CHAPTER 102 [Bond] Level 2

CHAPTER 102

[Bond] Level 2

Brownie

Rufus hadn’t returned by the time Brownie checked in on Donna. The mare was not pleased with the prospect of travel today and said as much.

“You know we have to leave now if we’re going to make it to the Hollow … unless you want to get us there faster?” Brownie raised her eyebrows at her horse.

The name Belladonna Windrunner wasn’t for nothing; when she wanted to, Donna could run the length of Servalt in a few hours. It might take a day or so to cross Nilheim, but that was because the Dark Enchanted Forest stretched wide across the continent.

Brownie had never seen Donna push herself to her limit before, so even those were rough estimates. Needless to say, Donna could have them at the Hollow in no time if she so pleased.

Her horse snorted, looking away.

Brownie understood. “You know that Rufus will be with us? We could stay with you until your mana replenishes—No? Alright then.”

The bard didn’t pressure her mare. Donna’s fast travel was an overpowered skill, but it cost her a great deal in stamina and mana, and her cooldown on the ability was cripplingly slow, so if she needed to use it again right away, she would be out of luck. Sometimes, Donna didn’t seem to mind. Other times, especially while traveling through the Dark Enchanted Forest, Donna wouldn’t … Wait.

“Donna …” Brownie eyed her horse suspiciously. Donna, for her part, eyed her back. “Do you use your fast travel while you’re ‘taking a walk’ to go and pick up the poisons?”

Donna looked up and away, feigning innocence. She even tapped her foot once in a nervous twitch .

“It’s not that you wouldn’t fast travel! It’s that you couldn’t !” Brownie slapped her forehead. “Really? Really? ”

Donna gave a very unhorse horse shrug. More like a flex of each shoulder blade, but Brownie recognized her bonded companion’s tells. “You know, I’ve never questioned your love for enchanted carrots … but really?”

It had been a few days and a good cry since Brownie had started to process her steed’s evitable betrayal. It still hurt, and she was trying to understand. Brownie grabbed her horse by the nose and swung Donna down to face her—sideways, since horses had monocular vision. “Tell me for real: Do you have an enchanted carrots problem?”

Donna made a weak attempt to resist, but her heart wasn’t in it. She blew out in an aggrieved sigh and looked Brownie in the eye.

“You do !” Brownie dropped her horse’s chin and crossed her arms. “All this time, I thought you were still anxious over that unicorn that attacked you in the forest!”

Donna stamped her foot and looked out into the heavy sheets of rain pounding the earth outside their stable shelter. She chuffed, almost too softly for Brownie to hear against the storm.

“Are you still anxious?” Brownie reached up and petted her horse’s flanks comfortingly.

Donna continued to stare out into the rain, but she nodded.

After all this time, they’d still never spoken of that day. Brownie kept petting. “Do you wanna tell me what happened? You don’t have to if you’re not ready …”

[You have leveled up Bond with Belladonna Windrunner. Bond Level 2 unlocked.

What started as an unlikely kindred spirit has turned into a true friendship. Belladonna Windrunner has decided to trust you and take the next step forward in your Bond .]

[ Bond now allows you to communicate more than concepts and understand basic directions. Ability to share senses unlocked. Ability to share memories unlocked. Ability to share character sheets unlocked. ]

[ Bond now allows you or your bound to share 30% of Mana or Hit Points as a temporary buff, duration of Constitution 15 x Intelligence 17 = 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

Ability to sense Bond condition unlocked. You will be notified when Belladonna Windrunner is critically low on Hit Points. You will be notified when Belladonna Windrunner is critically low on Mana Points. You will be notified when Belladonna Windrunner is under the effects of a physical debuff. You will be notified when Belladonna Windrunner is under the effects of a mental debuff.]

Brownie was surprised by the notification … but she was more surprised by Donna leaning more heavily into her and the new information coming through their shared connection. It wasn’t with words or language, but the information was flooding in with a mix of images and emotions and knowing .

Donna had grown up in a herd of unicorns that lived in the southeast of the Dark Enchanted Forest.

But Donna was not a unicorn.

Brownie had always assumed Donna was something more than the usual knowing animal like the other talking squirrels and badgers and birds of the Dark Enchanted Forest. Those animals did not have magic, while Donna was the opposite.

The family structure of the herd was ambiguous to Brownie, since there was no feeling of mother or sister or wife . Donna’s mother, whom she had few memories of, was a unicorn .

But Donna was not.

After her mother was gone, there was only the herd . Including Donna, though she had a strange hesitancy and frustration that clouded her perception of the head stallion and the head mare. At this time, though, Donna wasn’t trying to explain everything; Donna was just letting it all out in a torrent of anger and fear and memory .

Brownie pieced things together while she continued to pet her mare slowly.

The southern unicorn herd were the protectors of the Moondew Meadow that held a magical pond. Brownie knew the name already and could fill in the blanks. This pond was enchanted, and any creature who drank from its waters would become knowing . The unicorns used it to enhance their magical powers, and some unlocked specialized skills when they leveled up that made them even more powerful.

The herds would roam between the Drendil border and Lake Loria, all the way east to Kith Bog. But no matter where the forest took them, every unicorn would always return to their meadow. Donna always knew where the wildflower fields and enchanted pond waters lay. All throughout the memory, Brownie never felt a sense of belonging except for when Donna felt the pull of the enchanted waters guarded by the herd of unicorns.

The herd had a few troubles, like the dire wolves who came down to the meadow to try their luck. Or that one frog prince who kept trying to get the young mares to kiss him. Or, Brownie thought, the loneliness. Still, Donna was able to grow up with others who could understand her .

And the herd was strong ; the herd was one .

Until he leveled up.

The unicorn that had attacked Donna.

In her memories, he’d tormented her first. Angry that she was with a part of the herd and using every opportunity to make her feel that unwelcome. After he became stronger, he pushed her further and further from the safety of the herd, refusing her access to the enchanted pond and it’s replenishing magic.

Brownie suddenly knew his name as clear as she knew her own: Bodum Brightcharge. A stallion whose level up granted him immense power and agility.

Not enough to catch Donna, who had unlocked her own fast travel skill, but he didn’t need to catch her right away.

He just needed to catch her when her ability was on cooldown.

Brownie kept petting her horse through the memory. She even managed not to cry.

And Brownie realized why Donna, her magical and wonderful and funny mare, was addicted to enchanted carrots.