Cailín (Lass) (Anam Céile Chronicles) (16 page)

Though,
miserably, I failed to hear him fer at that most inopportune moment, me
startling prompted a sneeze!  Feeling daft as usual, I replied “Sorry, what say
you, Donovan?”

Yet in
the very same second the words escaped me, I realised
what
‘twas he had
said. 
Those sweet words, a melody to me soul.
 

The
sharpest gust of love shot through me, melting me heart.  I thought it were not
possible to love him more than I did those years before now, but in this actualized
moment of reciprocated love, me feelings had reached a new height.  I felt his
love, as if it were reaching out to touch me.

“Oh,
Donovan!” I threw me arms about him, the tears brimming in me eyes.  “You
cannot conceive of how long I have waited to hear those words come from yer
lips!”

 Our
eyes met as I pulled back to look at him, his arms wrapping about me, not
letting me go too far.  Seeing the first tear seeping down me cheek, Donovan
leaned forward and kissed it away.  I closed me eyes as he did, and instead of
pulling back again, he went on kissing down me cheek.  When he reached the
corner of me mouth, I sucked in me breath in anticipation of what be coming. 
Then he did move his lips to alight upon mine, pressing into them softly.

Fer so many
years I had dreamt of this moment and now that ‘twas upon me, I felt as if I
did not know what to do!  Me lips quivered at the unbelievable feel of his lips
upon them, patiently seeking an invitation to go further in.  I willed the
softening of me mouth, trying to follow along, as tenderly Donovan caressed
them with his delectable lips.  I felt the moment they let go of all their
tension and gave in to his.  Slowly I relaxed me mouth and beckoned him in. 

How
long we remained in that embrace, I do not know.  Me head set off spinning so
that it felt as though it were not attached to me body any longer.  The rest of
me body and me feet followed soon thereafter, ‘til I expected to open me eyes
and find us floating away as a leaf upon the breeze. 

Yet,
open me eyes I could not as never had I felt so tranquil.  I began to think I
may well be sleeping and this all be an exceedingly delightful authentic
dream!  The tranquility spread ‘til it had permeated every cell of me body. 

Never
had I experienced something so euphoric before!  The moment ‘twas broken,
naturally, by me belly growling, something Donovan was becoming accustomed to
handling when around me.  Though slightly embarrassed, I disregarded it, not
daring to call an end to the best moment ever I’d had.  Another protest from me
belly, though, and he broke away. 

Grand! 
Donovan always has to be the gentleman!

His
lips pulling away from mine only made me hunger more powerful; yet to gratify
me belly, it did not aspire.  This hunger be infinitely more ravenous, coveting
to consume him through his lips!  Were Donovan to know how I felt, surely he
would have turned and fled from me!

“So
elated I be, ‘tis as if I be lost in some imaginary world!  Never have I felt
so brilliantly alive!” I beamed.

 Absolutely
delirious, I scampered off along the edge of the cliff, running until I ran out
of breath.  Donovan dashed after me and eventually grasped me, spinning us
round and round ‘til we both fell down upon the grass laughing. 

We
passed the day talking.  I revealed to him all me hopes and dreams.  He stared
at me absorbedly, listening with the utmost ardor, as though truly he did
believe in me.

“That
day at me father’s that you touched me hand, I think I knew you loved me then,”
I confessed.  I do believe the candid smile he gave me then confirmed the truth
of that presumption.

“Aislinn,
always have I loved you, since the day first I did see you in your father’s
barn,” he avowed softly, stroking me cheek with his fingertips.

Since
then?  No, he couldn’t have . . .

I gazed
at him with incredulity, me eyes searching his fer verification.

“Why
then, did you hold me off fer so long?” I asked him, me mind trying to make
sense of it.

“Oh,
Aislinn.  I knew there be something special about you, and desperately did I wish
to become better acquainted with you, trust me.”  His eyes were utterly
sincere.  “But, you were still so young.  I had to wait.”

“Wait
fer what, exactly?” I began to snap at him in me impatience.  “I’ll have you
know I had already waited
years
to merely lay eyes upon you!”

“Me
apologies that you had to wait longer than I,” Donovan turned down his eyes,
abashed.  “But I had to do it right, wait fer you to be of the proper age.  I
hoped to gain your father’s approval . . .” he tried to rationalize, trailing
off.

“Why is
everyone always so overly concerned with being proper?” I exasperated.  “Can we
not simply do what we
feel
?”

“’Tis
just the way things be, Aislinn.”  Donovan stroked me hand as if appeasing a
child.  “What kind of world would we live in if everyone were to act upon their
feelings?”

His
touch, it goes deeper still, to the very heart of me. 

“Happier,
doubtless!” I retorted.  “I just don’t see what would be so wrong with it!”

Donovan
gazed at me and sighed, patting me hand.  I sensed he had nothing left to say
on the matter.  And that be fine with me.  I wished to simply be with him.

Today
‘tis right here with you that I belong.  ‘Tis only when I be with you I be whole
again.  Being alone with you is as coming home fer the first time.  All I could
want is fer it to remain as this.  You and me alone, a secret kiss.  Let us
never go home!  Don’t let this end, please let us stay! 

“You
and I are the world!  The two of us is all there be,” I squealed, spinning him round. 
“The rest merely be an illusion.  Nothing else be real.  ‘Tis as though nothing
were ever truly real ‘til there be us!”

Delighted I be that he became captured by me zeal.  Clutching me
firmly to him, he called,
“We are on the edge of a truly beautiful thing, Aislinn!”

“Vow that
always we will remember what it be to feel this alive!
 Surrendering
ourselves to these reminiscences.  Fer then we may remain right here evermore,
never to bid farewell!” I cried.

Thus, Donovan
and I held onto each other as we watched as the red sun descended beyond the
deep green sea.  Listening to the sounds of the sea we tried to sing along.  We
observed the dolphins as they frolicked through the water; the seafowl flying
directly above, scanning the sea fer salmon.  Tasting the salty spray of the
crisp sea breeze upon me tongue, me heart soared as high as the waves booming
high above. 

Wretchedly,
‘twas then that other, most unwelcome thoughts began to take hold of me,
threatening it all crash down on me.

“Why be
you so far away, me love?” Donovan queried, his tone compassionate.  His hand caressed
mine.

Questioningly,
me eyes flitted to him, confounded by his enquiry.

“Your
eyes have been rather far away fer quite a while,” he softly clarified.

I gazed
so deep into his light eyes, beautifully reflecting the waters, softly
glimmering in the twilight of the ruby sunset.  “’Tis exceedingly beautiful and
so are you, Donovan.” I described.  “You be just as a dream.  Only I fear
tomorrow I may wake up and discover only dreamt this all I did!” 

 
“Will ever you not simply trust that I be in
love with you?  ‘Tis you I have been searching fer.  And ‘tis completely real I
be!  This
all
be
real!”  Donovan assured me.

“I have
been waiting fer you, waiting fer you longer than you truly know.” I told him,
the underlying pain in me voice evident.

 Donovan
gazed upon me inquisitively, striving to comprehend whatever ‘twas affected me
so.  “Pray, let me see you smile again, just as the little child,”
he
encouraged.  “I live to see that smile upon your face, Aislinn.”

“Be gentle
with me, with me heart.” I pleaded, burying me face in the fragrant warmth of
his chest.

“So
delicate you be, me Aislinn,” Donovan whispered holding me close to him.  “Just
as a newborn babe in me arms.”  I melted as he stroked me hair.

“Never,
never, never let me go!” I cried, burrowing deeper against him.  “Hold me just
as this fer all infinity!”

“I’ll
keep holding you in me arms so near to me, Aislinn, never will I let you slip
away!” Donovan promised fervently.

All I have
ever wanted was to be held safe in his arms.
 
Me lips
to breathe his name.  Now, at last, here we be, everything fer which I have
desired, and I be set on ruining it!  What ever be the matter with me?  Funny
‘tis, this thing that is love, with its strange highs and strange lows. 

“The
view is beautiful, and tonight ‘tis ours alone,” Donovan finally agreed.
 

 “I
love you, Donovan,” I told him belatedly, snuggling into his warmth.  He
squeezed me and kissed the back of me hair in response.

We sat,
observing how the shadows from the breaking waves melted the light across the
water, softly shining in our eyes.

Here as
this with you beneath the stars, Oh, wouldst you whisper to me a wish that we might
drift away tonight?         

‘Twas
then a sudden isolated gust passed directly above me head and with it an eerie
feeling did wash through me triggering from me a shudder.

“Suppose
we should be going back in now,” Donovan stated with concern rubbing me arm,
though his voice be reluctant.  “Wouldn’t want you catchin’ yer death out
here!”

Though
I knew it were not the cold which had affected me, I nodded, pressing me face into
him.  

Before
turning to go, I glanced out once more.  I thought me eyes must surely be
deceiving me, fer I swore I glimpsed a man, his gaze affixed upon me.  And
then, not a moment later, as a glowing pearl upon the starlit sea, an orb of
light did rise off the water from where I be certain he had been and rushed onward
toward where we stood. 

Yet another
chain of chills rushed through me as seemingly the light passed right through me
form. 

The
rest of that night, I could not seem to break free of the disturbing sense that
anomalous incident had stirred within me.  And at the same time, peculiarly, I did
feel an overcoming sense of intrigue.

Once
more, I wished to sneak down the hall to Donovan’s room.  Except, this time I wished
only to be hidden within the shelter in his arms.

T
he
dream it came during the overnight preceding me birthday, the first of May. 

‘Tis
twilight and deep in the wood I be, surrounded by a group of beautiful women. 
Adoringly, they bathe me in the soothing warm water dissolved with nourishing
salts and scented oils.  Their hands be gliding all over me body, caressing me,
as they devotedly cleanse me skin.  Occasionally a hand would be replaced with
a mouth somewhere upon me. 

Eventually,
all of the hands be exchanged with the mouths and tongues of these women: upon
me face, neck, ears, arms, shoulders, breasts, back, and belly.  Cravings which
never I have experienced before flow through me. 

Reluctantly,
the women help me from the bath washbasin, drying leisurely me form with soft linens. 
Specific attention they grant to the area hidden away within me thighs.  Each
female awaits her turn to meticulously examine me flesh with her fingers and then
leans forth her face and with her tongue, methodically tastes of me to endorse
me purity. 

Twelve
females replicate this routine.  I be virtually ready to succumb to this beyond
arduous etiquette, me legs beginning to tremble, threatening to give way
beneath me, me mind growing blissfully foggy.  ‘Tis rather discontented I be
when they conclude this rite. 

They commence
to dressing me in a glorious translucent, flowing white gown.  One woman lovingly
places a wreath of flowers around me neck, kissing me delicately upon the lips. 
The others busy themselves with weaving dainty white flowers throughout me
bountiful locks.  I feel deeply mystified, me head still hazy, having still not
the knowledge of the purpose fer me presence here.  Nonetheless, by this point
little care have I fer that.