Forever Again Ch. 04

Horace mumbled something, excused himself awkwardly and left, leaving Vala alone with his wife. Griselda worked with steady confident movements that seemed to indicate that she had done this before. Vala could imagine that living in a lumber camp, she had probably patched up any number of cuts from saws and axes and who knew what else over the years. Vala figured the woman was probably about ten years older than her but her features had a worn, weathered look that made her look even older at first glance.

"Now what in the name of the heavens were you doing so far out here in the woods child?" asked the woman.

Vala recounted the fabricated story she had already told the woman's husband. At the end of the tale Griselda shook her head. "Someone must be worried sick about you."

Vala thought for a moment before answering. She didn't really want anyone asking the reasons why she was making this trip. She certainly couldn't tell them that everyone she knew now thought she was... was a witch. In truth she wasn't really even sure what she was anymore. But she did know that she didn't want anyone asking.

"No one will be looking for me. I don't have anyone. I was traveling to the town of Ulm to see if one of my uncles still lived there. But he didn't know I was coming."

Griselda looked sympathetic. She probably assumed that Vala's parents or husband had just recently died from disease or a fire or something. Death was an all too common part of life in these times and a young widow wasn't very unusual. After a few moments she gave a huff, "Well, let's get you some hot water to clean up. While you're scrubbing yourself, I'll get you something hot to fill your belly. I'll wager it's been a while since you had a good meal. While you eat, I'll get to work on that dress of yours."

* * *

Five days later, Vala was standing by the dam collecting a bucket of water for cooking. Griselda had been gracious enough to allow her to stay in her house for a few days to, "Git yourself back to rights" as she put it. All the men of the camp, save the ones who drove the wagons or worked the sawmill, seemed to spend most of their time on the hillsides and only came back every few days to rest and resupply.

"I heard an interesting rumor today from one of the barge men." Said a deep, feminine voice behind her.

Vala jumped and dropped the bucket, sloshing water over her shoes. She bit back a curse and turned her head to see a young woman standing a few paces behind her. "You startled me Rae."

Rae Kiesl stood there with her customary rye, half smirk. She was a bit taller than Vala and a bit heavier but she carried the extra pounds well. She had long, curly dark blond hair that framed a pretty face with piercing blue eyes, a small round nose, high cheeks and full lips. Rae was the daughter of the wagon master, the man who hauled all of the freight up from the dock on the river and who hauled all the cut lumber back down. Rae spent most of her time working with her father hauling freight or tending their horses.

"My humble apologies." Rae said aloud but the smirk implied she didn't really mean it. She stepped up to the stream bank next to Vala and picked up the bucket for her.

Vala had met Rae on her second day at the camp and took an immediate liking to her. Bold and vivacious, tough and outspoken, Rae didn't take grief from anyone, man or woman. She was smart and funny in a deeply sarcastic, almost obnoxious way that reminded Vala a little of her younger sister Adeline. She went about her work at the camp with an air of steady confidence that came from years of experience bolstered by brute intelligence. More than once already Vala had seen the young woman bossing around workmen who were easily old enough to be her father, perhaps even her grandfather. The fact that the men obeyed her without question spoke volumes about her competence and strength of character.

As Rae bent down to refill the bucket Vala's eyes caught for an instant on the rather generous view her low cut blouse afforded of her more than generous bosom. Vala forced her eyes away and tired hard to ignore the tingling rush she felt on her skin along with the bloom of heat in her core.

"Here." She refilled the bucket and handed it back to Vala before she continued. "It seems that some barge owner's daughter was seduced by a witch of some kind." She glanced over at Vala, "A beautiful, blond haired witch with dark, evil eyes."

Vala quickly looked away. The flush of heat she had felt a moment before was instantly washed away in a flood of ice cold panic that surged into her heart. She had to force her words. "Oh, really?"

"Just a few hours walk upstream from here... maybe a bit more." Rae paused, picked up a couple small stones and proceeded to toss them casually into the mill pond. "According to the barge owner, the witch jumped over the side and swam away just like a fish when they confronted her." She turned to Vala. "Imagine that. A real witch, right in our area. And one that seduces young women to boot."

Vala stood silently, looking resolutely out across the pond at nothing. Rae continued, "I wonder just what it's like to be seduced by a witch. From what I heard, the young woman cried for days when the witch left her. Broken hearted they say. She loved her..."

At those words, Vala's control started to slip. The muscles in her jaw were tight as steel wire as she clenched her mouth shut, trying to contain the little cry that wanted to escape her at the news of Inga's misery. As much as she tried to hide her emotions she couldn't hold back a single tear at the memory of Inga's cry as she dove over the side. She knew she had given herself away but she resolutely refused to meet Rae's gaze. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rae nod knowingly.

"It was you." She said softly, a little smile of triumph playing on her full lips. "I knew it."

"I have to go." Vala managed to whisper. "Please, just let me leave... don't tell anyone. I'll just leave."

Seeing the pleading in Vala's eyes, Rae's smile faded. "I won't tell. But you do need to go. It won't take long for even the louts around here to put it all together and peg you as the witch. What are you going to do?"

Vala opened her mouth to reply but stopped. What would she do? Where was she to go now? She had nothing, no money, no supplies, nothing other than the clothes on her back... she didn't even really know where she was. "I'll just have to head downriver I guess."

Shaking her head Rae said, "No. No, that won't do at all. All the rivermen have already heard about the witch. They'll be on the lookout for you. Heavens know what will happen if they find you. You have to go some other way." She paused, "Where were you headed anyway?"

"To Ulm. I have family there... or at least I did. I haven't ever been there myself. But my father thinks his brother still lives there. At least he thought so."

"And what if he's not?" Rae asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I... I'll just have to think of something."

Rae seemed to consider that for a moment before saying slowly, "No, that won't do at all. Rumors breed like rats on the river. Talk of the river witch will have reached Ulm long before you make it there. Within a day of your arrival someone will point an accusing finger at you. You can't go there."

"But I have nowhere else to go. I have to go there." Vala said, almost pleading.

For several long moments Rae looked at her then seemed to make a decision. "Go get your things and meet me behind the sawmill. I'll get you out of here."

"I don't have any things."

Rae nodded, "Then go tell Griselda you're leaving. It wouldn't be right to just disappear after how she helped you."

Vala nodded in agreement. "Ok, but where are we going? What do I tell her?"

Walking towards the sawmill and the horse paddock beyond, Rae said over her shoulder, "Tell her Rae is taking you to someone that can help you."

* * *

The horse rocked under Vala as she followed along behind Rae. The surefooted, small black mare she rode was apparently accustomed to following the larger dappled mare that Rae was riding because it went along with little to no direction at all. They had been traveling for about two hours now in relative silence. Rae was seemingly not in a talkative mood and Vala was wrapped in a cloak of her own thoughts. Vala had suspected that once they were away from the camp Rae would ask her if she was really a witch or at least ask what had really happened on the river but so far she hadn't spoken beyond a few comments.

The road they were following was narrow and winding but appeared to be used frequently because it was well cleared. It seemed to be heading more or less east and had been climbing slowly but steadily for the last hour or so. Through occasional breaks in the trees Vala thought she caught glimpses of a large clearing somewhere off in the distance to their left but the trees were thick in this area and most of the time she couldn't see more than a few dozen paces in any direction. She could see why they were lumber camps here. The trees in this area were huge. Tall ancient and grand, they towered over them making the road into a great, green tunnel. Vala guessed that for the trees out here to be so ancient they must be quite far from the nearest town. The trees closer to every town Vala had ever seen were almost always much smaller, the surrounding area having been cleared for farms and firewood for countless generations.

After a few more miles the trees began to become smaller and thin out until finally they broke out into the open and Vala gasped. They were partway up the hillside at the edge of a rocky prominence that dropped off dramatically only a few paces to their left. The area around them was almost devoid of all trees, only a few scattered shrubs clung tenaciously to the rocky ground. The entire valley was laid out before them in the fading sunlight. Vala could see the river far below and a few leagues off winding its way along through the forest. Farther still and she could see the sunlight reflecting off of what must be a lake. The sparkle dazzled her and she looked up ahead to see the road they were on narrowed even more and hugged the edge of the dropoff as it continued on to the east, skirting along the side of the hill.

"It's beautiful." Vala gasped.

"Yes, this is one of my favorite spots." Rae agreed. "I don't come this way often enough but when I do I like to make camp up here in the clear. At least when the weather is good. It can get quite frightful out here in the open during a storm.

"So where is it that you're taking me?" Vala asked Rae's back as they rode on.

"To someone that may be able to help you." Rae said.

"And who is that?" Vala asked.

"The Baroness."

"A Baroness?" Vala whispered in shock. "Why would a great lady help me?"

"Because her manor is always looking for good workers and I doubt many people at her keep would put much stock in witch rumors. They probably won't even hear them way up here. She may take you on as a kitchen maid or something." Rae stopped and turned in her saddle. "I know it's not perfect but it's the only thing I can think of to help you. At the least it will get you through the winter." When Vala hesitated Rae continued, "I make my way to the Baroness's keep many times each year hauling lumber. When the roads clear in the spring and I make my first run if you still want to go on to Ulm I'll take you. But until then, you need someplace to go."

Finally with a tight smile, Vala nodded. "All right. Thank you Rae."

Rae's lips twisted into her usual, wry smile, "Don't thank me yet, she may just tell us both to go sod off."

* * *

"Are you sure it's safe to camp here for the night?" Vala asked eyeing the surrounding landscape which was quite barren and open. Only moss, a few stunted trees and some small bushes hunkered down among the boulders they were camped in. After the day's slow but steady climb Vala suspected they were fairly high up in the hills but certainly nowhere near high enough to be above tree line. She assumed the lack of any trees was primarily due to the rocky landscape.

"Yes, I camp here almost every time I come this way. I've never had any trouble." Rae said, putting another log onto the small fire she had started. There had already been a small stone fire pit setup and a convenient pile of wood under a protective rock overhang. Rae had explained that she left it there on previous trips just in case.

Unconvinced Vala continued to survey their surroundings. "What about wolves? Won't they find us here?" Vala asked recalling her flight from the creatures only a few days pervious.

"They rarely come up here. There's not much for them to hunt I suppose. It's so rocky in this area that nothing much grows as you can see. Anyway they don't like the campfire much and they like burning torches even less." Rae said pulling flaming stick from the fire and waving it about dramatically before putting it back into the circle of stones. "So don't you worry about anything. I said I'm taking you to the keep and I darn well intend to." She reached into a bag that had hung on her saddle all day. "Now come have a seat here by me and have something to eat."

Vala pulled her worried attention from the surrounding boulders and back to Rae. She hesitated when she saw that Rae was indicating a spot on the boulder next to her... right next to her. Vala finally moved to sit on another rock not quite a so close to Rae. She settled down and caught Rae eyeing her curiously for a moment before handing over half of a small loaf of bread. Next Rae pulled out a cloth wrapped package that turned out to be a large block of hard cheese. She cut off two generous pieces and handed the larger piece to Vala.

After taking a few bites Rae asked, "So what really happened that made you leave your home?"

A knot formed in Vala's throat as she thought about her family. "It's... it's a long story."

Rae gestured at the darkening sky. "We appear to have time."

Looking up to the cloudless heavens Vala considered for a moment. What would it really hurt to tell Rae her story? Surely she couldn't tell her everything, but maybe some of it? She would have to leave off some parts of course, but she could tell the part about losing her first betrothed, then her second as well.

Her mind made up, Vala started talking. She left out the part about her day at the pond with Else and about Inga she said only that they traveled together. She figured Rae had already heard about that part from the river men anyway.

When Vala finished Rae only sat and shook her head. "It's terrible what people will do when they're frightened." Rae muttered quietly as she got up and started putting away the remainder of the cheese and her knife. She pulled out a rolled up blanket and came back over to the rock. "I only have one, you take it."

Holding up a hand Vala said, "No, you take it, I'll be fine."

Rae dropped it into Vala's lap anyway and went back to sit down on her rock. Grinning she said, "You keep it. I have more padding to keep me warm." She cupped her full bosom and bounced it slightly with a laugh. Becoming a little more serious she said, "Really, I'm used to the cold, I'll be fine, you take it. And anyway, I have my cloak I can use if it gets chilly."

With a faint smile, Vala said, "Thank you, for everything."

"It's nothing, really." She yawned dramatically. "Now I suppose we should be getting off to sleep." She placed a few more pieces of wood on the fire and then lay down beside it. She shuffled around for a minute apparently trying to get comfortable then settled down. After a few minutes more her breathing became slow and even.

Vala settled herself in on a reasonably flat section of ground and tried to relax but her mind refused to stop churning. The events of the last weeks continued to roll through her mind in a slow procession. Bits and pieces of her time with Else and Inga came back to her along with images from her dreams. Recognizing the tightening in her chest and in her sex she desperately tried to force her mind onto something, anything else.

She looked to the sky overhead and studied the vast carpet of stars that spread out over her. Picking a spot near the North Star, she started counting. Working in slow circles around the bright point of light she counted slowly and deliberately, striving not to lose count. After some time she finally drifted off into her dreams.

"Valamera..."

"Mistress." Vala breathed. In her mind, a single musical chord rang, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. It's sound, beautiful and true, echoed through her soul.

"Yes my dear, I am here for you again." A voice whispered in her ear.

Vala shivered with desire at the feel of the warn breath on her ear. She whirled around but saw nothing, only the close darkness. "Mistress?"

"Here." The voice again puffed in her ear.

Again Vala turned but still saw nothing. The closeness of her Mistress was fanning the flames of her desire. With a building need she asked, "Mistress, where are you? Won't you come to me?"

"No my dear, it is you who will come to me. Then we will be together forever, as it was always to be." Like the music, the voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere in the darkness. "But the time is not yet here. Soon my pet, very soon." The voice was fading and with it the darkness seemed to fade as well.

"Mistress!" Vala cried, "Don't go yet, I need you!" The ringing chord in her soul faded with the words of her Mistress.

"Soon..." Then voice faded and was gone.

With a start Vala's eyes snapped open. It took her a moment to clear the tears from her eyes and focus. Finally looking around she saw it was still night and that the fire still burned, albeit lower than she remembered. Studying the fire she didn't think that more than an hour or perhaps two had passed since she drifted off.

With a shudder she released the pent up tension in her center and tried to cool her inner fire. The dream had ignited her passions as they always did but this time had not led her to a peak, instead only left her in desperate need of release.

Vala struggled with herself for several minutes as she tried to reign in her passions but in trying to control them she only seemed to drive them higher. Finally with something between chagrin and relief she let her hand work its way under her dress towards her aching sex. She groaned to herself when her fingers brushed the tender flesh of her outer sex which was already wet with anticipation. Another groan, this time louder and more wanton as her fingertip brushed her swollen center.

The noise of her own groaning seemed to shock her brain back into some realization and with a nervous start she looked over to Rae only a couple feet away to make sure that the woman hadn't awoken. To her relief she saw that the buxom woman was lying quietly and breathing deeply. Breathing very deeply...

Vala strained her eyes in the darkness and studied the woman lying a few feet away. She caught the slight movement under her cloak which Rae had spread out over herself as a blanket. A small movement at Rae's hips, a slow, steady moving of the cloak as of a hand slowly stroking. Vala sucked in a startled gasp when realized what Rae was doing. She sat up a bit to try and get a better view. After a moment she saw Rae's lips part and the woman gave a small, quiet sigh. As time passed Vala could see that the motions under the cloak were becoming more pronounced and with it, the sounds escaping Rae were becoming louder and more frequent.

Beginning to pant with her own excitement Vala was unable to control herself and started openly stroking her own tender sex as she watched. Fire burned through her veins as she imagined what it would be like to kiss Rae at that moment, to pull the beautiful blonds' dress down and bury her face in that heavy bosom, to suckle her nipples...