A New Beginning

Chapter 57

Tessa's POV:

One perk of having the front door enter right into the living room was that we could see Elder Dairno through the window once he began walking up the path to the house. I remained sprawled out under the heat lamp, although my ear tufts perked up when Soranto went to open the door before he got there.

I lifted my head as Elder Dairno entered and slowly began walking around the living room, examining every tree branch and modification Soranto had put in place for me. His age and quiet dignity radiated off him almost as strongly as the feeling of calmness I had noticed the last time we met.

He paused in front of the sandstone shelf I was on, inspecting the heat lamp closely. His gaze moved to me, and I tilted my head as I trilled inquiringly at him. He offered his hand to me, and I sniffed his fingers before bumping them with my nose.

His lips tugged up in a slight smile. "You seem quite content here."

Acting cute, I rolled upside down and trilled sweetly while playfully tapping his fingers with mine. To my surprise, he actually chuckled softly at my actions and gently scratched me under my chin.

It would probably be a good thing if I could charm an Elder. I seemed to be making a surprising amount of progress even though this was only my second time meeting him. I thrummed and leaned into his scratching.

After a few more seconds of scratching, he pulled away and continued his walk around the room. Occasionally, he paused to place his hand into the hollows and resting areas with the red and blue lights as he tested the temperature difference.

He stopped in front of the windows facing the renovated backyard and looked out for quite some time. I doubted he had seen their backyard before, but even if he had, he wouldn't recognize it at this point.

The small patio was similar, but wall perches adorned the house and somehow seamlessly blended into the trees and shrubs that circled the central open area where my stump stood as a proud centerpiece. A tiny creek bubbled out of the rocks near the fence and flowed into a small pond with a sandy shore.

The ancient Kymari turned and continued his inspection of the house. He noticed that the tree canopy between the living room and kitchen had numerous openings. The kitchen door was open, and he glanced inside to see what the canopy looked like on that side.

I glanced at Soranto and Adeline, although they seemed pleased that he was taking such an interest in their hard work. The Elder walked back over to them as his eyes skimmed the room and ceiling once again.

"Impressive," he finally declared, turning his focus to Soranto. "It has been a very long time since I have seen this much effort put into making a bond animal comfortable."

Soranto bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Elder."

"Tessa has been remaining with you for the last three weeks on her own accord, correct?"

"Yes, Elder. We have been to Taureen's home every morning and evening. Each time I go to leave, she flies over without being called."

"I have heard of your daily trips to the park. Taureen mentioned that she returns to you, not him or Aeria."

"She rarely stays on Taureen's or Aeria's shoulder for long. If we start walking out of the park, she comes to me."

He slowly nodded. "From the appearance of your house and yard, I can guess the answer, but do you wish to be a handler?"

The Elder's intense stare and the serious way he asked the question made me blink and sit up to watch more closely.

Soranto met the Elder's gaze calmly, although gratitude rang through his voice. "It would be an honor."