Doira'Liim (The Beautiful Whisper of the Goddess Saga) (25 page)

     Arizira swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded her head. There really was no way she could refuse. Talliea removed her hand and backed away slightly. Holding up the blanket, she motioned for Arizira to lie against her front. Arizira hesitated for only a moment before removing her cloak and folding it up so she could use it as a pillow. Rolling over with her back to Talliea, she settled in against the other woman and breathed out heavily through her mouth.

     The fire died and darkness crept around them. Talliea lowered the blanket and snuggled up behind Arizira. She could feel the rigid and tense set of her body and wondered at its nature. Loosely placing her arm over Arizira's waist she smiled, fully content. "This is nice," she whispered, her eyes closing and her heart beating more regularly.

     Never in her life had she felt more at home. More at peace.

     Arizira, body alive with being so intimately close to Talliea, nodded and tried to relax. It
was
nice, but it was also a sweet and slow torture. She could feel Talliea's breasts against her back, full and soft, as well as the steady inhale and exhale of her breathing. The arm around her waist was innocent and without demand, but it was also more physical than they had been before. The feeling of Talliea's breath against the back of her neck caused Arizira’s entire body to break out in an immense tingling sensation.

     After several long moments, she finally relaxed against Talliea and let her mind slowly drift toward sleep. Her last thoughts were of Talliea and how soft and inviting her lips had looked.

                                                        Chapter 17: Events in Motion

     A week passed in the Esu camp with no return from Talliea. Many of the other men and women of the clan believed her to have become a victim of the forest. Her mother, however, was divided on her feelings. The side of her that was a mother mourned for the loss of her only child, while the side of her that was a dutiful wife and follower of Esuval felt no longer burdened by her daughter's shame. During the day, she went about her chores and duties with naught but a smile upon her face.

     At night, when she was away from the other women and her mate was fast asleep, she cried silently to herself and felt an empty ache clawing at her insides. Her daughter was gone. She had to be. What other explanation could there be? With the weather having turned even colder and the first of many small snow flurries already dancing on the air, Talliea must have perished somewhere in the forest. Why Markahn had allowed her to leave in the first place was beyond her. To herself, she blamed him for her daughter's passing. To everyone else, she placed the blame upon Talliea.

     Life continued for the Esu. Stone was brought in at a slow pace day in and day out while the women worked their winter crops with expert care. The men ventured more and more into the forest in search of meat and animal hides and warmer clothing was soon, also, in the making. Markahn, still against Lao'dahn's advice, held out the hope that Talliea was somewhere safe and sound.

     "Esuval is watching over her," he'd told Lao'dahn three days before.

     "Why would Esuval watch over her wretched soul? She has brought you naught but heartache and despair."

     "Keep your words! You do not speak for Him. She could have returned at anytime for supplies or shelter. She has not. Why then would she remain in the cold with an empty belly if she were not safe to begin with?" Markahn had retorted heatedly.

     Lao'dahn had said nothing and their conversation had ended.

     Late one evening, following the ninth day since Talliea had left, Lao'dahn found himself once again patrolling the forest. It was late and the sun was soon to be behind the rim of the world. The steady rise of winter had finally breathed over the land and gone was the fall that had set the world aflame with vibrant golds, browns, and reds. Many of the trees not blessed with being evergreens were bare of their leaves and their branches spread out towards the sky in broken arches. Though the heavy snows had yet to blanket the land, a bitter chill clung to the air and seemed to weigh down the forest with an eerie fog.

     Lao'dahn, dressed in heavy boots and gloves and a thick jerkin, held his head down against the wind as he once again made his way toward the cave overlooking the canyon. He was unsure why the cave continued to intrigue him, but it did. He could not shake the feeling that Talliea had been there. The depression where a torch could sit could not have been made by nature. Following that logic, the torch itself had to have come from somewhere.

     Someone.

     Another feature of the cave that led him to believe Talliea had visited it was the ring of stones around the fire. If not constructed by Talliea, then who? There was no one else. None of the other men he had spoken with had admitted to being in the cave. He knew Talliea had been sneaking away since their arrival in the valley. Perhaps she had sought to use the cave as a refuge for herself. If, indeed, she had been the one to discover the cave, Lao'dahn had to give her credit for her ingenuity.

     Maybe the woman could have survived this long out in the forest...

     Stepping up the steep incline that lead to the mouth of the cave, Lao'dahn was about to enter when a sharp whistling sound caught his attention. He turned away just in time to avoid being struck by a feathered arrow. The projectile dove into the dirt between his feet and protruded from the ground. Spinning around, Lao'dahn quickly brought out his staff in one hand. The other hand he held out before him and emitted a bright light that spread throughout the surrounding forest.

     His breaths were quick and uneven and his eyes were wide. Anger flashed across his face as he tried to find his attacker. Who would be so bold as to attack him?

     "Show yourself!" he called into the descending darkness around him. Crickets and frogs and the sound of a howling wind were his only answer. He chanced a quick glance down at the arrow and was stunned to notice the design was not that of his clan. The head was sharper and seemed to glow with a stunning radiance. Three brightly colored feathers made up the tail and the shaft of the arrow was notched with strange characters etched into the wood.

     Lao'dahn took a step back and scanned the forest. Were there other Esu in the north? Even with the light shining from the palm of his hand, he could see nothing but shadows of the landscape. "Stop this nonsense! I demand that you show yourself! You are provoking a Man of the Light!"

     Another arrow flew past him and he felt the wind it carried as it landed in the trunk of a tree next to his head. His heart began to beat rapidly as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He knew the last shot had been a warning. "Talliea? This is your doing, you wretched woman, is it not?"

     A third arrow suddenly flew straight toward him and, before he could even attempt to block it, landed in the center of his bo-staff. He faltered and the light from his hand diminished. Looking at the arrow sticking out of his weapon, he found himself at a loss. What skill was there to be such a marksman that did not come from tales of legend and valor? How had Talliea procured such a talent?

     He looked around once more before turning quickly and scurrying through the forest back toward his people's camp. His search for Talliea could wait another day.

     How dare that woman take a shot at him! Not just one shot but three! Her last arrow had landed in luck. That had to be the explanation. No archer was so skilled that they could land an arrow in a piece of wood as slim as his staff. His main priority was to inform Markahn of Talliea's attempt on his life. Perhaps that would show his friend that she was no good for him and then he could claim her for himself.

     Yes, he thought as his feet kept him on his retreating path, Talliea has gone too far this time...

                                                                      *  *  *  *  *  *

     Bela'luin smirked to herself as she watched the Esu man run away, before gathering her pack, quiver, and her bow. Pleased with herself, she silently dropped to the forest floor and disappeared into the night.

                                                                      *  *  *  *  *  *

     "Tell me about your parents."

     Arizira looked up from reinforcing Talliea's boots with sturdier pieces of leather, and caught her eyes across the fire burning between them. In the last week and a half, the two women had settled into a comfortable arrangement. Arizira had taught Talliea about various edible plants, berries, and nuts, as well as how to set a snare, how to string a bow, and how to properly sharpen a blade.

     A few days after they'd settled inside their cave, Arizira had told Talliea of the type of leaves her people used for bedding. The two women had spent an entire day searching for an
Ophe'las
tree whose leaves were soft and weather resistant. Arizira had shown Talliea how to remove the leaves with care and later how to lay them together for a comfortable bed.

     The leaves of the
Ophe'las
tree, when laid one upon the other, generated an enormous amount of heat. The days following had been spent continuing to gather food. Arizira had taken to hunting at night and allowing Talliea to search for nuts and berries and rabbits during the day. Meat that was not immediately eaten was cured and dried and wrapped in light pieces of cloth. Berries, nuts, and various tubers were also packed away with care and stored deep in the back of the cave.

     During the day, Arizira instructed Talliea on the proper ways of tracking and reading the signs of the forest. The progress was slow going and Talliea, more than once, had become disheartened with her lack of ability. Always, Arizira was there to encourage her and get her to try again.

     Like she'd promised, Arizira had made Talliea a pair of tough leather pants. Talliea, days later, was still trying to adjust to her new article of clothing. Conversations began to flow more easily between the two women and, often times, their nights were filled with laughter and joy and stories of each of their peoples' beliefs and myths. Their friendship and dependence on one another continued to grow, as did their respective attractions.

     Since that first night when Talliea had asked Arizira to stay close to her and the two of them had fallen asleep together, every night after had followed in a similar manner. Each night saw Talliea's mind taken over with vivid images of Arizira. The dreams varied in intensity, but always Talliea would awake with a deeper desire.

     She came to understand that she longed for Arizira.

     After the first few nights, she realized that her longing was not just in a physical sense. She desired Arizira's company constantly. She felt compelled to share parts of herself she normally left hidden from the world and others. When Arizira smiled or laughed and Talliea was the cause of such happiness, she was content and her day made complete. All Talliea found herself wanting was just to touch her Arniran companion and connect with her in any way.

     Conversely, though Arizira's attraction had also grown, the young huntress had, over the past week, become less tactile than was her nature. No longer was she seen openly expressing her fascination with Talliea through her touch. Though her fingers ached with a desire to graze across smooth tanned skin, Arizira had come to realize that she could not continue to touch someone who had so captured her heart and spirit. Each time she had touched Talliea, it had been harder for her to pull herself away. The desire to explore other parts of the Esu woman's body had become nearly unbearable and she'd realized she was running the risk of exposing her feelings.

     So, four days after she and Talliea had set out on their own, Arizira had withdrawn into herself as much as she could. She still spoke with Talliea and answered her questions and taught her her skills. The two of them laughed often and spoke openly, but Arizira no longer danced with the feelings she had. At first they had been exciting, and flirting with Talliea another part of her personality, but those initial reactions had quickly faded the stronger her feelings had become.

     Arizira had come to see that her feelings were not light. They were not fleeting. They were no longer exciting. She had, somehow, become a prisoner to them; a hisulir in her own body. Every day was a struggle for her because everyday she longed to connect with Talliea on a deeper level. Several times over the past week, Arizira had caught herself blatantly staring at the object of her fascination and affection. When the two of them fell asleep together at night, Arizira fought with her body's desire to roll into Talliea's touch.

     Her lips tingled.

     Her fingers ached.

     Her heart raced.

     Everyday. All day.

     Whenever Talliea was near.

     That was not to say that Arizira regretted her decision to accompany Talliea, nor did she detest or deplore her feelings. They were a struggle, a burden at times, but she was happy to bear them if it allowed her to share even a breath with the other woman. It was a sweet torture, if such a thing could actually exist.

     Little did she know, but her companion carried a similar burden.

     "Sorry?" she asked, having lost Talliea's question within her internal thoughts.

     "I asked about your parents," Talliea said sharpening their cutting blade. Arizira, shadows dancing across her face from the fire, shrugged and worked the animal thread in her hand through her companion's boot. "I never knew them," she replied, keeping her eyes focused on her work. "My nurture mother--"