{"id":16349,"date":"2019-03-14T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/?p=16349"},"modified":"2019-02-18T16:00:52","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T23:00:52","slug":"free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/03\/14\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (8)"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Doranna<\/em><\/p>\n

All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

22.
\nArlie touched him, all right. She touched him with her lips, with her hands, with the flutter of her lashes. She ran her tongue along his jaw, the seam of his mouth, the curve of his ear. She rolled with him over the blanket, soaking in the scent of his skin and the sound of his groans. She chose the moment to fit herself to him\u2014and then waited for him to overcome the new flood of sensation before she began to move. His face was beautiful in its straining pleasure, his jaw tight and his brow drawn, his mouth as fierce as his need.<\/p>\n

But his unfettered gasp reached her the most deeply, arrowing through her body to twist her own pleasure free. From a lazy, gathering delight to something hot and entirely demanding, from thought to pure reaction. When he made that sound again, she cried out in response and his hands closed over her hips, holding them together in the vigor of rhythm and desire.<\/p>\n

As she started to stiffen, the hot spark of orgasm upon her once more, he gasped a third time, and again in quick succession, and she glimpsed just enough to know he\u2019d thrown his head back and surrendered himself.<\/p>\n

Spark turned to flame and ignited her right over the edge.<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

He held her as dusk descended, enclosing her in his arms and curving around her back. Just touching, and feeling those faint movements of skin against skin as their breathing settled. She thought he might doze, but knew from the occasional caress of his thumb over her hand that he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

He absorbed sensation. He absorbed her<\/em>. Just as she absorbed him in return\u2014so attuned that she knew when he started to think about leaving.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be back?\u201d she asked, the words a little muffled by the fall of her hair and the press of her face against the arm supporting her head.<\/p>\n

He combed that hair back. \u201cTomorrow,\u201d he said. \u201cPerhaps the night after. But then we must be more careful. If I am to come, I must learn silent ways to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me,\u201d she said. \u201cI need to understand more. Not about her, but about your home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told her of the wild mountains that crowded settlements down near their edges, and how the small cities were separated by distance\u2014and the holds of power by more distance yet, their craggy holds up high in the foothills. He told her of the nomads who wandered the nearby rolling plains, and of the sea he had never crossed.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t talk about the fights, or the struggles between those in power that generated them, or the rules governing those fights.<\/p>\n

23.
\nArlie didn\u2019t ask Jaice any of her questions. She could already fill in too many of those blanks. She had the feeling she\u2019d learn the rest as time passed.<\/p>\n

If she was lucky.<\/p>\n

And then, with full darkness around them, she made it easy for him. She peeled herself away and reached for her blouse.<\/p>\n

He sat. His movements turned precise and efficient\u2014the pants fastened just so, the shirt tucked in this fashion, the over robe secured in that. By the time he finished, Arlie was rebuttoned but still deliciously disheveled, with no intention of being otherwise on the quiet walk home. She gathered up their picnic items, folding and packing.<\/p>\n

He made no move up the arroyo. \u201cIf I can ask\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

After what they now shared? \u201cAsk!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder…\u201d He glanced toward the quiescent doorway, gave her one of those little smiles. \u201cIf you might sing me home?\u201d<\/p>\n

Arlie sang.<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t return the following night.<\/p>\n

And he didn\u2019t return the night after that.<\/p>\n

There was the faintest brush of an instant where Arlie felt used. No more than that. What they\u2019d had, what they\u2019d done…it had been real. More real than anything in her life so far. And she knew nothing of his world or the difficulties of the doorways, and she knew nothing of what happened there now. She would not assume.<\/p>\n

Besides, she might never see him again\u2014and if not, she was determined to treasure him always. To hold tightly to the awareness of other worlds and other places\u2014and that she, above all, had had the wherewithal to sing through the most vital being she\u2019d ever met.<\/p>\n

But for now, she ached. The waiting without knowing…<\/p>\n

She ached and mourned and lost weight and forgot to braid her hair, until friends at Food Shelf Tuesdays would have no more of it. They saw her fed and dragged out to movies and art shows and summer festivals\u2014and then, when Lammas Night had come and gone and August was behind them, fall flea markets and even a short fun run.<\/p>\n

Because she knew nothing of his world and the difficulties of the doorways, and all she could do was wait and sing.<\/p>\n

24.
\nUntil one evening, with dusk coming sooner and more crisply, the monsoon season behind them and the landscape of the arroyo below subtly altered in its wake, Arlie snapped through her mourning and into anger.<\/p>\n

Why<\/em> did she have to wait? Just because she\u2019d never seen the doorway herself? Just because she\u2019d never yet glimpsed that other world?<\/p>\n

Yet.<\/em><\/p>\n

She gathered a kit and stuffed it into her backpack\u2014an all-season coat, bottled water, camping tools and first aid kit. Not too much of any one thing, but enough to face a variety of circumstances for a short period of time. She wore her sturdiest jeans and her hikers, and layered her shirts.<\/p>\n

She brought the Taser, too.<\/p>\n

And her flute.<\/p>\n

She took it all out to her singing tree, and then she did more than sing. She watched the area from which Jaice had so often emerged, and she positioned herself all around it. She sang the same song from each position, and she sang different songs. She put words to Ravel and hummed her way through musical lyrics.<\/p>\n

She saw nothing. Through the weeks, she saw nothing at all. August gave way to September and crawled into October, and now she wore the jacket. The thong for one of the knotted necklaces grew thin; she tied it around her flute, touching it wistfully before she lifted the instrument to her lips.<\/p>\n

She saw nothing. But she heard…<\/p>\n

A flatness. Not in note, but in tone.<\/p>\n

Because for all the years since she\u2019d started her musical meditation, she\u2019d heard without truly noticing the quality of song in this air, at this spot. The way it rang free, with just the hint of returning to her on an echo.<\/p>\n

There had been no hint of echo.<\/p>\n

She faced the long-quiescent spot and closed her eyes, taking her thoughts back to a summer solstice evening and the amazing sensation of his touch on her skin and in her hair and then inside her. She woke all the places that had faltered, bringing to mind all the details of him\u2014the precision of his movement, the silence that settled around him when he set the warrior aside, the consideration of his words.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe there,\u201d she murmured, and she spoke not to the doorway, but to Jaice himself. Be there.<\/em><\/p>\n

She lifted the flute to her lips and played. Long, liquid notes, mellow from the wood and confident from her heart.<\/p>\n

And yes, when she moved to face this way and that, when she took careful steps while the song stayed strong\u2014yes, she heard that flat spot.<\/p>\n

She defined it.<\/p>\n

She stepped toward it.<\/p>\n

She stepped through it.
\n~~~
\n~~~<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected   22. Arlie touched him, all right. She touched him with her lips, with her hands, with the flutter of her lashes. She ran her tongue along his jaw, the seam of his … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168,170,155],"tags":[169],"class_list":["post-16349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction-treats","category-samhain-heartsong","category-writing","tag-samhain-heartsong"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb2lc3-4fH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16345,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/03\/06\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-6\/","url_meta":{"origin":16349,"position":0},"title":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (6)","author":"Doranna","date":"1903.06","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected \u00a0 16. But Jaice\u2019s hand remained, an inexorable request, and his gaze held steady on hers. He presented his hand again, a little gesture of insistence. Arlie accepted the invitation, letting his fingers envelope hers. He must have steeled himself. He stiffened with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fiction Treats"","block_context":{"text":"Fiction Treats","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/writing\/fiction-treats\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16343,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/03\/04\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":16349,"position":1},"title":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (5)","author":"Doranna","date":"1903.04","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected \u00a0 13. Arlie made an inexpert jab at the creature\u2019s scaly hide, jamming the Taser against the thing\u2019s spine, her hope plummeting when it barely stiffened. Its tail straightened with a snap that battered her leg on the way by, taking her down.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fiction Treats"","block_context":{"text":"Fiction Treats","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/writing\/fiction-treats\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16347,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/03\/11\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":16349,"position":2},"title":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (7)","author":"Doranna","date":"1903.11","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected \u00a0 19. \u201cMy use of the doorways.\u201d Jaice repositioned their hands so hers nested within his, giving her opportunity to trace the lines of his palm. He tipped his head back, eyes closed, and made a visible effort to continue. \u201cMy skills are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fiction Treats"","block_context":{"text":"Fiction Treats","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/writing\/fiction-treats\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16341,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/02\/27\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":16349,"position":3},"title":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (4)","author":"Doranna","date":"1902.27","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected \u00a0 10. He didn\u2019t grasp her shoulders, though they were close enough that she tingled with the potential. He held himself in that deliberate stillness. \u201cThere are some things I cannot say.\u201d She\u2019d already seen it. \u201cYou don\u2019t mean can\u2019t as in it\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fiction Treats"","block_context":{"text":"Fiction Treats","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/writing\/fiction-treats\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16329,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/02\/20\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":16349,"position":4},"title":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (2)","author":"Doranna","date":"1902.20","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected 4. The cold air stirred around Arlie and the wounded man, bringing the flutter of juncos in the trees. Arlie spoke without thinking\u2014too much time alone in this spot, talking to the birds and the sky and the trees. \u201cAt least you\u2019re wearing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fiction Treats"","block_context":{"text":"Fiction Treats","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/writing\/fiction-treats\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16339,"url":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/2019\/02\/25\/free-fiction-samhain-heartsong-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":16349,"position":5},"title":"Free Fiction: Samhain Heartsong (3)","author":"Doranna","date":"1902.25","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doranna All Samhain Heartsong Posts, Collected 7. Jaice Theyasa. How had it even come to this\u2014standing in her arroyo in the wake of a fight for her life, and a fast-growing fight for her heart? Your singing. It wasn\u2019t as if her voice held unearthly beauty. She sang because\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fiction Treats"","block_context":{"text":"Fiction Treats","link":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/category\/writing\/fiction-treats\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16349"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16400,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16349\/revisions\/16400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.changespell.com\/wordplay\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}