”

Eyes flicking to Myna, Sean saw her fighting with a Red-eye that was mauling her leg. “Fucking monsters,” Sean snarled. Jumping over Fiona, he brought the spear around, the blade shifting to a halberd.

The Red-eye drew back, but not far enough, as the halberd went through the creature’s neck. Without stopping, Sean Shaped the weapon back into a spear, thrusting into the back of the Red-eye attacking Myna. The creature went limp as Dark Cutter punched through its spine.

Going to a knee beside Myna, who had clamped both hands to her leg, Sean poured more energy into her to accelerate the healing. Myna’s gasping whimper let him know he was right on the edge of overloading her, but he waited for the blood to stop flowing before he backed it off to a lower level of intensity.

A pained whimper came from the Red-eye Fiona had hit first, as it got to its three good legs and limped toward the trees. Sean, seeing the beast try to flee, pulled back his arm and launched Dark Cutter at it. The weapon formed into a javelin just before it left his hand, almost without any need for thought on his part. Lodging firmly into the last Red-eye, the weapon siphoned what energy it could from the beast.

Fiona got to her feet carefully, her wounds healing slowly. “Maybe we should sleep in the trees, after all.”

Sean snorted, “Moot point if we make it to the river today. Are you two okay?”

“Healing. I’ll be fine,” Fiona replied.

“I’m okay, thanks to you. We should skin these,” Myna said as she sat up. “The hides will fetch us some coin at Pinebough, though we can probably skip trying to deal with the meat.”

Sean looked at where the sun was just breaking the horizon. “Let’s get to work, then.”

It took them some time, but they finally got the skins off and cleaned. Makeshift sandwiches in one hand and cups of tea in the other, they ate breakfast on the move, since they’d gotten such a late start already.

“I didn’t think a pack of ten Red-eyes was a normal thing,” Sean said around a mouthful of food.

Myna shook her head. “Not around a settlement, but we are a few days out, so maybe it is more natural out here.”

“I hope that is the case,” Fiona muttered. “There is a rumor though…”

“A rumor?” Sean asked.

“Sometimes, nobles will put together hunting parties and head into the wilds. I recall a rumor from one of the nobles I used to work for that a powerful Canine Moonbound can force Red-eyes to become part of its pack.”

“Because either by themselves isn’t enough,” Sean snorted. “I really hope that isn’t true.”

“As do I,” Fiona agreed.

Myna’s lips were pursed in thought. “My grandmother once said something like that, now that I think about it. Before she met and fell in love with my grandfather, her clan was involved in a territory dispute with a pack of Canine Moonbound. She mentioned the Red-eyes helping the Canines during that dispute.”

“We encountered a displaced Canine Moonbound…” Sean said, not liking his sudden train of thought.

“And we just dispatched a vocal set of Red-eyes,” Fiona added.

“We should hurry,” Myna said, and began to jog.

“Agreed,” the other two said as they kept pace with her.

Myna kept them jogging or walking, changing the pace at regular intervals over the next few hours. Sean could have kept jogging, but he saw the strain on Fiona’s face and, after a bit, on Myna’s face as well.

They hadn’t heard any sounds of pursuit, so they were starting to think that maybe they were being paranoid when the faintest of howls drifted from behind them. All three turned their heads to look behind them, then their eyes met briefly.

“Come here,” Sean said, grabbing Fiona and Myna with an arm around each of them. “Time for another test.”

Myna and Fiona were puzzled until Sean began to run. Grabbing on to him as they bounced along, they were both shocked at how easily he carried them and all their gear while he ran. Hanging on to him, the two women exchanged a glance, knowing that it very well might take both of them to help him in some regards.

Sean, oblivious to the women’s looks, ran on. At the start, he carried them with little difficulty, but as he ran, his arms began to feel the strain a little at a time and his breath was starting to become more labored than it had been all day.

Another howl, just as faint, came from behind them, which spurred Sean to run even faster. He wanted to keep them all safe and a pack of Canine Moonbound might be too much, even with all of his gods-given gifts.

Sean had to slow down finally, so he set Fiona and Myna down. “Stay close,” he panted as they kept walking. “I’ll let you know when I can run more.”

“Okay.”

“Understood.”

They walked as quickly as Sean could manage while he tried to catch his breath. Another howl went up, still distant enough to make Sean happy he had run with them. “I hope the river isn’t far,” he said.

“I have no idea how far it is, I’ve never travelled so fast,” Myna said.

Once he felt like he could run again, he picked them both back up in his arms, this time having them sit on his forearms with their arms around his neck. “Okay, let’s go…” A howl, closer, but still distant, reached them and Sean took off like a rocket. “Might have walked too long.”

“That’s Canine Moonbound, not Red-eyes,” Myna said as he ran. “The pitch is much deeper—it might be their alpha.”

“Why would their alpha be leading the tracking effort?” Fiona asked.

“If he found the body of the Canine we killed, it could have caused him to set the Red-eyes on us. Then he finds them dead... he’s likely pissed,” Myna replied. “The whole pack is probably after us now.”

Sean thought he was giving everything before, but Myna’s words caused him to speed up. Have to run faster, he thought, managing as best he could with his arms stationary.

He ran on and on, ignoring the burning in his arms and lungs, focused on finding the river. The pounding of his pulse in his ears stopped him from hearing the rushing water, but Myna and Fiona heard it.

“It’s close,” Myna said, looking up at the sky to see the sun near its peak.

Sean nodded. He slowed and set them down, stumbling a bit as he kept walking. “Can’t… run…”

Fiona rubbed his back, walking beside him as he gulped air. “We’ll be fine. Now we just need to make a raft.”

“The river,” Myna said from ahead of them.

Sean looked at the broad, fast-flowing river. “Glad we’re not trying to cross it,” he told them as he finished catching his breath.

“I need two trees,” Fiona said.

Sean pulled Dark Cutter from his belt, Shaping it back into its original axe form and went to a tree that grew close to the river. “Step away from the bank, I want to drop it close,” Sean told them as he marked his targets with the edge of the axe.

Once they were out of the way, Sean quickly felled the first tree, dropping it near where he wanted. He waved Fiona back as he went to the next tree and began to chop it down.

Fiona and Myna went to the trees, Fiona explaining to Myna what she needed help with. Sean watched the two of them work, seeing how they seemed to be Shaping the limbs into the logs. Sean went to help Myna with her tree, and together, they finished at the same time Fiona did.

“Okay, I need them touching,” Fiona said.

Sean knelt down and rolled the logs together, making both women shake their heads at the casual display of strength. “Shaping them into a single piece, and then into the raft?” Sean asked.

“Yes, but I’m going to make a boat. It won’t take any longer. If you two can start connecting them, I’ll follow behind and Shape it,” Fiona said. Another howl, much closer, came from the forest.

Myna and Sean focused on Shaping the two trees into a single, much larger log. Sean kept looking back at Fiona as she worked behind them when he noticed Myna was pale and shaky.

“You okay?”

“Used too much,” Myna said, before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed on the ground.

Sean rushed to her. Her pulse and breathing were okay, so he turned his Mage Sight on and found her normal brightness dimmed. Feeding her more of his energy, he felt her stir in his arms. He banished Mage Sight just in time to see Myna’s eyes flutter open. “Welcome back. No more work for you until you sleep.”

“Understood,” Myna said weakly. “You should help Fiona.”

“I will,” Sean rubbed Myna’s head for a moment before settling her on the ground.

Fiona was working on the end of the boat when Sean joined her and fed her more energy, as she seemed to be slowing. “Thank you,” Fiona said, keeping her focus on the boat she was making.

Another howl, much closer than the others, rose up from the forest. Sean went back to Myna. “Let’s get you in the boat.”

“I can walk,” Myna said, then put her arms around his neck as he scooped her up.

Fiona looked up in time to see Sean place Myna into the boat. “Is she okay?”

“I used too much energy,” Myna replied. “I can walk, but he picked me up before I could object.”

Dropping the rucksack into the boat, Sean went back to grab the other bag that Fiona had put aside. “Get in,” Sean told Fiona. “I’ll get the boat into the water, then join you.”

Nodding, Fiona did as he said. She picked up the oars and rudder she had made earlier, ready to get them into place. Luckily for Sean, it was a flat bottomed boat, so he was able to shove it into the water easily. As it cleared the bank, he stepped into it and took a seat at the back. “That is that,” Sean exhaled.

“Behind us,” Fiona said, looking over his shoulder as she extended the rudder.

Sean looked back at the forest while he Shaped the rudder into place. A dozen Canine Moonbound had just come to a stop, panting heavily. Sean’s eyes were drawn to the largest member of the pack, and he realized it was the alpha as their eyes met.

The alpha inhaled deeply, raising his snout in their direction, then let out a deep howl that was slowly picked up by cries in all directions. When the howl ended, the alpha sneered at them and turned back to the forest.

“What was that?” Fiona asked.

“I think it was a declaration of war,” Myna said.

Sean frowned, as he knew what else the howl indicated but not how he knew it. “He was telling the others that we’re going down river. If we try to get off the boat, we’ll likely find other Canine Moonbound waiting for us.” Both women looked at Sean with speculation in their eyes. Sean just shrugged. “No idea, that’s just what I got out of the howl.”

“We can ride the river all the way to Pinebough,” Fiona said.

“Probably for the best,” Myna agreed. “It will be a day or two, and we’ll need to look for a branch that goes more toward the west.”

“Get some sleep. Fiona and I will stay up for a while. When you wake, one of us will get some sleep.”

“Understood,” Myna said as she pulled a blanket from the rucksack and was soon fast asleep.

Chapter Nine

The trip down the river was less than pleasant for them. Fiona and Myna stayed huddled under blankets as the weather continued to get colder. They all saw Canine Moonbound along the banks, watching them as they passed.

Sean had a moment of embarrassment when he had to use the bathroom. Neither of the girls seemed to care about being seen, but Sean was a little more reserved—something else that set him apart as an Outsider.

Almost two days of letting the current carry them eventually brought them to a spot where a stream split off to the west. “This should be what we’re looking for,” Myna said.

Sean guided them toward the smaller waterway in the early morning light. “You sure?”

“No, but I know that Pinebough is not on the main Ungult River. It’s along a smaller offshoot. We should only be a few hours away now,” Myna replied.

“I’ll be glad when we get there. I could use a fire,” Fiona said from under her blanket and pile of furs.

“I could, too,” Myna admitted. “Winter is coming fast this year.”

Sean stayed quiet. He knew it was cold—a slight chill had settled over even him—but he still felt warm in just his clothing. Myna and Fiona offered the furs to him, but Sean declined. “I’m warm enough, but you two are shivering. You should keep them,” he said.

“Myna, if you’ll take the rudder, I’ll finally put the oars to use and try to get us there quicker,” Sean suggested.

“I’ll take it,” Fiona said, moving to the back of the boat. “She’s been on lookout for most of today.”

“Thank you, Fiona,” Myna said as she huddled deeper into her pile of furs.

Seeing them share the load equally made Sean smile as he took the seat in the middle of the boat and got the oars out. After the first two strokes, he could feel the boat moving faster, but on the third stroke Fiona shook her head.

“Slower, Sean,” Fiona said quickly.

“Okay.” Sean pulled the oars slower on the stroke, watching Fiona.

“That’s good,” Fiona said. “You were making the water crest at the front.”

“Less than half, then,” Sean mumbled, settling in to the comparatively lazy rhythm.

Sean fell into a zen sort of state, pulling steadily on the oars while he watched Fiona. Fiona watched the river ahead of them, her hand on the rudder. It wasn’t until Fiona spoke up a little over an hour later that he snapped out of it.

“Smoke ahead,” Fiona said. “I think we’re getting closer.”

Myna stirred. “The stream should bend a few times just before the village. Sean, you might want to stop rowing now to make it easier for us to make the bends.”

Sean stowed the oars and moved back to take the rudder from Fiona. “Go ahead and hunker down, I’ll get us there.”

Fiona nodded, but instead of moving, she put her arms around him and pulled the blanket over both of them. “A little extra warmth will help.”

Sean gave her a kiss. “Only a little, I need to be able to steer.”

Fiona snuggled against him, glad he had sat where she could cuddle him. Sean put his arm around her as he guided the boat. He let the moment stretch, happy to have her beside him.

The smoke got closer as he guided their boat around a couple of bends. The woods gave way to fields that came right down to the banks of the stream. A person in one of the fields stared at them in puzzlement as the boat floated past.

Sean gave the man a friendly wave as they drifted by. It wasn’t long after that that the village came into sight around the next curve of the stream, having been hidden by an orchard. A set of bars blocked the stream where it flowed into the village, stopping the boat and getting the attention of the guard on the gate.

“Hey, what are you doing?” the guard called out as he came toward them.

Sean picked up the oars and rowed them to the bank. The last two strokes were hard, to drive the boat up onto the land. “Hopefully finding an inn,” Sean replied as he motioned the women off the boat. “Anyone in the area willing to buy a new boat?”

The guard slowed, taken aback by the travelers’ attitude. “Who are you, and where did you come from?” the guard said, trying to put the conversation back on track.

“Travelers, and up river,” Sean said, tossing their bags out of the boat. The big one made a loud thud as it landed. Finally climbing out himself, he dragged the boat out of the water. “So, about my question—know anyone who wants to buy a boat?”

“Old man Johnson… wait, that isn’t the question here,” the guard said, clearly no longer in control of the conversation.

“Where can we find him?” Fiona asked, seeing the guard lose his ability to control the situation.

“On the other side of the village, but that isn’t the—” the guard again tried to get ahold of the situation.

“Thank you,” Sean said as he strapped the large bag to his back. “It was very kind of you to help us out.” He bent down and hefted the boat up over his shoulders so it covered his back. It barely cleared the ground, even towering over him as it did.

The guard blinked as he watched Sean lift the boat. “I’m… sorry, sir,” the guard stammered. “I didn’t know one of your standing would be here,” his eyes flicked to Myna and Fiona.

Sean gave the guard a blank expression. “Should I have made reservations?”

“No, of course not, sir,” the guard said quickly, backing away. “I can call for a wagon if you need.”

“Thank you,” Myna said softly, “he would appreciate that.”

“Right away,” the guard said and stumbled away.

“So much for staying under the radar,” Sean sighed.

“It’s too late for that here,” Fiona said. “You picked up a full-sized boat. That isn’t normal. He probably thinks you’re connected to a noble, or are a minor noble yourself. You’re also ignoring the chill, which would make him think you’re with Winter, who is now in power in this area.”

“We should move on tomorrow, or the day after,” Myna suggested.

Sean set the boat down so as to not draw even more attention. “A good idea, but we should grab everything we need here. So the day after tomorrow works, unless something else goes wrong.”

“Sir,” the guard called out as three men came out of the village, trundling a cart after them, “these men will take you to the right place.”

“Thank you,” Fiona said softly, still wrapped in her blanket. “We will make sure you are paid accordingly. If you would be so kind.” Fiona lightly nudged Sean, murmuring under her breath, “They’ll take the bag as well.”

Sean dropped the rucksack and his bag and stepped aside, trying for aloof. Myna stepped forward, picking up the bag with both hands and holding it out to the men. “We’ll go once you have everything on the cart.”

“Glad to be of service,” one of the men said as he stepped forward to take the bag, his eyes widening as he switched to a two handed grip since the bag was heavier than he’d anticipated. “Grab the boat,” he told the other two as he took the bag to the cart.

The other two went to the boat and tried to lift it. They grunted, but only got it a few inches off the ground before dropping it. The men huffed as they looked to the cart, then back at the boat. “Alvin, the cart won’t hold it,” one of the two said.

“He,” Alvin said, hooking a thumb at the guard, “said that it was picked up and carried by a single guy.”

Fiona approached the cart. “May I check your cart? I can probably strengthen the frame.”

Alvin eyed her. “Shaper?”

“In my own small way,” Fiona said, downplaying her worth.

“The handle up here has a crack in it,” Alvin said, motioning her toward the front of the cart.

Fiona looked at the cracked handle and extended her hand. A moment later, the crack was gone and the handle looked like new. “Does this assuage your fears?”

Alvin nodded slowly. “Yes. I apologize for my doubt. Please, if you can make sure the cart can carry the boat, we will get it to the right place.”

Fiona began to carefully Shape the cart into better condition, careful to keep her left side hidden by the blanket she still wore. Myna came over and helped, getting under the cart to reach the places underneath. It only took them a handful of minutes, and when they were finished, the cart looked like it was brand new.

“I think that’s payment enough,” Sean said coldly.

All three men turned to look at Sean, then back to the cart, before bowing to him. “Indeed, sir. More than enough. If there is other work you need during your stay, we will be happy to help you,” Alvin said on behalf of the men.

“Can we get going? I wish to see the inside of an inn before nightfall,” Sean added, motioning the women to him.

“Of course,” Alvin said as the three men went to pick up the boat.

“You’re playing the part well,” Fiona whispered as she stood next to Sean.

The three laborers moved the cart right next to the boat to make it easier for them to load the heavy vessel. It was still a strain for them to get it up and onto the cart, and all three were red-faced and puffing by the time they managed it.

“Myna, go and find an inn for us. Arrange whatever they think is their best room,” Sean said, not really liking the whole imperious owner role he was playing.

“Sir,” Alvin panted, “we’ll be going past the only inn in Pinebough on the way.”

“Ah, that’s good. Myna, no need to run ahead,” Sean said. “We’ll follow the men.”

Nodding, Alvin and his two friends got the cart moving slowly. The load was among the heaviest they had dealt with, but with the cart in new condition, they were able to manage it. All three men shared a glance, knowing that their cart, before it had been fixed, would never have handled the load.

Sean did his best to ignore the stares they received as he, Myna, and Fiona walked behind the cart. Myna and Fiona appeared unconcerned and held their heads high, showing off their Life Bond markings.

The cart slowed a little as they neared the largest building in the village. “The Restful Slumber, sir,” Alvin called back over his shoulder.

“We need the bags from the cart,” Sean said.

Bringing the cart to a halt, the three men shifted the boat enough for their bags to be hauled out. Alvin grunted as he lifted the rucksack out of the back and set it down. Myna went over to claim the bags, strapping the rucksack to her back and carrying the other bag in her arms.

“I will have a room waiting for you,” Myna said, bowing her head to Sean before waddling into the inn.

All three men watched her go, then Sean cleared his throat. “We have somewhere to be,” Sean said firmly.

“Right,” Alvin said quickly as they got the cart moving again.

Fiona whispered, “I didn’t know this side of you existed.”

“I don’t care for it,” Sean replied back, just as softly. “I’m not the pompous sort. James could do this better than me.”

“You’re doing fine,” Fiona said, her hand twitching toward him before falling back against her side. “Let me handle the haggling when we get there.”

“I figured it would be better that way,” Sean gave her a slight smile.

Crossing the village took longer than Sean would have expected. Pinebough was more spread out than Oakwood would have been, if it had survived. Every home had a large garden, and all of them looked well-tended. Sean wasn’t sure how many people lived in the town, but he figured there were at least a hundred.

They went through another gate and came to a single home near a dock. Sean counted five fishing boats on the water, with at least two men in each boat. Alvin and his men got the cart stopped just outside the house.

“Old man, you in?” Alvin shouted into the open doorway.

A wiry, bald, very wrinkled man came hobbling out. “Of course I’m home, fool,” Johnson snapped. “Why are you lot down here? The fish won’t be ready for hours yet.”

“This man would like to sell you his boat,” Alvin said quickly.

Johnson eyed the boat on the cart, then looked at Sean. “This your boat?”

“Made by my Bonded,” Sean said flatly, “so, yes.”

Johnson looked at the boat, then at the cart it rested on. “Fixed the cart, too?”

“Yes,” Sean’s monosyllabic answer was just as flat.

“I’ll buy it, if it’s the same quality Shaping,” Johnson said, running a hand over the boat. “A little too flat bottomed, but it’ll have uses even so. I’ll give you ten bronze—”

Fiona laughed, “You insult the level of Shaping involved.”

Johnson looked from Sean to Fiona, then back. “No insult was intended. We’re a small village and don’t have a lot of coin to throw about. I can raise it to thirty bronze.”

“That boat is worth at least a handful of silver, as we both know,” Fiona sniffed, “but this is a backwater village, so we’ll ask for two silver.”

Johnson sucked at his teeth in thought, then shook his head. “I can’t. Even if one of the Queens crafted it, that is more than I can do. A single silver is the extent of the coin I can part with.”

Fiona looked at Sean, who gave her a small nod. Turning back, Fiona gave Johnson a tight smile. “We will accept the silver, if you will provide a few salted fish when we leave.”

Johnson held out his hand. “We have us a deal.”

Fiona looked at the hand with a faint smile, but didn’t take it. “Indeed, we do.”

Johnson pulled his hand back and looked hard at Fiona. “I see. I didn’t think he was among their ranks. The way things have gone, I might have come closer to pain than I had anticipated.” Turning to Sean, Johnson bowed his head. “I meant no insults, sir, I was just doing the best I could for the village.”

“I accept the apology,” Sean replied simply, looking around bored. “I know that sometimes things are... rougher out on the edges.”

A relieved breath escaped Johnson. “Indeed they are, sir. Let me go grab that coin for you.” He hurried back inside as Alvin and his men took the cart to the dock and got the boat into the water. Alvin fell in, and climbed out of the stream dripping wet, shivering and sneezing.

Johnson muttered a curse under his breath when he came out and caught sight of Alvin. “Braindead fish.” Handing a bag of coins to Fiona, he turned his attention to Alvin. “Get inside before you catch your death, idiot. You two might as well go with him. I’ll make some tea for him, and we can have some wine.”

With the coin in hand, Fiona gave Sean a smile. “Master, Myna will have the inn ready for you by now.”

“I could use a drink,” Sean said, turning and walking back toward town. Fiona caught up to him within a few steps.

“Bath, food, and bed?” Fiona asked softly.

“That sounds delightful,” Sean told her. He kept his hand at his side, staying in his role, even though he wanted to put it around her waist.

Chapter Ten

There weren’t any patrons in the main room when Sean and Fiona went in. The bartender stood up straighter as they approached him. “Sir, are you with the Moonbound?” The bartender’s voice was respectful.

“She is mine,” Sean said stiffly, “is that an issue?”

“No! No, of course not, sir,” the bartender said. “The two best rooms we have have been set aside for you.” Slapping a bell on the counter, the bartender gave him a tight smile as a maid came scurrying out of the back. “Show them to their rooms.”

“He requires food,” Fiona said.

“It has all been arranged, as well as the bathing room being set aside for your personal use. I’ll have the water heated and waiting in an hour,” the bartender said quickly.

“Good,” Sean said as he started for the stairs, forcing the maid to scuttle to get ahead of him.

“Thank you,” Fiona told the bartender as she followed Sean.

Sean stayed quiet as the maid led them up two sets of stairs to the top floor. The maid took them down a hall, pausing to open one door. “This is your room, sir,” the maid said. She knocked on the next door down, and when Myna called out permission to enter, the maid opened the second door. “This room is for your Bonded.”

Nodding, Sean walked past her into his room and closed the door behind him. Fiona watched him go, then gave the maid a tight smile. “He has had a trying day. I suggest you stay away, unless you wish to be viewed as an outlet,” her voice was full of concern.

“Thank you, miss,” the maid said and hurried away.

Myna was unpacking their bags when Fiona closed the door behind her. “I forgot what it was like to be in the upper echelon, or around them,” Fiona murmured with a disgusted look.

“I was having a difficult time with it,” Myna said. “I’ve never dealt with them, so I just acted like the world was his and I was merely his tool.”

“That is the correct way to act,” Fiona said, opening their door at a light knock to see Sean. “Can we help you, Master?”

Sean’s nostrils flared and he ground his teeth together. He stepped into the room without answering and closed the door behind him. “I don’t care for that word.”

“This cover is your doing, Sean,” Fiona said softly as she put her arms around him, “and we’re stuck with it now. Luckily, you can stay in the rooms. Myna and I can do all the shopping needed, we should anyway.”

“I want a bath,” Sean murmured as he put his arms around her, “some food,” he added as he dipped his head and kissed her lightly, “and you,” he finished after breaking the kiss.

“I got two rooms for that reason,” Myna said softly, keeping her eyes off them and trying to quash the pang of jealousy she felt. “I figured you would want some privacy. I wasn’t sure if a noble would want a separate room for his Bonded, or if he would just have them sleep at the foot of his bed.”

“Depends on the noble,” Fiona replied, disengaging herself from Sean. “I’ll restrain myself until later, Myna. I’m sorry.”

Myna shook her head, still facing away from them, her voice tight, “No, you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Myna,” Sean said softly, “you’re going to be bathing with us?”

Myna shivered, but nodded. “As you wish, Master.”

“Myna—” Sean cut off as a knock came at the door.

“Your food,” a voice said from the hall.

Fiona leaned in to Sean and whispered, “I want you to act upset that the food took so long to get here.”

Sean pulled back from her, puzzled, but gave her a nod. “Well, hurry up and get the door. It’s bad enough that I have to wait at all,” Sean said, loudly enough to be heard through the door, then slapped his hand into his open palm. “Now.”

Fiona blinked at him, then ran for the door, opening it and giving the maid a pained smile. With a limp, she stepped aside for the maid, who held a tray. “Bring it in, quickly, and set it on the table.”

The items on the tray rattled slightly as the maid brought it into the room and set it down. She gave a small curtsy and then fled. Fiona kept the pained look on her face until the door thunked closed behind the frightened woman.

“I really hate the terror the nobility inspires in others,” Fiona said as she joined Myna at the table, helping the other woman uncover the food. When Sean went to join them, Fiona held out a hand. “No, you will play your part the entire time we are here. Sit in the chair there and wait to be served.”

Frowning, Sean took the indicated seat. “I don’t feel like I’m in charge right now,” he muttered, knowing they could still clearly hear him.

“Of course you are, Master,” Myna said as she poured wine into a goblet. “In all things, our worlds begin and end with your whims.”

Sean glowered at her, but he didn’t sense any mockery—just plain honesty, and that made him sit back in his seat. “Myna…”

Myna held out a hand, making him trail off. “Sean, stop. I know, and I try not to push the issue, but consider—even a little bit—consider that maybe it's okay. It’s unusual for you, but everything I know says that this is right, and I want what it can be. You’re with Fiona right now, and will be forever, but in time you will also care for me equally. That’s why Fiona Bonded to you, so she can be my equal later, even though I’m not her equal now.”

Sean blinked at her as he tried to understand what she was saying. The idea of owning another person was so alien to him that it didn’t really register as a real thing. The fact that Myna didn’t just accept it, but wanted to embrace the role, was even more jarring. Lost in the moment, he was unaware of Fiona coming closer until she took his hand.

“You brought her back from the dead, Sean. She accepted your Bond so she could have her revenge, knowing what it might mean, and over the last handful of days you’ve treated her as an equal. I know you don’t understand what that means for her, or for me, watching you both, but she has a point. On your world, maybe the very thought of what she said is abhorrent, but here it is widely accepted. The difference is that we both know you won’t abuse us, even though it is your right to do so now. You will only treat us like your companions, not like tools or pets, even when you should for all our sakes.”

Sean sat there staring into her dual-colored eyes, not liking what she was saying, but understanding it. “I don’t want to hurt you, Fiona.”

“You’re not capable of doing so, Sean,” Fiona told him. “You are hurting our friend, though. It picks at me knowing that you’ll never be just mine, but at the same time, it would be selfish to deny the love she feels for you. I’m not going to share you easily. I’m probably going to be a little petty at times, and Myna know this. She even told me she’ll accept it when it happens. She’ll wait for you, for me, and for us, but you need to treat her well during the wait.”

“How?”

Myna took his other hand. “Stop trying to push me away. I won’t come to you until you ask. Just accept what I ask for, maybe rub my ears sometimes, and tell me that you care. You don’t need to say love— that’s reserved for Fiona, I know that, but I want to feel like you value me.”

He hadn’t ever seen Myna vulnerable before. He’d seen her angry, calm, happy, and even sad, but not vulnerable and uncertain. “I can’t promise that, Myna,” Sean told her, his voice catching as he watched her ears drop flat to her head, “but, I will try. I am not the right person for this. James would handle this whole thing better than I am. He isn’t here, and I am, so I’ll do what I can to be who you need me to be. Who both of you need me to be.” Lifting both their hands, he kissed the backs of them together. “Just bear with me as I try to find my way.”

“Understood, Master,” Myna whispered, her cheeks red.

“As you wish, Master,” Fiona whispered, her other hand taking hold of Myna’s free one. “The bath will be ready by the time we finish dinner, so we should eat.”

“I’ll get the food,” Myna said, taking her hands away from them.

They ate in silence. All of them were enjoying a meal that finally had a variety of flavor to it, but they were each lost in their own thoughts. Sean didn’t even realize he’d finished his meal until Fiona touched his shoulder.

“Huh?” Sean said, snapping out of his reverie.

“We’re all done, and the bath should have been ready a while ago,” Fiona told him.

“Sorry. Still trying to wrap my mind around what you both said.”

“There isn’t a rush,” Myna said softly as she took the plate away from him. “We’ll have many years together. I just wanted you to consider my point of view.”

Sean nodded as he stood up, finishing the wine in his goblet. “I’ll do the best I can, Myna.”

“Thank you,” Myna said as she picked up the now empty tray.

Sean realized he didn’t remember what they’d eaten as she walked past him. Fiona opened the door for her to set the tray just outside. Sean paused to rub Myna’s ears as they filed into the hall. “I really will try, just give me time.”

A small purr slipped from her, “Anything you require.”

“The bath should be on the bottom floor,” Fiona said, shutting the door behind them and taking the lead.

Sean and Myna followed Fiona down the stairs. Am I doing the right thing? he wondered. Can I be what they want me to be? Is this just foolish, thinking I can be like the main character from an anime or book? Those are the only guys who ever have women willing to share. Pushing the thoughts aside, Sean watched Fiona ahead of him, vowing to do the best he could for her, Myna, and himself.

Chapter Eleven

The back stairs down to the bathing room were empty, for which Sean was grateful. The air in the bathing room was warm and the fire was going strong with all sixteen places available holding steaming kettles. Fiona walked through the room, checking the tubs.

“Everything is in order for you, Master,” Fiona said as she walked back toward him.

The thud of the door shutting made Sean tense up for a moment. Trying to play it off, he began undressing like he had before, so he could clean himself. He had only gotten his belt undone when Fiona and Myna both touched his shoulders.

“We will take care of you, Master, as is our duty,” Fiona told him.

“We will handle everything,” Myna added.

Having just had a similar conversation with them upstairs, Sean kept his mouth shut and let them work. They quickly had him undressed, with Myna taking his clothes from Fiona as Fiona led him over to the area for him to be cleaned.

“Give me just a moment, Master,” Fiona said as she quickly stripped and handed her clothing off to Myna.

Myna took Fiona’s clothes with a nod. Sean kept his eyes off Myna, though he had gotten an eyeful when he turned to see where Fiona was going. He blinked as his traitorous body started to react to Myna’s smooth, toned body.

Fiona came back to him, pulled over a stool, and had him sit. Grabbing a big bucket, she added some hot water to it before joining him. “The water isn’t perfect, Master, but it is the best I can do.”

“Get on with it,” Sean said with an unhappy voice.

Fiona gave him a wink, thinking he was playing the part. She quickly wetted him down, before picking up the honeysuckle scented soap. Getting some lather out of it, Fiona began to soap him, starting at his shoulders.

Sean was tense, wondering how far Fiona was going to push things. Her soft hands glided over him, focused on her task. She hoped he would relax. Her hands missed his groin, going down his sides and to his legs.

“Please stand for me, Master,” Fiona said as she put more soap on her hands. As he did, she looked up at him from where she was kneeling. “Did you wish me to be extra attentive today?”

“No,” Sean said quickly.

“As you wish,” Fiona said, her hands cupping his flesh, then quickly gone. Once she was done, she rinsed them both off. She bathed him quickly and efficiently, without playing with him in any way.

Letting out a held breath, Sean gave her a smile. “Well done.”

Fiona smiled back as she got to her feet and led him to a tub. Myna stood beside it, filling it with hot water. Sean went hard as he again got a full view of Myna’s tight body. Swallowing as he looked away, he paused at the edge of the tub.

“Master, is the water to your liking?” Myna asked, her face pink as she stood there, not covering herself.

Sticking a hand into the water, he found it right on the edge of too hot, but nodded. “Perfect. You did well, Myna.”

Her face flushed deeper pink. “I do the best I can, Master.”

Sean climbed into the tub, but try as he might, he still caught another glimpse of both women. He leaned back, closing his eyes, and let the heat sink into him. Images of Fiona and Myna danced through his head despite his efforts to banish them as he tried to calm himself.

Sean sank further into the water, cutting off most sound as his ears went under. He didn’t hear Fiona and Myna whispering to each other as they moved away from the tub. Floating in the warmth, Sean wondered what life was going to throw at them next.

Sean blinked and sat up when Fiona touched his arm. “Hmmm?”

“We’re done, Master. Did you wish to stay a bit longer?”

The water he was in had lost its warmth. “Guess I nodded off.”

“Sleep replaces your energy faster,” Myna said softly. She waited with his clothes, already dressed herself.

Grateful that she was dressed, Sean gave her a smile. “That’s good to know.”

Fiona held out a towel, clearly waiting to dry him. Feeling awkward, Sean kept his back to Myna. Fiona didn’t let him have the towel, but dried him off quickly instead.

Raising his eyebrow at her, he stepped back when she finished. “Can I dress now?” Sean asked, keeping his voice low.

“I have your clothing ready for you, Master,” Myna said as she held out his underwear. “If you are ready for me to dress you?”

Looking over his shoulder at her, Sean saw that Myna was blushing, but hopeful. He looked back at Fiona, who nodded at him. “We can’t leave until you’re dressed, Master.”

Sean knew they had set this up, making him go to Myna to be dressed. Meeting Fiona’s dual-colored eyes, Sean could see acceptance in them. He nodded and went to Myna, watching her eyes dip. Her cheeks turned deep red as she managed to bring her eyes up to meet his.

“Myna, I’m in your capable hands,” Sean said, his voice calm, even though his stomach was flopping around.

“Thank you, Master,” Myna said as she knelt to dress him.

Having her kneeling before him made his mind wander, and a part of him twitched at the thoughts he was having. Thankfully, Myna only dressed him without any teasing or advances. Sean felt very conflicted by her position and demeanor.

Stepping back once his boots were on, Sean gave her a tight smile. “Good work.” Giving her ears a quick rub, he hoped it was praise enough. “I think I shall retire for the rest of the day.”

Fiona opened the door. “What would Master have us do?”

“The shopping that needs to be done,” Sean said. His eyes went to the maid who stood in the hallway with downcast eyes. “What did you need?” he asked the maid, who trembled when she was addressed.

“I need to get the bathing room prepared for others, sir,” the maid replied timidly, her voice shaking.

Sean walked past the maid, acting like she wasn’t there. “When you finish with what you can today, report back to me,” he said over his shoulder to Myna and Fiona.

“Understood, Master.” Myna replied as they trailed after him.

Back upstairs, Sean had to pause at his door when Fiona stepped around him to open it. “I’ll be waiting for you both to return.”

Fiona bowed her head. “Do you wish me to send up a drink?”

“Yes. Some tea, something soothing,” Sean said, entering his room.

“I’ll have it brought right away,” Fiona said as she shut the door.

When the door closed behind him, Sean felt his shoulders sag as he finally let the mantle he had been wearing drop away. Taking a moment to look around the room, Sean shrugged at what he saw. A queen-sized bed stood against one wall, a pile of pillows covering one end. A table sat in the middle of the room, with padded chairs pushed in around it. Thick rugs covered wooden floors, and a small stove sat in the far corner. Sean could feel the heat radiating from it.

Sean felt lost. He had nothing to do for the first time since he came to this world. Both of the people he could talk to were off doing the things that had to be done, and he had nothing to keep him busy. He went to the small glass window and looked down into the middle of the village just in time to see Fiona and Myna exit the inn. A light, timid knock brought him around to face the door.

Crossing the room, he opened it to find the same maid, shaking, a tea set rattling lightly on the tray she held. “Your tea, sir,” she managed with difficulty.

Sean stepped aside, not saying anything. He left the door open as he waited for her to leave. The maid set the tray down, then with a fearful glance toward him, set out the cup and saucer. She poured slowly, and set the teapot back down with a clatter. The maid flinched, then stepped back with her head down and waited.

“That’s enough, leave,” Sean said without inflection.

“Yes, sir,” the maid said, leaving as quickly as she could without making it obvious that she was running.

Sean sighed and shut the door behind her. “I think I’m really beginning to hate nobles, and I haven’t even met one yet,” he muttered as he pulled out a chair and sat down to sample the tea.

Sipping the rose hip tea, Sean wondered what they should be doing. What purpose did he have for being here, and what should he even look at as a goal? Morrigan had asked him to find a way for the Dannan to come back to the world, but that would mean dealing with the Queens—something Sean didn’t want to do.

First, we have to get out of this town so I can drop the identity of a noble. After that, we should find a new town, larger than this, something we can melt into and work on our skills. Maybe learn a few more, if that’s possible without tipping our hand too much. That’s a good enough plan for now. Sean sighed, cutting off that train of thought. “I really don’t want to have to wear this mask any longer than necessary,” he muttered out loud.

Letting his thoughts turn to the women, he wondered if he was making the right decision. They both seemed to have set aside a good portion of their issues with each other, which was good for him. Could he even do what they wanted, being the man for them both? Sean’s thoughts went round and round as he drank his tea and the day faded to dusk.

Chapter Twelve

A knock on the door finally snapped him out of his reverie. Standing up, he discovered both his cup and the kettle were empty and the stove in the corner was down to embers. When he opened the door, Fiona was there with a double armful of packages. He started to reach for them before he remembered the role he had thrust upon himself. Stepping aside, he let her enter and shut the door behind her.

“Thank you, Master,” Fiona said normally as she walked past him. Going to the bed, she dropped the pile of stuff onto it.

Another knock at the door made Fiona turn around, but Sean had the door open before she could reach it. Myna came in this time, and set a new kettle with steam rising from it on the table. She put the empty kettle out in the hall, closing the door again when she was done.

“I had to grab the tea,” Myna said, untying two cups from her belt.

Sean got the fire in the stove going again while Myna poured for them. Fiona finished separating out the items on the bed, then they all took seats at the table. “Okay, who wants to start?” Sean asked as he took a sip of the berry flavored tea.

“We had no trouble in the village,” Myna began, “though the rumor of a noble visiting unexpectedly with two Life Bonded has already made the rounds.”

“That’s good and bad,” Fiona added. “It means we’ll be under a bit of scrutiny, as everyone waits to see what you’re going to do, but it also meant the merchants were on their best behavior.”

“I really hate what nobles seem to represent in this world,” Sean grumbled. “I want nothing to do with them.”

“We managed to get some of the things we needed today,” Myna said softly. “We have warmer clothing, to start,” she gestured at her clothing. “That was our first stop—we got a couple of outfits for each of us.”

It was then that Sean realized that both of them were wearing gloves. “I see. That is an easy way to hide your body.”

Fiona gave him a slight smile. “Yes. No one suspects at the moment. We have another set of clothing for you on the bed, to trade off with the winter clothing you already have. There’s also the set you came to the village with.”

“Those are still in your bags?”

“Yes, I still have them,” Fiona nodded. “We should remove the silk and sell that off. The clothing is decently made, but the silk lining is odd and would draw attention.”

“Maybe in the next village, then,” Sean said. “What else did you manage to get before you came back?”

“We only managed the clothing today,” Myna frowned. “It took a bit to find what we wanted, as we were trying to be circumspect about Fiona’s body.”

“I did slow us,” Fiona admitted.

“Can you get everything else tomorrow?” Sean asked, wanting to put this village behind him.

“I hope to,” Fiona said. “I was also thinking a wagon would be useful. It would help with carrying our stuff, and if we take our time on the way to the next village, we can Shape things to sell and make ourselves look more like traders.”

“I agree,” Myna added. “It will also help muddy the trail we are bound to leave behind us.”

Sean shrugged. “Okay, if you both agree, then we can do that. A wagon will also let us carry enough food so we don’t have to hunt every night.”

“It will make many things much easier,” Fiona nodded.

“Can you gather everything tomorrow?” Sean asked again.

“I don’t think it will be a problem,” Fiona said.

“What might be a problem,” Myna said, “is that the village elders will likely be looking to speak with you. If a noble came out this far, it has to be for a reason and they will want to know what that reason is.”

“Can’t I just act aloof?” Sean asked.

“That might work, but the elder might be here for a reason, like Darragh was at Oakwood. They will want to know who you represent but will try to find out with indirect questioning, knowing that you might very well lie.”

Finishing his cup, Sean pushed it aside. “This whole world is crazy.”

“The nobles make everything complicated,” Fiona said.

“So what do I do about the elders?”

“Explain you aren’t here for the village, you’re simply headed back to Northgate,” Fiona said slowly. “That will suggest that you’re aligned with some noble of the Summer Queen and your mission just took a while.”

“That might work,” Myna nodded. “You’re trying to get out before Winter is fully in power.”

“I guess we go with that story,” Sean replied, rubbing his face. “I did this, this is my fault.”

“Yes,” Fiona said, “but we could have thought to warn you and we didn’t.”

“Dinner will be soon,” Myna said as she poured herself more tea. She looked at Sean and he nudged his cup toward her to be refilled.

“We need to decide what to do about dinner,” Fiona said, nodding to Myna in gratitude as her cup was refilled as well. “Do you wish to go to the common room, Sean?”

“No.”

“Okay. I’ll arrange to have a meal brought up to you,” Myna said. “I’ll also arrange for me and Fiona to eat in our room.”

“If none of us eat in the common room, it will only make them all the more curious,” Fiona pointed out.

“Yes, but if he really is an ally of Summer, he wouldn’t want to be out too much,” Myna countered.

“But that only makes him more obvious to Winter’s people,” Fiona added.

“I’ll eat dinner in here,” Sean said.

“I’ll go arrange things,” Myna said, getting to her feet.

“Myna,” Sean called out, stopping her by the door, “thank you.”

She smiled brilliantly back at him. “It is my pleasure, Master.”

When the door closed behind her, Sean groaned, “She enjoys saying that word a little too much.”

“Sean,” Fiona said softly, covering his hand with hers, “you’ll get used to it. You have to. At least with her, you know it's love that causes her to say it.”

Shaking his head, Sean kissed her hand. “What about you?”

“I know you don’t like it, so I’ll do my best to always call you by your name when I can. But this is something that is ingrained in us as children—a Life Bonded is to call her Holder either Master or Mistress. For Myna, not only are you her Master, but you brought her back from the dead. She would venerate you as a god, if you let her.”

Covering his face with his free hand, Sean grimaced. “I didn’t mean to Bond her.”

“Would you rather she were dead?” Fiona asked gently.

“Of course not,” Sean said.

“Then accept what is and let go of what might have been,” Fiona said, getting to her feet as she heard footsteps approaching the room. “Both of us care for you, and while the world might not be as you want it to be, it is what it is.”

Crossing to the door, she opened it at the first knock. Myna came into the room with a tray. “Master’s dinner?”

“Yes,” Myna said as she brought the tray to the table while Fiona closed the door behind her. “Dinner is Groober, with Setac and honey bread.”

Sean heard the words, but had no idea what they meant. The smell told him that fish was on the menu. Not his favorite meal, but it would be better than jerky again. Sean sat there and let Myna serve him.

Stepping back once she was done, she gave him a smile. “Is there anything else, Master?”

“Not at the moment,” Sean said, watching her eyes twinkle. “Go eat. I’ll call for you when I have need.”

Myna bowed her head with another smile at Sean before she turned to leave. Fiona waited by the door for her, giving Sean a sardonic smile. “I’ll return when you call, Master,” Fiona said, opening the door.

The maid started in surprise as the door opened beside her. “Your meals,” she squeaked, trying not to look into the room.

“We are thankful,” Fiona said, shutting the door behind her.

Sean sighed when he was alone again. Focusing on his food, he ate slowly and hoped that the women would be finished with theirs by the time he was, so he could call Fiona back to him.

Chapter Thirteen

A light kiss woke Sean from his dreams. Struggling to push away the images of Fiona and him entangled in a torrid embrace, he managed a single sound, “Mhm?”

“Breakfast shall be served soon, Master,” Myna said.

Eyes snapping open and his dreams falling away abruptly, he saw Myna standing beside the bed. “Myna, did you just…?”

Myna swallowed, her cheeks faintly pink. “Did I wake you incorrectly, Master?”

Sitting up, Sean realized that Fiona was missing. “Where did Fiona go?”

“She’s getting your breakfast,” Myna said.

Pulling the covers back, Sean got out of bed. His mind raced with all the ways he could refute her way of waking him, but a part of him wondered: if it was so wrong, why hadn’t he already objected?

“I don’t want you getting the wrong idea,” Sean finally managed.

“I will never have the wrong idea about you, Master.”

Grabbing his clothing, Sean dressed quickly lest she try to do it again. He sat down at the table, wondering how to broach the subject he wanted to talk to her about. Myna appeared next to him and poured him some juice, then stepped back.

“Myna…” Sean said, then paused and took a sip of the grape juice. “About your feelings for me. Fiona suggested that what you feel for me goes way past love.”

“She is correct, Master,” Myna agreed with a smile.

“I brought you back because you’re a friend,” Sean explained. “I didn’t have ulterior motives.”

“I know, Master. It doesn’t change the way I feel for you, though.”

“How can you care for me that much when we’ve barely even talked?”

“I’m not positive myself,” Myna said, looking down. “You fascinate me—the way you carry yourself, the way you care for everyone equally. I was drawn to you as surely as Fiona was, but I didn’t have the same opportunity that she did. The feeling was only exacerbated when we played in the woods. How quickly you took my instructions, how well you took my aggression, and how you were respectful, even when I shared my heritage with you.”

Sean frowned as he considered what she had said, wondering what it must be like from her point of view. “Even still, Myna—”

“Please let me continue, Sean,” Myna whispered, pausing to see if he would. Giving him a thankful smile, she went on. “Not being from this world, you probably won’t ever fully understand some things that we take for granted as the Queens’ will. You are unique in so many ways, your Talents and energy being the least of those in my eyes. It is your compassion and caring for those who are viewed as inferior that makes me love you more every day.” Giving him a broad smile, she asked, “I ask just one thing from you—please don’t stop my small displays of affection in private. I’m doing my best to temper what I feel out of respect for you and Fiona.”

Taking a deep breath, Sean could see only love in her eyes, and Fiona was right; it looked like hero worship. “Myna, I’m not sure if I can do that. It feels like I’m cheating on Fiona.”

“If Fiona said it was okay, would you be okay with it?” Myna asked.

Conflicted, Sean’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried, and failed, to put his thoughts into words. Saved by a knock on the door, Sean was grateful to avoid answering the question.

“I have brought your breakfast, Master,” Fiona said as Myna opened the door for her. “Our meal will be brought up in a moment,” she told Myna.

“Of course,” Myna said, staying back as Fiona served the meal to Sean.

Breakfast consisted of soup, a chunk of fresh bread, a pat of butter, and a pot of honey sitting on the side of the plate next to the bread. Sean gave Fiona a strained smile. “Thank you.”

“Is something wrong, Master?” Fiona asked.

Eyes flickering to Myna, Sean picked up his spoon. “I’m conflicted over a point.”

“I will explain it to her during our meal, Master. Don’t let it worry you anymore,” Myna said.

“Somehow, that frightens me even more,” Sean muttered.

Myna gave a small cough and touched the door handle. “Our food is here, Fiona.”

“We’ll be back after we eat and before we go out, Master,” Fiona said as Myna opened the door.

Sean gave her a tight smile as the maid stood in the hall with a food tray. “Go eat. I’ll call when I need you,” he said as imperiously as he could.

When the door shut behind them, Sean put the spoon down and covered his face with his hands. “You can handle it, Sean. You would rather she be alive than dead. It was only a simple kiss, it's not like she jumped you. Besides, Fiona’s going to sort it out for you.”

Done muttering, he went back to his breakfast. The soup was an egg drop soup based on fish stock with an unusual flavor, but Sean ate it all. The black tea helped cut the fish taste between bites. Leaving the bread until the end, he took his time eating it, the butter and honey helping to clear the lingering flavor of the soup.

Pushing his empty dishes aside, he wondered if the women were done eating yet. A knock on his door a moment later brought him quickly to his feet. He opened it and was surprised to find an elderly man standing there, hunched over a cane.

“I think you have the wrong door,” Sean said.

“I have the right door, sir,” the ancient man said as he straightened up a little more. “As the elder of this village, I came to speak with you, as is my duty.”

“Fiona, bring tea for my guest and me,” Sean said simply.

The door next to his opened and Fiona gave him a small bow. “It shall be done, Master.”

“Come in,” Sean said, opening the door wide and stepping aside.

The ancient man hobbled slowly into the room. “Thank you, sir. I know it is forward of me to impose upon you like this, but we don’t often see those of your level in the village. We’re not as popular as places like Oaklake.”

Sean didn’t reply as he left the door open and went to the table. Myna came into the room a moment later, taking up a position next to the door. Taking a seat across from the elderly man, Sean waited silently for Fiona to return.

The elder met Sean’s eyes, his gaze sharp and focused. Sean let his eyes go flat as he stared him down. “Are you seeking to challenge me, old man?” It sounded terribly arrogant to Sean, but it felt like the right line to him.

Breaking eye contact, the elder looked away. “That was not my intent. I apologize.”

Sean grunted, not saying anything more. Fiona arrived with a tea service a few minutes later. Myna shut the door behind her, her demeanor halfway between attentive maid and bodyguard. Fiona served both men, then retreated to stand behind Sean to his left.

“Now that we have refreshments, you can explain why you came to see me,” Sean told the elder.

“Very direct,” the old man said as he stroked the long goatee, “I shall answer in kind. I wished to know if my village is in danger.”

“Not from me, nor those associated with me,” Sean said, trying for cryptic.

“I see,” the old man said, sipping his tea. “Do you plan to stay long, sir?”

“We should be leaving later today or tomorrow, depending on how long preparations take,” Sean replied aloofly.

Still stroking his goatee, the elderly man nodded. “I see. If there is anything you need, I am willing to assist.”

Sean gave a small nod, but kept silent. They finished their tea in silence. When his cup was empty, the elderly man slowly got to his feet. Sean stood as well, watching the man limp toward the door, which Myna opened for him.

“Just one more thing, sir,” the man said, stopping in the open doorway. “If it's not too much to ask, do you plan to return in the next ten years?”

“Not at this time,” Sean replied simply.

“I see,” the elder nodded, his hand stroking the long goatee again. “I wish you a pleasant day, then.” Limping through the door, he seemed lost in thought.

Fiona sighed deeply when the door closed. “Master,” she began, her voice pitched low, “we should be going to try and get everything ready for our departure.”

“I want you both to be careful,” Sean told them. “I would rather leave empty-handed than have either of you be put at risk.”

“We will be careful, Master,” Myna said as she opened the door and left.

Puzzled, Sean turned to Fiona. She looked pensive for a moment, then sighed again, “Sean, I am okay with Myna getting her head rubs, and even the odd kiss here and there.”

Blinking, not having expected the conversation to take that turn, Sean took a moment to get his words in order. “It felt like cheating when she stole the kiss earlier.”

Fiona looked at him, a sad smile on her lips. “Silly man. I can’t say I’m enthusiastic about it now, but we will both end up loving you more as our Bonds grow. In time, I will love her as much as I do you, just as you will love us both. The Life Bond will make that a reality. I might have small objections in the short term, but in the long term, it is best if you don’t play favorites too often.”

Shaking his head, Sean took a seat in his chair again. “I don’t know if I can accept it as easily as you both do.”

“She told me what you said, and it made me happy that even a simple kiss made you fear how it would make me feel. At the same time, I did feel bad for Myna. During our trek through the woods, I came to understand more of her point of view. It’s one of the reasons I’m Life Bonded to you now. If I truly love you, then I have to love you completely, not halfway. That means loving what you decide to love as well, even if it means sharing you with Myna. Because you do love her, or at least care deeply for her. If we stay here overnight again, you should talk to her more about what it felt like when you called her back to life again.”

Mind racing, he nodded absently. “I’ll see what I can do. I’m still not sure about what I’ve gotten myself into.”

Fiona bent down so her forehead touched his. “A life of love, from me and Myna. We’ll be back after we finish our tasks.”

“I might go down to the common room for a drink, in a bit,” Sean said.

“No matter where you go, we will find you,” Fiona said, smiling as she gave him another kiss and stood up. “Until later, Master.”

Sean stayed in the room for a while before finally deciding to go downstairs. He had never been much of a drinker, but today, he felt like he needed something to help him cope with the way his life seemed to be going.

The common room was empty except for the bartender. Sean nodded to him. “Dark ale.”

A brief furrow crossed the bartender’s forehead as he filled a large tankard from a keg. “My cousin makes this,” the bartender said.

Picking up the mug without replying, Sean took it to the table in the corner of the room. Sitting with his back to the walls, Sean took a sip. It was good, though lacked the same depth that the ale in Oaklake had.

Sean sat back in his chair, slowly sipping the ale and letting his mind go blank. Minutes of peace went by, and Sean felt better. A shadow filled the doorway, bringing Sean’s attention to the person who stood there. “James?” Sean asked, confused for a moment before the person entered, limping.

“I had hoped to find you, sir,” Old man Johnson said, approaching the table. “Might I sit for a moment?”

Sean stared at the man for a moment, and Johnson fidgeted slightly. “Grab some drinks, first.”

Johnson’s relief was obvious as the old fisherman motioned to the bartender. When the two mugs arrived, Johnson was surprised to see dark ale for them both, but quickly masked it.

“What is it you wanted?” Sean asked after taking a pull from the new tankard.

“The boat I purchased from you yesterday,” Johnson began, his words slowing some as if he were apprehensive, “how long did it take your Bonded to craft it?”

Tilting his head to the side, Sean tried to figure out the angle Johnson was playing. “Why does that matter to you?” he finally asked, setting the tankard down firmly.

Taking a deep draft of his drink to gain a moment's respite, Johnson finally pulled the mug away from his mouth. “I was wondering if she might be able to fix a couple of our other boats before you leave. I can pay,” he added quickly.

Lips pursed, Sean considered Johnson’s request. He didn’t want to draw more attention to them, and this could go badly in a couple of ways. If he didn’t agree, then it might appear that he was trying to leave quickly and raise suspicion. If he did agree, and Fiona did her normal job, it would clearly make him appear to be a higher ranked noble, or at least as if he were in league with one of them.

“I’ll consider the request,” Sean finally said. “I’ll send word one way or the other later.”

“Thank you, sir,” Johnson said, draining his mug and standing. “I’m sorry about yesterday…”

Sean waved him off. “Go,” he said, making shooing motions.

“Of course,” Johnson said, giving a shallow bow, “good day, sir.”

Watching the old man leave, Sean wondered about the village. The village elder and Johnson were obviously two of the cornerstones of the village. Sean was frankly surprised that no one else had approached him yet.

Nursing the second ale, he was about to go back to his room when people began to show up. Not wanting to look like he was running away, Sean motioned to the bartender. A few moments later, the maid—who was still terrified of him—stood next to his table.

“How can I help you, sir?”

“What teas do you have at the moment?”

“Black, honeysuckle, berry, and orange, sir,” she said, keeping her head bowed. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“A pot of the honeysuckle, and some bread with honey,” Sean said as he took in the people entering the inn.

“Right away, sir,” the maid squeaked and scampered away.

The people coming in were all in their late teens to mid-twenties, wearing plain clothing that had the look and feel of field hands. When the maid had scurried off, a few of the men looked in his direction before quickly looking away.

Why do I feel like the bully here? Sean sighed internally. Snorting at his own thought, he looked at his table. His ears were still sharp, so he was able to hear snippets of the mumbled conversations in the room.

“Thinks he’s so special…”

“Did you see the way Jennifer ran from him?”

“He’s got the right attitude to be…”

“I agree, I’d totally warm his bed. I wonder if…”

Shaking his head slightly at the last line, Sean sighed. That’s the last thing I need, more women interested in me. Pushing the thought from his mind, Sean rubbed at his jaw and hoped that the villagers would leave him alone.

“Your order, sir,” the maid said as she set the tray on the table.

“Take it to my room,” Sean said as he got to his feet.

Gulping, she picked the tray back up and headed for the stairs. Sean turned to follow, and a number of mutters picked up behind him. Most of them thought that Sean was going to force himself on the maid, Jennifer.

Once Jennifer unloaded the food and drink onto the table in his room, Sean gave her a nod and she fled the room. “Did you have to scare her that badly, Fiona?” Sean sighed as he took the first sip of his tea. “At least she’ll be back downstairs quickly so they’ll know I didn’t molest the poor girl.”

Chapter Fourteen

By the time Fiona and Myna had returned hours later, Sean was about to lose his mind. He hadn’t realized how badly being alone in his own head with no distractions would bother him. “How did the shopping go?”

“We have a wagon and two horses, along with everything we’ll need for the journey, though most of it won’t be ready until tomorrow morning,” Fiona explained.

“The old man from the dock, Johnson, stopped by and asked if I would have you Shape some of his boats into better condition before we leave. I told him I would consider it, since I had no idea what that would really equate to.”

“We could use more coin, considering how much it cost us to purchase all the supplies,” Myna said.

“That’s true,” Fiona agreed. “I’m a little concerned about some of the villagers, though. They seem unusually interested in us. I think they might be working for someone higher up in society. I didn’t expect that here.”

“They already know you’re a Shaper, so it’s a moot point,” Sean said.

“True,” Fiona nodded. “If you wish, Master, I will make sure it gets taken care of.”

“We should both go,” Myna said. “It will be quicker.”

“Actually,” Sean interrupted, “I would rather one of you stay. I’ve been going a little buggy with no one to talk to.”

“I’ll go,” Myna said, but Fiona touched her arm and stopped her.

“No, I’ll go,” Fiona told her. “You should have a chance to talk with our Master.”

“Thank you,” Myna said softly as she gave Fiona a hug. “I know I’m the intruder in your space.”

“You’re my friend and Bonded sister,” Fiona said softly, lightly stroking Myna’s ears. “You deserve to know him more than the little you’ve been able to.”

Sean watched them, waiting for the twist. They had been basically declaring war a tenday ago, but now seemed to be past that. Thank god it’s past the anime stage... I didn’t want to deal with the Tsundere or the Yandere tropes.

“I’d like to talk with Myna, too,” Sean said. “Make sure you’re back in time for dinner, Fiona. And have them send up some more honeysuckle tea, please.”

Fiona let go of Myna and went to Sean to hug him. Her words were barely audible to him as she whispered in his ear, “Only kisses and talking, please.”

Sean gave her a squeeze, letting her know he’d heard her words. “See you when you get back.” His tone was full of love as he let her go.

“Enjoy your time, Myna,” Fiona said as she went out the door.

Sean took his seat at the table, while Myna waited by the door. “You can sit while we wait, Myna.”

“There’s no need,” Myna said. “The maid won’t be long; they keep kettles on the stove downstairs. Would you mind if I got your stove started?”

Sean looked at the cold stove in the corner. “If you want more warmth, that would be fine. I hadn’t realized it had gone out.” He stood and started toward it. “I’ll get it—”

Myna was by his side instantly. “No. You must not be seen doing menial labor. I will handle it.”

“Myna,” Sean said, slightly aggravated, “it's just the two of us. I don’t need someone to do everything for me.”

“Once we leave here, I’ll stop,” Myna said quietly. “Until then, it’s best if we keep the cover we’ve got, especially when anyone might overhear us.” She went to the door as a knock sounded. Taking the tray from the maid with a strained smile, Myna shut the door as the maid stepped hastily back.

“Your tea, Master,” Myna said in a normal voice as she set up his cup for him, then pulled a cup out of her new belt pouch. Pouring herself a cup, she went to the stove. “I’ll have your room warm in a moment.”

Sean frowned as he sipped his tea, wondering if being alone might have been the better choice. Once Myna had a fire going in the stove, she took a seat across from him. “Feel better?” Sean asked with a wry smile.

“I do. Thank you, Sean,” Myna said softly. “Will you tell me more about you and your world? I would like to know more about the man my soul is tied to.”

“I will, but you need to tell me more about you as well, Myna. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t learn about you in return?”

“I will do as you wish,” she said with a gentle smile. “Will you go first?”

“Okay,” Sean said, deciding what story he wanted to tell. “I’ve heard there’s an academy here. In my old world, we also had places of higher learning. For some people, they seemed to be more about wild parties than doing much actual learning.”

He went on to tell her about a few of the crazier things he’d seen in college, smiling as he recalled old memories. He had to pause and explain some things, like beer pong, but time went by quickly.

It was only when he ran out of tea that Sean realized he had been the only one telling stories. “Myna, you said you would share with me as well.”

“I did,” Myna nodded. “I’m sorry, I got caught up in your stories.” Pouring him another cup of tea, she frowned. “I guess I just don’t have stories that compare to those.”

“Any story will be fine, Myna,” Sean told her with a smile.

“Has Fiona told you about the academy, where those who are Talented and backed by a noble can go for further training?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a smaller school you can attend if you have the coin to pay for it. Mother sent me there to help me get used to being around people.”

“Grow up in a small village?”

“Yes. My village bordered the wilds of the east, and was much like this place,” Myna said. “I wasn’t as much of an outcast there as I have been in other places. The villagers had accepted my grandfather, and he had helped found the village.”

“I interrupted. Please, go on,” Sean said, sipping the tea.

“It was my second day at the school, and I was wearing the cap you used to see me wear,” Myna continued. “During combat training, Zachary kept attacking my head, and he’d been mocking my hat the entire first day. I kept fixing it between exchanges, which meant I missed some opportunities to follow up on openings. Instructor Helmbraid yelled at me and told me to take off the hat.” Myna went quiet for a moment. “I refused, so she snatched it from my head and everyone saw my ears.”

Sean watched Myna’s face, seeing her sadness fall as memory gripped her. Reaching across the table, he covered one of her hands with his. “If you need to stop…”

“No, no,” Myna said, “I’ll be fine. It just...that was the first time I really saw how much my bloodline is looked down on.”

Sean squeezed her hand then sat back in his chair with a sympathetic smile. “Even my old world had issues with some people of different races being looked down on, and they’re all just human.”

“When Helmbraid snatched the cap from my head, the entire class came to a halt. Everyone had thought me human until that moment. I saw revulsion, sneers... even hatred, but no caring looks—not even from the other two women that I had befriended the day before. Helmbraid dressed me down. Not just for missing the attacks, but for thinking that keeping my blood hidden was more important than doing so.”

Myna sipped at her tea before continuing, “I never fit in after that day. The two I had thought friends were the most vicious of the class. They mocked me, destroyed my possessions, and did everything they could to chase me away. It was two years of hell. The final test was the worst, though. It was in parts—a one-on-one single elimination combat tournament, a grand melee free-for-all, and a Seek and Sneak hunting free-for-all. Those last few days were even worse than I had anticipated they would be.”

Abruptly getting to her feet, Myna went to the stove and began adding more wood to the fire. “The one-on-one tournament told me all I needed to know, that even with the petty grievances they had against each other, they all hated me. Zachary even told me as much during the first round, saying that the first few would gladly lose to see me knocked out. He at least lived up to the threat. He didn’t defend at all, but attacked at all of my weaknesses. I managed to win, but I took numerous wounds. The healers on hand only made sure that people didn’t die or bleed out, so my wounds carried to the second round, where I was beaten and almost killed. Helmbraid stepped in before an accident could happen.”

When Myna came back to the table, her gaze was distant. “In the free-for-all melee, everyone came after me first. I would’ve expected one or two to backstab the strongest in the class to give them a leg up, but that didn’t happen. I leapt out of the arena and disqualified myself. Helmbraid thrashed me for that, but it was better than what might have happened.”

Sean felt his heart fill with anger at her classmates. He had never been one for bullies, and she had been bullied by all of them. He wanted to reach out for her, but felt it wasn’t the moment and waited instead. Myna sat, staring into her teacup as she recounted the memory.

“The last part was my event, Sneak and Seek. All through the two years I had been there, I had never once been bested, not even by the upperclassmen during my first year. I didn’t understand what lengths they would go to, to rob me of even that.”

Agitated, she stood and began to pace, her eyes focused on the past, her stride that of a predator. “We were led into the woods by Helmbraid and told to stay in our starting places until we heard the bell. I’m not sure they did, and they were working as a team, something else that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“I found out from the first two that came close to me that Zachary had made a deal with a lower noble to gain access to one of the Talents of my bloodline, Feline Moonbound Camouflage. I don’t know what he gave in return. I took the first two before they knew I was there, crippling both and setting the stones on them to mark them as out.”

Sean finished his tea in silence, watching her get more agitated as she recalled the memories. He considered stepping in, but again followed his instinct and stayed quiet.

“I found them in twos and threes over the next few hours and dealt with all of them—all but Zachary, who I found no sign of. I was hurting by the time I’d found everyone else, and that was when he made his move. He came at me from above, something he’d never attempted before. He got the tendon in my left arm, leaving that arm useless. He should have activated a marking stone then, as I was eliminated, but instead he sneered at me. Taunted me, and told me how he was going to teach a feral animal what her place in life should be.”

Her breath came faster as she reached the climax of her story. “I pulled out a marking stone, but he came at me. I threw it at him instead, so I could pull my blade back out. The battle was bad—my left arm was useless, and he was trying to kill me. He cut me numerous times, and I only managed a few in return. Without my second blade, he had me outclassed. When I went down, he came for me slowly, clearly thinking he’d taken my other arm out when I dropped my sword. He put his own sword away and drew his dagger, kneeling next to me with a sadistic smile. He started telling me about how he would cry about the ‘accident’ when Helmbraid came for us. He was so intent on tormenting me that he missed me pulling my food knife from my belt. As he brought the dagger closer, I slammed my knife into his chest. I missed his heart, barely, hitting his lung instead. He fell back and stared at me, then dug a marker stone from his belt. He activated it and tried to toss it at me, but I rolled away. My hand came down on the stone I had thrown at him. I activated it and tossed it at him. He swatted at it, and it stuck to his hand.”

Her pacing came to a sudden stop. “Helmbraid showed up then with one of the healers. They took care of Zachary first, as his injury was life-threatening. Once he was stable, the healer put him to sleep and they healed me. I was declared the winner of that event, but there were already rumors spreading that I had cheated somehow. I wasn’t approached with an offer by any of the lesser nobles afterward, so I went home. Shortly after I got back, mother sent me to Darragh. You’ve heard most of that story already.”

Sean got up and went to her. Putting his arms around her, he held her close. “I think you’re a better person than me. I would have gutted the fucker.”

Myna leaned into the hug. “I wanted to, but that would have been bad. He had made a deal with a noble, and that noble would have demanded something from me for killing Zachary.”

“Those two years taught me what my life would be like, unless someone of strength and standing would lower themselves so far as to want me,” Myna said. “Do you now understand some of why I feel what I do for you?”

Sean stroked her ears slowly, “I’m starting to understand more, Myna. Fiona is right in her way, I do care for you. If she’s right, that means in time I’ll end up loving you as much as I do her. It's just going to take me a little time to accept that.”

“I will wait, Sean,” Myna murmured into his chest. “I shall be with you until the end.”

He held her, wanting to make her feel better. It felt right to him. Sean wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the knock at the door separated them. Myna smoothed her clothing as she went to answer it, and Sean took his seat.

Fiona entered the room carrying a tray. “I have brought your dinner, Master.”

Sean smiled at her. “How did the work with Johnson go?”

“I fixed four of their boats better than new,” Fiona said. Another knock announced the maid.

“Bring that in here,” Sean said when Myna opened the door, not giving them a chance to leave.

“As you say, sir,” the maid said as she hesitantly entered.

Myna took the tray from her. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Thank you,” the maid said softly, thinking Sean wouldn’t hear her, and left as quickly as she dared.

When the door closed, Sean sighed and frowned, “I’ll be glad when I’m not a noble anymore.”

“You’ll always be noble to us,” Fiona said with a smile.

Sean shook his head, then looked to the food Fiona was laying out for him. A green salad tossed with a vinegar dressing, a filet of some white fish seared with herbs, and a bottle of white wine.

“I’ll be glad to have meat again,” Sean said.

“I will as well,” Fiona said, her eyes twinkling.

“I shall look forward to it,” Myna added. The light dusting of pink on her cheeks gave away the double entendre.

“We set to leave tomorrow?” Sean asked between bites. He was rather surprised at the meal. The fish had a pleasantly sweet flavor that was enhanced by the savory herbs it had been cooked with. The wine was well paired, and helped accentuate the sweet flavor. The salad was fresh field greens, dressed with a light balsamic vinegar that neither hindered, nor helped, the meal.

Fiona and Myna had the same meal, though their portions were smaller. They also had green tea instead of wine. Sean frowned at their plates. “Have they given you both smaller meals this entire time?”

“It is more that you’ve gotten bigger meals,” Fiona corrected him.

“Oh. I guess that makes sense,” Sean said as he thought about the size of the meals he’d been served here compared to what he’d seen at Oakwood.

“I have assurances from the stable that the wagon and horses will be ready at daybreak, and the shops have promised to have our goods ready an hour after sunup. We can leave once we’ve picked up the supplies,” Fiona told him.

“Is there anything I should know?” Sean asked.

“You should wait here until we come back for you,” Myna said. “We’ll have food before we head out, so once we pull up to the inn with the wagon, we can leave.”

“Sounds like we have a plan,” Sean said. “To the open road tomorrow?” He held out his glass to them.

The women tapped their glasses lightly to his, then spoke in unison, “As you wish, Master.”

Sean winced and they both giggled at him. “You set that up?” he asked, surprised.

Fiona nodded. “Yes.”

Myna smiled at him. “You need to accept that word from us. Once we leave here, it will become commonplace.”

Sighing, Sean nodded. “I understand. I just don’t like it. Now stop being brats.”

“As you wish, Master,” the women giggled again.

Shaking his head, Sean felt a warmth in his chest and could only smile at them. They finished the meal in high spirits, ready for the next day and the freedom that awaited them.

Chapter Fifteen

Fiona separating herself from him woke Sean. “Hmm?”

“I’m going to see about getting things ready,” Fiona whispered. “Go back to sleep until you’re ready to wake.”

Snagging her arm, Sean pulled her back for a kiss before curling back up. “See you soon,” he mumbled sleepily.

A light kiss on his lips woke him again. “Time?”

“I just wanted to say good morning before leaving with Fiona to get our things ready,” Myna whispered, stroking his hair. “Go back to sleep, Master.”

“Silly kitty,” Sean mumbled as he fell back to sleep.

“Did he call you a ‘silly kitty?’” Fiona asked as she shut the door.

“Yes, but since it was him, I don’t mind at all,” Myna replied.

The sun coming through the window woke Sean from an erotic dream of Fiona and Myna covering him with soft kisses. “Morning wood,” Sean grumbled as he got out of bed and began to stretch, more to distract himself from how right the dream felt than for any other reason.

Once he was calm, he used the basin to give himself a quick wipe down, then dressed and headed downstairs. The bartender was the only person present in the common room, something Sean was grateful for.

“Breakfast,” Sean said, taking a seat at the table closest to the window so he could keep an eye out for the wagon.

“Right away, sir,” the bartender said and hurried into the back.

A couple of minutes later, he brought out a heavily loaded platter. Sean blinked, surprised at what he saw. It wasn’t the simple soup and bread of yesterday, but a full breakfast of eggs, bread, meat, cheese, fruits, and a kettle of berry tea.

“This is correct, isn’t it, sir? Your Bonded specifically said that this is what you wished for breakfast,” the bartender said quickly, seeing Sean’s surprise.

“Yes. I was just surprised that everything seems to be in order,” Sean sniffed.

“If you need anything else, I’ll be behind the bar, sir,” the bartender said, retreating from the table.

Sean made a mental note to thank Fiona and Myna when he saw them next as he pulled his cutlery from the pouch at his waist. Digging into his meal, Sean was happy to find it was all cooked right. The meat was closer to ham than bacon, which was fine with him. He didn’t know what the soft white cheese was, but shrugged and ate it anyway. It was tasty, but unlike any other cheese he had eaten in his life.

Not long after he finished eating, a wagon rolled up to the front of the inn. Myna jumped down from the driver’s bench as it came to a stop, leaving Fiona with the reins. Myna came into the inn as Sean was standing up from the table.

“It will be just one more minute, Master,” Myna said with a quick curtsy as she headed for the stairs.

“That’s fine, I’ll meet you outside,” Sean said as he headed for the privy.

By the time he made it outside, Myna had retrieved the bags and gotten them situated in the wagon. Both ladies sat on the driver’s bench when he came out the front door. “Are we ready?”

“We are, Master,” Fiona said with a smile.

Myna quickly added, “Your place is ready for you in the back.”

Sean went to the wagon and found that a section near the front had been partitioned off. There was a seat built into it, with cushions and blankets spread out. “Very good,” Sean nodded as he used the step next to the driver’s bench to boost himself up and into the back. “Let us leave.”

“As you command,” Myna replied, lightly flicking the reins to get the horses moving.

Sean watched the village as their wagon slowly made its way toward the gate. People were coming out of their houses to start the day, and they all paused to watch as the wagon went by. He caught brief snippets of voices.

“Good riddance, bloody nobles…”

“Be glad to see the back side of them…”

“I never got to see if he was interested in…”

The last line came from a plain, sturdily built redhead that met his gaze with a sad smile. Sean gave her a slight nod of his head, which caused her to go crimson.

“He heard me?”

Sean’s lips twisted into a smirk as he watched the woman start excitedly talking to her friend. She doesn’t even know anything about me, but was going to offer herself in some way. This world is just weird, Sean thought.

Myna was forced to stop when they reached the gate. A lone guard blocked the way, visibly nervous but appearing resolute. “We’re leaving, why are you delaying us?” Myna asked.

“Orders,” the guard said, his voice fearful. “Just following orders.”

“What orders, and from whom?” Sean asked as he stood up in the back to see the guard.

The guard, who was the same poor sod that had been the first to speak to them, seemed to huddle into himself. “The elder asked me to delay you until he could speak with you again.”

“Move, or I’ll move you,” Sean said simply.

“If I move…” the guard trailed off as Sean jumped out of the wagon. “Assaulting a guard is a crime…”

Sean walked toward the guard slowly, and the man backed away and drew his sword. “If I assault you, you would be correct,” Sean said coldly.

Myna snapped the reins and the wagon rolled through the gate. “However, it looks like we will be leaving now,” Myna remarked as she handed the reins to Fiona.

Sean gave the guard a sharp grin. “Have a good day.” Turning, he headed for the back of the wagon.

“Stop! Stop by order of the Pinebough Elder,” the guard said from behind them.

Sean flipped him off and kept walking. “Not under his jurisdiction. Let him know it's in his best interest to forget about me.”

“Stop?” the guard asked pathetically.

“Sorry, junior,” Sean said, clearly unrepentant. He grabbed the tailgate and bounded into the back of the wagon. “I hope you don’t get too much shit.”

The guard stood there, looking lost. “He’s going to be upset…”

Sean shook his head as he took his seat, then spoke quietly so only Myna and Fiona heard. “Maybe we’re not quite done with this village yet after all?”

“I doubt the elder will do anything,” Fiona said softly. “Without knowing who’s backing you, it would be a great risk for him. You did the right thing. Completely disregarding him points to having a high noble, or maybe even a Queen, behind you.”

“Please tell me we have multiple options where to go from here, so we can maybe hide our trail?” Sean said after a minute.

“This path comes to a fork. One side goes along the river. The other turns west and goes into the forest,” Myna replied. “Both take us to slightly larger villages.”

“I’m thinking we should stay close to the woods, considering that we can all Shape plants,” Fiona suggested.

“Does either path lead to a greater diversity of roads?” Sean asked.

“Pinehaven has roads that go to some small towns,” Myna said, “while Riverrun goes to more villages, if I recall the map I saw correctly.”

Sean gave Old man Johnson a nod as they went past his home. The older man looked up and waved as they rolled by. “Let’s follow the woods. Something about them feels right to me,” Sean said.

“As you wish, Master,” Fiona said with a hint of laughter.

“Drop it,” Sean sighed.

“Understood, Sean,” Myna giggled.

“Life is never going to be easy with you two, is it?” Sean asked them.

“It will be as easy as you would like it to be,” Myna said. “But easy in one way will make it difficult in others. Life has no easy roads to walk.”

“Even in this world, that is the same,” Sean said sadly.

“Without difficulties, how can we grow?” Fiona asked.

“Fair point,” Sean conceded. “Can one of you come back here and keep me company, or show me how to drive the wagon? I felt a little too isolated over the last couple of days.”

“I’ll show you how to drive later,” Fiona said. “Myna, why don’t you break out the dice and play some with him?”

“Okay,” Myna said as she came into the back with a smile.

Sean kept his eyes open, but nobody came after them. Myna played the same game with him that he’d seen in Oaklake, and soundly trounced him repeatedly. Afterward, he took a turn up front with Fiona, and she showed him the basics of how to properly steer the wagon—not that it was hard to do when the horses were calm.

They did pause for lunch, but that was more to give the horses a break. Their meal was simple, but Sean was pleased to learn that they did have something like a very sharp mustard to go with sandwiches.

When they got moving again, Sean took the reins with Myna beside him while Fiona lounged in the back. After a couple of hours, Sean went into the back with Fiona.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Sean asked, as Fiona looked pensive.

“Why would my thoughts cost a copper?” Fiona asked, puzzled, distracted from her reverie.

“It’s a saying from my old world,” Sean said slowly, surprised that his comment hadn’t translated as well as he thought it would.

“I don’t get the meaning,” Fiona said after a moment.

“It means, why don’t you tell me what you’re thinking about?” Sean said.

“I was just thinking about how easy it was to leave Pinebough. We’ve seen nothing of the Elder since the guard said he was ordered to stop us. It either means we’re good, or we should be worried,” Fiona finally said.

“Guess we’ll find out tonight,” Sean said with a shrug. “Worrying about it won’t help matters.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Fiona said. “Shall we play some knuckles?”

Chapter Sixteen

Time passed by like a lazy summer afternoon, except for the wintry chill in the air. Myna eventually pulled the wagon off to the side of the road on a well-used cut out. A fire pit was ringed with stones, and the ground had been flattened and packed hard by repeated use.

“Standard camp spot?” Sean asked, getting out of the back of the wagon.

“Yes. These are commonplace between villages and towns if they’re more than a day apart,” Myna replied as she started to care for the horses. “We’ll make Pinehaven tomorrow evening.”

“I’ll go collect firewood, if you want to help Myna with the horses,” Fiona suggested.

“Good idea, I don’t have any real hands on experience with handling horses,” Sean said, going over to help Myna get the horses unhitched from the wagon.

It took them awhile to get the horses hobbled for the evening, as Myna had to walk Sean through the process of getting them curried and fed, and make sure he understood each step. By the time they finished, Fiona had the fire going and was making dinner.

“Well, that certainly eats into our time to spar or work on Talents,” Sean said as he brushed his hands off. “No tea?”

“Not tonight,” Fiona said, motioning to an earthen jug near where his bedroll was laid out. “I thought a little mead would be a good change of pace.”

Picking up the jug, he took a seat on his bedroll. The jug was heavy and had been sealed with wax. Breaking the wax carefully to keep it out of the mead, Sean pulled out the stopper and took a sniff. A strong honey scent hit his nose like a hammer. Blinking, Sean looked around for a cup, only to find Myna offering him three.

“Thank you,” Sean said as he took the first and filled it with the fragrant mead.

“You’re welcome, Sean,” Myna said as she exchanged cups with him.

Once the drinks were passed around, Sean took a deep whiff of the cooking meal. Garlic was the predominant scent and it made Sean’s mouth water. Watching Fiona turn over the meat in the pan she was cooking in, Sean saw her splash a little of her mead into the pan, the honey scent mixing with the garlic.

“That smells wonderful,” Myna said, pulling a carrot out of one of the bags on the cart and nibbling on it.

“Are you going to talk to him about this morning?” Fiona asked.

“Huh?” Sean said, looking to Fiona.

“Do you remember this morning?” Myna asked slowly.

Sean blushed as his mind went to the dreams he had woken to. “What do you mean?”

“When we left this morning, you called me something,” Myna said, looking at him curiously.

Sean’s brow furrowed as he tried to think of what she was talking about. There was something when Fiona had gotten up, but he couldn’t grasp the thought. “I don’t recall saying anything,” Sean finally said.

“You called me a very derogatory term,” Myna said, a deep frown marring her face. “You called me a ‘silly kitty.’”

As soon as the words left Myna’s mouth, Sean blinked, vaguely recalling the incident. “I didn’t know I said that out loud. It kind of went with my dre—” snapping his mouth shut, Sean cut himself off.

“Dreams?” Myna asked as she watched his blush go from pink to red. “Those words, to a Feline Moonbound, are very derogatory, much like calling one of the Canine Moonbound a ‘good doggy.’ I’ll forgive you, if you’ll tell me about the dream that prompted the comment.”

Not meeting her gaze and feeling his cheeks burning, Sean tried to think of a way out of his predicament. “It was just a dream... Maybe there’s another way to make it up to you?”

Fiona watched the two of them as she pulled out plates. “Myna? Why don’t you consider his offer while we eat?”

Myna looked at Fiona, then slowly nodded. “Yes. Yes, that is a good idea, Fiona.”

Feeling a relieved sigh escape him, Sean gave Fiona a thankful nod. Hoping that Myna would let things drop during the meal, Sean took the offered plate from Fiona. The scents of honey and garlic wafting up from the steak made his stomach rumble loudly.

“It seems you’re interested in dinner,” Fiona chuckled lightly. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Pulling out his cutlery, Sean set the plate on his lap and cut off a section of the steak. Popping the juicy piece into his mouth, Sean savored the combination of flavors. The honey and garlic mingled together in harmony, and a touch of salt helped accent them both. He chewed and swallowed, looking up to see Fiona obviously waiting for a comment.

“It’s very good, Fiona,” Sean said as he looked back down to cut another piece off. “I’m going to be quiet for a bit so I can focus on this tasty meal.”

Fiona gave him a broad smile, even though he wasn’t looking at her. “Good, I’m glad you like my cooking.”

“It is very good,” Myna agreed around her first bite.

“Thank you, Myna,” Fiona gave her a smile as well. “We’ll be in Pinehaven tomorrow, but the next time we make camp, it’ll be your turn to cook.”

“Good. I want to show him my skills as well,” Myna said.

Sean choked on his mead, his mind diving straight into the gutter at her comment, especially considering the dreams he’d been having. Setting his plate and cup aside, Sean doubled over, coughing hard while Myna patted his back, looking somewhat alarmed.

“It seems he looks forward to that, too,” Fiona said slowly. “Are you okay, Sean?”

Slowly coming out of the coughing fit, Sean nodded, his voice rough as he managed to say, “I’m fine…”

Myna continued to rub his back as she watched him. All day she had felt as if something were changing in their group. Fiona had become more welcoming of her over the last few days, and Sean’s reaction was even more hopeful.

Once he stopped coughing, Sean took a drink of mead to help clear his throat. “Sorry about that.”

“Do you wish to see my skills, Sean?” Myna asked.

Blushing, Sean looked away from her. “Your cooking skills? Yes, I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful meal for us when it’s your turn.”

Myna was disappointed by his reply, then realized he was deliberately avoiding the broader subject. When she thought of it that way, a new hope bloomed inside her and she met Fiona’s eyes.

Fiona looked pensive as she meet Myna’s eyes with a nod. “Sean, we should spar again after dinner.”

Looking up from his plate, having missed their byplay, Sean nodded. “Probably a good idea. Whoever’s not fighting can practice Mage Sight and Shaping.”

“That’s a good use of time,” Myna agreed.

“After dinner,” Fiona said, going back to enjoying her meal.

Sean finished first and lounged as he waited for them. Sipping the last of his mead, Sean wondered about the shifting dynamic in the group. Over the last few days, the women had apparently become almost united in their goals. His dream that morning had made Sean wonder about the Life Bonds and if they were already influencing his opinions on how he should act with them.

Fiona collected the plates, having been the last to finish her meal. “Sean, can you put some hot water into the bucket for me so I can clean up?”

Sean tried first to get the magic to work without words and motions. Nothing happened, so he recited the song and tipped himself to the side. Once she had enough hot water, Fiona thanked him and sent him over to Myna.

“Go spar. I’ll be along after I’m done here.”

Sean frowned, something about her seeming off to him. “Okay…” Picking up Dark Cutter, he Shaped it into a sword. “You good for the first round, Myna?”

“Yes, but first you were going to tell me about your dream, weren’t you?”

Sean slowed his pace. “There’s no other way to apologize?”

Myna looked thoughtful for a moment before meeting his eyes. “Sleep with me.”

Boggling, Sean froze. “Err…”

Myna’s cheeks tinged. “I meant let me hold you tonight, not the other.”

A relieved breath escaped Sean, “Oh… ahh…”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Fiona said from where she was washing the dishes. “We could make it contingent on who wins the sparring match. The winner gets to choose whether Sean tells his dream or holds you tonight.”

“That is acceptable,” Myna nodded.

“Wait, don’t I get a choice here?” Sean asked, his eyes going from one to the other.

“Yes, if you win,” Fiona said simply. “You basically called her your pet this morning. Did you mean that? Was it intentional and you think of her as a pet already?”

“No,” Sean said angrily, “Myna is a friend, not a pet.”

“I’m sorry for suggesting it,” Fiona said, not even bothering to stop cleaning. “Maybe you do mean to make up for your blunder this morning, then?”

Seeing himself boxed in by the two of them, Sean shook his head. “Fine, let’s do this.”

Myna bowed to him. “I’m conflicted about which I want more now.”

Sean frowned, his own mind uncertain about what he really wanted. Pushing the thoughts aside, he bowed to her and brought his sword up as she settled into position with her practice swords before her.

Focusing on her and the fight before him, Sean started forward slowly, his feet gliding across the ground. Her blades shifted as he advanced, which made him pause. As he came to a stop, Myna exploded towards him, her blades weaving an intricate pattern. Sean reacted, his sword shifting into a wooden bladed naginata as the metal covered the shaft, and he wove the longer blade into a defensive pattern to keep her back.

Myna retreated as he shifted his weapon. Nodding, she settled into a defensive stance. “You’re getting quicker at adapting,” Myna said as she looked for an opening. “I need to practice my Shaping a lot more to be able to even attempt that in combat.”

“We’ll get you there,” Sean smiled at her.

“In time,” Myna said, then vanished.

Sean brought Mage Sight up to find Myna. He found her as he felt her blades knock his naginata up and away from her. Backpedaling, he shifted the weapon into twin daggers, but he was too slow to stop her attack. Four quick stabs hit him in his thighs, stomach, and chest, making him stumble backwards and fall on his ass.

“Myna wins,” Fiona said simply as she came over to them. “She will get to choose later. We can get some more sparring in first. I think we should practice it with Mage Sight up to get used to it.”

“I concur,” Myna said. “If he had been using it at the start of the fight, my trick wouldn’t have worked.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sean said as he got out of the way, seating himself near the fire. He Shaped Dark Cutter back into a naginata and set it next to him, then picked up a log. “I’ll Shape until someone wins.”

Sean watched the two of them fight as he absentmindedly Shaped the wood in his hands. They both seemed a little slow to him as they fought. It took a moment for him to realize it was because they were trying to cope with Mage Sight while fighting. Turning his own Mage Sight on, he watched the two of them as they circled.

It took longer than Sean would have expected, but eventually Myna landed a clean hit to Fiona’s gut. Rubbing her stomach as she came toward Sean, Fiona sighed, “That’s harder than I thought it would be. All the extra stimuli from seeing everything’s energy made it hard to focus on the fight.”

“That’s why we train,” Sean grinned as he stood up. Holding out the chunk of wood he’d been playing with, he gave her a kiss and strolled towards Myna.

Fiona had dropped Mage Sight when she took her seat, and blinked at the statue Sean had given her. She smiled as she set it aside; he obviously hadn’t realized what he had done and she was looking forward seeing his expression when he did. Picking up another log, she began Shaping it as she turned her attention to Sean and Myna.

Idly spinning his naginata as he walked forward, Sean kept his focus on the glowing energy that was Myna. “Two for two so far, but it looked like you were having some trouble with Fiona.”

“As she said, the extra stimuli is hard to deal with,” Myna said. “I won’t be able to use my tricks with you already watching me with Mage Sight.”

“So I’ll have a chance,” Sean chuckled.

“Better than you normally do,” Myna snickered.

“Just for that, I’m going to go hard on you,” Sean said, giving her a small bow and bringing the naginata around into position.

“I shall make you earn everything,” Myna said as she bowed and brought her blades up in front of her.

Sean attacked, coming in hard and fast, snapping the naginata in short fast attacks and making Myna backpedal to deflect them. Sean frowned as he watched her parrying his attacks. Her blades glowed faintly in the same colors she did, as if they were extensions of her. Thinking his own weapon was probably doing the same, Sean let part of his focus slip into the blade, trying to dim the glow the weapon was probably showing, but unable to see his own energy.

Myna sprang back. “Where did your weapon go?”

Sean chuckled, “It worked?”

“What did you do?” Myna asked, moving in a circle around him.

“I tried to Camo the energy in the blade. Your weapons have a faint glow, so I figured mine glowed, too.”

“It did. Not strongly, but it did, and now it’s gone.”

“Well, that’s going to make life difficult for you,” Sean said, launching another series of attacks.

Myna hesitated for a fraction of a second, then her blades danced against his weapon, controlling it. “Now I’ll win,” Myna said firmly.

“You dropped Mage Sight,” Sean said as he was forced into a defensive posture.

“Yes,” Myna admitted as she came forward.

Growling, Sean stopped retreating and attacked. “I see.” He focused, vanishing from sight as he invoked Camo, then quickly sidestepped and attacked her.

Myna hesitated as he vanished from her sight, only to yip when the flat of the naginata smacked her across the ass. “You win,” she conceded. “Bested by my own trick.”

Sean chuckled as he dropped Camo, “Well, since you dropped Mage Sight, it seemed like the thing to do.”

“How did you do what you did?” Myna asked, looking at him curiously.

“I just focused part of my mind on masking the energy, like Camo masks my body,” Sean said with a shrug. “Nothing complicated.”

Myna frowned, then vanished from his sight. “I want to see if I can do that to myself,” she said. “Is your Mage Sight active?”

Sean blinked and willed it back into being. “Yes.” Myna seemed to glow like normal, but after a moment, her glow dimmed by stages until she was gone from his sight. “You’re gone.”

“I can see you normally, though,” Fiona said.

“Can I do both?” Myna murmured, closing her eyes and concentrating.

“You’re shimmering. It’s hard to see, but since I know you’re there, I can see you,” Fiona said.

“Ditto,” Sean agreed, “your energy is very faint, but since I know you’re there, I can see enough.”

Panting as she reappeared, Myna nodded. “Okay. That took a lot out of me.”

Sean fed her some energy as he put his arm around her shoulders. “That was a good experiment.”

“Thank you,” Myna said, giving him a bright smile as she felt the influx of energy.

“We should call it a night,” Fiona said, setting her statue next to Sean’s while they weren’t looking.

Catching sight of the wooden statues, Myna slowed. “You made statues?”

“No, Sean made one of them,” Fiona said with a grin. “Want to guess which one?”

“I made a statue?” Sean asked.

“Yes. You handed it to me when you went to spar, and I didn’t alter it at all,” Fiona said with a giggle.

Myna pointed to the one depicting Sean being kissed on either cheek by Myna and Fiona as he held them close. “That’s his, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Fiona said as she picked up the one Myna had indicated. “Surprising, isn’t it?”

“What about this one, then?” Sean said, picking up the one Fiona had finished, which showed Myna and Fiona Shaping a boat together.

“I did that one,” Fiona grinned.

“I really made that statue?” Sean asked.

“Yes,” Fiona said simply, then turned to Myna, who was staring longingly at the sculpture. “Myna, you won your bet. Did you want to know about the dream or to be held by him tonight?”

Myna glanced to Fiona, who only smiled at her, then to Sean, who was staring at the statue he’d made. “Sean? Would you hold me?”

Sean met her hopeful gaze and his heart thumped in his chest hard for a moment. Bowing his head, he nodded once. “If that’s what you want, Myna, but I still love Fiona.”

“You’ll love us both in time,” Fiona said softly as she shifted the bedrolls around so hers was on the other side of Myna’s, away from Sean. “We should be getting some sleep. I’ll take the first watch tonight.”

Myna looked at Fiona, wondering if she should follow through, and got a small nod in return. Holding to her courage, Myna got into her bedroll and waited.

Watching both of them, Sean looked at the statue again. It was like his dream, with both women kissing him. Maybe the Bond is working faster than Fiona anticipated, Sean thought. Pushing the thought away, he slipped into his bedroll. Feeling self-conscious, he put his arm around Myna’s waist and tried to keep a few inches between them. “Goodnight to you both,” Sean said.

“Night, Sean,” Fiona said as she sat on her bedroll. “I’ll wake Myna in a few hours for her watch.”

“That’s fine, Fiona. Goodnight, Sean,” Myna’s breathless voice was full of happiness.

Chapter Seventeen

Sean didn’t recall any dreams when a hand touched his face gently. “Sean, wake. It's time for your watch,” Myna whispered in his ear.

Sitting up with a yawn, Sean found Myna next to him and Fiona sleeping in her bedroll. “I’m awake,” Sean murmured as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Thank you for holding me,” Myna said softly as she slipped into her bedroll.

The dim firelight didn’t let him see her face, but from the happiness in her voice, he could guess she was smiling. “Myna… my dream was basically like the statue,” Sean said, deciding to just tell her. “I dreamt of you both covering me with soft kisses. I don’t know what it means, but I think the Bond might be strengthening faster than Fiona assumed it would. I never would have had those kinds of dreams a handful of days ago. I’ve always believed that a relationship should be just two people.”

Not responding right away, Myna rolled over to look at him. “You are thinking differently now?”

“Not yet, but I think Fiona is right, and it's only a matter of time. With you two not sniping at each other anymore, it just feels right. Before, when you both were at odds, it was easier to distance myself from the thought of you and me. Now with you two getting along, I’m finding it harder to keep that distance.”

“Good,” Myna whispered. “Goodnight, Sean.”

Sean let out a deep breath, feeling better for having told her. Getting to his feet slowly, so as to not make any excess noise, he stretched out before packing his things away and stowing them on the wagon. Taking a seat next to the fire, Sean added a log for a little more heat so the women would be more comfortable. Putting the fire to his back so it wouldn’t ruin his night vision, Sean looked around periodically and let his thoughts drift to what they would need to do once they reached a good place to stop.

We should pick up a tent, Sean mentally noted. It's only going to get colder, and it would be better for them if they had shelter. Gazing up, Sean noted the few stars he could see through the cloud cover. I wonder if one of you is Sol? Sean asked the stars with a bit of melancholy. Morrigan never really said if this was just a different world or another dimension, which means I might be seeing my old home. The thought made Sean’s lips quirk up as he imagined spaceships bridging the two worlds.

Sitting there, Sean remembered how boring night watch could be. He’d worked as a night watchman for a few months in his younger days. The sounds of the woods brought back memories of camping trips with his father, which reminded him of some of the stories his father would tell on those trips.

Sean became aware of muffled footsteps, and that the normal animal sounds had stopped nearby. Head tilting to one side, he could now make out a number of people trying to stealthily move through the woods behind him. Laying his hand on Dark Cutter, still in naginata form, he focused and caught a whispered conversation.

“We do get to play with them before the Bond kills them, right?”

“Shhh, if either of the Bonded are awake, they might hear you,” a strong voice hissed softly. “Both of them have sharp hearing from their ancestors. Now get the men ready. I need you all to focus on him, but remember to move when I call out.”

“We know how to do our job,” the first man said with a huff.

The voices stopped and Sean stretched, getting to his feet slowly and activating Mage Sight, then taking a slow shamble around the campsite. He caught sight of human outlines, all but one of them empty of color. That one had a bright red cloud diffused through it. Sean wondered what that denoted with Mage Sight. Making the circuit, he debated waking the two women before the fight started, or letting them wake to the sound of conflict.

Sean decided to nudge them as he went past on the next round. He could hear the men all come to a halt and the soft sounds of weapons being readied. Sean started the path around the camp again, but as he passed Myna, he poked her gently with the haft of the naginata. It was only two more steps to Fiona, who he also nudged in the same manner.

“Men in the woods, coming for us,” Sean barely whispered, hoping they heard him.

Both women stirred slightly, but didn’t make any overt movements to show they were awake. Making the turn back towards the road, he glanced back and saw their eyes were open and tracking him. He looked toward the woods, letting them know which direction the attack was going to come from.

Sean was sure that the men would come running in shortly, which is why he was surprised when the sound of crossbows being fired barely preceded the impact of four bolts to his back. Dropping to his knees as the pain hit him, Sean was certain he had just been hit in a few organs. The lowest of the quarrels added insult to the injuries, lodging just an inch or two above and to the side of his rectum.

“We got him. Rush them,” came the earlier voice that had asked if the gang would be able to rape Fiona and Myna.

“Sean!” Myna shouted, jumping to her feet. Her eyes widened at the sight of the crossbow bolts in Sean’s back and she spun on the six men. Snatching her blades from their sheathes, she charged at them.

Fiona stared at Sean long enough to see him rip the bolts from his back. Turning back toward the oncoming men, she stepped forward with her staff. “Myna, don’t let them surround you,” she warned as she followed.

“Liam, Orval, split off and make sure he goes down. The rest of us will subdue these two,” the man apparently in charge said as he closed the last few feet to Myna, his sword swinging.

Once he’d pulled the bolts from his body, Sean felt his healing kick in, much to his relief. Getting back to his feet, he turned towards the two men charging him. A dark smile came to him as he felt time slow. “You made a grave mistake.”

The two men split, trying to attack him from different sides. They were suddenly looking a little wary, since he was clearly ready for a fight after taking four crossbow bolts to the back. Sean feinted toward one before spinning on the other, his naginata almost humming as it sliced through the air. A sharp snap was heard as the blade the man used to block with was sheared through, then as Dark Cutter continued on to bury itself in the man’s chest.

Eyes wide with disbelief, the fatally wounded man clutched feebly at the shaft and tried to pull the blade free. Sean viciously yanked it free, spinning back toward the second man, who hadn’t realized yet what had happened to his friend. Sean deflected his attack, pushing the man off balance. Before the attacker could recover, his head was sent spinning from his body.

Myna had focused on the leader. As they got closer, she vanished from their sight, making him and the three other men approaching her hesitate. The leader grabbed the man next to him and roughly yanked the fellow around in front of himself. That move saved him, but the other man took two blades to the gut. The fellow’s hardened leather stopped the blades from entering more than a couple of inches, but he still screamed as her blades bit into him. Myna yanked her blades free and danced back as the others closed in around her.

Fiona targeted the one to Myna’s left, to make sure she had room to maneuver. The man in leather saw her coming and was able to deflect her first set of attacks. Fiona scowled as the thug sneered at her.

“If they want a fight, give it to them,” the leader said, pushing his wounded man at Myna. “Whoever drops them gets first pick.”

Sean spun toward the fight at those words, but he only made it two feet before another voice rang out in the night.

“By fire, let my will be known, purge this filth from the land!” The words came from the last man to reach the camp, and the one who had been bright red in Sean’s Mage Sight.

Flame engulfed Sean and Dark Cutter fell from his hand as he screamed in pain. Dropping to the ground, he rolled over and over, trying to smother the flames that stuck tenaciously to him. His skin was blistered and raw by the time he got the fire out.

“Hurry up and deal with those bitches,” the mage said. “I’ll need a few moments to marshal another ball of flame.”

Sean lay there gasping in pain for a moment, then got his arms under him and began to push himself upright. “I’m going to gut you for that,” he hissed.

“How did you survive that?” the mage asked in shock. “Hurry up already—kill them if you have to,” he said to the men attacking Myna and Fiona.

“Fine, kill them. We’ll have the innkeeper’s daughter when we get back to town instead,” the leader of the armed men said.

The four of them attacked Fiona and Myna with renewed aggression. Fiona, with only one opponent, thrust her staff toward the man. Snorting derisively at the attack, the man brushed it up and over his shoulder as he came inside the length of the weapon. He was surprised when the staff became a razor-edged blade slicing into his neck. Eyes wide in shock, he stumbled and went down as blood pumped quickly from the deep gash.

“A Shaper in combat?” the leader snarled. “You two finish the Moonbound bitch. I’ll deal with the Shaper.”

Myna had fallen into a defensive posture, her blades weaving a barrier as she held off the other two. She knew everything would be fine if she could buy time for the others. Small nicks caught her arms here and there as the battle went on, but as each wound was inflicted, it began to heal. Her healing gave her a dangerous idea, and she went with it before she could talk herself out of it.

As the two men pressed Myna back step by step, she batted one of their swords down but not out, letting it go straight through her gut. Pushing along the blade, she sank both of her blades into the startled man’s neck before pushing herself off his blade and collapsing to the ground.

“Crazy bitch,” the other one said as he turned to help his leader with Fiona.

Sean finally made it to his feet, his skin slowly healing as he picked up Dark Cutter and leaned against it. “Mage… you should run… because if I catch you, I’ll make you suffer.”

“No, I’ll burn you before then,” the mage said with a laugh. “It doesn’t matter that you survived the first flame. You won’t survive the second.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sean said as he took a few hobbling steps towards the mage.

Fiona had to backpedal quickly. The leader had been hard enough to defend against, but with his helper, she was bound to lose in time. “Sean, Myna is down,” she called out.

Sean glanced over to see Myna holding her stomach as blood dripped through her fingers. A surge of rage rushed through him and he turned his gaze back to the mage, his badly damaged body healing even faster. “Now you die!”

Sean started forward in a limping run, watching the mage flex his hands in front of his chest. “By fire, let my will be known, purge this filth from the land!” the mage shouted. A small ball of fire appeared between the mage’s hands, growing larger with each word. As the last word left the mage’s mouth, he made a casting motion with his right hand and the ball of fire surged at Sean, growing larger as it came at him.

Following his instinct, Sean brought Dark Cutter around as though to parry the ball of fire. Both he and the mage were shocked when the blade caught the ball of fire and flung it aside. The anguished scream from the bandit in the lead, who had caught the fire full in the face, made everyone pause.

Screaming, the leader threw himself to the ground and tried to smother the flames. Fiona was the first one to snap out of the stupor, her staff crushing the burning man’s neck and ending the screams.

The last of the leather clad men backed away from her and turned to run. He only made it a single step before two blades took his head off his shoulders. Myna was back on her feet.

“But… how… even a soul blade would have trouble doing that, unless…” the mage babbled, his gaze locked on the burning corpse.

Sean closed the distance quickly and used the haft of the naginata to club the mage in the head. A dull thunk sounded at the blow, and Sean frowned as he watched the man’s head deform. “Fucking shit, I didn’t mean to kill him.”

Shaking his head, he turned back to help Myna, only to find her standing next to Fiona. “I’m fine, Sean,” Myna said. “I took a blade to the gut, but your healing got me back to my feet quickly.”

“It didn’t feel good, seeing you down,” Sean said, planting Dark Cutter in the ground and pulling both of them into his arms. “I hate seeing either of you hurt.”

They hugged him back and then each other, and were still like that a few minutes later as the first rays of sunrise broke the horizon. Slowly breaking the hug, Sean coughed as he realized he had just flatly stated how much he cared for both of them.

“We didn’t like seeing you burnt alive either,” Fiona said as she watched the last few blisters on his skin heal.

“I almost screamed when that second ball of fire went at you,” Myna nodded.

“How did you deflect the magic?” Fiona asked.

“I just parried and hoped it would work,” Sean said slowly, recalling the pull on his energy. “I think I channeled my energy into the blade, but I’m not sure. I’m fairly sure that I don’t want to test it again.”

Fiona nodded. “I don’t blame you for that.”

“Since the sun is up, should we get an early start?” Myna asked with a yawn.

“We can, but you’ll be sleeping in the back for a bit,” Sean told her.

Myna met his gaze, then bowed her head. “If that is your command.”

Sean bit back his reply, instead reaching out to pet her ears. “It is, at least for today.”

Fiona watched the two of them for a moment before kissing Sean’s cheek and heading towards the bodies. “I’ll strip them of what we can sell easily. If you’ll get breakfast started please, Sean?”

“You got it,” Sean said.

Chapter Eighteen

Sean had two pans going over the fire and Myna had the rest of the gear packed up by the time Fiona finished searching the bodies of their attackers. “What did they have?”

“Their armor is that of Pinebough guards,” Fiona said, “which means the mage was the person responsible for clearing the bulk of the refuse the village produced. The elder is going to be in trouble when that comes to light.”

“You said something like that when we visited Oaklake,” Sean said.

“Every town or city must have at least one Fire Mage to burn the refuse the city generates. Pinebough had just gotten a new one a few days before we arrived.”

“Considering the expense of having a Fire Mage, losing one is going to make getting another problematic,” Myna added.

“What have we got that we can sell off, then?” Sean asked as he flipped some meat in the one pan.

“The swords and crossbows are good,” Fiona said. “I stripped them of their coin purses, but between them all it, only amounted to a total of two bronze, all in copper. Most of that was from the Fire Mage and Captain. Myna should track back to where they left their horses. I’m sure they are branded, but we might be able to use some of the tack and extra gear before we turn them loose.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Sean said as he took both pans off the fire. He set up three plates, each with a strip of bacon and some sautéed veggies. “Wish we had eggs, but this will have to do.”

“They don’t travel well,” Myna said as she took a plate from him.

“That’s a good point,” Sean said. “Oh well, just another thing to get used to.”

“Did you normally have eggs with breakfast?” Fiona asked.

“They’re a normal breakfast food where I’m from,” Sean said between bites. “Eggs, bacon, and toast is a pretty standard breakfast. The meal you had prepared for me at Pinebough was close to what James and I would meet up for sometimes.”

“I’ll see about arranging something similar when we get to Pinehaven,” Myna said.

“It's fine,” Sean said. “I need to adapt to this world. Food seems like a good place to start. At least nothing here has disagreed with me yet.”

“Hopefully nothing will,” Fiona said as she started washing her empty plate in the pot that Sean had set up earlier.

“I’ll go track their horses down and bring back what we can sell,” Myna said, standing up.

“Give me your plate,” Fiona said, holding out a hand.

“Thank you,” Myna said with a smile, handing her the plate and taking off into the woods.

“We should also drag the bodies away,” Sean said as he finished his meal.

“I’ll clean the dishes if you do that,” Fiona said.

“Deal,” Sean said, giving her a quick kiss and handing off his plate.

Almost an hour later, Myna returned, leading a single horse that was loaded down with gear. “The horses were branded, so I thought it best to not bring them. I only brought this one to help carry all the stuff.”

“None of the riding tack is marked?” Sean asked incredulously.

“It is. It has the maker’s mark from a well-known crafter in Southpoint, Maximillian Giralt,” Myna said. “I’ve seen his mark before.” She pointed out the MG tooled into the saddles.

“These are going to be worth a bit, then?” Sean asked as he pulled the first one off of the horse.

“Yes, but we’ll want to spread out selling them, because all seven together would attract attention,” Fiona said as she grabbed one to stack in the wagon.

“What else was there?” Sean asked as he pulled another saddle off the horse.

Myna said with a smile, “They had a tent with them and some hemp canvas that can be used for a lean-to. The tent looks like it could sleep the three of us comfortably. It may even fit four.”

“Something good came out of this after all, then,” Sean chuckled as he continued to load the gear onto the wagon. “I’d just been thinking that we needed to get a tent.”

“Pinebough will be hurt by this,” Fiona said as she went to their horses and started getting them ready, “though there should be a bit of a delay, as the elder will expect the men back tomorrow. He’ll have to send someone to investigate what happened to them.”

“More time to lose ourselves,” Sean nodded. “We’ll make Pinehaven today?”

“Yes,” Myna said.

After each of them took a few minutes in the woods for personal reasons and changed clothing, they finally got moving toward Pinehaven. Myna curled up in the nook and was soon sleeping, which Sean was grateful for.

“She wants to do so much for you,” Fiona said softly, glancing back at Myna. “Even without the Life Bond, I’m certain she’d never betray you.”

“Yeah, the hero worship thing is a little intense,” Sean said.

“You brought her back to life. I can’t blame her for feeling that way, either. We’ve talked about you a lot over the last tenday and we’ve started to understand each other better. Myna and I never had any problem, but weren’t really friends before this, either. Both of us being Life Bonded to you has made us take the time to learn about each other. It was also one of the reasons I suggested she stay and talk with you the other day.”

“So I would get to know her better,” Sean said.

“Yes. I find my initial pangs of jealousy are fading, quicker than I thought they would. I don’t feel anything other than happiness now when I see you pet her head, knowing that you’re accepting her.”

“Didn’t you say just the other day that you weren’t happy about that?” Sean asked, puzzled.

“Yes, but today, I don’t feel that. I think the Life Bond is shifting my way of looking at her much faster than I had thought possible. I also know that Myna wasn’t upset by you calling her a ‘silly kitty’ the other day. What upset her is that you didn’t remember saying it.”

“If it’s a derogatory term…” Sean trailed off with a frown.

“Maybe she likes the idea of being your pet,” Fiona suggested as she laid a hand on his leg. “Some Moonbound do react that way to being Life Bonded, especially if they are treated well.”

Sean shook his head. “I don’t get that at all.”

“Did your world not have those who liked to be owned or enslaved by someone?”

Grunting, Sean recalled James’ last girlfriend and how she would proudly show off the collar she wore. “Yeah, a small subset of people like that do exist on the other world.”

“She would be like that,” Fiona said simply.

“Fucking hell,” Sean sighed as he handed the reins to Fiona. “I’m not that kind of guy, though. It was never my kink.”

“No one says that it has to be now,” Fiona added. “Myna will accept however much, or little, you give her. As will I, but I really would prefer more to less.”

Rubbing his face, Sean sighed, “This is going to take some time to get used to.”

“We have time,” Fiona giggled, “all our lives, in fact. And with your energy levels, that will be a long time indeed.”

“Great. Maybe in twenty years, I’ll be used to the idea,” Sean snorted.

“It will be sooner than that,” Fiona said. “I told you, the Bond is meshing me and Myna together. It will be the same for you, Sean. I think your dream of the two of us showering you in love points to that.”

Falling into his thoughts, Sean wondered about her words. She isn’t wrong. I really do feel myself drawn more to them both. Is that right though? Should the Life Bonds shape my thoughts and desires that easily? Myna literally pushed herself onto a blade to kill our enemies earlier, how can I ignore that? Do I even want to? She’ll obviously give up her own life to protect me and Fiona, how could I ignore that and try to keep her distant from us?

Sean didn’t know how long his thoughts chased each other around in circles before Fiona reached back and woke Myna.

“Myna, time to wake. We’ll be pausing to rest the horses soon,” Fiona said gently as she stroked Myna’s ears.

“Okay,” Myna murmured, yawning and stretching with a very cat-like motion.

Sean resisted the urge to rub her ears, forcing himself to look at the road. “Maybe you can make us a quick meal while we pause?”

“I’ll be happy to,” Myna said as she leaned against the driver’s bench, looking down the road between them.

When they stopped at midday, Myna got a small fire going and had Sean summon hot water. She chopped up the last of the salted pork, a handful of roots, and added spices to the hot water then hung it over the fire. Sean helped Fiona feed and water the horses while she cooked. Sean could sense contentment from the horses as they were brushed down.

“Lunch is ready,” Myna called out to them as they took the feedbags off the horses.

“Be right there,” Sean called out.

When they made it over to the fire, Myna handed them bowls of soup and cups of tea. Myna smiled at their thanks. Her smile broadened even more when Sean and Fiona both complimented her cooking.

Chapter Nineteen

They didn’t encounter anyone else until they got close to Pinehaven that evening. The sun was setting as Fiona brought the wagon to a stop outside the closed gate.

“Where’re you from?” a guard atop the wall asked.

“We’ve recently come from Pinebough,” Sean called back to the man with the bronze helmet. “Hoping to stay the night at an inn.”

“You carrying goods for sale?” the guard asked, peering at the wagon.

“That, and hoping to get more supplies for the next leg of our journey,” Sean replied.

“Angus, open the gate,” the guard called down behind him.

Sean looked at the walls, his eyebrows rising as he took note of their solidity. The wall didn’t appear to be built of trees, but was rather a single, solid piece of wood that stood ten feet tall and was several feet thick. Buttresses appeared to grow from the inside at regular intervals, supporting the massive construct.

“Fiona, look at the walls,” Sean murmured.

“Pinehaven is known in the south for the Shaper that lives here. He spent four years making the walls as you see them,” Fiona murmured back. “He isn’t powerful or as skilled as you or me. Myna could probably match him at this point.”

“Really?” Myna asked.

Fiona nodded. “I’ve seen your work. You’re already past the skill level of many Shapers. It might take you longer since you’re consciously focusing on it, but in time, you’ll get past that too. You don’t have to use your hands to Shape the wood. It takes less energy if you do, and helps with the more detailed bits.”

“I see,” Myna murmured. “That is how you Shape so quickly in combat.”

“Yes,” Fiona nodded. “I wanted you to get used to the way I was trained first.”

“I understand,” Myna nodded as the gate finally opened.

Giving the reins a light snap, Fiona got the horses moving again. Once they were through the gate, it swung closed behind them. A muscle bound, green-skinned man was slowly pushing the gate.

Sean looked from the large male to the guard on the wall. “Which way to the inn?”

“Follow the road, it's hard to miss,” the guard replied dismissively.

As they moved into the village, Sean leaned in towards Fiona, “Why do all the villages have walls?”

“To keep beasts at bay should they attack,” Fiona replied. “It wouldn’t do much to slow the Moonbound, but sometimes, large packs of Red-eyes will go on savage killing sprees. We were lucky that Darragh came to an arrangement with the master of the woods near Oakwood, or we would have had more problems.” Her voice hitched when she mentioned Darragh.

“We’ll pay them back,” Sean said, firmly but softly, “but we need to lay low for a while, just in case.”

“It will be as you say,” Myna said softly. “I will carve those responsible into mince, once we know who it was.”

“I’m sure we’ll all get a piece,” Sean said. The streets were mostly empty as night fell, though he did see a few people going about their lives. Giving a friendly nod to the few who looked their way, Sean was happy to see his friendly smiles returned. “This place already seems better than Pinebough.”

“The people here are happier,” Fiona agreed. “Maybe we’ll do well selling off some extra gear tomorrow before we leave.”

The three-story building to their left had a sign depicting a bed and the words ‘Restful Slumber’ etched into the wood. “That would be the inn,” Sean stated the obvious as he watched a couple of people enter it.

Fiona guided the wagon just past the inn to the stable. “Ring the bell, please,” Fiona asked as she came to a stop before the closed gate.

Myna jumped down before Sean could move. “I have it.”

Sean settled back onto the seat, reminding himself that they were supposed to be his servants. Putting a bored expression on his face, Sean waited for someone to answer the bell that Myna had rung. By the time a man opened the gate and waved them in, Sean had managed to find the neutral expression he was trying for.

“Two horses and a wagon will cost you ten copper for the night,” he said when Fiona had driven into the yard. “Your horses will be curried, fed, and watered.”

Sean nodded, not bothering to haggle. “Pay him, Fiona. I’ll be inside.” Hopping down, Sean grabbed Dark Cutter, still in Naginata form, and headed for the side door that led into the inn. “Myna, you’re with me.”

“As you command, Master,” Myna said as she followed him.

The door from the stable opened into a short hall that connected to the common room, full of people having their evening meals. A number of eyes went to him, then turned away, though a few lingered on the weapon he carried. Not seeing anything amiss, or anyone particularly focused on them, Sean made his way to the bartender.

“Looking for a room, with some extra blankets for my Bonded,” Sean told the innkeeper when the gentleman came down to him. “We’ll need dinner, breakfast, drinks for both meals, and the bathing room.”

The bored innkeeper nodded. “That’ll be sixty copper.”

Sean raised an eyebrow, but dropped a bronze onto the counter. Nodding, the innkeeper returned four large copper coins and rang a bell. A young woman, barely past her teens, came out of the back at the summons. Sean noticed a thin black band around one wrist.

“One room, extra blankets,” the innkeeper told her, then walked away to fill another customer’s mug, clearly dismissing them both.

“If you will follow me, sir,” the young woman said. Sean gave a small nod, following her. The maid led them to the second floor and down the hall, coming to a door with the number six engraved on it. “This is your room for the night. I’ll get the blankets for your Bonded.”

“There are two of them,” Sean told her.

“I’ll be back shortly,” the maid said as she walked off.

Sean went into the darkened room, the lamplight from the hall showing him where the lamp in the room was located. Sean dug his striker out of his belt pouch to get it going. The scent of olives drifted up as he replaced the glass and adjusted the flame.

Once he got the lamp adjusted, Sean looked around the room. A narrow bed was against the wall, with a small window above it looking down onto the stables. The table held the lamp, along with a pitcher and basin. A single chair completed the furnishings. This room was far more spartan than what he’d had at Oaklake, and had cost more, which rankled him.

“I have your extra blankets,” the maid said from the doorway.

Myna took them with a smile. “Thank you.”

The maid gave her an obviously false smile in return. “Of course.”

“Excuse me,” Fiona said from behind the maid.

The maid stepped aside, giving Fiona a small, but real smile. “If you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask.”

Fiona entered the room and shut the door behind her, setting their bags to the side of the door. “The stable master is interested in buying a set of the riding gear. I had one of them visible and the rest covered.”

“Am I a merchant this time?” Sean asked with a wry grin.

“It’s a good cover, at least for the next few places we reach,” Fiona said. “It will help explain all the things we have to sell. We should also craft more items before we reach the next place so we have more goods to sell.”

“Better than being a noble,” Sean exhaled. Eyes going to Myna, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

Smiling at him, she shrugged. “I am long used to the indifference and scorn of others. They’ll at least respect me as property.”

Sean’s jaw clenched, but he stopped when Fiona touched his arm, speaking softly. “Sean, this is what life will be—even more so when we get into more populated places. Moonbound are not loved, as you’ve been told many times. No one will hurt her, as she is property, though they will likely sneer at you for having her Life Bonded.”

“Fuck ‘em,” Sean hissed.

“Sean,” Myna whispered, “as long as you accept me, nothing anyone says or does will mean anything to me.”

Meeting her eyes and seeing that she meant what she’d said, Sean nodded. “I’ll always accept you, Myna.”

“We both know that,” Fiona said and kissed his cheek. “It would be best if I got our meal and brought it back here. If Myna tried to eat in the common room, it might cause a scene.”

Sean cracked his knuckles, thinking about the kind of bigotry this world seemed to be ingrained with. With a deep breath he looked at Myna, “I’ll handle it, if you would like to eat in the common room.”

Myna gave him a bright smile. “I know you would, Master, but I’m fine eating with you and Fiona.”

“I’ll be right back, then,” Fiona said as she quickly left the room.

Myna bit her lip, then asked a question that she was sure she already knew the answer to. “If I had said yes, and the entire town tried to toss us out, then what?”

“I’d resist, and make sure you were able to eat while I dealt with them,” Sean said.

“You are a unique man,” Myna murmured.

Sean looked away. “I’m really not.”

Shaking her head, Myna let it drop. “I’ll get our bed ready so Fiona doesn’t have to worry about it.”

“You two are getting along better,” Sean said.

“We’ve found some common ground, and the Bond is helping us,” Myna said as she began making up a bed out of the blankets. “I’m a little curious, though. I’d always heard that Life Bonds take years to really solidify, but Fiona and I seem to be growing together faster than I had ever anticipated.”

“She said something similar,” Sean added. “I wonder about that—does the strength of the person who holds the Bonds influence that connection?”

“I don’t know,” Myna replied, “but it would help explain things.”

“Something to consider,” Sean shrugged.

The meal was a stir-fry of mostly vegetables and was far more bland than Sean would have expected. When they finished, they all slipped down to the bathing room for a quick bath. No one bothered them, but Sean felt a growing sense of paranoia and was waiting for something to go wrong. Nothing happened during the bath, and the trio retired back to their room, ready for a good night’s sleep.

Sean felt a little guilty about taking the bed, but both women refused his offer to let them have it. Sean stared at the ceiling for some time, even after he could hear two sets of soft breathing indicating that Myna and Fiona had fallen asleep. The look on Myna’s face—a mixture of exasperation and love—when he had offered to fight the entire village kept coming back to him. I must be fucking losing what little sanity I have left, Sean sighed internally as he rolled over and finally fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty

Daylight was shining through the window when the scent of mint brought Sean awake. “Morning,” he yawned as he sat up.

“Morning, Master,” Myna said first.

“Good morning, Master,” Fiona added. “We have breakfast ready for you.”

“Mint tea?” Sean yawned again, rubbing his eyes.

“Along with raisin frumenty,” Fiona replied.

“Fru-what?” Sean said as he got to his feet and went to the table, where a bowl was waiting for him. “Oatmeal?”

“It’s hulled wheat boiled in milk. This one has cinnamon and raisins,” Myna said from her spot on the floor, her bowl in hand as she took another bite.

Frowning that they were sitting on the floor and he was in the chair, Sean went to move, but Fiona touched his leg. “Sean,” she said quietly, “it is supposed to be this way. Neither of us has an issue with it.”

“She’s right,” Myna agreed softly. “You can give each of us a kiss afterward, if you feel the need.”

Sean blinked at her before sighing, “I’ll get used to it eventually, or I’ll end up fighting all of society.”

“The first option would probably be best,” Fiona giggled.

“At least in the short term,” Myna added. “If our Master wishes to fight the world, we will stand with him.”

“Of course,” Fiona agreed.

Gazing at the two women, he felt a thump from his chest. He loved Fiona and had loved her for a while, but now when he looked at Myna, he realized he was starting to feel closer to her, too. It’s the Bond… it’s making me accept her more, and faster than they both thought would happen, Sean thought.

“We’re just going to sell a saddle to the stable master, and maybe pick up some more travel food from the general store, right?” Myna asked between bites.

“I’d like to get on the road again, so yeah,” Sean replied.

“We’ll be ready once we’re done with breakfast,” Fiona told him. “We have the bags already repacked, and I slipped down to the bathing room this morning and cleaned the bloody clothes as best I could. Some of them need a needle taken to them to fix the holes.”

“We can pick up a needle and thread at the general store,” Myna added. “I can get them stitched together today.”

“You’re good with tailoring?” Sean asked, surprised.

“No, but I can patch the holes at least,” Myna said sheepishly. “I’ve done it often enough with my own clothes.”

“Makes you more useful in that department than I am,” Fiona added as she set her bowl aside. “Maybe you can show me later?”

“I’d be happy to,” Myna nodded. “Between Shaping, though. Like you said last night, we need to make more things.”

“We do,” Fiona agreed. “We’ll pick up some wood on the way.”

Sean felt the smile on his lips, impressed at how far they had come over the last tenday; from all but declaring war on each other for his affections to being best friends. Taking the last bite of his frumenty, he pushed the bowl aside and picked up his mug of tea.

“It sounds like a plan,” Sean said. “Which way are we going from here?”

“That’s another topic we needed to talk about,” Fiona said. “Northwest will take us back toward the river. North will take us to Holden. It’s a small town, really more of a stop-over between the smaller villages down this way and the larger towns and cities further north. Or we could go west, which I believe would take us to Pinerock—it was built near a granite quarry.”

“Holden will give us more options to travel?” Sean asked.

“Yes,” Fiona replied.

“That’s the way we go, then,” Sean said, draining the last of his tea. “I’ll meet you both in the stables.”

“Of course, Master,” they said in unison.

Rolling his eyes, Sean headed for the privy. It was going to be a long day, and making sure to be ready for it always made traveling better, at least for him.

When he was done, he met Myna in the hall as she headed that way. He gave her a soft smile. “Left one has softer wipes now.”

Myna giggled as she went past him. “Always so concerned over softness.”

When he made it to the stable, Fiona was pulling a set of tack out of the wagon. “Master, I’ll have the goods ready in a moment.”

Nodding, Sean looked to the man who had greeted them last night. “You’re the one who wishes to buy them?”

“That’s right. These are quality goods, so I’m willing to go a silver for them.”

Sean’s caught the small flicker of Fiona’s head and her three fingers in clear view. “Interesting. I think they’re worth a bit more than that. Quality tack from a well-known crafter could easily fetch five in some places. I’d be willing to take four, though.”

The stable master snorted, “Five? Even four’s a bit ridiculous. I know you’re just trying to get the best you can, though. I’ll go one silver and eighty-five bronze.”

“If I sold it for that, how would I be able to afford the feed for my horses, or my wine?” Sean chuckled. “Seeing as you are also a businessman, and wanting to make a profit, I’ll go three silver and fifteen bronze.”

Shaking his head, the stable master sighed, “Still too high. I’d have to explain to my brother why I paid that much for tack. I’ll go two and fifty, but that’s the most I can do.”

Deal,” Sean said, holding out his hand. “It’s just weight to me, and the coin will help with supplies.”

Chuckling, the stable master shook hands with him. “I’ll go get the coin.” Turning his head, he shouted at a six-year-old boy, “Josephus, get this tack into the shed.”

“Yes, papa,” the boy replied as he came running over.

Watching the boy struggle to pick up the saddle, Sean motioned to Fiona. “Help him with the heavier items.”

“As you command, Master,” Fiona said as she got out of the wagon and picked up the saddle. “If you will show me the way, young sir.”

“I’m gonna have a Bonded one day,” the boy boasted, picking up the rest of the tack and leading her toward a shed. “I hope I get a real person like you though, not a Moonbound or anything like that.”

Sean’s eye twitched at the kid’s words. Even at that age, they already think of Moonbound as barely more than beasts. Shaking his head, Sean only just managed to bite back a reprimand to the boy. By the time the stable master came out of the inn, he’d gotten his expression back to neutral. “Pleasure doing business with you,” Sean said, dropping the coins in his belt pouch.

“We’ll see you next time you come through,” the stable master smiled. “You’re all ready to go.”

Myna came out of the inn and took the reins. “I’ll drive them to the general store, Master.”

Sean caught the flicker of contempt on the stable master’s face before it vanished. “I hope you have a safe trip.”

“I’m sure the road to Pinerock will be uneventful,” Sean chuckled.

“It normally is, but some Canine Moonbound have been seen out that way, so be careful.”

“Will do,” Sean said. “Fiona, hurry up; we’re leaving.”

“Coming, Master,” Fiona said, scurrying out of the shed.

Sean sat beside Myna on the driver’s bench and motioned Fiona into the back, waiting for her to get settled before saying, “Get us rolling, Myna.”

A light snap of the reins got the horses moving, Myna deftly guiding them towards the open gate. “The general store first, Master?”

“Yes.”

The store was just down the road, a building as large as the inn, but only a single story. Myna guided the wagon to the front of the building, setting the brake once she got the horses stopped.

“Did you wish me to stay with the wagon, Master?” Myna asked.

“Yes,” Sean said, trusting her to have a reason for asking. “Fiona, grab what we’re selling and bring it in.”

Sean walked into the store and took stock of the place. It looked a lot like Gern’s in Oaklake, but this store had a few items on display along the walls. Most notable was a set of leather armor, conspicuously displayed, with a patch right above the heart indicating what had become of the last owner.

“That looks like some unlucky armor,” Sean chuckled.

“I don’t know about that,” the shopkeeper chuckled back. “That man wearing that armor did keep his employer alive by getting him out of the way. So, for the right person, that could be very lucky armor.”

Snickering, Sean grinned. “Fair enough. I’m in need of some feed for two horses, along with travel food for three. My Bonded is bringing in a few items we’re looking to sell.”

The trader’s eyes went past Sean to the door, which admitted Fiona carrying a saddle and set of tack. “If your items are in good condition, I’ll be interested,” the shopkeeper said. “Put them here,” he told Fiona dismissively, as if she was nothing more than a walking piece of furniture.

Sean stepped back, fighting to keep a polite smile on his face while he waited for the shopkeeper to examine the items. Nothing on display in the shop held any interest for Sean. By the time he looked back to the shopkeeper, he found the man looking his way.

“Well, are you interested?” Sean asked.

“This was made by a well-known crafter, so I’ll be happy to take it from you. I’ll go three silver even, for all of it.”

Sean frowned, recalling Fiona’s signal at the inn that the saddle and tack was worth more than he’d gotten from the stable master. After a moment, he nodded to the shopkeeper. “That’s fine. How much will the supplies I asked for cost?”

“If you want good quality feed and food, maybe twenty bronze. It will also depend on what else you might be looking for.”

“A small amphora of wine. Nothing too expensive, but decent quality, please. My Bonded will give you a list of the herbs and spices we’re looking to replace. Shall we call it thirty bronze? I’ll also need it quickly. I hope to get on the road within the hour,” Sean said.

“As long as the herbs and spices aren’t too expensive,” the shopkeeper chuckled. “I’ll let you know if you exceed the amount.”

“Fiona, deal with the little stuff. I’m going to check on the horses,” Sean said, hearing voices out front. “Bring the money with you.”

“As you command, Master,” Fiona said, stepping to the counter.

Stepping outside, Sean saw a number of children gathered around the wagon, jeering at Myna. “Hey beast, why you wearing clothes?” one of them asked with a snicker.

“Maybe she thinks she’s as good as the rest of us,” another jeered.

“Children,” Sean snorted softly. “Do you have some issue with my Bonded?” Sean asked loudly.

All the kids turned to him. One of them stepped a little forward of the rest. “You keep a beast as a Bonded, mister? Couldn’t get anything better?”

“What would you know of life?” Sean asked back with a snort. “You’re what, eight? Why don’t you run off? She is mine, and I don’t take kindly to those who don’t respect what is mine.”

“Or what? You won’t lay a hand on us. Do you know who my dad is?” the ringleader asked with the air of someone who thought they were important.

“I’ll tan your ass, and I really couldn’t give less of a fuck,” Sean said, slowly walking forward, his voice going cold. “I’m leaving in a few minutes, and thrashing a disrespectful kid won’t matter once I’m on the road. I doubt your father’s going to come chasing after me.”

“You’ll be banned from the village,” the kid said, stepping back twice and looking suddenly uncertain, “what do you think about that?”

Snorting, Sean shook his head. “You trying to make that sound like a punishment? If you’re any example of what the village is like, then never being able to come back sounds like a reward.”

“We’ll see about that,” the kid said shrilly as he backed further away. “Come on, we’ll go see what my dad has to say about this guy.”

As the kids turned to go, Sean’s hands clenched. Myna reached out and touched his shoulder. “Master, it is fine. They wouldn’t touch me, only mock me.”

“That doesn’t make it any easier for me to accept,” Sean sighed.

“Because you care, and consider me an equal,” Myna said softly. “You have no idea what that means to me. Please, ignore their words; that is all they are.”

Taking a deep breath, Sean nodded. “Fine. I’ll do the best I can. This whole world is fucked in the head, though.”

“Maybe, but I’m part of this world, as is Fiona,” Myna said.

“Point,” Sean said, taking her hand off his shoulder and kissing the back of it.

“See? Told you he was a beast lover,” the kid’s voice came from down the street.

Eye twitching, Sean growled, “Maybe just one kid beaten is okay?”

Myna giggled softly, “No, but thank you.”

“Master, I have the coin. We pick up the supplies around back,” Fiona said, coming out of the store.

Sean climbed up and took a seat beside Myna. “Thank you, Fiona. Store the coin and let’s go get our stuff. The sooner we leave this village, the better.”

Happier once Pinehaven was at his back, Sean glanced backward just once. “I was meaning to ask—the green-skinned guy who opened the gate for us the other day, what race was he?”

“Orc, at least in part,” Fiona replied, “but he lacked the broader forehead and protruding jaw of a pure orc.”

“Ah. My old world always pictures orcs with tusks,” Sean shrugged.

“I’m sure a lot of the races here will be different from what you expect,” Fiona said. “Do you mind taking the reins so Myna can show me how to mend clothing?”

Taking the offered reins as Fiona leaned over to claim a kiss, he smiled. “Of course not.”

The sun climbed as Myna and Fiona chatted behind him, Myna showing Fiona her techniques for mending clothing. He mostly tuned them out, focusing on the road they traveled. They came to a fork and Sean slowed the wagon. He spotted the signpost pointing the way to Holden and guided them onto that road.

“Holden?” Fiona asked from the back.

“Yup, I’m looking forward to what it's going to look like. I’ve only seen Oaklake, and I’m very interested to see how it compares as a travel hub.”

“Holden is larger, even though it doesn’t have a dock,” Myna told him.

“That doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Sean frowned. “Oaklake has a dock that leads down the river to Southpoint, so it should be bigger.”

“It will be, in time,” Fiona said. “It isn’t as old as Holden, and doesn’t serve as a hub for multiple villages, at least not yet.”

“That makes sense,” Sean said. “How goes the stitching?”

“I’ve stabbed myself a dozen times,” Fiona said with a sigh. “Luckily, your healing makes the pain fade quickly.”

That reminded Sean of something he had been meaning to talk to Myna about. “Myna, about the guards we killed,” Sean paused for a moment, then pushed on, “how did the one gut you? I know you’re a damned good fighter.”

“I let him, trusting in your healing Talent to make sure I survived,” Myna said, keeping her eyes on her work. “It hurt much more than I expected, but it worked.”

“Only because the other one left you for dead,” Fiona pointed out.

“That is a fair point,” Myna agreed. “I was hoping to turn on the other one, but the pain crippled me.”

“No more doing that unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Sean said firmly.

“As you command,” Myna said softly. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I was pissed when I saw you down,” Sean said, the anger he had felt creeping into his voice slightly. “The Life Bond is already influencing me.”

“All of us,” Fiona added. “You offered to fight a whole village just so Myna could eat dinner in the common room. A little over a tenday ago, I would have been jealous of that, but now I’m happy that you would do that for her.”

“I was jealous of Fiona when we fled Oakwood, but I haven’t felt any jealousy since you Life Bonded with her,” Myna added.

“I take it this is all going much faster than anything you’ve heard about before?” Sean asked.

“Yes. There is no Bond I’ve ever heard of that has advanced this quickly,” Myna replied.

“The same for me,” Fiona agreed. “The fastest I’ve ever heard of took a year, for a lesser noble and the merchant’s daughter he married and Bonded. They were seen as anomalies, both for the strength of their love and for how quickly their Bond grew.”

Sean considered what Fiona was saying. It can’t just be the emotional connection, Sean thought. Maybe it has to do with the strength of the soul as well. Everything says a noble is powerful, and from what I’ve gathered, a noble who was truly in love would be rare indeed.

Fiona patted Sean’s arm, pulling him from his thoughts, and asked Sean to stop the wagon. “That fallen tree, Sean. Stop please so we can break it down and get it loaded. That will give us the materials for crafting items.”

Pulling the reins back gently, Sean slowed the wagon to a stop. “You two got it?” Sean asked as they both hopped out of the back.

“Yes,” Myna said. “Be right back.”

Chapter Twenty-one

The cloud cover above them darkened after lunch. “Sean, we might want to see about stopping soon,” Myna said with a somewhat worried glance at the clouds.

Fiona was Shaping a plate, and paused to look up as well. “We still have that canvas, maybe we should make a covered wagon.”

As if on cue, snow started to fall. Thick, fat, wet flakes melted on contact, leaving behind a sheen of moisture. Sean got into the back of the wagon to help Fiona. The two of them used logs they’d Shaped from the fallen tree earlier to make support ribs. Once they had them in place, Sean got the canvas draped over the top as Fiona Shaped clamps into the ribs to hold the canvas in place.

By the time they had finished with the covering, they were all soaked by the melting snow. “Can we get the important stuff dry?” Sean asked.

“Yes, I'll take care of it,” Fiona said, pulling some extra cloth from one of the bags in the back. “Myna, if there’s any place with some cover, we might want to stop.”

“I’m already looking,” Myna replied. “Short of going into the woods and Shaping an overhang, I doubt there’s going to be any, and the wagon wouldn’t make it into the woods. Can one of you hand me the rain cover we got in Pinebough?”

Sean handed the oiled leather coat to Myna. “If you want to change with one of us, just let us know.”

“I will,” Myna said, giving him a smile. “Can you take the reins for a moment so I can get into this?”

Once she had the overly large leather coat on, she took the reins back. “I’ll keep an eye out for a place to stop, but I think it will end up being the normal camping spot.”

“If it is, then it is,” Sean said as he went to help Fiona dry off the things they were carrying.

By the time they reached the turn out to camp for the night, the snow had slowed, but not stopped, and it had gotten colder. Sean had taken over driving the wagon from Myna when he heard her teeth chattering. She and Fiona were in the back snuggled together for warmth while he guided the wagon off the road.

“I’ll set the tent up and go get some wood, if you two can take care of the horses,” Sean said as he applied the brake on the wagon.

“We’ll take care of them,” Fiona told him as she stood up.

“Are you going to start with the tent?” Myna asked.

“Yeah, is that an issue?”

“No, but before you run off for the wood, fill the kettle with hot water so we can have something hot to drink when we finish, please.”

“Ahh, good point. I’ll make sure to do that,” Sean said, giving Fiona a quick kiss and Myna a head rub before he grabbed the tent. “I’ll try to make it quick, so you have a dry place to retreat to.”

“Thank you,” Fiona smiled. “Don’t get drenched.”

“I’ll try,” Sean said as he got out of the wagon.

The camping area had branches from the nearby trees overhanging it, but not nearly enough to shield them from the heavy snowfall. Opening up the bundle that was the tent, Sean found it not too dissimilar from what he expected from his time with the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Laying out the canvas, he found the reinforcements for the door and staked them with the wood stakes that the tent came with. Using the larger stakes, he then proceeded to get the corners set and squared to each other. Sliding the ridgepole under the canvas, Sean got the two vertical poles in place and began walking them up, alternating as he went. Once he had them in place, he fastened the interior straps over the ridgepole to help make sure it was set. He checked to make sure everything was good, and put the wall poles into place.

Outside the tent, Fiona and Myna were brushing down the horses, both of them quite wet. Sean filled the kettle with hot water, adding some leaves to it before setting it down just inside the tent, then headed into the woods for firewood.

By the time he got back with a load of branches, both horses were hobbled with blankets draped over them under the closest trees. He cleaned out the fire pit as best he could and quickly built a fire. It took a few minutes to get the kindling to catch with the constant snowfall, but he managed it.

The pot wasn’t in the wagon when he looked for it. Trudging back to the tent, he stuck his head in just as Fiona and Myna were changing into dry clothes. Mouth going dry, he stared for a moment, until they both turned to stare back at him. “Umm… I was looking for the pot,” Sean managed after a second.

Fiona pointed just to his right. “It’s right there. Are you starting dinner, or are you going to stand there for a bit?”

Blinking and blushing, he grabbed the pot and closed the flap. “Dinner,” he coughed as he headed back to the fire.

The pot already had vegetables, meat, and herbs in it, so all he needed to do was add hot water and hang it over the fire to come to a boil. Shoving the image of both attractive women from his mind, he sang the song to summon hot water to fill the pot up, then placed it over the fire. Sean sighed as he sat on the log near the fire pit.

Myna called out from the tent, “Sean, we have everything else inside. Once the soup is ready, bring it on in. Just take your boots off inside the door so we don’t have mud all over the tent.”

“Got it,” Sean said.

It didn’t take long for the soup to boil, and the meat was already cooked. Once it was done, he pulled it off the fire and walked back to the tent, wondering if Fiona and Myna were dressed.

They were both ready and waiting for him. Fiona took the pot from him while Myna attacked the laces on his boots. “Err…”

“We have it,” Fiona giggled as she started dishing the steaming soup into bowls.

“Left foot,” Myna said, holding his boot.

Sean frowned at her, but lifted his foot. “I can take off my own boots.”

“Yes,” Myna said simply as she held his other boot, “but there is no reason to. Right foot.”

Stepping out of the right boot, Sean sighed and stripped off his raincoat, setting it next to the door. “The coat works fairly well.”

“It should,” Myna said as she got to her feet. “We have a cup of tea waiting to help warm you.”

Sean paused. “I’m not cold. That’s odd, I should be.”

“Might be because your body is far outside of the norm,” Fiona suggested.

“True, but if I don’t feel heat or cold from the weather but I do for things like a bath, it seems excessively odd.”

“He has a point,” Myna nodded. “Maybe you’re able to ignore unpleasant things?”

“Good point,” Fiona nodded. “I’m glad he doesn’t ignore the pleasant things.”

Facepalming, Sean took a seat. “Really, Fiona?”

Fiona gave him a smile that broadened when she saw his red cheeks. “It's not like she isn’t going to know, Sean.”

He had to look away when he realized he didn’t want to refute her. “Maybe, but it’s not going to be tonight.”

Myna’s eyes glittered. “But it might be soon?”

Sean looked at the soup. “I could use some food.”

The women exchanged a look at his tactless attempt at changing the topic. Fiona handed him a bowl. “I see. Did you want to share some wine with us, or would you rather have tea?”

Seeing that the amphora had already been opened, Sean shrugged. “Since you’ve opened it, I’ll try the wine.”

The soup was chicken and vegetables, while the wine was a deep red. They didn’t exactly complement each other, but they were both good. The tent was silent as they ate, the only sound that of the slowly strengthening wind.

Fiona was the first to finish, and asked him to fill the cleaning pot with water so she could do the dishes. Sean paused to do as she’d asked, then went back to his food. Myna finished hers next and picked up a chunk of wood that they’d brought inside the tent, beginning to Shape it with her hands. Sean watched her as he ate, seeing the concentration creasing her brow as she slowly molded the wood to her will.

Fiona refilled his cup with wine and took his bowl when he’d finished. Seems like I’m going to end up a drinker, he snorted internally. Should be way safer than drinking untreated water, though the water I summon seems to be fine.

“Did you wish to do anything before bed, Sean?” Fiona asked, refilling her own and Myna’s cups as well.

“I could craft something for us to sell at Holden,” Sean said.

“True,” Fiona nodded as she handed him a double handful of copper coins. “Why don’t you make something with these?”

Looking at the discs of metal, Sean wondered what he could make that they might be able to sell. After sitting there for a while and staring at the coins thoughtfully, Sean finally nodded his head and poured his energy into his hands as he began to Shape the metal. Determined to get more used to Shaping without needing to guide the material with his fingers, he willed it into the shape he desired. He could tell that it took more energy to Shape that way, but it was a mere thread being pulled from him, not the torrent it had taken to bring Myna back from the dead.

Once the metal had taken the form he envisioned, Sean smiled and held it out to Fiona. “What do you think?”

“A hair clip?” Fiona asked, taking it to examine. The clasp popped and the back swung open, startling Fiona. “I haven’t seen this type of clasp before. How does it work for hair?”

Sean scooted over to her and gathered her hair. Taking the clasp with his other hand, he clipped it to her hair. “Like that.”

Her hands went to the back of her head, fingers dancing over the hair clip. “Ah, I see. The hair gets held between those bands.” She pushed the clasp and pulled it from her hair. “This will fetch a good price, once demonstrated, and if we sell it to the right person.”

“Hopefully it’ll be worth at least the cost of the coins,” Sean shrugged.

“We can get jewelry grade metal,” Myna suggested. “It’s less pure than coins, and we’d have to find a person willing to sell it to us.”

“That isn’t likely, as most jewelers make sure to keep their supplies close to them,” Fiona added.

“If nothing else, we can use coins if the return is enough,” Sean said.

“Could you do this with wood?” Fiona asked suddenly.

“Not entirely, but I can probably make most of it from wood with a single coin to make sure the clasps work correctly. It might take two coins, but no more than that.”

“I think we have something we can sell, then,” Fiona said with a broad smile as she fastened the hair clip into Myna’s shorter hair. “That looks good on you.”

Myna touched her hair where the clip sat between her ears. “I’ll wear it for a bit, then.”

Sean made another clip, this one from wood and two copper coins instead of the dozens he’d made the first one with. By the time he finished it, both women were yawning.

“We should get some sleep,” Sean said. “I’ll take first—”

“We should all sleep. The horses will warn us if anything comes close,” Fiona said, taking his hand. “Come to bed.”

Puzzled, he slipped into the blankets she led him to. No sooner was he settled than Myna and Fiona cuddled close on either side of him. “Ladies?”

“Shhh,” Fiona said softly, kissing his cheek.

“So warm,” Myna purred, snuggling closer to him.

Giving up the fight, Sean let his arms drape over each of them. “Goodnight then, Fiona, Myna.”

“Goodnight, Sean,” the women said in near unison.

Eyes closing, Sean wondered if maybe he should just stop fighting their insistence that the relationship include them all. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. You’d shit yourself if you could see me now, James. With that last thought, sleep rose up and claimed him.

Chapter Twenty-two

Movement from his left woke Sean from a sound sleep. Fiona was turned away from him, shaking and muttering in her sleep. Sean frowned; she hadn’t had nightmares since the night at Oaklake. Carefully pulling his arm from around Myna, he shifted slowly, trying not to wake either. He’d just gotten his arms around Fiona when she jerked in his arms.

“Die!” Fiona hissed as she tried to spin on Sean.

Tightening his grip, Sean began talking, “Calm down, Fiona. You’re with Myna and me.”

“Bastard! You raped me! I don’t care what it costs—you’ll die for this!” Fiona screamed at him as she struggled to get free.

“Fiona, calm down,” Sean said gently, holding her firmly but with care.

Myna leaned over Sean’s shoulder. “Fiona?”

“Night terror,” Sean told her.

With one last jerk, Fiona stopped fighting him. “Sean?”

“There you are,” Sean said, releasing his grip just enough for her to turn. “Are you okay now?”

“I had the nightmare again,” Fiona sniffled.

“Yes, but we’re here for you,” Sean said soothingly.

Myna shifted around to the other side, her eyes worried. “Can I help?”

Fiona sniffled, “Just an old issue that’s been cropping up.”

“Hold her and tell her you care, Myna,” Sean said as he kissed Fiona’s head.

“I do care,” Myna said, staring into Fiona’s eyes. “I care more than I ever thought I would, Fiona.” Leaning forward, Myna placed a light kiss on Fiona’s forehead. “Your pain is my pain, and Sean’s. We both care too much to let you suffer alone.”

A sob escaped Fiona. “I killed him. I knew it would cost me, but I didn’t care. I killed him.”

“He deserved so much more,” Sean said firmly, still holding her.

“You aren’t a casual killer, Fiona,” Myna said gently, putting her arms around the trembling woman. “If you killed him and Sean says he deserved it, then it is true.”

Fiona sobbed harder as she leaned into Myna’s embrace as best she could with Sean holding her. “I was a bitch to you, I didn’t want to share him. Why did you help me? You might have had him to yourself if you’d kept quiet.”

“Because he loves you,” Myna said, not surprised by the abrupt shift in topic. “Sean loves you more surely than the sun rising. I would not cause him pain by trying to pull him away from you. That’s why I helped you see the simple truth; so you can love him as deeply as I do, and he’ll be doubly blessed by our love in return.”

Sean’s heart clenched for a moment at the thought of losing Fiona. It beat harder when he realized that Myna had been smarter than either of them, and had seen the only path forward for them all.

Reaching out, he gave Myna’s ears a rub. “You’re a smart kitty, Myna.”

Myna purred loudly and snuggled into Fiona. “He accepts each of us, even though we have our own flaws. Just as I will accept you, flaws and all, if you’ll let me.”

Fiona was still crying when her arms went around Myna. “Yes. I’m sorry for my attitude before, and I do care for you. You’re wonderful for being here for me.”

Myna placed a gentle kiss on Fiona’s cheek, “We’ll be together for a very long time. Our Holder will see to that. Have I ever told you anything of my days at the academy?”

Fiona sniffled as she tried to regain control of herself. “No.”

“Let me share part of myself with you, then,” Myna told her. “It wasn’t one of the great Academies, I went to one of the smaller ones...”

They held each other as Myna told her story, and it was Fiona who comforted Myna while Sean held them both and watched them bond ever closer to each other.

“I figured you might have had those problems,” Fiona said gently. “I would have been no better than your tormentors, before my Shame.”

“I know,” Myna said brittlely. “It’s hard to know that, because of my blood, I will always be looked down on. At least, it was—now that I have you and Sean with me, I find it doesn’t matter. No matter what anyone says, it’s like water off a duck’s back. They sound like flies: annoying, but not worth paying attention to.”

“I killed a high noble, one of the advisors to the Winter Queen,” Fiona whispered.

“I know,” Myna said gently. “Whelan liked to mock you when we were hunting, saying how if he’d been there, you never would have been able to.” Her voice took on a hard edge and Myna hissed, “I hated that fucking bastard.”

“He’s dead now,” Sean said, rubbing Myna’s ears again, “so calm yourself.”

“You called me kitty again” Myna pointed out.

“Fiona said you might like being called that?” Sean said slowly.

“If it’s you, Sean, I don’t mind,” Myna said. “It's hard to admit, but a part of me feels happy when you do. I want to preen and ask for head rubs. But it’s also in my nature to hunt, stalk, and kill my prey.”

“You’ll always be my assassin,” Sean said as he continued to rub her ears. “Silent, deadly, and ready to protect me.”

“Yes,” Myna purred, tilting her head into his hand.

Fiona giggled, “You look just like a cat right now.”

Myna blinked, then bopped Fiona on the nose with a single finger. “Quiet, pointy.”

“Pointy?” Fiona blinked at both the name and the bop.

Myna gave Fiona’s pointed ear a gentle tug. “Pointy.”

Sean snorted, “They are a little pointy. Did you know her ears are sensitive?”

Myna blinked and quickly let go of Fiona’s ear. “I didn’t…”

Fiona let out a soft sigh, “Someone is a bad kitty.”

Myna growled softly, “I’ll bite that ear.”

“That’s foreplay,” Sean coughed.

Both women went still, and looked into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Myna lowered her eyes first. “I apologize again, Fiona.”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” Fiona said, “besides, we’ll talk later.”

Myna nodded, biting her lower lip. “I think that would be good.”

Sean watched them, certain he was missing something, but not sure exactly what. “Since we’re awake and I feel rested, maybe we should get things ready to go?”

“If that is your wish,” Fiona said, turning in his arms and placing a kiss on his lips.

“I’ll go see to the horses,” Myna said, slipping away from them, “and I’ll get everything else ready, so take your time.”

“Thank you,” Fiona said, not looking away from Sean. “Might I have a bit of personal time, Master?”

Sean frowned at her. “I don’t like that word.”

“You will, in time,” Fiona husked at him. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Sean was about to respond when her hand went into his pants. Gulping, he met her eyes and nodded. “Maybe for a bit.”

“Good,” Fiona said.

Chapter Twenty-three

Gray clouds filled the sky as Sean sat on the driver's bench and guided the horses along the road. Myna and Fiona sat in the covered back, huddling under the blankets and talking in hushed whispers, soft enough that Sean couldn’t make out their conversation. Glancing back occasionally, he frowned at the blanket mound and wondered what the two of them were plotting.

Thankfully, the snow had abated in the night, but the sides of the road were liberally coated in fluffy white powder. Sean had been surprised by how well the horses endured the snowfall and chill wind last night. He’d half been expecting them to be dead, or at least have colic or something similar.

Maybe everything on this world is just more resistant to sickness, Sean thought. I haven’t seen a single person sniffle outside of tears. No one has been coughing or anything, either. Maybe I’ve just haven’t seen enough people yet.

A few hours of quiet travel left Sean in a daze. The slow pace and the sound of the wagon creaking rhythmically with the horses’ steps combined to put him into a sort of trance. As the road took a bend through the lightly wooded area, the horses came to a stop and Sean blinked, snapping out of his stupor.

He was fully aware when the crossbow bolt hit him in the upper left chest, just short of his shoulder. With a muffled scream, Sean grabbed the shaft of the quarrel, ready to pull it free.

“Stay where you are, or the next goes into your throat,” a green skinned man said, stepping out of the woods.

“Bandits?” Sean asked, wincing in pain as his body began to heal and slowly push the bolt out of him.

“Just a couple of people looking for easy coin, and a man by himself with a wagon is likely to have something we can use,” the man grinned, showing a lot of pointed teeth. “Now, if you’d like to live a bit longer, you can get down and I’ll take that wagon from you.”

Sean grunted as he stared at the man. “Do I have your word that I’ll be allowed to live if I get down?”

“Yes,” the man grinned again. “We won’t kill you if you get off the wagon. If you make any attempt to stop me, the deal will be broken.”

“Fine, I agree,” Sean said as he slowly turned in the seat. Dropping his tone, he said softly, “Ladies, I’m leaving the driver to you.” Getting down carefully, hampered by his injured arm, Sean backed away from the wagon.

With a laugh, the man walked right past Sean and jumped up onto the driver's seat. “It’s always nice when the deal goes smoothly. Now run along, or my friends might take it the wrong way.”

Sean put on a cowed expression as he headed into the trees. “You’ll get yours soon enough, bandit.”

“Not from you,” the green-skinned man laughed, snapping the reins and getting the wagon moving.

Stepping around a tree, Sean pulled the arrow out and Camouflaged himself. Moving quickly, Sean darted from tree to tree until he caught up with the wagon. With a light bounce, he cleared the tailgate and landed in the back with a small thump. An empty amphora fell over as he landed next to it.

The bandit looked back warily, then shook his head. “Just an empty urn.”

A hundred yards or so down the road, the driver pulled the horses to a halt and whistled. A young woman came out of the trees, both of her wrists blackened with Bond bands. “This isn’t right, Oriv,” the woman said in a tired voice. “Robbing people is a crime, and any magistrate would string us up for it.”

“We have to be caught,” Oriv laughed, “and that isn’t going to happen.”

Five more men came out of the woods brandishing a variety of weapons, though none of them carried bows or crossbows. “Oriv’s done this before,” one of the others laughed. “We’ve never been caught in five years of banditry.”

“I only hit him in the shoulder,” the woman said slowly.

“Yes, but you’re using the bolts I gave you. He’ll be feeling the poison soon. That will make him lethargic, which means he’ll lay down. Wounded and sleeping, he’ll be easy game for the Red-eyes in these woods, if the cold doesn’t get him first.”

The woman blanched. “You mean I’ve killed him?”

“Yes,” Oriv laughed. “Who do you think the magistrate will string up first when that comes out, hmm?”

“Not you,” Myna said as she stood up behind Oriv and brought both her blades across his throat.

Grabbing his neck, Oriv gurgled as he slumped to the left, tumbling off the seat. The five men were momentarily stunned by Myna’s sudden appearance and Oriv’s equally sudden demise. That gave Fiona enough time to jump clear of the wagon. Her fist connected with the woman’s jaw, and the young woman went down as if she’d been hit by a truck.

The five men surged forward at Fiona, and Myna jumped down to stand beside her. Staff blurring, Fiona wove a defensive circle before her as Myna vanished from sight. Sean blinked, surprised at how ruthlessly Myna had dispatched Oriv.

With Myna no longer in sight, the five men all focused on Fiona. Stepping back as she parried their clumsy attacks, Fiona led them towards the back of the wagon. Myna reappeared beside one of them, putting one blade through his armpit and the other through his kidney. One of the remaining four spun on Myna, allowing the other three to press the attack on Fiona.

Sean leapt off the wagon, Shaping Dark Cutter into a dual headed spear as he landed between the two groups. Thrusting backward, he skewered the man going after Myna before yanking it free and punching the point through another bandit’s chest.

Seeing Sean, Fiona’s smile went feral as she went forward into an attack. Both men went to parry the staff only to find it gone as Fiona closed the distance and formed it into the two short swords now jammed into their chests. Just that quickly, the combat was over, leaving the three of them looking for more surprises.

Fiona pointed at the woman, whose Bond marks were gone. “What do we do with her?”

“It sounded like she didn’t want to be involved,” Sean said, looking at the thin woman who lay unmoving on the ground. “Still, she shot me, and with a poisoned bolt no less. Tie her up and put her in the wagon. We can talk to her as we move.”

“What about the bodies?” Myna asked.

“They were bandits,” Sean said. “Take their gear, what little there seems to be. We can re-Shape it into other items to sell. Other than that, chuck them into the woods; the Red-eyes will find them eventually.”

“I’ll tie her up,” Fiona said, retrieving her wooden swords and Shaping them back into a staff.

“I’ll start looting,” Myna said as she knelt next to the body closest to her.

“That leaves me with body dragging,” Sean chuckled. “Funny that.”

Both women gave him a grin as he took hold of the body Myna had finished looting. Shaking his head, Sean dragged the corpse a few dozen feet into the woods. It didn’t take long before all the bodies were off the road and the women were back in the wagon.

When he returned, Fiona was in the driver's seat, “Taking over?”

“If you give me the coat, yes,” Fiona said, “in case it starts to rain or snow again.”

Sean handed over the oiled leather coat before climbing into the back with Myna and the woman bandit. “Remind me not to ever have you tie me up,” Sean said, impressed at the thoroughness of the bindings Fiona had applied.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Fiona grinned, getting the wagon moving again.

Myna had wrapped herself up in a blanket. “Myna,” Sean said, taking a seat next to her and letting her pull the blanket around them both, “you were quite ruthless killing Oriv.”

“He was talking about you being dead and laughing about it,” Myna said simply.

“Didn’t like that?”

“I will gladly slaughter anyone who hurts you or Fiona,” Myna said.

Putting his arm around her, he pulled her into a hug, “That’s good to know. It was efficient, and you did what I asked, so thank you.”

“I don’t mind striking from ambush. My Moonbound blood likes the idea of attacking from the dark,” Myna whispered.

“Kitties do,” Sean said softly, snaking a hand up to rub her ears. “What do you think we should do with her?” he asked, nodding toward the unconscious woman.

“Hand her over to the magistrate in Holden. We could see if there was a reward for killing the bandits, too,” Myna purred.

“We’ll talk to her first,” Sean said. “Maybe she has information we can use.”

“Doubtful,” Fiona said.

“It never hurts to ask,” Sean told her, “though you’re probably right.”

“Did you want to stop for lunch in a few hours?” Fiona asked.

“Unless this one wakes before that,” Sean replied. “If she wakes up, we’ll pause then.”

“If that is your wish,” Fiona said, turning her attention back to the road.

“While we wait, should we start making the weapons better?” Myna asked as she pulled a badly pitted sword towards her.

“No, just Shape it down into bars. We can use the metal for other things later,” Sean told her as he pulled a hammer to him. “How many coins were there?”

“Maybe a bronze in total, all coppers,” Myna told him as she focused on Shaping the bronze sword into a plain bar. “The woman had nothing, besides the crossbow and five bolts.”

“She was Bonded, and doesn’t look like she’s had a decent meal in days,” Sean said, feeling a little bad for her.

“She won’t be getting many after we hand her over to the magistrate, either,” Myna added.

Chapter Twenty-four

The woman remained unconscious even when they stopped the wagon and got lunch started. While Fiona rubbed seasonings into some jerky, she broached a subject. “I was wondering about the three meals a day thing that we’ve been doing, Sean. It isn’t something that’s commonplace.”

“It is on my world,” Sean said. “It’s not even that I feel hungry, it’s more of a habit for me. I don’t see a problem with having a light meal when we stop to give the horses a rest, though.”

“Maybe it’s a better idea to start getting used to not having them,” Myna suggested.

“Hello?” a weak voice called from the wagon.

“I’ll handle it,” Sean said, getting to his feet.

When he got to the wagon, the woman had rolled onto her side and was looking toward the driver's seat. Sean looked down at her, “What is your name?”

When she saw him, her light blue eyes went wide with fear, “Ryann Cullin, sir.”

“Well, Ryann, you shot me with a poisoned bolt,” Sean said as he climbed into the wagon. “Did you have anything you wanted to say in your defense?”

Closing her eyes, Ryann began to cry, “I cannot fault you for doing what you will. Oriv is my Holder, and his will is law for me.”

“Oriv is dead,” Sean said as he bent and hoisted Ryann up by the ropes. He put her over his shoulder and carried her to where Fiona and Myna waited. As he set her down, he introduced her to the other two. “Fiona, Myna, this is Ryann. Ryann, these are my Life Bonded, Fiona Mithrilsoul and Myna…”

“Myna Mooncaller, Master,” Myna said, bowing her head. “It’s the name my mother took when she finished her time at the academy.”

“Myna Mooncaller,” Sean said with a smile to Myna. “Ladies, I was asking Ryann what we should do with her. Since her Holder is dead, I’m at a loss.”

“You argued with Oriv before I killed him,” Myna said. “How long have you been helping him rob others?”

Ryann bit her lip. “He owned my Bond for a year. I was supposed to be Bonded for ten years; that was the deal for him to forgive my father the debts that he owed to Oriv.”

“Your father sold you to a bandit?” Fiona asked with a raised brow.

“No, my father sold me to a cheat who was never caught at it,” Ryann replied, looking at Fiona. “My father had a dice habit, and never understood how he could lose so much to Oriv and was foolish enough to think that the next game would win him back what he’d lost.”

“He was a fool,” Myna said simply.

Ryann glared at Myna, nostrils flared and her teeth clenched. “My father is a good… was a good man…” With those words, the fight went out of her.

“He’s dead?” Sean asked.

“He was found dead in an alley a month after I was bonded to Oriv,” Ryann said, her eyes closing as she trembled. “There was talk that he was collecting old debts to try to raise the price of my Bond. There was a clause that if my father repaid what was owed, I would be freed.”

“Oriv had him killed?” Fiona asked.

“It’s likely, but no one knew anything, and no one would come forward,” Ryann sniffled.

“That happens sometimes,” Sean said. “Let’s get back on topic, though,” he leaned forward as Fiona took the meat off the fire. “Did you want to shoot me, or did Oriv make you?”

“I never wanted to be with him, or do anything he made me do…” Ryann shuddered at her thoughts, looking repulsed.

“He made you lay with him?” Fiona asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

“No… not exactly…” Ryann shuddered, “he withheld food and other things until I was desperate enough to do what he wanted for it.”

“Pig,” Fiona growled.

“As you can tell, Fiona has a special place for rapists and coercive assholes,” Sean said. “You still need to answer: did you want to shoot me?”

“No, but if I didn’t, he said that I would get no food again for three days, and it's already been a full day since I ate last,” Ryann said.

“We can feed you, at least,” Sean said as he moved behind Ryann. “Hold still, I don’t want to cut you.”

“I can untie her easily enough,” Fiona said, “if you’ll plate the food, Myna.”

“I can do that,” Myna said, taking the plate of meat from Fiona. “Master, can you make the tea?”

“Oh, sure,” Sean said, filling up the kettle and adding the leaves.

Ryann stared at him like he had two heads. “You do as your Bonded ask?”

“I wanted tea, too,” Sean said, shrugging. “I’m also the one who can summon water easiest.”

“If you try anything, we will kill you where you sit,” Fiona said, breaking into the conversation as the ropes around Ryann’s arms came free.

“I figure you’re taking me to the magistrate, so my life is already forfeit,” Ryann said with a sigh. “Thank you for this moment of kindness, though.”

Myna handed out plates to everyone while Sean passed around the cups of black tea. The seared meat had a woody flavor that went well with the garlic Fiona had rubbed onto it.

Silence fell over the group as they ate, each of them lost in their own thoughts. When Sean finished, he looked at Ryann and wondered about what to do with her. He knew they should turn her over to the magistrate in Holden, but something about the idea just rubbed him the wrong way.

Fiona looked at him. “Master, it is your decision.”

“I think she should go to the magistrate. She hasn’t pledged to tell the truth, so her words have no value,” Myna added.

“My life is in your hands, sir. If you wish me to pledge on the Queens to only speak the truth, I will,” Ryann said, looking at the ground.

Sean frowned, “Myna, if she is telling the truth, would you still counsel turning her over to the magistrate?”

Staring at the thin woman, Myna chewed her lip for a moment. “She did hit you from quite a distance. Maybe she would have some value.”

“Ryann, will you pledge to tell the truth to us for the next ten minutes?” Sean asked.

“I pledge on my life, under the Queens’ laws, that every word I speak for the next ten minutes is the truth,” Ryann said with conviction.

“Master, will you give us eight minutes with her?” Fiona asked with a smile.

“I’ll go check on the horses, but no hurting her or digging past the relevant events,” Sean said as he handed his empty cup to Fiona and walked away.

“Ryann, what happens now will depend entirely on your answers,” Myna said simply. “Firstly, how did you come into Oriv’s care?”

“As I told you earlier, my father was in debt to Oriv…” Ryann began, before Sean tuned her out.

Sean made sure the horses were watered and fed, then started currying them. Sean grinned as he worked, getting the feeling from the horses that they were happy. Going back to the wagon, he dug out two vegetables that reminded him of carrots and gave each of them a treat.

He’d lost track of time, and was surprised when Myna came to him. “Oh, is the questioning over?”

“We have decided that she should be given a chance to prove herself,” Myna told him softly. “She said she’ll guide us to Oriv’s camp. That is the first test of her faithfulness. The second will be testing her ability to shoot—she claims to be a good shot.”

Sean’s lips pursed as he stared at Myna. “Why do I have a bad feeling about where this is going?”

“You shouldn’t,” Myna told him simply. “We are giving her the chance you wanted to give her. Isn’t that a good thing, Master?”

Sighing, Sean reached out and tousled Myna’s hair between her ears. “Damned cat, using my own words against me.”

Myna purred softly, dipping her head a little to give him better access. “We wish you to be happy, Master.”

“Please stop calling me that, then,” Sean said softly.

“We are in public with another not of our group, so I have to,” Myna giggled.

Sean blinked as he realized he was being effectively bratted at. “Fucking cat,” he chuckled, “too smart for my own good.”

“Thank you for saying so,” Myna purred louder.

“Is that plan satisfactory, Master?” Fiona called to him from where she sat next to Ryann.

“If you’ve both agreed, then yes,” Sean said. “Get the rest of the rope off her, and let’s get moving.”

When they got back on the road, Ryann sat next to Sean on the driver’s bench. “How did you survive the poison?” Ryann asked.

“I can’t say,” Sean shrugged. “What will you do if we don’t turn you over to the magistrate?”

Ryann looked over her shoulder at the two women who sat in the back Shaping the weapons they’d taken from the bandits into metal stock. “I don’t know. I’m not Talented like they are.”

“You weren’t born with any?” Sean asked.

“My father paid to have me checked, but I wasn’t found to have any,” Ryann said sadly.

Sean brought up his Mage Sight and looked at her. She lacked the bright energy that permeated Fiona and Myna even before they’d Bonded with him. He was about to drop Mage Sight, frowning, when Ryann looked at him. Her eyes sparkled with a light blue energy.

“Is something wrong?” Ryann asked.

Blinking to clear the Mage Sight away, Sean shook his head. “I was just thinking about what that must have been like.”

“You have been blessed with Talent, or at least with Bonded who have Talents,” Ryann replied, a bitter edge to her tone. “Oriv had a Talent for switching small items without being seen. He bragged about it to me a month ago. That was how he could switch out dice mid game. He never shared his Talent with me, though.”

“You never did answer my question, Ryann. What will you do if we don’t hand you over to the magistrate?”

“Find someone who can use labor, I guess. I’ll end up working in an inn maybe, or help carting things,” Ryann shrugged. “I can hit a target without too much trouble, but I’m no good with stealth or woodcraft, so I can’t make it as a hunter and I’m hopeless in melee, as you doubtlessly saw when Fiona hit me. That doesn’t leave me much.”

“Huh,” Sean grunted as he guided the wagon down the road.

“There,” Ryann said suddenly after an hour or so of travel, pointing across his body. “That path leads to their camp.”

Sean looked and could see the faint lines of a trail leading off into the woods. “Myna,” Sean said.

Almost as soon as he spoke, Myna was out of the wagon. Moving toward the path, she vanished from view, making Ryann sigh with envy.

“She can Camouflage herself, on top of Shaping…” Ryann bit her lip, breaking off the sentence.

“Master is a man of many Talents that he generously shares with his Bonded,” Fiona mentioned casually. “We are blessed to be his.”

Sean kept his face still, even as he wondered why Fiona said that. Keeping his eyes on the path, he waited for Myna to come back to them. After a minute, Sean looked up as a few flakes of snow began drifting down.

“Does it always snow this much, Fiona?” Sean asked out of exasperation.

“When a Queen is displeased about something, the weather is always worse.”

“It has been bad over the last few days,” Ryann said. “Something must have angered her.”

A minute later, Myna appeared at the edge of the path. “It’s empty, Master,” Myna called out. “It is a deplorable camp.”

Ryann looked away from her. “They never cared for anything. I did the best I could…”

“Can the wagon make it there,” Sean asked, “and is there shelter for the horses?”

“It will be a bumpy ride and there are a couple of tight spots between trees, but yes, I think the wagon can make it. We can use one of the canvases to make a shelter,” Myna said as she jumped into the back of the wagon. “I would also like to get our tent set up for the day and wait out the storm.”

“Guess we camp early tonight,” Sean said as he turned the horses onto the trail.

Chapter Twenty-Five

In the end, it took them almost an hour to reach the campsite. Sean had Myna take over the driving shortly after starting on the trail and helped guide the horses through the tighter spots. At one point, they were forced to stop to deal with a downed log. Sean Shaped it into smaller pieces and put it into the wagon.

When they finally reached the camp, Sean looked around and agreed with Myna’s assessment. Four tents were erected haphazardly, the fire pit hadn’t been cleared for well over a day, and there was debris scattered all around the campsite. The stench drifting across the camp indicated the latrine, which Sean spotted not even thirty feet away.

“Fucking shit,” Sean snorted. “Fiona, I need you to come out here and make a shelter for the horses.”

“Of course, Master,” Fiona said, coming out of the back of the wagon, bundled up against the cold.

“Myna, take care of the horses,” Sean said.

“As you command, Master,” Myna added as she applied the brake to the wagon.

“Ryann, can you please try to get a fire started?” Sean asked. “I’m going to set up the tent.”

“I will do what I can,” Ryann said hesitantly, with a puzzled expression.

Giving her a thankful smile, he went past her to retrieve the tent from the back of the wagon. He was able to set it up went faster this time, now that he’d had some practice. By the time he had the tent in order, Myna and Fiona had finished getting the horses settled in a crude lean-to. Ryann had a small blaze going in the fire pit, and was warming her hands with her back to them.

“Well, it's still hours before dinner, and the snow doesn’t look like it’s going to let up,” Sean said as the slow snowfall continued. “Should we grab the brazier from the wagon and retire to the tent to work on crafts for a bit?”

“I’ll get the brazier,” Myna said.

“I’ll bring in some of the wood we’ve picked up,” Fiona added.

“What should I do?” Ryann asked, not turning to look at them.

“You can join us inside where it will be warm and chat. Maybe tell us a story,” Sean said. “Frankly Ryann, I’m at a loss with what to do about you. I’m not sure I want to turn you over to a magistrate.”

“You’d just let me go?” Ryann asked, disbelief clear in her voice.

“I might. The ladies said they wanted to test your accuracy. Maybe you can do that before it snows too much,” Sean suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Then we can come inside the tent to get warm and have some tea,” Fiona said as she placed a decent sized log inside the tent, along with the bedding.

“Are you willing to do what we asked?” Myna asked Ryann, using tongs to transfer coals from the fire into the small bronze brazier.

“I’m willing, but I don’t see why it matters,” Ryann said diffidently. “You’d trust me with a crossbow?”

Myna gave her a predatory smile as she stood up, “Do you think you could put us both down before we killed you?”

Lips pursed, Ryann shook her head slowly. “No, not with the way you killed Oriv.”

“Glad to see you understand,” Myna said as she walked away from Ryann and toward the tent. “Master, I will bring you the kettle so you can start tea when you wish.”

Sean’s smile was tight; he still wasn’t used to being called master. “Grab some food, as well. I can get things set up for later.”

“As you wish, Master,” Myna said, brushing against him on her way past.

Shaking his head, he went into the tent. Taking off his boots just inside, he laid out their bedding and set the brazier at the back.

While he waited for the three women, Sean sectioned off pieces of wood to make more hair clips. He could hear snippets of their conversation as they set up targets and commented on Ryann’s aim.

When they finally came back to the tent to warm themselves, Sean had finished four wooden pieces. “Fiona,” Sean said quickly, “Bring me some of the bronze from earlier so I can finish these, please.”

“Of course, Master,” Fiona said, stepping back out while the other two took off their boots.

Fiona was back quickly with two bars of bronze. “Will this be enough?”

“Should work,” Sean smiled. “How was the shooting?”

“She hit every target,” Myna said with a pensive look. “She could very well have an innate Talent that only manifests when she’s holding a crossbow.”

“Wouldn’t they have seen that when I was tested?” Ryann frowned.

“Not necessarily,” Fiona replied. “If a Talent has some kind of condition that the tester isn’t used to, then they wouldn’t.” Lips pursed, she looked at Ryann. “When was the first time you picked up a crossbow?”

“Two years ago,” Ryann murmured.

Sean wanted to mention what he had seen in her eyes but held off, deciding to go about it a different way. “Did you test her with the bow we have, or with throwing knives?”

All three women looked at him with puzzled expressions, before they all slowly nodded. “That’s an idea, to see if it’s just crossbows or not,” Myna said.

“I’ll grab the bow,” Fiona said, standing and tugging her boots back on.

“There are a couple of knives from the bandits that we haven’t gotten to yet,” Myna told Fiona.

“I’ll get them, too,” Fiona said, leaving the tent.

“Why?” Ryann asked, her face troubled. “Why go through the trouble of finding out what I can do, if you’re just going to turn me over to the magistrate?”

Myna could see that Ryann wasn’t willing to hope that Sean might actually let her go. “Master is still undecided. If he doesn’t, then it will be good for you to know more about yourself.”

Taking her boots and pulling them on, Ryann’s brow was furrowed as she followed Myna from the tent. Sean watched them go with a pensive look of his own, before calling out to Myna. “Myna,” he paused until she stuck her head in the flap, “Mage Sight, watch her eyes.”

Myna nodded her head. “Understood, Master.”

Sean rolled his eyes, getting a giggle from Myna as she left the tent. She is certainly starting to deliberately provoke reactions, Sean sighed to himself. I don’t get why I think it’s more cute than annoying, but it is.

He blinked when the tent flap moved again and Myna and Ryann came back into the tent some time later. He’d just finished putting together the last clip, turning it over in his hands as he Shaped the wood and metal together.

“She hit everything regardless of what she was using,” Myna stated without preamble.

“I don’t understand— why am I gifted with this now?” Ryann muttered as she took her boots off. “I could have done something, if I’d known before. I might have at least used it to win games of chance at the inns.”

“That isn’t the way fate has laid out your life,” Fiona said. “Myna, hand me the brazier. I’ll get a new coal for it.”

“Hmm,” Sean murmured as he considered what they were saying. “Ryann, if I said you could leave right now, are you inclined to go?”

“If I stay for the night, are you going to give me to the magistrate in Holden?”

“I’m not,” Sean said. “If either of them thought you needed to be held accountable, they would have told me. I don’t hold anything against you for doing what you were forced to do.”

“Ryann,” Myna said softly, “what are you going to do once you reach Holden?”

“Offer my services to someone who might have use of them,” Ryann shrugged. “A one year Bond, with pay and boarding. If the person is trustworthy, it will be okay.”

“Who might have need of your services?” Sean asked.

“I can work as a guard. Since I can hit everything I aim for within a hand’s span, I should be worth the coin.”

Fiona stepped into the tent with a smile. “What would you ask for?

“A bed of my own, two solid meals a day, and fifty bronze for the year,” Ryann said with a questioning tone.

“If a Holder offered you a silver, and your own bedding, plus two meals a day, would you take it?” Myna asked, blank faced.

Sean felt a yawning pit opening under him as the women slowly closed the trap on Ryann. “Ladies…”

“A silver to be a guard?” Ryann asked, looking at Myna with a frown. “No one offers that kind of pay, unless they expect trouble, or are less than honest.”

“Would you take it if the person offering was not on the outside of the law, and the money was guaranteed?” Fiona asked.

Ryann looked from Fiona to Myna before her eyes settled on Sean, who was eyeing Fiona and Myna with a worried expression. “Why do you need a guard?” she asked.

Sean started to answer, but Myna cut him off, “He’s a merchant, and about to start selling a new item. We expect some push back when we start to sell them. Fiona and I are good, but having someone who is skilled at long distance combat will be a good thing.”

Sean glowered at Myna and again went to speak, but Fiona cut him off, “See the items before him? Those are the new things he’ll be selling—let me show you how they work.” Fiona set the brazier down and picked up a hair clip, which cut Sean’s line of sight to Ryann. “Pull your hair around to the front, please.”

Finding himself cut off from the conversation, and feeling like Fiona and Myna were together in the scheme to wrangle Ryann into his employ, Sean sighed. Standing up, he went over to the flap and got his boots on. “I’ll go get dinner ready,” he grumbled as he left the tent.

“I’ll help, Master,” Myna said as she hurriedly put on her boots and followed him out.

Sean went to the wagon, grabbing the pot and some food. When he stood back up with items in hand, he turned to find Myna standing there looking at him timidly. “Why?” Sean asked softly, so it wouldn’t carry to the tent.

Myna answered just as softly. “Selling these will likely bring attention to us. People like Oriv, or someone with actual power, might try to push you out of making them so they can. I know Fiona and I can handle ourselves in close combat, but it makes sense to have someone who can hit everything she aims at. Let me show you her targets,” Myna said, holding out her hand.

Seeing her honesty and certainty, Sean felt like an ass for questioning them like he did. “First, let’s get dinner on the fire,” Sean said, holding out the bag of food to her. “Pick the ingredients.”

Myna smiled at him, seeing him soften his stance. “Thank you.”

Once the soup was over the fire, Sean went with Myna to the area where bullseyes had been set into five different trees at different distances. Each one had marks in the center, or a few inches outside of center, plus one or two outside the targets altogether. Myna showed him where they had Ryann shooting from—the furthest target was only sixty feet away, but there wasn’t a clear shot to it.

“She hit them all?” Sean asked.

“Yes, but only with the bolts. She could get knives to the first tree, but she didn’t have enough strength in her arm to hit the second. I used Mage Sight while she was hitting targets. Every time she lined up a shot, a pulse of energy would go from her eyes down to her shooting or throwing hand. After ten shots, her aim was no longer solid; those are the marks outside the rings.”

Sean considered what that would mean if they did take Ryann on. “If she had more energy to use…”

“She would hit even more targets,” Myna finished for him when he trailed off.

“You’re sure we’re going to have trouble?”

“No, but it is likely, even if we sell and move on,” Myna said softly. “Sean, I feel as if trouble will always follow us. I find that it doesn’t bother me, because we’ll all be together.”

Rubbing at his face, Sean had a gut feeling she was right. “Fucking Morrigan. She knew I wouldn’t be able to lead a quiet life.”

“I would curse her, too, but it’s because of her that you are here now, and that means I should be praising her,” Myna said as she stepped to him, her arms circling his waist.

Looking at the top of her head, Sean smiled gently. “Maybe you’re right. Okay, I’ll stop fighting your efforts.”

“Promise?” Myna asked softly.

“I’ll stop fighting your efforts to recruit Ryann,” Sean clarified, realizing that open-ended wording was a bad idea.

With a deep sigh, Myna nodded. “Damn…”

Sean laughed and kissed one of her ears. “Silly cat.” He hugged her, happy to be there in that moment.

“I will wait, Master,” Myna murmured as he held her.

They finally separated and went to retrieve the soup, then headed back to the tent. Fiona was sitting next to the teapot, frowning at it. “Is there a problem?”

“I can’t summon water,” Fiona grumbled.

With a chuckle, he handed her the pot of soup. “Sorry, I forgot all about tea.”

Singing the song, Sean summoned steaming water for the tea before taking his seat. “What brought the attempt on?”

“We were thirsty,” Fiona told him as she ladled out bowls of soup.

“Ahh, yeah, sorry,” Sean muttered apologetically. “I’ll try not to forget next time.”

“You really are quite strange,” Ryann said. “Your Bonded basically just called you inept and... you apologized?”

Sean locked eyes with Ryann, who looked away after only a few seconds. “I’m not the average Holder. I don’t mind if those with me correct me. Besides, I think that was intended more to highlight my differences than to chastise me.”

Fiona bowed her head. “Yes. Seeing is believing, Sean. Ryann needed proof that my claims of how different you are were true.”

Shaking his head, Sean sighed, “I’m not used to this world, and even if I was, I wouldn’t be like Oriv or most of the others I’ve seen that have Bonded. I love Fiona and Myna. They are my friends and valued compatriots.”

Ryann blinked at him as if he had grown a second head. “Would you swear to that?”

“On the names of those that brought me here and on my life, what I said of the two who are my Life Bonded, and how I see them, is true,” Sean said simply.

Ryann stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head. “I have to accept what I have seen and heard.” Taking a deep breath, she met Sean’s eyes. “If I Bond for the year, what will your demands be?”

Sean pursed his lips, then looked at Fiona. “What are my demands?”

Fiona snickered and faced Ryann. “That she protects you and us. Her task will be to always be with you in public, or as often as possible. If we settle down, she will be given one day in ten off. You will grant her a bed of her own, or bedding when we are traveling. She will get food equal to what we eat, and a silver for the year, to be paid in full by the end of the year—but at least a tenth of it up front. If she fails to uphold the contract, she will pay you back three times the price. If she betrays you, then you will seek the worst Punishment you can enact. Would that be acceptable?”

“What if I wish to buy out my Bond?” Ryann asked. “I might find my tenure unpleasant at some point. I also want it stated that I won’t be sexually servicing him or either of you, and that my meals will not be withheld as a form of coercion.”

“We will require double what has been paid to you up to the point that you wish to break the Bond. If you do it because another has convinced you to leave our employ, you must tell us at least a day in advance, otherwise it will be viewed as treachery.”

Ryann looked at her bowl. “Let me think on it.”

“Take your time,” Myna said softly. “There are other things the Bond will grant you, if you allow them to happen. I would also suggest you ask about a full exchange of Talents and energy for the year.”

Ryann glanced at Myna as she ate, nodding before turning her attention back to her food with a furrowed brow.

Fiona and Sean’s appreciative comments on Myna’s cooking was the extent of the conversation. After dinner, Myna washed the dishes while Fiona gave the hair clips Sean had made a bit more flair, adding intricate designs on the wood.

Ryann went to the back corner of the tent and curled up. “I’ll give you my answer in the morning, if that’s all right.”

Sean nodded. “That’s fine. Get your sleep, Ryann. We’ll wake you in the morning.”

They didn’t speak much for the rest of the evening, even after Ryann started to snore lightly. Finally calling it a night, they got into the bedding together and slept like they had the night before. Sean smiled a little at how quickly he was accepting something he had basically balked at the day before, but it just felt right tonight.

“Goodnight to you both,” Sean said, kissing Myna’s head and Fiona’s lips.

“Goodnight, Master,” Myna purred.

“She’ll accept in the morning,” Fiona said as she snuggled against him. “Sleep well, Sean.”

Chapter Twenty-six

A rumbling purr and soft kisses along his jawline brought Sean awake groggily. “Hmm?”

“The sun is about to rise, Master,” Myna whispered as she planted another kiss on his jaw. “Hmm. You’ve not needed to shave at all. Is that normal for you?”

Sean touched his smooth face. “No. I used to be able to grow hair. I guess this would be a byproduct of my other differences.”

“It is nice,” Fiona murmured from his other side. “No need to worry about whiskers leaving patches of irritated skin.”

Sean snorted, “Why am I being kissed awake?”

“I thought of waking you differently, but it wouldn’t be fair to Myna, and we do still have another in the tent with us,” Fiona whispered before kissing his neck.

Shivering, Sean let out a shuddering breath. “Yeah, that wouldn’t have been great.”

Myna’s purring stopped, and she inched away from him. “I’ll go see about the horses,” she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Sean caught her wrist and pulled her back to him, “Myna… don’t go. I didn’t mean it in a hurtful way. I’m not ready for that, but… look, I’m not good at these things. It’s not you. I think you’re gorgeous, really. So please, don’t think that.”

Myna stiffened in his arms. “You mean that?”

“Yes,” Sean said. “I am starting to accept the idea that the three of us can be something more. Considering the dreams I keep having, it probably won’t be long before that comes to pass. Just give me a little more time to accept the idea.”

Myna purred softly as she snuggled up to him again. “I will wait.”

Fiona reached over him to stroke Myna’s head. “Patience. We will share him before too much longer.”

Myna’s purr grew stronger. “It's odd to think that you find me attractive as well.”

“I never thought about it before my Bonding to Sean. Every day since then, I’ve felt a growing attraction to you, Myna.”

“I’ve always envied you in small ways—like how you move like a dancer, or your long, flowing hair, which would have hindered my hunting.”

“We can work on your grace and you can let your hair grow,” Fiona said with a giggle. “I think you’d look amazing with flowing black locks.”

“Ladies,” Sean whispered, looking uncomfortable. His mind had taken a side road once they started complimenting each other. “Maybe we should get up.”

“Someone already is,” Fiona whispered as she let her hand graze across him.

“Stop that,” Sean said with a hitch to his voice.

“For now, Master,” Fiona snickered.

Sean let out a deep breath, then squeaked as another hand copied what Fiona had just done. “Myna…”

“I was curious, Master,” Myna said with a giggle, rolling away from him and to her feet. “I’ll check on the horses.”

“I’ll see about breakfast,” Fiona said, following behind Myna.

Suddenly bereft of flesh pressed against him, Sean took a few deep breaths to force the thoughts of either of them, or both, from his mind. After a minute, he was able to think clearly and the blood was going back to his brain. “How does any guy survive that?”

“I always thought most men wanted to be in that position,” came Ryann’s voice from the corner of the tent where she had slept.

“Maybe they do and I’m just slow,” Sean sighed. “Sorry to have woken you.”

“I’ve been awake for a bit. While I didn’t catch most of what was said, it seemed you were declining their offers because I was here,” Ryann stated.

“Pretty much,” Sean said and sat up. “I would be a bad host if I carried on in that manner with you in the same tent. At this point, you are free to go your own way or to come with us to Holden.”

“I’ve thought about the offer that was put before me,” Ryann said slowly. “I’m inclined to accept, if it still stands, but I would ask about what Myna mentioned, a full exchange of Talents and energy.”

“They have access to mine and each other’s Talents from me, and I share my energy with both of them,” Sean said, climbing out of the bedding and beginning to pack it away. “I would need a longer Agreement regarding that, and completely outside of the one year Bond. What I would want is an oath that what you would learn never leaves your care.”

Ryann stared at his dark shape across the tent. “You make it sound like you’re much more than just a merchant.”

“That’s open for debate,” Sean chuckled. “It would be an Agreement of its own, regardless of the Bond, if you do wish to enter into a Bond.”

“What would you want from me for that Agreement?” Ryann asked, puzzled.

“Your life,” Fiona said, sticking her head into the tent, the light of dawn casting illuminating the dim interior. “Before you interrupt,” she went on quickly when Ryann started to speak “it is a fair trade—I’d set my own life on that.”

Ryann sat back with a frown, muttering softly to herself, “That would put him at a level rivaling nobles.”

“Breakfast is cooking,” Fiona said. “Master, if you would break the tent down, it should be ready by the time you’re done.”

“Sure,” Sean said, grabbing gear to haul out to the wagon. “Ryann, give it a thought. I need you to pack up so I can tear down the tent.”

“Sure.” Ryann was clearly deep in thought over the offers Sean had made.

Sean got everything out of the tent, got it taken down, packed away, and was at the fire by the time Fiona declared breakfast done. Myna was already there, having gotten the horses hitched after feeding them.

“The small trough was a good idea,” Myna said, “as was the barrel. Master can fill it, so we won’t ever run out of water.”

“It made more sense that way,” Fiona said. “Master, can you make the tea?”

Sean filled the kettle, noting the leaves already in the pot. “Berry?”

“It will go with breakfast,” Fiona said, handing him a bowl of frumenty. “It’s berry flavored today.”

All three women huddled close to the fire while they ate. Sean let his cool some, while the others all dug in. After a couple of minutes, he poured tea for them and finally began eating. Catching Fiona’s eye, he gave her a smile and swallowed. “Wonderful, as normal.”

The rest of the meal was quiet, as everyone was focused on their food and drink. Ryann scraped her bowl clean while staring into the fire. “Myna, would you stake your life that knowing what Sean can do is worth an Agreement on a person’s life?”

“Yes,” Myna said simply and without hesitation, then went back to the last of her meal.

Ryann fidgeted while Fiona started to clean the dishes. Obviously lost in her thoughts, Ryann only nodded when they asked if she was coming with them and climbed into the wagon. All the canvas was packed onto the cart; if they washed it, the material could prove useful. They pushed the trash into the latrine pit and covered it over, then finally got rolling. Fiona joined Ryann in the back while Myna took the driver's seat. Sean went around to the front of the cart to help guide the horses back along the narrow trail away from the camp.

As he was helping the horses back down the overgrown trail, Sean glanced back at the wagon occasionally. Myna gave him a smile every time. Each smile was beautiful, and made Sean question why he kept putting her off.

It’s gotta be the Bond, Sean thought. Even a week ago, I wouldn’t have had the thoughts I keep having now. Both Myna and Fiona seem to have embraced the idea, so why do I keep fighting it? Shaking his head, Sean chewed his lower lip as his thoughts chased themselves in a circle.

Once they’d gotten back to the main road, Sean got onto the driver’s bench. “Why don’t you go bundle up in the back? We’ll get more warm clothes in Holden so you two aren’t as cold as you are now.”

“They might have a tailor who has at least some heavy coats ready,” Myna handed him the reins. “We had them back in—”

“I know,” Sean said, putting his arm around her when she stopped speaking.

“He’s familiar with the Moonbound?” Ryann’s soft voice carried easily to both of them.

“Why not? She’s his Life Bonded, after all, as am I,” Fiona replied.

“Just… most would never let anything like that be seen, even if they did care for one of them in such a way,” Ryann whispered.

“Myna is worth more than most people could ever hope to be,” Fiona said icily. “It makes me think you might not be compatible with our group after all.”

Ryann and Fiona lapsed into silence and Myna sighed as she leaned into Sean’s side more. “I had hopes for her, too,” Myna murmured.

Sean kissed the top of Myna’s head. “If she doesn’t understand how wonderful you are, then she doesn’t need to be with us.”

“Thank you,” Myna whispered, giving him a quick squeeze before letting him go and clambering into the back of the wagon.

Sean felt a bit of sorrow for her. He’d never had to deal with the sort of prejudice and discrimination that she’d grown up with. Lost in his thoughts as he held the reins, Sean wondered if he could deal with the contempt and hatred that would be leveled at Myna almost everywhere they went.

About an hour down the road, Sean sat up straight when he saw another wagon coming toward them. Two men in chainmail rode ahead of the wagon on horseback, and Sean made sure to edge the wagon over to make sure there was plenty of room for the two wagons to pass.

As they got closer, Sean gave the men a level gaze, sizing them up like they did to him. The driver of the other wagon was what really caught Sean’s attention; a Moonbound with large rabbit ears. Sean blinked, but didn’t know why he was surprised, considering the other two Moonbound he had encountered. The driver didn’t look at him, though the bands on her neck and wrists were easily visible even through the thick white fur that covered her body. She wore little clothing otherwise, just enough to cover the important bits.

“Myna, I have questions about the driver of the oncoming wagon,” Sean said softly as he nodded to the two guards.

Myna’s head poked out from behind him and she looked at the other driver. Climbing onto the seat with him, she frowned at the two rearguards smirking at the pair of them. Once the wagon was past, Myna sighed.

“She is Moonbound, Master. What else did you wish to know?”

“The fur?”

“She is not fully Moonbound, since she has a human face,” Myna said. “She is quite likely the product of a first-generation union, though. Only the first sired are prone to having fur, unless the blood is refreshed down the line.”

“Why was she alone?” Sean asked.

“Her Holder, or another, was probably in their enclosed wagon,” Myna said. “Or she could be a well-known Bonded and does deals for her Holder.”

“Hmm, so if I make a name for myself, people won’t cause as many issues for you if we find a place to settle in?”

“It would draw attention to you, though,” Myna said softly. “I can deal with the comments and scorn, as long as you and Fiona are with me.”

“I’m not sure that I can,” Sean told her. “I’ve never been good with bullies, and what happens to the Moonbound and their descendants makes me sick.”

“Your heart is good. It’s yet another reason to love you, Master,” Myna said as she nuzzled her head against him.

“You’re going to resist calling me by my name as often as you can, aren’t you?” Sean asked with a hint of exasperation.

“Yes,” Myna said. “I find that I like calling you Master. Something about it makes my inner beast happy.”

Sean took a moment to consider her words, then sighed, “Fine. If it makes you happy, I will learn to accept it.”

A deep purr came from her as she stayed snuggled up with him. Sean smiled at how easily he was swayed from his earlier stance by one of the women he loved… One of the women I love… Huh, how easily that thought seems to be natural and right.

The grey sky made it impossible to see the sun, so Sean pulled the wagon over when he guessed that it was midday. “Guess it’s a good time to rest the horses for a bit,” Sean said, looking up at the clouds. “Myna, how long until we reach Holden?”

“We’re only a few hours away,” Ryann said. “The horses should be fine.”

“She is correct, Master,” Myna agreed.

“Then I guess we keep going,” Sean said, giving the reins a light flick. “Ryann, any decision on the offer?”

Ryann climbed onto the driver's bench beside him, switching with Myna since there wasn’t room for three of them. “I’ve been thinking about it, and Holden will not be a good place for me. Most of the town knows that I’m Bonded to Oriv. There will be talk if I show up with you and am not Bonded. Some of Oriv’s friends might try to cause trouble if they see me, as well. Is the offer still available?”

“Yes, but we’re going to need the oath, too,” Sean said. “Are you willing to enter that Agreement?”

“I’ve watched your Bonded Shape both metal and wood, and I’m sure that your Agreements will be upheld fairly. I promise not to disclose any of your or your Bonded’s secrets, on my life. In return, any Bond we enter at any point means that I will be allowed access to Talents and energy equal to that of your Life Bonded.” Ryann suddenly looked a little puzzled as to why she had stated it that way, but didn’t try to change what she had said.

“I accept this Agreement,” Sean said, and felt a heavy weight settling over him. “Now about the previous Bond—do you agree to the conditions that Fiona outlined?”

“One year of service from me as your bodyguard. In return for one silver, my own bedding, and food equal to your other Bonded. You will not make any advances at me, nor will you withhold what is mine to coerce me into unfair trades. If at any time I wish to break the deal, I must pay back twice what I have received in coin from you and give you at least one full day’s notice.”

“I accept your Bond,” Sean said, and a small pulse of energy flowed from him to her.

Ryann looked at her left wrist, which now had a thick, black band. “Well, that’s that. Would you prefer sir or Sean?”

“Sean, please,” Sean said.

“Here is your pay,” Fiona said with a smile, holding out a silver coin.

Ryann blinked, not expecting to be paid in full right away. “Thank you, Fiona.”

“Have you hit her with everything yet?” Fiona asked with a smirk.

“I was going to have her climb into the back with both of you,” Sean said.

Ryann looked at them, puzzled. “Why?”

“They both are accustomed to having access to abilities and energy. You’re not, and certainly not at the level we’re all at,” Sean said. “I wanted make sure you don’t fall off the wagon.”

Ryann frowned, but did as he suggested, looking at the other two with a wary expression as they grinned at her. “Okay…?”

Sean felt the Bond to Ryann and slowly began to send her energy and access to the Talents he had. Ryann’s gasp was mostly expected, but her sudden grunt and breathless moan wasn’t. Glancing back, he caught sight of Ryann arched as if in the throes of a mind-blowing orgasm. “Ooops,” Sean said, dialing it back to what felt to him like the barest trickle.

Fiona snickered, “She isn’t used to any of this, Master, you can’t go giving her too much at once.”

“She’ll be fine shortly,” Myna said, brushing Ryann’s hair back from her face. “She’s just never been so full of life before. I’m glad you slowly added to us.”

“I haven’t,” Sean sighed. “I just gave you both all you could hold. I haven’t tried to expand that any.”

“We’ve been gaining more energy ever since the Life Bonds,” Fiona said. “Maybe you’re doing it innately. But you basically flooded her unaccustomed body with energy. I’ve seen this done before, and it always ends like this. Just ease off a little and don’t think about it. I’m sure you’ll start expanding her as you have us.”

Sean rubbed at his face with a hand. “You make that sound lewd as fuck.”

“I’m going to be very interested in seeing what she can do with her Talent, now that she has access to so much more energy,” Myna murmured. “You’ll be the perfect marksman, won’t you, Ryann?”

Sean frowned at Myna’s tone—she sounded decidedly possessive, like someone talking to a new pet. Pushing that image from his mind, Sean wondered what Holden would look like, and hoped they would finally have a few days of peace and quiet.

Chapter Twenty-seven

The stone walls of Holden came into view as the trees fell away on either side of the road. The ground had been purposely cleared for about half a mile out from the walls as far as he could see from his seat in the wagon. “First stone walls I’ve seen,” Sean murmured.

“They get more common the closer to the center you get,” Myna said, climbing up onto the seat next to him, “or when the village or town deals with a quarry. May I take the reins, Master?”

Eye twitching, Sean handed over the reins, then glanced behind him. “Is Ryann okay now?”

“Hmm, I feel fine,” Ryann said, her voice a touch languid.

Sean frowned. “Fiona, the time I shoved energy into you, you sounded like you were in pain, not in bliss.”

“You were using that energy to heal me,” Fiona told him. “It was painful to have my body repairing itself that fast.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sean muttered.

Ryann sat up, staring at Sean with wide eyes full of mixed emotions, then at the walls of Holden. “Oh, I’ve been out for a while, I guess.” Shaking her head, she picked up her crossbow. “Sean, you need to sit back here, and I’ll take the seat next to the driver.”

Fiona nodded in approval. “Already ready to work.”

Sean climbed into the back with a shrug. “Far be it for me to question you all, when you know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you,” Ryann said as she climbed up next to Myna and looked at her crossbow and quarrels. “You did something to my crossbow?”

“Improved it some while you were out,” Myna replied. “Since you’re going to stay with us, it makes sense that your equipment be as good as possible. We can see about getting you a better one in town.”

Ryann shook her head. “This is going to take some getting used to.”

“Welcome to our group,” Myna said softly.

“It’s really going to take some getting used to,” Ryann repeated as a light snow began falling. “We also made it just in time, it seems.”

“Master, are we going to stay longer than a tenday?” Fiona asked.

“I wouldn’t think so,” Sean said. “Is there any reason why we would want to?”

“I’m not sure how far you wish to travel before we try to find a place to stay for a longer time,” Fiona said.

“Not here,” Sean said quickly. “I feel like it’s too close. We should head west, maybe far west.”

Ryann glanced back at them. “It is wilder to the west. The beasts that way are more prone to attacking travelers.”

“We’ll be fine,” Myna said simply. “Master, your last name. Did you wish to keep using it, or do you wish to take on something similar to our names?”

Sean chewed his lip. “I don’t know, Myna.”

“I don’t think his last name is going to be an issue,” Fiona said slowly. “He also never went to an academy, and has no one he can point to as family who did. It’s probably best to use his real name.” She picked up an empty scabbard next to her. “You should also Shape your weapon so it fits into this. The metal will draw a lot of attention, otherwise.”

Uncovering Dark Cutter, Sean quickly Shaped it down into a sword sized for the scabbard. With a wry twist to his lips, he left the blade wooden with a metal core, since he could easily change it whenever he needed to. “Done, and that was a good point. Thank you, Fiona.”

“I do the best I can for you… Master,” Fiona smirked.

“I’m going to have that drummed into me, it seems,” Sean sighed. “I give up, but please call me Sean when you can. Ryann already knows my name.”

Ryann snickered. “You are so odd for a Holder.”

Myna slowed the wagon as they approached the gates. One of the guards held a hand up as they neared. Pulling the wagon to a stop and setting the brake, she gave both guards a polite nod. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?”

“Just the standard questions,” the bored guard said. “Who are you, what is your business in Holden, and where are you planning on staying?”

“I’m Myna, Life Bonded to Sean MacDougal. We are hoping to resupply for our trip, maybe sell off some knick-knacks. If you know of an inn that is clean and safe, we will stay there,” Myna said with a polite smile.

“Nice to see a Holder who knows how to keep his Bonded polite,” one of the guards muttered under his breath, not intending the comment to be heard. He nodded and spoke up louder, “I need your Holder to affirm your statement, and I’d suggest the Swan Song to stay at. It’s not the best inn, but it’s a damned sight better than the Drunken Fool.”

Sean stood up in the back so he could see the guards and make sure they saw him, “I affirm my Bonded’s words.”

“What kind of knick-knacks are you selling?” the second guard asked curiously.

“Simple wooden items,” Sean replied. “Plates, goblets, and the like, made by Shaping.”

“Ahh, never would have thought of a Feline Moonbound for a Shaper,” the second guard snorted. “Maybe the animals are learning to be civilized.”

Sean’s polite smile froze in place. “Are we free to go?”

“Head straight down to the main square and take a right. The Swan Song will be on the left when you reach the merchant square,” the first guard said, stepping aside for them.

“Mind the laws while inside the walls, too,” the second guard said.

“I’m a big believer that laws are necessary,” Sean said with a nod, before he sat back down and hid himself from view.

Myna flicked the reins to get the horses moving onto the cobbled streets. She guided the horses carefully, keeping them at a slow walk; even though many people were giving them reasonable room, she didn’t want to have an accident.

Sean took in the view from the back of the wagon. The roofs were all steeply sloped, designed to shed snow. The buildings themselves were all built of stone, even the taller ones.

“The town seems prosperous,” Sean commented.

“It’s been here for a long time now,” Fiona said. “The taller buildings are warehouses for merchants that deal with the various villages around Holden.”

Sean caught sight of the single story wooden buildings down the side streets, and even those had steeply peaked roofs. “We’ll need to get some warmer clothing here,” Sean said.

“We wanted to in Pinebough and Pinehaven, but they didn’t have anything ready for immediate sale,” Fiona said, snuggling up next to him. “Not that I’m complaining about how I was able to find the warmth I needed.”

Putting his arm around her, Sean felt a sense of peace wash through him. “We shouldn’t stay long, but hopefully we can get everything we need before we leave.”

“I’ll make it a priority,” Fiona murmured as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “We might have small issues, since it’s just you traveling with three female Bonded. You should be prepared for people asking questions.”

“We’ll see how that goes,” Sean said with a wry grin.

“Just remember not to kill anyone, and if possible, let them start any fights,” Fiona told him. “Remember that magistrates live in the town. We’re just travelers.”

“As long as they keep it friendly, then I will, too,” Sean said.

“Words won’t hurt Myna, nor myself,” Fiona told him, poking him in the ribs. “So no defending our honor unless it gets vile.”

“Who’s in charge here,” Sean chuckled, “you or me?”

“You are, of course, Master,” Fiona grinned at him.

Shaking his head, he leaned over and kissed her. “Uh huh.”

Myna brought the wagon to a stop inside the stable yard of the three-story inn. “We have arrived, Master,” Myna said, setting the brake.

An older man and two teens came out of a side building. “The wagon and horses for the night?”

“We’ll be getting rooms for at least the night, but it might stretch for a couple of days,” Sean said, getting out of the back.

“If you want to pay up front for three days, I’ll give you a deal,” the stable master said. “Or we can do it by the day, but the price will be higher.”

“What’s the deal for three days?” Sean asked.

“Twenty and five copper,” the stable master said. “I’ll throw in some extra attention and better oats for thirty, though.”

Sean nodded. “Pay you or the innkeeper?”

“I run the stables. My brother runs the inn, so you pay me for the wagon and horses,” the old man said with a strained smile.

Sean handed over three of the larger copper coins from his pouch. “Thank you,” Sean said with a smile.

“Grab the important things,” Sean told the Myna and Fiona. “I’ll get our rooms.”

Sean didn’t say anything when Ryann followed him inside, but he was glad to know she was taking her job seriously. The common room was empty of customers, for which Sean was grateful.

A grumbly old man stood behind the bar. “Room?”

“Two rooms,” Sean said. “One is for my Bonded, so I need it to have a couple of beds.”

Eyebrows rising, the man nodded. “I’ve not seen you before. Where are you from?”

“Waterrock,” Sean said with a grin. “I would prefer the rooms to be next to each other.”

Frowning, the man snorted, “Fine. It will be seventy copper per day.”

“What if I was to pay for three days in advance?” Sean asked.

“For two bronze, I’ll include both meals and two bottles of wine with each,” the man said.

Sean dropped two bronze onto the counter. “Done.”

The old man slapped the bell next to him and a middle-aged woman came out of the back. “They’ll be in rooms seventeen and eighteen,” the innkeeper told her.

“Of course, father,” the woman said with a tight smile. “Follow me, please.”

“One moment,” Sean said. He waited until Fiona and Myna came in from the stable yard, then addressed the woman again, “Lead on.”

The woman looked the two Life Bonded women over, blinking and finally nodded slowly. “Of course. Please follow me, sir.”

She led them up to the second story, and brought them to their rooms. “Seventeen has two beds for your Bonded and eighteen has a larger bed for you, sir. The baths are down the back, as would be expected. Dinner will be served in two hours.”

“Meals are in the common room?” Sean asked.

“If you would prefer your Bonded to eat in their room, I can arrange that,” she replied.

“I’ll be eating with him,” Ryann said.

The woman took another look at Ryann, her brow creasing in recognition. “Wait, I thought you were Bonded to Oriv?”

“He doesn’t win all the time,” Sean chuckled. “He should have known when to quit.”

The woman gaped like a fish for a moment, before nodding slowly. “I...see. Is there anything else?”

“No,” Sean said. “Thank you.”

Once the woman scurried off, Sean motioned for them to enter his room. “Okay, Myna and Ryann will be sharing the other room. Fiona will be bunking in here with me.”

“Ahh,” Ryann said with a pensive look. “I thought both of them were…”

“Not yet,” Myna sighed. “I’m waiting until he says I can join him.”

Sean could see the hopeful look in Myna’s eyes, and felt bad for not accepting her as Fiona’s equal. “Fiona, do I need to go with you to sell things?”

“The hair clips, yes, but not the other items,” Fiona said. “I would suggest we deal with the hair clips tomorrow. Before dinner, I think Myna, Ryann, and I should go arrange for better clothing, in case it takes a few days to be ready.”

“Sounds good,” Sean said. “I’m going to sit in the common room for a bit and see if I can’t learn anything useful.”

Ryann shook her head. “If you go to the common room, I need to be there.”

Sean sighed and frowned, “Fine. I’ll wait here, but please don’t take too long. I’ve had enough of inn rooms.”

“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Fiona said, stealing a quick kiss.

Sean reached out to give Myna’s ears a quick rub. “Keep her safe for me.”

“Of course,” Myna purred.

“I will keep them both safe,” Ryann said with a glance at him.

“Thank you, Ryann,” Sean said, giving her a smile. “I’ll stay here and wait for you to get back.”

~      *      ~      *      ~

Sean woke to the sound of the door opening. Sitting up, he saw the trio of women coming into the room with bundles draped over their arms. “Guess I fell asleep,” Sean yawned. “I see you got new clothes.”

“We did,” Fiona said, “as well as some clothes for you, Master. You’re going to stand out if you’re not dressed similarly.”

“That’s fair,” Sean said, getting off the bed. “What did you get me?”

“I’ll put these in our room,” Ryann said, backing out of the room.

“I’ll be right back,” Myna said, following Ryann out.

With raised brows, Sean shook his head. “Is this the part where I do the modeling?”

“If you don’t mind,” Fiona batted her lashes at him.

Sean thought about it, but realized that he didn’t mind if they both ogled him, which was odd. The Bond not only seemed to help him accept the love of both women, but was also breaking down his old shyness.

Myna stepped back into the room, shutting the door behind her. “Dinner isn’t for half an hour,” she said. “Do you wish our help changing, Master?”

“No,” Sean said quickly, his cheeks heating a little. Apparently, his shyness wasn’t completely gone.

Fiona giggled and set his new clothes on the table, separating the pile into three outfits. Each was made of thick linen, mostly in off-white. There was a thick fur coat, a set of split-fingered linen mittens, and a fur cap. “Cleaning the blood out of these is going to be a bitch,” Sean sighed.

“Actually, it might not be,” Fiona said. “I’ve never had the energy reserve to try it before, but with the linen at least, I might be able to push the blood from the fibers.”

“We have similar outfits,” Myna stated. “Though what we have leaves our necks bare.”

“To show that you’re Life Bonded,” Sean nodded. “The cap will also hide your ears.”

“Yes,” Myna said softly. “I’ll be wearing it any time we’re outdoors. If I wear it in the common room, though, it will draw some looks. Not as many as my ears, but enough.”

Sean reached out and gave her ears a rub. “I need to try these on still.”

“Yes. We’ll change into ours after our dinner is brought up,” Fiona said.

“Well, let’s get on with it,” Sean said, stripping off the clothing that Fiona had purchased for him in Oaklake.

The shirt was a little baggy, and the pants were a touch tight in the inseam and loose at the waist. Fiona knelt next to him, touched his pants with a frown, and focused. A moment later, she had the pants Shaped to a perfect fit. “There, now I can make the others match,” she grinned up at him with a wink.

Sean stepped back, feeling his reaction to her closeness. “That’s good,” he managed, a bit roughly.

“I want to try altering one of them,” Myna said. “I need practice.”

“Good point,” Fiona said as she reached out and undid the top button of Sean’s pants. “Let us have these for a few minutes please, Master.”

Sean threw up his hands. “For being the Holder, I seem to get handled a lot.”

“You can make us stop,” Myna said, slipping to his side and lifting the shirt over his head.

Sean considered her words, then pushed them out of his head. “I’m not sure I want to.”

Myna leaned in and kissed him after the shirt came off. Her body molded to his side as he let the kiss deepen. A contented purr came from Myna as Fiona slipped the pants from him.

A minute later Sean stepped back, breaking the kiss and letting Fiona take the pants. Panting heavily, he saw raw desire and need in Myna. “Myna… I...” Sean stammered, even though he knew his arousal was obvious.

“I’ll go fix these,” Fiona said quickly, gathering the clothing and slipping out of the room, leaving Sean and Myna alone.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Sean stared at the closed door, then turned back to Myna, feeling like a man trapped in a cage with a wild animal. “Myna—” Sean began.

Myna cut him off, her eyes focused on his, “Please…” The single word held all of her hopes and desire, and Sean felt it cut deeply into his heart.

I care for her… No, call it what it is, Sean. You love her as surely as you do Fiona. Bowing his head as he came to terms with his feelings, he looked back up at her and saw worry and fear, but also desire. You’ll hurt her if you turn her away now. They both want this, why are you fighting it? Are you some kind of anime protagonist who needs to be hit with a clue-by-four just to do what should be done?

Swallowing, Sean shook his head, meaning to clear it. Myna’s lips trembled and her eyes began to mist with tears, as she took it to mean he was rejecting her. As she turned to flee the room, Sean snagged her wrist and pulled her back to him, crushing her into his arms as he kissed her again.

Myna purred as her lips met his, her arms going around his nearly nude form and clinging tightly to him. Sean swayed with her, moving her to the bed as the kiss lingered. When her knees hit the bed, she dropped onto it and broke the kiss. Panting heavily, she looked up at him with a mixture of need and worry.

“I’ve never—” Myna began, then Sean’s finger touched her lips.

“You’ve said, Myna,” Sean said gently. “Don’t worry, I do love you. I’m sorry it's taken me this long to see the truth of it. I’ll show you the way, just trust me to love you.”

Myna nodded, her eyes wide and her pupils dilating. “Yes, Master.”

“That’s my good kitty,” Sean said as he let his fingers gently curl under her chin.

Eyes fluttering, Myna’s head tilted further back, waiting for a kiss. Sean didn’t disappoint her. His lips met hers softly and gently. He made the kiss be one of love and exploration, and not the demanding, passionate ones they had already shared.

The kiss was long and lingering, as he took his time to let it deepen. Eventually, he got her back to where his tongue met hers. This time, it was the slow dance of new lovers, not the frantic tangle of wild animals.

His free hand had been deftly unbuttoning parts of her clothing, which she hadn’t noticed until he eventually brought their kiss to an end. Sean briefly wondered about how deeply the moment seemed to be affecting Myna, who looked like a druggie getting a fix. When her hands tentatively began to trace his abs, he looked down at her. Seeing the love, adoration, and need in her made him forget his thought.

Gently pulling her top off, he was reminded again how similar her body was to Fiona’s, with pert, high breasts and a flat stomach. Leaning down, he began to nibble on her neck as his hands traced up her sides and gently cupped both small mounds.

His thumbs grazing over her nipples caused both already hardening points to become diamond tips. Trailing kisses down her neck, he let his lips lead him to her right breast. Slowly spiraling kisses and licks inward, he reached her nipple and gently suckled the tip.

Breath catching in her throat, Myna moaned and arched her back, pushing her breast into him. One of her hands came to rest on the back of his head as if encouraging him, while her other continued to rub his back.

Releasing her nipple, he began to trail kisses toward her other breast. His focus was on pleasing her, but he paid close attention so he would know which spots she responded to the most. Myna reacted exactly as she had on the other side when he gently suckled her other nipple.

Sean took his time lavishing her breasts with attention and adoration. All women are different, Sean thought as he began to notice the small differences between the two women he loved. Fiona has a silky feel, and has hints of cedar and orange. Myna is more vanilla and sandalwood. Shaking the thought from his mind, he wondered why he was comparing their tastes to trees and scents.

Pulling his head away from her lovely chest, Sean gently eased Myna back onto the bed. “Give me a minute,” he told her, walking over to the ledge near the window and grabbing the basin and rag. Quickly putting some water in it, he set it aside and peeled off the rest of his clothing. He brought the basin to the bed, giving her a soft smile as he peeled her out of her clothing as well. “A little cleaning before we continue. We’re both covered in road sweat from the last few days.”

“Anything you wish, Master,” Myna whispered as she watched him with large, luminous eyes.

Letting the water cool a little so he wouldn’t burn her, he dipped the cloth, wrung out the excess, and then began to run it over Myna’s skin. Myna’s eyes closed as she enjoyed the sensation of Sean cleaning her, knowing he wanted her first time to be special. Her love for him continued growing with each day, but the act of him trying to make this perfect only made it stronger still.

When he gently lifted her leg, Myna purred as he cleaned her from toes to thigh. Biting her lip, she waited for him to go further, but he switched legs instead, and a small whimper escaped from her.

“Patience, my pretty kitty,” Sean soothed her, doing to her second leg what he had done to the first. “I’ll get to what you want, do not doubt that. I want it just as much.”

Shivering, Myna purred as she waited for what he would do next. After a few seconds, when nothing happened, Myna opened her eyes and saw him coming back to her. She was puzzled why he had moved away from the bed, even briefly.

“Making sure I was clean as well,” Sean told her as he wetted the rag again. “Now, it's time to see just how much you squirm.”

Getting onto the bed between her legs, Sean continued cleaning her at her thighs, going from leg to leg, slowly moving ever closer to her sex. Myna watched him with excited, yet worried eyes, her lower lip firmly in her teeth. Her eyes rolled up as his hands finally found her sex, and a sweet, mewling moan came from her.

Sean made sure she was clean before he tossed the rag aside and replaced it with his tongue. His first lick made her eyes snap open as she stared down at him between her legs, his mouth over her dripping slit. “Master… no… you shouldn’t…” Myna stammered, her words breaking up as he continued to lick her with long, slow strokes.

When she stopped protesting, Sean took the time to explore different speeds and areas, judging which Myna preferred by her movements and sounds. He settled into long, slow, powerful licks with a quick flick of his tongue at the top across her clit. Minutes crept by as Sean assaulted her flesh with his tongue, and it dawned on him that he should be feeling an ache in his jaw from the time he spent pleasuring her, but he didn’t. He was glad, though, because Myna’s mewls and moans were growing louder and her hips were starting to buck up to meet his tongue.

A minute later, Myna’s hands grabbed his head and pressed him into her, grinding her hips into his tongue and face as she came. Sean lapped at her as best he could to extend her orgasm, and was rewarded with a sweet taste of her juices. Shuddering, she released his head and fell limp onto the bed. Sean didn’t stop, though. He began to lick at her more frantically, seeing if he could drive her over the edge a second time.

Myna’s hips bucked hard as Sean continued to pleasure her. “Master…why…” Words failed her as a second, larger orgasm crashed over her in rapid succession, followed by a third as Sean continued his enjoyable task.

Myna lay on the bed, a quivering mass, when Sean finally stopped. Sliding onto his shins between her legs, he took her moment of stupor to take her maidenhood from her. Squeaking, Myna’s eyes shot open to find him smiling down at her with love. “You…”

“Yes,” Sean said slowly, pulling back before sliding a little more into her.

That single motion made Myna’s eyes twitch as the pleasure she had felt before was starting to pale compared to what she was feeling now. Each time Sean sank a little more into her, Myna’s entire body would shiver, her hands clutching at the bedding.

Taking his time, Sean fought back the temptation go fast and hard, keeping it slow and letting her tight tunnel accept him bit by bit. Focusing on Myna, Sean tried to push the thoughts of just how wonderful it felt to be inside her from his mind. This wasn’t for him, but for her, and he needed to make her first time as good as it could be. Sean wasn’t sure how long he worked at letting her get used to him, but he paused when he was finally fully buried in her.

Letting out a shuddering breath, he watched Myna, who had her eyes screwed shut and mouth open as small moans and mewls came from her. Leaning down, he claimed her lips for a kiss. Heavy lidded eyes opened just a fraction in surprise, but as his tongue met hers, Myna let her eyes close again.

A whimper escaped her during the kiss when Sean began to pull himself from her. A deep moan replaced it when he stopped an inch short of leaving her welcoming folds, and started sinking back into her all the way to the base again.

Leaning back, Sean shifted Myna’s hips so he could get a better angle to repeat the process. “Is kitty enjoying herself?”

“Yes,” Myna purred. “But you’re so big… how does Fiona manage this?” Myna mumbled, her hips rocking just as he was just about to pull back again.

Chuckling, Sean started to slowly increase the rhythm by fractions. Time lost all meaning as he pleasured her. Eventually, Sean could feel his own impending orgasm starting to build. Letting his speed increase, Sean watched Myna’s face for any sign of discomfort or pain, but she only seemed to know pleasure as her hips started to meet his faster pace.

“Not going to last much longer, my pretty kitty,” Sean grunted as he started to hammer into her.

“Yes, please, give me everything,” Myna mumbled in a daze. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she reached up, dragging his head down for a kiss.

Tongues dueling furiously, matching the frantic pace of their coupling, Sean slammed himself to the base as he began to empty himself into her. His orgasm pushed her over the edge, her tunnel clamping down on his engorged member and milking him of every drop.

Holding himself above her as the kiss turned from frantic to sensual, his orgasm began to subside. Myna’s eyes fluttered open and they just stared at each other from an inch apart. Myna’s eyes were full of wonder and worship, and Sean’s full of love and understanding.

He leaned back to ease himself out of her and Myna’s legs tightened around him. “Don’t go… not yet, please,” Myna begged softly.

“I was going to lie next to you and hold you, Myna. I’m not leaving,” Sean told her.

“Oh.” Myna released him.

He settled down next to her on the bed, but before he could move to hold her, Myna was plastered to him. Sean smiled at her, stroking her hair gently. “After sex cuddles are something I enjoy too, Myna.”

Sniffling, Myna nodded but said nothing. Sean kissed the top of her head. “Why is my pretty kitty crying?”

“I’ve thought about today ever since the Bonding and was always afraid it wouldn’t come, even though I knew it would. I’m just so happy that you accepted me.”

“I don’t even know why I was fighting it now, Myna,” Sean told her as he continued to brush at her hair. “I grew up with the idea that relationships are one man and one woman…” Sean sighed. “That was my old world, though. I’m setting that aside and I’m going to embrace this life with you and Fiona.”

Myna kissed his chest and sniffled again. “Thank you, Master.”

“We should get dressed and go find some food,” he told her, rubbing at the base of her ears. “I don’t know about you, but I worked up an appetite.”

“Later… can I share this bed with you and Fiona?” Myna asked, her arm shaking a little, as if afraid of his reply. “I find I don’t want to be separated from you unless I have to be.”

“I’m not opposed to it at all,” Sean said, “but Fiona might want some time of her own with me, too.”

“I’ll talk to her during dinner, since you’re eating with Ryann in the common room,” Myna said, nuzzling his chest as he rubbed her ears. “I love the way you rub my ears.”

“I’ve always had a soft spot for catgirls,” Sean said. “I kind of wish you had a tail, but I love your ears.”

Myna sighed wistfully, “I’m suddenly sad not to have a tail, while up until now, I was happy to not have one.”

“Silly kitty,” Sean chuckled. “Now come on, I need to use the privy and get some food in me.”

“As you command, Master,” Myna said, releasing him slowly.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Fiona stood in the hall, a fragile smile on her lips as she looked from Sean to Myna and back. “Are you going to dinner now, Master?”

Seeing her vulnerability, Sean reached out and pulled her to him. “Yes. You said you were fine…”

“I’m just not sure if…” Fiona cut off, biting her lip.

“I still love you as much as I did. I just love Myna, too,” Sean said. “I never would have believed it before I came to this world, but maybe James was right and someone can love more than one person.”

Fiona relaxed some in his arms as he spoke. “I was afraid that maybe you would love her more than me.”

“Idiot,” Sean said with love as he kissed the top of her head. “You two should chat while I’m gone. I’ll have your food sent…” He trailed off when he realized a teenaged girl stood at the top of the stairs with a tray in her hands.

“I have meals for your Bonded, sir,” the girl said, giving him a shallow curtsy.

Fiona slipped from his arms before Sean realized she was moving. “Thank you,” she smiled at the girl. Taking the offered tray, Fiona stepped back. “It was most kind of you.”

The girl gave Fiona another curtsy, pausing to ask in a very soft voice, “Does he really love the animal?”

Fiona gave the young girl a broad smile. “Do you not have a favorite pet that you dote on?”

“Oh… I thought,” the girl went crimson. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. You must be careful of what you say, though. If our Master was not as kind as he is, and took offense at your words…”

The girl swallowed, nodding as she backed away down the stairs. “I’ll be more careful.”

When the girl had gone, Fiona walked back to Sean and Myna with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Myna.”

Myna shook her head. “It’s fine. You were doing it to save Master’s honor, and I’ll endure much for that.”

“Let’s talk over dinner, while Master has his downstairs,” Fiona said as she gestured at the door to their room.

Myna opened it to reveal Ryann buckling on some throwing knives. “He’s ready, Ryann.”

“I would hope so,” Ryann said. “I’m starving, myself.”

Sean motioned her out of the room. “Then let’s fix that.” Giving the other two a warm smile, he continued, “Ladies, have a good meal.”

“We will,” Fiona said as Myna followed her into the room, and the door shut behind them.

“Lead on, Ryann,” Sean said, falling in line behind her.

The common room was busy, but not packed. Ryann led him to one of the few open tables, putting them in the middle of the room. Sean took the seat facing the door, which got a frown from Ryann as she sat across from him.

“I should be watching the door,” Ryann said.

“I can see more than you can,” Sean said softly.

“Ever since the Bond, I have been seeing odd things,” Ryann whispered so they wouldn’t be overheard.

Sean didn’t follow up on the comment, but looked to the left where the barmaid was coming toward them with a tray of drinks, handing them off to patrons as she went. When she arrived at their table, she was wearing the false smile of customer service. “What can I get for you?”

“Dinner and dark ale,” Sean said.

“Dinner and wine,” Ryann said.

“You have a choice tonight between Red-eye stew or Red-eye steaks,” the server said.

“Steak,” both of them ordered.

“Be right back,” the server said as she left the table.

“What odd things?” Sean asked once the server was away from them.

“Looking around the room, I can see small dots on people if I focus, and I know I could hit them at those points if I tried,” Ryann said softly. “Each one is either a killing or a crippling shot.”

“You have the energy to really use your Talent,” Sean said with a grin. “Don’t overdo it, though. We don’t know how much energy it takes for those spots to show up, and you aren’t holding a lot right now.”

“I’m not…” Ryann blinked as she stared at him. “I feel like I’m bursting.”

Sean snickered, “You’re not able to hold more at the moment. According to Fiona and Myna, you’ll slowly be able to take more, but until you become accustomed to it, giving you more results in, uh, what happened the first time.”

Ryann’s cheeks heated as she recalled what had happened to her. “Ahh, so too much can lead to…”

“I didn’t know,” Sean said, looking away from her. “I wouldn’t have done that if I had.”

Ryann’s brow furrowed before she nodded. “You truly are different, Sean.”

Sean glanced to the left—the barmaid was coming back. Setting their drinks down, she gave Sean a wan smile. “The food will be out shortly. I didn’t know you were staying here.”

“I didn’t say. My mistake,” Sean told her as he picked up the mug. “Thank you.”

With a bob of her head, she was off to serve others. Ryann watched her go. “At least she’s just Bonded; lightly, at that.”

“The band is thin,” Sean nodded. Taking a swig of the ale, Sean frowned at it. The flavors were okay, but didn’t mesh as well as what he had had in Oaklake. Looking up at Ryann, Sean continued, “How am I different, and is that bad?”

Ryann blinked at him like he was dense and shook her head. She frowned as she tried to assemble the words needed. “No, it’s not a bad thing. You’re the opposite of any Holder I’ve known, though. You care want what’s best for your Bonded, not just for you… It’s flummoxing in a way. I can’t predict what you’re going to do.”

Sean laughed, which brought all eyes to them before he managed to contain himself. “Sorry, sorry. That wasn’t at your expense,” Sean managed when he met Ryann’s scowl. “I don’t know what to say, really.” His eyes flickered to the people around them who were slowly going back to their own business. Lowering his voice, Sean grinned and said. “Look, I’m not going to lie—the fact that a woman finds me unpredictable is hilarious to me. I’ve always felt exactly that way about women.”

“That is why you laughed?”

“The only reason,” Sean told her seriously.

“I see,” Ryann sipped at her wine. “I’m curious...do you think you’ll be able to expand my capacity much before the term of my service is over?”

“Considering how much more the others can hold now, yeah.”

Ryann looked around them briefly, chewing her lip. “If you did, I might be able to see them all the time.” Ryann’s words were barely even a mumble, but Sean still heard them.

With a thought, he focused on Ryann and tried to do what she did. A number of small bullseyes showed up on her body, glowing the same way Mage Sight did for him. He passed the ability along to Fiona and Myna with a thought, his smile wide at the thought that Ryann had given them all access to such an overpowered ability.

Sean spotted the barmaid coming toward them with two platters. “Here comes our food,” he said. He watched the woman make her way to them, noticing how the targets were shifted and moved with her motion.

“Here you are,” the barmaid said as she put the two plates before them. Each held a few ounces of meat, some soggy vegetables, and a chunk of bread. “Do you need a refill or anything else?”

“We’re fine,” Sean said.

“Enjoy,” the barmaid said, heading back to the bar.

As she left, Sean realized that none of the patrons were accosting her in any way. He chalked it up to her not being Life Bonded. Turning back to his food, he pulled his knife free and cut up the meat on his plate. The food was decent, but nothing special. The vegetables were overcooked and mushy, and the steak had only been lightly seasoned. Sean thought it a shame; Misa had cooked a much better version of this meal, so he knew it could be tastier.

When he’d finished with his meal, Ryann was looking wistfully at her empty plate. Raising his hand, he called the barmaid back over to them. “How much for another meal?”

Ryann’s head snapped up from the empty plate to stare at him. The barmaid gave him a smile that widened at Ryann’s reaction. “It’s four copper for the stew, or seven for the steak.”

Sean placed a large copper on the table. “A kettle of tea as well?”

“Of course—we have green, black, or citrus,” the maid replied as she scooped up the coin.

“Black will be fine,” Sean said.

As the server walked away, Ryann leaned forward. “I didn’t ask for more food.”

“No, you didn’t. But you want more, don’t you?” Sean asked.

Ryann looked away from him. “It isn’t part of our deal.”

“Remember that bit about me being odd? Chalk it up to that,” Sean chuckled.

Ryann stared at him for a long moment before she looked away. “I can’t. The deal was that I get the same food as the others.”

It took a minute, but Sean began to recall some of what he had been taught by Darragh. When the barmaid came back with the kettle, cup, and extra food, Sean ordered another set of meals and a kettle of green tea to be sent up to the room. Once he’d paid, he looked back at Ryann, who was staring at her plate.

“There, now it’ll be in accordance with our deal,” Sean told her. “Dig in.”

“Thank you,” Ryann mumbled as she cut her meat up.

Sean let her eat in peace as he poured a cup of tea for himself. Looking around at the other patrons, he nodded to the few who met his eyes. No one seemed to be paying them extra attention, for which he was glad, considering what happened the last time he’d eaten dinner in a common room with a woman.

He had finished his tea by the time Ryann sat back with a heartfelt sigh of happiness. “Content now?”

Sitting upright quickly, Ryann looked around them before coughing into her fist. “Sorry.”

Sean chuckled, “I need to hit the head, then we can go back upstairs.”

“Very well,” Ryann said, getting to her feet.

Sean went to the bar and paid for a small amphora of wine and four glasses to be delivered to his room, then took the hallway that led toward the stables and the common privy.

Stepping out once he had finished, he noticed that Ryann was shifting in place and looked uncomfortable. “Did you need?”

“I’ll deliver you upstairs first,” Ryann said stiffly.

“Nope, get in there,” Sean said firmly, projecting a little of the dominance he was slowly finding into his tone.

Ryann grimaced, but did as he said. When she came out, Sean started back toward the inn. “Thank you,” Ryann muttered. “I hadn’t thought I had to go that badly.”

Sean stopped before they got to the doorway. He glanced back at her and held out a hand. “One of your knives, please.”

Ryann frowned, but handed over a throwing knife. “Why?”

He gave her a grin, before spinning around and planting the knife into the post beside the door. “Throw one to each side but touching it,” Sean said simply.

Ryann lips twitched and her brow furrowed, but her hands whipped the two blades free and out in quick motions. The blades sank home to either side of the one Sean had thrown.

Sean nodded as he walked to the post. “Did you see the lizard?”

Ryann blinked, suddenly noticing the lizard skewered three times and stuck to the frame. “No…”

“I did. I also wanted to remind you that, because of the Bond, I can do what you do. Once you have the capacity for more, you’ll be able to see things like the lizards easier.”

Ryann blinked. “I see.” Brow furrowing, she pulled her knives free, cleaned them, and returned them to their sheaths.

Sean left the point where it was and entered the inn. Ryann followed behind him, lost in thought. When he got up to his room, he found a tray with wine and glasses beside the door. He knocked once on the women’s door and opened it. “Wine, ladies? I would like to chat in my room.”

“If that’s your wish, Master,” Myna said, getting to her feet. “Thank you for the extra food,” she said with a small, secretive smile on her lips.

“We enjoyed it,” Fiona added as she picked up the clothing she had been working on.

“Ryann, will you join us to talk about tomorrow?” Sean asked as he opened his door and picked up the drink tray.

“I’m not needed,” Ryann said after a pause. “I’ll just be guarding you. I would like to retire for the night, if that’s okay?”

“That’s fine,” Sean said, “thank you for the company. We paid for baths, so feel free to use them as well.”

Her eyes searched his face. Shaking her head, she entered the other room. “Goodnight,” she said as the door shut.

“Did we miss something?” Myna asked.

“Not really,” Sean shrugged. “Come on inside and we’ll talk.”

When the door shut behind him, Sean wondered what tonight was going to bring after they finished talking. Breaking the wax seal on the amphora, he poured wine into three glasses. When he turned, the other two were sitting on the floor next to the bed, as the room only had a single chair.

Sean handed over the wine and retrieved his before joining them. “Okay. Let’s walk through what we need to do tomorrow?”

“As you wish, Master,” Fiona smirked at him. “We have items to sell, but I can handle most of that. You will need to come with me to sell the hair clips. We also need to put a maker’s mark on them, and as soon as we get to a city, we’re going to need to register your mark.”

“A city,” Sean said with a twist to his lips. “Can’t say I’m looking forward to that.”

“Why?” Myna asked.

“Consider the difficulties we’ve had with villages, then expand that to city size. I’m also betting each city has at least one minor noble attached to it,” Sean said.

“That is true,” Fiona replied, “but they mostly stay in their manors. I would find it odd if we bumped into one.”

Sean winced at her words. “Yeah, let’s move past that. Besides those two things, what else do we need to do?”

“We should have the stable master here check the shoes on the horses,” Myna suggested as she sipped her wine.

“Okay,” Sean sighed, taking a sip of his own wine. The flavor was a mix of plum, raspberry, fig, and spices that melded together surprisingly well. “Is there anything else? Do we have enough to get the horses checked and buy our supplies?”

“The clothing was somewhat expensive,” Fiona said, not looking at him. “Once we sell our extra stuff, we should be fine. If we sell a clip or two, we’ll be more than fine.” Fiona kept her head down and sipped her wine.

“Why are you avoiding my gaze, Fiona?” Sean asked. “We needed the clothes, didn’t we?”

“Yes, but I used most of our free coin on it,” Fiona replied, meeting his gaze with trepidation.

“We needed them,” Sean said, puzzled. “Did you think that was going to make me mad?”

“I wasn’t sure,” Fiona said. “Normally, it would upset a Holder that his Bonded spent all of his coin without checking. I know you’re different, but…”

Sean chuckled softly, “I love you, Fiona, but you need to push those thoughts out of your mind. If we need it, I’m not going to be upset about it.”

“It's hard to change the way we’ve been raised,” Myna said softly.

“I know how that is. It’s why my hands clench every time someone insults you,” Sean told her.

Myna bowed her head. “You have no idea how much that makes my heart soar, nor how worried I get.”

Reaching over to rub her ears, he bumped her with his shoulder gently. “We’ll all work on this. It does remind me of something James always used to say. Communication, honesty, and trust are the three pillars of a relationship, which is only truer when you have multiple people involved. Never be afraid of honestly telling me things, and trust me to understand.”

“You’re always talking about your friend,” Fiona said as she took a deep drink of her wine. “Do you think he would have liked us?”

Turning his head, he gave her a soft kiss, then did the same to Myna. “Yes, he would have. James would also have been able to accept this long before I did, the kinked bastard that he was.”

“Master—” Myna began, then cut off and looked past him to Fiona.

“We talked while we had our dinner,” Fiona said, seeing the pleading look Myna sent her. “We find that we would rather both stay with you, than to have one of us sent away.”

Sean froze for a second, choking as he accidentally gulped wine and air at the same time. Both women began patting his back to help him while he tried to breathe again.

Once he could breathe again, he looked at both of them. “I, um,” he swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Things are going to go wrong, and I’m going to do and say things that will hurt you. I have to ask for your patience and understanding, especially when it comes to some things that you take for granted on this world.”

Both Fiona and Myna leaned in and kissed him, and each other, in a triangle of lips. “I understand, and will not be upset. I’ll do as you said and talk with you,” Fiona said.

“As will I,” Myna agreed.

A peaceful warmth washed over him at their words. “We need to bathe. A real bath, not just the sponge bath from earlier.”

“We can finish the wine and let the other guests vacate the bath, first,” Fiona said as she snuggled in next to him.

“She makes a good point, Master,” Myna said, doing the same on his other side. “We don’t want others catching sight of her left side.”

Sean winced. “Myna—”

“She is right, Master,” Fiona said softly. “She doesn’t hurt me by saying it.”

Sighing, Sean shook his head. “I need to grow a thicker skin.”

Chapter Thirty

After finishing the wine, the three lovers stayed snuggled on the rug by the bed. Eventually, Sean got to his feet. “Let’s get that bath and turn in for the night.”

Fiona picked up a set of his new clothes. “We can change into dry garments after.”

“I’ll go grab a set of ours,” Myna said as she slipped out of the room ahead of them.

“We’ll meet you downstairs,” Sean told her as he shut the door behind him and led Fiona down the back stairs.

The door to the bathing room was shut when they arrived. “It seems there is at least one person in there,” Sean sighed as he opened the door for Fiona.

Ryann spun around as the door opened, blinking at them as she realized who it was. “I thought you had all gone to bed,” Ryann said, turning quickly away from Sean.

“No, we were waiting until the chamber would be less busy,” Sean said, frowning when he caught sight of the crisscrossing scars on Ryann’s back.

The blonde woman’s back hunched as she quickly climbed into the tub she had prepared. “I won’t be long.”

“Enjoy your soak,” Fiona said, “we’ll try not to be too loud.”

“Master,” Myna said from the door, “Ryann is… here,” her words changed when she saw Ryann in the tub.

“Thought I ran away?” Ryann asked coldly.

“No, I was concerned that you might have run into trouble with someone,” Myna said as she entered and shut the door behind her.

Ryann snorted, closing her eyes, “I don’t think that’s going to be a real issue while I’m in Sean’s employ.”

“Not when you can cripple people easily,” Sean chuckled.

When Fiona looked at him quizzically, Sean motioned them to start getting things ready. “Ryann and I discussed what she can do now that she has access to some energy. It seems her targeting ability can also help her know which spots will cripple or kill a person, and places markers on those areas.”

“That would make her quite deadly,” Fiona nodded as she started to put kettles on the fire.

“I’ll fill the tubs,” Sean told her. “Don’t worry about the kettles. In fact,” Sean grabbed three buckets and filled them with hot water, setting them by the washing blocks. “There we go, now we can start with the clothing.”

Fiona and Myna set the clean clothes on a bench near the door before stripping out of their clothing. Sean was already naked and washing his clothes by the time they joined him. His eyes kept dancing from one to the other, just admiring them.

“Master, that is impolite,” Myna said softly, even as she arched her back slightly to give him an even better view of her firm breasts.

Sean coughed, looking away. “Sorry, it’s difficult not to admire sometimes.”

“Men,” Ryann muttered, “only ever thinking about sex.” The sound of sloshing water told them all Ryann had shifted. “You should… Silvershame?”

Fiona’s smile vanished, her eyes meeting Sean’s as if asking what she should do. Sean looked over his shoulder to Ryann, who had sat upright in the tub and was staring at Fiona. “Apparently, it’s not just men who stare impolitely.”

Blinking, Ryann’s gaze snapped away from Fiona, her cheeks taking on a pink hue. “I wasn’t…” She sighed deeply and looked back at Sean, who had already turned around to finish washing his clothes. Her eyes tracked over his back, then back up to meet the eyes of both Fiona and Myna, who were watching her with raised brows. “Umm…”

“Master doesn’t wish her to be known by the name you used,” Myna advised Ryann. “Her name is now Mithrilsoul.”

“But—” Ryann began, but cut off when Sean stood up and carried his clothes toward the stove to hang them to dry.

“I would be thankful if you didn’t use her old name,” Sean said, not looking at her as he walked past. “Fiona is much more than she used to be, and I love her.”

Ryann took a good long look at him as he walked past her, and she quickly sank back into her tub as her face heated more. “I’ll do my best, Sean. I meant no harm.”

“Thank you,” Fiona said as she gathered her clothes.

“It is appreciated,” Myna added and followed the other two.

“Sorry,” Ryann said as they walked past her tub.

The three washed themselves down, then climbed into tubs that Sean had filled with hot water after they adjusted the temperatures to their liking. Sean caught Ryann watching him circumspectly as he worked, but he ignored it.

Sean got into his tub just as Ryann stood up, giving him his first good look at her. She was sickly thin from a poor diet. She still supported a bit more in the chest than the other two, and once she had some meat on her, her hips would flare nicely, too.

Pulling his eyes off her, Sean mentally chastised himself as he lay back in the water. What are you doing, you asshole? You’ve got two beautiful women who love you already, why are you eyeing Ryann? Closing his eyes, Sean submerged his head, leaving only his mouth and nose out of the water.

Ryann glanced at the women, who both had their eyes closed, before she stepped out of the tub and began to dry off. While she did, she took another good look at Sean, shaking her head. Setting the towel aside, she dressed in her mostly dry clothes and quickly left the room.

As the door closed behind her, Myna and Fiona sat up and exchanged a glance before looking at Sean's tub. After a long moment, they laid back in their tubs.

They finally got out of the tubs as the water went cold. Drying off and dressing, Sean, Myna, and Fiona gathered up their freshly laundered clothing and headed back upstairs. Sean motioned both of them into his room, following and closing the door behind them.

Putting his back to the door, Sean looked at the two women laying out their clothing. Watching them go about the mundane task, Sean felt a moment of happiness and peace. Maybe it will be like this once we find a place to settle down for a bit, Sean thought. That would be nice. Might actually feel like a family.

Lost in his thoughts, he missed it when they had finished laying out their clothes for tomorrow and began to undress. Blinking as he came back to his senses, he saw they were both down to underwear and standing by the bed. “Umm…”

“We can just sleep for the night, Sean,” Fiona said. She held out her hand to him with a bright smile.

“We only want you to be happy, Master,” Myna added, holding her hand out as well.

A bright smile came to him. “Sleep would be good. Give me a little more time before we try expanding things again, okay?”

Both women giggled, but Fiona was the one who spoke, “We’ll do our best.”

Taking off his clothing and laying it beside theirs, Sean eventually took their hands. “Now, about who is sleeping where—” Sean began before he was cut off as the women shoved him onto the bed. “Hey, now.”

Myna purred as she snuggled up against him next to the wall. “I’ll sleep here.”

Fiona snickered as she took the side closest to the edge. “And I’ll sleep here.”

“I can’t complain about being between you two,” Sean said as the women lay their heads on his chest. He began to slowly caress their backs. “Goodnight Fiona, and goodnight Myna.”

“Goodnight Master,” Myna said, “goodnight Pointy.”

“I forgot the lantern,” Fiona sighed, getting out of bed briefly to snuff out the lamp. She climbed back in and went right back to where she had been. “Goodnight Sean, and goodnight Kitty.”

Sean snorted at their back and forth, but felt sleep starting to call him down to the depths. “Both of you are wonderful.”

Chapter Thirty-one

Sean woke slowly, aware of the soft bodies that wrapped around him from either side. It took a moment for him to remember why he was in the position he was in. Recalling his time with Myna the night before, his body stirred, and the body in front of him let out a soft sound and pressed back into him.

“I think someone is awake,” Fiona murmured as she continued to rub her firm ass against his rapidly hardening cock.

“Stop it,” Sean whispered in her ear. “That isn’t fair. You’ll wake Myna like that, and we have things to do today.”

Myna’s hand began to gently stroke his chest. “I’ve been awake listening to you sleep, Master.”

“Ladies, I asked for you to give me time,” Sean sighed and closed his eyes as they both played with him.

Fiona rolled away from him and got to her feet. “You did, I’m sorry.”

Sean let out a ragged breath, as part of him wanted her back on the bed. Myna’s hand vanished from his chest and he felt her shift. Opening his eyes, he saw them both dressing, and his disappointment grew. Sean frowned at the unaccustomed tone of his thoughts and shook his head.

Myna and Fiona were waiting by the door when he got his new clothes and furs on. “Breakfast first?” Sean asked.

“We need to let Ryann know our plans for the day,” Fiona said.

“She’ll want breakfast as well,” Myna added.

“Okay. Which one of you wants to tell her to meet us downstairs?”

“I’ll do it,” Fiona said, stepping over to Ryann’s door.

“Let her know I have Master, and he’ll be fine until she can make it down,” Myna said.

Sean looked from Myna to Fiona, sensing that he was missing something, then shrugged to himself and headed for the stairs. “I’ll order for us,” he said.

“Don’t leave your bodyguard behind, Master,” Myna said, catching up to him and walking down the stairs with him.

“I can fend for myself,” Sean muttered.

“Yes, but as a merchant, you would have at least one guard nearby,” Myna reminded him.

“I used to be alone all the time, so this is another thing that’ll take some getting used to,” Sean said softly as they came to the common room.

The room was empty, except for the middle-aged woman from the day before. Sean smiled at her as he walked to the bar. “Going to need four breakfasts and some tea.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll have it brought over in a few minutes,” the woman replied as she turned to head into the room beside the bar.

Sean claimed one of the tables by the window and watched the town slowly start to come to life. Myna took a seat across from him. “Ryann’s Talent seems quite powerful,” Myna said softly as her eyes scanned the room. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t recall ever hearing about something like it before.”

Sean chewed his lip as he considered Myna’s words. The woman returned, placing cups and a kettle on the table, interrupting his musings. “Thank you.”

“Food will be out in a few minutes. They haven’t finished the bread yet,” the woman said apologetically, her eyes going to Myna’s wrists.

“Good help is hard to find,” Sean chuckled, seeing the woman’s look. “Sometimes you get lucky, though.”

“Indeed,” the woman said frostily as she left them.

Sean poured tea for him and Myna, looking around for Fiona and Ryann. “What is taking them so long?”

“Maybe Ryann is slow to wake,” Myna suggested as she sipped the mint tea.

Sean frowned at her. “Myna, you wouldn’t be holding out on me, would you?”

Myna didn’t meet his eyes. “No. I’m not there, so I don’t know what is going on exactly.”

“You have some idea though, don’t you?” Sean asked pointedly.

“I think Fiona is having a quick talk with Ryann,” Myna said softly. “We just want her to understand things, that’s all. Everything will be fine.”

“Understand things?” Sean asked.

Myna glanced at the stairs, a relieved look spreading on her face as they heard Fiona and Ryann coming down the stairs. Ryann looked thoughtful and Fiona wore a smile as they came into view. Fiona’s smile faltered when she caught sight of Sean’s raised eyebrow.

“Sorry for the delay, Master,” Fiona said, taking her seat. “I will take any punishment you see fit.”

“It’s my fault,” Ryann said, surprising everyone. “I delayed us.”

Sean stared at Ryann. “Your fault?”

“Yes,” Ryann said simply.

“I see,” Sean said. He looked over to the bar, where a young girl was coming out with a tray laden with food. “We’ll talk about it later.”

The young girl eyed them warily as she set the tray on the table and placed dishes before each of them. “Enjoy your meal,” the girl said, then left them.

The meal was simple porridge with a chunk of butter and a small pot of honey for them to share. Sean waited for the women to serve themselves, but they all stared at him.

Myna finally whispered, “You’re the Holder, you need to take yours first.”

Sean rolled his eyes. He grabbed the butter, cut off a chunk, and dropped it into the porridge. When he reached for the honey jar, Ryann picked up the butter. Sean almost said something, but Fiona touched his thigh. He glanced at her, then clamped his mouth shut as he dolloped out a portion of honey.

He watched as the women all took their turns getting butter and honey, and noticed that Myna was the last one to get anything. Mixing his porridge up, Sean tried to put aside his feelings on how stupid it was for the world to be the way it was.

Breakfast was fine, but bland. Even with the butter and honey, it was barely flavored. Sean made sure to eat slowly, so the others would be done before him. When he finished, he pushed the bowl away from him. “Shall we go?”

The three women were all on their feet before Sean had even started to get up. Getting to his feet, Sean headed for the door. He had gone three feet when Ryann got in front of him and the other two trailed after him.

In the stable yard, they found the old man ordering his son about. They came to a halt a few feet away. “Excuse me,” Sean said, “where is our wagon?”

The old man looked at them and motioned them to follow. Leading them around one side of the stable, he pointed to their wagon next to a couple of others. “That one is yours,” the old man said.

“Thank you,” Sean said. “Fiona, Myna, grab our things,” Sean ordered.

“Right away, Master,” they said in near perfect unison.

“At least you keep them on a tight leash,” the man nodded as the two women hurried to the wagon.

Sean shrugged. “Sometimes the whip, sometimes the praise.”

“The way it should be,” the old man nodded. “If you need anything, find me or one of my boys.”

“We will,” Sean said absently as he waited for Myna and Fiona to come back.

Fiona came back with a sack over one shoulder, while Myna carried a saddle balanced on hers. “We’re ready, Master,” Fiona said, her gaze trained at his chest.

“Let’s go then,” Sean said, starting out the open gate of the yard.

“Left,” Myna barely whispered.

Sean caught the word and only slowed for a single step before turning left out of the yard. The street was mostly empty, the sun not quite clear of the horizon. “Fiona, take the lead,” Sean said.

Fiona led them down the street until they came to a building that showed a saddle and crop on the sign. “Master, is this the shop you wished to start at?”

“Yes,” Sean said. He went up the stairs before them, only to have Ryann dart forward to open the door and guide him into the shop.

The tack shop had a couple of saddles on display, along with various odds and ends like bits and stirrups. Behind the counter, an older woman smiled at them with blackened teeth. “Early risers, eh? It's nice to see youngsters who aren’t afraid of the sun. What can I do for you?”

“We have a saddle for sale,” Sean said, motioning Myna forward. “I don’t need it any longer, but the coin it fetches would be useful.”

The old woman nodded, examining the saddle once Myna placed it and the rest of the tack onto the counter. After a long examination, the old woman eyed him keenly. “This is a worthy saddle, and I have the feeling you’d rather not haggle much. I’ll give you two silver and sixty bronze.”

Chuckling, Sean bowed his head to the old woman. “You seem to know me quite well for having just met. I accept, madam.”

A braying laugh came from the old woman as she rang the bell on the counter. A large Orc came out of the back room, his black hair shot through with grey and his Life Bond marks clear to see. “Take the saddle and bring me two and sixty.”

“Yes,” the Orc said, scooping up the saddle and bridle and retreating into the back.

“Was there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, that is the extent of our business today,” Sean said with a grin.

They left the shop with Fiona still in the lead. Sean put the money into his belt pouch, glad that they had been able to sell off another of the saddles. As they walked the streets, Sean noticed that most paid them little attention unless they were close enough to see Fiona and Myna clearly. It seemed that two Life Bonded still garnered attention, even though Myna had her ears safely covered.

The day passed without any problems as they went to the shops to sell off items they didn’t need and to arrange for the things they purchased to be delivered to the inn. Sean wondered if they should stay for a third day or just leave tomorrow, as all their supplies would be ready by then.

Chewing over that thought, he looked up when Fiona stopped outside a jeweler’s shop. The sign, ‘Goldson’s Jewels,’ was done in bronze with a silver inlay that gleamed in the sun. “Fiona?”

“This will be the best place to sell the metal hair clip, and possibly the others, Master,” Fiona said softly.

Sean moved closer to her. “How much do I even ask for?”

“I’m not sure, but the metal one should easily be worth a bronze. You did put a mark on them, right?”

Sean’s lips twisted into a frown as he pulled the copper hair clip from his belt pouch and held it in his hand. The simple knotwork he had crafted on the front remained unchanged, but the underside now had etched into it a small emblem composed of his initials intertwined. Opening his hand, he showed it to Fiona, then Myna, “This is the mark.”

Fiona and Myna nodded, taking the wooden backed clips and putting the same mark on them. He dropped all but the two Fiona and Ryann wore into a small bag, then they entered the shop.

Inside, Sean noticed a chandelier that held ten lamps illuminating the shop and allowing the jewelry behind the counter to shine. The stout, thickly bearded man behind the counter eyed them with a twisted expression.

“I doubt anything here is within your budget,” the deep, gravelly voice conveyed the sneer that the beard hid.

“Possibly,” Sean said as he went to the counter. “However, I have something you might be interested in.”

The stout man looked like he seemed to think Sean was an idiot. “What might that be?”

“Hair clips,” Sean said, motioning to the ones that Fiona and Ryann wore. “They work far better than hair spikes, and can be decorated as ornately or simply as one wishes, depending on who it’s for. They also stay firmly in place.” Sean looked back at Fiona. “Dance and see if you can get your clip to leave your hair.”

Fiona broke into a slow dance, letting her hair flow from side to side. The jeweler didn’t look impressed until Fiona picked up speed and was flinging her hair rapidly back and forth.

After a minute, Sean stopped her. “Enough, Fiona. Come over here, so the man can see how firmly it’s still in your hair.”

Fiona approached, keeping her eyes lowered, standing beside Sean with her back to the counter. The bearded man squinted at the clip, trying to see how it was attached.

“Can I touch it?” the man asked after a few moments of study.

“Yes, but don’t tug too hard, or you’ll yank her hair out,” Sean said.

Large, thick fingered hands reached out and gently touched the wood. Tilting the clip over, the jeweler frowned at the underside, before looking again at the front. “It’s made of wood,” he stated, as if upset about it.

“Mostly. I didn’t have much of a supply of metal that wouldn’t cost me a fortune to use,” Sean said. “I do have one made of copper.” He pulled it from his pouch, setting it on the counter.

Raising a brow, the jeweler pulled a monocle from his vest pocket. “Might I examine this in closer detail?”

“Of course,” Sean said, looking a little bored.

The man finally set the hair clip back on the counter after thoroughly examining it. “That is your mark?”

Sean nodded his head. “On all of them. It’s my design, though I’m sure a man such as yourself could replicate it without much difficulty.”

“How many of these things do you have for sale?”

“Two dozen, but only the one in all metal,” Sean shrugged.

Stroking the thick black beard, the man eyed Sean for a long moment. “Which of them Shapes for you?”

Sean laughed, “That is not for sale. Neither the information, nor the one responsible.”

Sucking at his teeth, the jeweler frowned. “All but one of them is wood and bronze?”

“Yes. I’m willing to deal with a trade other than just coin, if that will help,” Sean smiled.

“I’m listening.”

“I could use some raw metal stock.”

“Which metals?”

“Copper and bronze,” Sean replied.

With a shake of his head, the jeweler chuckled, “All of them together isn’t worth bronze stock.”

“The copper clip alone is worth a handful of bronze, and bronze stock is of less value than coin,” Sean countered. “I’ll trade them all to you for a one-pound bar of jewelry bronze.”

Both bushy eyebrows shot up at Sean’s words. “They aren’t worth that much. But I understand what you’re going for, now.” Stroking his beard again, the man countered, “I’ll give you a quarter bar of bronze and a pound bar of copper, but only if you don’t sell any of these for a couple of villages after you leave here.”

“A half and a pound,” Sean countered.

“Ha,” the bearded man laughed. “Do you have Dwarven blood in your veins?”

“Not that I know of, but metal does seem to call to me, so maybe,” Sean replied, finally getting that the man behind the counter was a Dwarf.

“Pile them up and I’ll go get the bars,” the Dwarf said, stepping down from what he had been standing on and heading into the back room.

“Take them out, ladies,” Sean said as he placed the others on the counter, peeking over to see a ramp built on the far side so that the Dwarf stood level with his customers.

The proprietor returned with two bars of metal, one smaller than the other. “Remember the deal, no selling for a few villages from here,” he reminded Sean as he placed the two bars on the counter and began to examine the clips.

“It is agreed,” Sean said, feeling a light weight settle on him. He waited for the Dwarf to examine all of them before he picked up the bars. “Pleasure doing business with you, sir.”

“Goldson, Drudan Goldson. If you make it to Southpoint, my father runs a shop there. He’ll do business with you, and I’ll be sending him a missive to keep an eye out for you…”

“Sean MacDougal,” Sean replied, shaking forearms with the Dwarf. He had a strong grip, but he seemed surprised by Sean’s strength in return.

“If you make it there, or come back this way, stop in and bargain,” Drudan smiled.

“I shall make a point of it,” Sean grinned. “Pleasant day to you, Goldson.”

“Pleasant day indeed, MacDougal,” Drudan chuckled.

Chapter Thirty-two

Sean was delighted to see that the inn was peaceful when they made their way inside. “Fiona, please let the stable master know that we’ll be getting supplies delivered tomorrow so he’s aware.”

“Of course, Master,” Fiona said, splitting off from the rest of the group.

“Myna, what would it cost to outfit Ryann in appropriate gear?” Sean asked as they walked toward the front door.

“For decent quality like mine? Near on a silver,” Myna replied. “If you went for chain, it would cost more.”

Sean nodded as he followed Ryann into the common room. “We’ll see about that when we reach a city, then.”

“I—” Ryann began, but Sean cut her off.

“No. You are in my employ, and I should provide quality equipment to you. It doesn’t count because if you end our Agreement and leave, the gear will still be mine,” Sean said, ready for her objection.

“Ahh, I see,” Ryann said, nodding slowly. “That’s fine, then.”

Sean opened the door to his room. “We’ll see you for dinner?”

“Yes,” Ryann said, nodding, “I will join you.”

“See you then,” Sean said. Myna walked into their room as Fiona was coming up the stairs. “We’ll be working on crafting until then.”

“If you need to leave before dinner for anything, let me know,” Ryann said, then stepped inside her room.

Sean followed Fiona in and closed the door behind them. “Okay, we have some metal to craft with. I’m thinking we should still make some wooden hair clips on top of what we can make with what we just got.”

“That’s a good idea,” Fiona said. “We still have some wood in the wagon that we can work on while we travel.”

“How many can you make from the bars we got from the merchant?” Myna asked.

“I might be able to make three or four from the bronze,” Sean said as he pulled out the half pound bar, “though I’m not sure.”

“We can work with the copper while you do that,” Fiona suggested.

“Works for me,” Sean said, handing over the one pound bar.

Silence fell over the room as everyone turned their attention to the tasks before them. Sean found the bronze alloy of the bar to have a lot more tin than he’d expected, which is what set it apart from the bronze coins they had used before.

Letting his energy flow into his hands, Sean separated the half pound bar into four segments. Setting three of them aside, he looked at the two-ounce section he held and worried about the weight of it. He took his time to craft the clasp, but left the clip plain. When he’d finished Shaping it, he handed it over to Fiona.

“Is that too heavy for comfortable wearing?”

Fiona clasped it into her hair and tilted her head from side to side. “It feels heavier than the copper one. I’m not sure I’d want to wear it all day.”

“I’m going to cut the weight some, then. I might be able to make five of them,” Sean said, taking the clasp back. “How are you two doing?”

“We used your previous one as a model,” Myna said. “We’ve made one each so far.” She held up her finished hair clip. “I need either you or Fiona to smooth the lines for me, though.”

“I can take care of it. It’s not an issue,” Fiona said.

“We have a bit of time before dinner, so let’s see what we can manage by then,” Sean told them, returning his attention to the clasp in his hand.

A soft knock on the door snapped Sean out of his focus. Myna was already on her way to answer it, so Sean waited. Myna opened the door and Ryann stood there, looking a little nervous.

“Is something wrong, Ryann?” Myna asked.

Ryann stepped into the room and Myna shut the door. “I was just downstairs, and ran into an old acquaintance. He was one of Oriv’s friends, and as soon as he saw me and realized I didn’t have the same Bond mark, he frowned and left. I think he’s going to get some of his friends.”

Sean sighed, “Just once, I’d like to visit a town or village and not have anything happen.”

Ryann fidgeted nervously. “I wanted to let you know because they’ll likely be back soon.”

Sean stretched as he got to his feet. “Meh, it’ll be fine. We’ll leave tomorrow morning as soon as our supplies get here. If they show up to cause trouble tonight, we’ll deal with it then.”

Nodding, Ryann let out the breath she had been holding. “Right. Sorry, I don’t know why I started to panic.”

“Just don’t kill anyone,” Fiona reminded Sean. “Hurting them to protect yourself is one thing, but if you kill them, then the magistrate will get involved.”

“Why wasn’t it an issue in Oaklake, then?” Sean asked her.

“Because you didn’t kill anyone. That idiot stabbed his friend for you,” Fiona said simply.

Shrugging, Sean looked at the five completed bronze clips. “Looks like I’m all done as it is.” A sudden thought occurred to him. “Why were you downstairs, Ryann?”

“I went to arrange for meals to be brought up,” Ryann said, suddenly looking away from all of them.

“Someone is hungry,” Fiona murmured, just loud enough for Sean to catch the words.

“Is it dinner time already?” Sean asked.

“Just about, yes,” Ryann mumbled.

“Let’s go eat, then,” Sean smiled. “Myna, Fiona, you might as well join us tonight, since we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“As you wish, Master,” Myna said.

Fiona gathered up the hair clips. “I’m ready.”

“Ryann, if you’ll lead us downstairs?” Sean said.

The common room was just as busy as it had been the previous day, but a table near the bar was open. Ryann led them there, placing them well away from the door. As they took their seats, Sean overheard a lot of surprised whispers about the two Life Bonded accompanying him.

It finally dawned on Sean that all of Fiona’s shirts of late had been tight and came up to her neck, completely covering her metallic side. “That shirt really suits you, Fiona,” Sean muttered under his breath.

“I was wondering when you would notice,” Fiona whispered back, looking around the room and seeing the many eyes on them. “This is the reason I wear this cut. Myna chose the same, so we match for you.”

The barmaid came over to the table and Sean smiled at her. “Four dinners, and I’ll have the pale ale tonight.”

“We only have the stew tonight,” the barmaid told him. She looked to the ladies, who all ordered wine.

“Miss,” Sean said, stopping her from leaving. “Make mine wine as well, and bring a pitcher.”

“The extra will cost—” the barmaid began, but Sean put a large copper on the table. “I’ll bring it right out, sir,” the barmaid corrected herself, picking up the large coin and leaving five smaller copper in its place.

“Should we drink so much?” Ryann asked as her eyes kept darting around the room.

Fiona was staring at Sean with a rueful expression. “It will be fine.”

Myna glanced at her, then to Sean. “He isn’t…”

“I’ll bet you the good morning kiss on it,” Fiona said softly enough that no one outside of their table could hear it.

Frowning, Myna shook her head. “Sucker’s bet.”

“What are you two talking about?” Ryann snapped.

Sean sighed, “Don’t worry about it. Here comes the wine.”

The barmaid set out four full cups and the pitcher. “Dinner will be another minute,” she said and walked back to the bar.

Ryann looked around at the three of them. “I’m not understanding something, am I?”

Sean tapped the table in front of her. “You’re my bodyguard, right?”

“Yes…” Ryann trailed off, sensing some sort of trap coming.

“You’re willing to die protecting me, right?”

“Yes…”

“Then why are you worried about who might show up?”

“They know something is up,” Ryann said, trying to keep her voice pitched under the volume of the bar.

“What are they really going to do?” Sean continued. “They might demand to know why you’re my Bonded now, but that’s not any of their concern. If they cause problems, then we’ll give them some trouble they don’t want. You’re with us, and you’ll learn what that means.”

Ryann’s brow furrowed. “The ones here in town aren’t sloppy like Oriv was.”

“Our food,” Myna said, letting them know that the barmaid was coming.

Sean thanked the barmaid as she set their bowls before them. Their meal today was a dark stew with veggies and meat, along with a chunk of bread. The stew had a bitter aftertaste that made Sean glad they had the wine to cleanse their palates. Finishing first, he sat back and watched the door.

Ryann was using her bread to sop up the last of her stew when five men walked into the bar, looked around the room, and obviously started their way. Sean sat forward in his chair and got Ryann’s attention. She swallowed her last bite as the men got to them.

“Ryann Cullin, where is Oriv?” the broadest of the five demanded. Everyone in the inn’s common room was staring at their table to see what was going on.

“You’re talking to my Bonded,” Sean said casually. “She isn’t allowed to talk to anyone without my permission.”

Glaring at Sean, the large man put a hand on the table and leaned in. “Fine. Where did you get the little bitch next to you?”

“That is my business, not yours,” Sean yawned. “Now go away.”

The large man chuckled darkly. “Look, you must be new to town. People here know that I get what I want.”

“You get to learn something new today, then,” Sean said, “disappointment. You’re interrupting our dinner, so please leave.”

The broad man leaned on the table, putting his face inches from Sean. “Or what?”

“Ladies, upstairs,” Sean said evenly as he stood up. “We’ll leave.”

The big man’s hand landed heavily on Sean’s shoulder. “No you won’t.”

Sean looked at the hand. “That is assault.” Calmly looking at the man, he smiled. “Remove your hand.”

“Let’s take a walk outside,” the guy sneered at Sean. “Bring them with,” he told his cronies, motioning his head toward the women with Sean.

“Ladies, feel free to resist,” Sean said, grabbing the leading man’s hand and starting to squeeze, his smile fading as he stared at the guy’s eyes. “Now let’s go outside, shall we?”

Myna vanished from view as one goon reached for her. Fiona clapped her target’s hands away from her and kicked him between the legs, sending him to the floor. Two more grabbed Ryann and began hauling her toward the door.

The big man started to sneer at Sean, but as Sean tightened his grip, the man’s eyes started to widen. “Ahh, look… it doesn’t… gah…”

“Call your men off,” Sean said, prying the man’s hand off his shoulder and bending the wrist the wrong way. “Hurry, or this goes snap.”

“Leave them be,” the man hissed in pain. “Get this bugger off me.”

Sean smiled at the four men. “If one of you comes toward me, I break his wrist. Or you can all step outside and I’ll bring him with.”

The bar was silent as they watched Sean apparently effortlessly holding the big man motionless with one hand. The upright thugs let go of Ryann, grabbed their nutted friend, and headed for the door, staring daggers at Sean.

Sean waited for them before he began to follow. “Ryann, follow me. I want you to make sure they don’t knife me to death.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Sean shoved the gang leader out the door ahead of him, then let the man go without breaking his wrist. Unbuckling his sword belt, he handed it to Ryann. “Remember: no killing. If you have to, disable them.” Meeting her eyes, he saw her fear. “You signed on for this, and you can manage it.”

Ryann nodded as she took the scabbard, taking a deep breath. “I’ll try.”

“You’re going to pay for this,” the leader seethed, holding his aching wrist.

Sean rolled his eyes. “Can you get anymore cliché? For fuck’s sake, you came into the inn after me and mine, and now you act like a two-bit villain when you’ve been stopped.” Looking back, he saw Fiona at the door, and could hear people inside making small wagers as they gathered around the windows and door. He tossed his belt pouch to her with a smile. “Get us good odds.”

Sean turned back to the five men only to find four of them holding clubs or coshes, and their leader behind them. “Bringing weapons into it? Really?”

“Break him, then we’ll take the women with us and get some answers,” the leader snarled.

Sean shrugged. “Fine, broken bones it is.”

Stepping off the porch and toward the group, Sean smiled as time slowed for him. All five came in a rush, which just made Sean laugh as he stepped to the far side of the line. They tried to pivot, but couldn’t move fast enough to stop Sean from grabbing the one in the lead and shoving him to the ground in their path.

All four men went tumbling away in a pile as Sean stepped back. “So are you guys going to be serious, or would you rather just roll on the ground with each other?”

“Get up,” the leader yelled.

Sean waited as the men regained their feet. “Look. If you come one at a time, I’ll only hurt you a little. If you come at me as a mob again, I’m going to break things.”

They looked at each other, then over their shoulder at their leader. One of them finally stepped forward. “Fine, I’ll take you.”

“Brave, if stupid,” Sean snickered, beckoning him forward.

Slowly moving forward, the man waited until he was a few feet away before he charged. Sean chuckled as he sidestepped, grabbed the attacker as he went by, and wrapped him in a choke hold. “When you wake up, you’re going to have a headache.”

“Behind you!” Ryann shouted.

Sean kicked out behind him and felt a crunch through his boot. The scream from the man behind him suddenly turned into a wheeze. The three remaining men had charged at him from behind, and with one down, the last two attacked him with their weighted leather bludgeons.

Sean dropped his challenger, the unconscious man falling like a sack of potatoes as Sean covered up his ringing head under the continued blows from the blackjacks. Sean hunched in, covering his head as they attacked his ribs. Hissing against the pain, he dropped his center and swept his leg around. A sickening crack was echoed across the road, followed by grunts of pain.

Rolling away from the attackers, he came to his feet and saw one down holding his ribs, another holding a very badly broken leg, and the last getting back to his feet. “Attacking me from behind was not the best move,” Sean said, the pain from the few hits fading away.

The leader looked at his men, then to Sean with a snarl. “Who the fuck do you think you are!?”

Sean chuckled, “I was just having a quiet dinner. I asked you to leave several times.” Grabbing the one guy still standing, he slammed his fist into the unlucky guy’s jaw. “Now, about your rudeness to my Bonded.”

The leader sneered. “Fine.” Reaching behind him, he pulled a hidden throwing knife from his back. It left his hand just as a knife hit him in the shoulder.

Sean snagged the knife coming at him and glanced back at Ryann, who held a second knife in her hand. “Nice throw,” he grinned. Gently tossing her the knife he had caught, Sean started toward the big man, who was pulling the bloody knife from his shoulder. “Now,” Sean grabbed the man’s arm to stop the knife from coming out. “This is the only warning you are going to get. Leave me and mine alone, or next time, I won’t be nice.” Sean leaned back and slammed his head into the leader’s, breaking his nose and dropping him into unconsciousness.

Standing up, Sean started back toward the inn. “Are you still hungry?” he asked Ryann. “We can probably get a second meal, or maybe some kind of dessert.”

Ryann just blinked at him. “He tried to kill you.”

“What, with a knife?” Sean asked. “That wasn’t going to kill me. Let’s go inside and see about something sweet.”

Fiona kissed his cheek as Sean collected her at the door of the inn. The rest of the patrons in the common room looked at him with wide eyes. He looked around with a frown, not seeing Myna until she came in from the hall that led to the stable yard. Giving her a smile, Sean turned his gaze to the innkeeper. “Can you send some dessert up to my room, along with some berry tea?”

“Of course,” the innkeeper said quickly.

“Thanks,” Sean said. “Fiona, pay him please.”

“I have it, Master,” Myna said, placing a large copper on the bar as she went by. “Just give us this much, please,” she said.

Swallowing, the innkeeper nodded. “Of course.”

Fiona touched Sean’s arm. “I need to collect, first.” A number of people rushed over to her and handed her coins. She gave them all polite smiles, taking the coins without even looking at them. “I’m ready now, Master.”

“Ryann, lead the way,” Sean said with a grin.

When they got upstairs, Sean led all of them into his room. “Well, that was eventful. What are the odds that that idiot will learn his lesson, Ryann?”

“Harkin is smarter than Oriv was, but is also known for holding a grudge,” Ryann said.

“Was he their leader?” Sean asked, getting an immediate nod. “I don’t think…” he trailed off when a knock came at the door.

Myna opened it to find the innkeeper himself outside the door with a tray. As Myna took it, he spoke up, “I’m wondering if you wouldn’t mind finding a different establishment? I can repay the coin for the day you’re not going to stay.”

“If you refund us for the day, we’ll go,” Sean said, not mentioning the fact they hadn’t intended to stay the extra night anyway. “We paid your brother for three days as well, it would be bad if—”

The innkeeper held out a couple of coins. “This will cover that, too.”

Fiona collected the coins with a smile. “We will leave tomorrow, before high sun.”

“Thank you.” With a couple of nervous looks back, the old man left them.

Fiona shut the door and shook her head. “At least Gosrek invited us back.”

“Funny you mention the inn at Oaklake, considering we were attacked while having dinner again,” Sean said as he sat on the floor next to the bed.

“Who wanted to have dinner in the common room?” Fiona replied as she took a seat next to him.

Ryann blinked at them as she stood there. “Are none of you upset that Harkin just tried to kill Sean?”

Myna shook her head. “Even if that knife had hit, it wouldn’t kill our Master.”

Ryann glared at Myna. “It was aimed for his chest.”

Sean sighed and drew his belt knife, “Ryann, come over here and take a seat. It's time to explain some things to you.”

Ryann came over slowly, wondering how they could all be so calm, and crouched down across from them. Myna began to set out the bread, honey, butter, and jam that the innkeeper had delivered to them. Fiona poured the tea and sat a cup near Ryann.

Sean held out his arm, pulled his sleeve up, and slashed him forearm with his knife, hissing in pain. “Gods that hurts.” Ryann went to grab his arm, but Sean caught her hand. “Watch,” he said firmly. Silvery red blood dripped from the wound for a moment.

Ryann’s eyes grew steadily larger as she watched the wound heal up. Once the blood stopped flowing, the skin repaired itself, and it soon looked as if no cut had ever been there. “How?”

“It’s not a Talent, not as such, but it does seem to transfer to those Bonded to me,” Sean said, glancing at Fiona and remembering how he had discovered the ability.

Fiona patted his arm. “Not the best way of finding out.”

“I can heal like that?” Ryann asked incredulously.

“Yes and no,” Sean said. “Maybe? It all comes down to energy. Your reservoir is still so small, so I’m not sure it would work well for you.”

“That’s how you survived the poison…” Ryann trailed off as the thought struck her.

“Very probably,” Sean shrugged. “Since you’ve Bonded with me, I thought it might be okay to share some of what I can do with you so you can be better prepared for eventualities.”

“We should eat while we talk,” Myna said, pushing a helping of buttered bread to Ryann. “Honey or preserves, your choice.”

Ryann took the bread without really noticing it, her eyes focused on something that wasn’t there. “You’re as powerful as a Noble, aren’t you?”

“I don’t actually know, and I’d like to not find out for a long time,” Sean said as he sipped at the tea Fiona had given him. “Let’s talk for a bit about things that I can do, and that you might be able to do in the future.”

Chapter Thirty-four

Waking to a soft purr and the feeling of lips against his, Sean opened his eyes to see Myna draped across his chest. “Morning, Master,” Myna said when she saw his eyes open.

Giving her a sleepy smile, he kissed her again. “Morning, Myna.”

Myna shifted to the side and Fiona filled his vision and claimed his lips. When the kiss broke, they exchanged the same words. Sean chuckled, “Both of you decided you needed morning kisses, huh?”

“Hoping it will help you accept us both easier,” Fiona said as the two women lay against him.

“Shouldn’t we be getting up and getting things ready to go?” Sean asked, even as his hands gently rubbed their backs.

“Maybe,” Fiona murmured.

“Probably,” Myna purred.

Sean laughed when neither of them moved away from him. “You both make it hard to get things done.”

Fiona’s hand crept toward his waist. “Do we?”

“Fiona… not yet, please,” Sean said as his breath hitched in his throat.

“If that is your wish, Master,” Fiona said wistfully as she rolled away from him.

“We’ll wait,” Myna said, slipping out of bed as well.

Sean watched the two nearly nude women reach for their clothes before he shook his head. “Ladies?” When they both looked back at him, he tossed the blankets off him. “I’m sorry for being an idiot. Please come back to bed.”

Both of them smiled brightly as they rejoined him on the bed and manhandled him, much to Sean’s amusement and pleasure. Letting them take the lead made things easier for him, as it seemed the women had already discussed this moment.

While Fiona kissed her way down his body, Myna stroked his hair and exchanged deeply passionate kisses with him. Gasping when Fiona reached his stiff cock and took it into her eager mouth, Sean was surprised when Myna moved, hitching her leg over his shoulder and presenting herself to his mouth.

Sean didn’t pause, and immediately began to lick and love Myna’s sex with his tongue. His occasional deep moan caused by Fiona only seemed to excite Myna more. A growl of disappointment came from him when Fiona’s mouth came free of his cock.

“Myna, you haven’t done this yet. Come here so I can give you pointers,” Fiona said, her voice full of passion.

Myna shifted away from Sean, joining Fiona lower on the bed. Sean’s breathing paused as he watched Fiona explain how to properly suck him. Exhaling with a moan, Sean let his eyes close as Myna took him into her mouth for the first time. Sean was on the edge of orgasmic bliss for many long minutes as Fiona kept her hand on his balls while she taught Myna. Anytime Sean started to get too close, Fiona would have Myna stop, which helped prolong the entire lesson.

“Okay, Myna. This time, don’t stop, and be ready for him to finish,” Fiona said as she took her hand away from Sean’s balls. “Show him everything you’ve learned.”

Myna hummed and began eagerly bobbing her head up and down his shaft. Sean moaned, grasping the bedding as his breathing became erratic, having been kept on edge for far too long. When Fiona’s tongue began to gently lap at his balls at the same time, it was too much for him. With a loud moan, he felt his body tighten up as his hips left the bed, pushing him all the way into Myna’s mouth as the first spurts left his body. Myna did the best she could to swallow his cum, but she couldn’t keep up with it. Some spilled from her down to Fiona, who was more than happy to help clean it up.

By the time Sean stopped twitching, he felt lightheaded. His breathing was ragged as he blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus. When he could think straight and looked down, he found the two women engaged in a passionate kiss. Jaw dropping, Sean watched them intently, and his flagging manhood started to come back to life.

“It seems that the two of us being intimate excites him,” Fiona murmured as she winked up at Sean. “Which is good, as I find myself wanting to explore you as much as I do him.”

Myna’s face was flushed as she nodded, and she nuzzled Fiona’s neck. “I am interested in you too, Fiona. I’m happy that you agreed to my idea and Life Bonded with him.”

Sean reached down, gently stroking both of their heads. “Ladies, I wish to return what you just gave me. Fiona, would you like to help me explore Myna’s body first?”

“Oh yes,” Fiona whispered as she kissed Myna again and rolled the Moonbound onto her back. “I’m very willing to help.”

“But—” Myna began before her breath caught in her throat as Fiona nipped at a taut nipple.

“You’ll get to explore her in turn,” Sean whispered into Myna’s ear and kissed it. “Just relax, and let us pleasure you.”

“Yes, Master,” Myna purred in pleasure.

Sean didn't know how long they spent playing with each other, but by the time they were sated, each of them had been the sole focus of the other two at least once. He came to the realization that Myna and Fiona loved each other as much as they did him.

“Is it because of the Life Bonds?” Sean finally managed to ask.

“To a degree, yes,” Fiona said. “We’ve talked, and we’ve both agreed that as long as you didn’t object, we would like to explore the connection.”

“I don’t object,” Sean chuckled.

“We noticed,” Myna whispered. “Encouraged us quite vocally, as I recall.”

A heavy knock came on the door. “Sean, the innkeeper would like us to leave soon,” Ryann said from the other side of the wood.

“Well, it’s a late start to the day,” Sean laughed as he rolled out of bed. “We’ll be out in a bit,” he called back as he pulled the basin over to him. “Let’s get a quick wash before we dress.”

When they exited the room, Ryann was standing there with a bag by her feet. “The stable master said that all of our stuff has been placed into our wagon.” Her whole demeanor seemed stiff, as if she was hiding something.

“Okay, let’s grab a late breakfast and we’ll go,” Sean said.

Myna picked up the bag by Ryann’s feet. “I wonder if he’ll claim that the kitchen isn’t serving right now.”

“He packed a bundle of food for us,” Ryann said. “It’s inside the bag.”

“Ahh,” Sean said, getting it finally. “They’ve been waiting for us to leave all morning. Why didn’t you eat while you waited, though?”

Ryann’s lips thinned. “We should go.”

“Yes, we should,” Fiona said. “Myna, take Master down to the wagon. Ryann and I need to talk for a moment.”

Ryann met Fiona’s gaze, then nodded. “Yes, we should.”

Sean started to turn to stop whatever the issue was, but Myna gave his arm a tug. “This way, Master.”

Sean let her guide him away from the other two. “Myna, why?”

“It was part of my arrangement with Fiona,” Myna said simply as they went down the stairs. “She is in charge of all the other Bonded that you employ.”

“Wait, you’re telling me that Fiona is squaring up to Ryann?” Sean asked.

“Broadly, Master,” Myna nodded. “Fiona is a proud woman, as you know. She wants to make sure everything is just as she thinks it should be for you.”

Sean came to a stop. “I’m going to put an end to this,” Sean said, turning and starting back up the stairs.

“Master, wait, don’t,” Myna pleaded. “You said trust was one of the pillars. You should trust her here.”

Pausing, Sean frowned. “I did, but you two are keeping secrets from me, like Fiona wanting to be in charge of all my Bonded. I need to know these things.”

“Yes, Master,” Myna said softly. “I will make sure she knows. Until you do talk to her, though, please don’t undercut her where Ryann is concerned.”

Shaking his head, he started back down the stairs.

The bartender refused to look at him as Sean went past with Myna close behind him. The stable master had his wagon hitched and waiting as Sean stepped into the yard. “I see the wagon is all ready to go.”

“My brother said you’re leaving today,” the old man said.

“We are indeed,” Sean said as he went to check the wagon. “Myna, did we get the horses looked at?”

“No, Master. I was going to ask him today, but we’re leaving,” Myna said, lowering her head.

“Next town, then,” Sean shrugged. “You’re driving us out of here, so get on up there.”

“Yes, Master,” Myna said, climbing onto the driver's bench.

“Sorry for the delay, Master,” Fiona said as she came out of the inn with Ryann trailing behind her.

Sean eyed the two of them. Fiona was all smiles and Ryann had a thoughtful expression on her face. “Everything taken care of?”

“Yes, Master, we have everything taken care of,” Fiona said as she climbed into the back of the wagon.

“Ryann?” Sean queried.

“Everything is fine, Sean,” Ryann said, climbing up to the bench beside Myna.

Shaking his head again, Sean climbed into the wagon. “Everyone’s here. Myna, get us rolling.”

A light snap of the reins got the horses moving. As soon as they were on the road, Fiona handed Sean the kettle and asked him to start some tea, then she opened the bag of food Myna had set in the back.

By the time he had the tea brewing, she had handed out food to everyone. The meal was silent, and the guards on the gate did not stop or question them as they rolled through. The green tea after the meal was perfect for the almost meditative state they all seemed to be in as the wagon rolled down the road and toward their next destination.

Chapter Thirty-five

Two very uneventful days passed as they traveled toward the village of Merits, for which Sean had been grateful. Fiona and Myna cuddled with him each evening, but because they were sharing the tent with Ryann, they didn’t press anything.

Sean kept a close eye on Fiona and Ryann, but the two women seemed to be getting along fine. Occasionally, he would catch Ryann watching him with a pensive expression, but every time he asked her if something was wrong, she just shook her head.

When they stopped the first night, Fiona suggested they spar, which turned out to be an eye opener. Myna’s penchant for going into Camo right away in a fight gave Ryann problems, though she was able to hit Fiona with her wooden throwing knives easily.

Fiona took her loss with a smile, allowing Sean the chance to face off with Ryann. She ran into problems again, as Sean found the world slowing down for him when the fight started. Even so, he had to dodge fast, her knives coming faster than he would have thought possible. Once Ryann was out of knives, however, Sean was able to advance and dispatch her.

Ryann grilled Sean on how he had done what he had. It had taken most of the rest of the first night for him to explain how time seemed to slow for him. Fiona and Myna both admitted that they had started being able to do so to some extent as well once they had Life Bonded with him.

The second night, they worked on the wooden hair clips, with Ryann trying to help. Sean kept the slowest trickle of energy going to her as she worked. Her work was crude and slow, but the wonder on her face as she Shaped brought smiles to the other three.

On the morning of the third day, Ryann seemed even more withdrawn than she had previously. Sean wondered if he should talk with her, but held back, not wanting to seem pushy.

As they rode toward the village of Merits, Ryann asked to change places with Fiona in the back. Fiona gave Ryann a smile and did as asked, leaving Sean and Ryann in the wagon bed. Settling into a spot, Ryann seemed to be gathering her thoughts.

“Sean,” Ryann said slowly, “might I ask you some questions?”

“Of course,” Sean said, wondering what she could be wanting to know.

“I’ve seen the way you treat Fiona and Myna,” Ryann said, picking her words carefully. “Does the one’s blood and the other’s Shame mean nothing to you?”

“No,” Sean replied. “If you haven’t figured out that I’m an Outsider by now, Ryann, I don’t know what else to say.”

“I’ve met one other Outsider before, but he was quick to adopt the world’s attitudes,” Ryann said “You seem to resist them, and even openly flaunt your disregard for them.”

“I am what I am,” Sean shrugged.

Brow scrunching, Ryann stared at him. “Why did you Life Bond them?”

Chewing his lip for a moment, Sean tried to put his thoughts together. “When I healed Myna, something happened. I don’t know what, but she was at death’s door. When she woke up, she was Life Bonded to me,” Sean said finally, skirting the truth. “It wasn’t planned. Fiona, though... she asked me to, and I loved her before she asked, so it felt like the right thing to do.”

“Then it wasn’t because they had Talents that you wanted?”

“Nope. I wouldn’t Life Bond someone just because they had a Talent,” Sean replied with a frown. “The thought of taking away someone’s whole life just to acquire a Talent makes me feel unclean.”

“What if they offered their Talents to you in exchange for a Life Bond?” Ryann asked, looking away from him.

“I’d probably refuse,” Sean replied. “I don’t see why someone would even want to. To give up your entire life to someone else, that has to be…” Sean trailed off, not able to explain how he felt about the concept.

Ryann’s face fell a little at his words, but she was back to looking unconcerned by the time he looked back at her. “I see. What are your plans exactly?”

“What I would like to do is find a place to settle down for a bit, and maybe open up a shop for Shaped goods,” Sean said. “On the other side of Merits, Fiona said we’ll pass the town of Flento and then reach the city of Hearthglen. I’m hoping we can settle down in Hearthglen.”

“Are we likely to head straight there, instead of spending days at each of the others?”

“I’m considering it,” Sean replied. “We can’t sell the hair clips in either of them, but Fiona did rake in a nice haul for us during the betting, so it’s a definite option. However, I’ve had a few too many things just happen on this trip to get too caught up in the idea that things will go that smoothly.”

“That’s a fair point,” Ryann chuckled, considering that she had been in a group that had ambushed him. “Do you think you’ll need me to be on retainer after the year?”

Sean blinked, not expecting the question so soon after she had Bonded for a year. “Huh?”

“Never mind,” Ryann said, standing up. “Fiona, if you would like to take your seat again?”

When the women had exchanged spots, Sean was still scratching his head over Ryann’s question. Sean leaned in to whisper to Fiona, “Has she seemed a little off to you today?”

“Not at all,” Fiona smiled. “You were going to tell us another story of your world, right? Would you do that now?”

Sean thought for a moment, then launched into a story about a Fourth of July gone wrong. He had to pause almost immediately to explain fireworks, as this world didn't have gunpowder, which Sean filed away for later. Once they got the basic idea of fancy colored explosions in the sky, he launched into the actual story. James had been a little too lax in making sure that a mortar tube was secure, and it fell over. The shell shot off into the pile of other fireworks, setting them off in a chain reaction. Sean and James had had to run for safety as the pile of fireworks started exploding behind them, flying around in all directions.

They were all laughing as he finished the story, the image of Sean and his friend running in sheer panic clear in their minds. Myna wiped a tear from her eye, then spoke up, “Master, I see the walls of Merits ahead.”

“We’ll stop for the night, then head out in the morning,” Sean told her.

“I’ll restock the travel food and feed for the horses,” Fiona said.

“We’re not selling anything here or the next stop, so it's just a stop over,” Sean reiterated.

“Are you going to pick a fight again?” Fiona asked with a straight face.

Rolling his eyes, Sean sighed, “No. I would like to at least once get through one of these places without anyone trying to hit me.”

Chapter Thirty-six

The guard posted outside the wooden gate just waved them past. Myna drove the wagon to the main square, where the inn sat. Sean was confused. The village was almost as large as Holden, but not as well built or maintained.

Myna guided the wagon into the stable yard and set the brake as the stable master came toward them. The sour-looking woman stared at Myna with twisted lips. “How long you staying?”

“Just today,” Sean replied as he got out of the wagon. “We’ll stay the night and leave on the morrow. I was wondering if you have a farrier in employ?”

“I can handle whatever it is you need,” the well-muscled stable master told him. “Both horses?”

“Yes,” Sean said. “What is the cost for everything?”

“Twenty copper.”

Pulling out two large coppers, Sean handed them over. “Thank you.”

The sour expression twitched into a semblance of smile. “Always happy to help the animals.”

He glanced back to see that Fiona, Myna, and Ryann had all gotten out of the wagon and were waiting for him. “Follow me.”

There were a few older men playing dice at a window table in the inn’s common room. Giving them a small nod as they looked his way, Sean headed for the rotund, balding man behind the bar. “Two rooms for the night, preferably one of them with a large bed,” Sean said.

Eyeing the women behind Sean, the innkeeper’s lips twitched. “I can give you the best we have, and it includes a servant’s room attached to it. It will run you a bronze.”

Sean snorted and dropped a single bronze coin onto the bar, then covering it with his hand. “I trust that covers all of our needs while we are here?”

“Outside you wanting someone to warm your bed,” the innkeeper nodded.

“Then we have a deal,” Sean said, taking his hand off the coin.

The innkeeper rang a small chime behind him, and a younger woman who looked a lot like the stable master came out of the kitchen. “Andrea, take them to the merchant room.”

Dropping a small curtsy, the woman started toward the stairs. “If you will follow me, sir.”

They trailed the maid to the room, which was on the third floor. Opening the door, she led them into the rooms. The front room was a sitting room, outfitted with several chairs, a table, and a desk. Two doors led off from the room. “The left door is the master room, sir. The right door leads to two rooms for the servants; one of them with a single bed, and the other with multiple beds.”

Ryann went and checked all of the rooms. “Everything is clear, Sean,” she reported when she returned.

“Can we have a pot of tea brought up, along with four cups?” Sean asked the maid, who was standing waiting at the door.

“Right away, sir,” the woman said, leaving.

“We’ll discuss plans once the tea arrives,” Sean told them. “Go ahead and drop off your stuff where you’re sleeping.”

Ryann went to the right, while the other two went toward his room. The maid returned shortly, setting the tea on the table. She curtsied, and left the room. Myna poured them all tea as everyone took a seat.

“Fiona, what are we looking at needing?” Sean asked before he sipped at the black tea.

“I’ll need to arrange feed for the horses and food for us… we’ll need three days’ worth, to replace what we used. As we’re not selling anything besides maybe a saddle to the stable master, it shouldn’t take long,” Fiona replied between sips.

“I can go with her,” Myna said, “I think Ryann would rather stay with you than go with Fiona to the shops.”

“Ryann?” Sean asked.

“Myna is correct, but if you’ll stay in the room, I’ll accompany Fiona,” Ryann replied.

Sean thought about being stuck in an inn room and wasn’t enthused about the prospect. Glancing at Myna, he smiled. “I’ll stay in the room, Ryann. Myna can stay with me.”

“We should make this quick, then,” Fiona said, setting aside her half empty cup. “It shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

Ryann got to her feet and drained her cup. “We’ll be back as quickly as we can.”

As the two women left the room, Sean realized that Ryann was starting to look healthier. “She’s starting to look less like a skeleton,” Sean murmured without thinking.

“Ryann?” Myna half-questioned. “Yes, she is starting to look much better. She has been a good addition to our group.”

“She seems to be fitting in well. The last few days, her and Fiona have been friendlier with each other.”

“They have come to terms,” Myna replied. “Master, would you be willing to try something? I don’t have the reservoir for an idea I had.”

“Sounds interesting, what did you have in mind?”

“Can you shift one of your eyes to Mage Sight while keeping the other normal?”

Lips pursing, Sean frowned. “That would let me see with both at once, if it works.”

Closing one eye, Sean shifted it to Mage Sight. It took him a minute to get it to work, as his open eye kept wanting to shift, too. Finally getting it, he opened his other eye. He found the world layered, with Mage Sight a faint background to his normal vision. His clarity was drowned out by the colors of Mage Sight, but he could see both.

“It works,” Sean said, his brow furrowing. “The downside is a loss of details, and I’m getting a headache.” He dismissed Mage Sight and the headache quickly faded. “I think my brain was having a hard time trying to process them both at the same time. It might get easier to do if I keep trying it.”

“I wish I could try it,” Myna frowned.

Sean blinked, then got up and went to the bedroom. Returning a minute later, he handed Myna the monocle he had made what seemed like a lifetime ago. “Try that, just give it some energy.”

Myna took the silver monocle slowly, slipping it over an eye. With an expression of concentration, Myna focused on it. She gasped loudly. “It works… ow,” she quickly removed the monocle, then shifted sideways. Rubbing her head, she held the monocle out to Sean. “I see what you meant by the headache.”

Sean returned the monocle to Fiona’s bag. “I made the monocle for Fiona. Just talk to her if you want to use it again.”

“You made that… Why am I not surprised?” Myna giggled.

“I don’t know,” Sean chuckled. “You haven’t told me much about yourself, Myna. Will you tell me a happy story from your youth?”

Myna poured them more tea, then shifted over to sit beside him. “I like it when you take an interest in me, Master. I will tell you a story of my grandfather. He was an Outsider, like you.”

Putting his arm around her waist, Sean made sure their chairs were touching. “Tell me more, dear kitty.”

Myna told him the story of a man who had served as an officer during the Second World War. Her grandfather was on a small island when, while fleeing Americans, he encountered a Kitsune. Accepting an offer from the Kitsune, the officer found himself in a forest, with just his sword and uniform. Myna’s retelling included insights that her grandfather later told her about. Myna drew the story to a close just as her grandfather met the Feline Moonbound that lived in the woods.

“That was the start of his and my grandmother’s long life together,” Myna said just as the door opened.

“We’re back, Master,” Fiona said, coming into the room.

“Welcome back, ladies. Did everything go well?”

“Indeed,” Ryann replied, “no one gave us any issues.”

“I think dinner should be in an hour or two,” Fiona said after a moment. “Maybe we should see about bathing early.”

“I’ll grab my clothing,” Ryann said, heading for the servant’s room.

Myna was already moving toward the bedroom. “I’ll get clothing for us.”

Sean eyed Fiona with a raised brow. “Why do I feel like you have a sneaky plan in mind?”

Fiona gave him a brilliant smile. “Because you love me.”

Chuckling, Sean got to his feet. “Not the answer I was expecting.”

“But it was the truth,” Fiona said simply as she went to hug him. “Besides, you know I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“You can’t,” Sean said softly, “my poor, Bonded, pointy-eared lover.”

“You like the name Myna uses for me, hmm?”

“I’ll use it now and then,” Sean told her.

“I’m ready,” Ryann said, her voice catching oddly for just a second.

“I have our things,” Myna added.

Sean released Fiona. “Well then, ladies, let us go clean the stink of the road from ourselves.”

Sean was the first through the bathing room door, with the women trailing behind him. Sean summoned hot water for the washing buckets, then stripped down to wash his clothing.

Clothes in hand, he turned around to see that all three women were already washing their things. Eyes roving over them, Sean took a calming breath. He pulled his eyes from Ryann’s posterior as he dropped his clothing into the washing tub. As he cleaned them, he kept his head down and his eyes on what he was doing. He was so focused on his clothing that he failed to notice the exchange of glances by the women.

A sharp curse from Ryann brought his attention up, giving him a very clear view of her charms as she bent over to look at her foot. Eyes wide and cheeks heating, Sean looked quickly back at the tub. “You okay?”

“Stubbed my toe, I’ll be fine,” Ryann said, taking a limping step away from the wash tub after gathering her clothes from the ground.

“Good,” Sean breathed as she walked away.

Stop it, moron. You already have two women, what the fuck is wrong with you? Ever since you let them talk you into the notion that you could have both of them, you’ve been looking at Ryann. He shook that train of thought out of his head.

He hung his clothes on the drying line beside the others, and set about partially filling four tubs with boiling water. Once that was done, he went to shower. Fiona, Myna, and Ryann were all just finishing theirs.

“Thank you, Master,” Myna said as she stood up, dripping water.

Sean nodded, his eyes following a drop from her collarbone down to her navel. “No problem,” he coughed, trying not to notice that he was saluting her.

“Yes, thank you,” Fiona added, her eyes trailing down his body before meeting his. “You still need to wash.”

“Yeah,” Sean said, stepping around Myna and Fiona. The women went to the pumps, filling buckets with cold water for their tubs.

He arrived at the washing benches just in time to watch Ryann shake her blonde hair from side to side, sending water spraying out and making her chest bounce enticingly. Gritting his teeth, Sean deliberately looked away from her as he took a seat next to the unused bucket of warm water.

Sean took his time, making sure he was clean, and was the last one into a tub. Sighing as the hot water engulfed him, Sean felt a sense of peace fill him. Baths had always made him feel like everything was going to be alright with the world.

A long while later, Sean finally sat up in the tub as the water cooled. Fiona, Myna, and Ryann were all dressed and ready to leave. “Sorry ladies, give me a minute.” Sean pulled the plug and got out of his tub.

Myna offered him a towel. “A towel for you, Master.”

Sean gave her a quick kiss. “Thank you, Myna.”

She purred as she walked away from him, going back to join the others. Quickly drying off, Sean hung up the towel and discovered his clothing had been taken down. Across the room, Fiona held his new clothing out to him.

Crossing over to them, Sean became aware of Ryann appraising him, which made his steps falter for a moment. He took his clothes from Fiona and quickly got dressed. Turning around once he was ready, he found all three women standing by the door, again waiting for him.

He shook his head and followed them back up to their room so they could drop off their cleaned clothing. “Everyone ready for dinner?” Sean asked to make sure.

Ryann nodded and her stomach growled. “Yes please, Sean.”

The others all wore small smiles when Ryann’s stomach growled. “Double portions for everyone again,” Sean chuckled as he led them downstairs. “I wonder what they have for food tonight?”

Chapter Thirty-seven

The common room was only half full, which Sean thought odd until a bout of raucous laughter erupted from a large table. Eight men were drinking heavily and eating haunches of meat as if they were in Valhalla. Sean felt his lips curl in distaste, and he guided the women to a table as far from the group as they could get.

“Oh, look at that toff. He’s got three women and here we are with none. That doesn’t seem fair, now does it boys?” one of them said, earning agreement from the others.

Sean did his best to ignore the comment, even as Fiona gave him a warning look. “Leave it alone, Master,” she said softly so only those at the table could hear her.

“What can I get you four?” the same maid from earlier asked them.

“What do you have for dinner?” Sean inquired.

“We ran out of haunches, so all we have now is the fowl stew,” the maid replied as the eight men begin to bang their cups to the table and chant for more drinks.

“Four stews and wine for all of us,” Sean told her, his eye twitching at the incessant banging.

“I’ll bring them right over,” the maid said, hurrying back to the bar where the innkeeper was pouring off eight mugs of ale.

“Sean,” Ryann spoke up, “I think I’ve seen those men before. I believe they did business with Oriv.”

“Ah, so they’re likely bandits and thugs,” Sean nodded.

“You’re not going to do anything, are you?” Fiona asked him.

“I just want a nice, quiet evening,” Sean told her.

“About time, wench,” one of the men said, followed by a firm slap and a yelp from the barmaid. “How about you stay here and keep us company, eh? We’ll make it worth your time.”

“Sirs, my daughter is not an offering here,” the innkeeper said loudly, but his voice trembled.

“Why don’t we leave that decision to her?” one of the men laughed. “Come on, cutie. You want to make some coin tonight, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t. Let me go,” the woman said, the sounds of her struggling coming from behind Sean.

Both Ryann and Fiona frowned at the table, and Sean felt his hands clench. “Fiona, I’m sorry,” Sean said.

Fiona looked unhappy, but nodded grimly. “I support you in this.”

Getting to his feet, Sean turned to see the maid being held and groped by a couple of the men, and his nostrils flared. “Hey, assholes. Is the only way you can get any to force yourselves on the unwilling?”

The one man at the table whose armor had silver trim sneered at Sean. “Sit down, or you’ll regret becoming part of our entertainment.”

Ryann stood up behind Sean. “Let the girl go.”

“Ha, can’t even control your little woman,” the man laughed. “Maybe she just needs a firmer hand to show her where a woman’s place should be.”

“Master,” Myna said softly as she rose to her feet and turned to face the table of men, “maybe you should let us deal with these pests for you.”

“Oh, you can deal with us,” one of the others laughed. “I know just how I want you, too,” he continued, getting laughs from the others at the table.

Fiona got to her feet as the two men continued to manhandle the barmaid. Looking over at the innkeeper, Fiona spoke softly, “Sorry for any trouble, but we’re going to play with these men.”

“Just don’t hurt my daughter,” the innkeeper replied.

“They won’t,” the armored men snickered as they all got to their feet, except for one who pulled the barmaid onto his lap.

“Master, sit down. We’ll take care of this,” Myna said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Please?”

Sean sat back down, turning his chair to watch the seven men sneering at Ryann, Fiona, and Myna. “We should take this outside,” Fiona said with a smile.

“I think we should take it upstairs,” the one with silver trim snickered.

Fiona shook her head as she headed toward the door, followed by Myna and Ryann. The seven men followed them, while the last one remained at the table, still groping the barmaid. Sean watched the men leave before he focused on the one staying behind and pulled a copper piece from his pouch.

“Anyone betting on the fight outside?” Sean asked at random, as the few people in the common room rushed over to look out the windows and door. “I’ll match any bet that the women win.”

The man mauling the barmaid laughed. “Them against us? Are you daft?”

Pulling his arm back, Sean grinned. “If I want your two copper’s worth, I’ll pay you for it.” With that, he flung the copper. The coin hit the man right in the bridge of his nose and shattered it.

The man let go of the barmaid to clutch at his face, cursing loudly. Sean got to his feet as the barmaid scrambled away toward her father. Just then, the stable yard door burst open and the stable master came in carrying a hammer.

“Who’s manhandling my daughter?” the large woman growled.

“The one with the broken nose,” the bartender said, pointing at the armored man getting to his feet and snarling at Sean.

Clutching his broken nose, the man pulled his sword. “I’ll kill you.” The words were a slurred mumble, his broken nose making him hard to understand.

Sean jumped back, pulling his own sword. “Don’t do this.”

With a vicious snarl, the madman attacked Sean, who parried the wild swing. “After you, I’ll pay the bitch back who started this.”

Sean edged the man around the table and in a circle, fighting defensively the entire time. When the man’s back turned to the stable master, she stepped forward and hit him square in the head with the hammer. The sickening crunch of a skull being fractured sounded loud to Sean, who stepped back and sheathed his sword.

“I’ve been told it’s a bad idea to kill people,” Sean said calmly.

“He attacked my daughter and a guest,” the stable master said, “the magistrate will see it my way.”

“They’re using weapons,” came a cry from one of the onlookers by the window.

“Fuck,” Sean cursed as he ran for the door. Bursting out of the inn, he found the seven men bloodied, standing on one side of the street and the three women still looking fresh just in front of him.

“You fucking bitches will pay for this,” the one in silver armor raged, his sword in hand.

“Stop where you are!” a very large man in chainmail said as he came around of the corner of the building nearest the armed men. “As the guard captain of this village, I command you to put down your weapons.”

Eyes flickering to the captain, then to the women, the leader sneered. “Stay out of this or we’ll deal with you as well, Captain,” the last word was said with contempt.

“Landis, if you don’t stand down, even your Patron won’t be able to save you,” the captain said grimly, his sword sliding free of the scabbard.

Landis spat at the captain. “Damn it, Geoff! Stand down, or he’ll hear about your interference.”

Geoff brought his sword up into a guard position. “Three women in the middle of the street is too much. I can’t let that go unseen, Landis.”

“I’d rather apologize to him than leave these three breathing,” Landis hissed. “Get them boys, I’ll deal with Geoff.”

Stepping up beside Fiona, Sean sighed, “I tried not to start anything...”

Myna vanished, as did two of the seven men coming toward them. Fiona nodded, “I’ll deal with the two Camouflaged men. We know you tried, Master.”

Ryann pulled and threw two knives in quick succession. The first knife was batted away, but the second hit her target right at the shoulder joint, making the thug drop his sword from a nerveless hand.

Sean Shaped his sword into a spear as he stepped forward, engaging the other three while Fiona pivoted to his left. Playing defensively, Sean bought time for Myna, who appeared behind the men and hamstrung two of them before the third spun on her. Sean lunged, catching one in the knee, his blade slicing through as if it was nothing more than butter.

Fiona had engaged the two men she had called out, and when her first target appeared, Ryann hit the man with her last two knives; one to the knee, the other to the gut. Turning from the heavily wounded man to the other attacker, she parried away his first strike, making the surprised man backstep from her.

“Enough!” Geoff yelled with a ragged cough, wiping at his bloody lips. “Landis is dead, stand down.”

The one remaining thug glanced around, then dropped his sword. “I surrender to the magistrate’s men.”

“There’s another inside the inn,” the stable master called out. “He tried to rape my daughter and attacked a guest. I think he needs healing. I hit him in the head.”

Geoff winced. “I’ll see to him in a minute.” Pulling out a whistle, Geoff blew three loud blasts before putting it away. “The guards will be here in a moment. Everyone, please go inside the inn.”

Sean cleaned off his blade and looked down at the crippled man before him, who had passed out from the pain and blood loss. Fiona and Myna also cleaned their weapons, joining Sean and Ryann as they went back inside.

The innkeeper brought them a bottle and glasses. “On me. Thank you for helping my daughter.”

“You’re welcome,” Sean said. “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’ll be all right, sir,” the innkeeper said. “The debt I owe you for stepping in is high, I don’t know how I’ll repay it.”

“Refund us the price for staying and we’ll call it even,” Sean said, “which is meant as no slight to your daughter, we just all hate rapists.”

Bowing deeply, the innkeeper placed a handful of coins on the table next to the wine. “I’ll make you something special, if you don’t mind waiting a bit for your meal.”

“We’ve worked up an appetite,” Sean said as Ryann’s stomach growled. “Can we start with the stew? We’ll still have plenty of room left for what you make, sir.”

“Of course,” the innkeeper said, hurrying away.

Fiona took the coins off the table. “No one bet?”

“No takers, and I was busy dealing with the idiot who stayed behind,” Sean said. “Now, how the hell did that go from fistfight to weapons?”

“I kept throwing rocks at them,” Ryann said, looking a little pale. “I hit them in the eyes and nose, mostly. Not hard, I was just trying to drive home the point, but all it seemed to do was piss them off more.”

Sean sent her a trickle of energy to help stabilize her. “You did the right thing, Ryann. It’s not your fault that guy thought he could get away with murder.”

Sean took a sip of his wine, surprised to find a blush instead of the red he expected. The fruity flavor was much more pronounced than the wines he’d had before, and it tasted much sweeter, but not cloyingly so.

The innkeeper was back quickly, carrying four bowls of stew and a full loaf of bread which had been split and buttered. Giving them all a smile, he hurried back into the kitchen, leaving his wife behind the bar.

A few people went to leave the common room, but came right back inside. “Why won’t they let us leave?” someone muttered in complaint.

Sean exchanged glances with Myna and Fiona as he took another bite of the fowl stew. The food was good, but Sean kept waiting for the next shoe to drop and it was distracting him from the meal.

They were finishing their stew when guard captain, Geoff, stepped into the building, looking much healthier now. “Okay, where’s the one with the head wound?”

The stable master pointed to the man who lay on the floor, no longer breathing. “He and his friends were molesting my daughter and talking of raping her.”

Geoff sighed deeply. “Well, Landis is dead, so it won’t matter much that one of his lackeys is dead, too.” Sticking his head out the door, Geoff called out, “Got a dead one in here.”

“Yes, sir,” the words carried clearly to Sean, Fiona, and Myna.

Looking around the room, Geoff frowned. “Anyone want to give a statement?”

No one said anything and Geoff sighed again, “Fine, you’re all free to go.”

Everyone fled the inn, except for the innkeeper and his wife, and Sean’s group. Sean wasn’t surprised when Geoff came toward them. “Captain, have a seat,” Sean said, inviting the man as he knew the captain was going to talk with them regardless.

Geoff paused, then nodded as he snagged a chair and set it at the end of the table. “I wasn’t expecting to be greeted so kindly. Not many enjoy it when the guard gets involved.”

“I figure you want to talk about what just happened,” Sean said. “How might we assist the guard?”

“I killed Landis, and Teresa claims to have killed this one,” he pointed over his shoulder, just as two guards came in with a stretcher to remove the body. “None of the rest had any life-threatening injuries, though. I’m surprised that two Life Bonded and a normal Bonded were able to defeat them, much less piss Landis off to the point of being willing to commit murder.”

“We stopped his men from molesting the innkeeper’s daughter, then made him and his men look like fools,” Ryann replied. “You showed up just as he decided that he’d had enough.”

“How did you goad him to that point?”

“We hit them with rocks,” Fiona said. “Repeatedly, every time they tried to move toward us.”

“I find it hard to believe that rocks against armored men would have that much of an effect,” Geoff said.

“Every rock hit them in the face,” Myna added, touching her cap to make sure it was still in place.

“That seems highly improbable,” Geoff frowned.

“I’m more curious why men this despicable appear to have been given passes before,” Sean commented as he sipped his wine.

Geoff’s lips thinned. “I’ve been constrained on that front.”

“Well, now they’ve been dealt with,” Sean said.

“They have, but their Patron will be not happy, and he’ll want answers,” Geoff said, a hint of fear in his eyes.

“That’s going to be an issue you’ll have to tackle,” Sean replied.

“I need you all to tell me what happened,” Geoff stated firmly.

Sean looked at Fiona, who nodded just the tiniest fraction. “Fiona, explain to Captain Geoff what transpired.”

Fiona gave him a smile. “As you command, Master.”

She launched into a bare bones description of the event, finishing as the innkeeper came out of the kitchen with a large platter. “That was when you showed up, Captain.”

“I see,” Geoff frowned as the platter was set on the table. “The innkeeper providing you a special meal gives your story credence, as well.”

“Please enjoy,” the innkeeper said as his wife brought over another bottle of wine with new cups and plates. “Thank you again.”

Sean smiled as he poured the wine for the women, then himself. “Frankly, it should have been done long before. We’re just glad we were here to help.”

Bowing, the innkeeper and stable master left them with the platter of seared meat on a bed of veggies. Sean served the meat to his companions before pulling his belt knife and starting on his. “Are we done, Captain?”

Geoff got to his feet, obviously upset that they seemed so blasé about the incident. “Well, you didn’t kill anyone and you helped a citizen of the village. I guess I should thank you. I’d much rather you move on, though.”

“We’ll be leaving in the morning,” Sean said. “Good luck with explaining things, Captain.”

Geoff grumbled and left them to their meal. Sean watched him go before turning his attention to the finely cooked food before him. After eating, they retired to their rooms for the night.

Crawling into bed with Fiona and Myna, Sean didn’t do anything but snuggle. “Master, you did the right thing,” Myna murmured as she yawned.

“It was the right thing to do,” Fiona agreed.

“I just hope whoever that idiot’s Patron is doesn’t cause problems for us later,” Sean sighed.

“Did you notice how happy Ryann was that you let us handle it for you?” Fiona asked as she stifled her own yawn.

“No,” Sean said, blinking slowly. “Was she?”

“Indeed. It proved that you trusted us in her care, as well as trusting that we could handle the men,” Fiona said, not able to stifle the next yawn.

“Hmm, maybe she’ll say something tomorrow,” Sean managed, just before sleep claimed him for the night.

Chapter Thirty-eight

Sean woke as the first light of the day crept over the horizon. He found himself alone in bed. “Now where have they gotten off to?”

His clothes and personal items were the only possessions left in the room; Myna and Fiona had apparently already carried their other bags down. Sean got dressed and left the room in time to meet Ryann coming out of the smaller servant’s room with a bag over her shoulder. “Morning, Ryann. I see everyone is up already.”

“They woke me a bit ago,” Ryann said. “I believe Fiona said something about getting breakfast sorted. Myna was going to make sure the wagon was good and see about selling one of the saddles to the stable master here.”

“Those two,” Sean chuckled. “Gods know I’m not left wanting with them around.”

Ryann’s right eye twitched, but she nodded. “Thank you for keeping the noise down last night.”

“We passed out, so that wasn’t an issue,” Sean snorted. “I do try my best not to make things uncomfortable for you,” he added as they walked to the door.

“I’m thankful for that,” Ryann said, her hand on the doorknob. Pausing, she looked back at Sean. “Thank you for letting us handle the situation last night. I’d been starting to feel like I wasn’t needed in your group.”

“You’re a good person to have with us, Ryann,” Sean said, wondering why she wasn’t opening the door.

“If I asked you to extend our deal before the year was up, would you consider it?”

“Of course, though I’m not sure you’ll want to by the time we get to the end of the year,” Sean chuckled. “It seems like there’s always a complication or three when we get to any kind of village or town.”

“If you’ll let me do what you’ve hired me to do, then it will be fine,” Ryann said, opening the door.

“I’m doing the best I can. I’m not used to having anyone, much less a woman, fight for me,” Sean said, following her out the door.

“You object to having women fight for you?” Ryann asked as they started for the stairs.

“Not really, but my father raised me to protect the women in my life. It feels a little off to have you all in danger while I sit in the bar.”

“Ahh. That was your old world, though,” Ryann said softly as they started down the stairs. “You are adjusting to this one, I hope.”

“Slowly, but getting there,” Sean chuckled.

In the common room, Sean smiled at Myna sitting at a table. “The wagon is all ready?”

“Indeed, Master,” Myna replied. “Fiona should be finishing up breakfast now. She was working with the innkeeper’s daughter.”

Ryann carried her bag toward the stable door. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

Sean took the seat next to Myna. “How are you today?”

“I’m happy,” Myna said softly.

“I was a little worried when I woke and neither of you were there,” Sean replied, resting his hand on hers. “I figured you two were up and about doing everything for me, again.”

“We do what we can for you,” Myna smiled, looking at their hands.

Sean gently patted her head before giving her a quick kiss. “Silly kitty,” he whispered after breaking the kiss.

Myna purred gently as she leaned against his side. “You make me happy.”

“I’m so glad I saved you,” Sean told her. “I felt bad about Life Bonding you inadvertently before, now I’m really happy it happened the way it did.”

“So am I, Master,” Myna replied. “How are we ever going to find out who was behind the massacre?”

“That’s going to be a real challenge,” Sean frowned. “All we have to go on is that Whelan made a deal with someone who wanted the village wiped out. The only real thread we have is that he made the deal with a female, as he referenced a ‘her’ or ‘she’ a few times.”

Myna sighed, “I figured it might be something like that. We’ll probably never have closure, will we?”

“We’ll do our best. It might take years, but we’ll do what we can,” Sean told her.

The sound of the stable door opening made Sean look up, and he saw Ryann coming toward them. “Everything is good to go?”

“Yes, Myna was very efficient,” Ryann said with a smile to the Moonbound. “As soon as we finish breakfast, we’ll be ready to leave.”

“Breakfast is ready,” Fiona said, coming out of the kitchen, the barmaid they had saved following her. “Andrea, if you’ll place the platter before him, he’ll dole out for us, as a Master should.”

Fiona set the tea kettle and cups on the table and took a seat. “Ryann, if you’ll pour for us, please.”

Ryann nodded and began to pour the tea. Andrea placed the fully-laden tray in front of Sean. Bacon, eggs, bread, butter, preserves, cheese, and fruit filled the tray.

“I wanted to thank you for saving me,” Andrea said softly, her head bowed. “I didn’t think they would grab me like that... they’d only ever made comments before. I never thought…” Trailing off as she sniffled, Andrea looked up briefly at Sean. “Thank you for having your Bonded fight for me, and for making that brute let me go.”

“You’re entirely welcome, Andrea.” Sean gave her a soft smile. “It is the duty of all men to help a woman in distress.”

“If only that were true,” Ryann said with a wistful sigh.

Sean passed out plates of food to everyone, subtly giving Ryann more than everyone else, even him. Andrea stood just behind them, looking as if she were waiting for something. Sean shot Fiona a questioning glance. Fiona looked at his food pointedly, then back at him.

Sean pulled out his utensils and took a bite. Once he cleared his mouth, he smiled at Andrea, “This is very good. Thank you, Andrea.”

Giving them a deep curtsy, Andrea hurried off, smiling broadly. Fiona watched her go with pursed lips, before turning her attention to her food. Silence settled over the table as the group enjoyed the meal. Sean made sure to pace his eating so he would be the last one done again.

When they’d all finished eating, Sean looked at Myna. “What village or town is next?”

“I believe Flento is,” Myna replied. “If we’re headed for the closest city, that is.”

“We should register my maker’s mark, at the very least,” Sean said. “What odds are we giving that some kind of major mishap happens in that city, too?”

Ryann snorted, “With you, the odds are weighted against us.”

Sean rolled his eyes. “Nice to see you loosening up, Ryann.”

“Fiona told me that you wouldn’t take it badly,” Ryann said with a quick glance to Fiona.

“She was right,” Sean chuckled. “Okay. If you’re good, let’s get going.”

Sean turned to find the innkeeper and his entire family there. “Once again, sir, we wished to thank you,” the innkeeper said. “I still don’t feel like we’ve paid you back enough. If we can do anything in the future, please let us know.”

Sean gave the man a simple nod. “Everything is good from my point of view, but I’ll keep it in mind. I pray that you all have no more problems.”

“It was said that Landis worked for House Greenlimb,” the innkeeper said. “As you are likely headed for Hearthglen, you should know that it is overseen by one of their lesser nobles.”

“Great,” Sean sighed. “Maybe they won’t have found out until after we leave the city.”

“I just thought you should be aware,” the innkeeper said. “They might not do anything, though, as the rumor has never been confirmed.”

“Plan for the worst, and hope for the best,” Sean shrugged. “Good day to you all.”

Before anyone could say more, Sean headed for the stable yard with Fiona, Myna, and Ryann trailing after him. Exiting the inn, Sean went to the wagon and got into the back. Myna and Ryann took the driver's bench, while Fiona got in next to Sean in the back.

“Do you think this will cause us problems?” Sean asked Fiona as the wagon started moving.

“It will depend on what Geoff does,” Fiona said. “If he sits on Landis’ death, then we’ll have plenty of time. It is possible that he’s sent a missive to the noble already. If he has, then when we get to the city, we might run into issues before we even get inside the gates.”

“Great,” Sean breathed out heavily. “Add in the unknowns of the road, and the next few days are going to get very interesting.”

“I’m sure things will work out,” Fiona smiled at him. “Who knows what good might happen? Not everything has been bad. We’ve added Ryann to our group, even if only for a short time, and we saved a young woman from rape. It’s not just bad that follows us.”

Sean put his arm around her waist. “Maybe you’re right, Fiona. As long as you and Myna are with me, the world seems like a wonderful place.”

“Thank you, Master,” Myna said from the driver's seat.

“Indeed,” Fiona said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Sean.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

The first day’s travel from Merits to Flento was quiet, so Sean and Fiona spent the first few hours Shaping hair clips. After a while, Sean had Myna hop in the back so she could rest, and Fiona had Ryann take a break as well. Passing the reins off to Fiona, Sean turned to see Ryann Shaping a hair clip with Myna’s help and he smiled.

When they pulled off the road for the night, everyone went about their tasks without direction. By the time Sean had the tent set up, Fiona and Myna had the horses taken care of, and Ryann had a fire going and was adding items to the pot for dinner.

“Seems we have our nightly routine down,” Sean smiled at the women.

“We’ve all found the best places for us to help make setting camp go faster,” Fiona replied.

“I’ll need some water for dinner,” Ryann said as she set the pot closer to Sean. “I hope you all don’t mind me taking over cooking tonight.”

“We take turns,” Myna told her. “You’re probably hungry from the Shaping you did today, so it’s not surprising you want the food done quickly.”

Sean held his hand out over the pot and tried to summon water without words or motions again. After a few moments passed and he didn’t feel his energy stir, he sighed. Not deterred, Sean tried by just miming a teapot, but still the magic failed to work. “Fine, we’ll try just the words,” Sean grumbled under his breath. He held his hand over the pot and began to sing softly.

Movement of the energy inside him almost made him lose the song, but he was able to keep singing. After the first few lines, hot water began to pour from his hand into the pot. A huge grin filled his face as he felt a sense of achievement at the magic finally giving him the option to not be a human teapot.

“So fast,” he heard Fiona whisper.

Meeting her eyes, Sean gave her a wink and stopped the flow of water. “Finally, I won’t have to be a literal teapot to summon water.”

“You learned that from Misa, didn’t you?” Myna asked as she stretched off to the side.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve gotten to the point of not needing the motions in two tendays. I would have said it was impossible, but it’s you,” Fiona said.

“He does like to defy the standard knowledge,” Myna added, pulling two Shaped training blades from the wagon bed. “Shall we spar while dinner cooks?”

Ryann hung the pot over the fire and got to her feet. “Can you not go into hiding when we fight? Not many people can do that, and I would like to get some actual practice in.”

“Only if you refrain from throwing things,” Myna replied.

Ryann grimaced, but nodded. “Fine. I should work on my defensive posture, anyway.”

“Fiona will fight the winner, and I’ll fight the loser,” Sean said, pulling Dark Cutter from the scabbard on his hip. “Round-robin fighting: loser fights loser, and winner fights winner.”

“That should be interesting,” Fiona commented with pursed lips. “No special abilities? Or just no Camo and throwing?”

“None at all, just pure martial combat. It will help Ryann the most, but the rest of us could use some basic work as well,” Sean smiled.

“I think you and Myna will have the edge, then,” Fiona sighed, “but you make a good point.”

Sean and Fiona moved back so Ryann and Myna could face off. Ryann looked around for a weapon she could use, as she only had throwing knives and her crossbow. Sean went over to the woodpile and grabbed two logs, quickly Shaping short blades out of them. “Here. You might want to get Myna to show you the best way to use them later tonight. We can see about picking up actual blades in Hearthglen for you.”

“Thank you,” Ryann said, getting a feel for the two training swords.

Myna waited a minute, then brought her blades up. “Are you ready, Ryann?”

“As good as I’m going to be,” Ryann said, holding the blades near her waist.

Myna glided forward, her balance perfect as she came for the attack. Ryann licked her lips as the distance closed between them, her unease obvious to everyone. As Myna was about to attack, Ryann lunged forward. The sound of wooden blades connecting filled the space for a brief moment, then Ryann was stumbling back.

“Right, we’ll need to start with the basics,” Myna said softly as she stepped back.

“Myna, why don’t you work on showing Ryann the basics? Fiona and I can get a little exercise in, and then we’ll check on the food in a few minutes,” Sean suggested. “We can take turns sparring another night.”

“That would be for the best,” Myna agreed.

“Am I that bad?” Ryann frowned.

“As bad as I was when I first started,” Myna replied. “We can make you better, if you’re interested in learning, but it will be painful to body and pride.”

The staccato sound of quarterstaffs meeting drew their eyes to Sean and Fiona sparring. The two separated before coming together again, their staves moving in a blur punctuated with loud cracks. They separated, circling each other, then met with another crash of their staves.

“Will I be able to be equal to any of you?” Ryann asked as she got to her feet.

“In time, it’s likely,” Myna said. “I’ll train you the way my grandfather taught me, and the way the academy taught me.”

Nodding, Ryann took a deep breath. “I’m in your hands, Myna. Teach me the ways to protect him and you.”

“First, we will start with your stance.”

Myna walked Ryann through the most basic part of fighting, how to stand. Sean and Fiona fought each other with smiles on their faces, easily able to hear the entire conversation the other two had.

When Sean called a halt for dinner, Ryann was sore. Limping over to the fire, she eased herself to the ground. “I didn’t think learning to stand could be so painful,” Ryann murmured. “I wasn’t expecting that type of correction.”

Myna took her seat with a distant expression. “That’s how my grandfather taught me. If you’re standing properly, you don’t fall so easily.”

“It looked like she was getting it when we stopped you,” Fiona said as she handed a bowl of stew to Myna.

“Yes, her balance is much better,” Myna nodded and accepted the food.

“Thank the Queens,” Ryann sighed. “I shall persevere if this will make me better able to perform my duty.”

“I’d like to work on my archery tomorrow night,” Fiona said, “with and without Ryann’s Talent involved. It’s been many years since I last held a bow.”

“We all have things we can work on,” Sean added. “Tomorrow we’ll make Flento, so practice might be harder to come by for a day or two. We’ll be staying the night there before moving on to Hearthglen.”

“Have you decided if we’re going to stay when we get to Hearthglen?” Fiona asked, pausing between bites.

“It would be good to stay in a city for at least a little while, but it’ll depend on what happens with the dead we left behind. The guard in Merits said the lesser noble who oversees Hearthglen was connected to those attempted rapists, so we don’t know if we’ll find trouble there or not.”

“Whatever you decide is fine with me, Master,” Myna smiled at Sean with a twinkle in her eye.

Shaking his head, Sean didn’t take the bait and continued eating. Fiona snickered lightly as she watched Myna’s smile become a pout. Ryann watched them all with a thoughtful look as she methodically ate her meal.

Sean was the first one done eating and took over cleaning duty. As each of the others finished, Sean collected their bowls and cups, washing them and putting them away. Myna was the last one done, and none too soon, as a light snow began to fall.

“I’ll get the brazier for the tent,” Fiona said, pulling the bronze brazier from the wagon. “We might want the extra warmth if it’s going to snow.”

“We shouldn’t need it,” Sean said. “It’s just a light dusting.” As if to prove his words wrong, a cold wind began to blow.

Ryann shivered and headed for the tent. “That wind has a bite to it.”

Sean had to agree when even he felt a momentary shiver, too. “On second thought…”

Fiona pulled some embers from the fire for the brazier. “I think safe is better than sorry in this case, Sean.”

“Not going to argue,” Sean said as he dried the last of the dishes. The wind started blowing a little harder as he packed everything away. “I’m going to blanket the horses, then I’ll join you.”

“Don’t take too long,” Myna added, starting toward the tent.

“I won’t,” Sean replied. “I’ll douse the campfire before I come in.”

“A wise move,” Fiona said, following Myna.

Inside the tent, Sean found the others already under covers. Moving to the larger of the two piles, Sean stripped down before joining Myna and Fiona. The wind outside picked up, causing everyone but Sean to shiver as they imagined how cold it must feel outside.

“We might have to hunker down in Flento for a day or two if the weather stays this bad,” Fiona murmured, inching closer to Sean.

“I hope it isn’t too bad for travelling tomorrow,” Myna added, moving closer to him as well.

“We’ll have to see how the weather is in the morning,” Sean murmured as he cuddled his two lovers.

~          *                    ~                    *                    ~

Sean woke to the sound of howling wind and very dim light in the tent. “Morning?”

“Already?” Fiona murmured, draping her leg over his.

“It’s light out,” Myna said sleepily, her arm tightening on the body next to her. A frown crossed her face. She knew Sean had gone to bed without his shirt, but she was holding someone wearing one. “Ryann?”

Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Ryann went still as she felt the arm holding her. “It got colder last night,” she whispered.

Sean sat up and saw Myna holding Ryann. “Ah, so you came to join us for warmth.”

Ryann rolled away from Myna and got to her feet. “Sorry, it—”

“It’s fine with me,” Myna cut Ryann off. “We’d rather you stay healthy, and it’s not like you interrupted anything.”

“Myna has the right of it,” Fiona said, pulling her shirt on quick, since Sean had uncovered her chest when he had sat up.

“What they said,” Sean added.

Ryann let out a deep breath. “It was still rude of me to just join you.”

“We’ll make the invitation open, then,” Fiona said. “Anytime you get too cold, you may join us in bed to warm up.”

“You are part of our group,” Myna nodded.

Ryann looked to Sean, who simply shrugged. “They aren’t wrong. You all stay here. I’ll check on the horses and see about getting a fire going. I’ll bring the kettle in, so you can all have something to help start warming you up.” Putting his boots on, Sean frowned at the cold fur-lined leather. Snagging the brazier, he untied the ties on the tent. “You’re going to want to tie this partially closed at least,” he said as he pushed out into the biting wind.

Lips pursed, Sean whistled softly. A blanket of snow covered the ground with at least a few inches of snow, and the sun was a dim speck behind the dark grey clouds overhead. Shaking his head, Sean went to check on the horses first.

The horses were unhappy, but seemed to be fine otherwise. He got them fed and checked their water barrel, which was frozen solid. Grumbling, he chipped some ice out of it before summoning hot water into the trough. He added the ice until it was lukewarm and set in front of the horses next to their feed. Sean went to the snow mound that hid the woodpile. He gathered up what dry wood he could find and carried it over to the fire pit.

The fire pit was also filled with snow. Sean sighed and walked over to the wagon to grab a small spade and the kettle. Crumbling some leaves into the kettle, he filled it with summoned hot water, then set it inside the tent with some cups. “I’ll get things ready to go. It’ll be a cold breakfast. From the looks of the sky, we’ll want to get to Flento tonight,” he told the others.

“We’ll wait here until you say it’s ready,” Fiona replied through the tent.

Heading over to the fire pit again, he dug it out enough to get a small fire going. Once it was burning, he checked on the horses again. They had finished eating, so he started hitching them to the wagon. When he finished with that task, he filled the brazier with coals, and set it in the wagon. With nothing but the bedding and tent left to take care of, he walked back to the tent.

“Ladies, the wagon is ready. Bring the bedding and hunker down in the back with the brazier. I’ll get the tent down and join you,” Sean told them.

“Why is he doing it alone?” Ryann’s whisper was soft, but Sean still heard it.

“Sean doesn’t feel the weather the same as we do,” Myna told her. “Come on, we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

A moment later, they came out of the tent, each carrying bedding. Sean gave them a smile, kissing Myna and Fiona on the cheeks as they went past. He didn’t waste any time taking the tent down and stowing it in the wagon before climbing into the driver’s seat.

“I can drive, Master,” Myna said from the back.

“Nope, you three are to stay back there and keep warm,” Sean rebuffed her gently. “Hand me the overcoat in case it starts to snow or rain again, though.”

“Told you,” Fiona murmured to Ryann.

“He is far too unusual,” Ryann murmured back.

Sean ignored their soft comments as he took the coat from Myna. “Next stop will be Flento, hopefully,” Sean said, slipping the coat on. Lightly snapping the reins, he got the wagon on the road and headed towards their next destination.

The wind came from the east, a biting chill that even Sean started to feel after an hour. He peeked into the back when he dug out mittens, and saw Fiona, Myna, and Ryann dozing peacefully in a pile of blankets. A smile came to him, before he pulled his eyes away to look for his hat. Seeing it at the back of the wagon, Sean sighed.

Do I wake one of them to grab it for me, or just stop the wagon? Sean considered, turning back to the road to make sure he was still good. Wait, I don’t have to do either of those. Sean chuckled to himself as he looked back at his hat.

Focusing on the wagon, Sean extended his will and a rod of wood pushed his hat into the air. Grinning, Sean hooked the end of the rod, so the hat was secure. Sean began to grow that section, curving the entire thing towards him. He could feel the small pull on his core as his energy unraveled to Shape the wood. When it reached him, he took the hat and reversed the Shaping.

Pulling the ushanka onto his head, Sean tied the strings under his chin to keep it in place. His ears prickled as they began to warm, and Sean was glad he had gotten the hat when he had. The horses continued their plodding walk, and Sean had to judge where the road was under the snow to keep them on it.

Hours later, the women began to stir in the back. “Sean, did you need to switch with one of us?” Fiona asked, being the first awake enough to speak up.

“Not yet. It’s bone chilling out here,” he replied looking back at the women under their pile of furs. “I’m good for now, but you should all stay hunkered down. It just started to snow again.”

“The Queen must be in a truly foul mood,” Ryann murmured as she stayed huddled under the blankets.

“Sean, if this continues, we really should stop in Flento,” Fiona said.

“We might have to. Even I’m feeling the bite from the wind,” Sean agreed. “We still have time before we get to the town. Just stay warm, and if I need a break, I’ll let you know.”

“You should have some tea at least,” Myna added.

“I could use a hot beverage,” Sean nodded. “Hand the kettle up here, and I’ll fill it up so we can all have some.” It took Sean only a moment to summon water in the kettle and soon they all held steaming cups of tea, letting the heat warm their faces. Sean felt the heat of it push back the chill on his nose. “That was a great idea, Myna.”

“Did you have your hat when we started this morning?” Fiona asked.

“No. I retrieved it from the back while you all slept,” Sean told her.

“You let go of the reins?” Fiona asked, a look of horror crossing her face.

“No, I Shaped the wagon to bring it to me,” Sean chuckled.

Fiona blinked at him before she began to laugh. “That must have used a good amount of your energy.”

“I felt it, but it was well worth getting the hat.”

“We would have gotten it for you,” Myna said.

“I know, but I didn’t want to wake any of you.”

“Has the road been empty this whole time?” Ryann asked.

“Nothing but us and the snow,” Sean replied.

“Where’s the sun?” Fiona asked.

“A little past midday,” Sean told her.

“We should start seeing some of the farms soon,” Myna said.

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Sean assured her as he watched the snow fall faster. The conversation lapsed into silence as each of them slowly sipped at their cups, wanting to enjoy the warmth as long as possible.

Chapter Forty

Sean blew out a deep breath, watching the billowing cloud float before him as the town walls came closer. Thank gods, Sean thought as they got closer. I don’t think I could have taken another hour of sitting through this blizzard.

The entire day had been filled with snow. The flurries had been bad enough a few times to make it hard to see the horses, let alone the road and the snow had been starting to pile up in the wagon bed so they had used more canvas to block off the front and back of the wagon. Those few minutes had been enough to prove that none of the women would have been able to drive the wagon for very long at all.

Stopping the wagon short of the closed gates, Sean cleared his throat and spoke loudly, “Is anyone there?”

The snow drifted down and coated the covered horses’ backs for what seemed like forever before a head appeared above the wall. “What in the Queens’ names are you doing traveling in this?” the guard asked incredulously.

“Hoping to get to an inn so we don’t freeze to death,” Sean replied with a hint of exasperation. “Can we get inside the walls?”

“Oy, Ian, get the gate open! We got an idiot out here,” the guard said as he vanished from the wall.

“I’ll give you an idiot,” Sean muttered.

“Master, are we there?” Fiona asked from behind him.

“Waiting on the gate,” Sean replied. “We will be at an inn soon, I hope. Can you get everything together so we can get inside quickly, please?”

“We’ll be ready,” Fiona told him.

One of the gates opened ponderously, pushing a ridge of snow along with it. Inside, four guards watched as the wagon rolled through the gate before two of them began to shut it. One of the very bundled men halted the wagon. “Name, destination, and where from,” the sentence was said quickly, the guard obviously wanting to get back into the guard room built onto the wall.

“MacDougal, Hearthglen, Riverrock,” Sean replied just as obviously wanting to get out of the cold.

“Anything we need to know of for cargo?”

“Small knick knacks for sale, nothing of import,” Sean replied, his teeth starting to chatter.

“The Homeheart Inn is on the main square,” the guard said, dismissing Sean with a vague wave as he and the others quickly filed back into the guard room.

“Thanks,” Sean muttered and snapped the reins to get the horses moving again.

Sean stopped the wagon outside the stable yard. Taking his sword from its sheath, he Shaped it to ring the bell on the gate, then resized and sheathed it again. Gritting his teeth at the cold that was finally taking its toll on him, he was glad when three men appeared at the gate.

“We’ll be staying until the storm lets up,” Sean told the wide-eyed stable hands.

“Traveling in this is stupid,” one of them muttered as the other two got the gate open.

“We didn’t have much choice. It was that or hope we could wait it out between towns,” Sean snapped.

Blinking, not expecting to be overheard, the stable hand stepped away from Sean. “I didn’t…”

Letting out a deep breath Sean, flicked the man a bronze coin. “Take good care of my horses, and I’ll settle the bill when we leave.”

He caught the coin and after seeing it, quickly put it away. “Right away, sir.” Turning to the other stable hands, he started yelling at them to get things moving faster.

“Master,” Myna said, leaving the wagon, “I’ll arrange rooms.” She hurried toward the inn as the other two got out of the back.

The stable hand took a second look as he saw the bundled figures get out of the back. “I didn’t know you had even more people with you. My apologies, sir.”

“It’s fine, the cold has been killing us. Just forget the incident,” Sean said, waving the man off. Seeing the privy, Sean headed for it first, with Fiona and Ryann following him.

“Lucky they made it,” a younger voice behind them carried on the breeze.

“Get those horses settled. If they’ve been pulling all day in this, they’ll need extra care, and he’s paid for it,” the stable master told his worker.

When the three of them crossed the yard toward the inn, the hands had the horses unhitched and were taking them into the stable. Seeing the horses being cared for, Sean felt better, silently thanking them for their hard work in getting them to the town.

Fiona opened the door for them, but Sean took it from her, so he was the last one in. As the door shut behind them, Sean let out a sigh. The warmth of the inn was a welcome change. Fiona looked at him with concern. “Sean, are you okay?”

“The chill was getting to me,” he admitted with an apologetic smile. “I couldn’t ask you to take over on the drive.”

“We’ll get you warm again as soon as we can,” Fiona murmured as they walked down the hall to the taproom.

The inn was busier than Sean had expected with the weather as it was. All eyes turned to them with curious gazes, and Sean ignored them as he crossed to Myna, who was talking with the innkeeper.

“I don’t have any of the rooms you’re asking for; they’re already filled,” the innkeeper was telling Myna. “I only have one room left and that’s it.”

“We’ll take it,” Sean said, tossing a bronze onto the counter, “along with food and drink. I’ll also be needing your bathing room for an hour for just us.”

The innkeeper tapped the coin to a small metal stud behind the bar, then nodded. “This will more than cover tonight. Do you want to apply the rest toward your stay until you leave?”

“Yes,” Sean said. “We’ll drop our things off, then take over your bathing room. Have our food delivered to our room once we’re done.”

“I’ll see to it,” the innkeeper grinned, tapping the bell on the counter.

A young maid came down the stairs to the side of the bar. “Yes, sir?”

“Show these four to our last room, then make sure the bathing room is cleared and put up the sign. When they’re done, bring their dinner to their room.”

“As you say, sir,” the maid bowed her head, turning her attention to the group as the innkeeper walked down the bar to serve another customer. “If you will all follow me.”

Sean caught snippets of the patron's hushed conversations as he followed the servant.

“Three? And two are Life Bonded…”

“At least one of them is a fighter, look at the way she…”

“Who do you think…?”

“Probably a small merchant, heh, should be easy to fleece…”

“How is it that weak men like that…?”

The voices faded away as they climbed the stairs and Sean shook his head. Please let them not start shit... just one fucking town, at least. Sighing softly, Sean and his Bonded followed the maid to the third floor.

Stopping at the first room, she opened the door and led them in. The maid used a candle from the hall to light the room’s lantern.

Sean looked around, and was grateful the room was at least big enough to hold them, even if it would be a little snug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sir. I shall have the bathing room ready directly,” the maid said, backing out of the room with a bow.

Once the maid was gone, Sean sat down heavily on the bed. “Today was officially a sucktastic day.”

“What does that word mean?” Ryann asked.

“Good question,” Sean snorted. “It’s not important.”

“Sorry I couldn’t get us separate rooms,” Myna said softly.

“You did the best you could. I didn’t expect a full house,” Sean shrugged.

“I should have seen it,” Fiona said. “Until the worst of the storm blows over, we’ll be stuck here, much as they are.”

“Buying the bathing room for us is likely to draw attention to us,” Ryann added.

“Had to,” Sean said, getting to his feet. “Otherwise, someone could see Fiona during our bath.”

Fiona frowned. “I’m sorry, Sean.”

Pulling her into a hug, Sean shook his head. “Shh. It’s not an issue. We’ll deal with complications later.”

“The maid should have things ready by now,” Myna said, picking up a stack of clean outfits for them.

“Let’s go get clean. Then we can have some hot food and fall unconscious,” Sean said.

By the time they made it to the bathing room, the maid had the kettles on and was just leaving the room. “Everything is ready, sir. I shall be standing by here to make sure you aren’t disturbed. If you need anything, please let me know.”

“We will,” Myna said as she shut the door behind them.

All the kettles were steaming by the time they’d cleaned their clothing and were ready for the tubs, though Sean supplied a little more so everyone had steaming water to soak in.

When their water cooled, they dressed and left the room. The maid was standing in front of the door having a hushed argument with a large, richly dressed man. Sean pulled up short, meeting the man’s gaze. “Problem?”

“Taking the room to yourselves,” the man sneered. “Do you think you’re special?”

“Special? No. Is it worth the coin? Yes,” Sean said, stepping past him.

“You waste money like a fool,” the man snickered.

Sean bit back the comment on his lips and motioned Fiona, Myna, and Ryann ahead of him as he climbed the stairs. The maid called out that she would be along with their meals in a few minutes. Sean just nodded as he followed them.

Back in their room, Fiona and Myna made a bed out of their blankets for Ryann in the far corner of the room. While they were setting that up, the maid brought them their meal of stew and wine.

The stew was saltier than Sean cared for, but it was helped by the wine. Once they were done eating, Myna set the tray outside the room. After he made sure the door was shut, Sean looked around. “What do we need here before we leave?”

“We can’t sell any hair clips, but we might be able to unload another saddle or two,” Fiona told him. “We can replace the feed for the horses and refresh our food and spices. Maybe see about getting a slightly larger tent, and a few more blankets as well.”

“Okay, make that the list of things to do tomorrow,” Sean yawned.

“You’ve had a long day, Master,” Myna said, urging him toward the bed. “Come retire for the night.”

Ryann went to her blankets. “You got us here, Sean. I’m thankful for that. I think that storm is going to claim lives if it continues.”

“I’m glad we made it, too,” Sean yawned. Myna pushed him to the bed and started to undress him. “I can do it, Myna.”

“So can I, Master,” Myna said softly, kissing his nose. “We couldn’t help you all day. Let us do what we can now.”

Shaking his head, he let her have her way. Fiona blew the lantern out once Myna and Sean were situated and joined them. “Good night, Ryann, Kitty, and Master,” Fiona murmured.

“Goodnight, Pointy and Ryann. Obviously you as well, Master,” Myna said, kissing Sean’s chest.

“You two…” Ryann’s sigh was audible to the room, earning stifled giggles from the two.

“Goodnight, to you all,” Sean mumbled as sleep reached up to drag him down into its clutches.

~          *                    ~                    *                    ~

Sean ran from the people chasing him. Chest heaving and lungs burning, his feet caught a tree root and sent him sprawling forward. His left arm broke as he tried to cushion his fall. Screaming in pain, he looked behind him as he struggled to his feet. The dark shapes were getting closer, and he knew he had to go. Staggering away, he glanced at his broken arm and saw porcelain white bone shoved through his skin. Dark red blood pumped from the wound with each beat of his heart.

“You killed us, MacDougal... Did you think that your crimes would go unpunished?” the whisper sent a chill down Sean’s spine.

“You think you’re special because you can stop my magic?” another voice floated around him. “Without your blade, you’re as pathetic as you always were.”

“Sean…help…me,” the voice came from ahead of him. Ducking under a low branch, he found Myna. Her chest was shredded as she leaned against a tree, one hand raised in a pleading gesture. “Don’t leave me to die…Sean.”

Stumbling, he fell to his knees next to her. “Myna…what happened?”

“The Moonbound…” Myna whispered, slumping lifelessly.

“Myna…” Sean shook his head and focused on trying to bring her back to life again.

“Do you think yourself worthy of even an animal such as her?” Whelan’s voice boomed just before his large foot sent Sean flying away from Myna’s body. “I’ll finish what I started,” Whelan growled as he stomped toward Sean.

Struggling to his feet as his left arm bled even more, Sean stumbled back against a tree. “You’re dead…”

“As dead as the others,” Whelan spat.

Sean saw the shadow figures now visible as they advanced on him: the dead guards, Whelan’s other hunters, the thug from Oaklake, and a skinned Canine Moonbound.

“You killed us all,” the voices echoed. “You killed us and will pay by joining us…”

Sean’s eyes darted wildly around, looking for escape. “No... I need to go. Fiona needs me.”

Whelan’s laugh brought Sean’s eyes back to him. Dangling from Whelan’s hands was Fiona’s broken body, torn in half just as Whelan had threatened in Oakwood. Jaw falling and knees buckling, Sean felt his will to live slip away.

“Sean,” Fiona called to him.

Blinking, he looked at her lifeless eyes. “Fiona?”

“Wake up, Sean,” Fiona called to him. “You’re having a nightmare, wake up.”

“Sean,” Myna’s corpse said, “you need to wake.”

He bolted upright in the bed, his body covered in a sheen of sweat. Sean panted as his eyes darted around the dark room. Both women pressed into him, whispering softly that everything was okay. Heart rate finally dropping, Sean was able to push the nightmare away.

“Sorry,” Sean finally managed to say.

“You worried us,” Myna said softly. “You’ve been twitching in your sleep for a few minutes, and we were unable to wake you.”

“You were talking about the dead and not being able to save us,” Fiona whispered from his other side.

“Whelan and the others I’ve killed were chasing me,” Sean told them. “It all felt so real.”

“It’s not uncommon to have nightmares about those you kill,” Ryann said from her pile of blankets. “My father used to have similar nightmares.”

“Do they get easier to deal with?” Sean asked.

“I don’t know, but I hope so,” Ryann replied.

“So do I, Ryann,” Sean sighed. “Sorry for waking you.”

“Let us help you get back to sleep, Master,” Myna said as she eased Sean back down.

“Not sure I want to,” Sean mumbled, but didn’t fight her.

“Then let us hold you. It will help us, too,” Fiona added, curling herself against his side.

Sean lay awake in the dark. Eventually, both Fiona and Myna fell asleep holding him. Looking at the ceiling, Sean chewed his bottom lip as he thought about the nightmare and what it meant for him.

Is this what you went through, Dad? I heard the sounds of your nightmares when I was younger. I remember Mom crying as she tried to wake you. You were still having them twenty years after you were out of the service, so I’ll likely have them for years, too. I can’t recall you ever complaining about them or letting them slow you down, Dad. I’ll still try to emulate you…  Gods know that you were a man to admire.

With those thoughts, Sean was able to find a bit of solace. Sleep claimed him again some time later.

Chapter Forty-one

Sean managed to pry his eyes open to the sounds of soft voices and the smell of fruit. “Morning,” he yawned as he sat up.

“Morning, Master,” Myna smiled. “Did you sleep okay once we went back to sleep?”

“Slept alright. I don’t recall any other dreams,” Sean said.

“You were sleeping well when we left to get food,” Fiona added. “We’re glad you were able to get more rest.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Sean said.

“The nightmares shouldn’t happen often if my father was an example to go by,” Ryann chimed in.

“I’m thinking you’re right,” Sean nodded. “My father was a warrior for most of his life, and I can recall him having similar nightmares. They seemed very sporadic.”

“We have breakfast,” Fiona said, coming to the bed with a bowl in her hands. “It’s just frumenty, but it has lots of berries.”

Scooting back so he was resting against the wall, Sean took the bowl and gave Fiona a kiss. “Thanks.” The scent of mixed berries was much stronger once he had the bowl in front of him. Taking the first bite, Sean was surprised at just how many berries had gone into the simple dish. It seemed almost half jam in consistency and flavor.

“The innkeeper said they were using the last of the old berries before they went bad,” Myna said, seeing his surprise.

“I’m not going to complain,” Sean said as he took another bite.

Fiona grabbed two cups from the table and sat on the bed with him. Sipping hers, she handed him his cup whenever he wanted a drink. Myna sat in the lone chair, watching them with a smile.

When he had finished eating, Sean gave the bowl to Fiona, who put it outside the door. “Is it still storming?”

“Yes,” Myna nodded. “I checked when we got breakfast. The maid let me know that the chamber pots are collected just short of midday so the mage can clean them.”

“We still need to take care of buying and selling, as well,” Fiona said. “I don’t think anyone we need to deal with is going to be doing business today.”

Rubbing his chin, Sean nodded. “The storm is causing a lot of problems.”

“There’s also the fact that if we stay in the room, it will attract attention from the others. If we go downstairs, though... well, we’ve had problems before,” Ryann added.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Sean sighed. “Let’s mingle for a bit and hope we don’t regret it.” It took Sean a minute to get dressed; the others were up and ready to go. Buckling his sword belt on, he motioned to the door. “I’m ready.”

Ryann took the lead, with Fiona and Sean after her, and Myna bringing up the rear. Ryann paused briefly at the bottom of the stairs. Sean paused as well, taking in the room before he followed Ryann. He could see the dismissive looks directed behind him as he crossed the room.

Ryann took one of the few open tables, set in the middle of the room. After he took his seat, all three women did the same. Sean saw one of the barmaids come their way, with a few glasses on her tray that she dropped off with other customers on her way to them.

“What’ll y’all be having?”

“Something hot,” Sean said.

“Hot cider?” Ryann asked Sean.

“That’ll work.”

“Four, please,” Ryann said.

“Be back in a few,” the maid said, going towards another table for another drink order.

“That will be a change, and a welcome one,” Fiona smiled.

“I agree,” Sean nodded. “It was a good choice, Ryann.”

Ryann gave him a nod, her eyes scanning the room. “I thought something other than tea would be refreshing.”

“Mind if I join you for a moment?” a man sitting at a nearby table asked pleasantly.

All four set of eyes went to the innocuous looking man. Sean shrugged. “Feel free.”

“Thank you.” The man shifted over to their table with his chair, leaving the three obvious guards at his table. “I’m Lionel Williams. I work for MacLenn Merchants.”

“MacDougal. I’m a crafter,” Sean said. “What can I do for you, Williams?”

Lionel chuckled. “I wanted to speak to the person who gave Cedran the tweak last night. He was put out that he had to wait for his bath, and because of what he called ‘the idiot who doesn’t know what good money’s worth.’ It was a hard thing to keep my face steady.”

Before Sean could reply, the barmaid set four steaming mugs before them, the scent of apple and spices filling the space. “It’s been deducted from your tab, sir.” she smiled before heading off.

“Hot cider is a good idea. It will help warm you after that long cold ride yesterday,” Lionel nodded. “Though if you don’t have any spirits in it, it might lose the extra kick it could have.”

“I’m sure it’ll hit the spot regardless,” Sean said.

“It’s said you came from Merits,” Lionel smiled. “How was the road?”

“Cold and snowy,” Sean answered him flatly. “Other than the storm, it was a quiet trip.”

“That bodes well for me, as long as it stays that way,” Lionel chuckled.

“Was there anything else you needed?” Sean asked. Lionel’s overly friendly attitude was starting to grate on him.

“Not unless you want more fur clothing. I’m taking a shipment down to Holden. Most of the shipment is spoken for, but I have a few extra pieces if the price is right.”

“We’re good,” Sean said.

“Ah well, it was worth the try,” Lionel shrugged. “Can I just ask about the item your Bonded is wearing in her hair? Where did you get it?”

Sean’s lips ticked up. “It’s a hair clip, crafted by me. I’d sell you some, but I made a deal which prohibits me from selling more before Hearthglen.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Lionel sighed. “Any chance I could get you to wager one? If the deal you made was to sell, then having one as a stake in a game of chance should be fine.”

Sean set his partially emptied mug down. “True. I’m not sure I want to lose one, though.”

“You misunderstand me, MacDougal. I meant a real wager, not a sham. I’d put up fair value for the hair clip.”

“What kind of game were you thinking of?” Sean asked.

“I’m open to ideas, so you know it’s a fair game,” Lionel smiled. “I’d need a good look at the clip to make sure I have fair value in the pot.”

“Fiona, let him see the clip,” Sean said, feeling a chance to earn some money.

Fiona pulled the bronze clip free and placed it before Lionel, who picked it up and intently looked it over. After a minute, Lionel gave it back to Fiona. “That is very well made. I’d almost think it was Shaped, with the lack of tool marks.”

Sean just smiled enigmatically, sipping his cider as he waited for Lionel to state a price. When Sean didn’t reply, Lionel tapped the table with a single finger for a moment, before pulling a silver piece from his pouch.

“A silver is the high end of what I think it’s worth,” Lionel sighed. “If it had some gems and was made of silver, it would fetch a high price. Lady Alina Greenlimb would love an item like that, or even one made of gold or mithril. This one would still garner some interest from some of her friends, I think.”

Sean filed the information away, setting his empty mug aside. “The silver against the clip?”

“Yes. Depending on what you pick, of course,” Lionel said, his smile sliding from friendly to professional.

Sean considered his options for a single bet game. He didn’t trust Lionel to play fair, so he needed a game that Lionel likely wouldn’t be able to rig. Eyes falling on the odd dart board across the room, he smiled. “I have a game for you: blind shot.”

Lionel’s brow drew down. “What is this game?”

“You have three men, and I have three Bonded,” Sean said. “Each will throw a single dart at the board while facing away from it. Whichever team has the best score after all three wins the pot.”

Lips pursed, Lionel looked hard at the three women, then back at his men, who all wore smirks. “I’d hate to win in such a manner,” Lionel said. “I don’t know if your Bonded have had as much practice as my men.”

“It’s partially skill,” Sean admitted. “It’s also partially luck. How often have your men thrown at a target they’re not looking at?”

“Not often, I’d wager,” Lionel said. “If that’s what you wish to do, I won’t stop you.” With Lionel’s acceptance, a small pulse of energy passed between Sean and Lionel, cementing the bet.

The inn had gone hushed during the wagering, and Sean realized that everyone had been eavesdropping on them. “It seems we have an audience as well, so neither of us can claim we didn’t agree to this friendly wager,” Sean said.

“So be it,” Lionel smiled. “Richard, you’ve heard the wager.”

“We’ll let the women go first,” Richard asked, eyeing Ryann with a grin.

“We decline,” Ryann said standing. “I’d rather play from behind.”

“I’d rather play with yours,” one of the others muttered as he got to his feet, his voice soft enough that only Fiona, Myna, and Sean heard him.

Onlookers began wagering on the outcome, and Sean’s smile grew as he watched the six contestants go to the board. There were a handful of darts to choose from, and all the men took their time selecting theirs. Ryann looked over the remaining darts, then handed one each to Fiona and Myna. The betting began to heavily favor the men when people in the room noticed what happened.

Sean shook his head. “I think I might have made a mistake; seems no one likes my chances.”

“I did try to warn you,” Lionel chuckled.

“I have two silver on my Bonded. Anyone want to give me the ten-to-one odds I’m hearing?” Sean asked loudly. The entire room went silent, as all eyes went to Sean.

From the stairs, a sneering voice spoke up, “I’ll give you twenty-to-one,” the entire room focused on Cedran standing at the bottom of the stairs with a single guard behind him, “if you believe in them that much.”

“Done,” Sean said, and a weightier pulse of energy settled onto him.

“Master...” Myna said, eyes wide.

“His women don’t think they can do it,” someone whispered, and the odds shifted more in Lionel’s favor.

Sean got to his feet and went to the trio of women. Lowering his voice, he spoke as softly as he could, “Play it close. I can milk even more from the puffy bastard if you do. Myna, throw first and keep it a couple points behind them. Fiona, take the lead by a point or two. Ryann, finish them off. You’ll know what you need to win.” He looked at the darts they held. They weren’t like the ones he knew from modern bars with aerodynamic fins, but were tipped with small fluffy balls at the ends. Glancing at the board, he found it to be unlike what he was used to. It had concentric circles and not pie wedges, and the rings were not uniform. The higher scores were smaller rings than the lower scores. Each ring had two areas that were segmented off, denoting double and triple scoring.

“If they need that much encouragement, perhaps we should pick a different wager,” Lionel said. The crowd booed him roundly and Lionel sighed with a weak shrug. “I guess that isn’t an option now after all, though.”

Sean went back to his seat, putting his feet up on the table. “I have faith.”

“Richard, don’t lose,” Lionel said as one of his men stepped up to throw. One of the other men holding a dart nodded.

After a long moment looking at the board, the first man up turned his head away and tossed. The dart hit the twenty ring. Myna stepped to the line, looking at the dart in her hand, then to the board. Her dart hit the double nine, just inside the line from the single.

“You’re going to lose, and I’ll spend your coin with pleasure,” Cedran smirked as he moved toward Sean, the guard trailing him.

“Want to double the bet and odds?” Sean asked, leaning his chair back to balance on two legs. A certain warmth filled him at the idea of soaking the pompous ass for more money.

“Done,” Cedran laughed, and both of them felt the increased weight settle on them.

The second guard took a bit longer studying the board before he turned his head away and threw. The dart landed in the triple area on the fifteen ring, which prompted even more comments. Stepping aside, the guard winked at Fiona as she stepped to the line, her brow furrowed. The conversation dropped to a hush as she glared at the board. Closing her eyes, Fiona turned her head and threw her dart. A gasp rose up when it landed just inside the triple score for the sixteen, next to the four ring.

“Sixty-five to sixty-six,” Lionel muttered. “Lucky she managed to hit the triple, or you would be far behind.”

Sean grimaced. “Entirely too close.”

Cedran looked a little worried, but wiped it off his face when he found Sean looking at him. “It seems you got lucky.”

“Luck is what you make of it,” Sean shrugged. “Who can say they didn’t have some luck when they’re successful in their endeavors?”

“Good point,” Lionel nodded.

The crowd hushed and looked to where Richard was staring at the board, his arm already poised to throw. With an indrawn breath, Richard looked away and threw his dart. It buried itself in the very center of the board, all but occluding the entire of the bullseye.

The crowd exploded into conversation as the lead had shifted to a hundred-fifteen to sixty-six. Cedran was laughing, “A forty-nine point difference, and the bullseye all but blocked? Oh, your coin shall be extra sweet to me.”

Anger burned in Sean at Cedran’s ridicule. “You think so?”

“Just lose with dignity,” Cedran sneered.

Sean looked to Ryann, meeting her eyes with his own. “My wealth, and name, are in your hands, Ryann.”

Nodding, Ryann turned back to the board. Taking a deep breath, she stared at it. Turning her eyes from it, Ryann smiled at Richard as her throw went right past his. As the onlookers gasped, the blue puff ball that marked Richard’s dart fell from the board, leaving the yellow of Ryann’s the only one in the middle.

Everyone went silent as they stared at what had just transpired, before the inn filled with loud conversations. Ryann clearly won, but people were debating if Richard’s dart counted anymore since it was now on the ground and not still in the board.

Staring at Cedran, Sean smiled. “Four silver at forty-to-one I believe was the final wager. Would you like to pay me in silver or gold?”

Lionel chuckled, then laughed outright. “Oh, you’re a sharp one. I felt bad for approaching you, but now I know better.”

Cedran’s face was as white as a ghost when he met Sean’s gaze. “I don’t have that amount of coin on me.”

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Sean asked pointedly. “Are you failing to honor our wager?”

Cedran paled more, his eyes going to the single guard who was with him. “Fetch me coin to pay the debt.”

“You don’t have the coin, sir. The funds to cover your bet are House Greenlimb’s.”

“I shall pay it back by the time we return to Hearthglen,” Cedran snapped, acutely aware of all eyes on him. “Now do as I say.”

Staring into Cedran’s eyes for a long moment, the guard bowed his head. “If that is your command.”

Money exchanged hands around the room, a few people wealthier than they had been a few minutes ago and the rest of the inn much poorer. Sean could feel a number of hostile gazes on him and his companions from people who had lost money. “Dinner and two drinks for everyone here on me,” Sean called to the innkeeper. “Well, technically on Cedran.”

The last line got a round of laughter, and the innkeeper got busy refilling drinks for people. Lionel shook his head as he held out a silver coin to Sean. “I’m not going to press matters on the hair clip. I should have known better than to believe you were as simple as you appeared.”

“I’ve been known to fool a few people,” Sean smiled.

“The coin, sir,” the guard, said handing a pouch to Cedran.

Cedran snatched it from the guard and thrust it at Sean. “Here’s your money, you conniving cheat.”

Sean took the pouch and bounced it in his hand, senses he hadn’t realized he had telling him that the pouch held the correct amount of coins. Looking at the guard, Sean bowed his head. “I thank you. If he had retrieved this, I’d be forced to count it. Since you are obviously in the employ of House Greenlimb, I know that it’s correct.”

The guard bowed his head fractionally while Cedran stormed towards the stairs. Sean held up a large silver, catching the innkeeper’s gaze. Sean snapped the coin off his thumb, spinning it in the air into the innkeeper’s hand. “For the food and drinks. Add whatever is left to my tab.”

Lionel started to move back to his table, where his men sat, looking ashamed. “Lionel, please don’t go. Join us, you and your men. It was a fair wager, no need to feel otherwise. I’d like to hear more about what's been happening in Hearthglen for the last two months.”

Lionel eyed Sean for a long moment and he smiled. “It’s always a good idea to make friends. Come on over, boys.”

Chapter Forty-two

The mood was festive after the drinks started to flow. A number of other guests stopped by to congratulate the three winners, and were more than happy to buy the table another round of drinks. Ryann was challenged to a few rounds of darts, losing two of the three rounds with a chagrined expression.

Hours later, Sean was laughing with Lionel as he relayed a story of Richard getting tossed from an inn over a year ago. He had mistakenly thought that the innkeeper’s wife was one of the pleasure wenches on staff. Richard sat stone-faced during the story, while the other two guards were chuckling into their ale. Fiona, Myna, and Ryann shook their heads in agreement about the follies of men, but didn’t make any comment.

As the story ended and Sean was wiping at his eyes, the stable master came to their table. “Sir, I didn’t mean to bother, but thought you should know that we clipped your horses last night.”

Sean was at a loss for a moment, but an instinct made him nod. Something about needing to cool them off after sweating, Sean thought. “Understood. Please make sure to give them a good going over since we’re going to be here for another day at least.”

“I will,” the stable master said. “Sorry for interrupting.”

“It’s fine. Those horses have done us a world of good by getting us here,” Sean smiled. “Make sure you and the lads have an extra jot of whiskey tonight, on me. I’ll let the innkeeper know.”

Brows rising, the stable master bowed his head. “I will, sir. Thank you.”

“You really don’t care about coin much, do you?” Lionel asked.

“It’s useful,” Sean shrugged, “but I’ve never been big on chasing money.”

“An unusual way to look at life for a crafter,” Lionel chuckled.

“You’re probably right,” Sean said before draining his mug. “I’m going to retire to my room for a while. If the storm continues, I’m sure we’ll see you again.”

“Doubtlessly you are correct,” Lionel nodded. “A pleasant evening to you.”

Fiona, Myna, and Ryann all stood when Sean did and followed him toward the stairs. A couple of the patrons called out and asked them to stay, but Sean shook his head, promising to come back down for dinner.

Finally making it back to their room, Sean plopped himself down on the bed. “Fucking hell, that was not what I expected to happen today.”

“We made a lot of money,” Fiona said as she sat next to him.

“You trusted us to win,” Ryann said softly, clearly lost in a train of thought.

“He trusts us as we trust him,” Myna said primly. “It is odd, but sweet.”

“You were fine gambling so much on us being able to use my Talent?” Ryann asked, her eyes going to Sean.

“Yes,” Sean nodded. “And, I wanted to thank you for losing two of those three extra matches. Losing by a couple of points each time gave more credence to us being able to claim good fortune.”

Ryann sighed. “I finally have a Talent and can use it at my discretion. It was hard to not run roughshod over them, but I thought what it would look like if I did that, and how it would make matters difficult for us. That helped me reach the decision.”

“Double portions tonight,” Sean said. “I need to thank you for thinking ahead.”

“I didn’t do it for that,” Ryann said.

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Sean smiled. “I still think you deserve something in thanks. So, please, let me give you something.”

Ryann looked away from him. “Fine.”

“Master cares for all of us,” Myna said, sitting on the other side of him.

“Fiona, I’d been told that Shapers could make four silver a year on average if not Bonded. Is that incorrect?” Sean asked.

“Yes, though considering the source, it’s not surprising.” Fiona’s smile came and went quickly as she thought of Darragh. “Shapers can easily make ten times that amount if they’re talented and apply themselves.”

“That’s good to know,” Sean said. He hadn’t understood why the pompous ass had thought to even offer twenty-to-one odds, but now it made sense.

“What shall we do to pass the time?” Fiona asked, shifting the topic when she saw Sean lost in thought.

“Can I work on Shaping some?” Ryann asked.

“I’ll help guide you,” Fiona said. “Let’s work with some of the copper.”

“Sean,” Myna said as the other two moved away with pieces of metal in their hands. “Can I ask for something?”

“What is it?” Sean asked, curious why she seemed a little nervous.

“Can I get a back rub... maybe some ear rubs, too?” Myna asked, her eyes meeting his with hope.

His heart warmed as he looked deeply into her brown eyes and he smiled. “Yes, my silly kitty, you can.”

Pulling the chair over to the bed, Sean took a seat while Myna lay face down on the bed. When he started to rub her head and back, Myna purred and wiggled slightly, obviously enjoying the attention. Soft giggles drew his attention to the others; Fiona was smiling and Ryann looked conflicted.

I wonder what she’s having issues with? Maybe it’s the Shaping? Sean thought. Unless she’s still coming to terms with Myna and I loving each other. That’s possible; maybe the old disgust for the Moonbound still lingers for her. Pushing the thoughts aside, he gave his now undivided attention to Myna.

After some time, Sean sat back. “Okay Myna, that’s enough.”

“If you say so, Sean,” Myna murmured, a blissful smile on her face.

“How about a few tosses of Knuckles?” Ryann asked. “I think we still have an hour before dinner is ready.”

“Works,” Sean said, joining Fiona and Ryann.

As they played, Sean gave some thought to what Lionel had told them of Hearthglen: Alexander Sharpeye, a lesser noble of House Greenlimb, was the current sitting Lord of the city. Sharpeye had taken over three months ago when House Greenlimb had been appointed by the Summer Queen to lead the city, displacing House Brightlight.

In the last three months, Sharpeye had completely changed how the city was run. Taxes on previously favored merchants tripled while others had been slashed to near nothing. The well-known but never verified rumor was that Greenlimb had given some bandits backing, letting them run rampant in the area as long as they left Greenlimb’s people alone.

“I have a bad feeling about what we’re going to encounter in the city,” Sean said as he passed the dice to Ryann.

“It doesn’t sound good,” Fiona nodded. “I’m surprise that House Greenlimb hasn’t replaced Sharpeye. If it continues, it will reflect badly on the House overall.”

“Maybe he’s been cutting off communications to Northpoint,” Ryann suggested. “If House Greenlimb hasn’t heard of the black eye Sharpeye is giving them…”

“We’ll deal with it when we get there, I guess,” Sean sighed. “Everything seems to point to the regular citizens being left alone, so maybe I’m just overthinking things.”

“We can hope,” Myna murmured. “No matter what, we will be there with you.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sean smiled.

~          *                    ~                    *                    ~

When they made their way downstairs for dinner, Sean was surprised to see the taproom half empty. He spotted Lionel giving instructions to his guards and made his way over. “Lionel, what’s going on?”

“The storm is breaking… we think. It’s stopped snowing and a few patches of sky can be seen, so we’re going to move on. A number of others have already left.”

“It’s only a couple of hours until nightfall, though,” Sean said.

“We’re going to push through the night a bit. We’re already running behind for this trip,” Lionel shrugged. “Sometimes, you have to push through the bad spots.”

“I wish you a good journey,” Sean said.

“I hope it stays clear and you can move on tomorrow,” Lionel smiled, then followed his men to the stable yard.

Taking a table to one side of the room, they watched a few more people leaving as they waited for the maid to bring their drinks. Sean gave the few people who greeted them a polite smile. “Do you think the weather is going to hold?” he asked.

“It might,” Fiona murmured. “That was a very intense storm. But I wouldn’t be surprised whether it broke completely or came back with renewed strength.”

“I hope it breaks,” Myna said. “If we can reach Hearthglen, it would make things easier.”

“More opportunities to make coin, and maybe settle in,” Sean nodded.

“Here you are,” the barmaid said as she set their drinks out. Myna and Fiona had gone with mulled wine, Ryann had opted for hot buttered hard cider, and Sean had ordered dark ale.

Picking up the ale, Sean examined it. I never used to be a drinker, so why is it that I’m now drinking wines, ales, and the like with such frequency?

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Fiona touched his knee. “Master, is something wrong?”

“Just thinking about how much I’ve been drinking since…I never used to drink before Oakwood.”

“Maybe your body craves something in the ale?” Myna suggested. “My grandfather has a need for ranga weed. Grandmother makes tea with it just for him.”

“Ranga weed?” Sean asked, sipping the heavy ale.

Myna took a few minutes describing the plant to Sean, and he smiled. “Chrysanthemums,” he murmured. “I know of a very similar plant,” he said a little louder. “That is a compelling theory,” Sean added as he took a healthy drink. “Just never thought I’d be a drinker.”

“Does the alcohol affect you?” Fiona asked.

Sean considered the question. “I don’t think it does. I haven’t tried to drink to excess though either, as that’s something I abhorred before.”

“Then why does it matter if you drink now?” Fiona pressed gently.

“Lingering fears,” Sean admitted. “My family has had a number of drunkards. I don’t want to end up like them.”

“If you start drinking in excess, we’ll tell you,” Myna said softly.

“Thank you,” Sean replied, dropping his hand under the table to squeeze her thigh.

“Excuse me,” the innkeeper said. “Sir, might you be interested in a private meal in the private room?”

“I’d be fine with that, but why are you asking?”

“Word about your largess has been spreading around town, and I thought it might be best if you were not visible to everyone right away.”

“I see,” Sean said, draining his ale and standing up. “I’m going to ask for the bathing room again after dinner, as well.”

“I shall make sure everything is in order, sir,” the innkeeper said. “If you will follow me?” He led them down a hallway to a sliding door. Ushering them inside, he waited for them to be seated. “I am having my wife prepare a special meal for you. Would you care for wine with the meal or more of what you’ve had?”

“A light wine will be fine,” Sean said. “I’d also ask for a kettle of soothing tea for after our bath.”

“I shall make sure everything is in order, sir,” the innkeeper said again, leaving the room with a small bow.

“Rich merchant?” Sean asked Fiona.

“A crafter who hasn’t made a name for themselves yet, is more likely,” Fiona said, touching her hair clip. “The way you handled Lionel and Cedran also speaks to you having dealt with well-established people before.”

A knock on the door announced the barmaid, who came in carrying a bottle and four glasses. Pouring for each of them, she left the bottle within reach of Sean. “I will be back in a few minutes with the first course.”

“If the sky’s clear tomorrow, we’ll make for Hearthglen,” Sean said. “Do we have enough fodder for the horses?”

“Yes,” Fiona said, setting her glass down. “This is very good wine.”

“I’ve never had any this good before,” Myna said as she took another sip.

“Not many of them come in bottles,” Ryann said.

Sean turned the bottle over and read the label. “From the White Vineyards of Westpoint.”

Fiona sat forward. “That bottle of wine is worth at least two large bronze by itself.”

“No wonder it tastes so good,” Myna murmured.

“We might as well enjoy it,” Sean smiled. “It’s not like we can return it.”

Fiona shook her head as she sipped her wine. “It’s been ages since I’ve had anything from their vineyard.”

The maid returned with a platter of vegetables and fruits cut into small cubes. Setting the tray on the table, she took the empty bottle away when she left. She came back with a new bottle and refilled their glasses, leaving the mostly full bottle on the table.

“I think the innkeeper is trying to bring down how much he’s going to owe you when we leave,” Fiona remarked as she speared a piece of melon.

“Makes sense,” Sean chuckled. “I didn’t expect to have over a gold on me before we reached the city. Let’s enjoy ourselves; we’ll worry about costs after tonight.”

“If that is your wish, Master,” Fiona said with a smile.

“I don’t mind at all,” Ryann chuckled.

“Master’s wish is our command,” Myna grinned.

Conversation was mostly focused on the food after that. When the maid returned to remove the first tray, she brought with her a platter of meats and cheeses. Fiona identified them for Sean, and he filed away the names as he tasted them. The flavor of each type was a new adventure for Sean; none of them were bad, but a few were mediocre.

The last dish was a vanilla pudding with hints of orange, which reminded Sean of a creamsicle from his old world. It was the perfect complement to the rest of the meal, and left them sated. The innkeeper followed the maid into the room when she came to clear the dishes.

“I hope your meal was satisfactory,” the innkeeper said.

“Not exactly what I was expecting, but it was good,” Sean replied.

“The bathing room is empty and waiting for you, at your leisure. If you need anything else, just ask any of the staff.”

“Thank you,” Sean said, getting to his feet. “We’ll head to the bathing room after retrieving our clothes.”

“I will have a kettle ready when you finish your bath,” the innkeeper said and bowed out of the room.

“Let’s go get clean and retire for the night. We have a trip ahead of us in the morning,” Sean said, motioning to the door.

Fiona, Myna and Ryann headed out of the room with Sean trailing behind them. As they passed through the taproom, a fair number of people cheered and thanked Sean for the free meal. Sean gave them a smile and headed up the stairs to their room.

Chapter Forty-three

Sean woke to find Fiona and Myna curled up against him. Ryann was back in the room as well, snoring from her bed in the corner. Need to do something to thank her for last night, Sean thought. Letting me and the girls have the room for a few hours was very kind of her.

Fiona stirred against him, her eyes opening to see him smiling at her. “Morning, Sean,” Fiona murmured, kissing him softly.

“Morning already?” Myna asked groggily from the other side. Rubbing her eyes clear of sleep, she smiled as she saw her lovers kissing. Once they finished, she claimed a kiss from each of them.

“We should be quiet about it, but we need to get ready to go,” Sean whispered. “I don’t know when she came back to the room, but it was after we fell asleep.”

“I’ll go see about food,” Myna said, slipping out of the bed.

“I’ll start getting our bags packed,” Fiona said, climbing over Sean.

“I’ll—”

“Shh,” Fiona said, placing a finger against his lips to cut him off. “You did enough getting us here in the storm. You just rest.”

Sean closed his mouth and opted not to argue, as that might wake Ryann. Holding up his hands, he surrendered and snuggled down into the bed. Myna and Fiona both smiled at him as they dressed.

Myna left first, and Fiona wasn’t not far behind her, taking their smaller bags down to the wagon. Sean sighed and stretched, feeling guilty. Getting out of bed, he began to dress. I love them, but I’m not just going to lie around doing nothing while they work. As he got his boots on, Ryann stirred and Sean paused, hoping she would go back to sleep.

“I will protect you…” Ryann murmured before bunching up her blankets and holding it like a person.

Biting his lip to keep from chuckling, Sean got to his feet slowly and snuck out of the room with the big bag in hand, leaving just the two blankets Ryann was using. Fiona gave him an exasperated look when she met him coming down the stairs.

“I couldn’t get comfortable again,” Sean whispered, kissing her cheek.

“I’ll take that from you,” Fiona said, sliding her arms through the straps to take the ruck. “Why don’t you get a table?”

“Fiona, we have…” Myna paused when she saw the two of them there. “Sorry to have woken you, Master. I shall get a table and tea for us.” Myna slipped away before they could speak.

“I shall join you once I drop this in the wagon,” Fiona said.

As he walked into the common room, Sean saw Myna speaking with an older woman behind the bar. The taproom was mostly empty; the only other group was just finishing breakfast, and gave Sean a pleasant greeting as they got to their feet.

Myna came over to join him. “Tea will be out shortly, Master.”

Sean lowered his voice, “I couldn’t just lie there, Myna. I’m sorry.”

Myna smiled at him. “It’s fine, Master. I’ll never be upset with what you do.”

“Neither will I,” Fiona said, coming up behind Sean. “We just want to make things easier for you.”

Sean felt a twinge of regret for not letting them have their way. “I’ll try to adapt a bit more.”

“Here’s your tea,” a young girl said, setting the kettle and three cups on the table. “Your breakfast will be out in a moment.”

“We might need to delay a little,” Fiona said. “The innkeeper will need to see about exchanging some of the coin for change.”

“We’ll be waiting on Ryann as it is,” Sean said, “she’s still asleep. We should find a way to thank her for letting us have time alone last night.”

“I already have,” Myna told him. “Breakfast for her shall be quite filling.”

“The deal was that you all got the same,” Sean said.

“Ryann will be having the same as us. It’s not her fault if we don’t finish the entire meal,” Myna grinned.

Sean raised an eyebrow at her, then saw the young girl coming towards their table with a heavily laden tray. The scent of fresh bread drifted from the three small loaves on the tray. Along with the bread was a plate of sliced cheese and a bowl of steaming meat soaking in broth.

“I have the tray for your other companion ready for when she wakes, sir.”

“Thank you,” Sean smiled.

Smiling, the girl went back towards the kitchen. Sean shook his head and used his knife to split a loaf of bread in half. Have to see about getting some mustard when we get to the city, Sean mused as he made a sandwich.

He dipped his sandwich in the broth, like the French dip sandwiches he used to enjoy. Fiona and Myna watched him before emulating his actions. The three of them ate breakfast with very little conversation.

As they were sipping the last of their tea, Ryann came downstairs with the two blankets over her shoulder. Myna got to her feet and, collecting the blankets, headed for the stable to pack them in the wagon. Ryann joined the other two at the table.

“Sorry for my lateness, Sean,” Ryann said, looking away from him.

“It’s perfectly fine. We just finished breakfast,” Sean replied. “Here comes yours now. Can we get some heated cider for all of us as well?” Sean asked the young barmaid.

“Right away,” the girl said, hurrying off to the kitchen.

Ryann looked at the huge platter of food, before turning to Sean. “This is an equal meal?”

“In every respect but the tea,” Sean replied. “Would you like a cup of tea to balance things out?”

“They finished all of this?” Ryann asked dubiously.

“All three plates were cleaned,” Sean said, evading her question. “Eat as much or as little as you like. We’re not in a big hurry, either. We still need to wait for the innkeeper for our change.”

The hot ciders were delivered shortly after Myna came back inside. “The sky is still overcast, but it’s not as bad as it was,” she told them. “I think we can make it to Hearthglen without any major problems.”

“Sir, I’ll be back shortly,” the innkeeper said, coming out of the back and pulling a thick coat on.

“We’ll be waiting,” Sean said. As the innkeeper hurried off, Sean got to his feet. “I’ll be back in a minute or three.”

“I should go as well,” Fiona said, rising to her feet. “That way, Ryann can finish her meal.”

Ryann gave Fiona a thankful nod, then went back to working on her food. Sean led Fiona down the hall and into the stable. The stable master approached them while his helpers were hitching up the horses.

“I’ll have your wagon ready in another minute.”

“We’re still waiting on the innkeeper,” Sean said. “Can we get oatcakes or something for the horses?”

“I’ll add some to your wagon, sir. I’ll need to give you this.” He dug out several large copper coins.

Sean took them, adding them to his pouch. “Thank you for caring for my horses. It was a relief to know they were being looked after by someone who cares.”

“Always liked the animals; people, not as much. That’s why my cousin runs the inn and I run the stables.”

“Always do what you’re best at,” Sean said.

They went back inside, where Ryann was just finishing off her meal. Sean chuckled softly as he took his seat. Ryann looked at him suspiciously, but before she could ask him what he found funny, the front door admitted the innkeeper.

“Here we are, sir,” the innkeeper said, placing a small bag on the table. “Your change is in silver and bronze, with a few copper coins as well.”

Sean picked up the bag, mentally weighing the contents before he put it into his coin pouch. “This inn was just what we needed. I shall always remember it as a haven.”

Bowing his head, the innkeeper beamed. “Thank you. If you come back this way, we’ll be more than happy to accommodate you again.”

Ryann had finished cleaning her plate, so Sean got to his feet. “We’ll be more than happy to stay.” With a nod and smile to the innkeeper, they all headed for the stable.

Myna took the driver’s seat with Ryann beside her. Their furs were keeping them warm enough; the air was chill, but there was no breeze. Sean took his place in the back with Fiona sitting next to him. She draped a blanket around them both.

“We’re ready, Myna.”

“Understood, Master,” Myna replied, snapping the reins.

As the wagon got moving, Fiona snuggled next to Sean. “Have you thought about trying to settle in Hearthglen?”

“I’d like to, I’m just not sure about Sharpeye’s leadership issues. What will it take for us to settle in? I’m assuming it’ll be a decent amount of coin.”

“The gold you have will get us a place for at least a few months, along with starting supplies for crafting. We’ll need to register your maker’s mark with the guild and pay for you to be listed as a crafter. They’ll want to know if it’s you or one of us crafting. I’d suggest having Myna tagged as the wood Shaper, and maybe yourself as the metal Shaper.”

“We should try it. A place to actually have more than a day to rest would do us all some good,” Sean said. “Tell us a story as we travel, please.”

Fiona smiled brightly. “I’d be glad to.”

Character Information

Sean Aragorn MacDougal

Human

Age: 33

Gifts:

Metal Bones, Viney Muscles, Mithril Blood, Magic Bond, Mending Body, Death Ward, Linguist, Hunter’s Blood, Infinite Possibilities

Spells:

Summon Water

Talents:

Shaper- (Wood and Metal)

Mage Sight

Camouflage

Targeter

Bonded:

Fiona Mithrilsoul- Life Bonded

Myna Mooncaller- Life Bonded

Ryann Cullin- One-year Bond

Author’s Note

Please consider leaving a review for the book, feedback is imperative for an indie author. If you don’t want to review it, then please think about leaving a comment or even just a quick message. Remember, positive feedback is always welcome.

If you want to keep up on the latest updates, or just want a place to find all the links, my website is the best place for that. Remember to subscribe to the mailing list to know when I publish a new book, and you get an exclusive short when you sign up.

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Other places you can keep up to date on me and my works:

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If you LOVE LitRPG, then check out these pages full of awesome LITRPG goodness. You can interact with authors like me and many more. Find banter, good times and a lot of likeminded people.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/

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A big thank you to my editors, Jennifer York and Samantha Bishop. Also props to Geno Ferrarini, and Sean Hickinbotham for being my Alpha Readers. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my beta readers, in no particular order: Zee-*-Ian McAdams-*-Arthur Cuelho-*-Scott Brown-*-Buddy Brown-*-A. J. Bishop-*-Tarcha Saleeba-*-Alec Young-*-Jay Taylor-*-Justin Johanson, Josh Holmes-*-Rob Bunting-*-Isidore Fitch-*-Christina Norton-*-Luke Reynolds-*-Sawyer Aubrey-*-Nigel Hollingworth-*-Aoife Megami-*-Robert Peterson-*-Sullivan Grimm-*-Shane Bird-*-Steve Robles-*-William Reid-*-Nick Kuhns.

The cover for Life Bonds is brought to you by Anthony Bishop, a very talented artist. You can find him at https://grimmworks.tumblr.com/

A big thanks to my Patreon supporters who have gone above and beyond in their support:

J. Patrick Walker~*~Funder Fundington~*~Aztoroth~*~Chase Corso~*~Korbin Wilson~*~Anthony Olson~*~Kevin McKinney~*~J.G. Patton~*~Joshua Knapp~*~James Domec~*~William Merrick~*~David Florish~*~Sawyer Aubrey~*~Kenneth Steinagel~*~Kyle J. Smith~*~Grimmhelm~*~Christopher B. ~*~Jack Ling~*~Jordan Silvester~*~Bradley White~*~Stephan Wise~*~Terry Wood-Davies~*~Spencer Jefferson~*~Travis Hillard~*~Kyle Gravelle~*~Robert Shofner~*~Adrian Sinclair~*~Jacob Tackett~*~John Flenady~*~Jarred Medlock~*~Jason Broderick~*~Charles Groark~*~Susanne Lofbom~*~MrNyxt~*~Daniel Alexander Womack~*~Brian O. ~*~Alexis K. ~*~Cody Carter~*~Logan Cochrane~*~Kevin Harris~*~Experience Community~*~Derek Morgan~*~Timothy Eskew~*~Damien Osborne~*~Michael Moneymaker~*~Stephen Juba~*~Andrew Heffelbower~*~Jeffrey Buchanan~*~Kevin Kollman~*~Alexander Rodriguez~*~Mike

I would like to point you all towards some fellow authors whose works I enjoy:

William Arand: Author of Otherlife Dreams, Super Sales on Superheros, and Dungeon Deposed. Along with his alter ego Randi Darren: Author of Wild Wastes and Fostering Faust.

https://www.amazon.com/William-D.-Arand/e/B01AY7PSG4

Blaise Corvin: Author of Delvers LLC, which is an amazing GameLit series. He also penned the Nora series.

https://www.amazon.com/Blaise-Corvin/e/B01LYK8VG5

Scottie Futch: Is a prolific author who can be found on Royal Road and Amazon. Galactic Fist of Legend, Earth Tactics Advance, and Galataea Crystallim are just a few of his works.

https://www.amazon.com/Scottie-Futch/e/B00NCSEN28

Eden Redd: She might be mentioned last but she is definitely worth the read, more so if you like some adult content. Her Lewd Saga series combines erotica and LITRPG.

https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Redd/e/B00I8X8BCK

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty-six

Chapter Thirty-seven

Chapter Thirty-eight

Chapter Thirty-nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-one

Chapter Forty-two

Chapter Forty-three