Doira'Liim (The Beautiful Whisper of the Goddess Saga) (14 page)

     Arizira smiled to herself as she observed Talliea's reaction. She could practically see the pain and tension in her friend's body melting away the longer she rubbed the mixture into her skin. Her fingers roamed across the expanse of beautiful, dark skin in front of her and she tried to keep herself from leaning into Talliea.

     It had been nearly a month since she had stumbled across the confused Esu woman in the glade along her borders, and in that time Arizira had felt her attraction for Talliea grow. At first, she had convinced herself that her feelings were more curiosity than anything else. As she'd learned more about Talliea and began speaking with her, her feelings had proven to her that they were more than an eager interest. They were deeper and more profound.

     She was attracted to Talliea and that revelation frightened her.

     There was no future for the attraction she felt, and most likely Talliea would never be able to reciprocate her feelings. The other woman belonged to a society that was strict and paranoid and suspicious. She belonged to a people that treated their women no better than the dirt beneath them. Talliea herself had been claimed by a man and was expected to become his mate in the very near future.

     No, her feelings for Talliea were without any hope of life. Whatever Arizira felt would have to remain hidden and buried. Talliea needed a friend, not another person who wanted something more from her. Rubbing her fingers into the muscles of Talliea's middle back, Arizira became mesmerized as she watched her fingers' movements. Her coloring was a stark difference to the skin beneath her touch and she could not help but become awed.

     Trailing her fingers down Talliea's spine, she smiled to herself feeling the ridges and bumps of the bone. Talliea was beautiful and her body, despite its abuse, was equally so.

      "Ari?" Arizira stopped her movements and looked up. "Yes?"

     "Have you mated before?" Talliea asked. The question stunned Arizira. She was far from a prude and such talk was openly discussed among her people, but coming from Talliea it somehow made her blush. Perhaps it was the wording that gave her pause. Her people did not 'mate'. They had physical relations, naturally, but the act was viewed by them as more emotional and spiritual. They did not lie together for the sole purpose of procreating.

      "Ari?" Talliea questioned and attempted to look over her shoulder. Resuming her massage, Arizira replied, "Yes, Tah-li, I have bonded with two others before."

     Silence.

     "Did it hurt?" Talliea asked and her voice was both small and unsure.

     Twitching her head to the side, Arizira was at a loss as to the nature of the question. Pain was not something she had ever associated with such an act. It was beautiful and emotional and left both parties feeling good and alive and aware. It did not bring pain, or it had not for her. How could Talliea think otherwise?

     "No, there was no pain,
failira
, quite the opposite." Another breath of silence as the information was absorbed and then, "Did you love them?"

     Arizira's fingers grazed over the top of Talliea's shoulders. "Yes," she replied.

     "Then I do not understand."

     Arizira paused again and studied Talliea's profile. The other woman's brows were low and her nose was scrunched up slightly. "What do you not understand, Tah-li?"

     "You said Arnira believe that love is a once in a lifetime occurrence?"

     "Yes."

     "Then how could you have loved more than one?"

     Sighing, Arizira removed her hands from Talliea's back and waited for her to turn around. When she did so, Arizira smiled at her and her eyes traveled across her face and neck. She noticed that the shirt around Talliea's chest had slipped slightly and was now barely covering her breasts. The bruise along her neck was more vivid and Arizira noticed the imprint of a hand.

     A large hand.

     "Arnira will love many times, Tah-li," she said trying to distract herself from the mark on Talliea's neck and the amount of skin now visible to her, " but the intensity will vary. True love is a once in a lifetime occurrence and that love presents itself as our
Doira'Liim
. The women I have laid with were not my one true love. I cared for them and still think highly of them, but that was the extent of our connection."

     As she spoke, she dipped her fingers into the mortar and scooped up more of the
dohethra
mixture. Eying the bruise marring Talliea's neck, she waited for the other woman to give her permission to continue. When a dark head of hair nodded slowly, Arizira raised her hand and gingerly began smoothing the paste across the discoloration.

     She looked up at Talliea when she felt the fast paced thumping beneath her fingertips. Talliea's dark eyes held her gaze and refused to look away. She found herself falling into those deep eyes and her breath tried to hitch. Sitting up, she risked getting closer and was rewarded when Talliea did not flinch. The two of them were sharing air as they held each other's eyes. All the while, Arizira's fingers gently applied the willow bark remedy to Talliea's neck in soothing and soft circles. It was as intimate a moment as the two of them had shared.

     Arizira's attraction flared inside her vividly. Despite wanting only to help ease Talliea's pain, her body was not allowing her to forget that it felt immense feelings for the person she was touching. Once satisfied that she had adequately applied the
dohethra
to Talliea's neck, Arizira glanced down between them. Talliea's chest was still covered by her shirt, but her hands had loosened their hold on the material and the tops of her breasts were now open to Arizira's view.

     The sudden and amazingly strong sexual tension was not lost on Arizira as her eyes took in the sight. Looking back up into Talliea's face, she realized that it was, however, lost on the Esu woman. Whatever she was feeling, Arizira could not say. Though Talliea's breathing was slightly ragged and her eyes were more than half-lidded, Arizira knew the other woman was most likely confused over matters.

     With that thought in her mind, she swallowed and backed away. Talliea did not need her making matters anymore confusing. Someone had assaulted her body and marked her skin. They had taken advantage of her. Arizira would not be like them. She would not risk Talliea's trust by following through with what her body desired so badly. No, she would not.

     "You will need to do your front," she said, her voice rough in her ears as she backed away.

     As soon as there was a measure of distance between them, both women seemed to come back to themselves and the sounds of the outside world sang outside their shelter. Talliea shook her head, the haze from moments before beginning to lift, and looked down at herself. She noticed her shirt had slipped and quickly pulled it back up to completely cover herself.

     Arizira set the mortar next to her and began replacing her weapons. "Have you eaten anything, Tah-li?" Watching Arizira and feeling her heart rate return to normal, Talliea answered, "No, I have not." Arizira crawled out of the long hanging arch of rock and stood up in the mid-morning sun. Talliea looked up at her, hand still holding her shirt.

     "Rest, Tah-li. I shall find our meal. You will be safe here." Arizira turned and was about to head off into the forest, partly to hunt and partly to clear her head, when a voice behind her stopped her.

     "Ari?"

     Looking back, she saw Talliea peaking out from under the overhang of rock. A small smile formed on the Esu woman's lips. Her eyes still held a disconcerted glint, but otherwise her face appeared lighter than from earlier in the day.

     "Thank you," she said earnestly, and Arizira smiled before leaving.

                                          Chapter 11: The Path Before Their Feet

     An hour later, Talliea found herself still alone with her thoughts. Arizira had yet to return and she was growing worried. She knew Arizira could protect herself. Though she'd never seen the woman in combat, she had been witness to her reflexes, her movements, and the quick way she could string a bow. Her worry was more for herself than anything else. Now that Markahn had given her freedom she realized she was unsure what to actually do with it. Could she stay out in the forest the entire two seasons? She very much desired not to see Lao'dahn again. The man had been upset with Markahn's decision and Talliea worried he would take out his frustrations on her.

     Thinking back to earlier that morning, she realized her impulsivity had gotten the better of her once again. She had not packed any provisions or extra clothing. Apart from the shirt and skirts she currently wore all she had for survival was her cloak and the blanket Arizira had given her. Panic tried to take over her insides at the realization that she just might have to return to her clan. Had this been Markahn's plan all along? Was he trying to show her that she could not survive without his help? That she was weak?

     If she were like Arizira, she would have no such worries. She would be able to understand the animals and the trees of the forest. She would be proficient in a number of weapons and know how to hunt for her own food. Medicines and clothing and protection would all be available to her.

     If she was like Arizira.

     Her thoughts lingered on the Arniran woman and as they did, she felt her body begin to react. A pleasant fluttering sensation started in the pit of her stomach and moved up to settle deep inside her chest. She felt it grow with every beat of her heart, and the gentle
thump thump
sent the phenomenon's electricity flaring down her arms and into her fingertips. An unknown sense of calm and peace came over her as her mind pictured Arizira and, unbeknownst to her, a smile formed on her lips.

     Arizira was unlike anyone Talliea had ever encountered. Her passion for life was surpassed only by her kindness and gentle spirit. She was creative and curious and open. She was strong and wise. Her eyes only fell upon Talliea with wonder and fascination. She talked to Talliea, asked her questions, expected answers and thoughts, showed her the world as she knew it and treated her as an equal.

     No matter how many times that thought came to Talliea, she could not seem to shake it or make it real. She was a person with feelings. She had likes and dislikes. She had opinions.

     She had desires.

     Just like Arizira had told her days before. She felt divided and unsure of so many things. Lao'dahn had abused her. He had touched her as if she had no feelings, like his actions had not brought her pain or discomfort. He had spoken to her like he would a beast of burden. She had been terrified and humiliated and he had not blinked an eye or thought ahead on what his actions would bring about for her.

     Even Markahn, being more kind to her, still touched her against her will and expected her body to react as he desired it. She was not positive
how
Markahn thought she was supposed to react, but every time he touched her, he made it clear she was holding back from him. That was why he continued to visit her at night. He held the belief that she would eventually give him what he came for.

     Expectations were all Talliea knew. Yet, Arizira's touch had shown her a whole other side to what her body could experience. She had not felt dirty or used when Arizira's fingers had glided across her back. She had not anticipated pain or roughness when her hand moved along the side of her neck. Everything about Arizira's touch had only brought about good feelings. It had brought her...pleasure.

     Her heart had seemed to beat against her breathing and her body had practically vibrated with some unknown want or need. Even where the
dohethra
mixture had not touched her, her skin had still felt warm and flush. A tight throbbing had started between her legs and every touch Arizira made had only enhanced that feeling. When the two of them had been face to face and Arizira's eyes had lowered to her chest, Talliea had felt a wetness between her thighs and her fingers had ached to increase their contact.

     As she sat just outside their temporary camp, she could not help but wonder what spell kept her so enthralled to Arizira. Perhaps the old tales about the Arnira were true. The feelings Arizira had brought about in her left her feeling as if she weren't in control of her own mind. All rational and free thought had abandoned her and, in its place, a deep and complete desire to listen only to her body had flooded her mind.

     When Arizira had backed away from her and moved to give her space, her thoughts had been her own again and the heat in her body had slowly faded away. She'd been saddened by the loss, but thankful for her clear thoughts.

     Looking up at the trees above her, she noted that they were different from ones she'd seen along her journey to the north. They were transcendent, almost as if they were guarding the secret of the Arnira from any prying eyes. Her own people along the borders of the massive forest had yet to learn of them and she wondered if Arizira's people were even aware of their new neighbors. Was Arizira the only Arniran who knew of the Esu or had others watched them and relayed their information back to the tribe?

     Maybe she could parley with the Arnira leaders and be granted a place among them in exchange for information about the Esu?

     Not likely. She would have no place among the Arniran women, what with having no abilities or training; she would be more a hindrance than any form of aid. As much as she despised her people's way of life, she could not be the cause of any harm coming to the innocent women and children that lived among the men. Who was she to gamble their lives in exchange for her freedom?

     As her mind began to form one scenario after another, a familiar sensation slowly came over her. It was not strong, feeling as though it were shaded by other feelings, but it caught her attention and made her look around the woods. The sensation was identical to how she felt when she was with Arizira. It was light and fun and curious. It felt like home. It was a feeling of safety. She wondered why she was feeling as she was with the other woman not around.

     "You are still here," the woman occupying her thoughts said, coming out from behind several trees with heavy branches. Talliea, surprising herself, did not jump like so many other times. She stood and smiled as she walked toward Arizira. The Arniran woman held a thin rope-like cord over her back and attached to it was the corpse of a fox-silver rabbit.

     "Of course I am still here, Ari. Where would I go?" Talliea asked, closing the distance between them and taking the coney. Arizira said nothing and removed her bow and quiver from her back. Placing them inside the rock slope, she turned to Talliea who was removing the noose from around the rabbit's feet. "I hope your tongue appreciates the flavor of rabbit, Tah-li. The snares I set when the moon held the sky offered me the chance of a quick meal today."

     Talliea placed the rabbit on a flat-faced rock and watched Arizira search through her leather pack. She pulled out a few carrots and tubers and a small pouch of some kind. "Why were you away so long if the snares you set last night?" she asked.

     Arizira removed a small curved knife from the pack and a flint and tender. Smiling up at Talliea, she responded, "I had to pick these," indicating the tubers and carrots sitting next to her. "And I walked by the glade to refill my water skins."

     Talliea watched Arizira remove one last item from her pack. The round wooden pot was similar to the mortar she'd seen earlier, but it was darker in color with a wider rim and a deeper bowl. Arizira passed the flint and tender toward her and asked, "Could you bring to life a fire, Tah-li?"

     Nodding, Talliea watched Arizira for a moment. The other woman grabbed the rabbit and the small knife and began the task of skinning the creature. Smiling to herself at her fortuitous circumstances, Talliea walked away to start a fire.

             
                                                        *  *  *  *  *  *

     Some time later, the two women were watching the wooden bowl that was filled with boiling water, carrots, tubers, rabbit meat and herbs that Arizira had picked. Both of them were beyond famished and the smell wafting from over the fire only caused their stomachs to yearn for sustenance even more.

     Arizira occupied herself by salting some of the remaining meat. The hides, she had placed inside the rock formation so that the heat could dry them for later use. Talliea watched her from the corner of her eye and stirred their stew absentmindedly. There was a welcome and easy serenity that pervaded the two women. Time was theirs and demanded no payment from either.

     Talliea continued to watch Arizira's skilled and dexterous fingers. It amazed her the amount of grace the Arniran woman held. "Ari?" she asked after a time. Arizira looked up from her work and met her eyes.

     "How many winters have you practiced with your bow?" The silvery-blonde head turned to the side a moment before smiling and answering, "Nearly as many winters as I have seen pass, Tah-li." Talliea let the information lie between them for a moment as she stirred their stew once again. "Would you teach me?" she asked quickly.

     Arizira stopped salting the rabbit meat and set it aside. Her blue eyes held Talliea's and she studied the seriousness in the other woman's expression. "You wish to learn your birth right as a woman? You desire me to teach you in the skill of ranged combat?"

     Talliea nodded eagerly and with wide eyes. She greatly wished to learn how to defend herself, if not against Lao'dahn and men like him, then against the harsh wilds of the lands. A bear or a wolf could end her days as quickly as any Esu or Arnira with a mind to do so. Her whole life she had been dependant on others for her survival. Her clan provided food and shelter and clothing to her, as well as protection. She could mend cloaks and patch hides, and she knew how to start a fire and cook a simple meal, but aside from those things, she did not have a trade. The knowledge she possessed would not keep her alive for long under the canopy of tress around her.

     "If you would be willing, then yes. I am afraid I have not your agile grace nor your light movements, but I would greatly like to learn the things that you know," she replied.

     Arizira, sitting on a log around their quiet campfire, her knees bent and her arms resting on top of them, played with her knife and allowed the silence to draw out. She had not taken a student in her young life. Arniran custom allowed her to pass on her skills once she reached her thirty-third birth year. The number was thought of as an important milestone to her people. She still had six winters before she would be able to take on an apprentice. Would teaching Talliea basic survival skills be against her customs and beliefs, or would it be a matter of debate between herself and Aitla?

     She had seen the bruises and the scratches on Talliea's back. She had noticed the deep press of discoloration on her neck. She knew someone, someone strong and big, had held their hand against Talliea's throat. Whoever had attacked her had done so with great anger in their heart. Arizira could not imagine the terror the other woman must have felt. She, herself, was not a creature prone to violence or quick aggravation, but she felt an immense desire to meet the person responsible for Talliea's marks.

     They would not find so easy a target in her.

     Talliea watched her and tapped her foot in a nervous gesture. Could she deny someone so willingly coming to her for aid? A part of her, the part of her responsible for her tribe and its protection, wondered if perhaps the Esu were as devious as age old myths spoke of them to be. Could Talliea be a spy working to understand Arniran battle movements and fighting styles? If so, could Arizira risk her people's safety by agreeing to teach an outsider?

     The thought left her mind like a fading puff of smoke. She knew Talliea was presenting to her the truth of everything she was. The panic she had felt earlier could not have been feigned. She knew Talliea was lonely and scared.

     Nothing more.

     Opening her mouth, she finally responded, "If my skills you desire to learn, then I would be honored to teach you, Tah-li. We will have need of the forest before we can begin. Your clothing will not allow you the freedom and range of movement it will need."

     Smiling, but still unsure, Talliea asked, "You will teach me?"

     "Yes, but not now. There is much you have to learn before your fingers are ready to grasp a bow." Talliea settled by the fire again and watched the flames lick around the base of the bowl. For the first time in her life, she felt empowered and anticipated the opportunity to learn. The feeling was welcome and she allowed it to well up inside her.

     After their meal, the weather turned ill again and the sun, which had been so high in the sky, fell victim to the clouds above and soon became obscured. The forest became quiet and the hush brought with it a slight darkness. The wind sighed through the boughs of the trees and hissed across the sharp jutting of high standing stone and rocks.