Coming Home

I curled around my mate, murmured her name in her ear, and she responded, "... Guz ..... GUZ? Hyu iz avake!"

I embraced her and nuzzled her neck, "This is a pleasant way to regain conciousness.Hello love."

"Hmmmm ... Hy agree." She turned in my arms to face me, and growled, "Dun do dot again, eediot."

I admit I was concentrating on her most excellent collarbones, so my response of "Hmm? What?" was less articulate than I might have wished.

"Forzt, how iz hyu? Iz hyu vell?"

Self-diagnostic stretching and some experimental flexing of my wings, and I was able to reply, "Not too bad, love. I won't be able to take on Elder Ones for a few weeks, but otherwise all right..."

Birdsan's tone changed from scolding to sensuous, "Goot. Then talk later. Right now, getz youzelf *IN* here! Haz been too long." An hour or so later, having worn off the edge off, she murmured, "Zo, love of my life, fire of my loinz -- if hyu effer ron off vitout backop again, Hy vill be effen more annoyed than Hy iz..."

The timing was perfect. "Just a moment, love," as I got up to rummage in the press. she made some confused-annoyed noises until I presented her with the small box. "This is backwards, I understand, but I had thought we had more time. I don't want to make that sort of mistake with you ever again."

She hauled me back into bed, chuckling, "De kidz tinkz ve iz schlow..." and then she kissed me deeply.

I cradled her face in my hands, and when the kiss ended, I gave her my Names, all of them, in the manner of the formal presentation before Council and spoke the simple words of the ceremony, "I am your mate." She was shocked, and a bit apprehensive, but I reassured her, "It is there for you, love - all of me. I only ask that you stay a while."

I was rewarded by the rare sight of one of the 'kin being flustered. I think that may have been a first for her, as her response began hesitantly, but she was firm in her declaration. " Hy .... Hy iz you peregrine, all of me und all dot Hy vill be, und Hy vill fly vit hyu for az log az hyu vill have me. Und ... und Hy iz you mate, love."

Kissing another with fangs is a novel experience, but we are getting better practiced at it. As she wrapped herself around me, I heard her breath catch. I nuzzled her ear and murmured, "yes, wife?" She was a bundle of uncertainty and joy, but still spoke her question.

"Guz .... hyu dint have to do dot ... Hy vould have schtayed vit hyu vitout de formality. Hyu iz ... hokay vit dis??? Hyu zaid hyu vanted more time ...?"

"Would you rather I had not? I wanted to give you ..." She distracted me momentarily by a complex undulation, which helped clarify my thoughts into words. "I did not realize I might be injured or you - We are both expected to live a long time, but it could have gone badly, had Gematria not worked with me. I wanted you, and thought we had centuries, but my mortality came close this time."

"Votever time, zenturiez or momentz, Hy iz glad to be here vit hyu, huzbin."

I wrapped my arms around her tighter, "we might have forever, or we might have tomorrow, I did not want to wait any longer."

She giggled, "Velcome back, dear love, huzbin of mine own. Dun do dot again."

"Yes'm wife."

"Goot boy. Tenk hyu." She settled into my arms and a thought occurred to me.

"You said the kids thought we were slow?"

"Hmm? Ho! Ja, de kidz vere rudely approofing vhen Hy gotz Annechen to zign de paperz. Dot ve vaz schlow to figure out dot ve schould be together."

I chuckled into her shoulder, "That sounds like Wolfgang - It means we were not being properly sneaky - not that I was trying."

She nodded, giggling, "Even If ve dun mek love in the plaza fountain, ve iz exhibitioniztz." A few moments later, she mused, "Iz it uzual among you pipplez for de man to vear a ring, Hy vonderz?"

I nibbled her shoulder, and responded, "hmm.... Considering how we the clankin can sense blood and bond ties, we don't have a standard outward sign, but because there are mates taken from other planes, we have adopted their signals, usually as a sign of respect for the mated one outside the clan. Bonded mates often wear wear rings or cuffs, doesn't matter what gender. There have been times when collars are in fashion, but that may not go over well here."

She thought a few moments, and pondered aloud, " Hrm. A ring vould be recognized in this culture .... cuffz vould be zeen az juzt brazeletz. Und collarz ... noooo, dot vould not vork here, no." Then she giggled again and leaned into my nuzzling, "Vould hyu vear a ring from me, love?"

"I would wear a collar for you if you wished, sevgili."

She turned her head to glare at me, "Hy dun vantz to *own* hyu, Mizter Timelezz."

I chuckled, and purred in her ear, "Yeah, kind of difficult for me to be your dog, baby."

She giggled, and elbowed me gently int he ribs. "Hyu knowz vot Hy vantz right now, huzbin?"

In earnest seriousness, I answered, "Tea?" At her giggled negative, I nibbled her earlobe, murrmuring, "I'll bet you have a list."

"Hmmm ... this iz a zimple lizt, for tonight. Juzt vun ting on it." She paused, purring in response to my attentions to the nape of her neck, and then continued, "Hy vantz to fall aschleep tonight, looking up into you eyez, your veight on top of me, zo Hy knowz vit my eyez clozed dot Hyu iz back from dot adventure...." What man can say no to that sort of request from his mate?She caressed my wing, then rested that hand on my shoulder, "Goot night, sveet love." As she closed her eyes, smilng as she drifted off to sleep, she murmured, "Hy vonder ven Gematria vill move in...."

Awakening

The the rest at the pub and the wake afterward afforded me time to finish what I started with Gematria. The task was made easier by the fading of the compulsions set by her clan's founder. Death should not have erased them; I surmised he may have been an awfully dammed busy meteor-pilot, to have aimed Wormwood and lifted the gaes on Gem at the same time.

She wound down at the wake, and in the quiet, I told her, [I know we did not see eye to eye on your Founder's actions, but I am sorry for your pain.]

When she made no response, I continued, [He has given you back to yourself, as far as he was able. Once I release this last leash from the vampire, you will be under no one's control but yourself.]

[Will that mean you will stop pestering me?]

I chuckled, [Only in that I will not longer be inside your head.] Casting my sight around the lady's aetherial being, I hung my eyes upon the spheres tumbling free. [You will be welcome anywhere I have a claim, if you should need it.]

She was quiet for a very long time, and finally responded, [Thank you for the invitation, Mr Timeless]

The last bit of gearwork polished and filled out very quickly, to a blinding coruscate bubble of joy... and I was in my bed.

Muscles stiff from misuse, carefully stretching against... I chuckled inwardly and wrapped my arm around the sleeping form of myperigrine lass, nuzzling under her ear.

And the Cycle Begins Anew

So, he truly is gone, this time – and true to form, he has both given a great service and landed a huge problem on the doorstep in one fell swoop with his last act.

The Council will no doubt have their hands full with the refugees for a time. I imagine that is where the niece is now. Her hand control is better these days, so I would not be surprised if she is on one of the trauma/extraction teams. She missed the wake, but when duty calls, the clan attends.

There have been multiple upheavals, though I have not been able to report anything of the changes to Abbu. Medical leave-of-absence aside, I have several boatloads of information to dump on him when we finish here.

The new Regent is a bit of a surprise. The Luminous One has always been welcomed by the Council, though she has not returned to the Chambers in my memory. Even if there had been problems, we would have to ally with her and the brood, in preparation for the coming war.

We need to get Gematria under her own power before the first engagement. She may count herself frail, but she does have a very important part to play. With her brother, and the others that carry the lore, her analysis could give us the edge we will definitely need against the Hydra.