Is this how Hardandra felt meeting Mister Smokes? Maybe it's different for everyone... Maybe some don't feel a connection at all. My smile fell instantly, what if everyone has a Spiritus Vinculum and they just don't know? Then what happens? What if I never knew Ocean was mine? If I grew up to be a Hunter like I've always wanted I could've killed him and never knew. Or maybe I would only know after... What i-
"You okay? You seem worried and very... Very lost." I hadn't even realized I was back at her house until she had said something.
"I'm fine... How did you know Mister Smokes was your Spiritus Vinculum?" I asked looking up to meet her questioning gaze.
"Well... It was like... Well, you know how people saw love at first sight?"
"Yes."
"It's like that but much... Much deeper. And it's not that kind of love, it's more like a strong STRONG friendship. One that'll never end... For all of eternity, they will be there for you the best they can be."
"Does it feel like... Like your souls are pulled to each other? An unbreakable bond formed by something stronger than lightning." Her eyes widened.
"How do you know that?"
"I just felt it," I said quietly.
"With who? Where? Where are they right now? Why didn't they follow you here? Why didn't you tell me? You look pale are you okay?" She said quickly taking the herb basket from me.
"Uhhh, that was a lot of questions... Yes, I'm okay just a lot has happened. Also, I did tell you, it literally happened minutes ago. I don't know why he didn't follow me here, he was in the meadow, and uh he is-" Do I tell her it's the Kelpie? What if she freaks out? What if she tells the village and the Hunters ask my help to find him? Hardandra wouldn't do that... but should I risk his life on that? "He is a horse. From the wild Herd."
"That's... Uhh... Wow."
"Yeah."
"I didn't know some of them were from the Other..." She looked at Mister Smokes on her left shoulder and I could swear at that moment they both looked sad.
"Ummm... You want me to make us both some Sratbikt tea before we take care of the mares and foals?"
"Yes," she smiled, "you always make the best Sratbikt tea!" Instantly I smiled back opening the door to let Hardandra enter first. My entire life I've come over to Herbalist Hardandra's to learn what other villagers couldn't teach me. Like herbs, animals, Spiritus Vinculum, but as often as I was here I have actually been in her house a few times. Many of the times I have been in here was just long enough to make tea for us or grab an herb for her.
Her house was huge but mainly empty, which makes sense because she's outside most of the time too. I'm pretty sure she only goes into the house to get food, water, and sleep. Even then she brings the water and food outside to consume and she has been caught sleeping out in the barn on the hay when a mare is close to foaling.
Sratbikt tea was my favorite to make, especially when you stir in the herb and the fresh sweet smell fills the room. If only we got to stay in here to enjoy the smell, instead as soon as I had finished stirring the second cup of tea, Hardandra was ushering me out of the house.
"I'm going! I'm going!" I giggled.
"Not fast enough," she also laughed, "I want to check on the mares and the foals!"
"I think they will be fine long enough for me to hand you your tea and walk with you, like normal people, to the barn!"
"Your right." She stopped ushering me away and turned to face me for a second. I held the bigger cup out to her, which she happily took and began sipping from.
"Now lead the way!! I want to see the tiny babies!" I exclaimed. She grinned as we began to walk again towards the big stone barn. There were exactly twenty-nine stalls in the barn but only five had horses currently in them. I stopped by the first stall with the palominos. The baby was so light she looked almost white rather than yellow. It reminded me of Ocean. I sighed, I shouldn't have lied to Hardandra, I snuck a glance in her direction only to see that both Mister Smokes and Hardandra were staring at me. "Uhh, did I do something?" I questioned.
"Not exactly... You do know you are a horrible liar though, right?"
"Wha-what d-do you mean?" I stuttered.
"Your Spiritus Vinculum isn't just a horse is it? There's something else you didn't tell me."
"I didn't know exactly how to say it. I mean if it was anyone else in the village they wouldn't believe I actually had a Spirit Bond, let alone a horse. Besides you know them, they would want me to kill the horse an-"
"But I'm not just one of the villagers. I HAVE a Spiritus Vinculum and no matter WHAT your bond was with I'd never ask you to kill them. Spirits know I would be lost without Smo."
"Yeah, but what if I was bonded to the one and only Kelpie?" She froze, her eyes widening to an impossible size.
"You're bonded to THE KELPIE!?" She yelled, "IN WHAT WORLD DID YOU THINK THAT WASN'T IMPORTANT!"
"The ENTIRE village wants him dead, well except maybe me and you and I can't do anything about that!"
"You do remember that The Water Whisperer is journeying to our village to try and 'tame' the Kelpie right?"
"Right, but he's not going to let her get near him!"
"But he'll let you."
"And?"
"And if you help The Water Whisperer 'tame' the Kelpie, not only will you gain power in the village but the Kelpie will gain more supporters. Instead of having an entire village against two people, the village will be divided, and if the village's decision is divided..."
"They can't decide to kill him. I wish I could've explained that to Ocean before coming back here."
"Why? What difference would that make?"
"They didn't announce the attack last night to the village?"
"Attack? Katie what attack?"
"The Hunter's are planning on cutting the Herd off, I don't know where I was eavesdropping not spying, and they are going to get rid of the Herd?"
"They can't get rid of the Herd. The Water Whisperer came all the way to tame the Kelpie, why kill them now?"
"I don't think they plan on going on a killing spree, I think they are going to try and capture the entire Herd. Any horses they can't catch I imagine they'll just kill but the rest will probably undergo training and then come up to your house."
"That still won't work," she sighed, "our village just doesn't have enough room. I can't handle the ones we already have up here and taking in that many at once! They are going to have more problems than they bargained for!" Mister Smokes chirped soothingly rubbing his head against Hardandra's cheek. We stood there in silence staring at the ground as we thought of what was to come. We continued to stand like that until Mister Smokes suddenly sat straight up and chirped.
"What is it," I asked, "whats does he hear?"
"The Water Whisperer has been spotted ten miles from camp, and your mom wants you to hurry home." I bit my lip studying her tired face.
"You know," I said quietly, "I'm not the only bad liar here."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Smokes didn't tell you to tell me to get more Ilnim simply because you were running low... What's really going on."
"Ilnim is a great herb to always have on standby. Besides winter is coming soon and I don't want all the plants to die before I get the chance to restock. You know that I do most of my restocking around this time every year."
"I know that, I'm often the one who picks them for you while you take care of the horses and in doing so I have learned some. For example, I know that very few herbs are fresh year-round; however, I do know that Ilnim is one of these herbs, it does not die in the winter. It can be picked all year round, so what is really going on?"
"Truth is... I have no idea why Smo wanted me to stock up on Ilnim, no one in the village has even come down with a cold yet this fall so there is or was little to no chance of anyone dying because of the cold. So no I didn't get that and it seems unlikely that anyone will die in the probably ongoing attack because they are there to capture and kill whichever is the safest, not much risk there. So why did Smo tell me I needed to fill the entire box with Ilnim I have NO clue."
"I think you are on to something though, will all the events happening today, right now, everything that's going on isn't nothing. No specific event is going to destroy the village. That's not the important thing to focus on though."
"Then what is? What aspect of village life would cause the need for so much Ilnim."
"Don't think of each individual aspect, think of the big picture."
"I'm still a little lost, You Spiritus Vinculum with the Kelpie, the Hunters are on an extremely important hunt, The Water Whisperer is coming, and Hunter Kyle wants an uprising. That covers everything but they aren't all exactly the most related or chronological events."
"They don't need to be, you said so yourself a storm is coming. At this point, that storm seems to be both literal and metaphorical. In a storm, it's not each individual raindrop you need to be wary of, it's the effect of them all falling at once that causes damage or floods."
"When did you become so wise?"
"Wise I never have been never will be." Suddenly a loud screech broke through our conversation spooking the horses in the barn with us and sending prickly chills down my spine."
"That storm we keep talking about, I don't think it's coming, I think it's here." Just as she said loud booming thunder rattled the ground around us and Hardandra added, "it's here both literally and metaphorically." I nodded my head sadly.
"We have to get down to the village," I said, "the Hunters low-risk hunt just became high risk very quickly."
"We'll come with you." As soon as the words left her mouth Smokes jumped from her shoulder to the wooden door of the stall.
"He's not coming?"
"I don't understand why. Why have you been acting so strange lately Smo? What's wrong? You know I need you with me if something happens right?" Smokes chirped softly at her rubbing his head on her hand. "Come to me if anything happens okay? I love you, my sweet boy." He chirped once more before me and Hardandra left the barn and headed towards the village. Right into the on coming storm.