Book 2 Chapter 59

Rowan stared at his ceiling in the dark, having woken from a dreamless sleep. Either no dreams came to him or the dreams he’d had refused to linger in his thoughts after he’d awoken. He much preferred the dreamless nights to the ones filled with nightmares.

Nightmares of his past failures, either the death of his parents, the death of his wife, or the night he lost his leg.

There was a part of him that preferred even the nightmares to the dreams of pleasant days with Lexie. Those had been coming less and less in recent years, though a recent resurgence had happened after telling his youngest the tale of how their mother had died.

He was torn by their growing absence. He knew that it was ‘healthy’ to move on.

But how could he? She had been his guiding light. Blessed him with three wonderful children.

It should have been him, not her, who’d died that day. She would not have made the same mistakes as him. She wouldn’t have endangered their family in the ways he had from his growing inaction.

A sigh filled the cold and empty room.

He regretted leaving the plinth that acted as her grave marker behind, but the small shrine they’d made in the main room of their new home would have to suffice. Her silver mirror being placed there instead of by his bedside meant he no longer had his nightly ritual, but after the birth of that reflection he felt uncomfortable doing said ritual anyways.

The pale light of dawn peered through the shutters on his window, dispersing his melancholy and signalling his time to rise from his bed.

Time to let go of the past, and embrace the coming changes in the future.

The new bed didn’t creak under his weight in the same way his old one did, a change he rather liked.

He hoped the change happening today was one that followed in a similar vein.

He put on his rough prosthetic using a small effort of qi to attach it. He’d grown the thing himself with the help of Bough, and while he still hated that he needed it, he no longer hated the object’s mere existence.

Frankly he’d been more stubborn than he should’ve when he refused to make such an aid.

He greeted his family at breakfast, making sure to reassure his son that he’d done well during the many sessions of practice, and thanking his daughter for the delicious fare.

Rowan suspected Maple was beginning to feel trapped here with them, and vaguely dreaded when she’d finally broach the topic of setting out on her own. She’d mentioned a couple times now that she was being considered for an inter-city delivery position, which would come with an increase in pay, but would mean she’d be away from home for extended periods.

It hurt that his children were leaving the nest, but he couldn’t deny the feeling of pride that welled up in equal measure to watch them soar out into the world.

Even Yew was growing into a fine young man. Rowan felt he still had a ways to go, but he had made great strides in the past year. Though he really needed to be more discreet showing his affection to young Bai. It was only a matter of time before Jieun took matters into her own hands.

He personally wouldn’t mind the girl being added to his household, but he felt it should be a decision made between the two of them, not something forced by either of their parents.

He frankly doubted that Jieun felt the same as him.

All these thoughts and more were going through his head as he spent the cold morning with his oldest friend. They’d found a small hill near enough to their equally small field that they could look out at it like the spot they had back in the Vale.

Bough was still lethargic due to the fingers of winter still clinging to the land, but they were more awake then they had been in previous weeks.

Something that Rowan was quite grateful for. He wanted his old friend to be full of energy for the ceremony later today.

He stared at the sky, his back resting against Bough, the same way he spent many a beautiful day in the past. The same way his grandfather spent his days before he’d passed the bond on to him.

Rowan secretly hoped Yew would do the same. He wouldn’t pressure the boy to do so, but it’d be nice if he continued this little tradition of gazing at the sky with an old friend at his back.

So many of his family's traditions were lost with the death of his parents. He’d learned what he could, but there was never a rush. Everyone felt that there was time enough for him to learn all of the speeches and ceremonies that his father had done with ease. No one had expected tragedy to strike them when it had.

Rowan often wondered if his father had also been winging it. If the speeches weren’t the heavily rehearsed and refined bits of family tradition that he’d thought they were and instead they were the sincere eloquence of a man who loved to talk.

He missed hearing the voices of his parents. He missed having an older generation of his family to talk to. To ask for advice or lend a needed ear.

He was vaguely aware he had aunts and uncles out in the world somewhere, but his grandfather had been rather tight-lipped on where his other children had wound up aside from Rowan’s father. His mother had been an only child and her parents had died young so he didn’t have any surviving family on that side either.

It was now just him and his three children.

Bough rumbled and began to shift, drawing him out of thoughts of family and tradition.

Maple and Yew were walking towards him together, with the Xins not far behind.

Rowan checked the position of the sun and realized it was time. The day was almost fully spent.

Where had it all gone?

He got up and dusted himself off, not needing to be at his cleanest or wearing his best for this particular ceremony. His grandfather had done it in his usual work clothes, and if it was good enough for the old man, it was good enough for him.

Rowan smiled as his two children stopped in front of him, with Maple staying behind her brother, and the Xins gathering behind her.

Leaving his son to stand in front of him with a determined expression and extremely stiff posture. Yew looked like he was ready to bear the weight of the world, and it almost made Rowan laugh.

But mostly it just filled him with pride. His boy was ready for this.

Rowan took a deep breath and began his short speech.

“Thank you all for gathering here today. As per the traditions of my family we are gathered here to watch as I pass the bond of our family’s beast, Bough on to my eldest son, Yew. Both myself and Bough have watched him grow in both body and mind throughout his life, and we’ve watched with pride as he’s become the young man in front of me today.”

He turned his head to look at the old turtle of earth and root.

“Old friend, do you feel that he is ready to be your binder?”

An affirming rumble came from the old beast.

“Will you continue to serve our family as you have? Providing shade under your branches and helping to grow the food that sustains us?”

Again, his friend rumbled.

Rowan turned to face his son once more.

“Yew, are you ready, not just to bear the bond of Bough, but the added responsibility it represents?”

Yew looked uncertain for just a moment, but Rowan saw the resolve form in his eyes.

“I am.”

Rowan grinned a flash of white amidst his dark beard. Though his eyes decided it was also time to mist up and make his vision blurry, thankfully a few blinks cleared that up.

“Then step forth so that I may gift to you your first companion.”

Yew did as commanded and father and son clasped arms.

“May you use the strength this bond provides to protect our family, and may Bough guard your back as you do.”

As he spoke he gently undid the cord of power tying his core to Bough, and carefully passed it to his son through their clasped arms. Yew had closed his eyes to focus on the task as he then used his meagre qi to attach the bond to his own core. Under Rowan's watchful eye of course.

But he did it perfectly, weeks of practice coming to fruition.

Rowan raised his son's hand skyward and Yew turned to face the rest of their family.

“The bond is complete!”

With the completion of the ceremony they all went inside and enjoyed a wonderful meal to celebrate.

Rowan might lack the wisdom of his elders, but he hoped to be around for his son as long as he could.

Helping to guide him away from the mistakes that he’d made.