The Familiar Hearts (Formerly Known as The Familiar)

Chapter Thirteen

I was even more nervous for training than I was before. What if I was found out listening in on the conversation? It seemed important and something that should not be heard by the wrong ears. What would happen if Tamira realized I was the one eavesdropping?

The walk to the gate and out was too short. Shorter than usual, by far much shorter as the walk was quite long from our spot in the garden. Inside I panicked, heart thumping and hands shaking. I tried to calm down as the fear of being found out became stronger with each breath.

I wonder if Rossa was having the same issue. I glanced over to my side of which she walked. Rossa's steps were smooth and fluid, graceful. Calm, as if nothing was the matter, pestering her or causing discomfort. How could she act so composed in this time of crisis?

Maybe I was overreacting. If Rossa, my fluffy something, could be so calm than so should I. Breathing deep, I focused on calming down. It became less shallow, rushed, transforming into its normal peaceful pattern. I heard a purr-like sound and reopened my eyes. We had arrived at the gate. I glanced over to Rossa with my hand on the post ready to open it to see she giving me a satisfactory look and I realized that was her plan all along. She kept calm so I would as well. For this I was grateful.

With a smile I pushed open the fence gate and steeped over the threshold. On the other side awaited Tamira and Eira. They glanced over to us as we walked out and over beside them. I tried to see if Tamira or Eira were suspicious. I attempted to keep a calm normal face as I searched for the answer. From what I could see, nothing was amiss. There was still concern if they knew or thought I was the culprit, the eavesdropper.

Instead of the accusing face I had expected to find, Tamira offered me a smile and said smoothly," Are you ready to go Sabella?"

Clearing my throat, I responded with, "Yeah, the time just flew by, I'm sorry." My voice sounded slightly stiff to my own ears.

She frowned and my heart sped. She reached over and felt my head.

"No fever," she muttered, " Sabella, are you feeling alright? You seem sickly."

I gulped, fear of my mentor finding out paled my face further. I attempted to respond, "N-I mean yes, I'm fine. A-"

"Ah, I understand," she paused and I tried to speak but my throat felt as if it was dry with a boa constrictor strangling me, "the growth has started."

"I...-What?" was my lame answer.

"The growth, when your familiar grows at an accelerated rate. Haven't you read this in the book you received?"

I thought for a moment and a light bulb went off in my head. "Yes, I remember. The growth happens sometimes with the bonded creature. How do you know Rossa has it?"

"Most of the time," she corrected," unless the creature is close or the maximum size, they grow. I can tell as you look ill and if you look at Rossa, she has grown."

I glanced over to Rossa. She was staring at me intently, almost like she was frozen. She seemed nervous and I wondered why. After a moment, I realized she had grown. Rossa had been the size of a large house cat and now was very big Maine Coon, bordering on a medium sized dog. I don't know how to describe the change in size, but I know for a fact she was quite a bit larger than last time I checked. Her face and limbs were broader as well.

"How did I not notice? We had been with each other the whole time. How did she grow so fast?" I voiced my thoughts in astonishment.

Tamira gave an amused laugh, causing me to look back over to her. "Sometimes when you are around someone much, you don't realize the physical changes. The energy lost during the growth could have also may be the cause. I was like that with Eira when I was young. Still sometimes today even, you would be surprised."

"I didn't know that."

She gave me a smile. "I looked around before for a good training area. There was none I could find, but Eira told me about an interesting place when she took a walk before."

"OK," I replied, thinking of the possible places that could be. I knew a few. The first place where I trained for The Call, a small sunlight meadow, and the river side. They were not to far from here.

Eira stood from her sitting position and stepped towards the forests beginning. The rest of us followed close behind. We traveled quickly and actually quietly over the leaf carpeted floor. From what I could tell from my exploring expertise of this forest, we had pass my first place and were close by the meadow.

The meadow was warm and the most beautiful green grass I had ever seen. Wild flowers dotted the small space and danced in the wind. The large trees that bordered the meadow offered shade when the sun became too unbearable.

As I thought of the meadow, I became lost in my thoughts, thinking of the good times I have had there. All of a sudden, a fuzzy something pushed on my side, breaking me out of my thoughts. I shook my head and glanced down to see Rossa. She simply jutted her head over to the side when I gave her a questioning look. I glanced to see my mentors had moved sharply to the right with Eira confidently sniffing the way to the place she had found.

So the meadow was out. It was too small to practice in anyway. That left the river side. We were now close by and were coming closer. As we came upon the river bed, Eira did not stop. Instead, she increased her pace to a jog. It seems that she didn't need the scent anymore. I began to wonder more where she had found.

Soon we came into a thicket that was larger than me at the side of the river. The large Shepard quickly found an opening under a close by place covered in large layered leaves. Tamira grabbed the branches and held it open for Rossa and me. After we came in, Tamira followed, shutting the leafy doorway. The inside was a place I could compare to Mom's garden with its beauty.

The area was open and large as at least a football field from what I could see. Thicket and plant life such as trees bordered the river cove. The oak and willow branches fanned out over the top, creating a leafy canopy that dripped with streams of sunlight. It tapered off a bit as it closed in on the river but picked up again of the other side. At the far end, where the river seemed to drop, awaited a rushing waterfall. The fall dipped into a cove of river stones and water. The outline of the place basically was the whole river meadow that formed into a forested tent. It was amazing.