Coven of the Ancient Swamp Ch. 03

The couple came toward us as though they were floating. As the couple came toward us, Shadow sat up as if he recognized them. When they got to where we were standing, the man leaned forward and spoke to Shadow. "It is good to see you again, my old friend, too many winters have passed since we last saw each other." As he started to stand back up, the lady beside him helped him keep his footing. "Thomas, thank you for coming. I am Denzel, the one who is called the Old Master of the Mill. With me is my Handmaiden, Judith Ann. Paulette, although we have never met before today, you are known to both of us. Your father speaks lovingly of you, as only a father who loves his daughter can. For many decades I operated the mill, and with my helpers, we made many things from the trees that flourish here. Thomas, the home you and Paulette live in has some of the things that were made in the mill. The skill, the craftsmanship, the magic you see in the furnishings are from my many helpers. The birds and the winds tell me that you want to restart the mill; you have my best wishes to see the mill bloom. I hear that your idea is to bring many sunken logs and stumps out of their watery hiding places and open them, so the beauty hidden within is seen. This is a blessed idea, Thomas, as people will know the grace of nature hidden from their eyes. The four winds knocked down many weak trees recently. I hope you bring them all to the mill and harvest them as a farmer might bring a wheat crop.

Thomas. as a child, you learned the ways of the people of the First Nations. Later, when you were in South Asia, you experienced peace from the teachings of those who wore the orange robes. Over the years, you learned how to mend all sorts of things. Your skills as a mender are needed here. The bayous and swamp are crying for your unique talents. Do not fail, or animals who live here in the swamp will lose their homes as your family and friends did to the four winds. Trees that give shelter will collapse and be no more. This special place that you so admire will vanish. Do not fail, for you and I are twins in spirit. Thomas going forward, you will be known as the Shepherd; your friends will call you simply Shep. With that, the couple turned and wandered back into the swamp.

Together, PG and I stood there holding hands, not moving at all, not saying a word. Simply we stood together and took in the beauty around us. Looking over to my Lady. "How did you know all along?"

A fantastic smile greeted my question, "I was guided and directed to you my only and here to the glade." With that, she let go of my hands as her eyes twinkled. "You know that you have something I crave and need, Shep." Her lips seized my lips as my arms wrapped around my woman, holding her close. While one of her hands ran up and down my back, her other hand reached between us and took hold of my rapidly swollen shaft. "Darling! I need this and what you have in you. I need your seeds in my belly now. So I can carry our child."

We bundled our clothing on the floor of the clearing and lay on the grass. Our limbs tangled together, holding both of us close. "Woman, oh woman of mine, this feels so good and natural." Looking up into the treetops, I could almost swear I could see the elders looking down on us and smiling. We lay on the floor of the swamp surrounded by the natural world as we lay next to each other, lost in our new world. "Paulette, you are the most wonderful woman in the world, and how I love the feel of your name as it slides off the tip of my tongue. Your name is like the call of a songbird." And on and on I went rhapsodizing about my loving partner. The woman has given herself to me and who graces my days and nights.

Then she did it again! Her finger stabbed into my side as she giggled at me, "now you just stop all that and make love to me. For I need you, my love as you need me."

Reaching down and sweeping my fingertips across the swollen tips of her breasts, teasing them, then pulling and twisting them both, this led to an increasingly loud call from PG. Her soft moans led into a volley of cries as she slipped deeper and deeper into the heart of our passion. In time her cries became screams to the elders as if she was begging.

Slowly I sat up, as was I drinking in this amazing woman who was singing so beautifully. At the same time, I was lost in the moment as my hands wandered over her. In time, a hand stumbled into the forest of hair she had hidden between her open legs. There my fingers stroked her bush, pulling on the tangled hair that lay here, which elicited yet another chorus of cries to the winds. Then I reached down and petted both of the swollen lips here, opening them to my gaze. So the tiny jewel that lay hidden between the lips was displayed. "Baby? Do you know what I see here?"

A rolling, "NNOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo" answered my innocent question.

Leaning forward and placing a light kiss on the jewel, I heard yet another volley of screams. Which was music to my ears; those screams filled me in ways I had never known. Moving about, kneeling between my woman's open legs, I slowly moved forward into her. I was joining us into one as I drove in and then out repeatedly. I Filled my beloved PG and pushed the both of us up higher and higher over the tops of the trees here and into the clouds. Until, at last, the storm broke into a flood that brought out another fantastic chorus.

We lay on the floor of the meadow, lost in our togetherness. Slowly coming back to earth and taken away by this wonderful woman. Looking over to her as l lightly smile, looking into her warm eyes, "baby, I have made an important decision."

This announcement gave rise to her usual finger poke in my ribs as she cocked her eyebrows. In her sweet and lovely voice, she asked, "What is it, my dearest?"

"You and I have the same goals and desires. We both want to become parents. From what I know, there is only one way for that to happen. So, I've decided that you and I need to make love to each other daily. Until that miracle happens and you are carrying our baby. What do you think of my idea?"

She sat up, then looked into my eyes and said, "Honey! You are full of hot air! But, wait a minute, there are a couple of things in your idea I like. I do so want us to have a child together. I really like the idea of making love with my man each day, but I want you every day that we are together until the sun does not rise. Now? Are we going to stay here until the new day begins? Or do you think we might make our way home?"

Shaking my head, once more, she wins. Slowly finding my feet and getting them under me, then helping my crazy woman to her feet and pulling her into another hug. Damm that felt so good. Reaching down and getting all of our clothes, we both got dressed. Then we began to make our way back to the bayou and home.

Walking along another hidden pathway, PG stopped and pointed off to her left. "Shep? There are many things hidden away here in the swamp. Were we to go in that direction, we would find a campsite. That campsite has known many a tear, as it has been the home of runaway slaves. The Ancient Swamp holds many souls like them. They are sheltered here and protected from the Sheriff and LL. LL has forced many who know the ways of the water and the swamp into slavery. These are families like mine who had their freedom taken away when they refused LL's demands. You saw with your eyes what LL did to the swamp down the road from the mill. He has begun cutting channels here as well. His idea is to drain the swamp so he can build here. Where you go deeper in the swamp, you will find other pockets of people living here. Those people are the ancestors of the artisans that worked with Denzel and Judith Ann. These people need us and our strengths. We can not let him do that, my beloved."

With that, my handmaiden, Shadow, and I made our way to the sunset.