Spirit Bound (Furry Story)

Chapter 160: Neasa Withholds Judgment

Neasa fulfilled her duty to her husband and clan by trusting that young Mage's abilities and stepping through that unnatural tear in space. She now sat in a home owned by her people's foes, dined with them, and pretended to entertain the notion that Geoff's and Nathanial's relationship could be condoned. It was the most trying day of her life.
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Neasa perched on the loveseat beside her husband and watched the young children over the brim of her teacup. Nathanial didn't look nearly as jittery as he did outside a few minutes ago, but she could feel the tiny tremors in the air as he continued to shiver. Geoff kept one arm over the Mage's shoulder, a highly inappropriate gesture of affection, rather than holding his saucer beneath his cup whenever he took a drink. The young O'Conall didn't stand behind their couch and instead sat beside his ward; Neasa had long since given up trying to enforce that point of protocol. The O'Conalls took far too many liberties with their position when they thought they could get away with it. Even now, Ciaran O'Conall had abandoned his duty in order to show that fake Spirit some papers he drew on downstairs. Ofuda: Monk spell-scrolls. What business did Ciaran have learning that rubbish?

Neasa took another sip of the tisane. She couldn't find fault with it, even if it wasn't a traditional blend. It tasted very nice, with a pleasant warmth after stepping out into the chill, and it might be her imagination, but that warmth seemed to seep through her muscles, causing her to relax despite her best intentions.

Geoff shifted uncomfortably in the silence, but he still kept Nathanial close. Mocking her with his disdain for the traditions of his people. Those traditions were the only thing left to them; everything else had long since been taken away. It was an old argument, one that began before she was born, blossoming when Ruarc was a new alpha. Tradition versus assimilation. The assimilationists preferred the term 'progress,' but they could never answer 'progress to what?' Modernity? What did that even mean? Whose modernity? The Furs -- their enemies? The ones destroying everything the Spirits stood for?

Looking at those two, Neasa regretted stamping out Lauren's pursuit of Geoff. Better a weak lady Spirit for the Dark Elemental than a male Mage. Even Faelen would have been preferable; he at least, was part Spirit. A mutt over a disease. She sighed in her head, sipping some more. That wasn't fair. It may be the true state of the world, but she overheard Luke talking to Aedan on the phone, and...Nathanial knew far too much about 'unfair.' Neasa couldn't blame him for falling in love with Geoff, if he had to be like...that. She couldn't really blame Geoff, either. Nathanial was sweet, for the most part, with a core -- a shaky core -- of strength underneath that, and an incredibly sharp mind. If only he was a she and a Spirit, even a weak Spirit. That intelligence and personality would more than make up for his...ah, her, weakness. That was a key part of why Neasa nixed Lauren; nice but not endearing, friendly but not charming, smart but not insightful or brilliant. She wouldn't have been of any use diplomatically, and the Dark Elemental needed more in a spouse than any other alpha did. Neasa would veto herself for a Light or Dark Elemental; she had no illusions about her worth.

Luke broke the silence. "Are you done training? You said you had kung fu soon."

Neasa shook her head before either pup could answer. "No, I was told they would leave in fifteen minutes, and I planned on taking a look at the results of today's lesson. I have my doubts, but I'll give them a chance."

Neasa felt rather than heard a rumble deep in Luke's chest; he was getting ridiculously involved in this farce. Ruarc had been a huge fan of that so-called Ancient One, most of the clan was, even though they were ignorant of the truth, and Luke carried that tradition on. Tanai O'Conall was his biggest critic, but there were many others who objected to a clanless Spirit suddenly appearing, marrying into the second most powerful family, and becoming the alpha's closest advisor. The wealth that suddenly showered the clan silenced most of the early critics, from what she heard, but there were still opponents to the initiatives he put into action even now. She was one of them.