Destinations and Desires Ch. 04

After the first day of travel Jareth was quite taken with Cley. They talked about everything under the suns and then some. When they finally decided to stop for the night, the trio was about 15 miles away from their destination. Jareth offered to go get the wood, but Cley butted in "You have gotten lost before and I won't allow you to do so again, I will get the wood. You boys play nice and set up camp." She blew a kiss to both and walked away.

"So...what are you traveling with her for?" Jareth asked.

"I am traveling with her as a guard, to make sure no harm comes to her." Braxlin replied through clenched teeth. He knew why Jareth was asking, he had practically dominated Cleys' attention all day. Braxlin knew that Jareth was interested in Cley for more then just a friend.

"Oh, that's nice of you to do that, although I would have declined such a job. I would be too tempted to pay more attention to her rather then the threats she might, or might not, be under." Jareth was chatting to empty space when he turned around, Braxlin was gone.

@~>~~~

Cley wandered the forest looking for kindling and logs alike. She was humming a hymn when she heard heavy breathing to her left. "Braxlin, quite playing and come out here." She continued to collect sticks. "Come on and get your but over here and help me if camp is set up already." After saying this she turned in the direction of the noise she heard and saw nothing. "Jareth, is that you? Come give me a hand." She started walking towards the area where the noise came from and peered around a tree. Nothing. There was nothing there. She shook her head, thing she was just hearing things and started to turn around.

As soon as she was facing away from the tree, strong arms hugged her tightly to an equally strong chest. "I am watching you" whispered a scratchy voice, "and I do not like the way you are carrying on with that foreigner."

"Watching me? For how long?" Cley whispered.

"Long enough to know your worth." With that he let her go and when Cley turned around, no one was there.

"That was so creepy." Cley shuddered.

"What was creepy?" asked Jareth as he came around the same tree that Cley was just looking at. "Are you O.K.? You look spooked, like you saw a ghost or something."

"No, no ghost, but something is right." Cley shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

Jareth saw what was happening, she was in shock. "Cley, come here, let's get you back to camp." He started to pull her towards the camp when they heard it; drums. He looked at Cley, who just stared at him blankly and blinked, then decided to follow the sound of the drums. Making their way over fallen trees and around shrubs, progress was slow but steady. After a half hour they started to see lights ahead, torches to be exact. As they approached, Jareth suggested they slow down so as not to be discovered. Crouching behind some bushes, they stared at the scene unfolding before them.

Fourteen people, seven men and seven women, were all standing around a bonfire naked but for masks upon their faces. The movements they were making indicated a fertility ritual. The biggest thing that gave it away was the two people in the center of the circle facing each other and caressing the other person's skin. As Jareth and Cley watched the two people leaned in to kiss, the mouths met and suddenly you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. They were all over each other.

Cley watched, fascinated by the scene in front of her. As she watched the lovers she couldn't help but think about the night she almost gave herself to Braxlin. Thinking about that made her want a repeat episode. Turning her attention back to the action in front of her, she noticed for the first time a stone table on the other side of the fire. She noticed it because the lovers were now on it. The woman lay on her back with her legs wrapped around the man. The motion of his hips pumping into her was hypnotic; it was hard to tear her gaze away.

Jareth was dumbfounded by what he saw. This was not real, in any way. It was almost like being home again; they did this same ceremony every year. Watching the lovers brought back some good memories, very good indeed. He had participated once, this ritual happened to fall upon the same day as his passage into manhood. He remembered to way he had to last through the whole ceremony without any relief. During the last few moments of the whole ordeal he was allowed to release all the pressure that had built up.

Jareth was turning to tell Cley they should leave when he saw her legs slowly rubbing together, as if trying to relieve some unknown pressure between her legs, and he was fairly sure what kind it was. "Cley" he said, startling her, "let's get going, I am sure Braxlin's worrying by now."

Cley cast one more longing glance at the action by the bonfire, which Jareth saw, and started to stand up. "You're right, let's get going. Will you help me collect the wood as we go?"

"You know it." Jareth smiled at her.

@~>~~~

Braxlin was getting everything ready to start a search when he heard Cley and Jareth coming. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!?" He screamed while grabbing Cley in a bone crushing hug. "You" he said glaring at Jareth, "have a LOT to answer for."

"Answer for?" Jareth sneered. "You were the one who decided to disappear into thin air. Where were you while I was helping Cley find her way back?"

"Where I was is none of your business." Braxlin forced out between clenched teeth.

"It may not be his, but it sure is mine." Cley said, shooting Braxlin a look that could kill.