Every Step is Like a Mile

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

Laurie dry-heaved a couple times, but then allowed his hand to be slid into Brandt's, easily accommodating his excitement as he limp-ran after him.

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt slowed down after a few yards when he remembered Laurie couldn't run as fast. In no time at all they could see the Barn and the guest house in the shirt distance. The horse corral had a few horses in it lazily grazing, and the cattle yard was just a little ways beyond that. They were free range cattle. No pens for Grayson beef. There was a herd of about 200. Laurie probably could have guessed that much by the smell.

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"Whoa," Laurie murmured, eyes wide as his head swiveled around to take in the place. He'd never been somewhere like this, and it showed.

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt grinned and tugged on his hand gently. "Come on." They walked on and hopped the fence. Shortly after the screen door to the main house squeaked open and closed and Martha Grayson stood with her hand shielding her eyes from the sun.

"Mama!" Brandt called and released Laurie's hand and barely took the time to set down Peepers cage before he took off at a run. Martha met him about halfway where he launched himself into her arms and she swung him about.

"Oh my boy! Lemme look at you!" She set him on his feet and cupped his face in her hands, grinning. She littered his face with kisses then and wrapped jim in another hug. Sebastien was suddenly there too squeezing his way in and Brandt gave him a hug too. His pa was standing back a ways, stoic but smiling, watching the happiness but not quite partaking of it.

"Mama, papa, Seb," he went back to take Laurie's hand and took a moment to make sure Laurie was ready. "This is Laurie. He's my best friend."

Martha gave the other boy a very tender smile and extended her hand to him to shake if he wished. "Well, Mr. Laurie. Brandt has told us so much about you I feel like I know you already. I'm Martha, but feel free to call me mama Marty or just Marty."

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"Marty," he gave a brilliant smile and shook her hand firmly. His eyebrows lifted to Jethro invitingly and when she let go he extended his hand to him too. "You've got a lovely property, here. Laurie. It's good to meet you both."

[Betty Noir]

Jet smirked as he took it and gave it a good shake. "Jethro, but most folks call me Jet. An' this here's Sebastirn." The boy waved shyly from behind his father's legs.

"Are you a wizard, too?" The boy asked.

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"I am," Laurie inclined his head. Both Jethro, Martha and Sebastian felt drawn toward Laurie. Not as though drugged or dazed, but simply that they could trust him, like him, and feel inclined to get to know more about him. It was difficult for them to pull their attention away from him, as though everything he said was charming and every joke he made from a dry, razor-sharp wit they couldn't help find compelling.

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt was happy to see them getting on so we'll. They didn't stay out long before Martha was suggesting they all go inside for lunch. She'd made barbecue pork smothered waffle fries.

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

Laurie didn't understand a single word of that sentence, but the smell made him confident he'd like it. "How long have you owned this ranch?" he directed at Jethro.

[Young Brandt Grayson]

"Well, my pa owned it before me, and his pa owned it before him, and his pa before him. So, it was my great granddaddy what started it all. He's the one what built the first cabin on Grayson land here, and started with only four cows, and two horses."

Brandt was holding his dad's hand as they walked to the house and it was hiim who finished his fathers sentence next. "Now we free range a herd of 300 cattle and at least a dozen horses, not to mention a handful o' chickens and a couple goats."

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

As they said the word goat, Laurie watched one flounce by and he couldn't help looking after it. "Goats. So cool."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt grinned. "That's Thor, short for Thornado. He's very immature and will not hesitate to hop on your back if you give him the opportunity, which is really not as fun as it sounds." Yet Brandt was smiling about it.

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"What. Thornado."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt blushed, and shrugged. "Thor for short."

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"Much better," Laurie smiled. He did his best to engage both of Brandt's parents on the way back, figuring out with ease the things they were comfortable discussing, liked discussing, and felt proud of discussing. He manipulated the conversation effortlessly from the get-go, getting them to talk about themselves naturally without feeling ill at ease.

After they both settled in and Laurie was shown to the guest room, he and Brandt played for most of the day, well, 'played,' Brandt showed him everything and he listened intently. At around dinnertime, just before the meal was served, Laurie stopped him in the hallway when they got a second alone. "I got you something."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

"Oh. Are we--" were they doing this now? He took the gift almost reverently. He hadn't been exoecting anything. "I got you something too."

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"It's a Legacy Stone," he held out a small, smooth, translucent sphere and dropped it into Brandt's hands. It glowed a soft gold and faded, warming his palm. "Before you can use it, though, I need to teach you the spell."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

He looked at it with interest and wonder. "What is a legacy stone?"

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"Take my hands. Repeat after me." Laurie closed his eyes and began a intone a low, lulling chant: "I thélisí mou prépei na eínai méso tou chrónou kai tou chórou enóno aftó átomo me to alithinó tous prósopo."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

It took him a try or two but he eventually got the words right.

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"I thélisí mou prépei na eínai méso tou chrónou kai tou chórou enóno aftó átomo me to alithinó tous prósopo. I thélisí mou prépei na eínai méso tou chrónou kai tou chórou enóno aftó átomo me to alithinó tous prósopo. I thélisí mou prépei na eínai méso tou chrónou kai tou chórou enóno aftó átomo me to alithinó tous prósopo." He slowed down to accommodate and gestured for the loop to continue as their fingers tightened over one another. After about a minute, he inhaled deeply and a clear, brisk wind blew through the room, ruffling the curtains and sweeping Brandt's hair back from his face. "It's done."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt repeated the chant with Laurie until their voices sort of blended together. He was startled by the wind, inhaling deep and he opened his eyes to look at Laurie. "What? What's done? What did--we do?"

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

"Veela call it blood magic. Blood symbolizes life, growth, paths, choice. It's the force inside a person. Sounds gross, but how it works is simple. Squeeze it, and think about your home, your family here. Your mom, your dad, et cetera. Go on."

[Young Brandt Grayson]

Brandt closed his eyes and did as instructed. He squeezed the ball and thought about the ranch. The plains. The cattle losing and grwzing in the fields. The horses running free. His brother plkaying with the goats in the barn. The wind in his hair as he raced Lightning at a fast gallop. His pa milking the cows, and mama making warm apple pie.

[Young Lawrence Keelan]

Just like that, Brandt's entire body filled with warmth as he could smell the apple pie, hear the sound of Lightning whuffing as he fed him from his palm. Hear his mother's laughter, his father's kind reproach. Arms wrapped around him, worn bedtime stories, running amid the fields with Bash. Every piece of advice Martha ever gave him, every ounce of strength Jethro imparted, as though they'd never left his side.

"This is filled with their essence. It's a culmination of their consciousnesses. Your mom graciously offered me a drop of her blood, and I collected yours a while ago. It's mixed with a small amount of amortentia to heighten the effects, and combined with an Embodiment spell. Right now it just has your mom, but all you need to add someone is a drop of their blood. You drop it onto the stone and intone the word anadýomai. In this way, you'll always be connected to the people you love."