Work Text:
Disclaimers: *sniff* not mine
Notes: an older story, revised and polished. Recycling applies to more than just paper and cans.
****
Jim lounged on a branch, bathing in a soft sunlight. It was a beautiful summer day in the forest of Ra'ana, on an island of Tel'av.
He flicked his tail at an annoying insect. He had hunted down an antelope that morning and was feeling mellow. A full stomach had a habit of doing that.
Suddenly he froze. The birds had quieted and the forest was deathly silent.
He flicked his ears. He heard nothing wrong, nor saw or smelled. Except...
Sparkles fell before his eyes.
*A sleep spell!* He tried to run, but to no avail. His legs would not work.
Drowsy.
Soft darkness descended.
***
The ground was moving.
He opened his eyes. He was in a cage and the smell of troll surrounded him.
He carefully raised his head. He had been captured by a group of trolls and spirits only knew where they were taking him. Jim lowered his head back on his paws. He would escape at the first opportunity, and hopefully he would get a chance to bite one of those stinking trolls.
They arrived at the travelling stones that evening. Jim started to panic. Only a magic-user could operate those. Once they got through the stones, they would be off the island and out of his territory. There would be no coming back.
The cage was being carried on poles, so he could not reach the trolls carrying it, not even in his twolegged form. And his growls and shouts made no impression.
They went to the stones, and between them. Reality shifted.
They walked out between other stones. Jim whimpered. The smells were different, the sounds and sight had changed in a heartbeat. He fainted from the shock to his senses.
***
He was still in the cage when he woke up. *It was not a nightmare,* he thought, disappointed. They were inside a large caravanserai. The group's unicorns and gear had been stored here. Jim looked at the bustle around him; the group was prepared to travel quite a distance. He wondered where he would end up. *Depends on why I was captured. Trolls work for others, not for themselves. Am I to be a gift or will I be sold in some large town?* Sentinels were rare and only the wealthy could afford them. For that reason, they also guaranteed a nice profit to the hunters and merchants. The sentinels were taught as cubs how to avoid hunters. Jim cursed himself a dozen kinds of fool for letting his guard down. Just because he had managed to evade the local hunters did not mean he was safe.
The magic-user of the troll hunting group came toward him with a few others trailing behind him. Jim fought against the tranq spell, but to no use. He was no magic-user, just a sentinel. He was pulled out of the cage hissing and growling. Two trolls held him down as the third took a hold of his tail. His tail and eyes were the only parts of him that did not change as he shifted form.
He felt a burning pain on his tail. After an eternity the pain transformed into a throbbing ache. He was put back into the cage.
He looked at the bandaged tail. They had put the markings of a full sentinel onto his tail, but for some reason all his befuddled mind could think of was the fact that they had messed with his beautiful tail. He was proud of his tail. There was not a hair of grey or blue on his tail. *It's ruined.* He whimpered.
Next morning the caravan moved on. Jim did not recognise any of the landscape, even the trees and bushes looked different. The flowers did not smell familiar at all. They could be anywhere, even on the main continent. He lay down in the cage, feeling lonely and sad. He would never see his home forest again.
***
A couple of days later the bandages came off his tail. The black and green rings of a full adult sentinel stood out on the black furry tail. The magic-user seemed satisfied with his work. He smeared some healing ointment on the tail to make sure it healed properly.
Jim looked at his tail. When you ignored the rings it was the same as before, but the rings were kind of hard to overlook.
He curled into a corner of his cage.
***
They arrived at a large port city in two days. Jim looked around him curiously. He had never been to a city before and his curiosity overrode his depression. To be honest, he had never been anywhere but his home island. He had lived with his mother and littermates in the mountains before moving to the forest region and staking a part of it as his territory. The island had just some fishing villages and one smaller town. He had avoided the town and its environs because of the baron's hunters.
His nose twitched at the concoction of smells. There was smoke, food, incense, elves in abundance, and everyone seemed to be in motion. The buildings were the only things staying still. And the noise, it was everywhere.
The city caravanserai was one of the largest buildings he had ever seen, which was not saying much. It was of white stone and light coloured wood. There was one other caravan staying there, but that was all. *Wonder if this is normal? Could be its quiet. But if this is quiet, what is it like in a busy season?* If someone living here bought him, he would find out. He was not sure if it would be good or bad.
That evening, an older elf came to see him. The elf checked his tail, ears and eyes. Jim growled at him, but with the trolls holding him down that was all he could do. The older elf seemed satisfied with him and the markings.
Jim's cage was put onto a wagon as the older elf gave a large purse to the magic-user. *So, is this my new owner?* He did not look like much.
***
"But mother -" Blair wailed as he was trying to keep up with priestess Naomi. It was not an easy task. Her mother was in full swing with the tails of her multicoloured scarves and robes fluttering after her like feathers.
"No buts, son of mine. It's about time you got yourself a familiar," his mother said sternly. She motioned for the guards standing by the gates.
"We're going to the main market hall," she announced.
The guards bowed and two of them followed the pair. Blair barely noticed.
"I've just received my sorcerer's robes, mom. I don't need a familiar yet," Blair tried to reason with his mother, though he had a sinking feeling that her mind was made up. He knew from experience that once her mind was made up, nothing could stop her. In fact, everyone in the city council and in the temple knew it. Her single-mindedness was legendary in the region.
"Of course you need one," she stated as she started walking along the busy streets toward the main market hall near their home.
Blair sighed. It could take weeks to find your familiar. He was quite sure his mother would drag her to the market hall daily for as long as it took, and straight to the caravanserai if that failed. Blair had a vision of his mother taking him to the temple menagerie. It would really cause quite an uproar if he bonded with one of the temple griffins or felines. *I'd better find my familiar through traditional means* He hurried after his mother.
***
The main market hall of Cathana, the capital of Sarrand, was shadowy and cool in the afternoon heat. He had always liked the place, since childhood it had excited him with the wonders and curious sights it contained. This time he had no time to appreciate them as they walked straight to the section that had familiars fit for sorcerers. Naomi hovered on the background as Blair petted or stroked each one. There were birds, felines, canines, a unicorn, a griffin, a sentinel.
*Sentinel?* Blair looked at the cage of a sentinel he could see from behind a colourful curtain. A sentinel would not be on public display, they were too expensive for that.
He lifted the curtain and stepped closer to the cage. The sentinel was in its twolegged form with its tail curled around muscled thighs. *A full sentinel, pureblood,* Blair thought in wonder. It was years since he had last seen one of those.
Blair walked closer. Suddenly he was looking straight into blue feline eyes.
Recognition hit him. *My familiar.*
***
Jim was lost in the blue elf eyes. There was a tug in his soul, a yearning to spend the rest of his life with the elf.
*No, I'm not some youngling's pet!* He protested ineffectually. The bond between a sorcerer and a familiar does not care about the will of either, it just is.
***
Priestess Naomi was delighted. It was rare for a sorcerer to find his familiar so soon, but she had always known her first-born was special. He would add to the honour of the family.
"Merchant! How much for the sentinel?" she asked, waving for the older elf that had been napping in the cool shade.
"Well, he's from the northern islands off the coast of Cascadia. Bought him just a ten day ago."
"I'm not interested in his lineage, grandfather."
Blair barely heard as his mother bickered over the price of the sentinel with the merchant.
//I know you can hear me, mine//
//No!//
//Yes, you're my familiar. Our meeting was arranged by the spirit world//
//longing//
//This is your home now, here with me//
//Not home//
Blair caught a vision of cool trees and a clearing with a spring. *The bond is growing stronger.*
Blair reached out to stroke the sentinel's arm and shoulders. He sent comfort and warmth along their bond.
/7I'll take care of you. It will be all right. You'll like it here, and we can always travel to the mountains for a while//
//Mountains?// Puzzlement.
//Yes, they reached higher than hills// Blair sent a vision of the mountains near the family summer place.
/7curiosity, hint of excitement//
*Curious as a feline,* Blair thought amused. The saying seemed to fit with this one.
The sentinel caught his amusement. Blair could sense the affronted huff.
***
It took an hour for the merchant of the Ellison family to come to an agreement about the price of the sentinel with the priestess of the Sandburg family. The guards had their hands full keeping the curious onlookers at a respectful distance. The word had spread that Priestess Naomi's firstborn had found a familiar, and a sentinel at that. There were many who were anxious to see the sentinel, and to hear how the haggling between an Ellison merchant and Priestess Naomi was going.
Finally, Blair could take his sentinel to his home. Or so he thought.
//You wear it! I'm not going to have anything around my throat. Bad enough that my tail is ruined!//
//There's nothing wrong with your tail. It's quite beautiful. The collar is just for when we're walking outside. You don't have to wear it once we get home//
//You think my tail is fine?//
//Yes, the rings enhance its colour, they don't mar it//
The sentinel looked at his tail. He shifted his gaze back to Blair and eyed the collar suspiciously.
//Just outside the home territory?/
//Yes, I swear//
//Well, all right. But not *that* one// The sentinel upped his nose.
Blair looked at the simple leather collar in his hand. He could not see anything wrong with it; it was not too wide or bulky.
//What's wrong with it?//
//Clashes with my fur// Stubborness.
//Great, vanity thy name is sentinel//
//It's not! If I have to wear something, I want it to *fit* me//
Blair walked to his mother in despair.
"He won't wear the collar. Says it doesn't fit with his fur." He knew he sounded like a five-year-old, begging for his mother to fix things, but he did not care. Breakfast had been a hurried affair, and lunchtime was nearing. Right now he just wanted to get his sentinel home and get some lunch into both of them.
"He has black fur, right?" she asked from the merchant.
"Oh, yes. Perfectly black fur, not a hint of grey or blue," the merchant confirmed proudly.
"I understand his point. That will not do," she said, eyeing the simple collar. "Leave it to me."
***
Jim looked at the collar Blair was showing to him. He could sense that the young sorcerer was at the end of his patience, but he had certain rights and he was sticking to them. And that original collar had looked simply awful, something a guard canine would wear. This one was of soft black leather with blue and dark green ornamentation. It was definitely an improvement.
//Much better, your mother has a good eye//
//I know. Now come here//
He shifted into feline form and stepped out of the cage. Blair put the collar on him, checking it was not too tight.
Jim walked out beside his new sorcerer.
***
The Sandburg family headquarters was a large building of white stone and colourful tiles. There was a central courtyard with a fountain and trees, stalls, kitchen and storerooms for everything that a large household would need. The personal rooms were on the second floor; on the third floor were the studies and Blair's sanctum. Jim would be the only other sentient being allowed into the sanctum.
Jim was lying in front of a window in the sanctum, enjoying the sunlight.
//So, just what am I here?//
//My familiar. You're my responsibility, my eyes and ears as well as a channel through which I can cast spells even without being present in person//
Jim moved to his side and spread as only a feline can.
//Why don't you call me Jim?// Stab of anxiety.
//That's the name only the two of us use. It's not for public use. I'll announce your public name tomorrow//
//Why tomorrow?//
//That's when you'll be officially presented to the household. I'll also show you around the sorcerer's guild// Contentment, excitement.
//You're of age now?//
//Speaking as a sorcerer, yes// Jim felt like he was assaulted by bubbles of joy. His sorcerer seemed like a decent sort. Maybe he would like it here. As long as his public name was not something ridiculous, of course.
***
//Midnight? Please, you can come up with better than that//
Jim was sitting on Blair's bed. He would be sleeping and living in Blair's quarters, thankfully they were quite large quarters. Blair even had his own terrace. Jim had already checked its sun bathing qualities and announced it adequate. He had caught the sigh of relief from Blair, but had decided not to comment on it.
Blair did not know whether to laugh or scream. Somewhere, spirits were laughing their asses off.
//Okay, how about Soft fur?//
Jim looked at him.
//Do you have any sexual tendencies I should know about?//
//Oh. Suggestive?//
//Quite//
//Sorry. Let's see// Blair thought furiously. //Light paws?//
//No//
//Right. Whiskers?//
//Definitely not!//
Blair flopped down onto the bed. He looked out the window.
//Night star?//
Jim thought about it. It sounded... right.
//acceptance, pleased//
He went to lie beside Blair. He snuggled next to the sorcerer, taking over half the bed.
Blair started stroking his fur. The young sorcerer fell asleep to the sound of his familiar purring.
***
Jim looked at the sleeping sorcerer. He was not a bad sort. *And not bad-looking, either.* In some of the familiar-sorcerer pairs where the familiar was a shape shifter, the two became lovers.
Jim stretched and yawned. He doubted he would mind it if such happened with them.
He settled down and drifted into sleep to the sound of the young sorcerer's heart beating.
***
End?