Feral Bonds

Chapter 55: The Witch's Burden - 2

Elowen sat back, letting the warmth of the garden and the steady presence of Sira ground her amidst the overwhelming rush of magic. The connection to Akecheta, after all these years, was both exhilarating and terrifying. Her mind swam with questions, each one darker and heavier than the last. Who was the other presence she had felt entwined with Akecheta's soul? What kind of magic was at work? The feeling was so different from anything she had experienced before—something ancient, primal, and deeply tied to the wild. It unsettled her, but also reassured her. Whoever was with Akecheta now, it was clear that they were protecting him.

She looked over at Sira, her daughter's eyes full of concern and quiet understanding. It was Sira's steadiness that kept Elowen from slipping into panic.

"Do you think I should reach out to him?" Elowen asked, her voice wavering with uncertainty. "What if he's in danger? What if he needs me?"

Sira considered her mother's question for a long moment, her expression thoughtful. "Mother," she said softly, her hand resting gently on Elowen's arm, "I think you need to wait. You said he feels safe, that whoever this presence is seems to be helping him. I know you want to make sure he's alright, but if the bond has returned on its own... perhaps this is the time for you to trust in that magic."

Elowen sighed, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her emotions. She wanted to believe that Akecheta had finally found peace, but the guilt from years ago gnawed at her like an old wound. She had left him behind, abandoned him in his most vulnerable state. How could she trust that he wouldn't need her now?

"I abandoned him once," Elowen whispered, her voice trembling. "What if he's still suffering because of what I did?"

Sira's grip tightened slightly, her eyes shining with both compassion and determination. "You didn't abandon him, Mother. You did what you thought was best. And maybe, in a way, that allowed him to find his path. Whoever he is with now, whatever is protecting him, it's clear that he's found something, or someone, who understands what he needs."

Elowen nodded, though her heart still ached. The bond had been silent for so long, and now that it had roared back to life, she felt lost in a storm of conflicting emotions. But Sira's words gave her comfort, a sense of clarity that she had been missing. Maybe this new presence, this force that had bound itself to Akecheta, was what he needed. Maybe she wasn't the one who could save him.

As if reading her mother's thoughts, Sira spoke again. "I know you want to be the one to fix this, but you might not be able to. And that's okay. You saved him once, by trying to free him from the curse. Now, it might be someone else's turn."

Elowen closed her eyes, letting Sira's words settle into her. She had spent so many years carrying the burden of guilt and responsibility for Akecheta's fate. The idea that someone else had stepped in to help him, that maybe this wasn't her fight anymore, was both painful and relieving.

Sira shifted, kneeling beside her mother, her voice softer now. "You don't need to bear this weight alone anymore. He's alive. He's safe. Trust in that."

Elowen opened her eyes and found herself staring at the blue flower she had been touching earlier. It swayed gently in the breeze, its delicate petals glimmering in the golden light of the setting sun. There was a quiet strength in its simplicity, in its ability to thrive despite the changing seasons.

She drew in a deep breath and nodded again, this time with more resolve. "You're right. I need to let him go. At least, for now."

Sira smiled gently, leaning in to press a kiss to her mother's temple. "We'll keep an eye on the bond, just in case. But for now, we'll focus on the coven and on ourselves."

Elowen smiled weakly, but it was a start. The heaviness in her chest remained, but it was lighter than before, tempered by the knowledge that Akecheta wasn't alone. That he had found someone, or something, that understood the wildness within him, the part of him that she had tried so desperately to save.

As the two of them sat in the fading light, a soft breeze picked up, rustling the leaves in the trees surrounding the coven. Elowen felt the familiar hum of magic in the air, but this time it didn't feel overwhelming. Instead, it felt like a reminder—a reminder that the bond was still there, but it didn't have to consume her.

"I've always believed that the wild has its own way of healing," Elowen said softly, mostly to herself. "Maybe that's what happened. Maybe the wild has finally found him, and it's helping him in a way I couldn't."

Sira nodded beside her, her gaze drifting toward the treeline. "Maybe," she agreed. "And maybe the wild knows how to heal him in ways that even we can't understand."

Elowen let her daughter's words settle over her like a balm. The wild was a force beyond their control, beyond their understanding. It had its own way of shaping the world, of guiding those who were lost back to where they needed to be. And maybe, just maybe, Akecheta had found his place within it.

The thought brought her a strange sense of peace. She had spent years agonizing over what had happened, but now, for the first time, she felt like she could breathe again.

The bond between her and Akecheta might have returned, but it wasn't hers to control anymore. It was a connection that had changed, evolved into something more powerful and more mysterious than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, that was how it was meant to be.

For now, all she could do was trust in the wild, and in the strange, ancient magic that had found its way to Akecheta.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in deep hues of orange and red, Elowen and Sira sat together in the fading light, their hearts a little lighter than before. Whatever lay ahead, they would face it together, and Elowen would carry the knowledge that Akecheta was alive, that he was safe, and that the wild had finally found him.

And that, for now, was enough.