The Island Pt. 02

The Oracle examined them with her long, bony fingers for a long time.

Looking more than worried.

"This is another bad omen!" She said. "Soon death will come visiting us here. The only thing we can do to avert the bad aura is to bury them by the holy flame. Do so!"

There was a small, platform of smooth slabs around the marble block that held the holy fire.

They used spades and picks to lift one of the marble blocks. Then dug out a shallow grave.

They wrapped the mother and child in a clean, white sheet. They lowered them into the hole with great care.

The Oracle was helped to the grave. She spread fresh herbs on top of the sheet, mumbled some sacred words, after which they covered it up and put the flat slate back in its place.

That night none of the girls slept. They lay two and two holding each other tight while listening to the sounds of the night.

The next morning Lucia woke them all. She came running from her watch on the cliff and shouted: "The village is burning! The village is burning!"

Lucia's face was whiter than her dress and her eyes looked like they were about to fall out!

They all ran down to the sandy beach by the dock and looked towards the mainland.

Lucia was right. There was a yellow-red hue in the sky and in some places, they could even see high flames reaching for the morning sky.

Athena pointed to the north of the village: "Look!"

They all strained their eyes and could now see the dark sails of a group of ships sailing away to the north.

"They don't look like any ships, we have seen before?" That was Letitia holding one hand above her eyes and pointing with the other.

None felt any urge to answer her, but it was obvious that it was not Roman ships.

They stood for many hours in silence. Until most of the flames had died out and only a large, dark smoke hovered over the ruins of the village.

They walked back slowly and had a meal in silence.

They all knew it would probably only be a question of time before the barbarians would land on their little, defenceless island.

Their only hope was that the island was small and that they could keep their presence secret.

Later that day, the Oracle ordered them to extinguish the holy flame, so the rising smoke from it would not reveal them.

They used the next many nights to demolish the landing dock. They worked at night, hoping that their white dresses would not stand out too much in the dark.

They were unable to remove the heavy, square, wooden pillars supporting the dock platform as they were too thick and embedded in opus caermenticium on the cliff below.

The opus was hard as the surrounding rock, and their small hand axes could not do much damage to the part of the wood that was under the water.

They threw the iron mooring clamps into the sea, removed the deck, and threw the planks as far out in the water as possible. Hoping the ever-present currents would make them float away.

The Oracle forbade them lighting fires from now on, so they only had cold food and no heat.

They could do no more except taking turns around the clock looking out from the top of the cliff.

Chapter Seventeen - Present Day - Diving and a Village Episode

by o_girl ©

"You're a screamer, you know!" Bryn smiled as she woke Sunny with a kiss.

"Yes. I know, I know, and you forgot the gags!"

"Well. Good thing we are leaving tonight. I won't make that mistake, when we come back. Besides I love your screams of joy!"

They both giggled and lay caressing each other for a while.

Then were disturbed by the irregular chugging of Trawler's boat as it slowly approached.

They quickly dressed and went outside just as the boat slid up on the sand at the beach and the engine stopped.

"Morning, ladies!"

"Morning, Trawler. You're just in time for coffee and breakfast." Bryn smiled as his round body rolled over the side and dumped in the sand.

"Sounds great. Never said no to a free meal in my life!"

Shortly after they were seated around the camp kitchen and the bacon was sizzling on the pan and the kettle boiling.

"You seem to have upset the village!"

"Not again. I thought they were getting used to us being here and staying in spite of all the old women's tales they seem to thrive on?" Bryn flipped the bacon, while Sunny cut the bread and poured hot water on the instant coffee.

"You were on fire last night. Quite a bonfire. Even I worried about you." Trawler looked over his shoulder at the large, black patch on the sand, where they had burned all the cuttings.

"Oh! That. We have been trying to clear a small path into the island. Would be nice to see what we actually bought. So, we burned the cuttings. Sorry if the villagers thought we were having a witch sabbath." Bryn giggled again.

They chatted amiable while having breakfast, and they managed to deflect Trawler's obvious curiosity.

They were happy that they had covered the skeleton in the cave with a tarpaulin.

Trawler more than once turned his gaze at the cave but did not ask, and they did not reveal anything.

Both sensing that if Trawler discovered they had found an intact skeleton, tongues would soon be wagging in the village, and then no one could even imagine what that might develop into.

He finally made his excuses and got up to leave.

They asked him if he would make a reservation for a room for them this evening and waved as his old boat coughed its way out, around the lighthouse rock and back towards the village.

"So, what's the plan for today, Bryn?"

"I want to check the coastline right beside the beach here. We need to get some basic knowledge if we are to hire a contractor to build us a dock. That will be the next thing. We need a place for other contractors to land and off-load materials. Camping is fun but we're going to be here for a while, so we need a proper house and someone with more professional equipment to clear paths than my tiny brush clearer."

"Okay. I'll pack this up, while you get ready then."

"Good. There seems to be a constant current running along the beach here, so I need you to hold the safety line, when I go in."

Shortly after, Bryn had put on all her gear: Her double semi-wetsuit, the life vest, the double oxygen flasks and the lead balancing vest and so on.

She was sitting at the water's edge while slipping her feet into the fins: "Whenever you're ready, my sweetheart."

Bryn checked the valves and the equipment as she had done many times before, and made an 'OK' sign at Sunny.

"Ready to leave your life in my hands, dear Bryn?"

"Always! Just hang on to the line, and one pull replied by one pull means OK. Two or more pulls means you had better start wheeling me in. As usual. OK?"

"Check, Miss!"

Bryn slid out into the water on her bum, adjusted the googles, turned, and gave one last 'OK' sign, answered with the same by Sunny. Then slowly sank into the depths.

The current was strong, but she held on to the rocks as she followed them down.

Visibility was good. No need for the flashlight.

A few meters down there was a natural ledge, which she followed for a while. That would be a perfect foundation for a dock.

Suddenly something caught her attention. Some of the rock was light grey against the black. She rubbed off the seaweed and algae. It was a smouldering concrete block, with an almost square hole in the middle. Someone had had a dock here before. Also, a good sign.

She followed the ledge and discovered more concrete blocks. All with the same size square holes in the middle.

Grabbing her knife from the sheath on her lower leg she tried scraping into one of the holes. Got one of the plastic bags from her belt, and tried to get some material from the hole into it. It was very fragile, and she had to pause as she felt a jerk in the line. Gave an optimistic jerk back and then concentrated again.

She carefully probed over the ledge with her fingers, and again she was lucky:

Something glistered among the green seaweed. A coin. Pulled another plastic bag out and as she swam along, found more coins that went into the bag.

She also found pottery pieces, and at the very end of her dive found a strange and corroded iron object the size of a football. She decided to take a chance. Untied the safety line and tied it around the object. Then pulled the line twice and watched as it quickly floated up and out of the water.

Using the side of the cliff, she made it to the surface.

Sunny was standing frozen and looking at the object, she had just pulled out of the water.

As she moved closer and up on the beach, she called out. "I'm here, Sunny."

Sunny slapped her repeatedly on the head with the flat of her hand: "You idiot! I thought you had gone. What the fuck do you think you are doing. You gave me a proper shock!"

"Sorry, Sunny. The whatever-thing was too interesting and I could not have it in my hands as I needed them to get up and out."

"Yeah, yeah, Excuses. Excuses. Don't you ever do anything like that to me again!"

"Okay. I'm very sorry. Got carried away. Not going to happen again I hope!"

Bryn slipped the flasks, the wetsuit, and the other equipment off: "Now give me a kiss and forgive me!"

"Not sure I want to. My heart is still stuck up my throat!"

- but she kissed her anyway.

They sat down and Sunny was as excited as a child at Christmas as Bryn placed one thing after another in her hands.

"Well? We cannot see what the corroded thing that almost caused our divorce is.

We'll put it in a sealed bag with water. Then it won't corrode on contact with air. We'll have it X-Rayed later. Could be anything. What else have you got?"

Bryn produced the other plastic bag. "You know there's been a dock here before. There's a concrete foundation and I scraped this out of one of the holes in it. Probably wood."

"Hm. Not much chance of dendrochronology on that. It is basically just dust. But let's see what we find out. Goes in the packing with the rest for later examination. Anything else?"

"Patience my little friend. Look here. This ought to please you.."

Bryn produced the bag with the pottery fragments. Sunny opened it and took out a piece. Used her thumbs to rub it clean, then lit up: "This is great. If we can somehow connect our cave-skeleton with the paintings, then she's earlier than this pottery. This pottery is made on a potter's turntable. Before that pottery was made by 'sausages' of clay put on top of each other to make a pot. The paintings are definitely older than a potter's turntable."

Bryn smiled at her: "I love your enthusiasm, but we can do better than that. Here's my last find."

With an air of importance, Bryn pulled out the last of her bags. Sunny grabbed it fast and her eyes widened: "Coins. That's bloody fantastic. Coins can almost always be determined in time and place!"

After a few minutes studying the handful of coins, Sunny looked up: "You ARE a darling. These are Roman coins. Definitely. their text is in Latin, and we need a specialist to determine the portrait. But we are doing well!"

"Not bad for two hours under water, yes Sunny?"

"Definitely. I love you".

Bryn smiled: "You're easy to seduce. A couple of junk pieces from the sea and some small change."

Sunny pretended to strike out at her, but they ended rolling around giggling in the sand. Entwined as one.

--

Racing across the water in the RIB a few hours later, they were in high-spirits.

- and when they landed at the slanting towing place, they gave Trawler a big wave across the harbour. Probably not a coincidence that he was down attending his boat as they came in. He had probably been in his regular corner at the Inn and watched them approach through the window.

"Hey Trawler. You got us a bed for the night?" They shouted across the harbour.

"Of course, my brave ladies. The Trawler is always good for his word!"

Bryn went to get the Rover and trailer. They stood where they had left them on the harbour parking lot.

When she returned, they hitched the RIB to it, pulled it out of the water and re-arranged their gear. Then drove up and parked it on the square with the overgrown water post.

"Look, Bryn, why don't we just drive home? This place is so grey and dreary."

"No, please. I'm starved and tired and some solid food and a good night's rest will do us good. Come on now. Cheer up. We've done well."

Sunny reluctantly agreed and a few minutes later they entered the Inn.

The innkeeper's wife greeted them from behind the bar: "Welcome back, you two.

Happy to see you are still alive! Your usual room is ready. Aired and heated and I suppose you'd like something to eat?"

"Yes, please Miss", Bryn replied as they found a table by the window.

They looked round. In his usual corner they assumed it was Trawler hiding behind a lot of pipe smoke and a newspaper.

Apart from him only two young guys were drinking at a table across the room.

They looked like fishermen or at least they were in working gear: Waders, wool caps, and big boots.

The innkeeper's wife served them two well-pulled beers, and told them that the dish of the day: A nice cod stew, would be there shortly.

Sunny excused herself and went to the ladies, while Bryn tried to look through the window. Not an easy task. The uneven coloured glass that made up a naïve picture of a mermaid and years of brownish smoke residue stuck on the inside surface.

Sunny was almost done in the ladies and was just washing her hands, when she heard voices.

Male voices. She looked up and found that the parting wall did not go all the way to the ceiling, but there was a small opening all along the top.

She could hear someone talking on the male side of the restroom.

"...and I bet they are a couple. Perverts and deviants"

There was a grunt as a reply, and the voice continued: "..they even dress like guys, and one of them even has a crew cut. YYkkk! I don't even want to think about it!"

As there had been no one else than the two guys and Trawler in the room when she left, she figured it was those two fishermen that was using the sinks on the other side of the wall.

"...and they come here and stir up God knows what by messing around on the island. One ought to teach them a lesson and run them out of town. We don't need their kind here. Definitely not!"

Due to the splashing water Sunny could not hear the reply, but she finished in a hurry and went back to Bryn.

A few minutes later the two guys came back from the gents and resumed their seats. Casting sideways glances over to the table where she and Bryn sat.

She gave Bryn a short summary in a whispering voice.

Bryn whispered back: "Not the first time we have met idiots like that, and probably not the last. Just relax."

They had their stew and it was delicious and filling. Then had a custard pie for dessert.

All through the meal they kept their voices down, and spoke of their finds and the island. Trying their best to ignore the two guys that was now on their 4^th or 5^th pint since Bryn and Sunny had come in. Not counting what they probably had had before that.

Trawler stayed engulfed in his pipe smoke and newspaper.

Suddenly one of the guys got up and came over. Stood at the end of their table.

"So, you two perverts. Want to try a real man for a change?"

Bryn looked up: "I'll tell you when we meet one."

The guy's face colour changed from a blushing red to almost purple.

"So, impertinent, are we? I have a good mind to give you a lesson!"

The guy's face was now dark purple and his hands grabbed the edge of the table.

His friend had come over and stood right behind him. Not looking any less agitated or hostile.

Bryn gave Sunny a blink with one eye: "Don't you think you should go home and sleep it off. We are just having dinner and not bothering anyone."

Sunny noticed that Bryn discretely palmed her steak knife and moved it and her right arm under the table.

Bryn's last remark just made matters worse. The first guy leaned over and they could both sense his rather bad breath.

Suddenly it seemed like both he and his friend were floating above the floor and doing something between a dance and a shake.

Trawler's face appeared between them, and he had one big hand locked at the back of each of their necks, lifting them up and shaking them like they were just rag dolls.

"Now, you leave the ladies alone. They are my friends."

Still holding them helplessly above the floor, he carried them back to their table and put them down.

"Now take your gear and go home and relax. You've had enough for one evening, and your presence is not wanted here."

They did not look up as they gathered their windbreakers and slipped silently out of the door. Not giving Bryn and Sunny a second look.

"You OK, ladies?" Trawler nodded in their direction.

"Quite so, Trawler, and thank you. It was beginning to turn nasty I think."

"They are just idiots. Don't mind them." Trawler rocked back to his seat and resumed his pipe smoking and newspaper reading.

"You OK, Sunny?"

"Yes! A little shaken. What would have happened if Trawler had not intervened?"

Bryn took her hand out from under the table and put the steak knife down on her napkin.

"Well. One never knows, does one now? I was thinking of poking the steak knife into him if it got nasty and if I had room I would probably have gotten up and kicked his balls so hard he would be able to apply for a 'Castrate Singers' choir!"

Bryn smiled.

"Well! I am glad Trawler did the job for us. We had no idea if they would get a witch burning party together with most of the village..."

"Well. Those two Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's were no match for us. At least not when we have Trawler on our side, but I think this was the experience of the night, Sunny. Let's go up and get some sleep."

"Yes, please!"

They shared the little warm water, the heater provided to take a quick shower and then cuddled together in the soft bed.

...and of course, they made sure the door was safely locked before they climbed into bed.

"You OK now, Sunniva?"

"Not quite. Still a bit upset about those two and glad Trawler saved us!"

Bryn caressed her cheek softly. Then gave her a kiss.

"OK. Relax now and be absolutely still."

"Yes, Miss."

Bryn threw the duvet aside, rose and climbed down at the end of the bed.

Smiled and lifted Sunny's left leg up. Then sucked on her big toe. Letting her tongue rotate around the top in her mouth. Sunny closed her eyes and made small sounds of joy.

She sucked each toe in turn and made her tongue caress them and the space in between.

Then kissed her ankle and let her lips run up the shin, across the kneecap and further up.

As she moved up, she made sure their bodies were in close contact.

Letting her fingers run up each side, she paused a moment to kiss and caress the navel before proceeding up.

Deliberately avoiding the breast, she kissed the armpit and then the side of Sunny's neck.

Nippling at her earlobe, she whispered. "I do love you, Sunny!"

"Mmmmmm..I love you too, Bryn!"

She had now curled her fingers so the nails just touched as they moved along her sides.

As she moved down again she stuck her tongue out and let the tip rest on Sunny's left nip. Just the two tips connecting.

Proceeded to let the tip of her tongue slide around the nip and then moved even further down.

When she reached the spot between Sunny's legs she slipped her arms around the upper legs and held on. Then she dived down.

It did not take long before she had to hold on with all she had, as Sunny's body convulsed like a wild horse in an explosive orgasm. Biting her lip to prevent screaming...

When they were done, Sunny was definitely all relaxed and they fell asleep entwined as one body.