Njeri had known Oreme most of their adult life, she was their constant shadow, their record-keeper, their babysitter a great deal of the time when Njeri's desire for adventure led them to troublesome circumstances. The topic of bonding had never come up between the two of them, although Njeri wanted to broach it more than once. Oreme had very nearly had a bond once, back when Njeri was much younger and their sister still alive. Oreme had been assigned to Jelt when she wasn't much more than a kit, brought up and raised for the express purpose of being the bond made to a council member, complete with education in all of Homewood's fineries. She knew how to read and write like the best and had a crafty memory honed to razor sharpness. An excellent asset to anyone wishing to play Homewood's politics.
But Jelt had died before she and Oreme were comfortable enough with one another to bond. Oreme was part of the family by then, and she'd mourned as terribly as Njeri, Iselexon, and their parents. Njeri remembered her sitting next to the burial mound, lost and confused, worried about her future now that Jelt was gone. Njeri heart was heavy for her, and they'd offered her a new home. No formal invitation to bond or work, just... a place to be, until things settled again, as they always do after loss.
But Oreme never left, and slowly she'd started implementing all of her managerial training with Njeri. A constant companion through thick or thin and a voice of reason against Njeri's most ridiculous ideas.
It had been years, now.
Njeri was ready, but it wasn't their place to ask.
-----
"Here." Oreme popped under Njeri's nose and dropped a mouthful of something at their feet.
Njeri, who had been quietly dozing in the afternoon sun, blinked wearily and raised their head with a yawn. "Pardon?"
Oreme nudged whatever she'd dropped closer, a stern look marring her pale features. "They're peonies. Well, and bluebells for you."
So they were. A tidy bouquet of wildflowers lay bunched at Njeri's hooves in a swirl of pink and blue. Njeri snuffled them, inhaling the clean, light scent of fresh cut flowers. "Lovely, thank-you. What are they for?"
Oreme looked away, wiggling her nose. She rubbed at and ear, tail twitching, and muttered something inaudible. Muttered. Oreme never muttered! Even when she ought to, she was always forthright about making her opinion known.
Njeri got to their feet, concerned. "Oreme?"
"Bonding," Oreme mumbled. "They're for bonding."
Njeri's heart swelled. They nuzzled the top of Oreme's head until her hair tufted every which way. "Oh, you delightful creature! I do adore you."
"I know you do," Oreme sniffed. She hopped to the pile of flowers and tapped them impatiently. "Let's do this, then. I think we're both ready."
"Here?"
"I don't think there's any better place than our home, do you?"
-----
Black reams of fog enveloped Njeri, so thick it stung their eyes and made their lungs burn as if they were gasping at mud. Njeri shook their head, blinking rapidly to clear they eyes. Each backward step let off a echoing tlot through the empty darkness.
"Where are we?" Oreme's welcome voice piped from near the ground.
The worried chill burgeoning in Njeri's chest deflated. Thank grandfather tree Oreme was here with them... now... just to figure out where here was. The darkness was so thick Njeri couldn't make out Oreme's pale form, even as they felt her ducking against their legs. Njeri's eyes fluttered shut and the warmth of their power blossomed to flames, riding up their horn until a soft glow illuminated the air around it. Njeri lowered their head to Oreme's height.
The jackhop popped in front of them and set her paws on Njeri's nose. "What is this place?"
"Something akin to a grandfather tree vision, my dear, as far as I can tell." Njeri scanned the area but everything was thick, grey smog, closing in all around them. Even Njeri's glow couldn't ward it off. "One never knows exactly what they're meant to do in this things, it's best to just... muck about until something feels right."
"I know what we're meant to do." Oreme pushed away from them and inched a cautious step through the fog. "We need to get out of here."
"Is that so?" Njeri followed her, keeping their head low to help illuminate their path, their tail swishing in large, nervous arcs that disturbed the mist. They couldn't be certain Oreme was right, it might be that they were meant to find someone or something in this darkness, or perhaps they'd be tested with beasts and ghouls coming out of the fog. But Njeri trusted Oreme and she had good instincts for this sort of thing, so they would follow.
They traveled in companionable silence for what felt like eons. Oreme stretched up and pointed now and again, asking Njeri to illuminate this or that before she sniffed the air and decided where next they needed to go. It was all the same featureless void to Oreme, but the further they traveled, the clearer the air began to smell.
"Not long now," Oreme piped, her ears perked and swiveling.
"Is that so?" Njeri chuckled. "Remind me to never get lost without you."
"As long as you've got me, you won't ever get lost." She glanced at them over her shoulder. "That's the point."
Njeri's heart ached to bursting with love for her.
Two more hops ahead and the mist faded away, leaving them standing, once more, in the quiet little grove they called home.
