Doira'Liim (The Beautiful Whisper of the Goddess Saga) (35 page)

     Both women laughed and fell into a comfortable silence. It had been two days since they had gone out into the forest and Arizira had practiced her archery. The snows had let up slightly and allowed Arizira to hunt once again. Talliea had set out in the forest the day before and set a few snares. She had also replenished their supply of nuts and berries and even picked a few herbs for seasoning their meats.

     Currently, they were both enjoying the warmth of their newly lit fire. Arizira was smoking several pieces of dear meat while Talliea worked on curing some fresh hides. The air inside their cave was thick and warm and the smell of smoking meat and frying vegetables wafted upon it. The day was soon set to retire and both women allowed themselves to be at peace with yet another day.

     Their current dispute, if it could truly be called such, had come about only moments before when Talliea had caught Arizira blatantly and quite brazenly staring at her. "What?" she had asked, her voice a higher pitch.

     Arizira had shaken her head, her eyes seeming to come back into focus, before she had also asked, "What?" Talliea had smiled crookedly and indicated Arizira with a finger. "You were staring at me. Is there something amiss?"

     A blush had quickly colored Arizira's fair skin as she realized she had been caught. Smiling in a shy gesture, she had looked back down at the meat she had been smoking and softly replied, "No, Tah-li. Everything is perfect."

     "Then why were you studying me so?"

     Swallowing, Arizira had looked back up into Talliea's dark eyes and said, "Because I can not help it. You are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever met and my eyes can not help but desire to look upon you."

     Giggling softly and suddenly feeling slightly nervous, Talliea had made a face and shaken her head. "No, I am not."

     And thus their simple argument had been born. Arizira checked the vegetables she was frying in some deer fat before looking back to Talliea. "Do you believe me to be a liar, Tah-li?"

     Setting her knife to the side, Talliea smirked at Arizira. "Of course not."

     "Then believe me when I tell you that you take my breath away with your beauty."

     Talliea blushed again and noticed the last rays of the sun bidding a shy farewell to the world. She had been told many times in her life that she was beautiful, yet never had such a comment affected her like it currently was.

     Unlike the men who had expressed their appreciation of her physical appearance, Arizira did not make her feel dirty or like a piece of property. She made her feel valued and cherished and, for the first time in her life, beautiful.

     Truly, beautiful. It was a strange and new feeling, but a welcome feeling regardless. Looking into Arizira's eyes, which had begun to glow more fiercely with their new lack of natural light, Talliea smiled and held the other woman's gaze. "You take my breath, as well," she whispered.

     Silence settled around them once again. For several long moments, each woman occupied herself with a task or chore. Talliea watched Arizira remove the wooden pot containing a portion of their dinner from over the fire. She followed Arizira's movements as the other woman set the pot off to the side to cool. Arizira busied herself with cleaning some of her tools before walking over to a low sitting and flat faced rock.

     Talliea watched her lower herself to the rock and become lost to her thoughts. Finishing her own tasks, she licked her lips nervously and continued to watch her companion. This was a common occurrence. Nearly every night, Arizira would complete any cooking or cleaning or sewing and retire for a short while inside herself. Her eyes would become unfocused and she would appear to be in some sort of deep meditation. Talliea often wondered what the other woman thought about so intently, but she never questioned matters or interjected her own thoughts.

     However, this night she found she could not stay away. As much as she had enjoyed Arizira's company and as greatly as she valued their budding relationship, she knew, somehow, that Arizira was still holding a part of herself back. It had been over a week since their first kiss and, though they now kissed one another without hesitation, that was all they did.

     Every time Talliea had attempted to move their relationship forward or express herself in a more profound way, Arizira always stopped her or pulled away. Where before the two of them had often bathed together, now Arizira used the hot spring early in the morning before Talliea was awake. She claimed it was because she did not wish to make her feel uncomfortable, but Talliea could tell it was something else.

     Was it her? Was there something about her that gave Arizira pause? She knew the other woman had feelings for her -- strong, intense, feelings -- so why was she still so reluctant to allow them both a chance to act on those feelings?

     Seeing as how she had absolutely no experience in love, relationships, or friendships for that matter, Talliea felt very inadequate when it came to addressing the issue. Kissing Arizira was not all she wanted to do. Holding her as they fell asleep was not all she desired. Though she had no concept of
what
exactly the two of them would do when they fully expressed themselves, she just knew that she wanted more.

     She craved more.

     Arizira, after months of getting to know her, was not a person who rushed. She had not rushed into her feelings. She had not rushed in teaching Talliea her skills. She had not rushed into kissing Talliea or expressing how she felt.

     Where Talliea was less patient and more insistent, Arizira always appeared calm and without any need to hasten her pace of life. Everything was measured and appreciated. Still, that fact did little to calm the near insane need Talliea felt to be closer to Arizira. It was a pull she felt nearly every minute of every day. The force of it was overwhelming and powerful and seemed always to take her over, mind, body, and spirit. The complete lack of control she felt while in Arizira's presence, however, did not frighten her.

     It seemed as if a welcome embrace, as though all of her worries and troubles would become less if only she could lie with Arizira, if only she could connect with her.

     Watching Arizira sitting on the flat-faced stone, she was unaware of her own movements until she was standing over the other woman. The light from the fire offered her enough illumination to see every feature of the face she loved.

     Arizira looked up at her curiously and with lowered brows. Without giving her actions a moment of thought, Talliea slowly lowered herself until she was sitting in Arizira's lap, straddling her hips. A shaky and unsure gasp came to her ears while a pair of hands came to her sides.

     Placing her hands on either side of Arizira's face, Talliea allowed her thumbs to smooth over a pair of inviting lips. "Tah-li...what are you do --"

     The rest of the sentence was cut off as Talliea leaned her head down to kiss Arizira's lips. The kiss was short and soft, Talliea's thumbs once again running over the wetness of the lips beneath them. "I want you," she whispered, her knees resting on the rock on either side of Arizira's hips.

     "You are not ready. We can no --"

     Again, Talliea cut off any protests with another tender kiss. Her hands cupped Arizira's face with a reverence unknown to her. Breathing more sharply, she trailed the fingers of her right hand into velvety, soft silver-blonde hair. "I am. I want you to experience me. I want you to touch me."

     Arizira swallowed painfully and tried to get a hold of the building lust she could feel beginning to course through her body. Talliea's actions were unexpected, just as they had been the first time they had nearly kissed one another. Like then, the actions were welcome, but the force behind them in question.

     She felt Talliea gently turn her head to the side before leaning forward and placing her lips against her sensitive ear. "Touch me, Ahmanae," Talliea whispered heatedly before stroking Arizira's ear with the tip of her tongue.

     The action shattered any other resolve Arizira had and she fisted the material at Talliea's waist. Whatever the reason behind this sudden overt display, she did not care. A voice, very small, in the back of her mind protested that she
did
care, very much, but she ignored it. She had wrestled with this desire for months. Her mind and body were both constantly on edge around Talliea and the tingling sensation ever present in her fingertips had threatened to bring her to a deadened numbness.

     She loved Talliea. What did it matter if the two of them finally acted upon their feelings?
Because she is innocent and she was assaulted
, the voice in the back of her mind spoke up again.

     Shoving the voice down once more, Arizira turned her head and brought her lips to Talliea's in a fierce rush. She was so tired of having to stay one step ahead of her own feelings and desires. She was so tired of having to be in control every second of every hour of her life. The feelings she had for Talliea were powerful, more powerful than anything she had ever experienced.

     Never in her life had she felt so out of control. The constant struggle day in and day out was nearly unbearable. Why did Talliea affect her so strongly?

     She heard Talliea gasp into her mouth as she kissed her with more passion than she'd ever expressed. Running her tongue over the Esu woman's bottom lip, she wasted no time in parting her lips and increasing the desire she felt. When their tongues met, both women moaned into the other.

     Arizira could feel every inch of Talliea's body pressed so closely to her own. Talliea's breasts were against her chest and she could feel the strength in the thighs that squeezed her hips. Hands tangled into her hair while fingers gently explored the curved tips of her ears.

     Heavy breathing and panting danced around the two women, yet neither was aware of it as the pounding rush of blood was all that sounded in their ears. Arizira pushed her hands up and, in the process, Talliea's top. When her fingers connected with the warmth of soft, smooth skin, she practically cried into Talliea's mouth. The more she let herself go, the harder she knew it was going to be to stop. Ever present, deep in her thoughts, was the sound of her inner voice demanding that she rethink her actions.

     She listened to the voice for half a minute before abandoning herself to what she desired more than anything. Taking Talliea's bottom lip between her teeth, she tugged on the pliant flesh before biting down in a gentle nip.

     Talliea's eyes flew open as she tore her mouth away from Arizira. She was lost to some passion-induced haze and it was the most heady sensation she'd ever experienced. A tight, twitching, throb pounded between her legs and her heart felt as if it was trying to make an escape through her throat.

     She looked down at Arizira and was stilled by the look in her eyes. It was a look Talliea had never witnessed before and, if possible, only intensified the feelings she had.

     Arizira's eyes were hooded and darker than Talliea had ever seen, yet the glow coming from them was nearly too intense to withstand. She felt Arizira's hands move and start undoing the buttons of her top. Her heart thudded inside her chest and her whole body felt like it was on fire. She fought to keep her eyes open and locked on Arizira's.

     How could something feel so good? Was her body always meant to feel such powerful sensations? Why would her people deny such feelings? She looked into Arizira's eyes again and let her thoughts fall away. The incessant tug she had been feeling for so long was stronger than ever before, but somehow she knew she was close to satisfying it. Swallowing nervously, she breathed deeply through her nose as she felt Arizira's fingers undo the last button holding her top together.

     "Yes..." she whispered, though the why was lost to her. Arizira looked down and let her senses take their first look at Talliea's naked torso.

     Rich, deep dark skin glistened in the fire light. Two heavy and heaving breasts were accented with tight, dark nipples and Arizira could easily see a bead of sweat on Talliea's sternum. Unconsciously, she licked her lips and raised her eyes.

     Talliea was watching her, uncertainty apparent in her brown eyes. Smiling, Arizira leaned forward and kissed Talliea in a slow caress. Her hands moved to the tops of her shoulders as she easily lowered the material of Talliea's shirt and let it fall to the ground beneath them.

     Talliea's hands in her hair were shaking and Arizira could practically feel the nervousness rolling off the woman. Sitting up straight, she scooted closer and said, "Lie back for me. It is okay."

     Talliea swallowed again and nodded. Keeping her eyes on Arizira, she unstraddled the other woman and leaned back until she could lower herself to the floor of the cave. Arizira watched her, blue eyes traveling over her exposed chest.

     Once on the ground in a half-seated position, Arizira joined her and lowered herself over her body. Her legs landed on either side of Talliea's left thigh while her hands braced her weight near her head. "You are so beautiful," she whispered.

      Talliea did not respond. Feeling Arizira above her, being so surrounded by her body, was intoxicating. She felt a kiss being placed on her forehead and released a shaky breath. One of Arizira's hands brushed through her hair while the other grazed over her exposed stomach.