Muddy River — The Shape of Dreams

Caedwyn leaned in to rub his nose beneath her jaw, to soothe her. It was odd, him making such a gesture. She wasn't used to it and yet as he brushed against her, she felt a wave of tension melt away. A simple brush of affection was such a powerful tool to have at one's disposal. When he pulled away, she wished that he hadn't. "We'll figure this out" he boldly proclaimed, she was sure, to try and reassure her. She couldn't see a solution ahead of her. If she couldn't control Buck with her Will, how was she possibly supposed to keep him safe? The adrenaline from the hunt and the fight waned, yet her anxiety and fear grew as she realized the situation she was now in. The lands were full of predators lurking in the shadows. Someone could kill the Queen without even meaning to. She could die in any given second while he was roaming out there free. He wasn't safely tucked away in the walls of her old Kingdom. He wasn't wearing his collar she had made for him. He was a wild stag and had no indicators that he was bonded with Enya.  "Do you feel up to going after him?..." Caedwyn spoke. She shook her head no while she sat trembling, aching and exhausted both physically and mentally. The longer they sat there and didn't hear Buck rushing through the brush to charge at them, the more and more relaxed Enya's body became. She had to relax. Her muscles ached from the tension. He suggested they see a shaman, and Enya found herself thinking back to Ember and wishing she were here to help her. "Chasing him is no good if I can't control him. There's no telling what he will do to resist me." She feared he'd leap right off a cliff if given the chance rather than submit to her Will. Seeing a shaman was a good idea. The problem was Enya didn't know any Shamans in this new kingdom. Maybe they could somehow send the word out to the Kingdom they sought to rule... but that would take time. Time was something she didn't necessarily have.  Caedwyn then said something that brought her back to focusing on him. She blinked for a second, watching Caedwyn with disbelief at what he had suggested. How had she never thought of such a thing? She had always viewed the bond as permanent. In truth, however, she wasn't sure how the bond really worked. She could be panicking over nothing. Buck could die and absolutely nothing could happen to her. She figured that was far from the truth, though. "I don't know. I mean... I suppose it's a possibility. I just don't understand why he won't obey me. Have I gone soft? Am I becoming weak of Will?" What did that mean for her worship of Tsillah? Would she be consumed if she died again? She had tried to keep humor involved in the situation, but as the reality of the situation sank in, she was finding it hard to breathe.  "Speech."