bench and let the last of the stress slide away. He knew part of it was the effects of the garden. The magic he’d worked into the soil along with the fertilizer and seeds swirled around him wrapping him in a blanket of comfort. The earth was wet and the mints still gave off their strong smell, peppermint and lemon balm warring for the upper hand. The gray mullein towered above the mallow, some of it dying back, some patiently waiting to be harvested.
Movement caught his eyes, Dor landed on the fire escape and hopped through the window, something clasped in his talons. Galen wondered where the bird had been and hoped it had been an errand for Rob rather than a raid on Flash’s new car. After losing his to a large piece of the mountain the Ealdféond had been trapped in, Galen and Rob had replaced it. For some reason only fathomable to thousand year old ravens, Flash’s new car was an even better source of continual amusement. If it made Rob laugh, Galen approved.
He sighed. His brother was recovering, but it had been a close call. Some days it felt like they lived their life from one close call to another. The problem with this one was that Rob was right in his nearly bitter pronouncement that if his Gift had been functioning correctly and their bond at full force it would never have happened. Galen smiled, Rob usually followed up that little bit of bitterness with “right or wrong, it is, and we have to live with it. We’ll find an answer.” Rob’s moments of bitterness were not long-lasting, he continued on, without his Sight, with the muted bond and kept looking for answers.
Galen stood and stepped out of the protective curtain of the garden, feeling the soft, far-off hum of the bond in the back of his awareness. It was buzzing a little. He quickened his steps and headed into the building and up the stairs. Both ravens were laughing and he could hear his brother joining them as well. When he opened the door, silence fell like someone had hit a switch.
“Galen,” Rob said, smiling.
The ravens both barked-chirped.
“Rob?” Galen asked. “You all look…innocent.”
“Us?”
“ Never!” Dera assured him, offended.
“Yeah, what?” Galen stepped to Rob, his brother looked a little pale. He laid a hand on his head and let the healing flow, feeling the warmth course through Rob’s body, driving the pain away and for a moment, the bond was there. Strong, warm, comfortable. He sensed rather than heard Rob’s sigh, the ravens hummed. “You’ve been up too long.”
“You are a pain in the ass.”
“Everyone is going to be here in about half an hour,” Galen said.
“Is Flash bringing his latest brilliant drink invention?”
“Clang? Yeah, I’m afraid so.”
“You know I might have to kill him,” Rob said with a smile. “It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have to hit a pan every time he finished a shot.”
“But then it wouldn’t be Clang.”
“Flash logic, he should teach a course, make some philosophy student’s head explode.”
“I’ve thought that myself.” Galen laughed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Me too,” Rob said and followed Galen towards the back of the apartment.
When Galen got back to the table there were two packages on the table. He set the two he had down as well. There were other presents in the pile on the couch to be exchanged at the party, but they always took a moment to exchange something special before the party. It was part of their Tradition. The gifts having a meaning the other party-goers might not understand.
Dera was pulling at the ribbon on one of the packages. “Hey! At least let me open them.” Galen grumbled
“You said I could get us coffee,” Rob added.
The raven looked unapologetic, hopped off the package and waited patiently. “I think they know what’s in them.”
“I think they do,” Rob replied, setting a cup of coffee in front of Galen. “This one first.” He handed a long one to Galen.
Carefully pulling off the mylar
Movement caught his eyes, Dor landed on the fire escape and hopped through the window, something clasped in his talons. Galen wondered where the bird had been and hoped it had been an errand for Rob rather than a raid on Flash’s new car. After losing his to a large piece of the mountain the Ealdféond had been trapped in, Galen and Rob had replaced it. For some reason only fathomable to thousand year old ravens, Flash’s new car was an even better source of continual amusement. If it made Rob laugh, Galen approved.
He sighed. His brother was recovering, but it had been a close call. Some days it felt like they lived their life from one close call to another. The problem with this one was that Rob was right in his nearly bitter pronouncement that if his Gift had been functioning correctly and their bond at full force it would never have happened. Galen smiled, Rob usually followed up that little bit of bitterness with “right or wrong, it is, and we have to live with it. We’ll find an answer.” Rob’s moments of bitterness were not long-lasting, he continued on, without his Sight, with the muted bond and kept looking for answers.
Galen stood and stepped out of the protective curtain of the garden, feeling the soft, far-off hum of the bond in the back of his awareness. It was buzzing a little. He quickened his steps and headed into the building and up the stairs. Both ravens were laughing and he could hear his brother joining them as well. When he opened the door, silence fell like someone had hit a switch.
“Galen,” Rob said, smiling.
The ravens both barked-chirped.
“Rob?” Galen asked. “You all look…innocent.”
“Us?”
“ Never!” Dera assured him, offended.
“Yeah, what?” Galen stepped to Rob, his brother looked a little pale. He laid a hand on his head and let the healing flow, feeling the warmth course through Rob’s body, driving the pain away and for a moment, the bond was there. Strong, warm, comfortable. He sensed rather than heard Rob’s sigh, the ravens hummed. “You’ve been up too long.”
“You are a pain in the ass.”
“Everyone is going to be here in about half an hour,” Galen said.
“Is Flash bringing his latest brilliant drink invention?”
“Clang? Yeah, I’m afraid so.”
“You know I might have to kill him,” Rob said with a smile. “It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have to hit a pan every time he finished a shot.”
“But then it wouldn’t be Clang.”
“Flash logic, he should teach a course, make some philosophy student’s head explode.”
“I’ve thought that myself.” Galen laughed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Me too,” Rob said and followed Galen towards the back of the apartment.
When Galen got back to the table there were two packages on the table. He set the two he had down as well. There were other presents in the pile on the couch to be exchanged at the party, but they always took a moment to exchange something special before the party. It was part of their Tradition. The gifts having a meaning the other party-goers might not understand.
Dera was pulling at the ribbon on one of the packages. “Hey! At least let me open them.” Galen grumbled
“You said I could get us coffee,” Rob added.
The raven looked unapologetic, hopped off the package and waited patiently. “I think they know what’s in them.”
“I think they do,” Rob replied, setting a cup of coffee in front of Galen. “This one first.” He handed a long one to Galen.
Carefully pulling off the mylar
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