            She was also surprised to learn of the emotional aspect of the tether. According to the anonymous author of Ritual of Retinacula, the tether’s strength worked the same way as a chemistry mixture; it could be saturated fully by a high emotional bond, and therefore be at its strongest, or it could be some varying degree in between that and its weakest state. The greater the emotional bond, the less likely for the tether to fray and snap. Apparently even the ancient purebloods didn’t want their wives to be too miserable. The book also documented a potion that could be brewed to test the strength of the bond before the tether was created. That way, one could ensure a strong tether before carving runes into the skin.