Though Rick had left the room with the intention of just clearing his head, he’d been just about ready to run straight back in. He wasn’t sure why, but that was the feeling that was coursing through him currently, as he sat on a set of stone stairs and trying to pretend he’d intentionally stopped there for some reason or another.

He was right where Monica couldn’t hear him or feel his exact location anymore.

Rick wasn’t sure how he knew that, how he was so sure about it, but he knew. He was a dozen steps away from her becoming aware of where he was again. He was half sure that just talking loudly would let her hear him, even there. It felt absurd. His brain told him it shouldn’t be possible for her to be able to just hear him exist this far off from the room. Was it over twenty meters away? More?

And the only reason he had that sense of certainty was because he felt a sense of anxiousness gnawing at the back of his mind. A feeling that he was sure had to be Monica’s. But at the same time it was hard to separate from his own. Her nervousness was rubbing off on him in a way that made his back cold with sweat.

“Do you… need anything, sir?”

The owner of the voice meekly stood next to Rick, a Mousegirl with a long and plain maid uniform. The pale complexion and button nose were easily recognizable as the one who’d come into his room just a handful of minutes ago. “Just catching my breath.”

She nodded, head turning towards the corridor he’d come from.

“Would sir wish for some privacy? This place would certainly… draw attention.”

“Uh, sure, I guess, just not too far off from here.”

“The gardens are just down the stairs to the right. It is a good place to… catch one’s breath.” She paused for a moment. “If you follow the wall to the left, it leads to a small untended corner that is out of sight. Very few know of it.”

“Oh, thank you.” Rick rubbed at his forehead, slowly moving his fingers to his temples as he did his best to control his breathing. “What’s your name?”

“My name, sir?”

“Yes.”

“My Mistress calls me Little Mouse.”

“I see.” He let out a slow sigh. “And what’s your name?”

Her lips curled slightly upwards. “Little Mouse, sir.” She gave a curt bow and turned to leave.

Rick waited for a minute before he got up and began to make his way down the stairs. He attempted to mostly take in the views as he moved. The fortress had a definite medieval feel to it, but there were also modern aspects incorporated. The walls, though made with large stone bricks, were almost polished smooth, with barely a gap between the large blocks. The stairs were covered with a rug of some sort, dark green and rough to the touch. The illumination was more modern. No candles or torches, but rather constant stable lights within colored glass orbs placed on the walls. They looked electric, but when Rick tried to move a hand close to one, the tingling on his skin told him they were made with elemental energy somehow.

The door leading outside was guarded, the two maidens wearing some teal blue uniforms opening the way without prompting, wait, or question. They acted as if they were nothing more than statues.

“Thank you.”

The small comment caused them both to tense, though they remained quiet.

The outside world brought with it a breath of fresh air he hadn’t realized he’d been sorely missing. Sunshine and a cool breeze did wonders at the tension on his shoulders.

The garden was lush, just down the set of stairs there was a tunnel that had been built by having several trees entwine with one another, forming long archways. The trees were different from one another. Rick was no botanist, but he could at least see no less than a dozen just at a first glance. Each one had its own leaves and flowers, their own shapes, giving the tunnel an almost kaleidoscopic appearance.

Rather than walk through it, however, he glanced to the left, spotting a narrow space between the fortress’ walls and the outer edge of the trees. It was hidden well enough. He would have certainly missed it if not for Little Mouse’s directions. So he followed, finding his steps slightly irregular and uncomfortable, but the ground was well trodden, this space clearly being used often. Perhaps to allow servants to care for the garden from places inaccessible from within the tunnel.

Within just a dozen meters or so, he’d made it to a small clearing that had the stone walls on one side and the trees on the other. Under the shade of the tree, there was an empty bench.

Rick took the opportunity to reassess the situation with Monica. She was still nervous, and it was gnawing at him. Strangely enough, he was fairly sure he wasn’t all too far from her detection range. There was a mild sensation that if he kept himself to the wall and continued further into the garden, he’d eventually get closer to her.

It was weird, strange, and disconcerting. The emotions and feelings clearly came from the bond. They hadn’t been as apparent while traveling or while he’d been recovering. Something had shifted since that fight with the Baron, something that had been growing and hadn’t become apparent until now.

Or maybe he just hadn’t paid attention. He’d been able to draw pain from Monica while she fought. That wasn’t something that should be possible. Irene, the town psychic, hadn’t been sure about that either. She had certainly been emphatic over how little she knew about bonds. He’d have to find an expert in the field to be able to give him answers.

The sound of crunching dirt drew Rick’s attention.

“Oh, I didn’t know this was occupied already.”

The man was young, barely past his teens. His hair was long and smooth, his complexion thin and fair. The first thought that crossed Rick’s mind was that the stranger had been plucked straight out of some 90s boy-band.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just here to breathe.”

“Oh, uh, ok. Thank you, sir.”

He sat down on the opposite side of the bench, looking straight ahead.

Rick tried to get back into organizing his thoughts, but he could feel the young man looking at him every other second. He was trying to be discreet and failing. “Yes?”

“I… wouldn’t want to be a bother.”

Too late for that.

“You've got something to ask, I’m guessing?”

“Are you… you know, the one?”

Rick shot him a weird look. “The what?”

“The owner of… White Claw.”

“That’s me.” He sighed, slumping further into the bench. “Name’s Rick.”

“Right, sorry, I’m just being rude, I’m sorry.” The young man made vague hand gestures as he stood. “You’re clearly looking to relax and I just should’ve kept quiet.”

Rick looked at him from head to toe. The guy looked like one coffee cup away from imploding. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, uh, Nicolas.”

“And what’s your trouble?”

The man fidgeted. “I don’t think they’re that important, sir, not compared to… well.”

“Compared to… what?”

“Well, handling such a dangerous maiden.” The man coughed. “A Tigress is already very dangerous. I’ve heard of how they’ve ripped their partners apart merely because they were not worthy. And you have one who’s shifted to an even stronger form…”

Rick’s back straightened slightly. “You know about Tigresses?”

Nicolas appeared confused for a split second, nodding. “Only rumors. They are very rare outside of the southern villages. And they’re infamously hard to bond, which is why they’re so dangerous. I once-”

“But there’s tamed ones.” Rick dismissed the warning. “What’s known about those? There’s barely any written material about them.”

“That would likely be because they were one of the stronger and most successful factions during the rebellion against the kingdom’s power. At least in the south. They are dangerous to humans since they’d never bond with-.”

“I’m asking about their culture.” Rick’s voice came out in a growl, meeting the young man’s gaze intently.

Nicolas paled, nodding quickly. “They respect power, above all else.”

“But what about humans? There’s no way a human can compare to a maiden in power.”

“Of course, even gifted humans are far weaker than maidens.” A very quick nod, almost eager, his shoulders relaxing and a smile emerging on his lips. “Which is why Tigresses are known to be violent against humans who try to impose on them.”

“Sure, sure, but what about the relationships?”

“I… am not sure what you are talking about.”

“When a tigress decides she will have a human, what happens then?”

“Well, they test the human, and if they’re not worthy, then…”

“Oh.” Rick blinked a little.

“Which is why they’re so dangerous. You should definitely watch out.”

“Hm… are you sure you don’t know anything else?”

“It is based on rumors. They tend to be very isolated, so…”

“Ah, a shame.” Rick nodded slightly, standing up from the bench. “But I think you've helped me a bit.” He moved to stand, dusting himself off. “Thanks.”

“I… you’re welcome?”

“Best of luck, Nicolas.”

Rick headed back through where he came from, leaving the young man to look on in shock.