by Speer, Flora
He laid her down on a soft bed of creeping vines and yellow-and-white flowers that released a sweet, powdery fragrance when her slender body crushed them. A cloud of blue butterflies that had been hovering above the flowers dispersed into delicate winged fragments of color, then flew away.
“Beloved,” Reid whispered, and Janina’s bones melted while her blood ran hot within her. She had wondered more than once if their lovemaking in the sacred grove had been the result of true desire or of the influence of the khata flowers, whose fragrance was said to encourage passion. Now she knew. In this cove there were no khata bushes, yet she wanted Reid with a yearning of both body and spirit that overcame the last of her qualms. There was no shame here, no embarrassment. There was only love, and a sweet, insistent desire.
She opened her arms and Reid lowered himself into them, taking her mouth with firm assurance. He began a tender and very thorough exploration of her body, loving her with a slow relish that had been denied them in their first encounter. Nor did this loving end as abruptly as that earlier coupling. Here there was no one to interrupt them so cruelly, and as if to erase the memory of anything that had gone before, this time Reid taught her how to love him in return, telling her with quiet words and showing her with gestures what he wanted her to do, until she was certain he must have reached the same state of rapturous delight that she was enduring. She was trembling from head to toe; she could feel his body quivering, too, each time she put her hands on him.
Finally, when she thought neither of them could bear any more of this increasingly fervent desire, when she thought it was impossible for desire to rise to any greater height, she learned she was wrong. He took her slowly, deliberately, with a rich and gentle tenderness that moved her nearly to tears, until he was buried deep within her and she was his completely. Then she knew pleasure beyond anything she had ever imagined could exist.
It was at that moment of shimmering intensity, when they were one body, one consciousness, one spirit, that for her the laws of Ruthlen dissolved into nothingness, for how could a law made by mere mortals mean anything at all when a man and woman were predestined to meet and love as she and Reid loved?
Chapter 12
The sun was sinking behind the low hills. Purple shadows lay across the land. High thin clouds of volcanic ash, colored by the setting sun, streaked across the sky in a glorious tangle of deep red and gold or purple and green. The boat rocked gently in the cove. The river rippled past, making quiet whispering sounds.
Janina turned her head to look at Reid. She could not believe now that she had ever thought him ugly. He had a harsh, strong face, but there was beauty and goodness in it. Such a face could never be ugly, only unfamiliar until one knew him. As she knew him now. As she loved him now.
Reid stretched and rolled over on top of her, to plant a long, deep kiss firmly on her mouth.
“It’s going to be dark soon,” she whispered when she could speak. “Shouldn’t we go back to the boat?”
“Are you so eager to get into the water again?” he teased, nibbling at her earlobe.
“I’d feel safer there, in a smaller place,” she said, trying to catch her breath.
“Smaller means more intimate.” He rose, pulling her up too. “I do like that idea.”
She went into the water with much less fear this time, partly because Reid was holding her hand. She walked until she could no longer stand and then she floated, letting Reid put one hand on her breast to move her along while he swam. But he would not keep his hand still. He rubbed and teased at her flesh until her nipple stood up hard and rosy, at which point he lovingly attacked her other breast.
By the time they reached the rope ladder slung over the stern, Janina could hardly think. Reid let go of her, laughing softly, then pulled her around to face him. Janina moved closer, putting her hands beneath the water to caress the needy hardness of him. Reid held on to the ladder with one hand, pressing her hips against his with the other hand, letting her feel his eagerness. Janina put her arms around his neck when he kissed her. Then, unwilling to wait any longer, she spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist, pushing herself onto him until he filled her.
Reid’s gasp of surprise at her sudden action, followed by his groan of pleasure was all the encouragement she needed. When he stroked into her, she shivered into instant, intense fulfillment. She hung about his neck, her head resting on his shoulder, while he took his pleasure. She saw his hand clutching the rope ladder tighten, heard his sigh, and felt life pouring into her from him. Locked together, they floated in the water, unable to move apart or speak, Janina marveling that two acts of love could appear to be so different and yet each have the same ability to touch her very soul. It was good to know that love with Reid included laughter as well as gentleness and intense passion.
“It’s growing cold,” Reid said at last. He helped her up the ladder, then pulled himself out of the water.
They stood facing each other, the setting sun painting their bodies with orange-gold light that glistened where droplets of river water formed. The heavy length of her hair hung over Janina’s shoulder, trailing down between her breasts in a moist stream of water-darkened gold.
Reid thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful, or so graceful. There was a depth of passion in her too, along with an unexpected playfulness. That sudden advance of hers just as he had been about to boost her up the ladder had been delightful. He wondered what had made her think of it. He found himself grinning at her, wanting to tell her to dress herself immediately or he’d have her again, standing right there in the cockpit, and any other way he could think of.
He’d better not say that. She was still a bit shy of him and might not appreciate the humor. That would change. He had a feeling that they were going to be alone together for quite a while. He just hoped he could vanquish some of her foolish fears - about immersing herself in water, for instance, and about obeying the laws of a land and people now totally destroyed, if that explosion they had witnessed was any indication, and most of all, about the existence of terrible sea monsters. He thought the best way to change her ideas was to expose her to the truth of their situation.
He waited until they had dressed and used the solar heating unit to prepare a fish and dried-vegetable stew, which they ate with the last of a loaf of stale bread. Reid moved an empty crate from the storage area in the hold into the cockpit to use as a dining table so they could enjoy the soft twilight and the evening breeze, which in this haven was more pleasant than the wind they had been exposed to while at sea.
“There are some bags of flour in the drybox below,” Reid began, watching her closely to gauge her reactions to what he was planning to tell her. “Do you know how to use it?”
“I can cook and bake, Reid,” she said quietly, her mist-blue eyes soft upon his face. “Every girl of Ruthlen learns how to do both. I also know what wild plants can be safely gathered for food. If you catch any fish or wild animals, I can prepare them, and cook them, too.”
“Good,” he said, pleased that she had surprised him again. “Can you read a map?”
“What is a map?” She looked blank. Reid thought she might have known maps under another name, so he hastened to explain, then pulled out a battered sea chart he had found in one of the lockers. He spread it on the crate, smoothing down the creases while she looked at it with great interest.
“The fisherfolk must have used this,” he said. “It’s primitive, but you can see these are the six mountains behind Ruthlen. This is the village, with the wharf jutting out into the bay. I think these lines and markings must represent water depths.”
“The bay is shallow,” Janina said, understanding the chart at once. “This line must be the strong current, sweeping along offshore. And here is the beach where first I saw your face and foretold your coming, where Tamat later dedicated you to Ruthlen.”
She was silent for a moment, staring down at the scraped-skin chart. Reid, pleased by her ready comprehension, decided no
t to allow her time to think about what might have happened in Ruthlen. He flipped the skin over and produced the marker he had found with it.
“I’m going to draw another map,” he said, “based on what I remember from the models Tarik generated on the computer back at headquarters. This one will begin where the other map ends. See, here is the rocky coast we have sailed past since we left Ruthlen. Here is where we are now, in the river. And this is the coastline beyond this spot.”
He sketched rapidly, remembering in detail, for he had been vitally interested in the planet and had paid close attention to everything Tank said about it.
“We are heading toward the northern polar region. That is how Commander Tank has designated this part of the planet.” He drew an arc across the top of his impromptu map. “It will grow much colder as we approach this area, and it will be dangerous sailing. But once we round this cape” - he pointed to a sharp angle of land where he had drawn rocks extending far out into the sea - ”on the other side we should be protected from the worst of the polar gales, and the land should be more hospitable when we need to drop anchor to rest. If we can sail farther along the coast, to this point here, then we can beach the boat and walk the rest of the way. The journey will take all the strength and courage we have, Janina, but I believe we can reach headquarters before it becomes too bitterly cold to travel in these latitudes.”
“Must we go by sea?” She did not look up at him. She kept her eyes on the chart, but he heard the fear in her voice. “Couldn’t we walk the entire distance by land? Wouldn’t it be the shorter route?”
“No, because here” - he made swift marks on the chart - ”like the backbone of the continent, is a range of tall, steep mountains. They would be nearly impassable to us during warmer weather, and with the cold season coming there will be early snowfalls at those altitudes. We can’t travel as quickly on foot as we can by sea. With the current to help speed us along, and the wind at our backs, we could be at headquarters before the worst of the cold weather arrives. If we are lucky, the Chon will find us before then. For some reason, they don’t live on this side of the mountains, but once we round the cape at the north of the world, the possibility of meeting them will increase with every day. Once they have spotted us, the chances are good that they will let Tarik or Narisa know where we are.”
“I wish I were a telepath.” Janina spoke sadly. “If I were, I could communicate with the Chon sooner than you will.”
“Never mind.” Reid refrained from pointing out that if she were a telepath, she would not be sitting there with him, she would be a dead High Priestess-Designate, buried beneath molten lava. “Telepathy won’t help us on the journey we face. Courage and resourcefulness will.”
Janina bowed her head at those words, believing courage was the very quality she lacked. She promised herself she would try her best to keep him from learning what a coward she was.
They slept together in one narrow bunk that night. The lack of space did not stop Reid from making love to her with skill and inventiveness. But in the chill morning mist it was a newly efficient Janina who took charge.
“We will need food for our journey,” she said. “This is a small boat, but there ought to be enough storage space in the hold. I think we should begin by scrubbing out that part of the boat. It probably reeks of fish and will make everything we put into it smell and taste of fish. Then I will teach you which plants to dig or pick, and you will teach me to be a better sailor so I can be of more help to you.”
She had a few other suggestions, to most of which Reid agreed at once. He was well pleased by the way she had accepted their circumstances. Her fragile appearance was deceiving. She was proving to be tougher and far more resilient than he had expected, considering her restricted and sheltered background.
They worked quickly, not wanting to waste any more good weather than necessary. The little boat was soon spotless. They packed the newly clean hold with roots and berries which Janina guaranteed would last for more than the twenty days Reid estimated their journey would take. She cut wild herbs and hung them from the mast to dry so they would be able to brew hot dhia to help keep them warm in the polar chill. They would not have time to dry the fish Reid caught each day, but they found salt in the hold along with a few containers intended for the storage of fish in brine, and these they packed full. They saw no animals large enough to justify expending the time necessary to hunt and snare them. Janina insisted they could live quite well on what they were storing.
The fisherfolk had apparently gone barefoot while aboard, and so did Reid and Janina. Knowing warmer gear would be needed soon, Reid used lengths of heavy cloth he found packed in a locker, which were originally intended as material for sail patches, to make clumsy shoes for both of them. Among the clothes they had found on the boat were several pairs of heavy stockings, which would provide added warmth for their feet.
Janina found a pair of oars stored beneath one of the bunks, so they were able to use the smaller boat, in which they had been set adrift, to ferry supplies from shore to the larger boat.
To range farther and find more food, they sailed the boat up and down the river until Janina handled it with easy familiarity. Reid tried to teach her to swim, and Janina did her best to learn, knowing it might be necessary to know how. She never spoke of the terror she felt about returning to the open sea. She thought they would probably be killed on the northward voyage, if not by sea monsters, then surely by cold and ice. She had heard tales of the bitter polar regions when stories about the ancestors were recounted, though no one in Ruthlen had ever dared to travel so far.
The nights were becoming noticeably colder. A golden haze lay upon the land each afternoon. Ripe fruit or small nuts hung from every bush.
“Tomorrow we will rest and eat all we can of food that won’t travel well,” Reid decreed on one especially lovely evening. “The following day, if the weather holds, we will leave here.”
“I suppose that is best,” Janina agreed. “We can’t wait much longer, can we? It will be too cold.” She promised herself once again that she would not let Reid know how frightened she was. She wanted to suggest they stay where they were until the cold weather had come and gone, but she knew he would never agree to that. He was too eager to see his friends again and to learn the fate of his cousin, Alla.
Since they would be forced to remain on the boat for many days to come, they took blankets and slept ashore that night. Reid made a fire and cooked fish. Janina contributed bread made from their precious store of flour, and flavorful roots roasted among the coals. They finished with a selection of delicate yellow-and-purple striped berries.
Twin half moons rose one after the other, shedding a hazy silver mantle over the landscape, their light diffused by the volcanic ash still drifting high in the atmosphere. Reid drew Janina into his arms.
“There won’t be much time for this after tomorrow,” he said, kissing her brow. “We will both have to work constantly, and take turns sleeping.”
“I know.” They sat on a blanket with their heads together, holding each other close. After a while Reid lifted her tunic, sliding his hands along her ribcage, and then up her arms, flinging the garment onto the gravel after he had removed it. He knelt beside her and buried his face in her breasts. Janina caught his head, holding him hard against her. It was always like this. He touched her and began to caress her and instantly she was lost. She could think of nothing but Reid.
He pushed her back onto the blanket and then pulled off his own clothing. Janina lay watching him in the firelight, admiring the way his smooth muscles moved beneath his bronzed skin, feeling the heat of desire lapping up inside her, threatening to overwhelm her. She smiled up at his darkly handsome face when he bent over her.
“But you are still half dressed,” he murmured, laying his hands on the waist of her trousers. He slid the trousers down a little and lowered himself to kiss her tender flesh. Janina began to tremble. He pushed the trousers lower still. She lifted her hips
to help him. His hands cupped her buttocks before slipping around to caress her belly and move down into the tangle of silver hair between her thighs. Her trousers were gone, her legs fell apart, and Reid’s hands were driving her mad. And his mouth. She had never known, never guessed, anything like that was possible. She grabbed at him, holding him in both hands, reveling in the way he responded so eagerly to her touch. She cried out in disappointment when he pulled away from her. But his own hands stayed where they were and she knew she could not endure much more of his loving torture.
Then, just as her body began to explode, he entered her, not in his usual gentle way, but with the hard, driving force of his own passionate need. She met him with a matching desire, pushing upward against him, clutching him to her, fingers digging into his back. An instant later her wild cry of fulfillment echoed through the night, followed by Reid’s deeper expression of ultimate pleasure.
* * * * *
The next morning they spent playing naked in the water. Janina endured the final swimming lesson with laughing good humor, enjoying the caress of Reid’s hands when he helped her to move her arms correctly. His lightest touch could ignite her senses. To cover her sudden desire for him, she laughed and teased him, then squealed in mock fear when he dove under her, caught her across his shoulder, and staggered out of the water to toss her laughing onto the beach and take her with no further preliminaries. His body was cool and wet, his manhood hard and demanding. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to him with unquestioning love.
They slept the afternoon away, then ate their evening meal on the beach. They made love one last time before dowsing the fire and rowing back to the boat. Janina had expected to be unable to sleep, but she drifted off at once. She did not waken until Reid called through the hatch to say the sun was up and all was ready for their departure.
