CONTENT WARNING: Talk of suicide (This happens during Toby and Palath's conversation.)

"Remind me again why we didn't just go to Avalon?" Sarah asked. "Nothing against your brother, he's wonderful for helping us out, but wouldn't Tuathal and Celeste have more resources since they're the High King and Queen?" She and Jareth were walking from their suite of rooms in Rhihart's forest castle in his capital city of Lathe to the gardens. They had arrived earlier that morning via magic portal and met with King Rhihart right away. After explaining what they had found out from Tadgh, Rhihart and General Ardal had convinced Sarah and Jareth to rest for a bit and wait in Lathe while they sent out a small reconnaissance team to check out the area Jareth believed their enemy was living in. It was a small parcel of land in a valley at the foothills of the Markorn Mountains. It was a wetland area with an abundance of lakes, bogs, fog, and gently rolling moors. According to Rhihart's old records, it belonged to a Lady Keelin Aine Finnegan.

"Because, dearest," Jareth replied, his hand tangled with hers as they walked down the hall. "The individual who is after your blood knew we were in Avalon. They may still be looking for you there. That and my brother has plenty of resources at his command. He is King of the entire southern woodlands, after all."

"I didn't mean to doubt Rhihart's abilities," Sarah soothed. "I was merely curious." They continued walking down the hall until they reached a door leading outside into a large courtyard garden. Raised flower beds created a kind of maze for onlookers to walk through leading to a large three-tier fountain spraying water nearly a dozen feet into the air. "I remember being here with you before," Sarah smiled as they reached the fountain.

"Yes, it was where I asked to court you, if I remember correctly," he smiled as well.

"Is that why you brought me here? For the memories?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head. "I brought you out here because beyond the fountain is an open area where Rhihart likes to host croquet tournaments. I thought we could do some more practice on finding an animal you have an affinity with? It could come in handy when we finally face down this Lady Keelin, if she is indeed the one we've been looking for."

"Oh! Yeah, that sounds great!" A wide grin spread across her face and her eyes twinkled as she turned to rush around the fountain, pulling Jareth with her. They had been trying off and on again to practice mediations to find the animal she may have an affinity with. She'd been able to narrow it down to something in the canis family, but whether it was a giant saint bernard or a tiny chihuahua, she couldn't say yet.

Jareth chuckled and let himself be led into the open area. Once in the middle of the area, with the sunshine streaming down through the surrounding trees, he conjured a blanket and several large cushions for them to sit on. Sarah plopped down onto a violet cushion, her loose skirt pooling around her. Jareth settled across from her, automatically acquiring the meditation pose he'd been teaching her to use. She copied him, smoothing down her skirt.

Wordlessly, they went through their usual deep breathing and relaxation techniques. They'd done it enough together that this part was familiar and not an issue for Sarah any longer. She could easily empty her mind and relax now. However the next part was a little difficult still. She had to simultaneously keep her mind blank while also allowing it to drift and try to connect with an animal. She kept her breath steady as she did this, smelling the woodsy scent surrounding them and letting it relax her further. A shiver ran down her spine just then and she felt a kind of pressure inside her chest. "Jareth," she whispered. "Something is happening."

"Go with it. Let your magic slowly course through you," he replied.

Sarah did as he said and built up her magic before slowly letting it infuse the rest of her body, focusing primarily on the feeling in her chest. With the addition of the magic, she could feel things starting to change. Her body felt like it was floating, but also being stretched. She let it happen and fed more magic into the transformation. A moment later, it all ended. She felt grounded again and the magic had stopped whatever it was doing.

She opened her eyes to see Jareth staring at her with wide excited eyes. "You almost had it, Cariad!" he exclaimed. "Your entire form was engulfed in light and seemed to grow hazy, just like mine does when I transform into an owl! But then it stopped. I think you need just a little more guidance." He reached forward across the space between them, and offered his hand. "Will you allow me to guide you?"

"Of course," Sarah agreed and reached out to firmly grasp his hands.

"Okay, you will have to start over with your meditation, but you now know what direction to go in. Once you reach the part where you are gathering your magic, I will enter your mind and give you a small push in the right direction to complete the transformation."

Sarah nodded and took a deep breath before focusing on her meditation again. It took a couple of minutes for her to calm down, but eventually was able to reach the relaxed state needed for her to reach out towards the animal she shared an affinity with. The smell of the trees nearby and the sound of the breeze whooshing through their branches seemed to trigger the shiver that ran down her spine. The pressure inside her chest, itching to get out, also came back. Sarah reached out to gather her magic again, but this time, she could feel Jareth there as well. His familiar mind touched hers and she almost felt like he was there behind her, wrapping his arms around her and guiding her magic with his hands. Her magic responded to him and invited him in. She could feel the Labyrinth inside her, glowing with warmth and allowing Jareth to help them.

Suddenly, warmth suffused her body and she could feel herself floating again. Every part of her body tingled as she changed. Jareth's magic helped to support the change, and felt almost like he was cradling her close to him. After another minute, the magic faded away. She was left sitting on the ground breathing deeply. Opening her eyes, Sarah noticed an immediate difference. Her vision had changed significantly. Colors were very different. She could see blues, greens, browns, grays, blacks, and whites. However there weren't any reds or yellows or oranges. It was a little strange to look at the flowers nearby and not see the red in the roses.

Her sense of smell and hearing were also very different. She could smell and hear so much more now! Every breeze brought new smells and information of things nearby. Each tiny whisper caught her ears. She looked at Jareth to see him smiling with a wide grin. "Look at you, my dear," his soft voice said, pride in every word. "You're beautiful."

She looked down at herself to see mostly gray fur and large paws. Looking around behind her, she could see a long fluffy tail curled around her body and more gray fur with darker almost black along her back. A wolf? Was she a wolf? She looked back at Jareth and tried to ask, but it only came out as a soft whine.

Jareth seemed to understand though, because he conjured a large mirror for her to see herself. "I should have known you would be a wolf," he commented as he held the mirror steady for her. "You're so fiercely protective of those you love, and loyal to your family."

Sarah grinned and her tongue lolled out. A soft happy grumble left her throat in agreement. Jareth chuckled and banished the mirror. "Let's try moving around a bit. You need to get used to your new body." He rose from his seated position and invited her to follow him. She rose to all four paws too and carefully started to move forward. Jareth led her around the perimeter of the open grassy area. Along the way, Sarah discovered that if she focused too much on walking, she tripped a lot and stumbled over her paws. However if she didn't think about it too much, the wolf's natural abilities took over and she could easily follow the fae in front of her.

"Good, I think you're getting the hang of it, Cariad!" He complimented. "Now let's try shifting back into your normal form. This should be easier." He led her back to the blanket and cushions they had been sitting on. Once they were closely seated facing each other again, he reached out and placed his hands on either side of her face, his fingers gently entangling with the thick fur around her neck. "Okay, now close your eyes again and let your mind relax. Once you've cleared your mind, focus on your human form, then gather your magic and let it slowly suffuse your body. The Labyrinth and I will help guide you if needed."

Sarah nodded once and then did as he said. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. It look a little bit longer to clear her mind in this form because of all the sensory input from her nose, but eventually she reached a peaceful state. She then imagined herself as she remembered from looking in the mirror that morning. Every freckle and blemish, the soft peaches and cream of her skin, her shoulder length dark brown hair, and her strong army conditioned body. Gathering her magic, she let it permeate her entire body, fitting the image in her mind into it as it flowed over her. The Labyrinth and Jareth's consciousness were there, but neither needed to help her. Her own magic was able to complete the transformation on its own.

When she opened her eyes again, she could see normally, a distinct lack of fur, and hands instead of paws. She looked up at Jareth with a wide grin on her face. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed. "How do you not just stay in your owl form all the time?"

"Responsibilities and kingly duties," he replied with a small smile. "Though I do agree with you that it is quite amazing." He rose to his feet and offered her a hand before banishing the blanket and cushions. "I promise we will practice the transformation again soon, but for now, we have a meeting with Rhihart and General Ardal. They received some information from the reconnaissance team already."

Sarah nodded and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Sounds good. Thank you for helping through this, Jareth."

"Anything for you, my dear," he smiled and grasped her hand, bringing it to his mouth to press a kiss to the back of it. Hand in hand, they headed back into the the castle and towards Rhihart's meeting room.

"Ha! Did you see that?" Toby shouted, a large smile on his face. "Three bullseyes in five minutes!"

Palath laid a hand on the teen's shoulder, a proud smile on his face. "I did," he said quietly. "You are becoming a most proficient marksman. Perhaps you will be able to use this skill in the Aboveground when you return?"

Toby frowned a little and hung his bow on the stand nearby. "No, I'm not going back to the Aboveground," he replied quietly, but firmly.

"But it is your home, Tobias, surely you would spend at least some of your time there once this is all over?" Palath said in confusion.

Toby shook his head. "There's nothing for me there. I don't want to go back."

Inara, who had been watching Toby shoot, walked over to them then. She had a small frown on her face as she approached. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "I… I mean, I can feel how sad you are just now," she said, placing a hand on his forearm. "I don't mean to intrude, but I can't help the connection we share now." Her face took on a rosy blush as she said this.

Palath eyed the two for a second before saying, "You share a connection with Tobias's mind?"

Inara looked up at the palomino centaur, hesitant to disclose this personal information. However Toby answered for her. "Yeah. I was attacked during Sarah and Jareth's wedding reception and Inara had to do something in my brain to fight off the person. Since then she's been able to kinda feel what I'm feeling."

Inara glanced over at Toby with a worried frown. "Perhaps it would be best to keep this information private," she said quietly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "But I trust Palath with my life. He would never betray me," he sent the centaur a small grin.

Palath gave short bow of his head. "I am pleased to hear that you trust me so much, young Tobias. You are correct in your assessment of me. I would never willingly divulge this information. However I believe Princess Inara is right that it should stay hidden from all but those closest to you."

Toby nodded in understanding. "Anyway," he continued. "I just don't want to go back to the Aboveground, and that's all there is to it." He scuffed his boot in the dirt as he spoke.

Inara frowned again. "There's more to it than that. I can tell." Toby looked up at her and frowned, clearly not wanting to talk about this anymore. However Inara raised her hands in surrender. "Look, you don't have to tell me. But I can tell when you're lying or not telling the whole truth, and I would ask you respect that and try not to mislead me. I only want to help you, Toby."

His gaze softened upon hearing her use the shortened form of his name. She'd only ever said his full name before, being the proper princess she was. "I… It's just really hard to think about, let alone talk about," he replied, looking back down at his boots again. "I'll try not to mislead you, but I still want my privacy. I shouldn't have to tell you everything just because you can feel my emotions."

She shook her head and grabbed hold of his hand. "And I don't expect you to. I will try to respect your privacy, but for this topic… I think I might have to insist that you speak to me, your sister, or Palath. I… I can feel some dark emotions below the surface that could be dangerous if left to fester."

Toby's eyes widened slightly and he jerked his hand away from hers. "Then maybe just stay away from me!" he growled before grabbing his bow and marching away from them into the forest towards the centaur training grounds.

Inara moved to chase after him, but Palath gently grabbed ahold of her arm. "Your Highness," he addressed her. "I believe he may need a little time alone. I have not known Tobias very long, but I've been through much with him. I have learned that sometimes it's best to just let him alone to sort through his thoughts for a while."

Inara sighed and nodded. "I understand," she said. "But I was serious about those dark emotions, Palath. I'm worried about him."

"Do you believe he may try to hurt himself?" Palath asked in concern.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't known him very long either, less than you even, so it is difficult for me to judge how he will act on those emotions."

Palath released her arm and looked in the direction of where Toby had marched off to. "I will make sure no harm comes to him," he promised. He looked back down at her. "Give me a chance to speak with him. We share a bond as well, and he may be more willing to speak with me about these dark emotions."

Inara nodded. "Okay," she sighed. "I will try to give him space, but it is difficult to be very far away from him for an extended period of time. I think when I entered his mind to remove the woman attacking him, it created a deeper bond than I realized."

Palath studied her for a moment before nodding. "I shall endeavour to sooth his mind and direct him back to you then, your Highness. Perhaps he feels the same way?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. "But thank you for your promises, Palath. I appreciate them."

"Of course, your Highness," he gave a short bow of his head.

She took in a deep breath and let it back out before continuing. "I will be in the library in King Rhihart's castle. I have been away from my studies for far too long and have much to catch up on."

"I will send a message to you when he is ready to speak with you again," Palath promised.

Inara nodded and set off through the forest city back towards the castle. Palath watched her go until she disappeared among the trees then turned in the direction where Toby had gone. Knowing the teen as he did, the boy would want to expel some of the anger he'd felt, which was probably why he'd taken his bow with. Palath started walking towards the bow agility course that had been set up deep in the woods. Centaurs used the bow agility course to improve marksmanship on moving targets. The goal was to run the course as fast as possible while hitting as many targets as possible. The targets were small and difficult to hit even while standing still at times.

Making his way through the semi-permanent centaur settlement used as a military training post, Palath thought about what Inara had said. She and Tobias apparently shared a mental link, but it sounded like it was mostly one sided on Inara's part. She had admitted that she was not certain though. Perhaps he could get Tobias to speak on the subject to understand how he was experiencing the bond? However this was secondary to addressing the dark emotions Inara had sensed. Palath felt uncomfortable with the idea because centaurs were usually quite private about personal problems such as this, only speaking on it with family. However upon reflecting, he realized that Tobias only had his sister to speak with. Palath already felt that the boy was like a nephew or much younger brother to him. Perhaps it would not be so inappropriate to speak on such matters with the boy after all?

A few minutes later, Palath arrived at the bow agility course. Sure enough, Tobias was there. He was about half way through running the course currently, and Palath could see that the boy had run it at least one full time already, judging by the number of arrows in the targets. Luckily, there were no other centaurs using the course at the moment, so they would be able to have a private conversation. The centaur watched the young human continue to run the course. He drew the bow completely back each time, putting the maximum amount of power behind the arrow. He also pushed himself harder than Palath had ever seen before. He could tell Tobias was breathing hard, but the boy was continuing to run, leap, climb, and dodge as though hell hounds were on his heels.

When he finally got to the end of the course, Tobias looked like he was making his way to the beginning of the course again. However Palath stepped in front of him, pausing the teen in mid-stride. Tobias's blond hair was made darker by the sweat soaking it. It was plastered against his skull and sweat had also soaked into his shirt, darkening his chest and back. Palath debated telling the teen to rest, but then saw the look in his eyes. It was a look of needing to do something, anything, to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him. So instead he said, "I see you have completed the bow agility course, Novice. Come, we shall inspect how well you did together."

Tobias's eyebrows rose into his bangs in surprise, but didn't argue as Palath led the way onto the course. They slowly walked through each part of the course, discussing what went well and what needed improving. By the time they had walked the entire course, Toby's breathing had returned to normal and he had relaxed. Palath started to lead him away from the bow agility course and back towards the centaur encampment. "I have not met many humans in my years, however I would say that you are becoming quite adept at using the bow you have made. More so than any other human I have met and better than some centaurs I know."

Tobias smiled and nodded his thanks. "That means a lot coming from you, Palath," he said.

"Your hard work and practice are paying off. However it is unwise to practice so much that you do yourself injury." He glanced over at the boy.

Tobias sighed. "I know. I just really needed to get my mind off of things. What Inara said…. It just made me angry and I didn't want to take it out on you or her because I know you're both just trying to help."

"Speaking on behalf of the Princess, we both appreciate the sentiment," Palath smiled. "May I ask why it angered you so?"

Tobias paused in the middle of the trail. Palath stopped beside him, waiting for the boy to speak. He sighed and leaned back against a nearby tree. "I guess it was because she was right."

"What about?"

"About my dark emotions, as she called them," he replied quietly, looking down at his boots as he spoke. "I… A lot has happened to me in a really short amount of time," he started. "And it's been a little overwhelming."

"I imagine so, to say the least," Palath nodded.

"Yeah, well… between my parents d-" he hesitated, took in a deep breath, then tried again. "Between them dying and fighting in a damn war and dealing with someone wanting to kill me and maybe Sarah… well… sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just wasn't here anymore? I mean… if I wasn't here, then whoever it is that killed my parents wouldn't be able to hurt me again, and Sarah wouldn't have to worry about me anymore. And… well, I meant what I said before with Inara. I really don't have anyone waiting for me in the Aboveworld. Mom and dad are gone. I don't have any grandparents left. Mom and dad didn't have sisters or brothers, so there's no aunts or uncles. And I wasn't exactly the popular kid at school, if you know what I mean." He looked up at Palath.

The centaur noticed that the teen seemed to be trying to talk himself into something, and he had a suspicion what that something was… and it wasn't good. He would have to approach this carefully. He reached out and placed a hand on Tobias's shoulder, squeezing gently. "You have me," he said quietly. "If you were to go, as you put it, I would miss you terribly, Tobias. I have come to think of you as a younger brother, or maybe a nephew. I have found myself looking forward to guiding you through becoming a full member of the herd and helping you gain an apprenticeship in a field of your choosing."

Tobias bit his lower lip and Palath noticed tears forming in the young man's eyes, but did not comment on them. "But aside from myself, I believe the Princess Inara has grown quite fond of you too."

Tobias wiped at his face with his sleeve and scoffed. "Yeah, that's just because she can feel what I'm feeling now. It's not real."

"I beg to differ," Palath countered. "It may have started with your psychic bond, but it has morphed into something different. She cares for you, worries for you. The bond doesn't make her do that. She could ignore your feelings or even inquire with a fae proficient in magic to help her sever the bond, but she hasn't."

"So what? She likes me?" he gave Palath confused look.

The centaur shrugged and let his hand rest back at his side. "I do not know. However it may be something worth discussing with her. Either way, she does seem to care for you to some degree. And while we are on the topic," Palath crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you honestly believe your sister would prefer you to cease to exist instead of worrying over your safety?"

Tobias looked down at his boots again, but Palath saw the tears welling up in his eyes once more. The teen sniffled once before saying, "Well, maybe not, but maybe it would be better for her? We don't always want what's best for us."

"Truer words were never spoken," he reached out again and pulled Tobias's head up with a finger under his chin, ignoring the tears running down his cheeks. "And I want you to remember that the next time you start thinking about leaving. What you want, or think you want, might not be good for you either."

"But…"

"Will you promise me that you will seek me out if you begin to think leaving to be a better solution?"

"Palath, I…"

"Promise me Tobias," he said in a firm voice, interrupting the teen.

Tobias looked down at his boots again for a moment, thinking through what Palath had said. A minute later, he sniffled again, wiped his face with his sleeve, looked up and nodded. "Okay. I promise."

"Good." With that, Palath pulled the teen forward into a tight hug. Tobias was stiff at first, but quickly relaxed into it and clung tightly to his friend. Small hiccoughing sobs could be heard, but Palath simply patted his head and gently stroked his back, the same as he would do for a young centaur having a bad day.

Once Tobias had calmed down enough, he pulled away from Palath and wiped his face with his shirt sleeve again. He finally seemed to notice how sweat soaked his shirt was and how grubby his shirt sleeves had become. He frowned at the offending sleeve and looked up at Palath again. "I think I need to clean up a bit."

The centaur nodded and they both began walking long the trail back towards the castle again. "Yes, it will help you to feel better as well," he agreed. "And coincidentally, Princess Inara said she would be in the castle library. Perhaps it would be a good idea to apologize to her?"

Tobias sighed, but nodded. "Yeah, fine. Probably wouldn't hurt."

"Oh," Palath suddenly remembered the physical symptoms of what Inara had described about being away from Tobias. "Do you perchance feel drawn to the Princess at all?"

"Drawn to her? Like what do you mean?"

"Do you feel the need to be physically close to her?"

Tobias thought for a second. "I don't know. I mean, when I was running the course and talking with you I had a lot of other things on my mind. But now that you mention it, I can feel…. I don't know, a kind of pull? Like a string is tied around me and trying to pull me somewhere, but it's not super strong, you know?"

Palath nodded in understanding. "Perhaps this is something else you should discuss with the Princess? She confided in me that she feels a similar pull."

Tobias glanced up at Palath with one eyebrow raised. "Huh, you think that's because of the bond thing she created?"

"That is a likely answer," he nodded. "You both may have to work together to find out all the ways this bond has changed you."

Tobias nodded absently as he thought about this new information. They walked quietly the rest of the way back up to the castle. Palath left him at the entrance with a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and a reminder of what he had promised during their talk. The centaur watched the teen enter the castle and let out a long sigh. Tobias had been through much more than he should ever have had to deal with. Palath made a vow to himself that he would keep a close eye over the boy and re-establish the connection they had created. It had been nearly a month since they had been together this much, and the boy obviously needed a friend. Making his way back to the centaur encampment and to his regiment, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders upon making this promise to himself.

Toby made his way to his quarters in King Rhihart's castle. He hung his bow and quiver on the specially made bow rack in the corner near his bed and then trudged into the ensuite bathroom. Now that he was back in the castle, his legs were dragging and his eyes were drooping. He started the shower before stripping out of his sweat soaked clothing. It was nearly an hour later that he climbed out and dried off. He'd let his mind wander and lost track of time. Hopefully, Princess Inara would still be in the library. Ignoring how tired his body felt, he pulled on some clean clothes, and made his way out of the room.

Toby had spent enough time in Rhihart's castle that he knew it well by now and it took him no time to reach the large room filled with scrolls, leather bound books, maps, and tables for study. He spotted Inara sitting at a table towards the back and made his way over to her. She looked up, sensing his approach, and gave him a cautious smile. "You look better," she commented.

He nodded and gestured towards the chair across the table from her. "Mind if I sit?"

"No, go ahead."

He did and sat with his hands resting on the table, his fingers tapping in a slow rhythm. "So… I just wanted to say sorry for how I spoke to you before. You didn't deserve that." He did his best to maintain eye contact with her.

Inara smiled. "Thank you. But to be honest, I probably did deserve some of it. I need to remember that just because I can feel what you're feeling, it doesn't mean I need to know about it."

"Yeah, but… well… you were kinda right about the dark emotions." He rubbed the back of his neck absently. "I haven't really been handling things good."

"Small wonder," she replied. "You have been through more than some who are twice or thrice your age, Toby. I would be surprised if you were handling it well."

He nodded and folded his hands on the table in front of him. "Yeah, I promised Palath that I would talk with him about that kind of stuff. But I mean, you might be okay to talk to about it too since you can feel my emotions and all that." He blushed.

"Oh, well, yes, I'd be glad to talk to you, or even just listen." She stared at him for a moment and Toby wondered what was going through her head, what she could feel from him. "Why the change of heart?" she asked.

"Palath hinted that because of our connection you might be able to understand better than others. And… well…. He also mentioned something about you feeling like you have to be close to me."

Inara blushed, but nodded. "Yes, I can't explain it well, but when you're physically farther away, like just recently, there's this feeling inside my chest pulling me towards wherever you are. I could feel it the moment you started walking back to the castle, in fact."

"Huh," Toby stared at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Well, I kind a feel that too. I didn't really notice it when I was outside because I had a lot of other things on my mind, but once Palath mentioned it I could feel something. I don't know if it's as strong as what you just said though."

"Perhaps we could do some experimentation with the connection? I would like to know everything this bond has created between us. We might be able to use it to our advantage." Her eyes lit up as she spoke and she began tapping the quill she was using against her paper.

"Sure," Toby agreed. "Couldn't hurt."

She smiled and set her quill down. "Come on then!" She walked around the table and grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

"What? Where are we going?" he stumbled to his feet, but followed.

"We're going to test out a few things. Like how strong the pull is and how far apart we can be!" She was clearly excited about this and that excitement was catching. Toby let her lead him. He smiled too as she led him out of the library and towards the castle gardens.

Several hours later, Toby and Inara lay on the grass in the middle of King Rhihart's croquet field. Their chests heaved as they sucked in much needed air. "That was intense," Toby commented.

"To say the least."

"I vote we don't try that again."

"Agreed."

"Silver lining though, we now know that we can't be an entire castle's length apart for more than sixty minutes." He cringed a little as he remembered his gut tightening and his breaths coming fast the longer he stayed away from her.

Inara stretched her neck to look over at him. "What's a silver lining?"

"Oh," he turned to face her. "It's a human saying. Means that there's at least one good thing that was gained from a bad situation."

"Oh! Then yes, I would agree."

During the course of the past two hours, the two had tried several things to test their new bond. The first had been just to see if Toby could feel what Inara was feeling. The answer had been a resounding no after he failed to guess (several times) how she was feeling while she told him stories from her childhood. Next they'd tested just how deep Inara's ability to feel Toby's emotions was. Answer, quite deep! She'd been able to detect subtle nuances in his feelings, such as when he told her the story of his first dog, Merlin. Even though he hadn't told her as much, she could sense an underlying layer of sadness beneath the happiness. She hadn't been able to discover why on her own, but then understood completely once Toby told her it was because Merlin had died several years back.

They also tested the boundaries of how far apart they could be. This was what took the longest, but had very interesting results. At first, neither had been bothered by being a room apart. Similarly, being on different floors of the castle didn't cause much stress either. However when Toby tried to head towards the centaur encampment, they both began feeling as though something was tugging them back towards each other. It was easy to ignore it at first, but by the time it had been a little more than an hour, Toby found himself hurtling back towards the castle! Inara met him in the gardens and both had promptly crashed to the ground next to each other to catch their breath.

"I think Palath is right though," Toby sat up and leaned back on his hands. "We should definitely keep this quiet."

Inara sat up as well and tucked her legs under her. She nodded. "Yes, it would be for the best given all that has happened thus far."

They were quiet for a moment, just listening to the fountain splashing water nearby. "You know," Inara said quietly. "I haven't ever had this kind of connection with another person before. You'd think, given my abilities, that I would get to know people easily, but really it's more of a hindrance. Nobody wants to accidentally touch me for fear that I'll see their darkest secrets." She was looking down at her hands in her lap as she finished.

"Well that's just dumb," Toby remarked. "It's not like it's your fault that you have that ability." She looked up at him as he continued. "I mean, it's not like you run around yelling everyone's secrets anyway. I'm proof of that!" he gestured at himself. "You've been able to feel everything I'm feeling for like the past couple of weeks, but you only really brought it up when you were worried about me."

She blushed a little and sent him a small smile. "Thank you, Toby. That's nice of you to say."

He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously and looked down at his shoes. "Yeah, don't worry about it." He looked back up at her. "And don't worry about those other people. I'll be your friend, Inara."

The elven princess smiled again and leaned closer to Toby who was already sitting very close to her. "I really appreciate that, Toby," she murmured. "I haven't ever had a real friend. Hazard of being a royal princess and my unique abilities."

Toby leaned slightly closer too. "Must be lonely." His eyes wandered over her warm tawny skin strewn with a light smattering of freckles down to her slightly open dusty rose pink lips.

"It is," she replied, her eyes focused in on his pale pink lips.

Toby let his eyes slip closed a moment before their lips touched. The feeling he got upon kissing her was amazing. Her lips were so soft and smooth, her skin so warm. He was just about to reach up and pull her closer when she backed away. He opened his eyes to see hers darting over his face, a small furrow between her brows. "Was that okay?" he asked quietly.

"I - yes. It was more than okay," she replied, but she still had that furrow between her brows.

Toby leaned back a little, the corners of his mouth turning down. "Then why do you look so panicked?"

"I - I'm not. I just…. I shouldn't have done that." She turned away from him.

"Why not? I thought it was nice."

"Oh, it was more than nice," she smiled for a moment. "But…. well, my mother would never approve of you. I will be made to marry a lord eventually."

"What? First of all, nobody said anything about marriage. And second, that's ridiculous! How can they make you do that?" his voice grew louder as he spoke.

Inara shook her head. "It's just the way things are, how they've always been in the Sylvan Forest."

"But…"

"I should go," she said, quickly climbing to her feet. Before Toby could react, she had hurried off back inside the castle leaving him sitting in the grass, dumbfounded.

"Shit." The string binding him to her began to tighten. For some reason, it seemed stronger than it had when they were doing their experiments, and he could guess why. "I need to talk to Palath," muttered as he climbed to his feet.