A Journey Never Begun Pt. 08

"It is filled with dried moss and goose feathers," she said in response to his unasked question.

"I've never felt a better mattress," Muddle said. "By the way, where is your bed?"

"Where would you like me to sleep?" she asked quietly.

"I assume that your father and mother slept here and that you and your brother had other beds," said Muddle.

She nodded.

"Then pick the one that you would most like to sleep in and I'll take one of the others," he said.

Slowly, she said, "you don't want me to sleep with you?"

Muddle rocked backwards like his legs had gone out from under him.

He looked at her, noticing every little detail. The quivering lip. The eyes that appear ready to flood the wagon. The blush of shame? excitement? embarrassment?

He sighed and then began unwinding his thoughts verbally, "I admit, I am in over my head. I don't know what to do. I don't know enough about the traditions you tinkers follow. I don't want to break any traditions or hurt anyone's feelings, much less yours. I throw myself on the mercy of my lady. Please teach me so that I can understand. I am married, a marriage blessed by a Goddess, but a marriage unconsummated. I want to honor that commitment, but fate has thrown you into my lap and when I kissed your forehead the Goddess appeared again. I don't know what to do."

She moved over to sit on the floor and held Muddle and rocked him as he had held her and rocked her not so long ago. As she rocked him she said, "First of all, tinkers believe that you give your love to someone and seal it with the wedding knots. That doesn't mean that you cannot love another. You may have noticed there are men and women in camp with several wedding knots on their arms. Love and marriage does not mean sex. Sex is sex. What is done between two people or three people or four people does not necessarily mean love. It is much better if there is love, but there can be sex without love just as there can be love without sex.

"When a tinker wife has to leave her husband for an extended time, she will often find him another woman. Maybe he will marry her, maybe he will just sleep with her. Women say that it keeps a man interested in women.

"I was both afraid of you wanting me to sleep with you and afraid of you not wanting to sleep with me. I still don't know which is stronger. Unlike most girls my age, I am still a virgin. I have played with boys my age, but never let them inside my Goddess parts. I never knew why until tonight.

"Ask your marriage knots, I don't know how I know, but they will answer you. I will abide by their decision."

Muddle didn't know why, but he was calmer. He did as Daniell asked. He put the marriage knots on his forehead and thought into them. Muddle tried to explain what was going on but it was too complicated so finally he just tried just pushing his love for Lenore into the knots. Slowly a vision of Lenore appeared before him. He tried once more to explain but Lenore shushed him and said, "My love, the Goddess has sent Daniell to you. Do as you wish, but remember the first place in your heart is mine, now and forever. Whatever you decide, please do it with love. I will await you at the appointed place at the appointed time. Until then my love."

The image of Lenore moved closer and as it faded he felt her lips on his lips.

When he put his arm down, Daniell was white and shaking. "I saw her. I saw your Lenore. She spoke to me and I heard her speak to you. And your lips are glowing where she kissed you."

I looked at Daniell and there were glowing lip prints on her forehead again. But they were not the same shape or in exactly the same place. Like a stupid monkey I told her.

"She kissed my forehead after we talked," Daniell said rubbing her forehead as if she could rub the lip prints away.

They sat for a long time until the glowing faded and they stopped shaking.

Muddle finally just looked at her and said, "Let's go to bed. I need you to hold me."

She nodded and said, "I need to be held as well.

Dawn came really early along with a big surprise.

So ends the eighth part of A Journey Never Begun.