The bond mark work took three nights.

Not three hours. Three nights of standing at the centermost stone with Silvain across from her and Edric directing the process with the specific patience of a very old wolf who understood that certain things could not be forced and could only be facilitated.

The first night they managed forty minutes before the frequency destabilized.

The bond mark ran strong between them when they were in contact, when the distance was closed and the armor was down and both of them were present to it without reservation. The problem was maintaining that state for the duration of an extended ritual. Every time Marina...