The Chronicles of Harold the Healer Ch. 05

"Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!" came a familiar complaining voice. "Oi!" Both Harold and Leila had been picked up and were being carried to the gazebo steps, where they were deposited, as per the local tradition.

"Let's get a better look," said Marjorie and the group advanced to the structure, which was fortunately not so far away because everyone else was gathering around.

"Leila, carrying the bride and groom to the wedding cake is far more amusing when it's someone else that's being carried," said Harold as they went up the steps. "Carlos and Wanda, the Destroyers of Diets. How am I ever going to be able to eat all this cake?" They grinned and Carlos replied,

"Healer Harold, you know full well that the bride and groom have to give out slices to everyone who wants one, and you two have to wait until the last for yours." Harold's moan of complaint got everyone laughing as people queued up. Leila and Harold were handed silver slicing knives and they set to the task of cutting the cake into mouthful-sized pieces that were put onto paper napkins and handed out to the people, and there was no lack of customers. The band got their slices and retreated to the grass to enjoy them. Joe and Jane Russell and their parents Lydia and Martin were among them. Their cow Bessie was doing fine and Martin's leg was clearly on the mend, and they thanked him again for his help that morning, which seemed so long ago now. Mark Acorn, who worked at the General Store and was one of the small group of staff exercisers whom he'd met at the start of the day, was with Jane and they were giving each other smoldering looks.

"So, Jane, it looks like you took my advice," Harold commented with a wink.

"Yes, I did," she replied with a grin. "One thing led to another, and when he told me that there was a wedding in the works, I stayed behind while Joe went back to tell our parents." A daring smooch from Mark in one of the back aisles of the store had heated up quickly and led to the back supplies closet, which was large enough to allow his wonderful cock to fill her up with thrusting, squirting passion for the second time that day. And it was perfectly timed, as her period had started soon after.

"Healer Harold, the matchmaker," said Mark with a contented look as she led them off so that the next people could get their cake. A little later, Kim Blandford, with Lakash on her arm, showed up, with Charles and Diana Bigelow right behind them.

"This one was going around Cleaning our plates for us, and I couldn't pass up the chance," said Kim as Leila handed her a slice of cake.

"I can't help it if beautiful women are attracted to me," said Lakash innocently.

"I fully understand," Harold replied, looking at Leila.

"So now we have two of them piling on the flattery," she replied, shaking her head. "Kim, we'd better check the cow pastures to see if any crap is missing."

"Did you try the tea again?" Harold asked Charles.

"If he had, we wouldn't be here," Diana drawled, accepting her cake. "I wanted to make something to bring to the party tonight."

"It probably would have killed me," he replied with a wink. "No more than once a day until I get into better shape." Harold nodded and wished them well. A few minutes later, Pella and family were there.

"Pella! Ramon! Thank you so much for everything!" Leila exclaimed, giving her a big hug, followed by Marcie. "Sylvia, Olivia, Franco, all of you, you have made this day possible!" Everyone got hugs from her and handshakes from Harold. Leila had to dab at her eyes with a napkin to recover her composure.

"We couldn't have done it if we hadn't had the dresses and the tuxedo made ahead of time because of your foresight," Pella replied, giving her another hug. Harold could feel the relief, joy, and total stress that she was feeling all come out in a rush, and he tenderly put a hand on her shoulder.

"So, you had this all planned out in advance?" he asked dryly.

"She brought it up about six months ago," said Ramon as Harold returned to slicing and serving the cake. "Even gave us down payments, took measurements of you while you were sleeping..." His fake scowl earned a tearful giggle from Leila and an "Oh, Papa!" from Marcie.

"I just didn't know when to do it until this morning," said Leila. "It all came together after you rode off to save the Russell's cow. It was time to officially make you my husband, and me your wife."

"As I said to you earlier, thank you for everything you've done, whether I know about it or not," said Harold.

"And none of this would have been possible if you hadn't saved us in Carcosa and helped get us on the ship out," said Pella, giving Harold a hug. "We will be forever in your debt."

"Not at all," Harold managed to reply, suddenly on the brink of losing his composure. "To be able to watch you settle in and thrive and grow so far from home..."

"Our original home," corrected Sylvia. "This is our home."

"We'd better get out of here before we're all crying our eyes out," sniffled Olivia. They hastily vacated the gazebo with their cake. Then, suddenly, it was over. Everyone who'd wanted some had been served, and there were exactly two pieces left. The crowd cheered as he fed her and she fed him.

"Oh, Goddess, this is so good," they moaned together. "I would have eaten the whole thing if I'd had a taste first," Leila continued.

"You'd have had to fight me for it," Harold retorted, getting some laughs.

"You're forgetting something, Papa," said Marcie sternly as Harold made a move to go. "We have to dance now!" His exit was blocked by the returning band members and he looked to see if he could vault over one of the railings, but an iron grip on his left wrist thwarted that escape too.

"Husband," said Leila sternly, "none of your tricks!"

"Yes, dear," he said meekly, getting some laughs from the band and a glower from her. "So, what are we supposed to do now?"

"The husband chooses the song for the first dance," said Marcie. "You know this! You married Tom and Helen. No more stalling, Papa!"

"You really want to see us dance, don't you, sweetheart?" She nodded vigorously. "All right, I have one in mind, and it's a special one." He made the motions and said the words to cast the Amplify spell. "Are you guys OK with assuming control of the spell?" he asked. "Normally, doing this makes non-Mages horny, but there are enough of you that the effect should be minimal." They looked at each other and agreed. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced after performing the necessary actions, "the privilege of selecting the first dance goes to the husband. It was twelve years ago this coming Autumnal Equinox that I first arrived in Magwitch, and I first met Leila. We fell in love that night as we danced together during the party here, under the Harvest Moon. Ladies and gentlemen," he addressed the band, "do you know the song 'Harvest Moon' by Neil the Younger?"

"Know it? We play it all the time. It's a wonderful song," said the band leader, a stout, bearded man with a flush of red on his cheekbones. "I think the version of the band played it that night."

"They did indeed. We danced to that song that night, and I wish to dance to it again tonight. Leila Parsons, will you do me the honour of being my partner for this dance?"

"You still remember," she said softly, her eyes shining.

"That night is etched into my soul with strokes of love in lines of gold," he replied gently, getting some "aww" and "so sweet" comments.

"I accept your proposal," she replied, more loudly for all to hear. "When you're ready," she addressed the band as she moved into his arms.

"One, two, three!" said the drummer, clacking her sticks together, and they began with the gentle strumming of a guitar and melody from a violin with the soft backbeat from the drums.

"Come a little bit closer, hear what I have to say," sang the bandleader, his smooth, baritone voice and the music amplified by the spell, as Harold and Leila danced together. They seldom had had the chance to dance together, she thought as they moved and he put her through a twirl. That first night, he had been like a coiled spring, but the years of love and familiarity had mellowed him to the point where he moved with a confident grace in her arms.

"But there's a full moon rising, let's go dancing in the night." Marjorie Turner mounted the steps to join the band, and her strong contralto meshed perfectly with the bandleader's voice into a heart-breaking harmony that got the whole crowd dancing with their partners. Marcie had joined Dana on the ground next to the gazebo and they moved together. Just then, the moon, huge and full and shining brightly, started making its way over the trees in the east.

"Do you think that Papa was waiting for that, Ms. Dana?" Marcie asked as they all turned to watch it rise as they continued to dance to the song.

"I'll bet that he was," Dana replied, shaking her head with a smile. "Mages have connections to the world around us. You're probably already able to feel the weather?" Marcie nodded. "As you get older, you'll start feeling it more, and one of the things you'll feel is the Moon. I lost track of it with all the excitement of today. Never underestimate your father. Even when you're a teenager and think that you know everything, remember that he loves you and will show you that you don't."

"Because I'm still in love with you, I want to see you dance again." Mark and Stella were dancing together, two moving together as one. They were still getting to know each other, but were moving almost like they'd been dancing all their lives together.

"What a beautiful night," she murmured into his ear. "I can feel the love in the air."

"It's like that electric feeling you get just before a thunderstorm, but warm and mellow," he replied, trying to put words to what he was experiencing. "We'll all be getting a good sleep tonight," he added innocently.

"I think that there will be a lot of something else happening before the sleeping," she whispered staring into his eyes before they moved the few inches required for their lips to make contact.

"Maybe even more than once?" he inquired.

"There will not be a single drop of cum inside your balls by the time the sun rises tomorrow," she promised. "If it weren't for those pesky indecency laws, that wonderful cock of yours would be ravaging my pussy here and now."

"I'm sure that we can leave a little early and return to my hotel room," he replied, breathing rather heavily. "But one of the things we will have to learn is patience." Not that he wanted to wait any more than she did, but they did have to at least pretend to maintain some level of decorum.

"Just like having to wait for some metal objects to cool naturally instead of quenching them. But it's really hard to be patient, especially when something really hard is so close at hand."

"Because I'm still in love with you, on this harvest moon."

"This trip was worth it, Mary," said Charlie as the song came to a close. "We can finally close the books on the Carcosan Campaign, and we got a wedding in the bargain."

"I'm glad that Healer Harold was able to recover from it," she replied after the enthusiastic applause and cheering had subsided. "We've been involved in many actions over the years, but that one will always stand out in my memories. The Healers probably had the worst of the psychological damage, and little wonder. Those assholes ruined a beautiful country in less than five years."

"If they hadn't resorted to piracy, they'd probably still be in power," Charlie replied, a shadow crossing his face. "Remember the surprise they got when a ship tried to attack our convoy?"

"The Argosy Federation did send us a nice thank-you note for rescuing their citizens from its hold, after we'd hung the pirates from the yardarms and thrown them into the sea for the sharks."

"Now that the first dance is over, do you want to hang around for a while or should we go back to the hotel and rest these old bones for the trip back?"

"We might as well stay for a little longer," Mary replied. "But later, I think there's an old bone that's going to see some action," she added with a seductive smile on her foxy face.

"Those two really love each other, and I can feel it," Charlie said after they'd finished their kiss. "I think we can all feel it." The band started up with more music and the leader and the woman who'd joined them belted out another bouncy, popular tune.

"That was a wonderful choice for our first dance," said Leila, her eyes shining like stars, after they'd finished their kiss and the band had started up its next song.

"I hadn't heard it until the night we'd first met," he replied as they descended the steps to an enthusiastic greeting from Marcie and hugs from Dana. "But when I did, I thought that it would be perfect for when we finally got married. Did you put the squeeze on me, Dana?" he asked after she'd released him from her hug. He had felt a squeeze on his ass.

"And me?" added Leila, hands on her hips.

"You're funny!" Marcie giggled at Dana's innocent expression.

"You two belong together," said Dana. "I've been to a number of weddings, and I have never felt love in the air like I have here. You can bet that I will be coming here for regular visits. Oof!" Marcie had given her a big hug. "You're a lot stronger than you appear!" she wheezed.

"I think it's well past somebody's bedtime," said Leila, staring meaningfully at her daughter.

"We've done all the required wedding activities," said Harold, unsuccessfully stifling a yawn. "Ceremony, cake, dance. No speeches this time, thankfully. I think people are already starting to leave."

"Since most of us work with the sun, that makes 8:30 a pretty late night," agreed Leila, also yawning. They snickered as Marcie fought and failed to suppress a yawn as well, followed by Dana.

"Congratulations, Moser," said Charlie as he and Mary walked by. "Well done."

"Thank you, Colonel. And Colonel," he added, saluting both of them individually. Dana followed suit. "I never thought I'd see you again, not that I was all that sorry about it," he added, getting some chuckles from them.

"People seldom are," said Mary dryly. "We have to start the return trip tomorrow, after which we will enjoy whatever perks retirement has to offer." They waved goodbye and continued on their way to the hotel. Next to appear were Sam, Caroline, Ted, Mark, and Stella.

"I have to wait here until my songbird finishes her set," said Sam genially, waving to his wife, who waved back while not missing a beat. "Healer Harold, I can say that I had no idea at all that things would turn out the way they did today. My current office won't be suitable for a school, but there's a farm just south of town whose owners are looking to sell. There's plenty of room to build whatever you will need."

"That sounds good," said Dana, perking up. "I don't have to return to the School for a few days yet, and I'd be happy to have a look around and talk to them about what we can do."

"I wouldn't mind learning more about the smithy," said Mark, "and trying to shoe a horse, should one become available for practice, if that's OK with you."

"I think that you have a teacher very close at hand," said Caroline with a look at Stella, whose arm had found its way around his waist. "I will also be glad to help. Apprentices are hard to find."

"I will take him to his hotel," Stella said. "I wouldn't want him to get lost."

"And it's not safe for a woman to be walking around after dark unaccompanied," said Mark gallantly, which was not at all true in Magwitch.

"Another young soul being led astray to the Dark Side," said Ted, sadly shaking his head. "But if you have some spare moments, there's a team of horses that need a checkup and some exercise in making a delivery or two." Mark grinned.

"You won't have to worry about me, Mom," he said to Dana. "I think I'm fully booked until Summer Semester. Maybe by then you'll be able to send out the others in the Veterinary program?"

"Expect a shipment of wide-eyed kids, books, the curriculum, and grading expectations by or before Summer Solstice," Dana addressed Harold, who cringed.

"Oh, right, I still have to work for a living," he sighed, a little more melodramatically than necessary. "Ted, let me know when and where the team will be getting set up. I'll come by and see how well Mark knows his horse checkups. Stella, you'll be welcome too, of course. Cross-training never hurts."

"Sure, Healer Harold," Stella replied thoughtfully. "Grandpa has already taught me a lot about horses, but even if I can't do Magic, seeing it at work will be very interesting."

"Between you and Mr. Turner, Dad, I'm sure we'll both know everything we need to know about horses by the end of Summer." He almost stifled a yawn. "Sorry, it's been a long day and I'm starting to fade out."

"Off you go, then," said Leila. "Get some rest. It sounds like you have busy days ahead of you." After a round of embraces and handshakes, they went their separate ways, with Dana, Stella and Mark heading for the hotel and her parents heading south for home. Sam stayed behind to watch and wait for Marjorie. It took another fifteen minutes for all the people to come by, welcome Harold to Magwitch, and wish them both well as they left the party. Everyone wanted a look at his medals, so they were obliged to cast a Mage Light over them so they could get a better look. The band finished their final number and Harold and Leila thanked them again and they left. Harold, Leila, and the very patient Marcie (who knew that she wouldn't go to bed until they got home) collected the boxes in which his medals had been stored and a bag to carry them, and then went over to the stalwart Town employees who were doing the final cleanup and helped a bit by Cleaning what needed cleaning.

"Time to go home," Harold yawned.

"I hope that we have something for breakfast," said Marcie.

"I think that we have enough for pancakes, my dear stomach with legs," Leila replied as they left the park and walked up Main Street. "I sure hope that we do," she added. Harold was in the middle, with his arms around Leila's waist and Marcie's shoulders and Marcie insisted on carrying the bag with the medal boxes. The town was rapidly quietening as everyone was heading for bed. They made it back home, for it was home for Harold now, in near-record time.

"The young lady of the house should use the privy first," said Leila, and Marcie put up no argument. Leila and finally her husband had their turns. "Finally, it's bedtime," she said with a sigh of relief. The bright moonlight gave the yard a yellowish colour and illuminated a picnic basket that had been placed by the back door. "What's this?" Harold cast a Mage Light as Marcie grabbed the basket and opened it.

"For Harold, Leila, and the amazing Marcie. Thank you for being such good teachers. We thought that you should have a nice wedding breakfast. From your staff students, Mark Acorn, Ella Finster, Marsha and Henry Blackstock, and Tim Witherspoon," Harold read. He then turned around and sneezed loudly. "Oh, that must be the pepper they put in to keep the raccoons away," he snorted.

"Look, they gave us some sausages, six eggs, a loaf of bread, and some bacon," said Marcie excitedly. "But why are things all wet?"

"They must have packed it with ice to preserve it," said Leila. "How thoughtful of them. And there's a bottle of wine too, but we can't have wine with breakfast. Especially on a school day."

"Mama, tomorrow is Sunday. No school on Sunday!" exclaimed Marcie.

"Is it? No, wait a minute, it is Sunday today! Nice try, Marcie." She wagged an admonishing finger at her daughter, who giggled, then both yawned as Harold fished Marcie's key from his pocket and opened the door. Marcie took the basket and medal boxes and they all went into the kitchen, closing the door behind them. Harold had brought the Mage Light in and strengthened it as Marcie went to her bedroom to change.