Stronger Together chapter 108 (Patreon)

Connor was hands down one of the most hyperactive kids I had ever  met, and that was saying something. The five year old was bouncing off  the...well trees I guess but he was everywhere, chattering away happily  to all his new friends. Poot little guy clearly didn't see other people  much, he must have been out in the woods even back in Colorado to be  this wired just from meeting strangers. Still he was a charming kid, the  red hair and gold eyes and the wide (dare I say wolfish) grin on his  face made it impossible to be annoyed by him.

Kara  of course was completely gaga over him, she absolutely loved kids and  the little wolf boy was spending any time he wasn't darting around the  clearing in her lap as she snuggled him. Yang was having a blast chasing  the kid around when he was on the loose and even Cinder seemed taken  with the boy, smiling softly at his clear enthusiasm just to be around  us. Barb and I were sitting under a nearby tree doing our own snuggling  watching the girls play with the kid with fond expressions on our faces.

I  smirked over at Harry and Tera who were on the other side of the  clearing, he looked a bit green as she disembowled and skinned the deer  Connor had caught. I leaned over to whisper to Barb "How much do you  want to bet he's asking for parenting advice?" Imagining the big wizard  giving his future daughter pouncing lessons or teaching her how to track  by scent because his parenting sherpa told him they were good bonding  activities almost made me crack up.

Apparently  Barb was thinking the same thing because she was trying to stifle her  own fit of giggles. "Oh god I bet he is. I just got this mental image of  him trying to ask some of the horrifying monsters we deal with on how  to raise kids. I know even he isn't that desperate but it's funny to  think about." Her giggles erupted again but she got them under control  before shooting me a teasing grin "You do realize as the apprentices  we're essentially built in free babysitters right? He isn't going to pay  some random person for something he can make us do."

I  shot back my own grin "Well sure, but Yang is the farthest behind, we  have seniority. We can just make her do it. She has practice with kids  anyway." My smile slipped as I remembered how much Yang was hurting over  the loss of her little sister. I glanced over to where she was happily  chasing Connor who was out of Kara's lap and bolting around the meadow  again. "Actually. Bonding with Harry's daughter might be good for her. I  know you can't heal a wound like that, but having someone to connect  with in the same way might fill the hold a bit. She really seems happy  like that, if I ever have kids I'd want someone like her looking after  them."

I  looked down at Barb who was flushing and my eyes widened. "Not that I've  thought about kids soon. Or at all. I mean I have thought about it but I  wasn't saying...hey, how about them subject changes." Her flush turned  into a bark of laughter at my absolutely abysmal attempt at deflection. I  just shrugged "What, it worked didn't it." She rolled her eyes and  shoved me over, turning back to watch the kid again. She leaned back  against me and we both fell silent, just enjoying the moment.

After  about twenty minutes of that Tera called us over to eat. She had cooked  the meat on a couple of long flat stones she propped up over the fire  essentially pan searing the venison one the rocks. She retrieved a bag  with some plants that she mashed up and smeared on the stone before she  placed the strips she cut the meat into on the stone. As the venison was  seared and the juices mixed with the plants the smell from the mixing  of the meat and herbs wafted up and filled the meadow. It was mouth  watering, a savory tangy sort of scent I'd never smelled anywhere  before.

Connor  had scented the meat and broke off his game of tag with Yang finally,  having ignored the call to come in for dinner just like kids have being  doing since the beginning of time. We all sat down and Tera took out a  set of dull metal plates and some foldable travel utensils for us all to  eat with. She and Connor just picked theirs up and ate with their hands  and I wasn't sure if the dinner ware was for special occasions or if  they were just letting two of us use theirs to be polite. Since they had  enough for all of us I suspected the former. Probably came as a set.

As I bit into the meat I moaned at the taste. My eyes widened at Tera  "This is amazing. I've heard venison can be tough to cook, what kind of  plants are these they kept the meat tender and searing it sealed in the  flavor, they mix really well with the juices trapped in the strips."  They were perfectly rare, exactly how I prefer to eat meat actually, but  I didn't bother mentioning that because I already pretty much knew why  she'd done it. Old habits and all that.

Tera  gave a shrug "When I first became a two leg-a human rather, I saw one  of the other people I followed cook his food. I tried to do the same but  I burnt it. I was frustrated because it smelled good when he did it and  bad when I did it so I kept trying it. I developed a preference for  cooked meat, and over time when I saw another human camping near my home  season his meat I began to experiment with plants. I do not know their  names, just their scents and tastes. I pick some whenever I am back in  my old home, or buy them if I see them in a store."

Hearing  her basically profess to having invented cooking I had to smile. "Well  it's very good. It's my first time trying venison. I've had elk but this  is much better. My personal favorite is alligator, you should try it  sometime. In any case. how did you both get here I know you mentioned  coming to this place when I saw you before but the spirit here isn't  exactly friendly. This clearing was obviously made safe for the two of  you, what made it decide to take you in?" I kept eating between words,  unable to stop wolfing down the delicious food (pun intended).

Tera  seemed hesitant to talk but glanced at Harry, clearly thinking about  how he was the one who saved her when she was pregnant. I knew he'd  killed Harley MacFinn, Conner's father, too but as a former wolf Tera  understood necessity and practicality in a way humans just couldn't  comprehend. She knew MacFinn hadn't wanted to hurt all those people and  Harry had honored that when he put the werewolf down. She furrowed her  brow before seeming to come to a decision and nodding to herself "Yes. I  made a bargain to keep watch on the island. I can not tell you much,  but some things are easier for a mortal than a spirit."

Which  was honestly more than I expected to get so I just let it pass. "Fair  enough, if you promised to keep it's secrets we won't pry. Can help us  find a good place commune with the spirit. This clearing would work but  honestly I somehow doubt the conversation will be entirely free of  conflict and I don't want to mess up your home when the spirit bi-er" I  looked at Connor "face slaps Harry through a tree."I glanced nervously  at the kid, getting scowls from the girls.

I felt the cold shadow of death pass over me as I saw Tera untense  after I almost accidentally taught her very verbose five year old the  word bitch. But after an intense few moments of staring she looked away,  answering in that same bland tone. "I know of a place. A cottage that  the island spirit feels comfortable around. When it seeks to meet with  me it summons me to that place. I suspect it will respond more easily  there at the heart of its power." Come to think of it I didn't remember  if that was where Harry did the ritual but I knew he'd met the thing  there.

It was  the control center of the island and every single stone of that cottage  was so laden with enchantments they made the worlds most complex  enchantments look like something a half asleep three year old drew on an  etch a sketch. Merlin hadn't just been ahead of his time, he'd been  behind it and to either side too. Literally. The spells he put on this  place were cast in several place throughout the time stream to create a  four dimensional magical construct. At least. My brain couldn't even  really comprehend the kind of mind necessary to construct magical  structures and formuli on that scale but I certainly didn't have it.

But  if Tera thought it would help the invocation then I believed her. As  mentioned she was much closer to the spirits of nature than most even  this one apparently. Plus she had helped Macfinn make his crazy binding  circle that could contain even a rampaging Loup-Garou. I gave Harry a  look and nodded, letting him know it was a solid plan and it would help.  I sincerely hoped that was accurate, it would really suck if we all  died here. Though in all fairness that was always a risk. We refocused  on the meat, enjoying the wolf woman's cooking as we traded stories.

We  weren't going to leave immediately since despite taking hours to get  there, the spirit most likely would be more comfortable at night. We  also very much did not want to be stuck waiting around there so we  decided to wait. Connor told us stories about his adventures on the  island, much to the delight of the girls and the amusement of myself and  Harry. His mother even managed a very faint smile as her excited son  chattered on. His eyes made me wonder about the power his mother had  mentioned though. Was he more than just a Luop-Garou?

I  pushed the thought away, it wasn't my business anyway, they should be  safe here if the island had their backs. We finished the food and then  Connor dragged Kara and Yang out for my alternating games of chase and  cuddling. They played for a few hours until it was finally time to go.  Tera kissed her son goodbye and made him promise to stay in the meadow  before we all set off. Much like before the forest seemed to part around  us in some ways as we followed Tera but even with the help it took us  hours to get to the hill with the cottage atop it.

When  we finally saw the stone building in the distance the sun was just  starting to set. Tera brought us to the foot of the hill and stopped.  "This is as far as I go. I will not intrude on the spirit's place of  power uninvited. I wish you well with your meeting and should you  survive you may seek out my clearing to say goodbye." She smiled very  slightly at Harry. "It was...good to see you Mr. Dresden. I wish you  well with your new lot in life. I can think of none more deserving." And  much like before she was just gone.

I  jumped. "How does she keep doing that? Is it magic or some kind of  inherent power? Guess it doesn't really matter in the end." I turned to  Harry. "We can't help with this part. The Sanctum Invocation is all up  to you. You have your upstairs roommate for backup though, even if you  shouldn't rely on her too much." I saw him twitch slightly and assumed  Lash was bitching at him about me which made me smirk. "So what are you  waiting for boss. Go wrestle an island."