Stars of Amity: The Amulet of Botmer

"It's quite beautiful isn't it?"

"Aye, Princess. It is that."

Lupine smiled at me from the balcony. For a moment, I was once again reminded of how stunning she was to look upon. I almost felt guilty for being so blessed in my friendship with her, with both her beauty and her loyalty to me. I knew that few could compare to either quality of hers, but at the same time I wondered if life would be better for her were we not such friends.

"Why do you wonder about such things?" She asked as she continued to stare up at the sky. "You know that my love for you is undying."

"I am well aware of your love for me", I said as I turned to face her. "And your love is equally returned, but still..." I stopped speaking as Lupine turned to face me, putting one hand on my shoulder and lightly caressing my cheek with the other. "I have thought a lot about this since first receiving the amulet." Her fingers lingered on my face and then softly stroked my hair. "But I will always be grateful for the gift you have given me."

She smiled at me and we stood together silently gazing out over the land around us. After several minutes she leaned forward and kissed me on the lips, a kiss that carried all of her emotions towards me into my heart. We were still holding each other when she broke our embrace and moved back towards the balcony doors. She wrapped her tail around my waist from behind and wrapped both arms around mine as we continued to watch the stars above us. In moments though, she pulled away from me and walked back into the room before returning a moment later carrying an object in her hands that looked like a large ring made of silver encircling some sort of stone or crystal. She placed it in my hands and closed my fingers around it before closing her own hand over mine so that she held both mine and the amulet tightly between our hands.

"This is Botmer's Amulet," she said softly as she stared into my eyes with intensity equal only to hers. "He created it long ago to protect those who wear it from being controlled by others using magic against them." Her eyes continued to bore into mine as she slowly raised her head until her lips brushed against mine ever so gently in a kiss that almost seemed more like a whisper than anything else. "When you put this amulet around your neck you will no longer be forced or even tempted to maintain your wolf form during times when it is inappropriate." She kissed me again briefly before pulling back enough so that we could continue to gaze into each other's eyes again as we held each other's hands tightly between us. "All you need do is place it around your neck when you feel yourself changing and then say 'I choose to remain Lupine' three times." She squeezed my hand gently before continuing in a soft voice filled with emotion, "It will take effect immediately." She wrapped her tail tighter around my waist and pulled me closer again as she whispered quietly in my ear, "I would give anything for you never to have to go through what you have been through recently."