Doira'Liim (The Beautiful Whisper of the Goddess Saga) (13 page)

      "You are hurt. I can help to ease the pain but you have to trust me, Tah-li. I will do nothing without your permission." Arizira looked at her pleadingly and held out her hand. "Please." She did not know what had happened to Talliea. She knew only that someone had hurt her. They had left marks on her skin and brought a sadness to her spirit. The severity of the injuries was also unknown to her, but she knew she could help if only Talliea would allow her.

     Talliea wrapped her arms around her body in a defensive gesture and felt her throat constrict. Her stomach hurt and was in knots and seemed intent on dropping into her feet. Did she really want to bring Arizira into her pain? Did she want to risk the other woman seeing the extent of her injuries and thinking her as ugly and dirty as she felt?

     One side of her greatly protested against Arizira's help, while the other wondered if perhaps she could take away some of her pain. Talliea had not fully examined herself and was unsure of exactly how much damage Lao'dahn had done, and she was alone in the forest. Allowing Arizira to look over her injuries did have the potential to give her some peace of mind, as well as ensuring she did not have to return to her clan so soon after leaving.

     Releasing a shaky breath, she nodded slowly and reached out for Arizira's hand. Arizira gently took it in her own and smiled, encouragingly. Talliea noticed her touch was not threatening nor was it overpowering. It was without any struggle. It was...

     Innocent.

             
                                                        *  *  *  *  *  *

     "We must get out of the weather. I do not wish for you to be hurt again, Tah-li. I will look over your injuries and leave you be so that you may return to your people."

     The two of them were walking down a slight decline along the western side of the thermal spring. Arizira's hand still lightly held Talliea's as she led them toward warmth and shelter. Talliea walked slowly and cautiously. With every step, she was getting farther and farther away from her people. The trees of the forest all began to look alike to her and she briefly panicked wondering if she was only walking toward a greater peril.

     Maybe she would be better off living out the end of her days in the woods of Arizira's people? As quickly as the thought came to her mind, she disregarded it. She was not skilled in survival in any way. If the cold did not claim her, then surely starvation would. Was death the price she was expected to pay for her freedom?

     Hearing Arizira's words brought her back to herself and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Such questions did not require an answer at present. "I do not have to return to my people, Ari." Arizira stopped in her tracks and turned around to look up at her. "I do not understand," she said with a furrowed brow.

     Smiling, despite her situation, Talliea elaborated. "The man who has claimed me is allowing me to move as I wish for my last two seasons. None of my people will look for me if I do not return. I am free...or as free as I can be." Blue eyes stared at her in wonder and...happiness?

     "If this makes you happy, Tah-li, then I, too, will share in that with you. Come, we are near," Arizira said turning back around and moving toward a low dipping rock formation. As the two of them drew closer, Talliea realized that the rock was an extension of the larger formations she'd seen at the spring. A low overhanging of stone stretched out in a steep arc and underneath it the ground of the forest gave way into the base of the rock. It appeared as if a cave, but was more shallow and not nearly as large.

     "The heat from the spring carries in these rocks, Tah-li. No fire we will need. The leaves of the trees above us fall down into this structure and create a soft area for sitting. Many times, I have come here when rain, snow, or wind hindered my way."

     Talliea, again, was amazed at how well Arizira knew the forest. The other woman was never lost and always walked with sure steps. The forest truly was her home and she moved about it with a freedom Talliea envied. That Arizira was showing her the world as she viewed it was a beautiful thing to her. A welcome thing to her.

     The two of them stooped and entered the small area underneath the arch of rock. It was not high enough to stand upright, but it was wide and Talliea could sit up without difficulty. Arizira joined her and quickly started to remove her weapons. The rocks were warm to the touch and Talliea could not help but marvel at the formation. Very quickly, however, that heat made itself very much known and the blanket around her became a burden.

     She removed it and placed it carefully behind her. Arizira had finished removing her weapons and was now looking through a leather pack. "Do you know what
dohethra
is, Tah-li?" Talliea shook her head and continued to watch Arizira intently. The other woman removed a few items wrapped loosely in simple cloth and a small phial of clear liquid. Next, she pulled a small wooden bowl from her pack and a thick rod shaped device with a heavy head.

     "This is a mortar and pestle," Arizira explained when she noticed the confused look on Talliea's face. "It is used by my people for grinding materials for the use of remedies." Talliea reached out and picked up the wooden bowl. The sides were smooth and without any flaws in the wood. "You use this to heal?" she asked.

     The Esu rarely used natural medicines. Apart from the Sage woman of her clan, no one relied upon such archaic practices. The
Lat'sa'val
used the power of Esuval to heal wounds and ameliorate pains,
if
Esuval deemed the person's life worth saving.

     "Yes. I am no healer, Tah-li, but this will help your pain." Talliea handed the mortar to Arizira and watched as she unwrapped two of the pieces of cloth. Inside them, a whitish-brown bark laid. Next, she placed the bark into the mortar and poured a small amount of the liquid from the phial on top of them. A sweet scent met Talliea's nose and her worries lessened.

     "This is
dohethra
, Tah-li," Arizira explained, indicating the liquid. "I believe, in your words, it means willow bark. This is an extract from the leaves of the tree. It eases pain. The bark is used to create a paste. Once it comes into contact with the
dohethra
, it becomes warm to the touch and is very soothing. I will need your permission before I do this, for my hands will be upon your body."

     Pausing, Talliea looked up at Arizira and swallowed nervously. The last two people to place their hands on her had done so as if they had all the permission in the world. They had not thought of her feelings or how their actions would be perceived by her. Lao'dahn and Markahn had touched her because they felt they had a right to do so.

     Arizira -- beautiful and pure Arizira -- was asking for her permission to touch her? Her touch was not even going to be in the same manner as the others, it was in a healing capacity, yet she was still seeking Talliea's approval beforehand. Talliea's appreciation and trust of the other woman grew and she felt a powerful connection with her.

     "I desire only to take away your pain. You will not speak to me of the event but, please, allow me to ease your suffering," Arizira said. In that moment, Talliea realized that whatever happened in her future, her life had been made a tiny bit better for just having met Arizira. "O-okay," she finally said.

     "I have your permission?"

     "Yes."

     "You must tell me if I make you uncomfortable, Tah-li."

     "I shall."

     Arizira was silent for a moment while she mashed and grinded the bark into the mortar. The liquid, the
dohethra
, mixed with the paste and soon made a very smooth and creamy like creation. It was nearly clear and smelled very sweet.

     "Spread your blanket out beneath you, Tah-li." The two women moved around each other to allow Arizira's request to be met. Once situated, Arizira hesitated and looked up at Talliea. The other woman was facing her with an unsteady expression. "What do I need to do?"

     Arizira replied, "I need for you to turn around with your back to me." Talliea did as she was asked and glanced back over her shoulder. Her hands held the front of her shirt. She heard Arizira move up behind her and tensed before she could stop herself.

     "I will not hurt you, Tah-li."

     Releasing a breath, Talliea tried to calm herself. It was not that she thought Arizira was going to hurt her. It was the vulnerability in her position. She could not see Arizira and that set her nerves on fire with apprehension. "I know," she breathed out.

      Arizira reached up and slowly brushed her hair away from her shoulders. Once the thick locks fell over Talliea's chest, she said, "I need for you to remove your shirt, Tah-li."

     Panic rose into Talliea's chest and she felt her hands tighten their hold on the front of her top. She closed her eyes and attempted to steady her breathing. The request wasn't anything less than what she should have expected. How was Arizira to apply the paste if her shirt was in the way? The rational part of her knew that, but the part of her that had been abused...

     Breathing out her panic slowly through her lips, Talliea opened her eyes and began to undo the strings holding the blouse together. Once loose, she let it fall back against her shoulders. Arizira's hands came up, ever so cautiously, and helped her to lower it. Talliea felt the warmth from Arizira's touch and it caused something deep inside of her to react. Her stomach knotted itself, but it was different from the nervous feeling she'd experienced with Lao'dahn. Almost, it seemed as if it were...welcome.

     Arizira lowered her hands and her fingers grazed across the dark skin before her. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt herself start to tremble. What she assumed was normally flawless dark skin was, instead, marked with angry scratches and deep scrapes. Bluish-black bruises dotted Talliea's back, some with deep impressions, while red whelps crossed her shoulders.

     She wanted to cry.

     How someone could have hurt someone as beautiful and kind as Talliea was unfathomable to her. The other woman must have endured horrible pain to be covered as she was in such dark and livid marks. Her fingers lightly traced over a deep purplish bruise by Talliea's shoulder blade and she felt tears form in her eyes. "I am so sorry, Tah-li."

     Talliea swallowed and held her breath tight inside her chest. She bit her lip and refused to let herself cry. Arizira's touch was so very different from what she had experienced in her life. It was gentle and tender and was not forced upon her. Arizira's fingers were soft, not rough like Markahn's and Lao'dahn's, even with her weapons' use. Where the others had made her feel ugly, Arizira was bringing to life emotions Talliea could not name.

     "Do not be," she replied over her shoulder. "Why was this done to you?" Arizira asked, her fingers continuing to trace every scratch and bruise along Talliea's back. Grabbing the shirt around her waist, Talliea pressed it against her front to cover herself, and nearly gasped when she felt Arizira's fingers dip into the arch of her lower back. "It was a lesson, Ari, to remind me of my place," she ventured, hoping any bit of information would satisfy Arizira's curiosity.

     Arizira shook her head and her unshed tears blurred her vision. The longer she studied Talliea's injuries, the more information that was brought to her mind's eye. Unlike before, the emotions were not as powerful or overwhelming. "Rock did this," she said in a far away voice.

     "Yes," Talliea said, unsure how Arizira held that information. Her back arched when she felt Arizira's fingers graze the sides of her waist and a tightness formed between her legs. Arizira took the movement as one of discomfort and removed her hands from Talliea's body. "I did not mean to upset you," she said, reaching for the mortar.

     She dipped her fingers into the creamy concoction and looked up at Talliea. "Are you prepared?"

     "Yes." Talliea, though having said she was prepared, was however
not
prepared for how good the experience was going to make her feel. The paste, as Arizira had said, was warm against her skin and seemed to seep into her body with a cooling sensation. She heard a sound leave her lips and grasped her shirt in her fist.

     Arizira's fingers, slim and delicate, were in fact strong and nimble. She massaged the paste both gently and firmly, into and onto Talliea's back in such a masterful way that Talliea could barely catch her breath. She felt her pain begin to fade the longer Arizira applied the medication. Closing her eyes, she fisted her shirt between her fingers and felt a small moan fall from her mouth.

     "Tah-li?" Arizira asked from behind her, her fingers stilling for a moment. Talliea licked her suddenly dry lips and opened her eyes again. "Do not stop," she pleaded. Never before had she been taken care of as she was now. Never before had another brought her such physical joy.

     The ministrations continued without another word and Talliea's body was alive with a plethora of emotions and sensations. She could not recall ever feeling something so wonderful. Her body, which had been sore before, was now feeling better than it had her entire life. She wondered how much of that truth owed its existence to the
dohethra
and how much was purely Arizira's doing.