The Eldest Marked

10. untitled

"Don't put on the cloak," Tabitha had said as they prepared for their first day out on the town.

There were so many places Tabitha planned to take her, the different places she had come to love in their time apart. But they barely made it a few blocks away from the apartment before Winona tucked into an alleyway, covering her ears and shutting her eyes.

It was all too much, too soon. So instead, they headed towards the closest patch of wilderness. It was a long walk past leering strangers.

Even amongst the trees everything was different. It didn't breathe right, like the forest outside her home. It was more like her small garden, intentional, and definitely not natural.

Winona closed her eyes, but even the birdsong was wrong. A hum of electricity still sang above the sparrows. Tabitha didn't seem bothered, so she tried to ignore it.

"Are you ready to meet my familiar?" Tabitha asked, a small, sad smile on her face.

Tabitha produced two small, clear, double sided crystals from the locket around her neck.

"I bound my own familiar," Tabitha said. "So I chose his form."

Tabitha struck the two crystals together to produce a deep hum that grew like the rumble of a gathering storm.

An incredibly large, dark stag appeared before them like an impassable barrier of smoke. He stood taller than either of them, with his expansive antlers branching out even further beyond like two grand wings of bone.

Tabitha reached a hand up to stroke down his snout. His face was tranquil, imobile, but his eyes swam with emotion. He was clearly grateful to be out, but he wanted to run.

"I can see why you didn't want to show me in the apartment," Winona laughed in astonishment. "What's his name?"

"He is a bit much," Tabitha agreed. "His name is Cinder. I was going for the theatrical."

A memory knocked loose as she stared into his dark brown eyes. A rainy day back home, a dark figure at the edge of the clearing outside her window. She had thought it was a dream.

"Did you send him home before?"

Tabitha blushed. "You noticed that?"

"Why didn't you say hi?"

"I was having a tough time of it all, making my new life here more or less alone. I wasn't supposed to tell you anything about the Origin, and I wasn't sure if I could see you without spilling my guts," Tabitha said, turning abruptly to face away from her. The stag nuzzled her shaking shoulders.

"I missed you so much," Winona said.

Tabitha turned, wiping tears as discreetly as possible to bring on a smile. "You want to ride him home with me?"

"You can ride him?"

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Why do you think I made him so big. They don't have horses for hire here, you know," she said. "So you'd have to take an uber."

"Uber?"

Tabitha motioned for the stag to bend down so she could mount him, holding onto his antlers like reins. "Nevermind that, are you coming or not?"

"Won't people see us?"

"Not if we ride in the inbetween," Tabitha said.