The Journey of Two Sisters: Book 4 of the Kinstone series
Chapter 11: The Ranch

Two weeks have passed since we arrived at the Ranch. We slowly had settled into somewhat of a quasi-routine. We wake up early to tend to chores around the Ranch, with Mr. Jonathan having Orga help him with the farming equipment. Kateryna goes out with Miss Evie, as she wants me to call her, and patrols the fields for the coming harvest.

The Parkstons have both a ranch and farm, raising horses while also growing cotton and soybeans. This growing cycle it's soy. The stocks were growing tall and possessed hundreds of pods each.

Miss Evie seems to have taken a liking to the elf as the pair often talks to each other while on patrol. Kateryna is still trying to come to grasp with the concept of “crop rotation”. I took some amount of pleasure explaining it to her.

There would be times when Mr. Jonathan would leave the Ranch and attend to his law firm. So it would be left to his wife to hold down the house, something I often think she revels in. The ranch was located near the town of Holston, as small of a small town in Texas as one can get, being even less than half the size of La Feria, in both population and territory in terms of the downtown area.

We all are trying to keep our minds distracted. I even began taking up the role of playing big sister to the Parkstons’ children, their son Liam (age 6) and their daughter Sammy (age 4). I’d play with them while their parents and my knights were out tending to their chores.

A few occasions I even asked if there was anything they’d like for me to do. Mr. Parkston often declined, saying that helping keep his children out of trouble was plenty enough. His wife on the other hand would ask me to make the meals, which I happily took up.

While in the kitchen, I’d find myself transforming into a kitsune, somehow making me reminisce about my spring in Japan. The addition of my tails helped with keeping multiple things in check as I worked. I miss my yokai aunts terribly, often wishing they were here with me.

I sent them letters the first few days I arrived at the Ranch. However…while writing them; I wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind. My letters at best amounted to mostly rants and cries. Both Yukari and Asha tried their best to console me, responding almost instantly.

They informed me the village learned of some of the details, but urged their want and desire for me to come home to them. I smiled when I read that, knowing that it might a really good idea. But for now, I’m safely hidden away. I should really be grateful that message stones can’t be intercepted like normal mail can. Score one for my paranoia.

I also send the occasional letter to Savero, wanting to hear a big brother’s voice, even if said voice is written in squid ink. I also have no idea if the gossip had made it out or not. In my letters to him, I’d ask if they had made it Nerazon. But in all of the letters I sent, he never responds to me.

Granted without the gossip, I really have no constant source of the everyday goings in the sunken city, which worries me. Did Regulus manage to infiltrate the city and that’s why I haven’t heard back from him? Again with no response from him, my worry and concern only grow.

So whenever I sent him a letter in a special canister I found in Nerazon which allows me to convert something from the surface to make it compatible to the bottom of the ocean, it simply returned to me empty. This wasn’t anything new. The other purpose was to deposit the letter near the message stone and return after a few seconds of being there if no one interacted with it.

I sigh, rolling the canister on the desk.

Liam and Sammy tend to stick close by me, sometimes wanting to play with my tails. I’d dangle a pair in front of them, but just enough to keep them out of reach. A small game we invented. Fenris stuck close by, often diverting the kids’ attention away from me while I cooked lunch and dinner.

They would crawl over him, and pet the wolf. Little Sammy even tried tying ribbons into his fur. He’d naturally at first play along, until he gently knocked them away. The girl would be upset at first, but got over it when her older brother told her to stop. He didn’t mind the play of the girl, but tended to “gently” tell her to stop when it grew tiresome.

When it came to the pair’s naptime, I’d often discover them curled up into his side. I smile at him as they slept, reminding me of how the Micha and Luna did the same. Their parents would come and take their children upstairs to lay them down. The Parkstons, like the rest of the coven, never even gave a second thought of a wolf tending to their children.

When I wasn’t attending to the kids, I often headed out onto the property. My first and pretty much only stop was the stables. The horses the Parkstons bred weren’t nearly as big as the ones back home, but they were no less as gentle, if not curious about me.

The first day I met the herd, the lead mare trotted over to me. I hand out an apple to break the ice with her. The horse quickly took to the apple, gobbling it down.

After that, the rest of the herd was soon trotting over to see what their leader was up to. I hopped up onto the top beam of the fence as I did many time at home. At first I could see they were curious at my choice, but soon came to accept it. The lead mare often would bob her head into my chest, not hard enough to knock me back, but just enough to show some affection.

“They never do that with strangers,” exclaims Miss Evie.

I nod to him, stroking the mare’s muzzle, “I bonded with the herd back home, learning from Master Lucayan how to care for them.” I giggle, “A couple of our mares gave birth while I was away in Japan. I was pretty upset that it happened.”

She nods slowly, reaching out and stroking her face. “The herd here has been in my husband’s family for three generations. He hopes to pass them onto Liam when he’s old enough.”

I nod as another horse, a stallion, steps forward. He snorts, digging his hoof into the soil. I smile to him, staring into his dark brown eyes. I reach under his muzzle and start to scratch it. The horse remains still as I do.

Miss Evie smiles, “Well…seems someone’s taken a liking to you.”

I grin, “Yep. Just have to worry about ‘him’,” pointing behind me.

Miss Evie turns to see Fenris stand behind the fence, glaring at the horse. “What’s with the evil eye?”

I giggle, “Fenris always got jealous whenever I rode Ember. So he must be thinking that I’m gonna be doing the same with this fellow.” My bonded begins to fidget the more I tend to the horse. I peer over to him, “Papa Wolf, I’m not going to ride him. So would you please relax?”

Fenris looks to me then back at the horse, “Know that only I may have her ride on my back.”

The horse snorts towards him. I giggle, “Oh would you two just stop it?”

Miss Evie laughs, “Well it looks like you have found something else to keep occupied while here.”

I nod, still stroking the stallion, “Yep.”

After that day, I help tend to the herd at least twice a week.

Kateryna slowly started to act more motherly towards me, wanting to grant some semblance of stability. She’d scold me if I stayed up too late watching TV, while also finding me sacked out on the couch downstairs. She worried over me whenever I was at the house alone, often hearing her talk with the Parkstons.

But she’d stop herself, just before saying something Mom would say to me if I got out of hand, which happened on a couple of occasions. I became somewhat reckless when out in the fields during my morning runs sometimes deciding to go during a rainstorm, which I never do.

Other times would be when I’d nearly cut myself with a knife while preparing meals. It happens when my mind drifted away, slipping into a state of unawareness, leading to a couple times when to nearly burning whatever I was cooking.

But as much as she pushes and presses me as a mother would, she’d never cross that line. I think she’s afraid to. I also think she knows that even she were to, I’d probably rebuke her and storm off. So we kept a somewhat vigil of where the lines were.

Orga tends to act as an uncle-like figure, always nearby if needed, ready to lend a waiting ear. I smile, staying close and offering bits of my troubles to him. He holds me close, sometimes venturing so far as to act somewhat fatherly when the occasion requires it. However like with his wife, he dares not cross a line that is filled by Fenris.

There are times when I think both of them were hiding something from me however.

The root at all of them stems from the fact that I am continually having nightmares while I sleep. If I take naps there’s not much of an issue, because I tend to keep myself from completely going under. Nights are much more difficult. The difference between now and after I lost my birth family is that I actually witnessed my family being either murdered or having to run while in sight of them. The images constantly haunted my mind.

I’d have my music box playing nearly through the night. I was able to get a few nights of rest, but they were to exception. I also chose to look at pictures of my family and watch videos of them, just to keep the sound of their voices and faces active in my mind. This only served to worsen my condition. Whenever I did, the nightmares grew in intensity. Thankfully Fenris was next to me, often taking my phone away just before I want to bed.

During the middle of our third week at the Ranch, we were all sitting around the table for dinner. Miss Evie looks to me, “Aria, I was thinking.”

I peer up to her, quickly swallowing a piece of lasagna, “Yes, Miss Evie?”

“Well, I was thinking of having you attend school this coming semester,” she says. “While in your past life you already have, you are now a completely different person. In my eyes you’re still a child and who probably should go to school.”

I lean back into my chair. Her husband looks over to her, “Evie, don’t you think you should’ve passed this by her knights or even me first?”

She met his gaze, “Jon, I didn’t say that I had already enrolled her. I am just suggesting that she should go.”

I peer over to both knights. Orga places his fork down, “If Her Highness was to go to school would she be safe while there?”

“Well…hard to say, this is a very small town after all.” replies Miss Evie, shrugging.

Our existence in the town was known to only a handful of people, mostly the coven members in the town. Again, the idea of having more people I knew helped me tremendously. A couple times I’d head into town with Miss Evie to head to the local grocery store. Fenris along with one of my knights occupied us. Most folks in town didn’t even notice our arrival or presence for that matter. In a small town, one would think that news traveled quickly amongst its citizens, but not even a peep.

The local veterinarian, Mr. Andrews who is a coven member, never heard anything as much as whisper of my being there. Well some of the older women thought I was Evie’s younger sister, given our age difference of only fourteen years, but that soon faded as no one really cared after a while.

A couple times I caught myself thinking that I was back in Rosland, TN. But I quickly pushed the concept from my mind, remembering that the entire town and life there was a lie. Although, the memory of Marron raising me there was still not a bad one.

In my heart I loved being with her, despite the truth. It’s strange how despite being a lie, I rather enjoyed the lie. I had Marron with me, something the both of us wanted since we were reunited.

“I’m not saying there won’t be risks,” she continues. “But there could potentially be some people who will start asking the more they see her around town.”

“That’s if she goes back into town darling,” responds her husband.

She looks at him, “You’re not saying we should keep her locked away here forever, are you Jon?”

He shakes his head, “No…that’s not what I’m saying. We all agree that her safety comes first correct?”

“Yes it does,” she replies, “but when our kids go back to school, she can’t simply become a couch potato. She needs an education.”

“Actually…my mom took care of that already,” I perk up.

Both adults look to me. “Are you serious?” asks Miss Evie.

I nod, pulling out a green and gray stone from my bag. “I found it a couple days ago while sifting through my bag. I think Mom wanted to keep me occupied while in hiding.”

Miss Evie’s eyes grew with surprised, leaning back in her chair, “A lesson stone.” She holds her head, shaking it, “Good lord that woman indeed thinks of everything when it concerns you.”

I smile, stroking the top of the stone. “I need to really get back into training as well. While running is nice, I need to get stronger. I want to ready if something comes our way.”

Mr. Jonathan looks to me, “You don’t have to worry about that. Our closest neighbor is easily three miles away, and you have a few coven families here in town as well. Plus you have your knights and Fenris to protect you.”

“She will not accept those conditions,” says Fenris. “She constantly worries over matters when she shouldn’t. And I do agree with her that we need to become stronger.”

Both Miss Evie and Mr. Jonathan look to Fenris, and then each other.

“She must remain safe,” my bonded continues. “While the idea of sending her to school is indeed valid, we run the risk of further exposure. For is it not the purpose of our being here?”

Kateryna nods, “Indeed. It’s simply too great a risk. Even with our trips to the town, we do not truly know the people here, therefore cannot trust them.”

Mr. Jonathan looks to his wife, “Even I agree with them on that.”

Miss Evie shakes her head, “She is still a child.”

“But not your child Evie,” he responds.

Miss Evie lays her hands onto the table and thinks for a moment. She looks to me, then my knights and finally to Fenris. She lets out a sigh, “Fine, it seems like I’ve lost this round.” She then gazes at me, “You promise to stay on task, little lady?”

I nod to her, “Always am.”

Miss Evie nods slowly, “Just know that I won’t be able to grade your work. According to Miriam, your schooling has been rather…unique and strays heavily from what most of the parents teach. So you’ll have to hold onto everything your work on. But what I can do for you is supply you with whatever materials you’ll need.”

“Thank you, Miss Evie,” I said smiling.

She nods waving her hand, “Your welcome, Aria.” She then peers over to her children, who both are sitting very close to me. “I guessing you will also be doing physical training am I correct?”

I look towards my knights, who both nod to me. “Yep, need to get back up to the level I was before the first invasion. Maybe even surpass it.”

She smirks, “Scholar, warrior, anime fanatic. You really are a mixed bag aren’t you?”

“You could say that,” I say, shrugging and grinning.

The next few days were spent pouring into my lessons. Most of what Mom assigned to me was I think what she had planned to start teaching me come the fall. More alchemic lessons, reports, readings and magical theory. I fell back into the very old routine I started while I was still living on my own, simply burning through everything.

I reread the grimoire I received while at the Court last year, hoping to gleam a few new insights into my predicament with Diana and Selene. Sadly it contained nothing of substance on the matter.

I did however begin combining dragonfire and dragon ice into a singular attack. The application was exhausting as I wasn’t using my orbs as a shell for both elements.

One set of abilities I tried to prefect were those of summoning spectral chains and using my tags without performing the chants. This was a major issue I had while fighting against the children from the court. I simply was focused on the chanting which left me open to attack, via Irina.

I should really be grateful to Jonathan and Evie for letting me borrow their mud golems. These things are always amazing for training as they will always reform even if blown apart.

While training, I modified them so they could assume a more quadrupedal form. This makes them faster and far more agile. They run around me, moving it differing patterns in order to confuse me. I then throw down tags and try to summon the chains while at first reciting the chant in my mind.

The tags glow but not before the golems reach me.

They’re not meant to hurt me, merely act as targets. So if they reach me, it means I failed and have to start all over again. This continues on for twice a week, and each time I do, I slowly become more and more proficient as I fully am able to unconsciously recite the chant in my mind to point the ability becomes second nature.

I often did a lot of my practical training while outside as a kitsune, still being my preferred form and best when training with magic. I really didn’t want to endanger the house, so I conducted it at least a hundred yards away. Fenris and I would bring pales of water with us for water and fire magic.

He would levitate the water and I would fire kitsune-bi into each orb. The purpose was to increase the strength of the attacks, seeing how ineffective they were against dragon scales. While water is a poor substitute, it acted as a starting point.

After each time I fired a ball into the water, Fenris would condense it, making it tougher each time. A few hours into the training during one day, I collapsed to my knees, panting heavily. My bonded returns the water into the pales and hops over to me.

“You have done well today, little Aria. Let us conclude our session for the day,” he often tells me.

I shake my head, “Let’s keep going, just one more hour. Please.”

He then places his nose under my chin, “Do not overexert yourself so quickly. There is no need to rush. Be patient, and you will progress.”

I sigh, nodding, “Alright…you win.”

“When did you grow your ninth tail, Aria?” asks a voice from behind me.

I turn to see both Miss Evie and Mr. Jonathan standing behind me.

I swish my tails along the grass. I sigh, hugging them, “The night I nearly was killed by Regulus. I fought against my resurrected birthmother and grew it.”

I withhold the fact that Fenris and I fused together, not that I don’t trust them, but it still was privileged information between the both of us, with Silvi being the only other person who knew.

Mr. Jonathan crosses his arms, “We’ve heard the details of the night. You really took a pounding didn’t you?”

“I did,” I reply, coiling my tails around me.

They nod. “Well…let’s not drum up any nasty memories. Come on, it’s getting close to dinner time.”

I smile and rise to me feet, “On it,” and then dash off.

A few times a week was spent sword training with my knights. I really had to perfect my ability to use the dragon sword, so I split my attention between it and the kodachi. As always, I trained with my Han Kote on my left arm, though at times I really now wished I had a second one for my right arm.

Our sessions were grueling, often lasting for over three hours a piece. Each knight would take turns sparring with me, granting me access to a different sword style. I didn’t have the pillars like I did at my training grounds, so my tactics had to improvise.

In lieu of my normal pillars, I would summon pillar of ice using magic. They were easy to produce and I could generate half a dozen and move them around if needed. Of course whenever I trained with the knights, they would often destroy them with a heavy blow. This led me to vastly increase the strength of each pillar.

Unfortunately during one of our sessions, I became reckless and charged into a sword swing that I shouldn’t have. I was knocked back and sent flying a few yards. I growled and leapt back onto my feet and charged in once more. I mindlessly slashed at Orga, feeling the pain of losing Mom, Silvi, and Velhemina came bubbling back to the surface.

Fenris quickly stepped in and wrapped his tails around me and pinned me to the ground. “What are you doing, Aria?” he growls at me. “This is not how you act normally during your sessions. You must control yourself.”

A shot of cold reality went straight through my heart I looked up at him. I slowly sit up as he unravels his tails. I drop my sword beside me. Fenris stares deeply into my eyes, “Apologize daughter…now.”

Him calling me “daughter” throws me off. He’s always called me his little girl, but now…now I’m his…daughter? Perhaps it was just his way of getting my attention, and it worked.

I sat there for a moment, then bowed my head to them, “S-sorry,” my voice trembles. “I…I really screwed up.”

Orga kneels down and places a hand onto my shoulder. “Your pain was evident in your blade, Your Highness. Every strike, every parry was filled with sorrow.”

I nod as tears drip to the ground. “I miss Mom, Silvi, and Velhemina, all of them. I miss my home.”

Kateryna also kneels beside me, “We know you do, Your Highness. While we only shared it with you for less than two months, it too became our home. You carry a burden that no child, no matter the era, should ever have to shoulder.”

I nod softly.

Orga cups my cheek, lifting it up, “A child you truly are, Your Highness. Full of emotion, full of passion. But forced to mature far quicker than any other should. It’s cruel I tell you.”

I nod. Deep down all I wanted to do was go home. But it’s lost to me.

Fenris leans in, pressing his nose against my cheek, “You need rest, little Aria. Let us conclude this session for today.”

We all nod and head back to the house. I peer over to Fenris, clinging tightly to his fur. “You really are becoming my dad aren’t you?” I ask.

He peers back to me, “Of course I am. I have always been your father, little Aria.”

I smirks, nodding, “Yep…that you have. But you still love to act like a dog and hang around me.”

He playfully swatted my rear, “Watch yourself, little Aria.”

I smirk, “Okay, okay…big doggy.”

He turns and tries to wrap his tails around me only to have me sidestep him and run off. We continue through the backyard for a few minutes before Miss Evie calls us in for dinner. Fenris quickly tackles me and wraps his tails around me, hauling me inside. I giggle all the way in.

During all of this time here on the Ranch, I decided to take a bit more attention to my hair. I let it grow out just a bit more, while fluffing it up. While the back-end of my hair is kept relatively the same, being only just past my butt, the hair in the front thickens. I just wanted something else to attend to as my nightmares persist. I haven’t been getting any more sleep even after I began training again.

This translates into another piece of training that Fenris and I did in private, far and away from everyone.

We tried to perfect the fusion he and I performed the night we fought Diana. Each time we attempted it, the fusion only merely lasted for but a few seconds before we were thrown apart. It didn’t hurt us when it failed, only serving to grow my frustration.

Fenris looks to me, “Little one, your mind and spirit are in sync. Your heart however, is far too chaotic for us to truly fuse once more.”

I lean back, sitting on the ground. “You think it’s the fact that I keep having nightmares?”

He steps closer to me, “Indeed, Aria. Your heart is far too troubled for either us to maintain our fused state. You still need time in order to settle your heart.”

He lies down beside me, “I wish I knew of a way to help you in this trial.”

I smile, leaning into him. “Thanks for thinking about me, Papa Wolf.”

He wraps his tails around me, “Always for my little girl.”

I smile, “Hey, I have to ask you something.”

“What is it, little Aria?” he replies.

“You’ve told me that your memories are fragmented, yet you know about the fusion,” I begin. “Why is that?”

“My knowledge of our bond seems to be engrained into me,” he says. “Yet it is more instinct rather than learned.”

I nod slowly as I listen. To be honest, I should’ve been asking these questions a long times ago. Better late than never I guess.

“There is still so much about my race I do not know about,” he adds. “Even my own mother taught me all she could of our ancestors and their knowledge, but she did not know much either. She told of a story in which my grandfather was able to cause his shadows to latch onto his prey and bring them to the ground. However, it appeared to have been an accident and he was unable to do so again.”

In reference to the wolves themselves, I’m at a complete loss. I’ve had Fenris with me for nearly two years and yet I still know very little about his race. Mom did have a few texts but they turned out to be nothing more than conjecture, being written a couple hundred years after the fall of Dewloura. So not really much of any sort of help.

I sigh softly. There’s just so much that neither of us knows about Dewloura. I often reread my “Dewloura” journal (corny I know), trying to gleam anything from it.

The book itself is bound in dark brown leather and clasped shut with an ornate circular lock that Marie had repurposed from a gift Savero sent me for my birthday the previous year. I had her install it after my fight with Diana and enchanted it to where only I could unlock it.

I’d go over the notes I took while listening to Viktor Titalos, and even the ones from the day I learned of my heritage when the Xur’canah activated.

In truth I don’t have the foggiest idea what I was reading. They were mostly details on locations and faint maps that led to nowhere or felt useless when I look over the map he gave to me. Without a reference point, I basically am looking at gibberish.

I push my frustration away, clinging to his fur, “This is the first time you’ve spoken of her.”

His tails softly coil around me, “Because she died many years ago. I do not dwell upon the loss of my pack, for you are my pack, my little girl.”

I blush softly, still clinging to him, “Love you Papa Wolf.”

He gently nuzzles my head, nipping softly at my hair as though I were a pup. “I love you as well, little Aria.” Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

My cheeks burn more as my thoughts began to wander to Marron. I really wished she here with me right now, still needed her badly. It was yet another secret I kept from the Parkstons, not knowing how they’d react to my wish for my sister to be here with us. I missed her every day since the night I last saw her. I still wished she could’ve stayed and talked with me. I always hated her for that, still do.

I’d often send her texts in the vain hope she’d respond to me. Sadly I’d receive not a single response. My thinking is that she must’ve turned it off at some point or even discarded for a new one. Wherever she is, I doubt she has not even clue of what’s been happening. Deciding to stay off of the grid and underground like we are.

I often pray for my sister, pray not only for her to return to me, but that she’s doing okay. I want her back in my life. There’s so much left unsaid between, too many secrets that nearly led to both of our deaths.

The idea that my diary could’ve ever been used as a weapon against me never once crossed my mind. Mom retrieved it for me, and it sat once more on my bookcase. Like the Xur’canah, I often thought of destroying it. While it served as a record of my first few months after being reborn, it still was a link to my past life.

I think that it’s amazing how it’s already the first week of September and that we’ve been here for just shy of a month and a half. Our fleeing from home seems still too fresh in my mind, and yet time keeps passing us by. Even Sammy and Liam are back in school. I still played with the idea of attending high school again. Not…really that bad of an idea, but at the same time carried far too many risks.

I hold up my pinkie, still seeing the thin red thread as I did when the day I fled from home. I wiggled it softly, watching the ethereal stand dancing in the air. I gave it a tug from time to time, hoping to get a response. I smirked, thinking I have yet another little secret that I’ve been keeping from everyone.

I give another tug on it; this time a little harder than usual, hoping it will get her attention. Also hoping she remembered what it is.

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