Sobha's Start

She abruptly started to stand. "But... no! I can't! The things they force you to do, how can you put up with it?!"

"Wait!" Sobha stood up to hold on to Sara's hand, "Those are lies told by Christians and Muslims to spark fear and hatred of Shahwa." The lies revolved around unwitting victims (usually women, though often men as well) being forced to engage in a variety of sexual acts ranging from anal sex to being tied up and used for another's pleasure. They were all things that certainly happened regularly, but never without consent. "One of the fundamental tenets of Shahwa is that of consent. No nasib will do anything to another person without discussing it first and gaining permission. Seeing women unable to control what happened to their bodies and when was one of the primary motivations for the Four Prophets."

Sara's face relaxed slightly. "Really? Nobody has ever forced you to do anything?"

"Never. Anyone who did would either be exiled or imprisoned. I've only seen that happen twice in my life." Sobha gently led her to sit at the table again and took up a spot on a low pillow just next to her.

"But I still don't understand... To be so open to sex all the time, to celebrate it so much... How can that be right?"

Sobha leaned in toward Sara and asked, "Have you ever touched yourself?"

Sara could only give a small nod combined with a shrug as if admitting the fact and hiding in the shame at the same time.

"Its ok! Its better than ok, its good! Do you know what the clitoris is?"

This time Sara just shook her head, a quizzical look on her face.

Sobha shifted on her pillow so her sex was facing directly at Sara. Sara seemed to realize all over again that Sobha was completely naked, and a flush crept up from the neckline of her shirt. Sobha reached down and gently parted her outer lips and used her other hand to point to the glistening engorged center of her flower. "Here, this is the clitorous. Everyone's is a little bit different. Mine is usually a bit smaller, but I've been very... um... 'excited' all day long and I just had sex with some friends not long ago. It is the source of incredible joy and pleasure and is one of the holiest spots on the female human body." Sobha looked up to find Sara's face just inches from her own, peering intently at her spread sex. "Why would any god give us this beautiful feature and then *not* want us to celebrate it?"

Sara suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Sobha. Her mouth held just slightly open for a moment. "I... Um... Can I... I mean... May I kiss you? Is that even allowed? For two women, I mean?"

Sobha smiled gently, "Oh yes, it certainly is. Most Shahwa find that they're at least somewhat attracted to all genders and the gods and goddesses celebrate all combinations." Sobha ordered the part of her brain responsible for missionary work and lecturing to kindly shut up, "Oh, and yes, you absolutely may." She took Sara's cheeck in a hand, and guided her lips to meet her own. Sara tasted dry and dusty, but warm and yielding. Sobha's tongue reached out, questing, and was met by its twin, also searching. Sara's hand came up and rested on Sobha's upper arm, as she pressed her lips harder into Sobha's mouth.

Suddenly Sara pulled her hand away as if burned and broke off the kiss. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I just touched you without asking first!"

"That's a good instinct, but it's ok," Sobha replied with a hungry smile, "You have my permission to touch any piece of my body that you want."

Sara gave a hesitant smile in return, but the moment of the kiss had passed and Sara started looking around the square at the teeming mass of humanity, a small few of which had been looking at the two of them out of idle curiosity. Her self-consciousness rolled over her again. "So... do I have to just take off all my clothes right now?" she asked.

"Do you want to?" responded Sobha with a joking smile. "No, remember nobody is forced to do anything. The nudity is something that we do because we believe that it brings us closer to our bodies, which are gifts from the gods and goddesses, and because seeing each other naked reminds us of the joy and pleasure of sex, which is our holy communion. But it is not a commandment. We still dress when it is called for, such as during the coldest days of winter or when doing dangerous work, and no one is ever forced to disrobe. There are some, usually those who have come to the godesses and gods later in life, who never totally feel comfortable without their clothes. They are my siblings just as much as those two completely naked men over there." She gestured to the two others performing supplicant duties that evening, one of whom was at that moment stuffing a huge cock down his throat as far as it could go while also applying steady pressure to its perineum, all to the approving grunts and bucking hips of the cock's owner. Sobha felt a pang of jealousy. She found she truly liked Sara and of course helping potential siblings into the arms of Shahwa was her calling in life, but it was a truly large dick that the man was servicing.

"How do I convert? If I want to, I mean."

"There's no process. You just accept the godesses and gods into your heart and start living and loving in accordance with what they teach." Sobha made a decision. Her supplicant duties for the night could be over for now. "You mentioned that you were out of money... do you need somewhere to stay; something to eat?"

"I couldn't possibly. I will be fine, I'm sure."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. Giving freely to our neighbors is second nature to us. Come, it is almost dinner time, share my family's table, and we will make up a place for you to sleep in an extra room. Tomorrow we can figure out what comes next." Sobha didn't say out loud her secret hope that perhaps an extra bed would not be needed at all.

"Well, if you're sure it wouldn't be an imposition... I would like to learn more about Shahwa from you." Sara paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought, until finally she muttered something to herself, pulled off her head scarf, and in one fluid motion lifted her shirt above her head and threw the whole bundle of fabric to the ground. Her shapely breasts swayed gently from the action, her brown Mediterranean skin was tinged by a rising flush as she realized what exactly she had just done. To her credit her face remained stoic and she visibly resisted the obvious desire to cover her beautiful tits with her arms. Sobha was entranced by her new friend's body, so much so that Sara had to give a small cough to bring her attention back.

Sobha gave a huge smile. "Well OK, then! Come on, follow me to my family's house." As they walked off the carpet and into the souk in the direction of her home, Sobha felt Sara tense up at the sudden closeness of other people to her half-naked body. Sobha reached out and took Sara's hand, saying, "It's ok, I'm right here," and leading her down the paths and alleyways and into the less crowded streets of Cordoba. The raw red and gold of the sunset painted the walls of the buildings around them and a small breeze came up, an advance guard of the cold of night, to caress their exposed nipples and send shivers of anticipation down their spines.