by Lena Austin
“All right. I understand.” The tunic pulled over her head in a flash.
“Come on, lover. Change to male and follow me. I’ll need your strength as well as my own to get Kenalf’s shoulder back in place.”
Le-An changed form. “As long as you don’t make me help stitch! I’d be sick!”
Brolly laughed, grabbed his hand, and ran down the corridor.
Kenalf was in human form, and attended by Andrew, who prepared a draught of willowbark tea in the corner. Among the three of them, they got his shoulder back in place.
Gritting his teeth, his face pale, Kenalf clung longer than necessary to Andrew. “This handsome fellow can help me to my room. Then I’m going to pass out. The Pack can wait until tomorrow.”
Brolly took in Andrew’s flushed face and speculated the attraction was mutual.
A grin of devilment lit Brolly’s face. “I take it you won?”
For an answer, Kenalf sniffed in derision. “Of course. Now that I discovered that damned plant Father used to chew on was madweed. I never thought about it until I watched humans do it. They chewed on the stuff, and thought they were seeing all manner of things. Stupid fools. Then it hit me. I had a thousand memories of our father doing the same. I’d guess the stuff is addicting.”
Mouth hanging open with shock, Brolly’s memory supplied the image of his hallucination while dying in the snow -- of his father, standing on grass and weeds, madweed being predominant. His hallucination had been his cub’s memories trying to tell him his fears were groundless.
“Anyway,” Kenalf continued. “As soon as I’d put the bones together to see the whole prey, I ran back here as fast as I could. I stopped by Pack Lands first to see your brother Rolly. Aahz must have decided I was there to take his position, and attacked. Canny old fellow. Grisa tells me she’ll go with him into exile, her, and her cubs. He’ll have a completely new Pack to command, soon enough. Now go on and fix him up, will you? I’m sure uh -- what was your name? -- will take good care of me.”
He grinned at Andrew, who blushed like a maiden. Brolly got the impression that Kenalf could handle his own wooing of Andrew, and that Andrew was not at all adverse to the idea. Brolly grinned and dragged Le-An out.
“Did you see that? He’s got designs on Andrew!” Le-An’s shocked whisper reached Brolly’s ears even as they raced to the surgery room.
“Don’t go getting protective of your grandson, Le-An. Andrew seemed interested. He’s a full-grown… uh, what do they call a male squirrel, anyway?”
Brolly went into the next room to scrub with redwort. The room where Aahz lay was crowded with those already bandaging the less serious wounds. He could wait a moment for some of them to clear out. They wouldn’t let Aahz bleed to death before then.
“Beats the hell out of me. I never cared. Besides, he’s mostly human, so call him a man. Don’t be so hung up on labels.” Le-An watched Brolly wash with the deep red solution and gagged. “That looks entirely too much like blood for my comfort.”
“Could you handle rolling bandages for me?” Brolly put Le-An’s hands in the solution and scrubbed them for him, ignoring his green face. “If you have to throw up, there’s a basin on the table. Do it now, and get it over with.”
Le-An visibly forced the retching down. “I can roll bandages. Your mother taught me.”
“Fine. That’s your task. Come on.”
* * *
Hours later, Le-An and Brolly trudged back down the hall toward their bedroom.
“What time is it?” Le-An rasped.
He had thrown up, several times, and now his throat was sore. Fortunately, Sella reported he’d made it to the basin in the other room, every time.
Brolly glanced down the hall to the main room. Light no longer flooded it, as it did in the morning. Shadows covered the more recessed areas. “Late afternoon, I’d guess.”
Le-An sighed. “We were up most of the night, and then stitched up Aahz like a rag doll. Can we take a nap?”
“I don’t know about you, but I want a bath first. I may be a carnivore, but I don’t enjoy the stink of old blood any more than anyone else.” Brolly was already stripping off his tunic as they wearily shut the door to their room.
He considered for a moment. “Let’s do it as females. The tub was meant for one male-sized person, and we’d be forever the other way, one at a time.” He kicked off his boots and stripped off his bloody pants.
He turned at the sound of a sniffle. Le-An stood in the middle of the room, already naked and female. “You’ve adjusted very quickly to this, and you’re the first who’s been willing to try to shift gender, just for me, much less succeed. You are the perfect mate for me.”
Brolly strode forward to kiss off the tear that rolled down her cheek. “And you, my enigmatic, ever-changing love, are the perfect mate for me.” He paused and considered. “I don’t believe I’ve ever asked you formally. Will you be my mate?”
Le-An buried her face in his chest and nuzzled. “With all my heart, for as long as love lasts.”
It’s about time!
Brolly jumped back, startled, as the cool, feminine voice sounded in his head. A faint glimmer of recognition soothed the alarm bells going off. “Who is that?”
I’m going to make sure you have as long as you desire to share your love.
Le-An had her hands on her hips. “V!”
That was all Le-An got out before Brolly was hit with far more power than he’d ever thought possible to absorb. It was so strong it lifted him off the floor and wreathed him in light and color, even as he cried out in pain. He thought he’d black out at any moment, but he hung in the air, the pain so great, he couldn’t breathe.
Then, as quickly as it had struck, whatever it was released him. He dropped to the floor, and then to his knees. His hands went to his face as he absorbed a multitude of sensations and impressions, as well as a feeling of an abundance of magical power.
Le-An crouched beside him. “Brolly? Are you all right?”
He removed his hands slowly from his face. Vertigo seized him for a moment, and then went away as quickly as it had come. “I think so. What happened?”
I agreed you were the perfect mate for Le-An. Therefore I have to give you as much of a tie to me as she has.
“That’s a first, V.” Le-An shook her head in wonderment. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
“That’s the Valley. It lives.” Brolly couldn’t keep the awe from his voice. He also recognized that voice now. The “conscience” he’d heard and mis-recognized as his own, before.
She, thank you. Haven’t you ever heard the earth referred to as a female? With all this fertility, how could I be anything else?
“I stand -- er, kneel -- corrected. Does that mean I’ll live… er…”
As long as love lasts.
Brolly looked up at Le-An, and took her proffered hand to stand. Now that the initial shock was over, he felt a thousand times better than he ever had. Weary, yes, from the surgery, but his whole body hummed with power. He was nearly euphoric with the feeling. “Is this how you feel all the time? Like nothing is outside your grasp?”
Le-An nodded, and closed her eyes for a moment. Brolly guessed there was a quick private exchange between his mate and the Valley. “Yes, my love. What is more, you will never need another to feed you power for healing, ever again. You have a nearly limitless supply at your disposal.”
A slow smile dawned on Brolly’s face as the implications hit him. “I’ve got much the same power as Shadow, only mine is directed toward healing, not mage craft.”
More, actually. He gets enough to do his job, and no more. I’m not limitless!
“Then why do we get more?” Brolly and Le-An chorused together.
Whom else can I call on to be my hands when something needs doing? Le-An has been doing a fine job all by herself, but occasionally there’s a need for more than one can handle. Um, I hope you don’t mind, Brolly, but I’ve been working since before you were born t
o find Le-An’s perfect mate. You’ve deviated a time or two, but I can’t complain. A few flaws make for more excitement.
Brolly cuddled Le-An close to his chest. “No, I don’t mind a bit. I’m looking forward to being an immortal healer mated to an immortal warrior.”
And neither of you will ever be lonely again. I’ll be the little voice inside both your heads to keep you both on the right path.
Le-An laughed and stared off into the air. “Do you always have to have the last word?”
V chuckled. Yes.
The End…
For now.
Unicorn Valley 4: Moontyger's Quest
Moontyger, the scholarly Weretiger, must travel from her home in Tibet to find the missing Kirinn family who disappeared. Her Unicorn adventurer guide, Jamir, is overprotective and distractingly attractive, but he’s her only barrier between herself and the humans who might burn her for a witch or demon. If she doesn't kill him first.
Lena Austin
Lena Austin is a “fallen” society wench with a checkered past. She’s been a licensed minister, hairdresser, realtor, radio DJ, exotic dancer, telephone service tech, live-steel medievalist swordswoman, BDSM Mistress, and investment property manager. Not necessarily in that order. She never finished that degree in archaeology, but did learn to scuba. After a life like that, gardening is pretty restful. Of herself, Lena writes, “I’m tall, presently red-haired, and I look like an unholy mating between an Amazon and a librarian.”
Visit Lena’s website at www.geocities.com/voiceomt2002/Lena-Austin.htm