He sat up straighter from where he laid when the boy said he was actually feeling more than soft pulses of life, and looking at where the boy laid his hand on the soil he encouraged the boy to feel in the soil instead of merely the surface.

digging his fingers down deep he tried to feel more and was rewarded with the small twinges of life from buried creatures and the tree itself. softly he spoke, "not just seeds but also grubs and beetles and i think something larger, maybe a mouse or a mole? the tree is very large"

He smiled widely, "The tree is not only large, it is very old. And there is a mole digging around the roots to find a place for his family." Reaching out he touched the boy's hand and let his energy mingle with Lonis'. "Can you feel anything more?"

for a moment he could feel the heartbeat of the mole as clearly as his own and feel all the life from the farthest root all the way up to the tips of the grass before all of it muddled up into a tangle of electric strings and blacked out to the dull feeling of normal sight and the rush of want that usually accompanied a heavy press from his master's hand covering and pressing into his own. softly he sighed and waited for his vision to clear

He could feel the fluctuation in the boy, though what happened he was not sure of. He pulled his own hand back as though the boy was scalding hot, and staring at him with furrowed brows he waited to see what it was that happened. "Are you okay, Lonis?"

he did not reply with words and blinking away the altered vision he reached down to kiss the hand that had left him

He was left with a feeling of wanting and desire, and as he felt the smooth lips brush across the back of his hand he turned it around so that he could feel the mouth against his palm. Leaning forward he crossed the short distance between them to kiss at the sweet neck before tipping the face upward and stealing the lips with his hands.

this time when his master slept he was able, after a while, to sleep as well and waking just before sunrise he dressed and went to find water for bathing so that when he woke him there would be a proper obience to the wellness of the day

By the next morning he was feeling much better, and with the boy having found water for them to bathe he felt even better. He picked the last of the berries that continued to grow throughout the night so they had something to eat if they needed, and scattering some of their excess cherry seeds around to let them grow he lead the boy in their day's traveling closer to the mountains and further from the plentiful plains.

this time they walked slower and took more breaks though there was little change in scenery and not too much to study or be lectured about

He had to admit that he was not one usually happy to travel through the mountains if only for the reason that plant life was scarce. However, he knew that many creatures called the rocky landscape home, and he decided that he and the boy would be alright in their travels. "So, Lonis. What do you know of mountains and their inhabitants?"

he had to confess he knew little outside of the flora and fauna and even that was less than he knew about other regions. keeping silent he shrugged in his ignorance and hoped this was a prelude to a lesson and not an actual inquiry

He shook his head, his braid waving from side until he stilled again. "You know nothing about rocky lands and the like? What about dwarves? Gnomes? dragons and gods of the rocky earth?"

again he shrugged and feeling very put out for focusing his off-time to the study of towns and herbs berated himself silently. when he realized there was a silence between them he looked up at his master, "i am sorry master...i.. i have failed you by my lack of dedication to the diversity of lands and their creatures"

"No one can know everything, Lonis," Reaching out he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder to place a kiss on the head of black hair. "We will learn as we travel, and by the time we return home you will be significantly enriched with the culture of more lands than our home."

still feeling bad but not nearly as much he nodded before nuzzling his master's hand, "...my ears are here for your words alone and my mind an empty cup for catching the wellspring of your knowledge"

His smile grew into one of appreciation, "Very good Lonis. Today I only wish to walk and make good distance and spend today with you. Tomorrow we shall begin our lessons, but until then we can just relax."

true to his word the day was spent mostly in silence and while it was harder to walk with angled ground and rocks h was assured a few times that they were indeed making good time and when they stopped for dinner his master seemed pleased

He pulled out a couple of the berries, cherries, and carrots from their basket when they stopped for dinner, and while he didn't sense more than a few prairie dogs burrowing around in the nooks and crannies of rocks he knew that they were not going to have more than what they had already. Offering a smile he offered the boy a carrot. "Tomorrow I will try to see if we can catch another rabbit or maybe a bird for a meal."

he would have asked about finding something tonight but even he could feel the light pressure of magic and accepting it as meaning his master had checked he only nodded in reply and took what was given to him to eat

As he crunched on his own hard carrot he found himself looking into the sky at the hazy image of stars hidden underneath opaque clouds. "I know I said I would not have a lesson tonight, however," he took another crunch as he turned his head to look at the boy, "What do you hope to learn on this trip?"

it was a question he had been ruminating over since the afternoon in the garden and he was, despite wanting now to have many questions answered, still not able to figure out the answer. moving closer he leaned up against the druid, "it seems today i am without answer for any of your questions despite myself, i am sure i will do better tomorrow but for today it seems i am not wise enough to know the right words"

"You are plenty wise, you are just tired and hungry and tomorrow both you and I will be much better," this time when he kissed the lad he kissed his lips and let his lips linger longer than a short moment before he let them break apart. "Okay?"

he di not reply, instead he got to his knees and putting one hand to his master's thigh to brace himself reached up to take another kiss

The lips were soft, but they wanted something deeper than the first kiss he was the one to offer and he was only one to oblige. Gently his hand came to rest above the one that sat upon his thigh, and picking up the hand with his own he intertwined their fingers sweetly. His other hand rested just behind the goat-like ear to gently touch the scalp beneath the dark locks to keep the face close.

at the touch he felt a thrill though it was when the hand started to stroke and fondle the ear that he let out an involuntary purr against the lips and shifting into the lap let his pleasure be known

He smiled as he found the sweet spot behind the boy's ear again and Lonis began to purr, and as his hand continued to stroke and rub at the base of the ear he heard the purring grow louder and louder as the boy seemed to grow limper and limper in his arms with any other feelings seeming to melt away with each stroke of his ear. Giving another sweet kiss he added in his other hand to rub at the other year.

he could feel his bones melt and his brain ooze out of his nose as the wonderful touches ruined any other wants or wishes or thoughts and going entirely limp he lay there and accepted all ministrations as a gift from his master

It was only so long before his hand began to cramp and he was afraid the boy may have all but lost himself in the scratching that he stopped himself to lay down beside the soft and limp body to hold him close in a spoon and offer a kiss to the exposed neck.

when he woke it was not quite dawn and the murky night was only just leaching away at corners of gray. rolling in the warm arms he woke his master with kisses

Except for the lack of groping it seemed to be very similar to how he was often woken back at home, and as he opened his eyes he was greeted with the sight of the boy and another kiss planted on his face before he returned the affection. "Good morning, Lonis. Why are we up so early?"

blithely he smiled at his master, "it is not a new day yet. i do not have to get the water for the daily wellness yet"

He did not need a translation to figure out what the boy was trying to say, and as his own smile turned into a grin he offered another affectionate kiss. As he tangled a hand in the boy's hair he made a conscious effort not to begin rubbing his ears lest he would reduce him to a limp pile once again and that later he would have to make up twice the fun later. Offering several nips to the smooth skin of the boy's tanned neck, the man offered a purr.

they greeted the sun together joined as one and though the dawning day halted their intimacy he did not mind for when the edge of the world was cast in gold so was the halo of hair around his master' hair and the edges of it lit gold and ruby like liquid fire and he found beauty outside of what he was normally allowed. the wondrous vision of it lasted him through the morning and by noon when he was told to go catch their lunch he was still awed by it. it was his lack of outside observance that caused him to fall

When the boy came back with two hares he knew that it would be enough for them to have more than a single meal's worth, and like the time they caught a rabbit several days ago, he said a prayer to release the creature's spirits before viewing them as edible. He gave a second look to see the boy was bruised and dirty unlike when he first went off to find them food. Gesturing to the stream beside them he told the boy to wash up a little bit while he prepared breakfast.

he was excited to share his discovery though he did as he was told and washed up first while the rabbits were skinned and put to roast on a stone in the middle of the fire. after he had bathed and set his clothes out to dry in the sun and while his master tended the food a he fetched out the small white stone and brought it over to share, "look master, amethyst!"

He ignored the sizzling of the rabbit and instead turned to the boy to accept the rock he was offering to him to look at. He looked it over in his hands with a gentle smile before turning it back over to the boy and pressing it into the palm. "That is a great find, where did you pick it up at?"

broadly he grinned, "i fell in a hole! wanna see?" he was offered a light nod but before he could turn a hand was put on his shoulder and his master spoke, "after lunch, lonis" nodding in return he set off a second time to find something to go with the rabbit

The boy found some onions that cooked on the rock alongside the rabbit, and when it was all cooked it smelled delicious. It was certainly a lunch fit for people on the travel like them, though after they devoured it the boy seemed set on showing him where he'd found the stone of amethyst. Having put out the fire with some of the water from the river he packed up their things and followed after the boy, piqued with curiosity.

this time he was prepared and instead of falling in he crouched down and sliding in backwards slipped through the angled opening